UK - Eaton’s Zero 88 lighting control brand is ramping up its free training opportunities in 2019 - open for all those utilising lighting consoles running ZerOS architecture - as part of a wider comprehensive product support programme. This is as a direct result of an increase in the number of active ZerOS users in the UK, which has doubled in the last 12 months. The trend reflects the success of the FLX series of powerful, flexible and affordable lighting consoles – the FLX and FLX S24 and S48 - which have enjoyed popularity especially for small-to-medium applications running rigs with some moving lights and a quantity of LED fixtures together with conventionals. Zero 88 has always been known for its commitment for training. In 2018, well over 500 individuals benefitted from this which including regular dedicated sessions at Eaton’s bases in Cwmbran, Wales
UK - Xerocon London 2018 brought together accountants, bookkeepers, ecosystem partners and industry leaders. Hawthorn was chosen by agency Taylor Bennett Partners to deliver the full technical production for the two-day event held at ExCel London on 14- 15 November. Over 3,300 delegates gathered to find out the latest news and updates from Xero, a cloud-based accounting software company. Led by group creative director Pete Harding, Hawthorn was tasked to bring Taylor Bennett’s impressive vision to life, delivering full technical production for the main conference plenary, exhibition space, break-out sessions and evening party. Featuring three technical installations including a mammoth custom-made LED sculpture and an indoor zip wire, Xerocon London 2018 proved it wasn’t a typical accounting conference. The Xerocon main stage cut an impressive figure. Measuring 57m
USA - Chauvet Professional’s STRIKE series is expanding to include its first batten fixture. The new STRIKE Saber “packs the intense punch associated with the series’ pod fixtures, but in a linear configuration that features 10 x 17W warm white/amber LED cells,” says the company. The STRIKE Saber can be utilised as a blinder, strobe, footlight or tunable white wash. It is pixel mappable and can also be used to create captivating chase effects. Adding to the attractiveness and immersive qualities of the STRIKE Saber is its emulated amber shift, which warms the colour temperature of the light as it dims to create a realistic incandescent look. The newest member of the STRIKE family also includes 16-bit dimming for smooth fades. “The response that our STRIKE series has received from leading designers around the world has been overwhelming,” comments Albert Ch
Mexico - Located in Purísima del Rincón, Guanajuato, the Auditorio de la plaza Purísima is a new performing arts centre built for the benefit of the more than 200,000 citizens in the Rincón municipalities. Created as part of the Plaza Purísima complex, the new facility was backed by the Public Works Secretariat and envisioned to be a shining example of modern architecture. With an expectation to implement the latest in lighting technology into the design, Interlight Mexico worked with the design team at Genesist and installed Chalice LED downlights, PHX LED ellipsoidals, and Spectra Cyc LED cyclorama luminaires from Altman Lighting. “We’ve had the opportunity to work with the client and specifier on the project on a couple of past occasions, so they know our company well and trust our experienced design team,” says Jose Zedillo, general director, Genesist.
USA - Vincent Lighting Systems (VLS) has announced that Bill Groener will be joining the company as its new president. Founder and former president, Paul Vincent will remain connected with VLS as an advisor moving forward. Groener, who will be based in the Cleveland area, will be taking on the responsibilities of his new role immediately. He will work closely with the VLS Leadership Team to assure a smooth transition. “I have a huge amount of respect for the company that Paul built over the 40-plus years that VLS has been around,” says Groener. “I've known Paul since 1984. I continued to work with him over the years and got to know the good person and outstanding employer that Paul is. It is great to know that Paul is still going to be available as a resource to our team in an advisory role. All in all, it's a great situation and I'm looking forward to this new challen
USA - Created to be the Christian Music Broadcasters’ premier annual event, Momentum is a four-day conference which brings together radio and record industry professionals from around the world. Since its inception in 2009, Momentum has been dedicated to the success of Christian music broadcasting offering a showcase of the hottest musical artists today. Held for the second year at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, the CMB events team wanted to create an attendee experience “like none before”, so they called upon the Nashville-based production provider Elite Multimedia Productions who supplied three event stages using a full package of audio, lighting and LED video. “We are a non-profit ministry, so when we start looking at the production design for the Momentum conference, we have to look at what will offer the best experience for our attend
