Estonia - Renowned for producing some of the best theatre in Europe, Vanemuine Teater in Tartu, Estonia, launches its new production of Grease directed by Georg Malvius, featuring a vibrant lighting design by Palle Palmé who is utilising over 100 Robe moving lights.

These are part of a new installation at Vanemuine in the theatre's 660 seater Big House venue.

The installation is part of a much wider upgrade programme which has seen all eight Estonian state supported arts and culture venues receive a major lighting refit - with Robe moving lights deployed across all sites.

Involving over 500 fixtures distributed around the country, this has been co-ordinated by Robe's Estonian distributor, Tallinn based E&T Ltd.

Palle Palmé is based in Stockholm and works internationally on a wide variety of shows across theatre, live music and corporate event sectors.<

Europe - Avolites' powerful yet compact Titan Mobile console will be working alongside the Ai Media Server for the first time on the latest Skunk Anansie European festival tour this summer. Video-heavy, it's a visual feast of light, colour and movement backed up with epic rock show lighting. This has seen LD Andy 'Foxy' Smyth harnessing the power of Titan 7 in its most concentrated form.

Smyth has been working with Skunk Anansie since the beginning of summer 2011 and has used an Avolites Pearl Expert control console for the venues tour for the last two years. He describes the desk as 'incredible' following its boost from the new Titan Software.

"The Pearl control surface has been a favourite of mine since I started in the industry, so it was an easy choice to make for the tour. The Expert additions, such as the extra five playback faders, split roller page and fixture exc

UAE - Adamson and Thomsun (United Arab Emirates) are teaming up to offer their first seminar in Dubai from 30 May through 1 June. The event will bring in top production companies, partners and FOH engineers to the Traders Hotel in Deira, Dubai. Adamson applications engineer, David Dohrmann, will lead the event and work through topics including Adamson core technologies and products, line array theory and best array design practices.

The presentation allows industry professionals a chance to hear playback and live music on multiple Adamson products including: SpekTrix, Metrix and the Point Series. The seminar will include additional presentations introducing the Energia Series, a Blueprint software overview as well as loudspeaker measurement techniques and system alignment.

There is still an opportunity to attend this seminar and interested parties are encouraged to contact dav

China - The newly reopened Yau Ma Tei Theatre has put a modern twist on traditional Cantonese opera. The historic 300 seat venue in Kowloon, Hong Kong, features the latest ETC technology, with layers of the highest quality conventional and LED light.

Originally opened as a cinema in 1930, the Yau Ma Tei Theatre screened films from a variety of genres until it closed in 1998. Nearly a decade later, the building was saved from being bulldozed when it was declared an architectural and cultural landmark. The government decided to revitalise the area, beginning conservation work to transform the former cinema into a performing arts venue that would become home to a Cantonese opera troupe.

During the renovation, power consumption in the theatre was a big concern. The aging building has limited electrical capacity, so the lighting system had to be green. The staff decided to install

USA - After a hugely successful debut show in February 2012, the trail-blazing PLASA Focus regional event series is returning to Austin, where it all began! This year's show is bigger and better and is taking place at a new venue, the Palmer Events Centre in downtown Austin, just 20 minutes from Austin Airport, on 10-11 September 2013.

"PLASA Focus: Austin 2012 was the first event to be launched under the PLASA Focus banner in North America, and it proved to be very popular, with both visitors and exhibitors, which is why we have decided to return to the region this September. Over 40 companies have already signed up to exhibit, and we expect to see both previous and new visitors, all of whom want to experience and interact with the latest products without having to travel far from home" says Jackie Tien, director of media, sales & marketing at PLASA.

PLASA Focus pro

UK - A substantial lighting rig featuring over 150 Robe fixtures was used by 'house' lighting designer and TV lighting director Tim Routledge to create a production design for the 1xtra / In New Music We Trust Arena at BBC Radio One's 2013 'Big Weekend' event.

The high-profile three day musical extravaganza staged in Ebrington Square, Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland, kicked off the UK festival season in style.

The lighting equipment for this stage was supplied by the HSL Group incorporating PSI who provided all rigging and support. The two companies have recently merged offering even more comprehensive rental operations throughout the UK and Ireland.

