UK - Adlib supplied full technical production to the 2019 Vitality Netball World Cup staged at the 11,000 capacity M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.
Adlib’s rental departments implemented a fully integrated video, lighting and audio package linking in with broadcast elements for BBC and Sky. The spectacle took place over 10 glorious days of top sporting action which delivered world class netball to an international TV audience and many thousands packing into the court-side seats which were sold out for the duration.
This quadrennial event featured two distinctive criteria. First, a spectacular opening ceremony which wowed the crowds and got everyone in the mood for the sports to follow.
Adlib’s technical team worked closely with curators of the ceremony Culture Liverpool and Iluminos. Adlib provided six Panasonic RZ21K 20,000 lumen laser projectors mounted v

USA - Chris Young kicked off the North American leg of his Raised on Country world tour 2019 in May, playing to over 300,000 fans through the summer. The fall leg of the tour has just started and runs until 23 November at Lexington, Kentucky’s Rupp Arena.
Integral to the stage design - created by production designer Chris Lisle - is a 30-axis Kinesys automation system being used to move six lighting pods and four video screens which are essential visual elements of the show, together with the general lighting and video. Production manager (and lighting director on the road) is Michael Stanley.
Chris Lisle explains that from the initial meetings with Young and his management, they knew that they wanted some motion in the show to offer a variety of looks. He then started drawing and experimenting with exactly which production elements would move, and how, when a

Europe - German-based rigging company Litecom, which has its roots in Denmark, has invested in the new Dynamic Stack Track System (DST) from Italian chain hoist manufacturer EXE Technology. DST is a traverse system with integrated rails to move, lift and rotate any object.
"Scenic movement will certainly be the future of upcoming tour productions. With the DST (Dynamic Stack Track) system, we invested in a scalable system solution that gives us the opportunity to best meet the growing demands of everyday touring. The comprehensive DST product portfolio offers many possibilities for scenic movement. I have been on the lookout for a finished system solution for some time and have now found one that convinced me immediately," says Litecom CEO Mathias Sonntag.
The black powder-coated DST52 system, which rides on dollies with master, slave and cable trolleys, is stocked in

USA - Stage rigging specialist TLS Productions Inc. (TLS) has supplied Stagemaker hoists and rigging expertise for two consecutive tours for contemporary Christian music artist Chris Tomlin.
The Hibino USA company is a distributor of R&M Materials Handling Inc.’s Stagemaker entertainment range of hoists and won two contracts to provide the rigging equipment and a traveling head rigger for the two-month-long Worship Night In America and Holy Roar tours. The 2018 tour included 24 shows, while this year’s circuit ended with an iconic 28th show, the Good Friday Concert, which took place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Jordan Yeo, production rigger / production manager at TLS, traveled with both tours.
TLS reported to two production managers and a tour manager over two years to deliver all of the lifting equipment, steel, shackles a

UK - Wire and fibre rope assemblies supplier Rope Assemblies is celebrating two years since Linda Martin became company MD. The Retford-based organisation, which became part of the Unusual group in 2017, has experienced significant change, with the implementation of new company policies, best practice procedures and increased sales.
"In the blink of an eye, two years have passed, which seems like no time at all,” comments Martin. “Then we took a step back and realised how much the company has changed in that time, thanks to all the hard work that every member of the team has put in, and we felt it was worth marking the anniversary."
The biggest cause for celebration is the record sales figures that Rope Assemblies is achieving on a month on month basis. "If we look at January 2017, for example and compare that with January 2018 and January 2019, we are seeing a mar

UK - Italia Conti Academy is one of the world’s most recognisable names when it comes to performing arts education for secondary school and further education students.
When Triple E were approached to supply ModTruss for one of the school’s recent productions it was an opportunity to support the young performers in more ways than one.
Despite the short lead time of a month, Triple E worked with the school’s production team to provide a bespoke platform, stairs and handrails which formed a centrepiece of the stage set for the production of Life’s Just a Bowl of Conti’s for a one week run at Rhoda McGraw Theatre in Woking, Surrey.
Amy Stevenson, production and stage manager at Italia Conti Academy comments, “We pride ourselves on the teaching and the production values here at Italia Conti and we only wanted the best for our students for their s

