UK - Le Mark's Harmony Gloss portable stage floor glistened and shimmered on Sunday night with the BBC's broadcast of the BAFTA Awards 2013.

Watched by an estimated 5.5m viewers and hosted by Stephen Fry, the ceremony production was visually stunning from start to finish.

Offering a high-gloss floor with a water-like effect, Le Mark's Harmony event floor flowed across the set, complimenting the stars as they walked onto the stage to collect their awards.

Having also been used in some of the largest productions in the world, including a custom printed version for the opening ceremony at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Harmony has become widely known for its speed and ease of installation, along with the ability to offer amazing visual effects when combined with professional ligh

UK - The Executive Hire Show proved to be a success yet again for inspHire shown through a busy stand over the course of the entire show. Three independent hirers took the opportunity to have a demonstration of inspHire hire software and then decided to purchase on the spot. Kelly Plant and Tool Hire Depot both utilised inspHire's 'Show only Deal' and purchased inspHire Express at the show's discounted rate and TJ Hire purchased inspHire Office Edition.

inspHire on Android, selected to be included on the Innovation Trail, was launched at the Executive Hire Show. Interest was high on this new, innovative product, as both inspHire customers and prospects were requesting a demonstration. Since launching inspHire on Android, inspHire has set up customers on this new application.

inspHire held one-to one free workshops throughout the show, providing customers with the chance to fur

Australia - After an extensive $3m renovation, the Sutherland Shire's Miranda Hotel has reopened complete with a new outdoor garden bar and a totally refurbished Carmen's Nightclub.

Compact Monitor Systems Australia designed and installed the audio system throughout the venue opting for a total JBL speaker solution.

"The JBL Control Series are my favourite speakers by a million miles," said Bill Richardson, managing director of Compact Monitor Systems Australia. "I've been a JBL-head for many years and Compact has been affiliated with JBL since the 1970's. The JBL Control Series of speakers is the first thing - and almost the only thing - we recommend to our clients. The only exception is if someone has a very specific request for a certain type of speakers."

Richardson describes the JBL Control Series as very simple, always sounding good straight out of

UK - Peterborough-based production supplier Pearce Hire has recently demonstrated their significant capabilities in the touring sector. The company provided a three-truss lighting rig and technician for the latest Jools Holland UK winter tour.

Pearce Hire has worked with Midland Sound & Lighting and Jools Holland's production team for several years and this was the second full winter tour for Jools Holland that they have been involved in.

The lighting rig complemented by on-site technical support included 18 Martin MAC 700 Profiles and 12 Robe Robin LEDWash 1200s. Additional fixtures included Robert Juliat Cyrano follow spots and a number of Studio Due CS4s purchased specifically by Pearce Hire to service the tour.

"Over the years we have formed a strong working relationship with Jools' production manager Andy Salmon, and LD Simon Chandler-Honnor," comments John Hu

UK - Dave Bellamy, Showforce's client relations manager, was awarded the accolade of 'Best Employee' at the Event Production Awards 2013.

With 20 awards presented in total, by comedian Tom Stade, Dave Bellamy and Kim Gavin, artistic director of the Olympic and Paralympic closing ceremonies were the only individuals to receive awards on the night.

Bellamy was nominated for the award by Showforce's chairman Ian Spendlove who said, "I really wanted to formally acknowledge the hard work, commitment and high standards demonstrated by Dave throughout, what was undoubtedly, the busiest time in our 20 year history. Dave oversaw projects that included Olympic overlay, the opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympics and Paralympics, the Diamond Jubilee Concert and Sports Personality of the Year."

The judging panel for the awards included; Chris Salmon, event operations d

France - French rental house Phase 4 has invested in 50 of the new VL3015LT Spot luminaires from Philips Vari-Lite. This makes Phase 4 the first lighting rental supplier in Europe to be able to offer the fixtures to its customers.

Paris-based Philips Vari-Lite distributor, CSI, supplied the 50 VL3015LT Spots to Phase 4, which now holds the largest stock of Vari-Lite automated luminaires in France. The substantial Phase 4 investment in the VL3015LT Spots followed a demo to the company's consoles and peripherals manager Georges DaSilva.

"Philips Vari-Lite is a strong brand," comments DaSilva. "In addition to its powerful output and its incredible zoom, the VL3015LT Spot maintains the same well respected color quality that has set the standard for the profession. All the customers that attended demonstrations have reported being hugely impressed with the VL3015LT f

USA - Adamson revealed a new product line at ISE in Amsterdam. "The Point Concentric Series brings a powerful range of passive, co-axial, loudspeakers designed for both installation and rental markets to the Adamson tool box," says the company.

The multipurpose cabinets are available in a double 5" (PC5), single 6" (PC6), single 8" (PC8), single 10" (PC10) and a single 12" (PC12) version. This discreet range of cabinets, come coated with water borne acrylic paint, while all metalwork is finished with a Sandtex Powder Coating. Keeping form with the acclaimed Point Series, all cabinets can be colour matched to the RAL library.

