Denmark - When Austrian drag act Conchita Wurst was crowned the winner of the 59th annual Eurovision Song Contest in the Danish capital of Copenhagen, it brought to the end a spectacular show, in which SGM's pioneering LED lighting was a clear highlight of the rig.

In a groundbreaking design, the show's creative director, Per Zachariassen and lighting designer Kasper Lange (with whom he has worked for ten years) ensured that content throughout the 26 artistes performing could be delivered to four different surfaces, allowing the stage to be transformed from act to act. This included the huge, classic SGM LED back wall - measuring 110m wide by 13m high - and it was here that over 350 SixPack blinders were used to such dramatic effect.

Once again, SGM had been appointed an official technical event supplier as the evergreen event arrived in the company's own back yard, tak

Denmark - 46,320 parameters, 138 universes 1,380 moving lights, 1,500 spot (conventional, LED, effect), 10kms of data cable, 12kms of power multicore cable, 6kms of power cable - numbers like these hint ... that it was Eurovision Song Contest time again.

The 2014 event took place in an old shipyard at Refshaleøen, Copenhagen, Denmark and once again set new standards for production technology and as an eye opener.

Danish lighting designer Kasper Lange relied on seven grandMA2 full-size and two grandMA2 light consoles, 19 x MA NPU (Network Processing Unit) and 9 x MA 8Port Node for control.

Amongst numerous Martin Moving Lights and PRG Bad Boys, 178 x Clay Paky Sharpy Wash 330, 32 x Clay Paky Alpha Beam 1500, 30 x Philips Vari*Lite VL3500 Spot, 24 x Philips Vari*Lite VL3500 Wash and 212 x Philips Vari*Lite VL5 were in the lighting rig. Furthermore six Robert Juliat Cyra

Ivor Novello Awards - Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie has been honoured with a lifetime achievement at this year's Ivor Novello songwriting awards. McVie played with Fleetwood Mac for 28 years and wrote some of their most famous songs, including Don't Stop and Little Lies. Other winners at the ceremony in London included London Grammar, The Chemical Brothers and Nile Rodgers. The annual awards, now in their 59th year, are voted for by songwriters.

Picking up her award, McVie confirmed she had rejoined Fleetwood Mac after a more than 15-year absence and would join them on a world tour. "We are in the process of making another studio album which should be out next year," she added.

Alt-pop trio London Grammar won the award for best song musically and lyrically for Strong. Last year's Mercury Prize winner James Blake received the best contemporary s

UK - As part of their support for education and training in the field of entertainment lighting, the Worshipful Company of Lightmongers (WCL) in conjunction with the Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) are offering an annual award for those who are at the start of their career.

The Worshipful Company of Lightmongers is one of the modern Livery companies and number 96 in order of precedence within the City of London. Being a modern company, it has all of its members involved in the lighting industry through engineering / manufacture, design, architecture, electrical installation and distribution. Two of WCL's main objectives are to foster the art and science of lighting and to encourage invention and imagination in the use of light through annual awards.

"The Lightmongers are pleased to have worked with the ALD in creating an award which will recognise the work of new

Italy - Multi-talented Italian superstar Luciano Ligabue - a prolific singer-songwriter, film director and award winning author - played a series of intimate concerts at the start of his 2014 Mondovisione tour which builds up to stadium shows in the summer, with lighting designer Jo Campana including 20 x Robe Robin Pointe moving lights on his rig.

Campana, who has worked with the artist since 2009, first saw the Pointes in action at this year's Sanremo Music Festival in March - where he was also working for the artist. The fixtures immediately caught her attention, so much so, that he decided to include the 20 Pointes for the initial show on the tour.

The gigs for this leg of the tour primarily visited smaller towns, and the whole vibe of the production was to present a 'back-to-the-roots' style of show where the singer could communicate in a close and personal way wit

UK - Visitor registration for PLASA London 2014 is now open and for a limited time attendees can register for free.

PLASA London is offering free four-day passes for attendees who register before Tuesday 1 July. The show, which has been a pivotal date on the international entertainment technology tradeshow calendar for more than three decades, will return to ExCeL London for the second consecutive year on Sunday 5 October until Wednesday 8 October.

Exciting developments to the show's format mean that the registration offer is just one of many visitor incentives for 2014, as PLASA's director of events, Christopher Toulmin explains: "Having relocated to ExCeL last year and enjoyed a very positive response from exhibitors and visitors alike, we have no intention of resting on our laurels. As an organisation we're always looking at ways of improving what we offer - this will

USA - Held at New York City's prestigious Radio City Music Hall, the 2014 NFL Draft was the highest rated ESPN Draft telecast in more than two decades. To ensure proper lighting of the players, audience and for the live television broadcast on both ESPN and NFL Network, Christie Lites and principal lighting designer, Michael Franks, deployed Martin Professional fixtures to provide light to the entire venue.

