Europe - Following a record-breaking 2023 ride, BikeFest returns to Spain for the third year from 26-28 January 2024, cycling 360km towards ISE in Barcelona. Last year, the BikeFest team raised an incredible £50,000 for industry charity Backup Tech, and they hope to go even further this year.
Organised by PLASA, #WeMakeEvents and AFIAL, BikeFest is seeking new members to join them for the upcoming ride, as well as sponsors who are interested in aligning with important industry values.
The three-day route will begin in Valencia and travel along the stunning Mediterranean coast via Peñiscola and Salou toward Barcelona. Once at ISE, the BikeFest team will be presented with their medals at a drinks reception, where they can celebrate their achievement.
Team members

USA - Visitors to LDI will have a chance to demo Obsidian’s hardware and PC systems, including the NX1, Obsidian’s scalable, full-featured lighting console that has propelled the Onyx platform's popularity to new heights. A compact, motorised fader wing, the NXP, as well as a small USB-powered control surface for ONYX, the NXK, both companions to the NX1 console, will also be on display.
On display in Obsidian’s popular line of Netron signal distribution devices will be the world’s first line of IP65-rated data distribution products for entertainment, recent winner of a PLASA Award for Innovation. Utilising a custom-designed sealed chassis, IP ports and touch controls, Netron IP65 solutions are provided as a six-port RDM Splitter (RDM6 IP), six-port EtherDMX Node (EN6 IP) and an eight-port managed POE switch (NS8 IP).
Obsidian is also launching a comprehensive

USA - “Colour has always been a huge part of our design process,” says Dayne deHaven of the work that he and his collaborator at the District 5 design studio, Tyler Shapard, have been doing for rock-pop trio The Band Camino.
Ironically, on the band’s recently concluded 25-date tour, the show begins in virtual darkness, as eerie electronic sounds resonate over a blacked-out stage. That’s only fitting, since the tour was called Screaming in the Dark, a nod to the group’s latest hit album The Dark.
However, once the band breaks into Afraid of the Dark the first tune in their 30-song set, colour reigns again in all of its powerful mood-making glory; this time, with help from some distinctive UV flourishes. Starting off slowly, with no front lighting, deHaven and Shapard, along with touring LD Alec Molinaro and light tech Sean Mines, build a
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OPUS X4 PROFILE – the most powerful LED moving head from Cameo to date

The OPUS® X4 PROFILE is the new flagship model from Cameo and is among the most powerful LED moving heads on the market. Equipped with a 1,400-watt LED white light engine, this spot profile moving head produces an enormous light output of 50,000 lm, providing powerful spot and gobo projections on even the largest stages and much more.
www.cameolight.com

The Netherlands - Ryan Schaminee is a Netherlands-based freelance gaffer and lighting board operator who also works internationally on a wide variety of commercial, television and some film projects, utilising various Astera products almost every day.
He finds the Astera ranges reliable, highly flexible and appreciates the great quality of light, all attributes that assist him in thinking quickly and laterally to come up with inventive and cool looking lighting solutions that are spot on.
For a recent commercial shoot for Versuni - home to some of the world best known and domestic appliance brands - Astera HydraPanels enabled Ryan to do just this.
He needed to back-light a large 2m-high by 4m-wide cabinet structure which was built in Westerpark Studio, Amsterdam to showcase an impressive array of awards that have been won by various Versuni brands. The cabinet wa

Denmark - Arvid Müller's Charles Tante, the perennial favourite classic Danish comedy film based on the 1892 play Charley’s Aunt by Brandon Thomas, has been reborn as a new stage musical by Mads Æbeløe Nielsen, Nikolaj Tarp, Claus Reenberg and Rob Hartmann.
Set in the year 1900 and performed in the classic environs of Denmark’s Fredericia Musicalteater, the production ran from 15 September to 15 October 2023, under Per Toft Lehmann’s skilfully designed lighting, which blended the subject matter and its location perfectly.
Incorporated into Lehmann’s rig were 20 Ayrton Diablo S profiles chosen for their versatility and compact dimensions.
“The Fredericia Musicalteater is a classic, old-school venue with fly bars, red curtains and traditional seating and facilities, so we had to be careful in our choice of fixtures,” he explains. “We

