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04 March 2025

Creative Consent - Organisations including the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, Equity and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain are urging the government to ensure creative work cannot be mined by artificial intelligence unless its creator has given express consent.

The government is consulting on targeted protections for the arts following a backlash against its controversial new plans, under which AI would be able to train easily on content unless its creators forbade it. But unions have warned that “the clock is ticking” to put safeguards in place against the “industrial-scale theft” they claim is already unfolding.

Equity and the WGGB have now demanded an opt-in model for creative workers, under which they must give permission for their work to be used by AI, as well as fair remuneration for artists where their content is used,

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03 March 2025

Poland - Late last year, Atlas Arena in Łódź hosted an extraordinary live event, Jimek & Guests: Subclassics, Poland’s first-ever symphonic spectacle in a 360-degree format. The orchestra was sited in the round, which provided the audience with a unique perspective.

The audio system was built around the power of the DiGiCo Quantum series, with two Quantum 338s, with Pulse upgrade, at the front-of-house position and Quantum 852 and SD12-96 consoles at the monitor position.

Radzimir Dębski, professionally known as Jimek, is a composer and conductor, well known for blending classical sounds with modern music genres. His Subclassics concert was a blend of symphonic compositions and iconic hip-hop tracks featuring many guest artists.

“There’s no adventure if you know what to expect. Only uncertainty leads to fulfilm

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03 March 2025

Europe - City Theatrical has introduced its new European e-commerce website, now live at QolorFLEX.co.uk, which is designed as a single source for LED neon, strip light, drivers, and accessories for lighting professionals and LED installations in Europe.

This site offers an optimised online shopping experience for new and existing City Theatrical customers alike who are looking to buy LED neon, strip lights, drivers, and accessories, for LED lighting projects of all sizes in the European entertainment lighting market.

The QolorFLEX.co.uk website was specifically designed for European lighting professionals to be able to quickly view what's in stock now at City Theatrical’s London office among the LED lighting solutions offering, find what they need quickly with easy ways to sort and filte

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03 March 2025

Australia - Follow-Me has announced a new partnership with ULA Group in Australia and New Zealand.

The partnership marks a milestone for both companies, expanding access to Follow-Me’s performer tracking technology across the region.

Follow-Me Track-iT combines RF tags worn by performers and strategically placed anchors to provide real-time positioning data, and extends the functionality of the Follow-Me 3D SIX system. It has most recently been used on several high-profile shows, including Mamma Mia! The Party in Rotterdam and on Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour, which is running until July 2025.

With nearly 35 years of experience in the industry, ULA Group is responsible for providing lighting solutions across an extensive range of markets.

“We’re delighted that Follow-Me has landed in Australi

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03 March 2025

UK - Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, which debuted in 1602, and tells the story of shipwreck-surviving twins Sebastian and Viola, is a witty, insightful, and often profound mix of mistaken identity, gender disguise, love, confusion, jealousy, and ultimately joyful discovery.

This swirl of sensations has delighted audiences for centuries, but it can also pose a challenge for any modern designer hoping to capture the play's sweeping emotions in light.

Zoe Spurr not only welcomed this challenge; she met it in brilliant fashion when lighting the Royal Shakespeare Company's December production of Twelfth Night at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Her artful design reflected myriad moods, earning her widespread praise, including from a newspaper critic who singled out her work for "helping to shift the tone" of the play.<

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03 March 2025

Germany - Absen celebrated the grand opening of its newly renovated showroom in Mörfelden-Walldorf on Thursday, 27 February. The display area has been transformed to showcase a wider range of Absen’s LED solutions from its ProAV, AbsenLive, and DOOH product portfolios, offering an immersive experience.

Tania Zhao, vice-president and president of display business group at Absen, expressed his excitement, stating: “Our Germany base is a vital resource for our teams and we are delighted to unveil this newly renovated Absen showroom. This innovative space provides a unique opportunity to showcase our diverse product displays, from our wide range of market segments to our European customers and partners.

“The updated showroom will further support the regional sales team and continue to strengthen our efforts across Europe, with a more timely and ef

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03 March 2025

Spain - In the stunning setting of the Museu de les Ciències de Valencia, an exhibition centre that invites visitors to explore the evolution of life, science, and technology through interactive experiences and scientific animations, Nox Audiovisuales chose Prolights technology to illuminate the Generali event held at this exclusive venue.

By testing some of Prolights' most innovative products, Nox Audiovisuales confirmed their quality, durability, and reliability.

The moving head Astra Hybrid330, capable of creating spectacular aerial effects, was chosen to project the client's corporate logos and to provide scenic lighting for the event. Astra Wash19PixIP moving washes were strategically placed around the venue to bathe the location in the event's colours.

The Smart BatPlus and Smart BatWash fixtures were used to colour the hospitality are

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03 March 2025

USA - Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park featured an impressive artist line-up, with lighting and production design created by Robert W. Peterson of Real World Lighting.