In total, more than four miles of cable were used to power 14 Martin MAC Auras, 20 MAC Viper AirFxs, 19 MAC Viper Performances and 24 MAC Viper Profiles throughout Radio City Music Hall from Thursday 8 May 8th - Saturday 10 May.

What began as a relatively quiet experience in 1936, the NFL's annual Draft has become one of the largest productions and most anticipated yearly events. As the NFL has continued to grow, so has the emphasis on production quality.

"This was o

USA - Elation Professional adds to its growing range of innovative LED luminaries with launch of the Pixel Bar 40, a one-meter-long pixel-controllable LED strip light that uses 3-in-1 SMD RGB LEDs to mix a nearly limitless variety of colors.

Useful as a pixel bar for displaying imagery or as a wash luminaire for floodlighting surfaces and stages, uniform washes of color from pastels to saturates and easy-to-setup design will be appreciated by LDs, rental houses and installers alike.

Bright at 850 Nits and 0-100% dimmable for brightness adjustment and balancing, the Pixel Bar 40's forty RGB LEDs are spaced at a 25mm pixel pitch and each bar has a 120° viewing angle.

Made of robust extruded aluminium with a slim design that will look great on any stage, multiple units can be easily linked together for customizable setups. Equipped with RJ45 CAT5e ports that make installati

Belgium - Maverick award-winning, chart-topping Belgian superstar rockers Clouseau are engaged in a 45 date tour of Belgium and the Netherlands until September reaching out to their enormous and eclectic fanbase.

The lighting and set is designed by Luc Peumans from Genk based creative practice Painting With Light, who was challenged to create a fully flexible rig that looks fabulous in a wide variety of venues, that is quick and easy to rig and de-rig ... and will fit - together with the rest of the technical production - into one truck!

His ingenious design includes eight DMX controllable electric ribbon lifts, sourced in the US, which have been customised and fitted with lights!

Peumans - also well known for his TV and musical theatre lighting and visual design work - has worked with the band since 1996, so there is a great creative dialogue and understanding between them

Russia - The ambitious Closing Ceremony of Sochi's Winter Olympics was a "bright and emotive" event featuring 7,000 performers under an 'LED Forest of Light'. This was made up of 204 LED tubes, each one 12-metres high with a 360-degree viewing angle, and powered by an Avolites Ai S6 Server and Tiger Touch II console.

The Ceremony started with a countdown, with the numbers appearing on the screens above the stands. When the scoreboard hit zero, the LED forest in the centre of Sochi's Fisht arena exploded into bright colours, directed by world-renowned director Daniele Finzi Pasca.

Throughout, the Forest of Light provided the stage architecture that gave scale and perspective for much of the action that unfolded. TAIT Technologies designed and built the custom LED tubes, with each rod boasting an impressive 360 degree viewing angle enabling all 46,000 of the audience m

Germany - After the huge success of the 27 Club at the St. Pauli theatre in Hamburg, the show has embarked on a tour that will stop off in Vienna and Berlin before returning to Hamburg once again. The 27 Club embodies the milestones of the history of music. Patrick Woodroffe and Roland Greil have been appointed as lighting designers, as they were at the St. Pauli theatre.

Greil, who is also in charge of programming, has chosen nine Clay Paky Sharpy Washes, a grandMA2 light console, an MA Network Processing Unit (NPU), grandMA2 onPC software as backup, and a Robert Juliat Aramis.

He commented, "As far as the grandMA2 is concerned, I can definitely say that it has no rivals on the market at the moment in terms of reliability, efficiency and effectiveness. For precisely this reason, it was my first choice once again! The same goes for the Clay Paky Sharpy Washes, which are u

Russia - Clay Paky and Doka will celebrate 20 years of partnership in Moscow on 4, 5 and 6 June.

"It was 1994 and Clay Paky was exhibiting at SIB in Rimini, Italy, at that time one of the most representative fairs for our industry," said Pasquale Quadri, chairman of Clay Paky. "A young man turned up and suggested the company he worked for, Doka, should become Clay Paky distributor on the Russian market. He was Alexander Fokichev, the current General Manager of Doka."

