Details

27 February 2025

UK - Production Futures has announced that its next On Tour event will take place at the AO Arena, Manchester on Monday 28 April. The venue is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, and will host a Production Futures event for the second time, following the success of last year’s arena debut.

Set to attract a wide range of young people from across North-West England and beyond, this free-of-charge event will promote employability, transferable skills, diversity, free training, networking, and will present paid work opportunities to newcomers across the live event and broadcast production industry.

Manufacturers, supply and production companies, venues and distributors will have representatives present at the event to provide advice, information and insights, and discuss specific job and training opportunities. Production Futures also wo

Details

27 February 2025

Switzerland - For 22 years from 1994 to 2016 the Kuppel (Dome) in Basel was a legendary concert venue and club which successfully hosted national and international acts. It was a wooden structure that had originally been built for a gardening show and was temporarily relocated onto public land in the city. Never intended as a permanent fixture, the city’s government eventually had the Kuppel demolished, but so popular was the venue that a trust committee had been established, and eight years after its removal, the new Kuppel was inaugurated.

Architects Vécsey*Schmidt designed the new venue and worked closely with the Basel office of global AV consultant, Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG), who was appointed as the project’s acoustic engineering specialist. A high priority was placed on the total acoustic insulation of the venue owing to its location in

Details

27 February 2025

Ireland - CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, systems integration and content digitisation specialist, has built a new green screen studio for TG4, the major Irish-language broadcaster based in Galway. The new facility, which has taken over an existing studio, will be used initially for weather and continuity, but the broadcaster is eyeing future possibilities around sport’s continuity and virtual production for children’s TV.

TG4 had been using a very small space for its weather forecasts, which was inflexible, impractical and quite uncomfortable for its presenters. Reorganisation of its facilities meant another studio became available and TG4 looked to the industry to convert it for chromakey.

In an open tender process, CJP suggested the maximum flexibility could be achieved with an L-shaped screen, 5m long on each side and to a height of 3m. The

Details

27 February 2025

UK - Brick and Mortar, a high-tech boutique grading studio in Glasgow, was set up with the intention of providing filmmakers with a facility to rival the best in London’s Soho – traditionally the home of UK post-production expertise – both in terms of technology and talent.

To establish Scotland’s first DCI-compliant grading studio, Brick and Mortar picked a Christie CP4420-Xe Xenon projector with 2.0KW LB Xenon and Premium High Contrast Zoom lens.

Bringing the post-production prowess of Soho to Scotland was the brain-child of colourist, Tom Cairns and creative director, Jack Lang, who recognised that many filmmakers are not located near London and wanted to provide a high-tech alternative.

They teamed up with Savalas Post who not only had an established audio team and a high-end Dolby Premier mix theatre, but a location in Film City

Details

27 February 2025

UAE - Optocore has awarded Thomsun Trading, its long-term partner in the Middle East, with its Best Distributor Award, in respect of outstanding performance over the past 12 months. The presentation was made during ISE 2025.

Although Thomsun has been Optocore’s distributor right across the GCC region for over 15 years, “the relationship between Optocore and Thomsun continues to grow,” according to Optocore sales manager, RadhaMohan Rajani.

“As the Middle East region sees continued growth, so Thomsun, who have offices around the region, are perfectly placed to continue representing us well, providing quality support locally. Their experience with our solutions makes them a perfect partner.

“Jose Dos Santos (senior marketing manager), our contact there, is a fantastic mediator between us and local clients who require our solutions or

Details

27 February 2025

Canada - K-array has become a go-to brand for AV integrators working in the restaurant scene across Canada’s Québec region.

"Restaurants in Montreal and the Québec region overall place significant emphasis on creating the right atmosphere, and high-quality audio is a key component of that," explains Daniel Huard of DDH Audio. "Music plays a central role in shaping the customer experience, making the integration of good-quality sound systems essential."

The restaurant industry in the Québec region has seen a move towards the popularity of all-in-one nightlife in recent years, with many new restaurants including sit-down dining, bar areas and live entertainment within one space. The concept is that customers can spend an entire evening in one place, avoiding the need to travel between bars, restaurants and clubs.

These establishments range

Details

27 February 2025

Germany - Located in the heart of Berlin, MAAP's experiential retail space merges cutting-edge design with cycling culture. As a premium performance cycling apparel brand, MAAP is known for ‘seamlessly merging aesthetics with performance while crafting physical spaces that embody its brand ethos’. When the Berlin MAAP LaB opened, sound was recognised as a pivotal element in shaping the customer experience, and Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers have been integral to the project's success.

