UK - Production Futures is an initiative created to provide opportunities for young people to learn, train, network, and develop real careers in production across every area of the live event, music, touring, festival, corporate, theatre, TV, broadcast and film production Industries.
The organisation is currently running a series of On Tour events, where young visitors from schools, colleges and universities all over the UK are able to directly connect with representatives of its brand partners to learn more about and explore employment opportunities in the industry.
The latest event takes place in partnership with Access Creative Group at New Century Manchester on Wednesday 3 May. This free of charge event, which will be opened by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, will promote employability, transferable skills, and paid work opportunities, and is set to attract

UK - Martin Audio has joined forces with Belair Technology and The Bug Club to entertain visitors to PLASA Focus Leeds. The eco-friendly VW Pop-Up DJ Booth will be stationed in the courtyard between the two halls at the Royal Armouries between the 9 and 10 May to demonstrate what can be achieved with the latest in sustainable festival technology.
Already proving to be a popular option for events across the UK, the fibreglass-built vehicle is 30% larger than a standard VW Camper and is designed to be a ‘festival friendly’ DJ booth. The custom-built Martin Audio sound system runs entirely on renewables thanks to Belair’s rack mounted Power Tower. The Power Tower is a clean and modern rechargeable battery-powered replacement for noisy and polluting generators and with its easy-to-use operation combined with silent running and zero emissions delivers the perfect ‘off-gri

Germany - Czech Republic-based lighting manufacturer Robe turned up the heat, the spectacle and the topicality and importance of respecting the planet in presenting the finale of its All Environments live performance show trilogy.
This display of creativity and imagination featured 350 of Robe’s latest iSeries of IP rated products plus three performers including a silk acrobat at the Prolight+Sound 2023 expo in Frankfurt last week.
Adding extra performers, excitement and energy to Hall 12.1 of the Frankfurt Messe complex, the five-times a day show attracted record crowds who also enjoyed a carefully curated pre-show Voice of God sequence, highlighting the technical elements and innovation of each of the featured iSeries products.
All Environments was presented in a dynamic, specially devised 270-degree theatre / arena style format, designe

UK - ITEAC, the International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference presented by the ABTT, has announced that booking is now open for its sixth edition taking place over 19-20 September 2023.
Booking is now open to take advantage of limited Early Bird tickets available for Full London Delegate Two-Day Tickets at the discounted price of £650 +VAT. This ticket includes attendance at the in-person London event at the Savoy Place, the global engineering hub of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), as well as access to the online platform during and for up to 12 months after the event. Once early bird tickets are taken, tickets will be available at £680 +VAT.
ITEAC will for the first time engage with participants across global time zones, combining online connectivity with hubs in London, Brisbane, São Paulo, Hong Kong and beyond, with participa

Germany - Prolight + Sound 2023 closed with a significant increase in visitor numbers. More than 27,500 professionals from 113 countries attended the trade fair for the entertainment technology industry from 25-28 April 2023, say the organisers.
Current topics such as the implementation of sustainable events or the increasing demand for specialists and young talents were discussed - in this regard, the Prolight + Sound conference programme offered future-oriented approaches and solutions. Following the end of global travel restrictions, it was the first opportunity for many industry participants to visit the show since 2019. This is reflected in the high internationality of the event: Half of the visitors came from outside Germany, say the organisers.
Over four hundred and fifty exhibitors from 34 countries participated. “The event industry is back,” says Wolfgang

Germany - The global entertainment technology industry is back in Frankfurt. From 25 to 28 April, 457 companies from 34 countries will present solutions for events, productions and visitor experiences.
For the first time since 2019, Prolight+Sound will take place without global travel restrictions. As a result, the show has seen a significant increase in internationality: 56 percent of exhibitors come from outside Germany. In close cooperation with associations, companies and other partners, Prolight+Sound offers a programme that is geared to the current challenges facing the industry. Professionals will receive valuable inspiration on energy- and resource-saving events, personnel development in times of high demand for skilled workers and more gender equality in the event industry.
“The event industry is recovering and the confident underlying mood is being transfer

UK - PLASA Focus Leeds returns to the Royal Armouries from 9-10 May, and alongside the friendly show floor, visitors can attend back-to-back seminars and workshops, led by respected industry leaders.
Seminar sponsors: Vectorworks, the programme sponsors, will present two sessions on their market-leading solutions – Vectorworks ConnectCAD will walk attendees through audio-visual workflows, then Production Design for Sky Sports Boxing’ will unpack the full design journey for a major TV event.
Lighting content: Lighting professionals can gain both creative and technical insights at the show. Renowned lighting designer Durham Marenghi will present Lasers as Light, showcasing his work on the Leeds Year of Culture Opening Ceremony, the World Cup Opening Ceremony in Qatar, and the 'hidden' New Year's Eve celebrations in London.

UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has announced the latest addition to its annual ABTT Awards, the ABTT Award for Environmental Sustainability.
The award will be presented to someone who over the past 12 months has made a significant contribution to furthering environmental sustainability within the theatre industry.
The award will sit alongside the established ABTT Technician of the Year Award and Award for Emerging Excellence which recognise the achievements of individuals both starting out and well-established in their backstage careers.
The ABTT Awards are one of the Association’s flagship events which this year will take place on Wednesday 7 June Alexandra Palace and the ABTT would like to extend an invitation to those in the industry to attend the ceremony and Theatre Show social, which will take place following the first day of

Germany - Prolight+Sound is further expanding its range of products and topics for the 2023 event. With the new Future Walk, the show (25 to 28 April 2023, Frankfurt) will offer an interactive area with an experiential character, which will present innovations around networked systems for event technology and broadcast applications.
The focus is on network-based processes that will permanently change the industry in the coming years: from remote production to device-independent workflows and on-demand infrastructures. In addition, the Kamera Hub will celebrate its premiere at Prolight+Sound. It is a central contact point for TV cameramen, presenting innovations in moving image production in specialised exhibitions and inviting visitors to talks and workshops.
To realise the new special areas, Prolight+Sound is cooperating intensively with partners from the industry. Th

USA - The Behind the Scenes booth #11730 at The NAMM Show will enable visitors to learn about its Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative, receive valuable information to post in the workplace, and attend brief presentations to learn about available tools and resources, Mental Health First Aid training, and hear about one person’s journey from the depths of depression to helping others.
Three 20-minute presentations will be offered in the booth each day of the show, all focused on mental health. Steven Michelman, owner of EPS (Entertainment Project Services) will speak about his mental health journey. Learn how industry pressures and previous trauma led to severe anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation and learn where and how he found help. He’ll share what his journey taught him and the response he got when sharing his story with his family, employees and clie

UK - The Showman’s Show will return to Newbury Showground, 18-19 October 2023 with an extended format as organiser Lance Show & Publications launches a party on the Wednesday evening. The Showman’s Supper will be held onsite within a permanent building at the showground.
Event directors Jeremy and Johnny Lance comment: “In the last few years, the number of exhibitors and visitors expressing their desire for some form of social event at the end of the first day of show has grown to a point where we decided we needed to do something about it.
“The timing of the show is certainly a factor; it’s at the end of the season which is perfect for getting together and we’re known for being a social bunch. Also, if you’re making the journey to the show then having a reason to extend your visit and catch up in a relaxed setting definitely makes sense. We’re real

UK - For the first time this year, Pro Integration Future Asia (PIFA) will include a UK Pavilion, to showcase products and services from UK-based companies. Furthermore, to help reduce exhibition costs, 6-square-meter stands in the UK Pavilion are now available for only £1,500 (originally £2,550).
Taking place in Singapore from 26-28 June 2023, PIFA attracts 6,000+ visitors from 20 countries. And the huge array of exhibitors specialise in production tech, leisure attractions, unified comms, smart homes, and staged events.
In addition to a 6sqm stand, UK Pavilion exhibitors will have use of a shared lounge to conduct meetings. Exhibitors will also be invited to a drinks reception hosted by PLASA and the Department for Business & Trade, providing an opportunity to meet key buyers in the region. Both PLASA and the DBT will be onsite throughout the show to offer su

USA - Meyer Sound has announced an expanded presence at the 2023 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, bringing additional personnel and resources to showcase products and technologies for the touring, recording/post-production, and immersive audio markets.
This year’s NAMM Show is scheduled as a one-time-only springtime event, with exhibits from 13-15 April. Meyer Sound can be found on the show floor at exhibit space #17215 (ACC North Level 2).
“Meyer Sound is coming off a record-setting year in 2022, and we will be working hard to continue that success in the coming months,” says senior vice president John McMahon. “We are building momentum across the board - in tour sound, cinema, and post-production and installed sound. Since NAMM has expanded its scope well beyond musical instruments, it has become an ideal trade show for connecting us with all those markets.”