UK - The 2019 PLASA Show was “the busiest in years” thanks to a six per cent increase in attendance, PLASA has reported. The event’s global status was also strengthened, with delegates from over 63 countries flocking to the London-based tradeshow.
This was the last edition of the event that was held at Olympia’s National Hall, with the 2020 PLASA Show set to move to London Olympia’s Grand Hall to accommodate a greater number of stands and show features.
“PLASA Show has clearly been improving year on year with 2019 being the best one yet,” comments Johan Gunsing, international sales manager for Adam Hall Group. “We have started to see a wider geographic audience attend the show which brings with it new opportunities, new business and increased brand awareness.”
“Once again PLASA did not disappoint,” comments Gareth Collyer, Nexo’s UK sales m

South Africa - Having congregated in the Barnyard Theatre in Rivonia, and filling the venue to its maximum capacity, the CRC Church started a 10-month project to build a new 6,000-seater church in Fourways.
DWR Distribution supplied and installed lighting, audio and AV equipment for the church which opened earlier this year, ranging from a grandMA3 compact console, 64 Robe lighting fixtures, an Absen DWP3.9mm screen, Prolyte trussing, L-Acoustics Kara System and a DiGiCo SD12.
The CRC Church led by Pastor At Boshoff, already has two branches in Bloemfontein, a massive auditorium in Pretoria and 90 satellite meeting points where services are broadcast each week.
“Pastor At is a focused man,” says Robert Izzett of DWR, who headed the install. “He is very straight, honest and doesn’t mince his words.”
While the CRC buildings are similar to each othe

USA - A new training programme designed to teach stage technicians the safest way to operate telescopic and front-loading lifters has been introduced at WFX 2019 in Orlando by Spanish company Equipson, which manufactures WorkPro lifters.
Equipson has produced a series of 15 videos, voiced in English and Spanish, that demonstrate how safety issues can easily be avoided by following the correct procedures. These videos, which range in length from three to 10 minutes, cover topics such as setting up, elevating, mounting and descending telescopic and front loading lifters, how to safely move a telescopic lifter, how to mount a line array on a front loading lifer and how WireDrive works as well as how to rectify wire mistakes.
Juan Jose Vila, CSO of Equipson, says: "As manufacturers of these products we are committed to making them as safe and accessible as possible to all

UK - Les Miserables: The Staged Concert is playing packed houses at London's Gielgud Theatre, with Unusual Rigging supplying the rigging and automation for the shows' four month stint.
The concert version of the world's longest running musical opened at the end of July, following the closure of the Queen's Theatre. It will re-open after extensive refurbishment of both its backstage and auditorium as the renamed Sondheim Theatre. Unusual Rigging is also a part of this project, lowering the stage and installing a complex engineering system.
With the production team of this limited run show briefed to make the Gielgud feel like a miniature version of the 02 Arena which hosted the 25th anniversary concert, production manager Chris Boone brought Unusual on board to make it happen.
Chris explained: "Unusual Rigging is my go-to company for rigging jobs and this

UAE - The new Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai was packed out last month as thousands of Westlife fans relived their youth at the band's Twenty Tour. Taking a walk down memory lane, the boy band performed hits from the past 20 years to the 17,000-capacity venue, with Unusual Rigging and Engineering LLC providing the house rigging points for the production.
Unusual Rigging are sole house rigging service supplier for the installation of all rigging points at the Coca-Cola Arena. One of the main talking points of the venue is its rigging system and unique roof structure. All rigging is done from a raised catwalk – it has shallow braids and is easy to access. With a distance of 24m from the catwalk to the floor and 26m to the I-beam, this covers most height requirements of touring shows. The arena also boasts 90 tonnes over the stage, 60 tonnes for the middle and 40 at the far end –

The doors have opened for day two of PLASA Show 2019 at London Olympia, with Platinum Sponsor Robe, Silver Sponsor d&b audiotechnik and Technical Sponsor Hawthorn. The show floor is already brimming with business as visitors explore the latest products and solutions from 220+ brands from across audio, AV, lighting, rigging and staging.