The Berlin MAAP LaB focuses on fostering a sense of community. “Our LaB is a cultural touchpoint for the cycling community, a space that connects with Berlin’s dynamic spirit,” says Matt Ward, manager of MAAP LaB in Amsterdam, but who played an active role in the Berlin project. Ward has a long history as a music professional and led the effort to transform sound into

Details

27 February 2025

UK - The latest creation from the team behind MEATliquor, BLOODsports combines the most enjoyable elements of sports bar and ‘dive’ bar into a nightlife spot in the heart of London’s Covent Garden. With a menu featuring classic MEATliquor dishes, the bar broadcasts live sports all day and night, followed by late-night horror movies, with elements of classic horror films woven into the bar décor.

Having worked with founder Scott Collins on AV system design, implementation and maintenance for the MEATliquor chain, London-based systems integration specialist, Tateside, was on board with the project from the outset.

“We’ve worked with MEATliquor for around five years, so we were enthusiastic to be a part of this new concept,” says Jack Cornish, technical director at Tateside. “You don’t find many sports bars around these days, and with i

Details

26 February 2025

Germany - At the 30th edition of Prolight + Sound (8-11 April 2025), the trade fair will present a significantly expanded ProAudio area. With innovative formats, optimised education and networking opportunities, and a focus on future-oriented technologies, the area will become a central hotspot for professionals and young talents, say the organisers.

Music and audio technology have always been essential elements of the event industry and are deeply rooted in the DNA of Prolight + Sound. In 2025, the trade fair will expand its offering for audio engineers, DJs and producers.

A number of well-known companies from the Pro Audio sector have already confirmed their participation in 2025, including Amate Audio, Babbel & Haeger with various sales brands, DAS Audio, Harmonic Design, HK Audio (Music & Sales professional GmbH), Kling & Freitag, KV2

Details

26 February 2025

Europe - HOF has a new partner in Iceland – Exton will be the official distributor for HOF products. “With this partnership, we have a strong player at our side to push HOF in Iceland,” says Edwin Duivelaar, export and sales manager at HOF.

Exton's sales team will ensure that HOF optimally complements and supports the existing brands in the Exton portfolio. Exton's rental department in particular has a wealth of experience and offers customised solutions for the event industry – with high-quality equipment and technology for events of all kinds.

In addition, Exton will enable HOF to be even better positioned in the area of installations, from event venues and exhibition centres to private and commercial buildings.

Sigurjón Sigurðsson, CEO at Exton, comments: “We appreciate HOF's innovative trussing systems, which offer a perfect s

Details

26 February 2025

UK - Established in 1971, Harlow Playhouse has since been a cornerstone of the cultural landscape in Harlow, Essex. The venue hosts an array of performances across two theatres: a 400-seat main auditorium and a 120-seat studio theatre. Showcasing a variety of events, from music and comedy to musicals and drama, Harlow Playhouse plays a pivotal role in the local arts scene.

Following the success of two capital funding bids, the venue was first able to enhance its audio system, a project successfully managed by sister company d&b solutions. To further its commitment to sustainability and operational efficiency, Harlow Playhouse secured a second capital bid to upgrade its lighting system. The venue approached White Light, a d&b solutions company, to oversee this major investment.

Operations manager Emily Parsley spearheaded the lighting overhaul

Details

26 February 2025

Malaysia - The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) has made significant strides in advancing the nation’s film industry with its ICVFX Virtual Production Studio, a facility equipped with Brompton Technology’s Tessera LED video processors. Located in Ampang Jaya, the studio, which was upgraded last year, is now fully operational and serves as a modern facility designed to meet the growing demands of filmmakers and content creators in Malaysia.

Established in 1998, FINAS Studios has long been a cornerstone of Malaysia’s film industry. The complex features three studios for the use of film industry professionals: a flagship 790m² space and two smaller 97m² studios. In response to industry evolution, FINAS transitioned from its traditional green screen setup to a fully integrated Virtual Production (VP) system, enabling compatibility w

Details

26 February 2025

India - In November 2024, Stagemix Technologies, the exclusive Indian distributor of Adam Hall Group brands LD Systems and Gravity, organised three roadshow events in the cities of Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. The Stagemix team presented the extensive portfolio of the two brands on site. The focus was placed on the LD Systems Maila line array system with its flexible application options in the live, event, and fixed installation sectors.

The three well-attended roadshow stops were aimed at distributors, rental companies, system integrators, and installation service providers. The portfolio on display was correspondingly diverse: Maila for venues and medium-sized events, the LD Systems Tica series for permanent installations in various application areas, LD Systems Anny for musicians and mobile sound reinforcement applications, as well as the comprehensi

Details

26 February 2025

USA - ADJ Jolt Bar FX linear LED lighting fixtures and VS3 LED video panels created a vibrant and versatile backdrop for the first North American leg of Lawrence’s Family Business tour. The heavily themed shows utilised video content extensively, while the on-stage lighting was essential to the production design as well as for complementing the band’s high-energy musical performances.

