UK - LSi Online has learned the sad news of the death of Derrick Saunders, for many years one of the best-known figures in the UK's professional lighting industry. Derrick passed away on Friday 16 August after a long illness. As sales and marketing director of Pulsar Light of Cambridge, Derrick was a familiar figure from 1970 through until his retirement from the company in 2000. Even in retirement, he remained actively involved with family business Adda Super Cases, alongside his wife Monica.

Derrick's funeral will be on 30 August at St. Andrews Church, Oakington, Cambridgeshire, CB24 3AN. All who knew Derrick are welcome to attend. The family has asked for donations in lieu of flowers to be sent to St. Andrews Church fund.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - Having developed its revolutionary new JT30 and JT40 trusses at the start of 2013, James Thomas Engineering has announced the launch of its complete JT Truss range. The original JT30 and JT40 square configuration has been extended to include triangular and ladder truss options and an ultra-convenient 'out of the box' arched roof system.

JT Truss is a high-capacity, light-weight truss system aimed at the permanent installation market. Unique universal male/female forks allow versatility of connection and are held together by specially designed tapered pins which ensure fast, easy removal and form clean, strong joints.

Off the shelf lengths are available from 0.5m - 5m with a choice of solid corners or gates, 2- to 6-way corner options and a 3-way T-corner connection. Custom lengths are available to order, as are James Thomas Engineeering's (JTE) project consultation servic

Sweden - This year's Eurovision Song Contest production featured a design element requiring very special lighting; an element that demanded "the brightest LED fixture on the market: The Solaris LED Flare".

Flanking the sides of the main stage, extending overhead to meet above centre-stage, were two eight-ton, 46ft tall super-arches. The arches, located midway between up - and down-stage, required internal illumination to achieve proper depth perception. Exterior lighting just wouldn't do. Layers of plexi/acrylic sheets in each arch were toned and darkened for effect, which posed additional problems: the illumination had to be bright enough to blast through the layers with potency, even on camera.

Ola Melzig, Eurovision's technical director for the last 11 years, explains, "The arches were intended to have stand-alone value, independent of external lighting. We t

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ETC Halcyon Silent

High End Systems Halcyon Silent builds on ETC’s legacy of fanless automated fixtures by incorporating features from the highly sought-after Halcyon family. Halcyon Silent perfectly balances silent operation with brilliant output of 18,400 lumens and high-impact features. 

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Sri Lanka - PR Lighting fixtures were out in force at the recent Derana Veet Miss Sri Lanka 2013 pageant in Wadduwa.

Held at the five-star Blue Water Hotel luxury hotel overlooking the Indian Ocean, the ballroom stage was imaginatively lit by technology company, The Lighthouse (Pvt), who handle the lighting each year for this event.

The company's Dinusha Perera based his lighting plot entirely on LED and discharge fixtures from PR Lighting, which form the core of Lighthouse's rental stock, to complement the opulent stage set conceived by Madawa Madawala from Derana TV.

Chosen for their bright output, advanced featureset and good colour referencing, Perera selected 16 XS1200 Spot, with their fast and intense beams, and 13 XR200 Beam, a high output moving beam light - along with some LED washes and par cans. These were used stridently and dynamically, under the control of an A

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New Touring Series by Gravity – Every Scratch Has A Story

When the stage heats up, you need equipment that can keep up without compromise. The Gravity Touring Series has been specifically designed to meet the highest demands – for rental companies, professional musicians, concert organizers, and large event venues. Premium materials, exceptional durability, and impressive longevity make these products stand out. Whether on tour, in constant use, or under the toughest conditions: the Touring Series delivers maximum reliability and performance – every day, on every stage.
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Europe - Bruno Mars has been out on the road supporting his platinum Unorthodox Jukebox album - one of the fastest selling albums in 2012.

His production design team once again on this arena tour is Cory FitzGerald and LeRoy Bennett, who have worked with the artist since the 2011 Hooligans in Wondaland tour.

Stepping up to larger arenas this time around, production has upscaled accordingly, and Fitzgerald has again turned to GLP's impression LED moving heads. Having had wide experience over a number of years, this time he has built 27 of the impression X4's, supplied by VER of Glendale, into a retro-style set redolent of the '70s & '80s, including a 6ft mirror ball.

