China - Macau TDM (Teledifusão de Macau) provides public broadcasting news services in this special administrative region (SAR) of greater China. Running five digital terrestrial television channels, a satellite television channel and two radio channels, it has extended its HD network with the addition of four BroaMan Mux22 interfaces, provided by Hong Kong-based system integrators, ProHarmony Technology (PHT). Macau itself is situated on China’s southern coast, across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong, and the new installation is specifically to service requirements at their Macau HQ. PHT is a long-term service partner of the broadcasters, having worked with Macau TDM over the past 10 years; the latest provision of Mux22s expands the existing system, giving them six in total. The multiplexer itself supports every signal in use in the professional environment, co
UK - With record attendance, PLASA Focus Leeds 2023 proved itself yet again as the go-to trade event for the entertainment technology industry in the north of the UK as it returned to Royal Armouries from 9-10 May. This year’s show saw a strong 20% increase in attendance from 2022 and a 5% increase from 2019, confirming the rising importance of in-person connections. Furthermore, this year saw 18% more students attending – a promising sign for the long-term prospects of the live sector. Always popular for its inclusive layout and friendly atmosphere, PLASA Focus Leeds welcomed a diverse array of visitors, with organisers reporting that one in five were business directors or owners. The most common professions represented by visitors were engineers, technicians and programmers. Moreover, a third of visitors were final decision makers. Tony Torlini, general m
UK - Creative Technology delivered the main LED screens and projection mapping of Windsor Castle for the Coronation Concert of King Charles III. “It is always a huge honour to work on such high-profile live events, from the 75th commemoration of VJ Day, to the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It is incredible to see not only the public’s overwhelming response but also the entire live events industry showing such high praise and support for the people behind the scenes who make all of it possible,” says Graham Miller, head of music/entertainment at Creative Technology UK. With over 10m viewers watching the celebration at home, with many more worldwide and a 20,000 strong audience gathered within Windsor Castle grounds including King Charles III and the Royal Family, the Creative Technology team worked hard throughout the entire planning and delivery stages of the
UAE - Christie is exhibiting at the inaugural Integrate Middle East show, 16-18 May at Dubai World Trade Centre, United Arab Emirates. At booth #AR-F20, Christie will demonstrate how its technologies form end-to-end visual solutions, from its RGB pure laser projection and LED video wall range to content management and processing technologies. “We are delighted to exhibit at Integrate Middle East. This is a key region for Christie and we’re seeing significant growth in the Middle East,” says Mahesh Singh, regional sales manager, Middle East, Christie. “It will be an excellent platform to showcase how our complete solutions can solve customer challenges and help our partners to deliver exceptional experiences. We look forward to welcoming attendees to our feature-packed stand at this inaugural show.” On show will be a selection of projectors from Christie’s R
Namibia - Stage Audio Works (SAW) Namibia recently moved into new offices in Faraday Street, Windhoek. Leaving behind their old headquarters in Diesel Street, the new facility will help focus and improve operations in the long term and provide a demo space for clients to experience SAW’s application-ready solutions. The office changeover was carried out in multiple phases to ensure that SAW Namibia’s service to active clients remained unaffected. The new office offers a streamlined, professional design, whilst retaining the functionality required for SAW Namibia to serve its core markets. Furthermore, clients within the corporate, media and entertainment industries will benefit from hands-on experience with products in the new experience centre. Naturally, the technology deployed at Faraday Street was implemented by SAW Namibia’s own integration experts. "We coul
Spain - Lighting designer and technical director of PepsiCo Worldwide Events, Steve Nield, brought plenty of magic to the Ballroom of The Hotel Sofia in Barcelona for the PepsiCo International Franchise Forum. He chose 112 Ayrton MagicPanel R fixtures to introduce an exciting, colourful and versatile element to the backdrop for the evening’s presentations that took place in front of an audience of 400 people. The MagicPanel Rs were rigged in a side orientation, in clusters of 14 units – two wide and seven high - filling the space between large LED screens which formed the backdrop for this 40m x 21m ballroom. “The intention was to incorporate the MagicPanels into the scenic design to carry complimenting colours and tone across the whole visual canvas,” explains Nield. “The fixtures were run in full channel mode to allow some pixel mapping, however the inbuil
