France - Things do not always go as planned with outdoor affairs, and the Kandahar, Chamonix FIS World Ski Cup was no exception. Unseasonably warm weather caused the cancelation of the widely anticipated downhill competition that was scheduled to take place over the first two days of the three-day event.

However, not all was lost. Those who stayed for the entire three-days got to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of this resort, located at the base of Mont Blanc, the highest summit in the Alps. They also enjoyed a breathtaking bit of skiing history, at the La Verte des Houches slope, as Switzerland’s Daniel Yule became the first FIS Alpine skier ever to win a slalom race after staring out in 30th (last) position.

Another thing that generated excitement

Italy - Viola Park, a new modern sports centre and home to ACF Fiorentina football club, recently underwent a full AV system integration including comprehensive K-array audio systems. Nestled amidst the rolling Florentine hills, Viola Park is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of professional footballers at what is thought to be one of the best training facilities in the country.

With 26 hectares of sprawling landscape, Viola Park is the largest sports centre in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. The facilities at the site include 12 regulation pitche

Austria - Currently riding high in the Bundesliga - the top tier of Austrian football - Linzer Athletik-Sport-Klub (LASK) recently relocated to Linz’s futuristic new Raiffeisen Arena. Constructed as a UEFA Category 4 venue, LASK’s new ground is now among the largest and most modern sports facilities in the country, with over 80 Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers delivering quality sound to the fans.

Key players in this project were Saw IT Consulting, Genelec distributor Audio Pro, and local integration company Contech – who were responsible for the central distri

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ETC Hyperstar

ETC introduces the High End Systems Hyperstar: a new, companion to the popular Lonestar automated luminaire. Powerful, compact, and optimized for projection versatility, Hyperstar will help create uniquely beautiful designs for a variety of venues. Hyperstar is the same size as Lonestar, and is just as bright, compact, and affordable.

UK - Audiences are being treated to ‘an immersive visual feast’, thanks to RCM’s approach of combining real-time 3D generative content, utilising Epic’s Unreal Engine, with live cameras.

The creative content for James Arthur’s Bitter Sweet Love World Tour, which hit the road in March 2024, was fashioned by RCM’s team, headed up by Video Designer Alex Vipond. They collaborated closely with the artist, along with Pete Hutchison and Edd Croft of design collective Mangata to bring the client’s aspirations to life. The visuals add energy to the s

UK - Brompton Technology has appointed Sebastian Kanabar as technical sales consultant, focussing on the broadcast and film industries.

Based at the company’s headquarters in Chiswick, Kanabar brings over two decades of experience in senior technical, sales and product management roles at Prokit Europe, Holdan (part of the Midwich Group), NM Productions, and Pixel Engine.

He has had the opportunity to work with many well-known companies including Panavision, Sky, NBC Universal and CNN, as well as leading lighting and camera manufacturers like ARRI. Most

USA - Disguise will showcase its latest broadcast and virtual production (VP) solutions at this year’s NAB. Show visitors will be the first to get an early preview of Disguise’s latest release of its Porta broadcast graphics controller, which has been upgraded for Unreal Engine 5.4, and get hands-on with Disguise’s end-to-end xR and VP technology at six exhibition stands across the show floor.

Disguise and its Creative Services division, Meptik, will also be part of several speaker sessions on topics including digital twins, AR graphics, virtual production a

USA - RDL has announced its latest creation, the RU-NMP44, a cost-effective, network mixing processor that delivers ‘the flexibility of network audio for any system size or budget’. Designed to be versatile, and to support a wide range of system designs, the RU-NMP44’s performance specifications make it suitable for the most demanding installations.

The RU-NMP44 can add volume control, mixing, switching, and ducking to existing network audio systems. The digital signal processing offered in the RU-NMP44 often fulfills all the requirements for an audio system

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Strictly FX Highlights

Strictly FX was founded in 1996 by industry veterans Mark Grega and Ted Maccabee. Our expertise and knowledge of the world’s leading pyrotechnic, laser, and flame manufacturers allows us to curate astonishing live events. With over 500+ shows performed a year, there’s good chance you’ve seen some of our work!

UK - DiGiCo has announced the release of its latest software update, Version 1742, designed for all SD and Quantum consoles. Now available for free download from the Info and Downloads section of the DiGiCo website, found under the Support tab at www.DiGiCo.biz, V1742 replaces previous version V1619, which was rolled out a year and a half ago.

Of particular note, the installation of V1742 enables Quantum338 and Quantum225 owners to purchase and harness DiGiCo’s optional new Pulse software extension, revealed this January, increasing their number of input channel

Portugal - Lighting designer Patrick Woodroffe recently held a workshop on lighting at the Teatro Ibérico in Lisbon.

In the tenth edition of the seminar Lighting The Stars, Patrick Woodroffe, who has designed the lighting for the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, the London Olympic Games and numerous other events of international significance, shared his most notable and thrilling experiences, including a touching tribute to Michael Jackson, with whom he was preparing a tour mere days prior to Michael's early demise.

He then proceeded with a live practical

Ireland - PSI Production (PSI), a lighting, visuals and rigging production specialist with offices based in Belfast and Dublin, recently made a significant investment in Martin Professional MAC Ultra Performance fixtures through Ireland’s official Martin distributor, Entedi.

This new addition to PSI's inventory complements last year’s investments in the MAC Aura XIP, MAC Aura PXL, and MAC One.

