UK - Confetti, a learning institute offering specialist vocational education and training, has announced the launch of the Steve Lillywhite Scholarship. This award is named after the six-time Grammy-winning record producer Steve Lillywhite and aims to ‘provide exceptional opportunities for driven and motivated UK students pursuing a career in music production’.
Steve Lillywhite is celebrated globally for his contributions to modern music, having worked with iconic artists such as Talking Heads, The Rolling Stones, U2, and The Killers.
Now, in partnership with Confetti, he seeks to mentor and guide the next generation of musical talent. Lillywhite said: "I’m deeply committed to nurturing the future of music production, and I’m excited about the prospect of working closely with a deserving student at Confetti, helping them take significant strides in their career

USA - AtlasIED is celebrating 90 years in business. Atlas Sound and Innovative Electronic Designs (IED), which merged as one organisation as AtlasIED in 2015, have been providing audio and communication solutions to the world since 1934.
“We couldn’t be more proud of our AtlasIED family for reaching 90 years as a global leader in our audio and communications technology,” said John Ivey, president and CEO at AtlasIED. “Arriving at this milestone reinforces our commitment to never-ending growth and service to our customers.”
Initially gaining recognition for its PA loudspeakers and microphone stands, Atlas Sound catapulted itself into a manufacturer of technologies that has played a lead role in the commercial AV industry. In 2015, Atlas Sound and IED combined their sales, marketing, and support teams to better serve their customers and market segments. For the

Germany - Last week’s Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt attracted round 25,000 visitors from five continents and more than 100 countries, according to its organisers who reported that over 500 exhibitors and brands showcased their innovations and solutions at the show.
"I am very pleased that we were able to emphasise what makes Prolight + Sound so special with this year's edition,” says Wolfgang Marzin, president & CEO of Messe Frankfurt. “It not only combines technical innovations, knowledge transfer and entertainment, but also brings together a large number of top decision-makers with young industry newcomers under one roof - and thus forms a bridge between the status quo and the future of the event industry.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our association partners VPLT and EVVC once again for their commitment and support,"
Panel

Europe Creators of outdoor arts events Walk the Plank has partnered with Bluman Associates to offer tailored experiences for brands and events using new tech Geolights, GPS-enabled, lightweight, sustainable and handheld lights.
Geolights can be used to create mass participation public events and connect audiences to brands. They were innovated and developed for large-scale outdoor events Green Space Dark Skies by Walk the Plank working with experts at Siemens, Core Lighting and Bluman Associates.
The aims of this new partnership combine the forces of British creativity and tech innovation to offer ‘never-before-seen spectacles that combine performance, choreography and participation’.
Handheld Geolights include GPS-enabled technology, allowing real-time location tracking and real-time content delivery. The Geolights content can be pre-programmed to a specifi

France - At Les Rencontres Trans Musicales (aka Transmusicales or Les Trans) The music starts at 9pm and continues virtually nonstop until morning. This process is repeated over the course of four days inside 100,000sq.m of cavernous airport hangers at Rennes Airport Parc Expo.
The festival was founded 44-years ago by Béatrice Macé and Jean-Louis Brossard, who still run the event today.
Whether it’s Iranian American trip-hop innovator Rahill, or French Israeli jazz drummer Roni Kaspi, the festival embraces a potpourri of artists for the express purpose of finding “the next big thing”. Les Trans has done quite a good job in this quest. Nirvana got what many regard as their first big European exposure at the festival, so too did Björk, Cabaret Voltaire and Daft Punk.
Future stars, as well as established artists, performing in the festival’s spacious Gre

Germany - LEaT con, the trade fair and conference for the event and entertainment industry, reports that 80% of the available exhibition space has already been sold to exhibitors.
Taking place from 22 to 24 October 2024 at Hamburg Messe, LEaT con has established itself since 2022 as a community hub for professionals from the event and entertainment industry.
With a list of over 150 exhibitors and more than 180 brands presenting the latest technologies, services, and solutions, the event offers a platform for exchanging ideas, promoting innovation, and building new contacts in the entertainment industry.
"We are overwhelmed by the positive response and the trust the industry places in LEaT con," says Duc Nguyen, director of LEaT, organiser of LEaT con. "Reaching 80% of the exhibition space sold at this early stage is a clear sign that our vision of creating a net