The 1xtra / In New Music We Trust stage was located inside The Venue, a 5000 capacity multi-purpose temporary structure erected for Derry's 2013 year as European Capital of Culture. The house lighting rig in here also contai

UK - MediaCityUK-based media services provider, dock10, has formalised the appointment of technical support firm Gallowglass to fulfil the vast majority of its labour requirements at The Studios - the studio complex at the heart of MediaCityUK.

One of the largest television studios in the UK and home to the BBC and, progressively, ITV, the new complex offers the largest high definition facilities in Europe. Operated by dock10, The Studios contain seven HDTV studios, two audio studios, digital post production cloud media management services.

Gallowglass will provide a workforce of technical support staff, including carpenters, scenic artists, gaffers and stage-hands, to work at The Studios - and also at production base The Pie Factory, home to three large sound stages, and location for a wide range of productions, from feature films to sofa commercials.

Gallowglass regional m

UK - Award-winning lighting designer James Thompson is using pure beam Clay Paky Sharpys to throw laser like beams across the audience in his show design for The Script's current sell-out world tour.

Thompson - who was presented with a Knight of Illumination Award in the category of Concert Touring and Events for his work with The Script in 2011 - has praised the impact the Sharpys can have in a lighting design.

The Script show, which has been designed to reflect the name of the Tour - '#3', features a huge video backdrop with three parallel video fingers that reach out into the audience, both along the floor and overhead. Although Thompson uses the Sharpy's sparingly he has worked them into his design seamlessly, using them to deliver high impact, audience-embracing effects. Where they are used each look exploits the sharp parallel beam acting to punctuate the music and the v

Australia - Nearing the end of a billion dollar transformation, The Star in Sydney's Pyrmont has morphed from a large-scale casino into a full-blown leisure and entertainment complex. With its panoramic views of Sydney's harbour and skyline, the venue has been designed to entice and host international headliners and A-list celebrities from around the globe. Situated within The Star is The Event Centre, a world-class entertainment space suited to intimate concert settings as well as domestic and international conferences, exhibitions and awards functions, which boasts a combination of DiGiCo SD10s and SD11s at the heart of its audio system.

The Event Centre is a huge 2400sq.m column-free space, the biggest of its kind in Sydney. The room caters for 4000 patrons in concert mode, 3000 guests with half seated, 1200 in a banquet ballroom setting and 1300 in a conference space.

Head

Brazil - Robe participated with local distributor Newart at the 17th Brazilian exhibition and conference organised by the AES (Audio Engineering Society) in Sao Paulo, taking the opportunity to highlight its latest innovative new products, including the RobinN Pointe, the MiniMe and the MMX WashBeam.

Attracting lighting, sound and video professionals from Latin America and the US, AES Brazil Expo registered a 10% growth in visitor numbers. AES Brazil president Armando Baldassarra stated, "More and more international launches are happening in Brazil which continues to raise the profile of AES."

On the stand, the new Robin Pointe and MiniMe fixtures were shown in Brazil for the first time, making a big impact on visitors who wanted to see them in action and asked for personalised demonstrations continually throughout the show.

Newart CEO Francisco Pinheiro commented,

UK - The upcoming ABTT exhibition will mark the London launch for entertainment industry training centre Backstage Academy's new two-year BA Visual Production degree.

The ABTT show takes place from 12-13 June at the Old Truman Brewery in the capital city, where Backstage Academy will feature amongst the exhibitors showcasing products, services and training for theatre, covering the latest in things like lighting, sound, staging, seating, stage engineering, projection, textiles, flooring, scenic paints and more.

Backstage Academy, who will be exhibiting for the first time at the show on stand number 27, will also be showcasing its backstage short courses and bespoke skills training to visitors, who tend to come from a wide variety of disciplines across professional theatre.

The new BA Visual Production course will launch at Backstage Academy's Wakefield facility in January 20

France / Benelux - Loud Technologies and Algam have announced a distribution agreement whereby Algam will serve as the distributor for the Ampeg and Mackie brands in France, commencing 1 June 2013.

"The Ampeg & Mackie brands are already well established in the French market with a strong and loyal following," explained Tony Williams, director of sales, EMEA. "Algam will be able to build on this success by providing a much improved level of French language-based brand communication."

"Algam has enjoyed a very long and successful story with Martin Audio and is delighted to reinforce this great partnership with Ampeg and Mackie," said Gérard Garnier, Algam CEO and founder. "Ampeg is one of the most iconic brands in the music industry and Mackie remains one of the most innovative companies on the market. Ampeg and Mackie will respectively

UK - Entertainment lighting specialist White Light is pleased to announce its streamlined White Light Distribution network, focused on business to business sales and support for exclusive products and brands.