UK - Flying the flag for the city’s cultural resurgence is the Liverpool Disco Festival, a weekend-long celebration of underground dance music inspired by the house and disco beats of Chicago and New York. Tasked with providing exciting visuals for the Stateside and European disco DJs was Cheshire Event Production, which specified seven Chauvet Professional Rogue R1 FX-B, two Rogue R1 Beam, four Rogue R2 Wash and four Rogue R1 Spot fixtures to stunning effect. With the festival now in its third incarnation and catering to over 3000 people, Cheshire Event Production’s pièce de résistance was to be the scenographic incorporation of the central mirrorball element within the main room at the festival, The Furnace, utilizing the versatile Rogue R1 FX-B fixtures. “I’ve been toying with the circular truss and mirrorball idea for a while now, and the wild and v
USA - 10 years ago, Rosco Laboratories became Behind the Scenes’ first Pledge-a-Product partner and Mark Engel, Rosco CEO, and staff members recently presented their 10th annual cheque from the sales of Roscolux #359 Medium Violet bringing the total donated to over $32,500. “It is our privilege to support Behind the Scenes Foundation, and we are proud to have reached a decade of giving to an organization that passionately provides help to those in need from the entertainment technology industry,” said Engel. “This year we are pleased to contribute $3,000 from the proceeds of Roscolux 359 Medium Violet and we express our gratitude to Behind the Scenes for the support and services they offer to industry professionals and their families.” Rick Rudolph, chair of the Behind the Scenes Foundation, accepted the cheque, saying: “Rosco led the way as our first corpo
South Africa - Cape Town-based rental company Core Productions has taken ownership of a dot2 XL-F, dot2 F-wing, a DMX King Pro1 (which integrates with Dot2 on PC software), and a dozen Longman Facepars. For the tight-knit group of creative individuals who make up Core Productions, the new equipment will bring ‘peace of mind’. “We are always motivated to come up with amazing ideas, sell it to the client, stress on how we will pull it off, and then pull it off - blowing the socks off people,” says Bernard Gramann, owner of Core Productions. Gramann says he decided the dot2 console and DMX King Pro1 thanks to the functionality of the operating system and the after-sales service he will receive from DWR Distribution. “The dot2 also has the Resolume Profile which we often use for effects on shows, and my team is very excited about ‘giving it a go’ as well as
USA - With over 250 million books sold – including The BFG, James and The Giant Peach and The Twits – few writers have made more impression on the world’s children (or their parents) than Roald Dahl. Last year, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. It featured one of the movie’s most memorable tunes, with the evocative line: “Come with me, and you'll be, in a world of pure imagination”. Creating such a world on the stage is notoriously more difficult to do than in a movie – which is why the musical relies heavily on staging company WorldStage and its well-established mastery of the technologies that can help turn a designer’s vision into a theatrical reality. As well as providing an ambitious, custom-made Unilumin LED wall to tell the story of how the Golden Tickets were won, WorldStage also dep
Italy - The Teatro Galli is a stunning architectural masterpiece in Rimini, Italy. Constructed between 1843 and 1857, the original theatre was designed by the illustrious architect Luigi Poletti of Modena and when completed, was one of the biggest theatres in Italy. Until an earthquake forced its closure from 1916-1923, it enjoyed great success. Following a first restoration, the theatre flourished until it was bombed in 1943 during World War 2. Badly damaged, the theatre, by this time dedicated to the nationally famous musician, composer and critic Amintore Galli, lay derelict until 1975 when it was partly restored and the City Council moved into its refurbished foyer. In more recent times, a long and intense culture-based debate took place about how to best reconstruct the entire theatre. Following these discussions and with regional and EU support, a full restoratio
USA - Rising contemporary R&B star Allen Stone and his band have toured internationally and have opened for Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Hall & Oates, and the Dave Matthews Band. Stone has also appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was recently a celebrity mentor on American Idol. Although his music draws on the rich tradition of R&B, it also offers a fresh new sound. Stone’s powerful connection to the past and his contemporary take on R&B are evident on his current 48-city North American tour, not only through his music, but also the evocative lighting design. Blending retro and high-tech looks, the design features a versatile set piece made up of Chauvet Professional Nexus 4x4 fixtures, supplied by 4Wall Entertainment Lighting. Designed by Sam Paine (Filament Design) and programmed/operated by lighting director Carter Adams, the design