Fronted by siblings Clyde and Gracie Lawrence, who have been writing and performing together from an early age, Lawrence is an eight-piece soul-pop band comprised of musician friends from childhood and college. The band has gained a devoted following for its high-energy, keyboard-driven sound, which features tight, energetic horns and explosive lead vocals.

In support of the band’s fourth studio album, also called Family Business, the successful

Details

26 February 2025

USA - Crane Club, a vibrant dining experience located in the heart of NYC’s Meatpacking District and created by the Tao Group, has officially opened its doors. To complement the restaurant's elegant design, the venue sought an audio system capable of delivering exceptional sound quality across multiple floors, that varied in needs.

Tao Group enlisted Anthem Productions to complete this seamless audio integration for this 24,000sq.ft space and requested 1 Sound loudspeakers.

In the grand yet intimate double-height main dining room, Anthem integrated 1 Sound’s Cannon C6 and C8 loudspeakers. The extended low end of the Cannons is especially valuable for a seat that might be further from a subwoofer, that seat still clearly hears the full vocal range down to 60 or 55Hz.

The distributed Cannon C6s and C8s were mounted using the Swivel Mount ac

Details

26 February 2025

Belgium - For more than half a century global family business, Beaulieu International Group (BIG), has produced flooring material solutions. With a strong focus on providing sustainable choices, its aim is to ‘enhance the quality of living and working for every generation’.

Last year, the company decided to create an interactive experience centre at its Belgium headquarters. To achieve its aim, it called on the expertise of Ocular, a technology company specialising in immersive and interactive installations, to create a space that incorporates its diverse brands and brings them together as a cohesive whole. The centrepiece is a Leyard MGP Complete LED screen, used to introduce its solutions to visitors, and used as a presentation screen, or for events.

The team at BIG chose to build an interactive showroom because they wanted the people they inte

Details

26 February 2025

USA - EAW has announced the hire of Mark Posgay as vice-president of global sales. In this newly created role, Posgay will assume the management of EAW’s global sales channel. He will be responsible for leading and scaling global sales teams, building strategic partnerships and ensuring the organisation’s sales operations are aligned for growth.

“Under Mark’s leadership, we look forward to growing and strengthening our sales partner network and maintaining healthy and predictable sales performance, the fuel for our business,” says T.J. Smith, president of Eastern Acoustic Works. “I am pleased to welcome him to the executive leadership team at EAW.”

Posgay has been a part of the professional audio industry for over 20 years where he has held multiple global sales roles. Most recently, he worked at Sennheiser as the global sales VP for pr

Details

25 February 2025

USA - Sennheiser has announced that the company has joined the North American Spectrum Alliance, a project of the non-profit North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) committed to identifying and taking action on technical and operational issues affecting radio and television broadcasters in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The alliance unites broadcasters, rightsholders, venues, and the entertainment industry to protect the critical radio spectrum used for broadcasting, wireless microphones, cameras, and other production tools – a goal that Sennheiser has been actively pursuing, too, both as a company and as a member of various associations.

The North American Spectrum Alliance presents a strong, unified voice for spectrum retention in a broadcast and production environment that is marked by recent spectrum reallocations and plans for po

Details

25 February 2025

UK - Unusual Rigging has played a pivotal role in bringing Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Oliver! to the Gielgud Theatre in London’s West End.

Tom Lee, senior production manager, commented: “We needed to work with a team that could transform the space and overcome some rigging challenges. Moving the production from Chichester to the Gielgud required careful planning and adaptation. The Unusual team, led by design engineer Emily Egleton, had to contend with a constantly evolving brief which involved recreating some elements of the show in a completely different space.”

With Egleton at the helm, the team needed to devise a way of supporting the production’s large and heavy set pieces, including an LED screen that could not be suspended from wires due to a projection surface above, and also needed to be easily movable. “The

Details

25 February 2025

UK - A performer and songwriter of consistently fresh ideas, Craig David’s polished melodies and thoughtful lyrics gently insinuate themselves into your mind and then take up permanent residence. After 25 years he’s still doing it as he takes his anniversary tour around UK arenas, performing hits such as 7 Days and Rendezvous for his loyal fans.

Oli Metcalfe, the show’s designer and a man with a reputation for challenging himself, took the opportunity to reflect David’s innovative song cycle with some new tech and a fresh idea of his own. “For arenas it's a bijou design with some real-time video elements,” he says. “It’s cool stuff. I’m using Unreal Engine (Epic Games), console driven via NDisplay for workflow, effectively working 3D scenes with a virtual camera embedded.”

Figuratively placing your artist within