Germany - Movecat, specialist in the field of stage automation technology, has announced its change of name to Moveket.
This decision is a direct response to the continuously increasing worldwide demand for stage automation solutions with the highest safety standards in the entertainment sector, says the company. The resulting global expansion of Moveket GmbH has led to increasing trademark challenges, which have been resolved by the change of name.
The suffix ket in the new company name stands for Kinetic Entertainment Technologies.
"The change of name is an important step in our strategic development. It underlines our commitment to first-class products, services and future product innovations that meet the ever-growing demands of our customers," says Peter Streicher, managing director of Moveket GmbH.
“Moveket remains true to its values and will conti

Germany - NicLen has expanded its rental park by acquiring the Astra Hybrid330. Provided by Lightpower, the official Prolights distributor in Germany, this hybrid LED moving head offers a versatile range of applications and effects, establishing itself as the latest multifunctional moving head of choice for the German rental company.
Jörg Stöppler, CEO of NicLen, comments: “It’s not that easy to find a professional ‘daily workhorse’ that has a wide range of applications and effects and doesn’t overstretch your budget.”
The Astra Hybrid330 from Prolights was chosen for its powerful 330 Watt LED source, CMY colour mixing, and a versatile zoom range of 3.5° to 52°.
Stöppler adds: “The combination of high light output, compact size, and versatility convinced us to include the Astra Hybrid330 in our inventory. This moving head can produce powerful
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Case Study: Hans Zimmer Live

When award winning film composer Hans Zimmer brought his smash-hit tour Hans Zimmer Live to North America fall 2024, the show's audio team sought out to bring infrafrequency bass to the show to add new depth to the show's audio experience. The team chose Danley Sound Labs.

Spain - The Medusa festival offers a DJ line up from all around the world embracing a lively mix of dance genres in a seaside location at Cullera beach in Valencia by the mouth of the Jucar River. The 2023 event was enjoyed by over 250,000 people across six days of sun, smiles and superlative music.
This year’s main stage production and lighting design by Eduardo Valverde and a team from his design studio Experiencias Visuales (EV) included 72 MegaPointes and 12 BMFL WashBeams. These lights were at the heart of a spectacular visual environment created for this key area of the festival, which featured five stages of entertainment action.
It was EV’s first time designing the Main Stage for the event organisers, Andreu Piqueras and Javier Crecente, and the setting was evolved working closely with Brok Décor who co-ordinated the construction and setup of the impressi

UK - A zactrack PRO system is integrated with the lighting and sound control for Nicholas Hytner’s acclaimed stage production of Guys and Dolls, currently running at the Bridge Theatre in London.
Bunny Christie’s innovative staging concept and Paule Constable’s provocative lighting has transformed the theatre’s auditorium into a promenade environment, complete with 14 stage lifts which are utilised throughout for the show to denote different locations - bars, clubs, lounges, street corners, etc. - as the cast conveys the serious 1950s New York hustle.
The audience is positioned in different positions surrounding all the action and Paule’s associate Rob Casey explained that to key light all these characters effectively in this created space, they needed around eight follow spots that could reach multiple positions. Given these circumstances and the exce

UK - Held over two days at the Business Design Centre, LiGHT 23 - the trade show dedicated to lighting specification - saw a 43% increase in attendees from its launch event last year - closing its doors to ‘a buzz of positivity’.
The design community came out in force to support the show - with 4,776 attendees passing through the doors to see the latest offerings from more than 150 international lighting brands and engage with 22 talks and presentations from design experts working with light, all while making new industry connections through various networking opportunities.
Attended by a broad mix of designers working in architecture, interiors, lighting, and product design, as well as engineers, end-users, and specifiers, LiGHT 23 saw several new features introduced this year.
A particular highlight included the new darc space decorative area, which saw hig