The PC5 and PC6 are the smallest cabinets in the Point Concentric Series, and provide a 70-degree conical pattern in a very compact package.

Both cabinets ship with standard M10 fly points in 4 locations and additional

USA - When the three-day grand opening celebration began on 11 January at the new Bing Concert Hall at Stanford University, the 842-seat hall resonated with performances by the San Francisco Symphony, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Stanford Chamber Chorale, and members of the Stanford Symphony Orchestra and Stanford Philharmonia.

This diverse selection of performers and ensembles demonstrated the versatile acoustical capabilities of the new hall, showcasing solo performances and small ensembles as well as the full orchestra. World-renowned acoustic designer Yasuhisa Toyota of Nagata Acoustics determined the optimal sound design for this hall - and to execute this design, Stanford called upon the rigging experts at J. R. Clancy, Inc.

The complex job required Clancy and an installation team from Western Theatrical to work around a massive net

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UK - Arena Group's Arena Scaffolding division provided a special installation at Spring Fair International, an exhibition which showcased the latest products and trends at the NEC Birmingham, 3 - 7 February 2013.

Most Arena Scaffolding projects involve supplying materials as supporting sub structures which tend to be concealed. However, at Spring Fair International Arena's temporary scaffold display became a central feature point at the Trend Bar in Hall 6, visited by over 3,000 delegates.

Working closely with the convention's head of design, Justin Southgate of Southgate Designs and fabric suppliers Stitch, Arena ensured the highest quality equipment was available to mirror Justin's design concepts and create a visually striking display.

Each scaffold pipe was individually positioned at different height levels and formed a large torch shape fitted with pastel coloured fabri

USA - Music Group, the corporate parent of pro audio brand Behringer has announced the immediate appointment of Indiana-based Starin as their exclusive fulfiller for all US States and protectorates. Starin had previously represented Behringer in selected territories while the rest of the country was served by Shoreview Distribution. The appointment is effective immediately and the company reports that Starin has sufficient quantities of product on hand to fill all orders across the country.

Vice president of global sales for Music Group, David O'Kelly, announced the appointment, stating, "Starin has proven to be an exceptional partner, delivering service levels that are earning praise from our dealers across America. I want to thank Shoreview for their loyal support but it became clear to us that a single source for Behringer products was in the best interest of our dealers

Belgium - Lighting designer Pim Elberse of PimmerPacK specified 100 Clay Paky Alpha Beam 700s to deliver bright beam flexibility for the 15th anniversary show of Dutch rock band Within Temptation.

Elberse, who worked along set designer Ignace d'Haese from Arf & Yes, used the Alpha Beam 700's fast moving ability to generate some stunning and dynamic mid-air and onstage effects. The result was a light show to remember at the 18,500-capacity Antwerps Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium.

Supplied by PRG / EML Belgium, 50 Alpha Beams were placed on the floor in between the orchestra and band, and a further 50 Alpha Beams were flown on trusses. Each of the flow fixtures were rigged on an individual drop-arm that could drop 10 metres creating a dramatic, multi-dimensional environment for the band to perform in.

"The Alpha Beam 700s don't just feature Pan and Tilt," explains E

UK - Roland Systems Group (RSG) is teaming up with Lewitt Microphones and Metropolis Studios in London for a live production day, a free to attend afternoon event which will be open to all. To be held on Tuesday 19 February at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick High Road, the event will cover different aspects of working in the live sound and production arena with a focus on broadcast engineering and live video production.

Presented by well-known industry personnel and special guest broadcast engineers, dedicated sessions running from 3.30 to 5.00pm will provide a tactical insight into how the latest RSG technology is used in real world applications with insights from touring FOH engineers including Russell Tite (The Kooks). The event will also feature a live performance from Nzca/Lines, the brain child of Michael Lovett, supported by Moscow Youth Cult from 6.30 - 8.00pm.

(Jim Eva

USA - North American entertainment technology reseller, A.C. Lighting has announced the appointment of Greg Russell as South Western regional sales manager.

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Russell's new appointment will see him promoting A.C. Lighting Inc.'s extensive range of exclusive entertainment technology brands throughout the South Western United States.

Russell has been working in the production entertainment industry for over 25 years providing lighting, sound, rigging, design, installation and production management to a range of clients including high profile artists, venues and television shows.

A.C. Lighting Inc.'s vice president of US sales and marketing, Fred Mikeska comments, "Greg's vast experience in the entertainment production world, coupled with his technical product knowledge will be extremely valuable for our growing customer base... We are very pleased

UK - At Liverpool' Bierkeller, the 80 different beers are just a side-line: people come here for the live Oompah Band shows and a uniquely friendly atmosphere. Recently the venue's main hall invested in a new sound system, and loudspeakers from Brighton-based Traction Sound were chosen and installed by ProScreens.

