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Rigging / Staging

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Czech Republic - Summit Steel has finished an ambitious rigging project in Prague, working for production company Jigzaw, which involved design and build of a substantial rigging infrastructure and supply of equipment and crew, for the European Sales Meeting of Stryker Corporation - one of world's largest multinational medical device companies.

The event took place over three days and across five venues in the city, with Summit working in two locations - the Industrial Trade Fair Palace - a beautiful art nouveau exhibition centre dating from 1891, and the more contemporary Hilton Congress Centre. It was Summit's first event for Jigzaw; production manager Chris Venn asked them onboard after working with Summit on the 'Music on Fire' classical spectacular event at Sandhurst Military Academy in summer 2004.

At the Hilton Congress Centre, Summit's task was relatively straightforw

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UK - Wembley Arena Pavilion opened it doors in February with shows by X Factor and Westlife in the first week. Wembley Ltd contracted The Arena Group to design and build the semi-permanent venue, which has already hosted, and will continue to host some of the world's biggest music stars, until the £32m refurbishment of Wembley Stadium is completed.

The £4m temporary arena has the look and feel of a permanent building. It is insulated for heat and sound, is over 165m long, 70m wide and 17m high, with a seating capacity of 10,000, offers a VIP corporate hospitality area and full backstage production facilities for organizers.

All four divisions of the Arena Group contributed skills and resources to create this unique venue.Arena Structures supplied their TFS structure and supplementary structures to create the venue;Arena Seating supplied and installed the 10,000 seats; Aren

PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

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Germany - A working party from the VPLT (Germany's trade association for professional lighting and sound equipment) and the trade association with liability for industrial safety and insurance in Germany, has just produced the new SR 2.0 safety guidelines for electric chain hoists. ChainMaster, the Eilenburg-based developer and producer of professional chain hoists and chain hoist controllers, is already in a position to meet in full the requirements of this standard: BGV D8+.

BGV D8+ is positioned between the BGV D8 and BGV C1 standards. With respect to load runs, its stipulations are the same as those of BGV D8, except that no work limit switch is required. For BGV D8+ chain hoists with rated load-bearing capacities of 1,000kg upwards, an overload shutdown function is required, whilst for BGV D8, a friction clutch can be used for overload monitoring. For BGV C1 chain hoists, t

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UK - Duran Duran's Astronaut World Tour begins this month in the USA. to support the bands latest CD, Astronaut. Working with Upstaging, Tomcat USA designed and manufactured three custom circles in three different diameters: 13.5ft, 25.5ft and 40ft. All three are a vital part of the moving light show for this tour.

Although each circle was made using a fairly common medium duty 20.5" bolted format, the project was particularly challenging because the truss required a custom diagonal pattern to accommodate specific lighting requirements. The tour kicked off in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 8 February with more than 40 other dates through out the US before heading overseas.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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UK - Stage Electrics has been appointed UK total distributor for Prolyte trussing, Stage Dex staging and Prolyft chain hoists as of 1 March 2005. Stage Electrics will be stocking a comprehensive range of Prolyte products in its centralized stores. In fact, the company has already been gearing up for high levels of demand by taking delivery of two large shipments of stock, available for despatch on a next-day service to customers across the country.

Stage Electrics has also been appointed a Service Point for the Prolyft Performance hoists, so in addition to stocking chain hoists, Stage Electrics will have trained mechanics to service and certify hoists to comply with LOLER regulations.

Adam Blaxill, head of purchasing at Stage Electrics said: "The relationship with Prolyte has been a natural development for Stage Electrics. We have made a large investment in inventory but

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Russia - An interesting challenge was handed to Harlequin, when Russia's famous Bolshoi ballet called the dance floor supplier to provide a custom designed sprung dance floor. Unusually, the floors were to be installed on a pair of metal ballet wagons, each 15m (49' 3") x 6m (19' 7"), that when not in use were to be stored hanging vertically.