Europe - Showlight has confirmed that it is back and will return ‘soon’. Following the enforced postponement of Showlight 2023 and a bumpy ride during the pandemic, the committee has reassembled and is working towards the next in the series of this industry networking event.
The Showlight committee is currently exploring new locations and actively seeking sponsorship for the next Showlight, the date and location of which will be confirmed in the New Year.
Many experienced committee members are joined by a flush of new members in organising what promises to be one of the most exciting issues of this quadrennial to date.
Incoming Showlight chairman, Jim Tetlow, who has moved from his previous position as papers chairman, says: “We are truly excited that Showlight is back with such energy and cannot wait to bring our delegates a fantastic programme of papers

Spain - ETC distributor Stonex has announced the addition of the Hog 4 line of consoles to its portfolio. The announcement establishes Stonex as a key player in the distribution of the Hog product family in Spain.
With over four decades dedicated to professional lighting and stage engineering, Stonex will distribute the full range of the Hog 4 line including the Hog 4-18, Full Boar 4, Road Hog 4-21, HedgeHog 4X and more.
Marketing & commercial director at Stonex Paloma Expósito says: “One of the highlights of this collaboration is ETC's ongoing commitment to improving Hog console technology. Since 1994, Stonex has been an ETC distributor in Spain, combining its experience in the sector over the years.
“The entertainment industry is constantly undergoing significant transformation, with a growing demand for technologies that are not only efficient but als

Canada - CAST Group of Companies has announced the appointment of Nicholas Lau as product manager for BlackTrax and Jose Fernandez as assistant product manager.
Nicholas Lau’s journey with CAST started in 2018, and he has since played an important role in the successful delivery of large-scale productions, internal testing, and client technical support. "The intelligence ingrained within the core of BlackTrax provides ample room for growth. Given the ongoing advancements in tracking and automation technology, coupled with the scalability and reliability inherent in BlackTrax, we find ourselves in an ideal position to take this solution further than ever before."
Jose Fernandez, with over eight years as a technical writer for CAST Group, possesses a deep understanding of the intricacies of its three award-winning products, BlackTrax, wysiwyg, and Vivien. With the ne

UK – Berkshire-based Full Production provided the design and installation of the latest Treetop Golf destination. Sited at Metrocentre shopping centre in Gateshead, the new themed attraction includes over 400 luminaires and an immersive audio system with 140 loudspeakers.
The regular service supplier to Treetop since 2020, Full Production has lived up to its name by carrying out the design and installation of the audio, lighting, show control and visual infrastructure. Following Full Production’s work at its most recent site, in Birmingham, where its critically acclaimed design and installation significantly raised production values, Treetop was fully convinced to enhance the new Metrocentre site even further. As well as being able to run standalone for 14 hours a day, seven days a week – the multi-faceted system would also set a new bar for visitor experiences, employ

France - Nikki Beach Saint Tropez is a restaurant and beach club located on the Pampelonne beach on France’s Côte d'Azur. Part of an international group, Nikki Beach Saint Tropez ‘attracts a celebrity crowd with laid-back poolside sets from leading international DJs’.
Local AV technology specialists Colorsonic have a long-established relationship with Nikki Beach and know the venue well. To achieve powerful, full-range sound for guests without disturbing neighbours, president and CEO Gérard Giraudon and technical director Christophe Orlando proposed a Nexo ID84 system to sound designer and acoustician Claudio Fabiani.
A total of 18 of Nexo’s ID84 column speakers are discreetly positioned around the venue, with bass extension provided by four ELS400 1x12-inch subs, in a design that achieves excellent coverage of the club, without bleeding into the surrounding