The designer has worked through several generations of GLP's premier LED fixtures down the years - starting with the original impression 90 and RZ 120 zoom. The profile of these was raised when they

UK - Calibre UK is celebrating 25 years of success in the electronics design, creation, manufacture and delivery of innovative processing, image scaling, scan conversion and LCD electronics products to market.

Tim Brooksbank, chairman at Calibre UK commented, "Achieving this milestone has been immense fun. We've sold a lot of great products and have built some valued relationships. Here's to the next 25 years."

Founded on 8 August 1988, Calibre UK established itself as a small business in the technology and software sector and quickly built a reputation for electronics excellence.

Calibre UK originally designed and manufactured custom test equipment for CRT monitor and television factories, primarily for automated picture analysis and calibration on production lines. This spun out initial product lines such as I2C-Bus development and associated test tools. In the e

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AZOR® SP2 IP - Compact IP65 Spot Profile Moving Head

Compact design and IP65 protection for indoor and outdoor applications: the new AZOR® SP2 IP is the ideal solution for open-air events and outdoor theatres that require a powerful, weatherproof lighting system. An optimal partner for lighting designers and event service providers looking for a versatile LED show light in a compact housing.

AZOR® SP2 IP – the next generation of robust, weatherproof, and compact lighting for maximum creative freedom, both indoors and outdoors.

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Italy - Located at the heart of Milan's fashion district, the new Spazio Gessi showroom has literally been dug in underground between two historical mansion houses on Via Manzoni. The concept of showroom and meeting centre is itself revolutionary, but revolution is nothing new to Gessi.

Home to the design and manufacture of what the company calls, 'bathroom solutions,' Gessi's interior designs might more readily be termed high art. The company has built a world class reputation for innovation, style, and the successful marriage of commercial enterprise and great design; skills they readily impart through their acclaimed Academy Gessi seminar programme.

"The project was to create a space destined to be much more than a traditional showroom," said architect Luca Bresciani. "So when it came to thinking about sound and how to relay information we knew we would need

Japan - Sound reinforcement specialists, SEPT+1, who became the first user of Martin Audio's revolutionary MLA system back in 2011, have now taken the system on another high profile tour.

Sound engineer Shigenori Funahashi chose it for famous female Japanese pop singer, Ayaka Hirahara's latest 10th Anniversary Concert Tour 2013, typically using six MLA enclosures per side and three MLX subs, all ground-stacked.

Explaining his decision to use MLA, Mr. Funahashi said, "I needed to improve many issues regarding the sound for this tour - and the most important challenge was contending with the singer's vocal reflections. Because of the increasing use of in-ear monitors many of today's singers do not listen to their voice acoustically and don't hear the entire auditorium sound, including reflections bouncing off the venue walls.

"However, Ayaka does not like using IEMs

USA - Nashville-based rental provider Morris Light & Sound has one of the world's largest inventories of Nexo's new STM Series modular line array. This month, the company completes its first major tour with the system, the No Shoes Nation tour by best-selling country artist Kenny Chesney.

Kenny Chesney's 46-date tour, which began in March at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, has seen a major change to its stadium line array. Morris Light & Sound (Nashville) has provided a new Nexo STM modular system for the 2013-2014 tour. The system layout is configured with 74x M46 for mains, 74x B112 bass cabinets, 48x S118 flown subs, 16x RS18 ground subs, 12x PS10s for front-fills, 14x GEO S1210s and 2x GEO S1230s, 22x NUAR amp racks, and two Yamaha DME 64 digital mix engines with LAKE Mesa EQ cards for system tuning and console switching.

Morris Light & Sound was an ear

USA - Calling a nightclub Light can be risky business. You're basically telling clubbers they should expect a mind-blowing illumination experience every time they step through its door. Setting the visual creativity bar this high could be perilous for some, but not for developer/partners Cirque du Soleil and The Light Group, or for John Lyons Systems (Hollywood, CA), which provided the lighting design for this new nightspot at Mandalay Bay Hotel.

