UK - Entec Sound & Light has now purchased the freehold of its warehousing and office buildings in Northolt, Middlesex, its location since January 1991. The company was nearing the end of its lease agreement in Northolt and had visited more than 60 potential facilities in a bid to relocate. However, Entec says “it was clear that no other property was able to offer the comprehensive range of facilities” already available at its current home, which is also situated close to Heathrow, with convenient links to central London and the rest of the UK via the M25, M40, M4 and M3. Nick Pendleton, Entec’s chairman, comments: “This is an important milestone for Entec - after 50 years, we finally have complete control of our own premises. This purchase follows almost a year of looking at all the options. Good access, security, warehouse size and expansion opportunities
USA - Elation Professional has merged hybrid with high-intensity in the latest luminaire in the company’s Protron line of strobe lights. Elation has introduced the Protron Eclypse, a high-powered and highly versatile hybrid LED luminaire that can function as a blinder, strobe, wash light or an effect light. With 96 10W RGBW LEDs that produce 37,000lm of power, the Protron Eclypse offers a full spectrum of colour options, including high-impact white light, for a barrage of coloured or white light effects possibilities. The fixture projects light at a 31° beam angle with strobe intensity, duration, rate and FX all controllable. The Protron Eclypse comes in a robust housing for durable on-the-road use. Versatile rigging options include an adjustable/removable yoke bracket with three-position mounting holes, ¼ turn omega bracket, and integrated interlocking pins for e
USA - The sun broke through the clouds on Easter Sunday, setting a bright, uplifting mood outside for the opening of the new worship centre at Christ Fellowship church in Port St.Lucie, Florida. Stepping inside the building, one of eleven Christ Fellowship campuses, worshippers encountered a sleek and spacious room with a curved thrust stage, two-tiered auditorium seating, three IMAG LED video panels, a larger wall centre stage and two smaller units to either side of it. Surrounding the larger panel and located at other positions around the stage was a collection of 161 Chauvet Professional LED fixtures, supplied by Mankin Media Systems. Although the 161 lighting fixtures may not have been obvious to most people entering the worship centre on Easter Sunday, once services started they transformed the room, creating an immersive field of colour and light that engaged eve
Columbia - Bogota’s landmark 14,000 capacity Movistar Arena (originally built in 1973 and previously known as the Coliseo Cubierto El Campín) is in the final stages of a two-year renovation and complete refurbishment which will see it re-open with state-of-the-art facilities to stage multiple sporting and entertainment events. Robe moving lights will be part of the house lighting rig which is being provided by Medellin based rental company Linea Estrategica, and this will include 60 x BMFL Spots, 60 x MegaPointes and 84 x Spiider wash-beam moving lights. Linea Estrategica owner and CEO Conrado Santamaria explained that the company tendered to be the full technical supplier - they are also providing audio, video and rigging - and won the contract which will be administered as a long-term rental over the next three years. Conrado explains that it was a straightf
Germany - The Adam Hall Group held its Event.Tech Days networking event to present the latest innovations from its solutions portfolio. The international manufacturer and distributor of event technology welcomed 50 customers and 80 participants at the company’s HQ in Neu-Anspach (near Frankfurt) on 21-22 November, where rental industry experts could see products from Adam Hall brands including LD Systems, Cameo Light, and Gravity. Additionally, in a format coined “Tech Talks”, the rental professionals were subsequently invited to openly discuss and exchange their insights, ideas and views surrounding the future of the event technology industry with the Group’s product management and R&D teams. The Event.Tech Days were rounded off by an evening event in cooperation with BMW that included networking, dining and drinks, live music, as well as the Germa
UK - Avolites’ lighting and video integration software, Synergy, debuted on Gary Numan’s Savage tour in November. The flagship performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall saw the British synth-rocker’s dramatic end-of-days video content emerge from LED screens into the 3D space as the multitude of GLP and Vari-Lite fixtures pixel-matched its colour and effects. Creative designer Luke Edwards’ two Avolites Sapphire Touch consoles and dual Avolites Ai Q3 media servers were loaded with the new Synergy software. “Synergy is the future and as a designer it’s making me very excited,” says Edwards. “It’s not just lights anymore. In fact, the term ‘lighting designer’ is one day going to be a thing of the past - Synergy integrates lighting and video so beautifully, so simply, so powerfully, that ‘multimedia designer’ is the new thing. It
UK - White Light has appointed Stuart Porter as Hog 4 product manager. Porter has worked extensively in London’s West End as an associate lighting designer and lighting programmer. He comments: “I am delighted to be joining WL. I am fully aware of the company’s reputation as a leading supplier of lighting equipment, having drawn on them myself for over three decades. This feels like a natural progression for me and I’ve been delighted with the immediate response by both the company and customers alike.” He adds: “As an experienced programmer, I’ve learnt my trade on the Hog range, having worked extensively on the Hog 2 for theatre shows, along with events such as the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, so will be able to bring that knowledge seamlessly across to the Hog 4 platform. It’s a really exciting time for Hog under the new ownership of ETC and it
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