UK - The fifth Knight of Illumination Awards (KOI) 2012 is open for nominations and industry professionals from all sectors are invited to get involved.

Organised by the STLD, ALD and Clay Paky, KOI is the only industry event that celebrates the outstanding creative achievements of lighting designers working in the sectors of Television, Theatre and Rock. At the same time it forges closer ties between the world of lighting design and the lighting industry as a whole.

Each sector is assessed by its own panel of industry experts and breaks down into a number of categories:

Television - Light Entertainment, Drama, Small Studio and Events

Rock - Stage events, Arena events and Eco Innovation

Theatre - Dance, Opera, Play and Musicals

Already nominations are flowing in from lighting designers, service providers, production managers, technicians, TV fans,

UK - The Executive Hire Show proved to be a great success yet again for inspHire. Interest in the newly launched dashboards was high as they were well received by both inspHire customers and prospects alike and early result for the high quality leads taken on the stand for the inspHire Hire Management solutions are already very encouraging, says the company.

"We had an excellent show," said Mark Taylor, inspHire new business development manager. "We were inundated with independent hirers waiting to see how our software could make improvements and efficiencies in their hire businesses and the new Dashboards had excellent reviews. The Dasboards are designed to give our customers an up to the minute snapshot of how their business is performing, whether it's live hire and analytical information for the hire manager, or items due for preventative maintenance or breakdo

UK - PLASA Events is pleased to announce its second regional event in North America, PLASA Focus: Nashville 2012, to be held July 11-12, 2012 at the Municipal Auditorium, in Nashville, TN.

Nashville is the latest event to be launched under the PLASA Focus banner, and follows the popular PLASA Focus: Austin, to be held February 22-23 in Texas. The show will run prior to the annual Summer NAMM event, bringing together industry professionals from around the world.

Modelled after PLASA Focus: Leeds (UK), which topped 2000 visitors and broke previous attendance records in its third year, the PLASA Focus series of events in North America will bring regional entertainment technology communities together to do business and network in a relaxed and friendly setting.

Each two-day PLASA Focus show is free to registered visitors, and a unique inclusive hard wall booth package - includin

UK - Blackmagic Design has announced that production house Brightonart Ltd built a comprehensive AV control solution around Blackmagic Design's ATEM 1 M/E Production Switcher to capture runway looks from Vauxhall Fashion Scout, the largest independent showcase of the Fall 2012 London Fashion Week.

Vauxhall Fashion Scout promotes both new and seasoned designers to an international audience through catwalk shows, presentations, fashion films and exhibitions. Based during London Fashion Week at the Freemasons' Hall in central London, Fashion Scout looked to Brightonart to produce the catwalk videos that would be uploaded to Vimeo.

Brightonart used Blackmagic Design's ATEM 1 M/E Production Switcher to cut live footage from HD-SDI video feeds shot by two Sony EX-1 cameras. Program output was then captured on two SSD recorders; a Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Studio recording uncompre

Germany - 2012 sees German smoke machine manufacturer Look Solutions celebrating its 15th anniversary, proudly selling their German-made fog and haze generators to professionals worldwide.

Instigated by Kirsten Eicher and originally operating from an office and small workshop storing and dispatching a small product range, Look Solutions soon found it necessary to move in into its own large premises in Ronnenberg/Hannover. Now, with distributors in more than 31 countries and a subsidiary in the US, Look Solutions is a truly global company.

Part of its success is derived from the close working relationship between the production, consultation & sales and service departments which all share the same premises. "This enables fast and constant communication creating the ideal conditions for the development of innovative products, allowing the designers to respond quickly to cus

USA - After a nearly five year hiatus - and eight gold and platinum albums of retro soul and rock 'n' roll - Lenny Kravitz takes to the global highway with an eight-piece backing band in support of his latest and ninth studio album, Black and White America. Taking musical cues from the past while looking forward in true Kravitz style, he pulls together a wide range of musical and cultural influences.

Working with Mike 'Spagoo' Sprague of Sound Image, production/FOH engineer Laurie Quigley crafted an elaborate touring rig that would allow them to retain the high audio quality Kravitz demanded, regardless of the venue size. These two mirrored systems are comprised of DiGiCo SD7s at both FOH and monitors (with engineer Dan Horton) for use on bigger show dates, with a pair of diminutive SD11s for use on the band's myriad promo gigs and fly dates.

