USA - Powersoft is launching several new products targeted at the fixed installation and OEM markets at this year’s InfoComm exhibition. New products include a significant extension of its successful two-channel amplifier platform, Duecanali, as well as its renowned M-Force transducer, which brings power and integration possibilities to an increasing number of OEM partners.
The Duecanali 804 and 4804 - which are now launching in the U.S. market - are the latest additions in the Duecanali platform, which is suited for retail, leisure and hospitality fixed installations that require both pristine and reliable sound. The Duecanali 804 offers 2 x 400W and represents a lower total power solution for installations in retail, as well as bars and restaurants where a single two-channel amplifier is required - without the need for additional channels or power. The range is complet

Denmark - dnp denmark has announced the next generation Supernova XL screen.
Available in sizes up to 230” in 16:9 format, it’s marketed as a cost-effective solution for large venues and an affordable alternative to dnp’s Supernova Infinity Screen.
The new Supernova XL is designed to be transported rolled up in boxes of only 900mm x 900mm (length determined by screen height), which significantly reduces transport and handling costs. Two people can then assemble the screen on site in just a couple of hours, saving time and labour costs.
“We’ve eliminated the overlap of the screen materials to ensure an image without any visible seams, which is the key to the best viewing experience,” says dnp VP global sales & marketing, Soeren Kraemmergaard. “Our true optical lens technology delivers crisp high-contrast images without users having to dim the li

USA - The Knight of Illumination Awards USA (KOI-USA) is now open for nominations.
The KOI Awards, launched in the USA in April, have been celebrating the achievements of lighting and video designers working in a range of entertainment genres in the UK for 10 years, with the first US edition set to coincide with LDI 2018 in Las Vegas.
Nominations for KOI USA are rolling in across all three categories - Theatre, Concert Touring & Events, and Live for Broadcast - with five awards in each category up for grabs. To be eligible for nomination, productions must have been performed or broadcast in the USA between 1 August 2017 and 31 July 2018.
In the UK, the organisers have reported “a record number of nominations” ahead of the 30 June deadline.

Visit the relevant website for more information on how to nominate:
KOI UK:

UK - Central Presentations (CPL) has invested in six new Barco UDX-4K 31,000lm laser projectors which were deployed on their first event at Arcadia London last weekend.
The vibrant two day alt.culture festival, music and performance extravaganza celebrated the 10th anniversary of the birth of the Arcadia concept, and was staged in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with the famed Spider at the hub of the performance action.
CPL has been involved with Arcadia since 2013 when the 50 tonne Spider - the conceptual brainchild of Pip Rush and Bert Cole crafted from reimagined military hardware and other recycled industrial waste - first landed at Glastonbury festival.
For the last few UK appearances of the arachnid, CPL has been part of a dedicated production team delivering crisp, detailed projections onto both sides of the three giant legs, which are fundamental

Europe - AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, has announced the appointment of Chris Lavelle to the position of senior director of development Europe. Lavelle takes on the role having spent nine years as regional director for UK and Ireland. He will lead the team based in Munich and the UK.
“It’s a real pleasure to be given this exciting opportunity, and I look forward to getting started in my new role,” says Lavelle. “There has been some fantastic work done by our team in Europe, and there is a strong desire and commitment from AVIXA to do even more to deliver our message, liaise closely with our existing members and further drive membership growth.”
The move will be effective 1 June. Current senior director of development Europe, Pam Taggart, will be moving into a global position with AVIXA as senior director of strategic relations

UK - PSCo, trade only rental supplier of display technologies, has invested in Absen’s new 3.9mm indoor / outdoor LED product within the Polaris range. The PL3.9 Pro LED is exclusively available in the UK from PSCo.
This new product from Absen is part of their High Brightness Black (HBB) range, an innovative new series which utilises Common Cathode technology. This provides dedicated voltages for individual RGB sub-pixels to substantially improve their efficiency. This results in 20% less power used and 20% less heat generated, allowing for more brightness output with total stability & reliability.
This technology means that the PL3.9 Pro with HBB can achieve 5000nits brightness with a 1921 black-face SMD - using less power and without compromising on brightness or black levels. This is delivered in an IP65 rated chassis allowing for excellent visual performance