Canada - BlackTrax brought their expertise to the live sports industry and added a new level of immersive artistry to the recent NBA All-Star events. Whether you were spectating from home or within the arena, the NBA raised the bar by transforming how fans engage in sports broadcasting through the integration of immersive technologies, including BlackTrax, into the games as they happened in real-time.
In collaboration with ASB GlassFloor, the NBA left fans in awe as the traditional glossy hardwood floor was upgraded to a 27m-pixel screen displaying real-time visuals and animations. Certified for the highest level of professional sports competitions by federations such as the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and International Volleyball Federation, ASB GlassFloor is more than just a flooring system; it's a versatile, multi-functional solution.
The surface of

USA - With its expansion to the famed Strip, Fontainebleau Las Vegas has launched LIV Las Vegas, the city’s latest nightlife destination, which lighting designer Stephen Lieberman has illuminated with an array of Ayrton fixtures controlled by a grandMA3light console.
The LIV brand from Groot Hospitality was born at the Fontainebleau Miami in 2008. Now, its 50,000sq.ft counterpart in Las Vegas delivers high-energy entertainment to that city’s clubgoers making its 2,000 guests feel in the middle of the EDM action.
Lieberman, who is president of LA-area SJ Lighting, which specialises in production systems for nightlife and hospitality, already had designed the lighting for LIV Miami when his firm was hired to design and develop the theatrical system for LIV Las Vegas. His team worked in collaboration with BWA Architects, Rockwell Group interior designers and Sound In

USA - This year’s Academy Awards featured a number of notable musical performances. With the help of Shure wireless audio technology, the industry’s most experienced professionals brought the evening at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre to life, making certain that all 10.5m viewers watching the event around the world ‘could enjoy every blockbuster moment with crystal-clear audio quality’.
Overall, the Academy Awards’ production team deployed 50 channels of Shure Axient Digital wireless, monitoring the spectrum with Shure Wireless Workbench. The team, comprised of professionals from ATK and Soundtronics, also deployed 16 channels of Q5X PlayerMics that were combined with Axient Digital wireless receivers to deliver superior digital transmission and spectrum efficiency.
Originally developed for the NBA, Q5X PlayerMics are super concealable, bendable, and are design

Germany - The Adam Hall Group is further expanding its international sales network. Melbourne-based Link Audio is now the new distribution partner for the LD Systems pro audio brand in Australia.
With this expanded partnership - Link Audio has also been responsible for the exclusive distribution of the Gravity brand since 2021 - the event technology manufacturer, headquartered in Neu-Anspach, Germany, is aiming to establish the diverse sound and sound reinforcement solutions of its pro audio brand on the continent and distribute them even more extensively.
"We are delighted to have found an exclusive distribution partner for LD Systems in Australia in Link Audio," says Markus Jahnel, COO of the Adam Hall Group. "The retail, rental and installation market is a particular challenge simply because of Australia's geographical size, and it plays an important role in our in

UK Prolight has announced a distribution partnership with Hollyland Technology in the UK.
Hollyland is one of the fastest-growing wireless technology companies in the global content production market. Since 2013, the brand has grown to be recognised as a leading provider of premium wireless products. The product portfolio includes video transmission systems, cameras, monitors, wireless microphones, and wireless intercom systems that feature a compact design, high quality, reliable performance, and affordability.
“This collaboration further bolsters our product offering and expands our portfolio of brands and will be featured at this year’s Plasa Focus in Leeds - Pop by our stand N-C26 to find out more,” says Prolight.
Stock of Hollyland and Hollyvox Wireless Communications Systems will be arriving in the coming weeks.

Germany - Events technology company Show’Em is focused on one market sector - corporate events at which every detail of the production must reflect the brand values and design ethos of the clients and their products.
And often that client is one of Germany’s leading car manufacturers, for whom Show’Em delivers end-to-end event organisation and in whose home city of Ingolstadt the company is also located.
“We have been working together with AudiAG since 2001, which has developed into a strong partnership that continues to this day” reports Show’Em CEO Christian Eck.
“The collaboration allows us to stage a large number of notable industry events for the company. We have risen to meet the needs of our customer over the years and have since made the company’s high standards our own.”
These standards extend to the careful evaluation of every pi