In most theatres and opera houses wagons are trucked on and off stage, but at the Bolshoi the wagons are winched to the back of the stage and hauled up into a vertical position, then dropped into a storage slot at the back of the stage until called for again. Since each of the two wagons was estimated to weigh 1.5 tonnes complete with the basketweave floor construction, Harlequin appointed structural engineers at the early design stage to calculate loads and devise special fixings to ensure the total weight was adequately supporte

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UK - Stagecraft is celebrating after winning and completing a new live events contract with global pharmaceutical company Schering-Plough. Salisbury based Stagecraft has worked with Schering-Plough on a number of events over the last year and was responsible for the creative and technical management of the Company's National Business Conference in January 2005.

Colin Hurst, Head of training and development at Schering-Plough commented: "Stagecraft won the business after showing a clear understanding of our local business needs and corporate drivers. The company offered us a creative approach to our move forward, showing a clear vision of what and how our meeting would look, feel and sound."

Working with Schering-Plough, Stagecraft was responsible for the production of the conference, which was attended by 600 delegates. The company provided all creative, editorial, t

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UK - Workwear manufacturer Setwear has announced the availability of EasyFit 2 - a tough yet flexible glove made from 0.5mm synthetic leather with durable gel foam padding in the palms for extra grip and neoprene reinforcement over the knuckles for flexibility and protection, while Lycra panels between the fingers increase mobility and give extra comfort.

Machine washable and fast drying, these gloves allow you to dial your phone, tie knots and operate equipment without taking them off, say the company. The gloves "built for the needs of the technician working in the live entertainment industry" are now available from stockists in the UK and Europe.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Stage Electrics London has complete the move into its new shop, after more than 12 months at its Long Lane premises. "We wanted to give our customers easier access to the facilities at Stage Electrics," says Linda Moore, head of sales and marketing for the company. "We have the added value of parking at the rear of the building where we now have customer access to the shop and hire warehouse."

There have also been some additions to the team at Long Lane. Stephen Bray has joined as sales manager for the branch. Bray has come to Stage Electrics from a background in sound, most recently at Media Tools. Also, James Morris has joined as a customer service representative after working at Vodafone. Bray and his team will shortly be holding a series of open evenings to introduce products and services now available from London.

Pictured left to right are: Ed

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Germany - ChainMaster of Eilenburg, the German manufacturer of chain hoists and chain hoist controllers, has developed a new eight-channel load indicator for chain hoists. The 19"/1U device is of universal application and is especially recommended for use with a BGV-D8 chain-hoist controller, which can be upgraded with the load indicator to BGV-D8-Plus.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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UK - Serious Stages was brought in to design and build the bespoke structure that's housing the high profile 'London 2012 Bid Experience' in Trafalgar Square, and also designed and fabricated the adjacent 9m high statue of an athlete. The structure is part of a public awareness raising initiative for the City's bid to stage the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

The walk-through project, wholly funded by Ballymore Properties, was conceived and led by PR agency Fleishman-Hillard on behalf of Ballymore. Serious was asked onboard by production company Vibe, which is working with RPMC on staging the event. It remains at the high profile Trafalgar Square location for two weeks before moving on to Canary Wharf for a further two weeks. Serious's project manager is Steven Corfield.

The 15m wide, 22m long and 8m high custom-designed building provides 300sq.m of exhibition space a

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UK - Vertigo Rigging, the UK Service Point for the award-winning InMotion 3D/CyberHoist motion control system, has announced the introduction of two-day training courses on the system at its south-east London headquarters. Applicants' names will go into a prize draw on 31 May and first three lucky winners will get their training free - their courses will be fully sponsored by Vertigo.

As a special introductory offer, Vertigo is offering these sponsored course places - free to the trainee - for the first three applicants whose names come out of the hat. Applications must be made by 27 April and the minimum qualification is four years' full-time professional production industry experience. Applicants should confirm their interest by email to Vertigo Rigging director Becky Loughran (e-mail address below), attaching a brief CV.

The revolutionary system, developed by Holland's XL

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UK - Lift Turn Move Ltd (LTM) has relocated to larger premises, just six months after starting trading in September 2004. The company has expanded so rapidly that more space became essential almost immediately. The new 5,600sqft premises is triple the size of the previous unit, but still located on the same trading estate - with all its transportation and access advantages, including easy access by train.