Peterson added 86 x Robe iForte LTX moving lights to his lighting plot, together with 46 x iFortes, 38 x iSpiider LED wash beams, 20 x Robe Tarrantula large LED wash beams and 20 x LEDBeam 350s, all supplied by Solotech, project-managed for them by Austin Schussler and Steven Morgan with Joseph Logsdon providing excellent account oversight for the whole project.

The five-hour CBS special concert kicked off at 7pm. It was directed by Sandra Restrepo and broadcast live offering a series of back-to-back performances beamed across multiple time zones live from ‘Music City’. It was headlined and co-hosted by f

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03 March 2025

Australia - ARX has announced that its USB DI Series has now been completely upgraded to offer user selectable sample rates from 44.1 to 96KHz @ 24 bit for improved D/A conversion, signal to noise ratio and lower distortion.

18 years ago, at the 2007 Frankfurt Pro Light & Sound, ARX released the audio industry's first Transformer Isolated USB audio interface, the USB DI. In the following years the USB DI series has been expanded to its current range of six models of digital/analogue interface units, each with its own unique problem-solving feature set.

One of ARX's best sellers globally, USB DI Series units have been chosen for applications from the Olympic & Commonwealth Games and Australian Open, to the Montreux Jazz Festival.

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28 February 2025

Belgium - Chauvet has moved its European distribution hub to a new and greatly expanded facility. The new facility in Deinze is only about 9km from Chauvet's previous EU Hub in Kruisem, but in many ways, it is a long distance apart from its predecessor in terms of the capabilities it affords the Chauvet team to stock, sell, service and support their increasingly popular line of lighting products, including the award-winning Maverick, Ovation and MagicQ Stadium series.

Joining Chauvet facilities in the eastern and western United States, Mexico, the UK, France and Germany, the new 8,000 sq.m Belgian hub will support the complete line of Chauvet Professional, ChamSys, Chauvet DJ and Iluminarc products.

The building's six loading docks and 14,000 pallet spaces will expedite the processing of product shipments, resulting in even faster delivery times. Als

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28 February 2025

Germany - The world premiere of The World of Hans Zimmer - An Immersive Symphony: The Theatre Experience took the audience at the Metronom Theater in Oberhausen on an impressive musical journey through the works of the film composer.

Presented by Semmel Concerts and accompanied by lighting, sound and stage technology from Satis & Fy, this hit show delighted more than 22,000 fans at 15 sold-out concerts from 23 January to 2 March. Hans Zimmer himself spoke to the audience in the form of a larger-than-life, three-dimensional projected image.

Behind the scenes, monitor engineer Thorben Ströhlein and RF manager Werner Schmidl also welcomed a special technical guest: Sennheiser’s Spectera, which they used to provide some of the musicians with in-ear and line/mic signals as part of the Spectera Pioneer Program.

Contact with the Pion

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28 February 2025

Thailand - Now a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Thailand, the Bakery Music record label was founded in 1994 and pioneered the independent music industry in Thailand, inspiring the creation of many other indie labels in the country.

A recent Bakery Rock Concert Live in Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand featured performances from the label’s leading artists including Moderndog, Pru and Flure, with a Nexo sound system deployed by local distributor and concert sponsor Fuzion Far East.

The main FOH system featured left and right hangs of 12 x Nexo Geo S12 speakers supplemented by Nexo RS18 subwoofers, with Nexo Geo M12 used as front-fills to deliver audio clarity to those audience members closest to the stage.

For the artists, Nexo P15 and PS15 R2 wedge monitors provided precise and powerful sound with precision coverage, with

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28 February 2025

India - Lighting designer Jasangat Sonpal selected 62 Claypaky Sharpy X Frames for a dynamic concert starring Shaan, one of the most popular singers of Indian cinema, at Phoenix Market City in Bangalore, 20 December 2024.

Shaan is a playback singer, composer, actor and television host who records in multiple languages. He is considered among the greatest playback singers, or ghost singers, whose pre-recorded songs are dubbed into motion picture soundtracks replacing the actors’ voices.

For his own high-voltage concert, Shaan opened with some Bollywood classics to the delight of his fans. He took them on a journey through his colourful career, including ‘the four stages of love’ featuring soulful numbers and ballads. He also added a local touch, performing Kannada folk music that earned cheers from the crowd.

Having worked with Shaan for

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28 February 2025

Thailand - Powersoft’s Mezzo amplifier platform is powering the audio experience at Starbucks’ ‘largest Greener Store’, its new flagship location in One Bangkok, Thailand’s mixed-use development project.