Judging from the reception it's getting from Las Vegas nightlife reviewers, Light doesn't have to worry about living up to its name. Part Cirque show and part dance club with 38,000sq.ft. of space and a 35ft high ceiling, Light features acrobats spinning overhead and world-famous EDM DJs spinning up front. To add to the multi-layered sensory experience, video is everywhere; 6mm video panels line the club's massive walls, its ceiling and

Mexico - Ampere Manufacturas Electronicas S.A.De C.V. has supplied and installed a new outdoor sound system for The Mandala Beach Club in Cancún, Mexico, utilizing Community iBOX and WET loudspeakers.

The Mandala Beach Club is located on a narrow spit of land off the Cancún coast and is one of the region's top clubs. It enjoys the idyllic setting of a soft sandy beach lapped by the clear blue waters of the Caribbean. The beautiful setting does, however, have a major drawback for sound equipment as the system is fully exposed to the elements.

As a result the club has previously had numerous bad experiences, with well-known brands that could not survive the humidity, high temperatures and winds that carry sand and salt. Even with being covered at night, previous systems were unable to endure the conditions. What Mandala Beach Club needed was a system that could provide high qu

UK - Lighting designer Declan Randall has used ETC Source Four LED Lustr+ to light Dennis Kelly's Love & Money, starting at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff before going on tour.

"The Source Four LEDs were invaluable in creating the look of the lighting," says Randall. "I used them both as a backlight and as an front-of-house fill, and their ability to subtly mix colour and shift from a cooler tone to a warmer one was incredibly helpful. It meant that I was able to achieve a seamless blend between the projections and the lighting for each scene.

"They also offered me the ability to adjust the colour balance during the scenes to be able to underpin the emotional tone of the scene by making small colour adjustments, with the changes almost imperceptible."

ETC's range of LED fixtures, which includes Selador Classic and Desire, as well as Source

China - SWIT Electronics Co is a high-tech enterprise, specialising in developing and manufacturing products for the broadcast industry occupying an area of 16,660sq.m , in Nanjing National Level Economic and Technological Development Zone.

SWIT has gained a great reputation worldwide for their outstanding and innovative products over the years and with their passion for technology, they've showed great interest in supplying Green Hippo products.

"Green Hippo has firmly established their position within the areas of broadcast, live events, architecture and more, with a strong product line and a supportive technical team. We are very excited to represent Green Hippo in China, and to introduce Green Hippo's range of products here in China. We will help new users to discover the power, flexibility and the system's ease of use," says William Xiao, SWIT president.

SWIT

UK - Leading European flightcase manufacturer 5 Star Cases is to re-launche its popular 'Speed Challenge' on Booth K10 at the 2013 PLASA exhibition at ExCeL in October.

5 Star will also have British Touring Car Racing driver, reigning Air Asia Renault Clio Cup Champion and UK motorsport rising star Jack Goff on the stand for three of the four days of the exhibition (He's racing on the Sunday). Jack - sponsored by some of the industry's highest profile companies and brands - will be providing support for the Speed Challenge

The booth features a new stand - designed and built by the 5 Star Group - to showcase their top products and coincide with the exciting move of PLASA - the UK's premier entertainment technology showcase - to a new venue this year.

5 Star's Speed Challenge was initially inaugurated at PLASA back in 2006 to celebrate 5 Star's landmark 25th anniversary. By po

Mexico - GLP German Light Productshas appointed Rocketerias Distribuidores S.A de C.V. as its exclusive distributor for Mexico.

Rocketerias has offices and facilities across Mexico, including in the capital Mexico City and in the Yucatan peninsula, which hosts one of the country's largest tourist destinations.

Peter Hald, GLP's sales director for Latin America, said, "We are very happy to have Rocketerias become our distribution partner in Mexico. They have a very focused and dedicated team of people. As the GLP range has grown and become more successful, we have been looking for the right partner to work with and Rocketerias fits the bill perfectly."

Hald will work closely with Rocketerias director, Alejandro Barbosa Calderon, who said, "It is great to add GLP to the range of brands that we represent in Mexico, and we look forward to bringing them to the mark

Switzerland - DiGiCo's five year involvement in the Montreux Jazz Festival has brought many benefits to performers, engineers and audiences. It has also made such a positive impression on audio supplier Tonspur AG that the company has been appointed DiGiCo's exclusive Swiss distributor.