The new space offers a much larger office and a voluminous warehouse and workshop production area, which will be utilized for LTM's constantly expanding product range. A bigger prep area will make it easier for equipment to be assembled, tested and packaged before despatch.

LTM's John Jones says: "We started off modestly on the Argyle Industrial Estate because we had to be operational in time for our official launch at PLASA 04 - at only eight days old! However by the en

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The Netherlands - Prolyte has developed a hybrid coupler the CCS6-610, an innovative product for the 30 and 40 series truss. The first introduction of the CCS (conical coupling system) has changed the way truss can be used and assembled. The introduction of a hybrid conical coupling system is a step further ahead.

As Marc Hendriks, Prolyte's engineering director, states: "Although it might seem very futuristic, for Prolyte it was a natural step, as we are constantly looking for way's to improve our products. In this process we do not hesitate to use new materials or methods."

The hybrid coupler is a combination of metal, encapsulated in synthetic material. The coupler can replace the current aluminium CCS6-600 coupler and lives up to the same specifications for strength and tolerances. The advantage of the hybrid coupler is first of all it's price, which will be less

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The Netherlands - Prolyte has announced the development of a hybrid coupler, the CCS6-610, a patented system designed for the 30 and 40 series truss. The first introduction of the CCS (conical coupling system) has radically changed the way truss can be used and assembled, say the company, adding that its success can be measured by the amount of copies on the market. The introduction of a hybrid conical coupling system is a step further ahead.

As Marc Hendriks, Prolyte's engineering director, states: "Although it might seem very futuristic, for Prolyte it was a natural step, as we are constantly looking for ways to improve our products. In this process we do not hesitate to use new materials or methods."

The hybrid coupler is a combination of metal encapsulated in synthetic material. The coupler can replace the current aluminium CCS6-600 coupler and lives up to the

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USA - Innovate Show Controls has announced a number of major installations for its new BlueLite X1 DMX show controller. In recent months, the X1 has been selected as the primary control system for several major shows, including the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Six Flags Theme Parks, The Fremont Street Experience, and Santa Ana's Pavilion Theatre.

The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, held annually in Las Vegas, requires a powerful system with reliability, and rapid programmability. Marty Canavan, chief show designer for YLS Entertainment, says he found all of this in the X1: "When I am on a show like the National Rodeo Finals, where I have maybe 10 nights of live performances to light and another half dozen pre-programmed laser and light shows to create, it all boils down to one thing: how fast can I get it right? When it comes to programming a show, time is the one thing

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UK - As a result of continued growth, Hawthorn has taken over the adjoining industrial unit, in a move that more than doubles its warehouse space to 90,000sq.ft. The extra space will be used to house the company's brand new AV Department, along with its ever increasing inventory of lighting, sound, rigging, staging, drapes and 65 full-time staff.

Hawthorn prides itself on its ongoing investment in new technology: most recently this has seen the purchase of James Thomas's brand new PIXELpipes and RADlite's revolutionary Pixeldrive, currently on tour with The Chemical Brothers, and their new Martin Line Array. Martin Hawthorn, managing director, says: "We just had nowhere left to grow. After building mezzanines in our current unit, we were delighted when we heard our neighbours were moving, as we could literally double our space overnight without relocating or running a spli

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UK - 5 Star, the Cambridgeshire-based flightcase manufacturer, recently supplied the 1000th 'Eurotrucker' road trunk to Blitz Communication. Blitz specializes in audio-visual equipment rental and AV services and has one of the UK's largest equipment warehouses for the hire of video projectors, sound equipment, display technology, stage sets and lighting. 5 Star has been a prime supplier of flightcases to Blitz for over two years, and in that time has manufactured a wide variety of case styles and specifications for different departments within the company, including audio-visual, sound and multimedia equipment.

Blitz Communication has headquarters in Elstree, as well as a branch in Manchester. The company uses the popular 'Eurotrucker' general purpose road trunk extensivley for cables and accessories. To commemorate the 1000th unit supplied to Blitz, 5 Star produced a 'Eurotru

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UK - PLASA 2005, Europe's definitive exhibition for professionals and decision-makers within the entertainment, event, corporate, architectural and installation industries, takes place at London's Earls Court from Sunday September 11 to Wednesday September 14 2005.