Founded in 1971 in Seattle, United States, Starbucks has over 30,000 stores in over 80 countries. At the end of last year, the company opened a Starbucks Reserve, featuring energy-efficient lighting, water-saving fixtures and a goal on waste reduction, in Bangkok. To serve the brew-hungry crowd with a cup of coffee with a side order of quality audio, the flagship outlet needed a sound system that would cover an area of 860sq.m, divided into two floors.

“The brief was clear,” says Ms. Chuthintorn Bhanyotin, managing director from System Plus, the system integrator. “We needed to provide exceptional sound quality with a natural feel tha

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28 February 2025

India - A new light and sound show at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Khajuraho Temples in Madhya Pradesh is captivating audiences with a mesmerising blend of projection mapping, holograms, dynamic lighting, and 5.1 audio.

Created by Tricolor India Schauspiel, this visual spectacle is powered by seven Christie D23WU-HS 1DLP laser projectors, delivering brightness and image quality to bring the rich history of these thousand-year-old monuments to life. This new 35-minute show, commissioned by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation and voiced by actor Amitabh Bachchan, takes visitors on an immersive journey through time, narrating the temple’s storied past like never before.

“The primary objective was to create an engaging evening attraction for visitors,” said Himanshu Sabharwal, chief creative officer, Tricolor India Schauspiel.

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28 February 2025

Indonesia - Topgolf offers a high-energy, entertainment-focused experience that appeals to both avid golfers and casual players. With its blend of microchipped golf balls, interactive targets, and lively atmosphere featuring food, drinks, and music, Topgolf is attracting a diverse audience and redefining how people engage with the sport.

The second Topgolf location in Southeast Asia, Topgolf Jakarta is helping to grow the game among younger and non-traditional players, while amplifiers from LEA Professional are elevating the entertainment experience for everyone.

Topgolf Jakarta’s nine-acre complex includes 102 hitting bays spread across three levels, three restaurants, four bars, several entertainment zones, and dedicated spaces for corporate and VIP events. Jakarta-based AV systems integrator PT Albeta Sukses Mandiri was contracted to install the

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28 February 2025

USA - Rogue Productions showcased the capabilities of its Rogue Servers, powered by Pixera (a media server software made by AV Stumpfl), during the co-headlining Sweat Tour featuring artists Charli XCX and Troye Sivan.

COUR Design, a Nashville-based creative content house spearheaded the tour's design. The production called for seamless integration of live camera feeds with dynamic visuals, precise synchronisation with music and lighting, and the ability to make real-time adjustments. These demands required a media server solution capable of balancing technical sophistication with user-friendly workflows.

Joe Vaughn from Rogue Productions explained: "COUR Design approached us with a clear vision for the tour. They wanted to push beyond the limits of traditional playback systems. While other platforms are fine for pre-rendered content, most l

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28 February 2025

USA - CMA Award winner Cody Johnson kicked of 2025 with the Leather Deluxe Tour, celebrating the release of his new album of the same name. The tour launched only a few short weeks after he wrapped his 2024 touring schedule in mid-December playing 30 sold-out concerts. Known for his traditional country sound, Johnson’s authentic storytelling and electrifying shows has solidified him as one of the hottest acts around.

Bandit Lites provides the lighting package for lighting designer Richard ‘Wookie’ Whitley. Comprised of Ayrton Khamsins, Ayrton Argo FX, Chauvet Pro Strike Array 4, Strike Array 2 and GLP JDC-1, Wookie designed a system that would wrap around the band while tapering down from downstage to upstage.

“I’m very happy with the outcome,” he said. “It gives some great looks without any crazy positioning or grouping as wel

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28 February 2025

USA - Pharos Architectural Controls will once again be joining the lighting industry at this year’s LEDucation, where they will be showcasing a host of new product updates.

LEDucation is the largest LED-only tradeshow in the United States, offering the opportunity for industry professionals to discover solid-state innovations and access professional development sessions.

Pharos will be on stand GB-706, unveiling updates to its most popular products and services. This includes the next significant release of Expert software, that will add support for the Pharos RIO G4 – a four-port network gateway for DMX distribution.

Expert software version 1.2 launches with support for two new capacity variants of Expert Control: Expert Control 4 and Expert Control 6. The four-universe Expert Control 4 has a capacity of 2,048 DMX channels and the Expert

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28 February 2025

UK - Adamson Systems Engineering has announced a new appointment to its team, aimed at expanding the company’s presence in the UK.

Vince Borrelli will take up the role of business development manager for the UK and Ireland, bringing with him many years of experience, gained within the professional loudspeaker manufacturing market.

According to Adamson’s EMEA sales director, Jasper Ravesteijn, Borrelli is the perfect fit. “With such an experienced addition to the team we have found the right business development manager for the UK. He impressed me when I worked with him in the past with his professionalism, attitude and great sense of humour. I always wanted to work with him again.

“This is the first hire for Adamson in the development of a much broader UK strategy, and it’s just the beginning,” continues Ravesteijn. “This appoin