UK - Rick Astley, who retired from the music industry in 1993 aged 27 with a string of successful tunes to his name – is back on the road with a new album, Beautiful Life. With many people unsure of what to expect, Astley delivered a diverse show, action-packed with the dynamics of soul, rock, R ‘n’ B, dance and more than a few hints of disco, backed by a talented band and a stage design by Andy Hurst. HSL delivered the lighting equipment for this high-profile tour. The Blackburn based company was once again working with renowned production manager Tony Gittins, with Jordan Hanson project managing. He commented, “It was fantastic to be on the road with Tony and his excellent team again, and we were all very impressed with the look and style that Andy’s design bought to the show”. To emphasise the architectural parameters of the design, An
The Netherlands - Hans Peitsman’s Rotterdam based rental operation Peitsman Licht en Geluid (Peitsman Lighting & Sound) has made a major investment in Robe fixtures, including 36 x MegaPointes, 48 x LEDBeam 150s and 48 x Spiiders. These are added to other Robe items in rental stock including miniPointes and LEDWash 600+s, and it follows previous purchases of LEDWash 300s, MMX Spots, DLF Washes and DLX Spots. Peitsman Licht en Geluid was founded in 1994 and now has 25 full time employees. They moved into their current premises three years ago and supply premium full technical production packages – lights, sound, video, staging, rigging and trucking - to a dynamic mix of live shows and events, B2B and corporate clients, theatre and television productions, parties and public entertainments. They also look after some venues and event spaces as the technical
France – ETC has announced the opening of its newest office - in Paris. Local French distributor, Avab Transtechnik France (ATF) has been selling and supporting ETC products for over 15 years and has always shared strong values of service and innovation. When the owners of ATF, Jean-Louis Pernette and Christian Rezgui retired in May, an opportunity arose for ETC to acquire the French company and increase its presence in the European market. With this acquisition, ATF becomes part of the ETC family and is officially named ETC France. "I am extremely grateful for the dedication and effort Jean-Louis Pernette and Christian Rezgui have contributed through their leadership of ATF over the years,” said Fred Foster, co-founder and CEO of ETC. “The close relationships they have built with our customers in France and the strength of the ATF team provide us with a solid foundati
Austria - Modern metal/electronic band CueStack recently released their third effort in a series of debut music videos that features a sophisticated industrial stage design packed with 170 high tech lighting units from Elation Professional. Beyond the Veil shows a dystopian vision of the new digital age and uses the intricate set-up as both performance lighting and impactful visual accompaniment. "Big production is essential to this project and the lighting design plays an essential role,” states Martin Kames, owner of Austrian-based production company MartinKames.com and vocalist/synth player in the two-man project. “Beyond the Veil deals with modern day issues but it’s also a huge lighting-themed visual experience.” The video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/cgDFJ6P35Ec. Kames works double duty on the video shoots, operating behind the camera on ligh
UK - Over the past few years, Studiotech has collaborated on numerous projects alongside Wakefield based architectural practice, The Harris Partnership. The practice was responsible for the design of the new retail and leisure destination The Springs at Thorpe Park in Leeds. Their concept included a full feature lighting scheme to the exterior of the buildings and throughout the public realm. After recently providing a full turnkey lighting solution at their White Rose leisure extension project, The Harris Partnership was confident that Studiotech were capable of delivering their concept at Thorpe Park to the highest of standards. Studiotech designed a deliverable and achievable scheme within budget. There were a number of areas that Studiotech took responsibility for, the most obvious and eye-catching being the bespoke catenary lighting suspended above the public re
Canada - Paul Tytaneck has been appointed director of design and estimating at Solotech. One of the founding members of Solotech’s Toronto office, Tytaneck was appointed director of operations at its creation in 2014. In this new role, he will “actively contribute to the growth of Solotech’s sales and integration division by ensuring that its numerous and complex projects are professionally designed and meticulously estimated to the satisfaction of our clients, consultants and suppliers”. “In addition to his outstanding contribution over the years, Paul will play a vital role in our next expansion phase in the GTA. His understanding of technology, his strong leadership skills and his knowledge of the Toronto market made him a natural fit to lead the design and estimating department, which is essential to our growth” says Philip Giffard, president, sales and integ