Germany - This week, the biggest and brightest names in international sports and media technology will gather for SportsInnovation at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Duesseldorf. At this, invitation-only event, ARRI is set to present its impressive technology portfolio of camera and stabiliser equipment that ‘elevates live entertainment and sports broadcast environments to new heights’.
ARRI is new to the roster of selected exhibitors at SportsInnovation this year and presents a bespoke lineup of tools and workflows that are helping to shape the future of spectator sports. During the event’s Innovation Games, ARRI showcases its Multicam and camera stabiliser systems through live game demonstrations in partnership with the Deutsche Fussball Liga (DFL) and the National Football League (NFL). These real-life applications, featuring live soccer and American football matches, end

Germany - Hololot has confirmed its inclusion in the Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024, sitting alongside OpenAI, Youtube, Beyonce’s Parkwood Entertainment and others. This year’s list shines a spotlight on businesses that are ‘shaping industry and culture through their innovations, setting new standards and achieving remarkable milestones in all sectors of the economy’.
“Our mission is to create unparalleled experiences of sound to enrich people’s memories and ultimately lives. Being named as an innovator by Fast Company, and joining such a prestigious list of companies, is a true testament to the impact of our work and the wider recognition of what that means for society,” says Holoplot CEO, Roman Sick.
“Having a tech company like ours included in the ‘Music’ category is also a statement as to how technolog

USA - When the Sphere opened last fall to resounding acclaim at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, another eye-opening yet distinctly intimate entertainment venue made its debut at the same resort, Voltaire. Presented as an entirely new kind of entertainment space, Voltaire features architectural and theatrical lighting by renowned design studio Lightswitch, with Elation luminaires playing an essential role in crafting its atmosphere.
“I think it’s interesting to compare and contrast those two modalities, two totally different experiences and two ways of thinking about entertainment,” Lightswitch principal John Featherstone says of Sphere and Voltaire. “Both venues offer experiences pushed to the extremes, one a massive edifice of technology that immerses you in a grand experience, and the other a beautiful, small, intimate space that offers a remarkably personal experi

UK - Celebrating two decades since their formation and gearing up for the release of their first album in five years, January saw British rock band Bring Me the Horizon (BMTH) embark on a sold-out arena tour across the UK and Ireland.
The nx_gn wrld tour featured a display including a 500-panel LED setup, courtesy of Video Design and powered by Brompton Technology LED processing. Video Design’s Alex Leinster comments: “Not only is this tour promoting the band’s new album, it’s also an anniversary year for them, so we were asked to create their most awe-inspiring display yet, something to suit the scale of an arena and festival stage.”
Video Design was responsible for supplying and managing the screens, processing, and camera package. “On a fast paced, highly technical, large-scale production like this, it was crucial for us to use the top brands to

USA - Meyer Sound has announced the acquisition of Audio Rhapsody, a startup founded by sound designer Jonathan Deans. With the acquisition, Meyer Sound strengthens its position in the theatre sound sector, utilising Deans’ expertise to develop software solutions to expand the company’s portfolio of integrated digital systems.
This partnership is the latest milestone in Meyer Sound’s legacy of innovation in theatre sound. From collaborating with sound designer Abe Jacob in 1980 to bringing the UPA loudspeaker to Broadway, to developing the new NADIA network-based digital audio platform, the company has continually pushed the envelope.
Deans is known for his pioneering work in immersive sound and his commitment to advancing the artistry of the craft. With multiple Tony and Drama Desk award nominations to his name, he has contributed to hundreds of productions span

Germany - The era of Germany’s Weimar Republic was marked by compelling imagery that can never be forgotten by those who lived through it or studied it. The haunting aura of those years is palpable in Babylon Berlin, the series on Sky Deutschland that is set in the German capital in the waning days of the republic.
The gripping power that has made the TV series so unforgettable runs through the three Babylon Berlin Live in Concert performances that took place at the Theater des Westens. Part of the TingelTangel concert series, this stirring performance by the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, transports audiences back to the Weimer era musically and visually.
Amplifying the impact of the concert for live audiences, as well as for those who watched recordings later on television, was a nuanced lighting design by Jerry Appelt of Appelt Lichtdesign that featured 12 Chauvet Profe