UK - Celebrating PLASA Focus Leeds’ 10th anniversary at the start of May, Current RMS was back at the popular show, exhibiting new features of its cloud-based rental management software to stand visitors.
In between catching up with their customers and demonstrating their software to new faces, the show proved an opportunity to showcase its new and highly-anticipated feature, Deal Pricing.
Requested directly by Current users via their online wishlist, Deal Pricing allows users to apply an agreed deal price straight to a job. This overrides the charge total and can either be applied as a blanket figure to all items on the job, or to individual groups, for example, audio or conference room sub-labels.
Handy for providing clients with friendlier quotations and charging a neat deal price for a job, feedback at the show was “overwhelmingly positive”. As with all

Portugal - LED solutions and bespoke installation provider, Light Initiative (LI) were 'on board' at this year's Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) to design and manufacture a custom-built LED scenic element for the UK entry, SuRie, with her song Storm.
LI worked with long-term client creative show director Dan Shipton of Black Skull Creative on a series of 18 video-mapped LED chevrons that created the perspective guiding 'corridor' of light in which the artist performed. The design was created to read as a flat video visual from the front, then stretch out to show depth and distance when viewed from the side.
"I wanted to close down the space on stage so that SuRie could completely own her environment," says Shipton. "However, it was not conducive to keep everything within a restricted space for the entire song and equally important was the opening up of the stage t

UK - For anyone working with video, codecs play a vital role in compressing clips for optimum playback in real-time scenarios. For many, the HAP codec - inter-operable between platforms - was key to their work. With Adobe having dropped support of QuickTime 7 (a popular platform that included the HAP codec) as of 24 April, a new workaround for many video professionals is needed. Step forward Green Hippo, whose FlexRes codec means its Hippotizer servers are unaffected by the change. LSi spoke to Sean Westgate, technical director and founder of Green Hippo, to find out more about all things HAP, FlexRes and more . . .
LSi: For those who might not know, can you please explain the importance of codecs and what the HAP codec is?
Sean Westgate: “To get maximum playback performance in real-time, video clips need to be compressed using a codec. This reduces th

USA - Disney's Frozen made its stage debut on Broadway this spring at the St. James Theatre in New York. Video design team FRAY Studio were tasked with delivering the production's theatrical world of snow, ice and the Aurora Borealis for the stage.
Working with leading media server manufacturer disguise and real-time effects software Notch, FRAY co-founders Finn Ross and Adam Young are taking the animation magic of Disney and rendering it with full integrity in the theatre.
"Frozen is a show about transformation, a spring-time world that moves to a frozen one, a frightened woman to a self-empowered leader," says Young.
To do this, FRAY collaborated with set and costume designer Christopher Oram and Richard Nutbourne Scenic Studio to develop a technique to make scenery look like stone or wood under normal theatre lighting, but then magically transfor

UK - Adlib helped bring all the drama, excitement and glamour of the massively popular CMT TV series Nashville to the stage as Nashville in Concert returned to the UK for a second run of sold out arena shows following the success of last year’s tour.
The Liverpool based production specialist was asked to provide full production - lighting, audio and video.
Adlib this year provided the key disciplines of lighting and sound plus the IMAG video package.
The format was as before, a tight house band supporting a selection of cast from the series including Jonathan Jackson, Chris Carmack, Clare Bowen, Charles Esten and Sam Palladio.
Adlib’s Dave Eldridge co-ordinated all the lighting and video elements. This year, Adlib was also asked to create a production lighting design after receiving a brief from the production team led by Betsega and Mike

UK - Hire and events company SLX has announced the successful applicants for its 2018 bursary scheme, which sees the company supporting five students enrolled on production courses with £3000 of hire equipment as well as networking and development opportunities.
Spanning the UK, the students attend different institutions and are enrolled on a variety of technical production focussed courses. Third year students and graduating this year are Ashley Holdom (Rose Bruford) and Ryan Searle (Bristol Old Vic) and the 2nd year students receiving the bursary are Alex Silvester (University of Bolton – Backstage Academy), Georgia Wren - LIPA and Ben Linwood (Guildford School of Acting).
As well as receiving the £3000 bursary to support a project of the student’s choosing, the five applicants were also welcomed into SLX Avonmouth, spending two full days in May with the SLX