"I've been using the S

Austria - Full service provider Light and Sound has provided an L-Acoustics KARA/KIVA WST line source system for the first Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck.

Innsbruck's city centre was transformed into a huge party zone for the 2012 Games, with an action-packed programme taking place at Medals Plaza, which hosted not only the daily Victory Ceremonies but also the week-long Innsbruck 2012 Music Festival.

The challenge was to find a perfect setup for the wide ranging styles of music performed, from Austrian folklore and folk music through to hip hop, rock acts and the daily Victory Ceremonies, and also taking into account the 90dB limit set by the city.

Light and Sound made good use of L-Acoustics' SOUNDVISION 3D acoustic simulation programme to create a KARA/KIVA system that guaranteed optimal sound and speech intelligibility at every listening position.

The main sys

Europe - The neo-progressive rock group SAGA was at the height of its popularity in the Eighties, and it seemed when front man Michael Sadler quit the band four years ago that another great Canadian institution had come to an end. But now Sadler's back, and success has returned with him; SAGA has just completed an extensive European tour received enthusiastically by fans and critics alike.

To ensure the voice of the charismatic singer would be reproduced with maximum fidelity on his return, the band turned to Electro-Voice. Sadler's performing style, which makes use of the entire stage, meant that a wireless microphone system was the only viable solution. After a number of tests and comparisons, the band opted for an REV system from Electro-Voice with a hand-held microphone equipped with an N/D767a capsule.

Monitor engineer Chris Kostyra, who has been freelancing for a variety

UK - The NEC in Birmingham has completely refitted its Skywalk with LED lighting to improve the visitor experience while saving energy and lowering carbon emissions.

The NEC asked MHA Lighting to devise a bespoke solution for the Skywalk that would reduce energy bills whilst improving light quality.

MHA Lighting were also selected to replace the traditional fluorescent lighting in their Concourse and Gallery suites with their LED lighting that uses wave guide technology to achieve energy savings of up to 80% with intelligent controls.

MHA Lighting installed 144 TiLites in the Concourse and Gallery Suites and 260 bespoke RodLites above the 400m long Skywalk that were designed to be match the NEC's corporate branding and to be in-keeping with lighting finishes in other areas.

The 30watt RodLites replaced 54watt T8 Tubes (58-60watts with ballast) - immediately creating energy

Georgia - Chauvet is lighting one of the historical buildings in Era Square of the subtropical European city of Batumi located on the shores of the Black Sea. A former national bank for decades, the building is under construction inside, but completely refurbished on the outside, uplit by 121 COLORado 3p IP and 33 COLORado 1 IP fixtures.

Both carrying an IP 66 rating and designed to withstand the harshest weather conditions, COLORado 3p IP and COLORado 1 IP are designed for this kind of permanent outdoor installation in a climate where showers are frequent all year long.

The lights dress all four levels of the building's exterior in saturated washes. The architecture combined with the lighting design transform this building every night at twilight into a fairytale-like castle. All fixtures have been programmed to automatically start-up when ambient light gets low.

Audio and

The Netherlands - The Final Qountdown ended 2011 for the Trance and Techno scene in the Netherlands. Taking place in Amsterdam's Heineken Music Hall the event, it was organised by Q-Dance. Lighting designer Tamil van Draanen was keen on giving this event, the last version of a series of Qountdowns, a special mood. Using a grandMA2 full-size and a grandMA2 light as backup gave him the assurance needed to accomplish his mission.

Programmer and operator Martijn van Summeren stated, "We chose the grandMA2 consoles for two main reasons. First because of the extended Timecode function. The show contained seven timecoded shows, one of which was nearly 15 minutes long. Second because of its rich and varied programming features.

"Macros helped me to create the show quickly, and the Effects Engine gave me the creative freedom that I needed to create a dynamic sho

UK - XL Video provided video production - including LED screens, projection system, PPU and cameras for the 2012 Brit Awards, staged for the second year running at London's O2 Arena.

The event was the 11th year in a row that XL Video and (XL Project manager Paul Wood) has been a supplier to the event, working for technical production co-ordinator Papilo Productions and producers Brits TV.