"The acquisition of the Martin MAC Ultra Performance units not only elevates our portfolio but assures our clients that they are working with a company at the fo

Spain - Ibiza Rocks recently replaced its aging sound system with a comprehensive Harman Professional live audio solution consisting of JBL Professional loudspeakers to ensure high-impact audio for its guests while minimising disturbances to local residents.

Originally conceived as a live music night at Manumission, Ibiza Rocks aimed to introduce a performance dynamic to the island, initially emphasising live bands. Over time, this focus evolved to include both live bands and DJs as headliners. In 2008, Ibiza Rocks transitioned into a hotel, featuring an iconic po

USA - CAST Group of Companies has announced Visual Endeavors (VE) as a creative solutions provider for BlackTrax in the United States.
Based in California, Visual Endeavors is headed by Aron Altmark and specialises in technical producing for XR, live events, and immersive experiences, integrating BlackTrax into its tech stack to enable clients to ‘leverage the power of real-time tracking and automation across projects’.
Aron, having first encountered BlackTrax in 2018, has since utilised the technology in various projects including installations with over 500 moving ligh

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returns to the north from 14-15 May, along with a programme dedicated to delivering knowledge and inspiration for all those working in the live events and entertainment technology industry. Sponsored by Vectorworks, this year’s programme is the biggest ever, and the first wave of seminars has just arrived. Register for PLASA Focus Leeds to gain unlimited access to all these sessions, and more.
Lighting design and sustainable tech
Jonathan Haynes and Stuart Porter from White Light will discuss the processes and challenges of enhancing your lighti

UK - The Profile Awards, a new lighting design awards programme, has launched in the UK. Created and coordinated by Durham and Jennie Marenghi in association with the ABTT, the ALPD and the STLD, the awards recognise lighting design excellence in Theatre and Television in the UK and will take place at the Alexandra Palace theatre on the 6 June 2024.
Alongside eight Theatre awards and six TV awards there will be a Student Virtual Lighting Design competition and the Richard Pilbrow Lifetime Recognition Award in the name of Richard Pilbrow, by kind agreement with Richard’s

Gender Pay Gap - The gender pay gap in the cultural sector has increased for the second year running and is now wider than the overall UK gender pay gap, latest figures reveal. Data published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport last month shows an estimated gender pay gap of 15.2% in the cultural sector as of April 2023, up from 14.2% the previous year. This means that for every £1 men were paid, women were paid just under 85 pence.
This disparity is greater than the average gender pay gap for all employees in the UK, which stood at 14.2% as of April 2023. The culture

USA - For Silver Spoon, a real-time graphics and animation company, the 2024 Super Bowl live broadcasts on CBS and Nickelodeon presented an opportunity ‘to redefine the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of augmented reality and live broadcast’.
Central to this endeavour was Stage Precision, whose SP tracking and control solutions played a pivotal role in orchestrating several broadcast firsts during this year's show.
"The scale and complexity of the Super Bowl demanded a bullet-proof solution that could seamlessly integrate across multiple broadcasts and plat

UK - Full Production, the Berkshire-based specialist in the design and delivery of entertainment technology solutions, has completed the move to a much larger premises, with significant new facilities.
Located in Ruscombe, between Reading and Maidenhead, with fast access to the nearby M4 motorway and Heathrow Airport, the new site offers an attractive new working environment for staff and clients alike, including enhanced workshop, prep and testing areas, a meeting and training room, increased office space and a new, fully equipped Vis Suite.
Founded by Steve Richardson in

Europe - The inclusion of Holoplot products in the latest EASE 5 update, will allow users to investigate the possibilities and impact of using Matrix Arrays in their venue, or any venue. Users can model Matrix Arrays and Beam Optimisations in the company's Plan system design software to view sound pressure level simulations. The resulting array configurations can now be exported to EASE 5 for further analysis based on closed-room simulation.
AFMG’s managing director Stefan Feistel and Emad El-Saghir, fellow at Holoplot, explain how the collaboration came about and how the inclu

UK - Described as “a futuristic VR experience”, Sandbox VR offers teams of six the opportunity to visit original worlds, experience journeys to space or survive zombie ambushes.
Inspired by Star-Trek’s Holodeck and described by customers as “the greatest VR experience they have ever had”, the advanced audio-visual specification and installation for this attraction was entrusted to London-based Crossover.
Sandbox approached the specialists to fit out the three floors of the Post Building in London's Covent Garden - a former Royal Mail Sorting Centre that had previou

Germany - The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is known for its scientific research into molecular biology. Created in 1974 and funded by public research money from its 28 member states, EMBL’s Heidelberg headquarters now houses the new permanent exhibition World of Molecular Biology. It offers a vibrant, interactive exhibition celebrating the work, people, and technologies at EMBL and in molecular biology.
EMBL recently commissioned an innovative audio installation undertaken by AV specialist D J Willrich, a UK-based systems integrator with experience in AV visitor

The Netherlands - Robe’s Netherlands distributor, Controllux, recently staged a new workshop concept dedicated to television, film, studio and broadcast lighting and multi-camera environments, highlighting how specific Robe product ranges and innovations can be a huge asset for DoPs, lighting designers, directors and gaffers.
The one-day event was the brainchild of Controllux’s Romec Berendsen and was hosted at Allard Studios in Amsterdam, reaching a capacity attendance of 35 comprising gaffers, DoPs, lighting board operators and technicians active in the film, television, an

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