Doka was already a well-established company in Russia at that time. Their target was almost exclusively the theatre market. Fokichev was impressed by the quality of our lights and the innovative nature of our products, especially the moving lights, like the Golden Scan. He therefore proposed a partnership to help Clay Paky develop on the Russian market. This allowed the Italian company to estab

Czech Republic - Five times world champion deaf skier Tereza Kmochova was awarded the title of the Handicapovany Sportovec Roku 2013 (Czech Paraplegic Athlete of the Year) during a high profile event staged at the Top Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic in April.

The annual event was broadcast on CT4 Sport, Czech national TV's dedicated sports channel, attended live by 400 VIP guests and lit by Pavel Jelinek using Robe Pointes and LEDWash 600s. These were supplied, together with other lighting equipment, by Prague based rental company, TD Promo.

Jelinek worked closely with Director of Photography Filip Havelka - the two have collaborated on this show for several years, and Havelka also designed the stage set.

As well as the Awards presentations, the show - presented by Ivana Chvatalova and Jakub Bazant - featured live performances by Czech singers Kamila Nyvltova and Josef Vagne

Germany - The Richard Wengenmeier Hall at the Bavarian Academy of Music in Marktoberdorf, Germany, recently replaced its outdated tungsten lighting system with a new lighting rig of Elation Professional TVL Series white light LED luminaires and the benefits have been exceptional as well as economic.

The Bavarian Academy of Music (Bayerische Musikakademie) is part of the Bavarian Music Council (Bayerischer Musikrat), which represents and supports musicians and musical activities across Bavaria.

The main purpose of the new lighting is to provide the Hall's orchestra with smooth even white light illumination with a requirement that all luminaires be noiseless to avoid interfering with the artists.

In fall 2013, Benjamin Sonderwald of Pro Lighting E.K. of Aschheim, near Munich, was contacted by Johann Schmid, lighting technician at the Bavarian Music Council. "He was lookin

UK - Lighting and visuals rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment kick started another crazy busy festival season this year supplying lighting equipment and design, LED screen, rigging and crew to We Are FSTVL which made some serious noise at Damyn's Hall Aerodrome, Upminster, east London.

It was the second event after bursting audaciously onto the EDM scene last year and this year the organisers upped the ante on several fronts, expanding the event to two days, increasing the level of production and securing an action-packed line-up with main stage headliners Richie Hawtin (Saturday) and Fatboy Slim (Sunday).

Colour Sound deployed five trucks of kit, 26 crew, around 500sq.m of their proprietary BT LED screen, over 350 moving lights and a shed-pile of strobes, blinders and atmospheric effects to the site, where all their elements were co-ordinated by crew chief Andy Melleney

South Africa - The spectacular Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K20 proved yet again why it holds a triple-award winning status as it performed fantastic light effects at the 2nd Annual South African Premier Business Awards in Johannesburg.

Attended by none other than the country's president Jacob Zuma, the awards, organized by Outlaw Events, is a lively celebration of outstanding achievement in the world of South African business and enterprise. Production director Chris Bolton of Johannesburg-based production specialists Keystone Productions designed and directed the project's impressive set, AV and lighting elements.

"I knew straight away that I wanted to make the B-EYE the crowning jewel of my design," says Bolton. "I saw the fixtures in Italy last year and instantly wanted them. All I can say for these awards is - wow they did not let me down, what an event."

USA - Elation Professional invites visitors to Booth C5446 at InfoComm in Las Vegas for the debut of several new products including the world premiere of the new EMAG 4 Pro, a 4.8mm pixel pitch LED video panel optimised for the fast setup and tear down of on-the-road productions. Also featuring in Elation's growing line of LED video displays will be the EPT9IP, an ultra-bright 9mm pixel pitch LED panel that ticks all the boxes for a professional LED display.

Debuting on U.S. soil at the Las Vegas Convention Center from 18-20 June are three new luminaires in Elation's popular Platinum range of professional moving heads - the Platinum BX, Platinum SBX and Platinum Profile LED - two discharge lamp-based and one LED-based. Other Platinum range fixtures on display will be the Platinum Wash 16R Pro, a flexible feature-packed luminaire that can be used as both a wash and beam, and the

Denmark - Harman's Martin Professional has introduced the Soft Lens accessory for the MAC Quantum Wash light. This optional accessory is designed to enhance the capabilities of the MAC Quantum Wash and optimise the fixture for theatrical applications, the company says.

The Soft Lens accessory allows the MAC Quantum wash to create a more compact and dense beam. By utilising the Soft Lens accessory, the synthetic LED look of the lens is reduced for a more Fresnel-style appearance of the front lens.

"With the Soft Lens accessory, the MAC Quantum Wash is the most effective LED washlight available for professional theatrical applications," commented Markus Klüsener, product manager for Stage Lighting, Martin Professional. "The lens creates a more even colour wash that enhances the audience experience at any theatre production."