The Bierkeller Entertainment Complex is situated right in the heart of the thriving Liverpool One. The new venue is built in a large concrete room with lots of hard reflective surfaces, creating a difficult acoustic environment. Paul Atherton of RW Salt explains why this made Traction Sound's loudspeakers an ideal choice: "Their SDS range has low vertical dispersion, which is perfect for acoustically difficult venues. You get less energy bouncing off reflective surfaces, meaning better clarity throughout the hall. Also, because of the long throw of Traction Sound'

USA - The AVnu Alliance, the industry forum that certifies Audio Video Bridging (AVB) products for interoperability, has announced the opening of its certification testing for AVB-enabled networking bridges at its appointed testing house - the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL). AVnu Certification is available to Alliance member companies.

This announcement, says the AVnu Alliance, is an important milestone in its mission to bring high-quality open-standard audio and video networking to professional AV, automotive, and consumer electronics segments. Several manufacturers have submitted AVB-enabled devices for AVnu Alliance's exhaustive interoperability and conformance testing, with more AVnu Alliance members expected to follow suit in the coming months. Products that complete the testing program successfully will receive an official logo of certifi

USA - For the 16th year in a row, Audio-Technica microphones appeared on the Grammy Awards Show, known throughout the industry as Music's Biggest Night. This year, the 55th Annual Grammys, held 10 February 2013, at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, featured a wide selection of artists from various genres of music.

For the live show and broadcast, Audio-Technica supplied over 250 of its microphones, including an impressive array of hard-wired mics and Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF Wireless Systems.

The ceremony itself has garnered widespread notice throughout the years as it continually raises the standard for broadcast entertainment. The EMMY-winning production was the first major awards show to venture into HDTV and 5.1 surround sound, and it was outfitted with the most advanced tools to ensure the highest fidelity for the evening's performances. Audio professionals continual

UK - Highlite International BV has announced that from 1February 2013, David Swindlehurst will join the Highlite UK team as UK & IE Sales Agent for their Artecta range of architectural lighting products .

Swindlehurst comes with years of experience of LED Lighting, having worked within the Entertainment & Architectural industry & has dealt with many blue chip companies.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Following one of the most successful years in the company's 26 year history, Creative Technology (CT) are celebrating after receiving two awards in as many weeks.

Delighted to have won the Event Production Awards Best AV Equipment Supplier, held at the London Lancaster Hotel on 5 February 2013, CT have now been confirmed as 'Favourite Video Services Company' at the Total Production Awards held at the Novotel London West Hotel.

Both awards are in recognition of CT's phenomenal year and of the enormous effort the team at CT put into London 2012 and countless other amazing events throughout 2012, says the company.

(Jim Evans)

Israel - Compulite Systems (2000) ltd have recently teamed up with coolux Media Systems to enable their Vector consoles to fully support coolux Pandora's Box Media Server.

Compulite extended their Media Server support to allow direct real time communication between Vector consoles and coolux Media Server. Media thumbnails are automatically downloaded to the console during initial communication, which allows for instant workflow. The interactive operation between the two systems extends user control capabilities, during programming and during live show time.

"Once again it's been proved that good and open collaborations between companies improves the products on both hands and mostly benefits the users in their daily work", said Yehuda Shukrun, Compulite CEO. "During the process, both companies shared a lot of necessary information to achieve the goal. Compulite

USA - The last month has seen Adamson busy with adding and moving personnel, to better assist their quickly growing market share. In the Technical Support department - long time Adamson applications engineer Ewan McDonald has moved back to his homeland of Australia, enabling Adamson to use his new location to better serve their growing Asia Pacific market. McDonald's new position and years of experience as Adamson product support and applications engineer will aid him to focus further on Asia Pacific as Adamson's new business development manager for the said territory.

Adamson director of marketing & sales, Jesse Adamson's new right hand man Matt Gunn in the sales department took the position of a junior sales associate last fall and has quickly managed to put together demos and nurture existing sales avenues in the US and all of North America. He will also work closely with Tha

UK - The Ministry of Sound closed last month for its annual technical overhaul - with Harman Professional brands, distributed in the UK and Eire by Sound Technology Ltd, featuring in the club's major audio upgrade.

During the three-week shut-down, the world famous club extended its existing BSS network and provided an additional four channels of AKG DMS 700 wireless capability; but the piéce de résistance is found in 103 - the venue's second dance room - where a new Soundcraft Si Performer digital console now partners the Soundcraft Si2 in the adjacent Box.

This is the centrepiece of a substantial upgrade, authorised by production manager Chris Thoms. Although other spaces within the club have been reconfigured, including the VIP Room, 103 has undergone the biggest change, in order to bring it more in line with its bigger neighbour. As a result, it is now an adap

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