The enhanced distribution network will provide sales and support of White Light exclusive products to dealers in the UK, with some products available throughout Europe and worldwide. The new structure allows UK dealer access to products from 13 exclusive lighting, rigging, and effects manufacturers including ADB Lighting Technologies, Altman, ArKaos Pro, CORE Lighting, Chromlech, Galaxia Electronics, Interactive Technologies, James Thomas Engineering, JB Lighting, Look Solutions, LSC Lighting, Rainbow Colour Changers, and Wireless Solution.

White Light Sales Director, Peter Threadgold explained the company's focus on these essential brands, paired with expanded services.

USA - Staff members working on the new Broadway production of Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella turned to DPA Microphones' Miniature. Not only do the mics provide a transparent sound for the show's cast and orchestra; their compact size keeps them hidden from the audience, allowing spectators to enjoy the show without being distracted by the sight of bulky equipment.

This latest production of Cinderella, now playing at the Broadway Theatre, is based on a new book, written by Douglas Carter Beane. It incorporates the music of the original show with a modern take on classic theatrical elements, such as impromptu costume changes directly on set. Maintaining this atmosphere is critical to the overall impression of the show, which is why Cinderella sound designer Nevin Steinberg chose to outfit the cast with 30 DPA 4061 Omnidirectional miniature wireless microphones.

Belgium - Televic Conference has entered into a licence agreement with Audinate for the Dante audio networking solution. uniCOS, Televic's new multimedia conferencing system, will be the first platform to have a Dante interface.

"We see a growing need with our customers to interface their conference system digitally with third party equipment" says Bart Deschodt, general manager of Televic Conference. "We are excited to integrate Dante in our new products, not only because of its performance but also because Dante has become the standard in digital audio networking."

"Televic Conference is recognised in the industry as the leading supplier of audio communication solutions in the conferencing market," remarks Steve Greenall, director of sales EMEA at Audinate. "We are pleased that Televic Conference has identified Dante as the most reliable an

UK - Lighting and visuals rental specialist Colour Sound Experiment supplied lighting and LED screens to Vodafone UK's annual conference staged at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole Hotel at the National Exhibition Centre.

It was the first year that CSE has been involved in the event, where they were working for producers, The Red Lodge Agency.

Three main areas needed technical production - the conference sessions in the hotel's Monarch Suite; a gala dinner and awards ceremony in the Palace Suite and then the after-show in the Kings Suite.

Colour Sound's project manager Fletch created a production lighting and visuals design for all three rooms and led a team of 11 technicians and engineers who worked closely on site with Rhys Sion from Red Lodge.

"The main challenges were the scale of the event and a short timescale - as is often the case," explains Fletch. "H

Czech Republic - In 2013, the Showlight Conference was staged in the Czech Republic for the first time, at Cesky Krumlov and with Robe Lighting as the main sponsor.

Nearly 400 visitors embraced the mediaeval town for the three days to enjoy a lively mix of presentations by industry professionals working in all areas of lighting and visuals plus networking opportunities as well as getting a taste of life in and around Cesky Krumlov.

Various fact-finding and sightseeing visits were an integral part of the conference itinerary, allowing delegates to see some of the local commerce and business activities first hand.

This included a tour of the city's famous Baroque Theatre complete with original wooden and rope stage machinery, and other specially arranged visits encompassed pencil and cosmetics factories and a graphite mine.The visit programme also took in the Mestske Theatre,

UK - 13 May saw 12,000 people pack into Manchester's Albert Square and thousands more line the streets as Premier League winners Manchester United travelled from the football club's Old Trafford stadium to an enthusiastic city centre reception. A Yamaha CL5 helped to deliver a free show by local band The Courteneers, as well as speeches by United team members and staff.

The event was heightened by the unexpected announcement, a week earlier, that United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was retiring after 26 years at the helm - transforming a football club that had under-achieved for many years into one of the world's most successful. As the open-topped bus made its way from Old Trafford, The Courteneers entertained the Albert Square crowd with a set that included Not Nineteen Forever - a song adopted by many supporters to celebrate the team's record 20th league winning season.