This annual event attracts visitors from all over the world and is run by people from within the industry - and the 2005 show promises to deliver precisely what the market requires - information, ideas and a strong forum for doing real business.

Over 300 companies are committed to making PLASA 2005 a solutions-led event: between them they will roll out over 1,000 new products and services designed to push existing technical and creative possibilities a stage further.

Both show floors will be packed with new ideas in audio, lighting, AV, rigging, system integration, engineering and effects: visitors will get to

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UK - Taking less than four hours per line to install, the DGS steelband counterweight drive from Hall Stage promises "powered flying at highly affordable prices".

The first operational units - a DGS 250 & a DGS 500 - are working in the Milton Keynes Theatre and will be touring the UK and Europe over the next few months, supporting Hall Stages 2005 Exhibition schedule.

"Once installed, the venue saves the time and effort involved in loading and unloading counterweight cradles," says Hall Stage director Phil Wells.

DGS installations are designed to "massively reduce" the time taken on fit-ups and show rigging. A bar is available immediately as required and can be loaded and flown in minutes, without the need for re-weighting. "Although not currently illegal as such, various aspects of the tasks involved are definitely inhumane and the practic

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UK - Architectural lighting specialist Lighting Technology Projects has specified and supplied a tasteful fibre optic feature lighting installation at the Transco Gas Substation building in Swiss Cottage. The steel clad building - designed by Gustafson Porter - is an integral part of Camden Council's current urban regeneration project in the area, and lighting it required some lateral and unconventional application of the art and science of illumination.

LTP's Terry Reeves was contacted by the project's lighting designer Martin Richmon to help specify the scheme - the two having worked together on a myriad of previous projects. The substation is comprised of two structural elements. The rear portion which deals with distributing the actual gas, and the front 'market stall' area, which is prominent, highly visible and directly on the pavement and main vehicle and pedestrian route

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Italy / Germany - At last week's ProLight&Sound exhibition in Frankfurt, Italian manufacturer Manfrotto introduced a completely redesigned range of coupler clamps which, the company says, feature improved performance and safety, reduced weight, and unique design. The new, high-performance Eye Coupler range, which has been developed with the needs of professional users in the entertainment and film industries, all feature full TÜV certification.

Manfrotto has lightened the coupler's structure, optimizing resistance in major stress areas andhollowing excess material in low stress points, resulting in a lighter, yet more robust jawcomposition. The new washer seat on each of the couplers makes the Eye Coupler ultra-safe by eliminating slipping and aiding locking, and the unique design features optimized ergonomics, developed in order to smooth off the jaw's structure, eliminating s

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UK - Summit Steel provided production rigging for the opening ceremony event which launched HCA2005 - the ongoing bicentennial celebration of the birth of legendary Danish storyteller and poet, Hans Christian Andersen.

The two hour Once Upon A Time event was staged in in front of a live audience of 35,000 at Copenhagen's massive Parken Stadium, and starred a cast of over 300 international artists and celebrities including Jean Michele Jarre, who staged a special live performance interpretation of the fairytale The Shadow.

The show was commissioned by the Danish Broadcasting Company (DR) in conjunction with British production company Initial, and was broadcast live on DR1 and to the rest of Europe via the European Broadcasting Union. The production brief was to transform the stadium into an enchanting fairytale universe. Equipment was supplied by several UK compan

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UK - Stage Technologies has been working with prominent French company ECA2 and the world-renowned Canadian based company Cirque Éloize to realize an aerial performance for the Toyota Group's central show at the Aichi 2005 World Fair in Japan, which started on 25 March. The fair is oriented towards the future, and will be based on major issues including nature, the environment, durable growth and new technologies. For this event, founder of ECA2, Yves Pépin and his team have designed and produced a huge multimedia show, which will take place 14 times a day, everyday for a six month period, both a human and technological challenge.

The automation equipment was initially set up at the Cirque Éoize venue in Canada to enable the shows' creative team to experiment with its ideas and allow the performers to become accustomed to the equipment. Working closely with performance riggin

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  5. Lift Turn Move to exhibit at PALME
  6. Arena Group at Grand National
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