UK - TSL Lighting has made further significant investment in EXE Technology load monitoring and stage automation equipment, with the addition of a further x134 hoists to complement their rental stock.
Their latest investments include the new EXE Rise D8 + 350kg, a small body hoist for compact applications, D8+ 500kg and D8+ 1000kg hoists to add to their inventory, and the EXE Rise D8+ 2000kg Single Fall chain hoists, designed for use in heavy duty applications and in rugged touring environments.
TSL who are full members of - LEEA (The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association) are the first UK rental house to take delivery of the new Extra-Large Frame 2000kg hoists which boast a single chain (single fall) configuration. This partnership marks a significant milestone in advancing the quality and safety standards within the entertainment technology sector and TSL’s gro

Denmark - Unity Living, a branch of new-build furnished apartments in the Nordics, is challenging the way we live and work by offering a modern and convenient approach with everything you need under one roof.
The most recent hybrid accommodation to be added to the company’s portfolio is Unity Aarhus. The 28-storey complex features advanced co-working spaces, fully equipped gyms, lounge areas, cafes and a rooftop terrace - alongside its selection of hotel rooms and apartments. The entire complex has an impressive AV solution, which features 58 Genelec 4020 Installation loudspeakers.
The team behind the project is TuneButler, a Copenhagen-based control manufacturer who knows all too well about the influence of good sound. “We have been working with Unity since they opened their first location in Stockholm,” says Kasper Hollænder, CEO of TuneButler. “They wante

UAE - Creative Technology recently upgraded the workflow within its Middle East team with the help of Stage Precision’s SP software. The Middle East teams, based in Saudi Arabia, Doha and Dubai, have been integrating the tools provided by SP software to help power large-scale events in the region.
“We first heard about Stage Precision about a year ago through social media,” recalls Carlos Aguilar, deputy head of video at Creative Technology ME. “It was the AR tracking capabilities of the SP software that first interested us, so we reached out for more information and began onboarding the tools into our projects. In fact, we first used SP for AR tracking during the Dubai World Cup last year.”
More recently, the Creative Technology team utilised Stage Precision software at Liwa Festival in Abu Dhabi, a week-long celebration of UAE heritage held in the shadow

Spain - Event production specialist AMG has provided a full suite of technical services including sound, video, lighting and staging at a corporate event in Barcelona. Italian commercial vehicles manufacturer Iveco invited 1,300 dealers, customers, partners and press to the unveiling of a new brand identity and a restyling of their entire product range at an occasion curated by event design specialists Filmmaster under the title Be The Change.
With just two days to set up in the 10,500 m2 space, the production involved some 200 engines, 1500m of truss, 750 moving heads, 1600m2 of projected video area and a 1500-seat grandstand, with up to 100 technicians on site at any one time.
AMG deployed their large inventory of Nexo sound systems throughout the event, most notably to cover the main convention area and a gala dinner. AMG Audio Engineer Roberto Del Duca takes up the

Luxembourg - After an absence of 31 years, Luxembourg marked its return to the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 by staging the precursor Luxembourg Song Contest event, organised and broadcast by RTL and featuring Claypaky lighting fixtures.
Prior to 1993, Luxembourg had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 37 times, winning on five occasions. But after a poor showing in 1993, Luxembourg was disqualified from competing the following year then opted out of the event until the announcement of the country’s return last year. The national entry for Eurovision’s 2024 competition was to be selected through a televised final.
The final round show and the concluding super final, narrowed down to just three contestants, were held 27 January at the Rockhal in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg. The show was broadcast on RTL Tele Letzeburg, as well as on the broadcaster's radio s

Spain - Rock Circus Volume 2 - a completely new version of this performance concept - returned to the stage at IFEMA in Madrid, produced by Productores de Sonrisas, choreographed by Albert Sala and lit by Juanjo Llorens with a set design by Anna Calvo. The show meshed the thrills of extreme circus with a string of ‘inspiring and monumental rock anthems’.
Ten dancers, an 18-piece rock ‘n’ roll band and over 100 Robe moving lights brought the performance to life, embracing 40 musical moments from artists like AC/DC, Kiss, Metallica, Miguel Rios, Iron Maiden, GNR, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Tequila, Queen, David Bowie, Rosendo and more.
Having lit the first Rock Circus edition in 2022, Juanjo once again enjoyed working collaboratively with a creative team including video designer Romera Infografía and technical director Flavio Bañuelos alongside producers

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