Peter Bingemann's stage set design was inspired by the work of British pop artist Peter Blake, and consisted of a series of different sized white box frames, which were filled with artefacts and props, and two LED screens, also ensconced in box frames. The stage left screen measured 8.1m high and 4.5 wide, while the stage right one was a 4.5m square surface, both made from Pixled F-11.

In front of these, on the downstage edge of the stage were three more F-11 screens, two 4 x 4m squares on

South Africa - On 20 January, Gerriets offered its second Technical Presentation on the Latest Overseas Entertainment Technology in Johannesburg. Organised by its South African distributor, Gerriets South Africa /AVL Distribution, the session was held at Radio Park within the Auckland Park headquarters campus of the SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation). SABC Radio Park was a perfect venue for this event, as it is equipped with Gerriets curtains, track systems, and roller screens that were installed in late 2010.

Andreas Gause, Gerriets GmbH director of sales and marketing, travelled from the company headquarters in Germany to present a comprehensive introduction to the full scope of Gerriets products. Lasting two-and-a-half hours and addressing more than 170 current and prospective customers, the presentation focused on projection screens, textiles, and rail syst

Qatar - Dubai-based event production company Kenkaato has produced the first ever live public music event to be staged in the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park in Doha, Qatar.

The initial concert in a series of music shows planned over the coming months was headlined by Yusuf Islam/Cat Stevens - also on his first ever live appearance in the Middle East - and was completely sold out, attracting a capacity audience of 2,800 including 221 VIPs and senior members of the Qatari Royal Family.

Kenkaato is a new company established by Sarah Whitmarsh and Daryl Payne to provide imaginative, turnkey, full production solutions for all types of live events.

Both Whitmarsh and Payne have extensive experience working on a variety of large scale and high profile productions in the Middle East region.

The company's brief for the MIA Park show from the Qatar Museums Authority included the p

UK - Spanish singer-songwriter Juan Zelada's debut single Breakfast in Spitafields achieved Record of the Week status last summer. Fast becoming one of the most talked about names on the music scene he was awarded a prize at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA), for his songwriting. Since then, Zelada has been A-listed three times in a row; and he has just released his debut album High Ceilings and Collarbones, which has already received critical acclaim as well as Radio 2 Record of the Week status.

On the road, Zelada and his guitarist Luke Higgins both use Trace Acoustic TA200s. "The TA200 is so easy to set up - it's like a PA in a box and the sound quality is absolutely phenomenal," Zelada states. "It's particularly versatile, as it has two channels; I just plug in my mic and guitar, and I am able to get a crystal clear tone as well a

UK - The Hire Company's South coast office has moved to custom built freehold units on the new Christchurch Business Park, Radar Way, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 4FL. The new home for The Hire Co. more than doubles the storage and equipment preparation space, allowing the company to set up and fully test larger projectors and demonstrate its larger equipment to customers.

Manager Scott Clarke commented, "This eagerly awaited move will help The Hire Co. to deliver an even more efficient service to our hire and conference customers. Last year saw us service a record number of events, producing record turnover. This has seen continued investment in more equipment, the latest delivery of our new 16,000 ANSI lumens Panasonic PT-EX16 Projectors, pushing our old unit to breaking point.

"Whereas parking and loading in our old premises was a chore, this is not the case at Chris

France - Le Camji is a dedicated performance space that includes a 320-seat auditorium right in the centre of the bustling city of Niort in western France. First opened in the year 2000, Camji's mission is to support cultural diversity through the medium of contemporary music in general and amplified modern music in particular.

The organisation therefore plays an active role in supporting local talent and introducing young performers to modern technology, as well as hosting concerts from well known and established artists. When the time came to upgrade their audio facilities, Le Camji turned to Poitiers-based systems integrators, Agora Audio, who specified and installed a full digital solution based on a EtherSound network throughout and an Eclipse GT digital console from Innovason.