USA - GLP has announced that Miles Dudgeon has been appointed as the company’s new sales manager for the North East. Miles has spent many years in the industry, initially studying lighting design in college and starting out as a lighting operator. Miles was working with a major lighting supplier outside of New York City where he first met GLP US president Mark Ravenhill and sales director Brian Dowd as a customer. Miles stated: “I’ve long been a fan of GLPs products. The products are edgy and dynamic, they give designers amazing tools for creating visuals.” Brian Dowd states: “We are very excited to have Miles join the GLP team. He brings a wealth of industry experience to the role as well as an intimate knowledge of the North East market.” (Jim Evans)
South Africa - Robe lighting’s CEO, Josef Valchar presented demonstrations at a successful South African Robe roadshow event which received a friendly welcome in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg at the start of November. Organised by local distributor DWR and also attended by Robe’s sales director Harry von den Stemmen, the roadshow was an opportunity for the entertainment industry to experience first-hand the new T1 Profile, iParfect, RoboSpot and SuperSpikie products. The team was very busy from 10am to 5pm each day and gave five to six demos at each venue. “The response was impressive! We had close to 50 people in Cape Town, 40 in Durban and over a hundred in Johannesburg,” commented Josef. “It was great to hear all the feedback and see the reaction first-hand to the products. Obviously, the main attraction was RoboSpot and the T1, but people als
Denmark - As part of a new strategy plan, Matrix Sales has become, effective immediately, the new Wireless Solution distributor in Denmark. Established in early 2011 Matrix Sales is a distribution partner for many international manufacturers, including SGM, Chauvet Professional and Eurotruss. Urs Friis-Alstrup, lighting sales manager for the Danish company, comments: “We’re very excited to be working with Wireless Solution in our market, and to expand their presence not only in the rental market, but theatres, installations and AV and broadcasting. Their products pair well with our existent product line and fulfil a niche that we seek to reach”. David Ferraz, international business development manager for W-DMX adds, “The new partnership represents a dynamic change to the company. Wireless Solution is working closely with Matrix to smoothen the transition
France - On 27-28 November, ETC will be teaming up with Avab Transtechnik France at JTSE, and this year ‘an exciting announcement’ will be made exclusively at the show. High End Systems will also be exhibiting at the annual tradeshow, which takes place at Porte de la Chapelle in Paris. Visitors to the stand - 140-141/162-163, Dock Pullman - will gain an overview of the product range, including the latest innovations and lighting solutions by ETC and HES. In Dock Eiffel, in-depth product presentations will also be available in JTSE’s Black Boxes, an area dedicated to demonstrating lighting equipment in optimal conditions. Amongst the products on display and available for demonstrations are ETC’s Eos family of consoles - Eos Ti, Gio @5 and Ion Xe; ETC’s newly launched Relevé Spot fixture and High End Systems’ SolaFrame 3000, SolaFrame 750 fixtures and Hog 4-
USA - Opportunity knocks in different ways. Eric Price was enjoying his summer last year when he got a call from his old friend David “Suge” Jun, whom he had worked with on tours in the past. The guitar tech for Taking Back Sunday, Jun told his friend that the band was looking for a lighting designer and encouraged him to contact them. Price jumped at the chance. Price’s enthusiasm wasn’t fuelled only by his appreciation of the iconic band’s sound, but also by the creative opportunity their versatile music offers a lighting designer. Price’s design flowed with their far-ranging music on their tour with Coheed and Cambria this summer. Helping him achieve this feat was a versatile lighting rig supplied by JR Lighting Design that featured Chauvet Professional Rogue R2 Wash fixtures. “I’ve been working with the band since summer 2017, and it’s an amazing
Spain - The 2018 Dreambeach festival, staged near the fishing town of Villaricos in Andalucía, is a picturesque location traditionally known for its unspoiled beaches and jaw-dropping sunsets - and also for hosting the largest dance music festival in Spain. Dreambeach welcomes 155,000 music fans to the region to enjoy five days of electronic music. Main stage production designer Eduardo Valverde this year specified 70 x Robe MegaPointes, 50 x Spiiders and 16 x BMFL Spots - together with other lighting, all supplied by rental specialist Fluge. For this show, the stage construction featured some serious metalwork and had an epic ‘wide’ look - characteristic of many dance style events. The set featured a series of convex video-clad semicircles protruding horizontally above the deck, resembling a giant - spacey - slot machine! The Spiiders were positione