UK - Breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Now chose Illuminate at the Science Museum as the host venue for its annual event, The Show by Breast Cancer Now. As Illuminate’s in-house production service partner, technical solutions specialist White Light (WL) delivered the 360° event production services to transform the multi-purpose venue for a special fashion show concept. The Show celebrates the strength and courage of 23 models, living with or beyond breast cancer, taking to the catwalk for the first time. The purpose of the flagship special event is to raise awareness and engage with new and existing supporters to showcase Breast Cancer Now's research and support for those affected by breast cancer. The organisers were looking for a venue that would provide the ‘wow’ factor for guests, as well as being able to accommodate the main catwalk and the requirement f
Lithuania – Schoolchildren across Lithuania participated in the country’s largest-ever remote learning lesson this spring, as the 2023 Mokonomika initiative streamed interactive educational sessions online and via the national TV station. The operation involved the creation of four separate programmes filmed and produced in a studio in the capital, Vilnius, with a crew using Green-GO products for clear and robust digital communication. Organised with support from the Swedish financial company Swedbank, this year was the third consecutive Mokonomika, which is staged in collaboration with the Lithuanian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the patronage of the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO and Lithuanian national radio and TV. Vilnius-based Video Projektai was challenged with producing the video aspects, as inspiring teachers gave lessons on the futu
Italy - Distributor Prase Media Technologies has delivered its first Hippotizer training sessions, in collaboration with Green Hippo. The two-day course was designed to showcase some of the features of the Nevis+ and Boreal+ MK2 Media Servers and the new Hippotizer 4.8 software. Prase became a Green Hippo distributor for Italy in spring 2022, working with the entire range of Green Hippo’s award-winning Hippotizer Media Servers and in addition, tvONE products. Prase is now working to extend the influence of Green Hippo’s video playback technology, furthering Green Hippo’s global reach and enhancing customer service. Hippotizer product specialist Leon Dickens provided training at the event, held at the Prase office located in the northern Italian town of Noventa Di Piave, alongside Prase’s Sonny Laurano and Enrico Fodde. Attendees learned how to manage, send, man
USA - Brompton Technology’s Tessera G1 receiver card won the Product of the Year Award, following a live awards ceremony on 18 April at the 2023 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The G1 marks a significant milestone for the industry by being the first-ever receiver card to support 10Gb Ethernet over fibre direct to the panel, says Brompton. It is capable of supporting one million pixels, ready for a new era of ultra-fine pixel pitch panels, but is also capable of driving panels at refresh rates up to 1,000 fps (frames per second). “Receiving The Product of the Year Award for our Tessera G1 is a proud moment for the entire Brompton team, as it validates the tireless efforts and unwavering commitment we put into developing G1,” concludes Richard Mead, CEO of Brompton. “With its ground-breaking capabilities, G1 has the potential to transform not only the live events and vi
South Africa - TVOne’s Best Educational Solution Award was presented to Digital Fabric who specified over 100 Dual DVI Scalers to the Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape Province. Digital Fabric is a consulting company based in Johannesburg that provide customised audio-visual, lighting and control solutions to industries not only in South Africa but across the globe and was appointed as the principal audio-visual consultant for the Extended Learning Spaces Projects at Stellenbosch University. By collaborating with different faculties and departments at the university as well as various equipment suppliers - including DWR Distribution, who provided the tvONE units – Digital Fabric developed a tailored solution that addressed the unique challenges faced by a modern educational institution. “Our main responsibility was to design and supervise the im
UK - VDC Trading has announced the appointment of Jason Shaw as UK sales manager. Brought on board to help drive the company’s growth post-COVID, Jason is responsible for developing go-to-market and sales strategies, creating new business opportunities and providing greater support for existing clients in the UK. Jason has worked in sales and business development roles for almost 20 years and has extensive experience in the telecoms and property sectors. Jason comments: “I’m delighted to be joining VDC at such a pivotal stage in the business’ development. I am confident that I can support its continued growth, in line with the expansion plans, to develop the business and its propositions that will benefit our customers.” Niall Holden, founder and CEO of VDC Trading adds, “We’ve been looking for an effective and experienced sales manager and his ext