Germany - Hall 11.0 Stand C06 at this year’s Prolight+Sound will see L-Acoustics highlight Soka, SB6i and SB10i subwoofers, and X4i, solutions that provide audio in locations that require ‘ultimate discretion to allow the design space to shine’.
Launched last year, Soka is a breed of loudspeaker that combines line source technology with a sleek aesthetic. Soka integrates nine 3.5” MF drivers and three 1” HF transducers to impart a wide 140-degree horizontal coupled with a highly controlled 26-degree vertical directivity. Soka and the latest SB6i subwoofer (both displayed as in-wall solutions at the show), are an ultra-shallow 3.9 inches/99 millimetres, designed to be easily enclosed in-wall or discreetly mounted on-wall, yet are capable of astounding power and bandwidth. Soka can also be combined with the SB10i subwoofer (displayed as on-wall) and is ideal as a mai

Germany - Funktion-One’s R&D team will lead a demo day being hosted by the loudspeaker manufacturer’s distributor for Germany at Movie Park in Bottrop. The event, which takes place on Friday 21 April and is open to audio and event professionals, will deliver a detailed showcase of Funktion-One’s Vero VX and provide an opportunity to listen to the recently launched Evo X.
Funktion-One: A Day in the Park will take an in-depth look at Vero VX, hearing directly from Funktion-One founder Tony Andrews, product support/live sound engineer Will Wright, and acoustic design engineer James Hipperson. The programme will explore the Funktion-One design philosophy and the technological breakthroughs that steered the development of both Vero VX and Evo X. Attendees will have an opportunity to get involved in a Vero VX system design and set-up, followed by soundcheck and performa

USA - From 13 to 15 April, the NAMM Show will open its doors to visitors from across the globe, who traditionally value the many educational opportunities the show offers in addition to the product showcase.
The Sennheiser Group will put a spotlight on immersive audio in demo room 17400, presenting the latest production tools and technologies from Sennheiser, Neumann, Dear Reality and Merging Technologies. As a partner of NAMM’s TEC Tracks, the group will send immersive audio experts to the TEC Tracks Keynote Panel, and host presentations on immersive production in its own demo room 17400. In addition, Neumann will unveil ‘an exciting new product’.
Immersive audio best practice presentations will be delivered by industry veterans Michael Romanowski, Eric Schilling, Leslie Ann Jones and many more. Between the engineer presentations, guests will be able to experien

UK - ISCVEx 2023 was held last week at Coombe Abbey Hotel in Coventry, and it was a great success! Attendees were treated to three seminars, an exhibition showcasing the latest industry developments and a networking evening with dinner and a live band.
Held annually by the Institute of Sound, Communications and Visual Engineers, ISCVEx is open to members and non-members. Events kicked off on Tuesday 21 March 2023 with the ISCVE members’ Day and AGM, followed by an engaging presentation from Alex Krasnic. Attendees were joined by others later at the networking dinner and party, which lasted late into the night.
Wednesday saw seminars where some industry experts discussed topics including emerging technologies, new business models, trends in customer experiences and more. A number of formal presentations were made to new supporting members and fellow members througho

UK - Now celebrating its 21st year of business, British loudspeaker manufacturer EM Acoustics will be returning to the Royal Armouries this May for the 2023 edition of PLASA Focus Leeds. EM Acoustics will be taking full advantage of the northern edition of the UK’s largest entertainment technology show to unveil the new, ultra-compact R5 loudspeaker. The R5 joins EM’s flagship Reference Series of low profile, ultra-high quality full range point source loudspeakers possessing extraordinarily flat frequency and phase responses.
“The R Series has proved spectacularly popular. A smaller box is a logical and welcome addition, in response to phenomenal customer demand,” says EM Acoustics brand manager, Greg Clarke. “As with the rest of the Reference family, the R5 offers high-quality point-source audio, exceptional headroom and wonderful musicality. The smaller form of t