"We have been coordinating the audio for Montreux since 2007 and our first experience with DiGiCo was when they became the official console sponsor in 2009," says Tonspur owner Hansjürg Meier. "We immediately realised that there was an enormous difference in sound quality, compared to other digital mixing desks. We were also really impressed by the flexibility of the consoles and the use of the latest technology, like FPGA processing, which minimised the physical footprint."

DiGiCo made such an impact that Tonspur began selling the consoles to the Swiss and Liechtenstein ma

In The Open - A new performing arts consortium formed from six outer-London venues has been launched to tour large-scale outdoor productions within the venues' resident boroughs. The Albany theatre in Deptford, Artsdepot in Barnet and Millfield Arts Centre in Enfield have joined forces with Watermans in Hounslow, Harrow Arts Centre and Tara Arts in Wandsworth to create Circulate, the new consortium. Arts Council England has provided the group with a three-year grant of around £500,000 from its strategic touring programme, which aims to bring more shows to areas in the UK with limited access to the arts.

The group plans to take one major show annually to six high street locations close to each venue, which will be free for audiences to attend. For its first year, Circulate has commissioned London-based Emergency Exit Arts, which specialises in site-specific work, to create

UK - XL Events continued a long term working relationship with the Brainiac phenomenon, supplying sound, video and lighting production to the Brainiac Live show which made its West End debut at The Palace Theatre in London.

The UK creative producer is Dan Colman, and XL Events' director Rich Rowley has been associated with the show that 'laughs in the face of science' for the last six years, ever since it first went 'live' and on the road in 2008 following an award winning five year run on Sky TV. During this time it has acquired a serious cult following.

Rowley, also the sound designer in addition to his role as XL Events' PM says, "Each time we take Brainiac to a new venue or on another tour, it takes on an innovative format bringing fresh ideas and fun to the equation. I continue to really enjoy working on it."

One of the biggest challenges for staging th

UK - SGM UK has recruited experienced lighting professional, Matt Wiseman, as sales manager. He most recently spent two years in European sales at Rosco and prior to that served seven years at PRG where he was in charge of gobo sales for Vari-Lite - specialising in the film and TV sectors.

Wiseman said he was drawn to the new position by the pedigree of SGM CEO, Peter Johansen and SGM UK MD, Ian Kirby, and the partnership they have forged. "Ian was looking for someone to lead the sales operation, dealing with SGM customers face to face. SGM has made a huge impact in concert touring and I want to further develop this.

"At the same time the entire LED product range is innovative and the build quality is amazing. With a lot of the products IP-rated I also envisage further penetration in the architainment market as well as TV."

Commented Ian Kirby, "The growt

USA - Elation Professional is making it easy for lighting professionals to get 'on board' with the next step in LED technology. The company has introduced the Cuepix Series, a collection of blinders and strip lights powered by advanced Chip On Board or COB LED technology.

The Cuepix Series will debut with four models: Cuepix Panel- 25 x 30-watt COB LED Tri Color RGB matrix blinder; Cuepix Strip WW- linear strip with 5 x 30-watt warm white COB LEDs; Cuepix Blinder WW2- blinder with 2 x 100-watt warm white COB LEDs and Cuepix Strip Tri-- linear strip with 5 x 30-watt Tri Color RGB COB LEDs.

COB LEDs differ from surface mount (SMD) LEDs in that the multiple LED diodes are directly mounted on and electrically connected to its circuit board as one lighting module. Since there is no conventional device SMT (surface mount technology) packaging, interconnection lengths are shortened a

UK - For the eighth consecutive year, west London based Entec Lighting supplied lighting equipment and design services for one of the UK's most popular boutique music and arts festivals - Larmer Tree - set in the Larmer Tree Park Gardens near Salisbury on the Wiltshire / Dorset borders.

In addition to this, Entec created a bespoke light sculpture - Fish - as the centrepiece of a selection of curated art works on display in the forested areas of the site. Fish was in located in The Pond and featured a three dimensional work made from Chinese metal fish each individually outlined with LED strips and hung off curved trussing sections.

Illuminating these general art display areas so the works can be enjoyed after dark is a major part of the Festival's lighting brief.

In addition to getting arty this year, Entec provided lighting equipment and designers for three main performance

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