Europe/USA - Yamaha and Audinate are teaming up to present a free webinar titled Audio Networking For Houses Of Worship, Colleges and Universities on 23 May (Wednesday).
The webinar, to be broadcast on ProSoundWeb.com, will examine Dante-enabled solutions for system design, implementation and management for carrying large numbers of audio channels around an auditorium and for distributing audio throughout a campus.
Andy Cooper (manager, pro audio application engineering, Yamaha R&D Centre London) and Karl Christmas (technical marketing manager, Yamaha R&D Centre London) will feature alongside Kieran Walsh (Audinate director of application engineering, EMEA).
The webinar runs from 6pm CET / 5pm BST / 12pm Eastern Time and 9am US Pacific Time.

Italy - AV technology specialist Peerless-AV has announced a distribution agreement with Milan-based AV distributor AGMultivision for the manufacturer’s complete portfolio, including outdoor displays, indoor kiosks, mounts, trolleys and stands, and accessories.
Under the new agreement, AGMultivision will be responsible for sales, marketing, customer support and distribution in Italy.
Melinda Von Horvath, vice president of sales and marketing - EMEA, Peerless-AV, comments: “AGMultivision is a perfect partner to help grow our brand awareness, promote our products and expand our customer base throughout Italy. They are a trusted and highly respected distributor with strong sales and support competencies that are fundamental to contributing significant growth for us as a company.”
Guido Villa, managing director of AGMultivision, adds: “We are looking for lon

Slovakia - Green Hippo has appointed City Light Slovakia as its distributor in Slovakia with immediate effect.
City Light Slovakia was established in 1993 and in addition to being a distributor, the company offers technology installation and post-warranty services and also has experience in providing operator training; an area in which it will work closely with Green Hippo’s highly regarded HippoSchool and in-house training division.
Marek Plancar, owner of cityLight Slovakia, comments: “For us, the distribution of Green Hippo Hippotizer Media Servers opens the door of creativity and offers high-end hardware and software, for great shows. We are glad to become part of the Green Hippo family and its product line of Hippotizer Media Servers - it is the world’s best solution for real-time video playback. We hope that we can begin a positive cooperation as the exclu

USA - Austrian AV technology manufacturer AV Stumpfl has announced the launch of a US subsidiary - AV Stumpfl Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the office will be helmed by managing director Todd Liedahl and supported by a network of distributors, dealers and technology specialists.
Fabian Stumpfl, AV Stumpfl GmbH CEO, comments: " The establishment of AV Stumpfl Inc. is a new chapter in our company’s history. Todd is without doubt the perfect choice for the role of managing director. Although our products are already well known in the US market, we feel that there is still a lot of growth potential for both our projection screen and media server systems.
He adds: “The USA is obviously of major importance as a trend-setter territory. Professionals from all over the world look to the US for the latest technological trends in the AV and entertainment ind

USA - For the fourth consecutive year, global design and BIM software solutions provider Vectorworks will continue its partnership with the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas (SILV) as part of its ongoing support for student designers.
As a first-of-its-kind intensive training programme, SILV offers improved and efficient ways to train students in all areas of live entertainment in an effort to grow the next generation of practitioners in the field. Vectorworks aids in this mission by donating funds to the organisation and teaching workshops on cutting-edge entertainment technology.
“The partnership that SILV has with Vectorworks has dramatically expanded our students’ experience with digital drafting and increased their pre-visualisation and console programming capabilities, making the plotting and paperwork process possible,” said Jane Childs, director at SILV.

Europe - Lighting control manufacturer Visual Productions has concluded a distribution deal for Belgium with Audio Visual Lighting.
Audio Visual Lighting technical manager Luc Buytaert approached Visual Productions to discuss distribution. The timing could not have been better for Visual Productions. For the past months Visual Productions account manager for Belgium, Maarten Donath, has been successfully developing the market working directly with installers, designers and local resellers. It was clear that the interest in and usage of the core products in Belgium was rapidly growing.
A full distribution deal was exactly the required next step. AVL is a well-established distribution company serving both the Dutch and French speaking markets in Belgium. Alongside sales manager Yolanda Eliano, Buytaert has built a successful distribution company which has gained an outs