UK - Event crewing specialist Showforce has announced that Becky Meers has been promoted to the role of head of operations UK & Europe. Becky will oversee the account management, crew management and operations functions for Showforce’s UK and European business.
Having joined Showforce’s Liverpool office in 2010 as an account handler, over the last few years, she has ran point on some of Showforce’s largest accounts and projects including Creamfields North and South, Cannes Lions, Glastonbury, Platinum Jubilee and The 150th Open.
The announcement follows the news that the company’s Liverpool office has been expanded as so many international events head to the city this year. The Showforce team is readying itself for a busy period as Eurovision fever grows and the build for the 151st Open beginning. Showforce’s Liverpool office has built an excellent reput

Italy - Taking place between 2 and 4 April 2023, Music Inside Rimini is the only show in Italy dedicated entirely to audio, video, lighting and control technologies for music and entertainment. Rooted in the nightclub market and the vibrant nightlife of Rimini during the 80s and 90s, Music Inside Rimini is an annual event which attracts global exhibitors from professional audio, lighting and entertainment brands.
Wharfedale Pro will be exhibiting at Music Inside Rimini for the first time this year. The British manufacturer will focus on its latest product developments, which will be showcased in three separate demo spaces.
Simon Godfrey, sales director at Wharfedale Pro, comments, “We’re particularly excited about attending Music Inside Rimini as we’re going to be able to physically demonstrate a wide range of products. It’s one thing choosing a product from a

UK - Backup has officially declared Kartfest -The Village Fete, open! Tickets are now on sale to the live events industry’s big day out.
Now in its eighth year, Backup is delighted that Kartfest will be returning to Sandown Park for its biggest event yet. “With our fantastic headline sponsor, Chauvet, we are building a big old fashioned Village Fete to give everyone a great day out,” says Backup vice chair and the event’s organiser, Lee Dennison. “Our judges will be out in force scoring the best dressed stalls, our cake bake competition and the best fete game. We are all looking forward to apple bobbing, hook the duck and smashing the rat.”
Backup is also delighted to have 5 Star Cases officially sponsor the Flight Case Relay, which is longer and faster than last year’s race. “We so looking forward to seeing the budding Linford Christies warming up on t

USA - The DALI Alliance (DiiA), the global industry organisation for DALI lighting control, has revealed the winners of its DALI Lighting Awards 2022.
The standard of entries within each of the eight categories was exceptionally high, and the awards recognize the best use of DALI lighting control applications and solutions around the globe. The international judging panel of lighting designers, lighting magazine editors, and representatives from global lighting organizations picked eight projects as well-deserved winners.
The winner in the Architectural & Entertainment category is Tridonic Middle East, for its work on the Expo 2000 entry portals in Dubai, UAE. The lighting system used dynamic colour mixing to provide the desired effects in the vast portals, which are 21m tall, 30m long, and 10.5m wide. DALI was used due to its advanced dimming and daylight sensin

UK - Backup is delighted to announce the much-anticipated date for this year’s Kartfest, and Thursday July 6th is the day to get your best tweed, flowery dress and, if you’re so inclined, Morris Dancing regalia, ready for the Kart-Fest Village Fete.
Tickets will be on sale from 0900hrs on Monday 20 March and it will be very much first come first served. “After an unprecedented demand last year, we are also restricting one Kart per team to make sure as many companies can attend,” says Backup’s Lee Dennison. “We are also placing much more of a focus on the activities on the day for those not racing, so we’re delighted to let you know that the theme for this year will be the good old British Summer Village Fete.”
There will be lots of fun to be had for racers and non-racers alike. More updates will be announced over the coming weeks, so make sure you not o

UK - On Saturday 25 February, the hello stranger UK Festival of Performance Design, curated by Dr Kathrine Sandys and Lucy Thornett, launched with its inaugural event at the Edinburgh College of Art.
The festival, which runs through to April, brings together a mix of artists and designers from 13 different regions and countries across the UK, in order to showcase the best in contemporary performance design. The entire programme is free to all and includes exhibitions, performances, talks and workshops, providing an exciting opportunity for members of the public from across the UK to engage with design, through locally curated and created installations and exhibitions on their own doorsteps.
The hello stranger series of events are led by a team of locally based designer-curators who have been tasked with activating public spaces within local theatres and other public-fa

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