According to Agora's David Rocher, it was the Camji's role of nurturing local talent by offerin

USA - Students at Valley Christian Schools' Conservatory of the Arts in San Jose, Calif. are honing their musical skills in a high-tech rehearsal and performance facility unlike any other in the country. Completed in late 2011, the new Conservatory building incorporates a multipurpose rehearsal hall that can be used as one large room or divided into two smaller spaces. In any of the three space configurations, the acoustical characteristics can be instantly optimised for music style and ensemble size using the permanently installed Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic system.

"The school wanted acoustics with exceptional variability," says James Black of Acoustic Dimensions' San Diego office and principal acoustical consultant for the Conservatory project. "The idea was to accommodate anything from a small string ensemble to a full marching band, either for rehearsa

Europe / USA - Alan 'Big Nobby' Hopkinson has been a fixture on the London live sound scene for some time now. Perhaps best known as the perennial front of house mixer for Tool, Hopkinson spent most of 2011 on the road with System Of A Down. It was his first tour with the band, and his first behind a Midas digital mixing system - the PRO9.

"I've been a longstanding Midas user, but it's always been an XL4 analogue for me until now," notes Nobby. "I have used Midas digital previously though, as we have a PRO6 installed at Shepherd's Bush Empire, probably the busiest 2300-capacity theatre in London. I have babysat many engineers on it there, and have seen many come in apprehensive and leave amazed. So I knew what I was getting into."

With System Of A Down, Big Nobby used the PRO9 across Europe and North America, with occasional switches to a PRO6 as availabili

USA - Jon Weingarten, president/CEO of Dazian LLC has announced today that DreamWorld Backdrops will become part of the Dazian family of businesses, effective 27 February 2012.

Since 1842 Dazian has been the premier company in the Entertainment, Worship, and Event Industries for Theatrical Fabrics, Custom Fabrication and Rental Drapery. Dazian has full service facilities in CA, NJ and FL. supplying a full range of products, fabrication, and install services to its clients throughout the U.S. and abroad.

DreamWorld has been a force in the air brushed, hand painted and digitally printed backdrop business in the US since its inception in 1999.

Bev Parmensky, president of DreamWorld Backdrops, states, "By joining the Dazian family, DreamWorld Backdrops will now be able to offer a full complement of products and services to its wide range of customers."

Weingarten add

UK - The Inaugural Event Production Awards held at the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane and hosted by the comedian Mark Steel saw Star Events Group win overall 'Supreme Supplier of the year' and less than two weeks later they picked up Rigging Company of the Year at the Tpi Awards.

"To receive both awards and to be recognised for our achievement in the industry was a great honour," says Jane Russen.

(Jim Evans)

UK - The PLASA 2012 free registration offer ends in just under 48 hours! Over 9,000 people have taken advantage of the free registration offer for this year's PLASA 2012, taking place at Earls Court in London from 9 - 12 September. Register before midnight on the 29th February and save £20 on the standard ticket price.

All previous PLASA Show visitors have been sent this special offer via email, and free registration for new visitors is live at www.plasashow.com

(Claire Beeson)

South Africa / UK - Two female members of the South African Roadies Association (SARA); Nomsa Ndlovu (26) from Zola, Soweto and Nonhlanhla Bonongo (28) from Emdeni, Soweto - will join SARA president Freddie Nyathela in attending The National Skills Academy Creative & Cultural (NSA) Annual Industry Conference 2012, which takes place at The Lowry in Salford, Manchester on 6-7 March 2012.

The Conference will bring together professionals from the Creative and Cultural industries from all over the UK, to discuss how to work better in collaboration with young people and education, and explore the real return on investment in skills, and what impact this is having on the sector. John Hayes MP (Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning) will be the keynote speaker, and he will be joined by some of the most influential figures from the creative and cultural se

UK - Black Light reports that it has significantly expanded the storage and warehouse capacity at its West Shore headquarters in Edinburgh by 50%. This move will allow the company to enhance its hire and sales stock and will boost its capacity to serve its customers.

"This exciting development shows that we are really bucking the current economic trend and growing strongly," says Black Lights head of company development, Phil Haldane. "This is all part of our push to continually improve our service delivery, while still keeping the company friendly and approachable. We are really excited at the new opportunities this opens up for us."

The expansion will see the company move into a third unit at the West Shore Trading Estate, where it has been located for the past two years. The new premises comprise over 4,500sq.ft of warehousing and will give the company a

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