The show’s platinum sponsor Robe have unveiled an expansive theatrical stand based on the classic 80s movie, Back To The Future. Live performances run every 90 minutes, with a viewing area on the show’s gallery level for visitors to watch from above. The creative duo behind the stand, Nathan Wan and Andy Webb, comment:

“Robe’s stand this year features a fully time coded show called ‘Return to the Future’ which is centred around a time travelling DeLorean car. During th

Europe - Xstage has released a video on A4i.tv that puts the spotlight on its new stage deck, the S10. Weighing in at only 33kg, but without any reduction in loading capacity (750 kg/m2) or stability, the new S10 deck is winning over live entertainment professionals around the world.
Discover the advanced design and leading features that have made the S10 so popular by watching the video here.

UK - Triple E is making final preparations for their exhibition presence at this year’s PLASA Show. The expertise of the UK based stage-engineering manufacturer will be demonstrated on stand B38 where Triple E will showcase the new 2Way Points System and the first product in their new Grip Equipment range. They will also have their new brochure hot off the press.
The stand will feature other key products including Triple E’s extensive range of track systems, and plug and play track mounted motors, all of which benefit from Triple E’s renowned superior performance and reliability.
Triple E’s stand will also demonstrate the flexible ModTruss system which has recently been seen in the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts’ summer show as well as forming the base of the Greenpeace tree at Glastonbury Festival. ModTruss is a highly efficient, re-usable, re-configu

Germany - State Automation has announced that BDL-KG in Germany is now a certified service centre for State Automation Lighting equipment. All European customers (excluding Scandinavia, where Bright Norway is the point of contact) should contact the company’s Wolfgang Kunwald to request repair services. BDL KG is also the point of contact and organises handling and logistics.
Repair and maintenance will be provided by BDL KG’s partner IBT Theatres and Broadcast Technology GmbH.

UK - Doughty Engineering is preparing for a busy few months of trade shows, starting with IBC in Amsterdam (13-17 September) and PLASA in London (15-17 September). This will be followed by PLSME in Dubai (15-17 October) and LDI in Las Vegas (22-24 November).
The popular Lightweight Lighting Stand which made its debut back in 2017 and has proven to be a hugely successful piece of kit for the broadcast market, will be one of the main features on the IBC stand.
Meanwhile at PLASA, the new Fifty Clamp, Scaff Boom Arm and Heavy Duty Boom Arm are set to be the main talking points on stand B50. Dan Phillips, special projects manager, will be manning the stand with Laurence Dyer and other members of the Doughty team.
“We’ve been exhibiting at PLASA for years and every year brings something new. For us, it is the ideal platform to launch new products to a wide audience but

UK - The award winning Broadweigh Bluetooth system is set to be a major talking point on the A.C Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) stand where it will make its PLASA debut this year. The kit, which launched in June has already been put through its paces at some major events, including the New York Auto Show and at Glastonbury and is in the running for the 2019 PLASA Innovation Award.
Visitors to stand E30 will be able to see a demo of the Bluetooth cells and speak with a member of the Broadweigh team who will be able to advise on the suitability of the kit for their project. Elliot Van Laere, sales executive for Broadweigh said: "We are really excited to be showcasing this product at PLASA. Since its official launch earlier this summer, it's really been making waves. People are excited about its capabilities and it's proving to be a real game changer for riggers who want to

The doors of PLASA Show 2019 open in just a few days from 15-17 September at Olympia London, where thousands of visitors will experience the leading edge of live entertainment technology. With 220+ brands, 55+ educational sessions and a plethora of immersive features, this year’s show is ready to serve industry professionals from all sectors.
PLASA’s Managing Director Peter Heath comments: “Last year’s edition of PLASA Show was heralded for its high footfall and vibrant atmosphere. We have worked hard to build upon this by offering more brands and new features for a show that is both enjoyable and productive.
Of course, we couldn’t do it without the exhibitors and their technology which has developed at a dizzying rate over the years – PLASA is proud to provide a platform for such innovation, and we can’t wait to share what’s in store.”