USA - A complete Avolites light and video integration system featuring the brand's latest Arena lighting console and two Ai R4 Media servers, was used to drive the lighting and video content for the 21st annual D.I.C.E Awards, held at the Mandalay Bay hotel, Las Vegas.
The D.I.C.E (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Awards celebrates the latest innovations in interactive entertainment in the video gaming industry. For its 2018 edition, the event's long-term lighting designer Joshua Schultz worked alongside Andre Huff, director of Limelite Design, who were tasked to deliver a light and video presentation within a set design of clean, structural lines to accompany the awards ceremony.
"Chris Wu from Hatch, one of the awards' production partners, let me run with the design this year," says Schultz. "I took a lot of my inspiration from the intro video to the Awards,

UK - Full technical service provider Hawthorn has added Barco’s UDX-4K32 large-venue laser projector to its already extensive inventory of high-end projectors. Representing an investment of over £500,000, the company has added six of the units - the flagship of Barco’s UDX laser projector platform - to its fleet.
Launched last year, the UDX-4K32 provides 31,000 lumens of light output, 4K resolution, and the specification and performance of high-end laser projection in a compact and easily-transportable chassis. By featuring Constant Light Output (CLO) functionality, the UDX-4K32 also guarantees peace of mind by providing constant brightness and colour reproduction over time. On top of that, the UDX platform offers the widest colour spectrum in the industry. Without compromising on brightness, the UDX colour quality matches the renowned Xenon quality and outperforms the

UK - Stage Electrics has been awarded the £2m technical contract to provide the infrastructure for production lighting, sound reinforcement and audio-visual services for the new £83.7m International Conference Centre Wales (ICCW).
Set in the Coldra Woods just outside Newport, the ICCW is a joint venture between the Welsh Government and Celtic Manor Resort. The project features a state-of-the-art auditorium, main exhibition hall with capacity for around 5,000 delegates and associated meeting room as well as breakout facilities and will be capable of staging major party-political conferences. Being built by John Sisk & Son and scheduled to open in July 2019, it will be the largest facility of its kind in Wales and the South West of England.
Stage Electrics has been working on the project since 2016 to develop the schemes and ensure allocated budgets are met. It wil

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd (AC-ET) has agreed to provide technical equipment and run training courses for live events industry education provider Backstage Academy.
The partnership is part of a long-term strategy to offer Academy students the most up-to-date practical experience through AC-ET’s latest technologies from brands including ProLights, Chroma-Q, Green Hippo and BroadWeigh.
Jonathan Walters, AC-ET's UK sales director, comments: "We are delighted to be able to support up and coming generations of backstage technicians and creative people. The future of the industry is all about fostering the talent of tomorrow and letting them use the technologies behind today's live events productions.
“The partnership will give the Backstage Academy's students access to the latest LED lighting from popular brands such as Chroma-Q and ProLights, indust

Ireland - Entertainment equipment supplier A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) has launched a new sister company, A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ireland.
Registered in Dublin, the Irish branch will be helmed by County Limerick-based MD Aaron Cripps, who previously acted as AC-ET's representative for Ireland and has also worked as an account manager in the international sales division of AC-ET.
AC-ET’s managing director Phill Capstick comments: "I'm delighted that Aaron will be heading up A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ireland. With his extensive local experience and contacts, and strong relationships with key suppliers, he is well equipped to oversee the development of A.C.'s Irish business."
Cripps adds: "I am really looking forward to building the A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ireland business. The company has access to a fantastic portfolio of cutti

USA - Lawo has welcomed Browning McCollum, David Desrochers, and Stanley Pan to its growing North American team of customer support specialists.
“Lawo’s growth in the U.S. and Canada just keeps accelerating,” says Sam Schauland, technical director, Americas. “More and more broadcasters and audio production professionals are realising that true standards-based audio and video routing and mixing are the only way to go. That’s awesome, for the industry and for us. We’re adding more positions all the time.”
Browning McCollum joins Lawo after a successful tenure with Viacom, Nashville, where he held the position of remote engineer in charge. McCollum, a 2016 Emmy Award winner for his work on Grease Live, also holds the distinction of having installed the first two Lawo mc296 mixing consoles. His role at Lawo will be as a broadcast technology specialist.

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