The lens also eliminates potent

UK - Chauvet Professional will be showcasing the Ovation series of fixtures on stand 42 at this year's ABTT Theatre Show (The Old Truman Brewery, London - June 11-12). The company's Ovation line has been created especially for stage and theatre and includes Ovation E-190WW ellipsoidal-style luminaire, Ovation C-640FC cyc light, Ovation F-165WW and Ovation F-95WW Fresnel fixtures.

"Chauvet is committed to theatre and to the elite community of creative and technical lighting users therein. The Ovation line was created to directly address issues faced by the many theatres still using large volumes of older luminaries and cannot afford to switch over to more energy efficient solutions due to the large capital investment requirement," says the company.

Chauvet Professional is a member of the Theatres Trust in the UK. In the US, Ovation and other Chauvet Professional produ

South Africa - The new and recently opened 6,000-seater auditorium at the Christian Revival Church (CRC) in Silver Lakes, Pretoria, South Africa is benefitting from an all-Robe moving light rig, which was specified and installed by DWR Distribution.

DWR's Robert Izzett was contacted by CRC's Head of Media Clinton Powell, who oversaw all the technical aspects of the project which has been three years in the making and replaces CRC's previous temporary tented venue on the same site.

"The initial brief from CRC was for a lighting rig that would allow them to stage Idols without needing to hire in any additional equipment," explains Izzett, adding that they were also keen on having the latest and best technology available in-house. He decided to call on Idols SA's real LD Joshua Cutts of Visual Frontier to consult on the basic design, and from this a specif

Poland - For the recent canonisation of Pope John Paul II in Poland, TSE Grupa played a key role as one of the longest-serving lighting companies in the Polish market. TSE Grupa supplied all lighting equipment and multimedia solutions, and carried out the installation at the Sanctuary of John Paul II near Cracow, while their own Adam Tyszka and Sebastian Pachciarek were responsible for designing, preparing and coordinating the light show for the great celebration concert.

For this major event 45 SixPack blinders and 44 P-5 wash lights were deployed. TSE Grupa has had the LED fixtures from SGM as part of their stock almost since product launch, and the company says it is more than satisfied with its investment, having used the fixtures in various applications.

Pachciarek commends the SGM fixtures for their low weight, low power consumption and quality of light output. "The

UK - Lighting and visuals rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment kick started another busy festival season this year by supplying lighting equipment and design, LED screen, rigging and crew to We Are FSTVL which made some serious noise at Damyn's Hall Aerodrome, Upminster, east London.

It was the second event after bursting audaciously onto the EDM scene last year and this year the organisers upped the ante on several fronts, expanding the event to two days, increasing the level of production and securing an action-packed line-up with main stage headliners Richie Hawtin (Saturday) and Fatboy Slim (Sunday).

Colour Sound deployed five trucks of kit, 26 crew, around 500sq.m of their proprietary BT LED screen, over 350 moving lights and lots of strobes, blinders and atmospheric effects to the site, where all their elements were co-ordinated by crew chief Andy Melleney.

Colour

USA - At the Lightfair Show in Las Vegas (3-5 June), TMB will introduce Firefly's premium LED Marquee/Festoon lighting systems to the American market. The Firefly range offers the "old school" look of traditional Marquee/Festoon lighting without the headache of constantly changing the bulbs, the risk of broken glass, and the danger and power draw of high voltage.

Available in frosted versions in warm white, cool white, and a selection of rich, deep colours, plus the warm white 'filament' bulbs, the Firefly system runs on safe 24-volt AC or DC, with shatter-proof bulbs, making it economical to operate and virtually maintenance free. The clear V6 and V12 'Filament' bulbs will satisfy the most discerning lighting designer with a beautiful warm, vintage look and unrivalled colour temperature consistency.

Also in the Firefly range are a selection of unique flat, self-leve

France - In the Bohemian Marais District, in the centre of bustling Paris, a new tech hub opened in the final months of 2013. The Silicon Sentier aims to provide a digital ecosystem to help aid and accelerate tech innovation in small and upcoming companies.

Media and tech designers Blow Factory offered the Sentier the idea of providing some interactive fun and excitement, using Light Emissions creative LED video display system. Blow Factory owner

Paula Guastella had worked with Light Emissions previously in London, and knew that the Art system could provide the brightness and pure video speed needed.

Blow Factory's Paula Guastella explains: "We wanted to surprise people entering the lobby. As they walk past this large glass wall with colourful moving images, they spot their own 'body shadow' shown on the screen. They stop, turn around and wave and have a little dance!&q

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