UK - Area Four Industries is gearing up for a busy PLASA 2019, taking place on 15-17 September at London Olympia. On stand G50, the team will present some of the latest staging and trussing products from MIlos, Litec, JTE, EXE Technology and Xstage.
The company says Glen, Adam, Peter, Dave and Tracie from the Area Four Industries Direct UK office will be ready and waiting to discuss your projects and provide more information on the many solutions Area Four Industries’ brands can deliver.
(Jim Evans)

UK - Temporary outdoor LED screen support structures are key part of today’s leading live events. With this in mind, Area Four Industries’ Norbert Tripp is giving a presentation at PLASA Show to discuss best practice for their use and design as well as advance planning in set-up and safety measures.
Temporary Outdoor LED Screen Structures is taking place on 16 September from 13:30 - 14:15 in the Lighting and Production Theatre at London Olympia’s National Hall.
During the presentation, Tripp will discuss how LED screens react under wind loads; how the load-bearing structure should look like; and how to take the proper precautions in case of high wind speeds.
(Jim Evans)

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) will exclusively show over 20 brands from across its dedicated lighting, rigging, audio and video sales divisions on stand E30 at PLASA 2019 (15-17 September, London Olympia).
The stand will feature at least six products that have been nominated for the PLASA Awards for Innovation 2019, including the Prolights PixieWash XB, a single source RGB+WW LED wash light with extensive zoom and high CRI. Also nominated from Prolights is Mosaico XL, a long-throw IP66 LED fixture for projecting gobos and textures onto buildings and landscapes with colour mixing, animation wheel and framing shutters. LumenRadio’s TimoTwo module, which brings concurrent CRMX (wireless DMX/RDM) and Bluetooth to a single chip, and BroadWeigh’s Bluetooth system that sends data straight to a smart device, have also been nominated.
Other nominees include

USA - Three new or revised standards are available for public review on the ESTA TSP website at estalink.us/pr.
Those materially affected by the proposals is invited to review them and to offer comments before the deadline.
BSR E1.62, Minimum specifications for mass-produced portable platforms, ramps, stairs, and choral risers for live performance events is being offered for a fourth public review. The proposed standard covers mass-produced portable platforms, stair units and ramps used with those platforms, and choral risers, designed to be used for the presentation of music concerts, dramatic plays, fashion shows, and other entertainment and special events. The units covered by this standard are of a size and weight that allows them to be moved an

UK - With thousands of performers taking to hundreds of stages across the city, this year’s Edinburgh Festival and Fringe proved to be the busiest ever for full technical production provider Hawthorn, who supplied equipment to performances across both festivals.
Having headed to Edinburgh for their 29th festival season, this year saw Hawthorn provide lighting, rigging and power distribution to the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF).
The International Festival presents a programme featuring performers and ensembles from the worlds of dance, opera, music and theatre. Hawthorn was tasked with providing equipment to an array of performances in Festival Theatre, Kings Theatre, Lyceum Theatre, The Studio and Usher Hall as well as providing kit to the opening ceremony which took place at Tynecastle Park.
As well as supplying equipment to EIF, Hawthorn was also kep

UK - Communications solutions specialist, Surfhire, has provided essential services for UK Athletics (UKA), the governing body of athletics in the UK, for the 10th consecutive year.
Responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as its athletes, their development, and athletics officials, the UKA hosts a programme of key events throughout the British summer.
For the 2019 season, Surfhire deployed a considerable amount of kit, including walkie talkies, matrix intercom, commentator systems and extensive networking services across six events.
The comms, radios and networking infrastructure - with comms for the UK Athletics Sport Presentation being run by head of comms, Paul Carter - is a multi-faceted operation. A central control area and several remote locations, as well as interfacing to the host broadcaster, The BBC, all come un

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