UK - The recent Channel 4 reality show Don't Look Down brought together nine celebrities for a thrilling six-week adventure in support of Stand Up to Cancer. The show, hosted by Paddy McGuinness, followed these stars on a journey to conquer their fear of heights through vertigo-inducing high wire training.
The grand finale took place at the iLondon Stadium, where the contestants faced a heart-pounding tightrope relay challenge, 100ft high and 650ft across. Limelite Lighting installed a large number of Showtec Helix S5000 Q4 LED washers to provide light throughout the stadium’s grandstands and around the pitch.
The cast included soap actress Beverley Callard, footballer Anton Ferdinand, presenter and Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt, sports presenter and Love Island finalist Chris Hughes, French footballer David Ginola, motoring expert Charley Boorman, TikT

Canada - Metal music fans who packed venues in 33-cities for Motionless in White’s just-concluded Touring The End Of The World tour of North America enjoyed galactic themes. Channelling his fascination with all things galactic, Alex Mungal opened a window to an array of looks in support of the band’s 18-song set by drawing inspiration from Star Trek’s Romulan and Klingon warships.
“I grew up watching a lot of Star Trek and Doctor Who, so it’s no surprise that I draw on the architecture and set design from those stories,” said Mungal, owner of Alien Lites. “For this tour, we based our overhead truss configuration on the wing-shaped warships. This gave us a lot of different angles to direct light from. We had glowing light coming in from the sides of the giant wings. Also, the control centre of the ‘space craft’ in this configurati

UK - Creamfields festival has announced a new 30,000-capacity indoor main stage for Creamfields festival, set to become the largest indoor festival superstructure in the world according to the promoter.
The new stage, Apex, will extend the main stage opening until 4am on Saturday for the first time and will offer an additional main stage destination on Friday. The four-day Creamfields will take place on August Bank Holiday (22-25 August) next year in Daresbury, Cheshire. The line-up is still to be announced.

UAE - Italian luxury fashion house Bulgari recently relied on the power, brightness and reliability of Digital Projection’s Titan and M-Vision range to give Dubai’s Gate Building a serpentine makeover in celebration of the 75th anniversary of its Serpenti collection.
Founded in 1884, Bulgari is famous for its luxury jewellery, watches and accessories. This year, the brand celebrates the 75th anniversary of Serpenti, a snake emblem that has exalted almost every Bulgari watch and piece of jewellery, with a worldwide tour.
Between 15 and 24 September, Dubai played host to Serpenti: 75 Years of Infinite Tales, a celebration of the grandeur of Serpenti’s heritage. At the heart of the milestone event held at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) gate, was an immersive projection mapping show, implemented by Dubai-based projection mapping expert company Artabe

USA - SPH Engineering will announce the winners of the 4th International Drone Show Competition at LDI on 4 December at 6:15 pm at the Las Vegas Convention Centre during the LDI 2023 Expo.
In partnership with Sky Elements, SPH Engineering will host a Drone Show, showcasing the outstanding achievements of the Drone Show Competition. The evening will also feature an Award Ceremony, recognising and rewarding the exceptional participants of the competition.
The 4th International Drone Show Competition marks the culmination of a year filled with innovation in the drone show industry. Alexander Levandovskiy, head of drone show technologies at SPH Engineering, stated: "Our mission is clear: to unite the brightest minds from around the globe, showcase their mesmerizing drone shows, and foster a sense of the drone show community. This year, we are proud to extend the competitio

The Netherlands - Kramer has announced the appointment of experienced AV and unified communications and collaboration (UCC) channel executive, Brooke Ellingworth, as its first-ever director of EMEA channels.
Adding over 16 years of top-level AV/UCC knowledge and experience to Kramer’s growing international team, Brooke will play an instrumental role in the company’s ongoing business transformation and growth strategy, with closer and more aligned channel partnerships, key to achieving its ambitions.
Brooke is an accomplished sales and channel leader, with a proud track record of delivering exponential growth to some of the world’s leading technology firms. These include Logitech, from whom she joins and Ingram Micro and Cisco, among others.
Reporting to Peter Baxter, senior vice president (SVP) at Kramer, Brooke – a recent Cambridge University Graduate

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