Iceland - In the three years since Of Monsters and Men first reached out from Iceland's shores and found an enthusiastic global audience, the quintet have rarely stopped touring. A package of Sennheiser microphones and in-ear monitors helps the band to deliver performances that are meant, as they say, "to be fun to sing along to".

The band's break came when they won Músiktilraunir, an annual Icelandic battle of the bands competition. "We just kind of...won. We weren't expecting it at all," says co-vocalist and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, with disarming honesty. The worldwide release of debut album My Head Is an Animal followed in 2012, propelling the band to success.

Front of House engineer Richie Dempsey has been working with Of Monsters and Men for almost a year. Already having toured Europe, Japan, the USA and Asia, Sennheiser

UK - SES/Tempower supplied all the main power distribution equipment , cable and cable protection at Twickenham Stadium, for Chime for Change on 1 June.

The featured acts included Beyoncé, Ellie Goulding, Florence + The Machine, Iggy Azalea and Jennifer Lopez.

Tempower's client wasMike Ellen of MPE Power Solutions who installed all the production power and sub rented in the generator package which consisted of two 300 kva sets for broadcast power and six 500 kva sets for main stage power, all synchronised. These were supplied by Powerhire part of TGC International Ltd.

Tempower supplied the cabling and distribution for all the production and broadcast power including nine 400 amp 5-wire sets of power locks feeds for the main stage alone, one of these supplies splits out to the follow spot towers either side of stage with two 250 amp power locks supplies.

The equipme

Germany - Over 100 Robe moving lights are in action for the sixth series of the popular reality TV show Let's Dance produced by ITV Germany, which is being recorded in Studio 32 of the MMC Film & TV Studios in Cologne

The production lighting designer is Manfred Ollie Olma, one of Germany's best known LDs.

His company, mo2 design GmbH, is also based in Köln, and has executive lighting designer & director of photography David Kreileman taking care of the week-to-week running of the show's lighting. He's working alongside mo2 project managers Sebastian Kirsch and Matthias Allhoff.

They are using 40 x Robe ColorSpot 2500E AT fixtures and 70 x ColorWash 2500E ATs, together with a large generic and white light rig including some 270 x 1K fresnels hung around the side walls for a special tungsten 'starlight' effect.

An important aspect of the lighting is to make the coupl

USA - Using 12 of GLP's versatile impression X4 LED fixtures, Washington DC-based Pulse Lighting recently provided lighting for Slightly Stoopid's special one-off 'Hot Box' show at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado. The show, which also featured Cypress Hill, was scheduled for broadcast live on AXS TV the same evening.

Set up by brothers Paul and Preston Hoffman in 2005, Pulse Lighting were asked to light the Californian-based 'fusion' band in their own right for the first time. "The management knew we had experience of the venue, and in running concert lights for broadcast," said Preston.

The day of the event - 20 April 20- was also significant since it is the day when counter-culturists celebrate the love of cannabis, as Preston explains. "With cannabis legalised in the state in 2013, the 4/20 show was historic for everyone involved in that c

USA - Fleetwood Mac is back on the road and Clay Paky Sharpy Wash 330 fixtures have joined the iconic band on the Fleetwood Mac Live 2013 World Tour.

The new tour, which began in Columbus on 4 April and will wrap in Scandinavia in October, marks the first for the band since 2009's sold-out Unleashed tour. This year is also the 35th anniversary of their Rumours album, one of the most successful in recording history.

Lighting designer Paul 'Arlo' Guthrie of Minneapolis-based Toss Film + Design is Fleetwood Mac's long-time lighting designer. "I have to cater to four different personalities (Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks) and bring them together as one team," he explains. "For this show we have four big LCD panels and 32 Sharpy Washes on curved lighting pipes, some of them on the floor, some on the rigs and some

Germany - Recently, the event location Güterbahnhof (goods station) in Bad Homburg, Germany, invited the Nachtexpress (night train) show to dinner! Five courses of the menu were joined by show acts that fitted the destinations to which the night train was travelling. The night train was a construction that served as a stage as well as a projection area for the virtual journey.

Four MA VPU plus (Video Processing Unit) together with a grandMA2 replay unit and two grandMA2 light consoles were used for lighting and video control.

MedienReich - Gesellschaft für professionelle Eventtechnik mbH was responsible for the technical realisation of the event. Holger Turban worked as lighting technician and programmer, while Chris Pauli worked as video technician and programmer and created the video content.

Pauli commented on his choice of the MA system, "The MA system convinced u

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