USA - ETC has released a range of video presentations from their successful CUE 2013 event, which was held in Wisconsin last month.

The event, which was attended by some 150 users from around the globe, aimed to help them Create, Understand and Experience.

The event began with a full day of training on Eos and Congo family desks, followed up by three days of hands on classes led by ETC employees and other lighting experts. The classes covered 75 different topics, including lighting live shows on the fly, working with media servers, the theatre renovation process and proper ETC equipment maintenance.

Throughout CUE, attendees got to try out new tips and tricks in ETC's labs.

The keynote addresses delivered by ETC CEO Fred Foster and Tony Award winning Broadway lighting designer Donald Holder were highlights of the event. In his address, Foster told his emotional firs

Belgium - Lighting designer and operator David Smeets of TCF placed Robe moving lights at the heart of his design for the Main Stage at the 2013 Reggae festival in Geel, Belgium. Headliners included Pentateuch, Iba Mahr & Dubtronic Kru, Ironites, Freddie McGregor and many more.

Lighting equipment was provided by L&L Stage Services from Herentals and capacity crowds of 35,000 enjoyed the summer heatwave, picturesque and funky location and a sizzling line up of the coolest local and international reggae artists in Belgium's only such reggae event. The festival bills itself as the 'most laid back' in the country!

Smeets has lit Reggae Geel's Main stage for the last four years. His design this year was based on being flexible and appropriate for lighting ten different live artists a day and also adding a distinctly reggae vibe to the aesthetics.

This year, Smeets utilised 18 Rob

USA - PLASA Focus: Austin 2013 looks set to be bigger and better than ever with over 50 exhibitors confirmed and organizers PLASA Events reporting a 25% increase in visitor registrations over the debut PLASA Focus: Austin event, of February 2012. This year's show is taking place at a new venue, the Palmer Events Center, just 20 minutes from Austin Airport, on 10-11 September, 2013.

The latest exhibitors to sign up include Aeson Event Technologies, Apollo, Drape Kings, Intelligent Lighting Services, SECOA, SHS Global and Texas Motion Picture Alliance. They will share the show floor with other industry leaders including A.C.T Lighting, Avolites, CAST Software, Chauvet Lighting, Clay Paky, d&b audiotechnik, DiGiCo, Elation, Link, Martin Professional, Robe Lighting, Rosco, TMB and Tomcat.

On Tuesday, 10 September, a cocktail reception will be held on the show floor from 5.00pm unt

UK - PLASA Events has announced the launch of the 2013 PLASA Awards for Innovation, which will be presented in the new AudioLab Arena during PLASA London at ExCeL on Monday 7 October at 6.00pm.

The PLASA Show is regarded as a major international launch-pad for new products. During its history, it has seen hundreds of product innovations introduced to the market - a trend which we expect to see continued at the 2013 event. The PLASA Awards for Innovation aim to emphasise this focus on true innovation. The procedure for entry ensures that all nominated products are vetted to show that they offer something new to the industry:

"The PLASA Awards for Innovation recognise products which advance the industry by demonstrating a new style of thinking, improving technical practice or taking a key step forward in terms of safety."

All successfully vetted products are judged a

Fringe Figures - Ticket sales at this year's Edinburgh Fringe are up by an estimated 5%, according to its organisers. The Fringe Society said more than 1,943,000 tickets were issued, with some shows still to have their final performance. It follows a slight drop in ticket sales last year caused by a clash with the Olympics being held in London. Many individual venues are reporting even higher increases, with established venues up between 20% and 30%.

The 2013 programme for the Fringe, the biggest arts festival in the world, featured 45,464 performances of 2,871 shows at a total of 273 venues across the city. The programme contained 713 free shows which do not sell tickets but asked the audience to contribute at the end of the show. These shows were not included in the box office ticket sales. Kath Mainland, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said,"Our

Argentina - Since 2009, The Addams Family musical has been entertaining audiences on Broadway and on tour across the US. In 2012, an additional production opened in São Paulo (Brazil), followed by Rio de Janeiro and Sydney in 2013. This year saw further international expansion with a new production in Argentina where a DiGiCo SD7T will be back at the helm.

The original production was the first Broadway show to use a DiGiCo SD7T, with sound designers Acme Sound Partners working closely with DiGiCo, UK rental company Autograph, and local provider Masque Sound. Subsequent touring and productions had fewer demands for the Front of House console so the SD7 was not specified. But associate sound designer Jason Crystal, who has represented the show on these various productions, was very pleased when Loudness Sound Rental & Services, the local audio provider, requested that an S

UK - Named in memory of Tony Gottelier, the industry innovator and commentator who passed away in 2006, the Gottelier Award aims to recognise product developers who have made significant and sustained contributions to the advancement of entertainment, presentation or installation technology - whether in audio, lighting, rigging, staging, or any other related field.