Germany - A raft of new products are being shown by the Neutrik Group’s Neutrik, Rean and Contrik brands at Prolight+Sound this year. These include new and extended product ranges from the group’s latest brands, as well as continuing expansion of some of its most recognizable product lines, incorporating a breadth of applications for power, audio, video, lighting and data. Among advanced power solutions being featured on the booth are the new grey / blue colour coded Neutrik powerCON XXA / XXB lockable, rugged power connectors. With discrete power-in and power-out keying, and a new ergonomic design, featuring an easy to assemble slip-proof two-compound moulded housing (with the strain relief mechanically locking with the insert to align with the housing), they are certified as complying with the latest relevant worldwide device safety regulations for mains supply connect
UK - International AV creative technology company 7thSense – specialists in creating products that meet media-based needs of theme park, attractions, and entertainment industries - has been awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. The team will be presented with the award by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the County, in addition to an official ceremony at Buckingham Palace in June. 7thSense is a privately-owned creative software and technology company based in Upper Beeding, Sussex, with further offices in London, Orlando and Burbank. The company invented, developed, and manufactures products including Delta Media Server, R-Series 10, Actor media server, Conjurer generative media server solution, Compere media presentation workflow software, Juggler pixel processor, and Medialon show control range of hardware and software for attra
China - AV systems integrator GPA has announced that Absen has joined the GPA global partner programme. GPA will help Absen strengthen its supply chain and provides local contact points for its global customers across 50 countries, ensuring seamless communication throughout the entire customer journey. The GPA partnership will help support Absen’s global coverage and ensure a strong and prolific offering of its LED displays to new and existing customers. “As one of the world's leading display brands, Absen brings over 20 years' experience powering 50,000 installations to the GPA partner programme,” commented Mike Stead, GPA’s director, global partnerships. “Through this united partnership, customers have access to understand, influence and benefit from the combined power of China's leading LED manufacturer with the expertise of the world's largest AV Integrat
USA - Crestron Electronics has announced the promotion of John Clancy to the position of chief sales officer, effective immediately. In this newly created role, John will lead and unify the global Crestron sales organisation to drive market growth and enhance customer satisfaction. Reporting directly to Crestron CEO & president Dan Feldstein, John will continue to be based at Crestron’s global headquarters in Rockleigh, NJ. "We are thrilled to announce John's promotion to chief sales officer," said Dan Feldstein, CEO & president of Crestron Electronics. "His leadership has been instrumental in driving growth and integration across our global residential sales teams, and we are confident that he will bring the same energy and expertise to this new role. John's experience in the industry, coupled with his strategic vision will strengthen Crestron’s market position
Germany - CAST Group of Companies is set to introduce BlackTrax-One or BT-1 in Frankfurt. This real-time tracking solution is designed for all sorts of single-tracking integration needs, with its portability, affordability, customisation options, and expandable features. BT-1 is a compact tracking system powerhouse re-engineered to bring big show effects and automation to smaller production budgets. It packs the same precision and control capabilities as the original BT System, in an easily portable kit, and is available at a price point within reach for most production companies, says CAST. BT-1 improves market access to tracking technology for small to medium size projects such as corporate events, theatrical shows, television productions, concerts, VR experiences, and theme parks. “We are extremely proud of BlackTrax’ BT-1 product," said Stuart Green, CEO
Europe - Full-service video and lighting company 4Wall Europe continues its expansion of equipment dedicated to the broadcast world with purchase of Elation Professional’s KL Fresnel 6 FC PO and KL Fresnel 8 FC PO lighting fixtures, both pole-operable units optimised for the specific requirements of on-camera productions. Darren Poultney, managing director EMEA at 4Wall Europe, commented on the investment: “With their outstanding performance, versatility and reliability, the new KL Fresnel fixtures are the perfect solution to support the growing demand for high-quality lighting in broadcast projects, from commercials and TV shows to film production, product reveals and corporate events. “Whether we're working on location or in the studio, the KL Fresnel FC POs deliver amazing results, giving us the flexibility to adapt to any situation and create stunning visual
The Netherlands - Kramer has announced the appointment of Peter Baxter as senior vice president (SVP) of its Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. Pete is a 32-year veteran of the technology industry with tenure in the reseller, system integrator, and vendor worlds. He is a go-to-market expert, designing and leading organisations that focus on customer engagement, customer outcomes, and growth Most recently, Pete led the EMEA video conferencing business for Logitech, creating a world-class enterprise organisation to maximize a highly competitive yet growing category. Prior to Logitech, he held global leadership positions at Yellowfin BI, Avast, and AVG. Pete will be based in Kramer’s new regional headquarters in Amstelveen, Netherlands, where the company is building its centre of gravity for EMEA. Gilad Yron, CEO of Kramer, says: “The appoint
South Africa - With LED Video walls evolving in pixel pitch, brightness, application, and popularity, Magnimage provides by-products that include video processors, switchers, video wall controllers and accessories. South African rental company MGG recently purchased a Magnimage MIG-680 and MIG-EC90, and freelancer Marothi Morathwe (aka Dickey) is happy to have these units on shows. Marothi is a Front of House AV technician, running both video processors and video playback software and a system tech, responsible for setting up LED screens and projectors. “I’ve worked on shows with MGG for over a decade, initially on a full-time basis and now as a freelancer,” Marothi explains. “It’s where I learnt everything, and I like to call them the ‘School of Excellence’ because if you are willing to push yourself you will grow. I started as a casual and I left as a
UK - VDC Trading has moved to a freshly renovated warehouse, five minutes’ walk from Tufnell Park station in North London. Formerly at VDC House in Kings Cross - which has now made way for a modern life science facility - the firm has relocated to Unit 5, Bush Industrial Estate. The newly refurbished HQ includes custom-designed office space and purpose-built warehousing, providing a good platform for future growth. In conjunction with this move, VDC has also acquired a large satellite warehouse in Hampshire to house non-urgent cable stock. Niall Holden, CEO of VDC Trading comments: “After six long months of late night planning, pulling our hair out and drinking wine, we finally nailed the layout of our new home. For the past 26 years, we have been operating from a large ramshackle office block that didn’t really lend itself to our operations, so this time
UK - Peerless-AV has announced the schedule of Tech Talks at this year’s AV Showcase at Lord’s, 16-17 May 2023. In these technical sessions, showcase vendors will present key innovations and complete solutions with forward-looking market insights, product competencies and real-life examples of successful installations. Those registering and attending the two-day event will be in with the chance of winning Ashes tickets at Lord’s this Summer. The event is focused on leveraging and building valued partner relationships and delivering all-important training and networking opportunities to ensure a successful, productive two days for end user and reseller visitors. “The demand for technical knowledge and information is on the rise, which is why we’ve worked closely with our exhibiting brands to bring a compelling and varied line-up of professional speakers and in
Portugal - Europalco and Vallis Capital Partners have announced ‘a capital partnership’ between the two organisations. This partnership will allow Europalco to continue its growth, through regional expansion and business segments. This partnership is based on constant innovation and the introduction of new features in the market, which are already characteristics of how Europalco is viewed in the sector, says a joint statement. “The partnership with Vallis Capital Partners is a new stage in Europalco's development,” says Pedro Magalhães, founder and CEO of Europalco. “We will continue with the same identity and culture that characterises Europalco, offering our customers the most innovative solutions in terms of events and shows, allowing us to participate in projects of great dimension and renown nationwide and internationally. Investing in new technologies
USA - Audinate has announced the immediate availability of a new API available with Dante Domain Manager 1.5. The API allows service providers, integrators, software developers and OEMs to build Dante control and monitoring into management applications, control hardware, automation scripts, help desk solutions and software-based source switching, to name only a few examples. The API provides all the key functionality of Dante Controller. It can query Dante domains, devices, channels, and status, and can be used to change channel subscriptions or to add and remove devices from Dante domains. It allows for configuration of securely managed Dante AV-over-IP systems via third-party applications and products, enabling new capabilities and integrations for a wide variety of installations. The new API is built using the popular GraphQL query language for rapid development wit