The shortlist of nominees is generated from invited suggestions from a panel consisting of PLASA team members, PLASA Regional Board & Governing Body members, regular contributors to LSi and LSA magazines, and past winners of the Gottelier Award.

All PLASA Members and pre-registered visitors to PLASA 2013 are eligible to vote, and will receive an email inviting them to place their vote at the PLASA Show website. Voting closes on Friday 20 September and the winner will be announced at the PLASA Show on Monday 7 Octobe

USA - During his recent North American tour, rapper, songwriter and record producer Pitbull ignited the audience with his high-energy performance not only rapping live, but also incorporating his famous duets with renowned artists like Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Mark Anthony and Chris Brown, who entered the stage via recorded tracks on massive video displays.

Video director for the Pitbull US Tour Nate Selvidio and production designer Justin Geiger of Impulse Creative Group conceived a simple yet striking design using 263 Chauvet Professional MVP Ta8 Curve and MVP 12 video panels for the tour's 24 shows. More Chauvet Professional Nexus 4x4 pixel-mapping wash lights were used on tour as blinders above the video walls. Orlando-based Complete Production Resources production company supplied the gear.

"One of the big requirements for any show that Pitbull does is hav

USA - For the second year in a row, Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) was on-site to support the red carpet and live broadcast of Telemundo's second annual Premios Tu Mundo awards show at the American Airlines Arena in Miami.

Broadcast live in primetime, Premios Tu Mundo is a musical spectacular event that celebrates pop culture and combines the power of television, web, mobile and social media platforms to give fans the final say in what's hot in everything that moves and inspires them, including novelas, music, fashion, movies and sports. The pre-show La Alfombra de Premios Tu Mundo featured celebrities like Eva Longoria, Daddy Yankee and many of Hispanic Hollywood's top celebrities.

"We are thrilled to have once again worked with Telemundo on this event, especially at the American Airlines Arena," says Jim Van Winkle, general manager of PWS.

USA - The Band Perry is on the road with another country trio, Rascal Flatts, and the group, comprised of Kimberly Perry, Neil Perry and Reid Perry have been enjoying the success of their second album Pioneer, including their current chart-topping single Done.

Lighting designer Jay Waddell, who recently wrapped a successful tour with Needtobreathe and Bandit Lites, worked to match The Band Perry's energetic sound with dynamic illumination. The package he required included fixtures with plenty of impact, ground stacked, and capable of getting on and off the stage quickly.

To meet those needs, almost 100 fixtures make their way on stage in less than 12 minutes. Multiple video carts are rolled out with four Clay Paky Sharpys on top. Additionally, two pods with Bandit 5x5s topped with Martin Mac Auras and Vipers are utilized. Finally, two more towers with Auras, Vipe

UK - The Pet Shop Boys' 2013 tour is a comprehensive journey across the globe, from Singapore, the Philippines and Japan and on to European festival dates via China and Korea before heading to the USA and Canada in the autumn. Venues are as varied as the countries visited and that represents a challenge for the production team headed up by production manager, Thomas Stone.

Stone choose to employ the services of Load Cell Rental to provide him with independently certified weight loads for all the different elements of the show's rig. Load Cell Rental's Colin Luke visited production rehearsals at the Millennium Studios during the initial load in.

Luke explains the process, "The itinerary includes a wide variety of gigs, from arenas and theatres to festival stages. For each type of venue the production team may want to rig a different version of the show so we weigh various

UK - Utopium supplied lighting for the BBC at this year's 24 day Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 2- 26 August 2013.

The Edinburgh Fringe is renowned for being the largest arts festival in the world, show producers, ACP Productions Ltd, commissioned Utopium to supply lighting rig for the BBC stage as well as outside screen supports and entrance way arches for its festival garden.

The festival showcases multitudes of talent from big name artists, such as comedians Ed Byrne and Dara O'Briain alongside complete unknowns who perform live from various stages around Scotland's capital city. The BBC stage was used as the hub for radio stations to broadcast live from the festival, which included Radio 1 DJs Phil Taggart and Alice Levine, the Today show and Just a Minute.

To create the desired atmosphere, Utopium utilised a wide range of equipment including 40 Showtec Sunstri

USA - Following an extensive nine-month, $10.5m renovation project, the Civic Theatre, the oldest surviving theatre building in New Orleans, has officially reopened its doors after sitting dormant for more than three decades. To bring the 107-year-old, 15,000sq.ft performance venue up to today's production standards, Solomon Group, a new L-Acoustics certified provider for install and rental markets, specified and integrated a Kiva-Kilo loudspeaker system into the space.

Recently partnering with The Bowery Presents, one of the country's preeminent promoters for both emerging and established artists, the intimate 1,150-capacity Civic begins hosting a wide variety of touring acts starting in September, including Russell Brand, The Black Crowes, Passion Pit, Steve Earle, John Waters and many others. Solomon Group - one of the Civic's three partners, along with developers Brian Gibbs

USA - The acclaimed Matilda The Musical packs the house at Broadway's Shubert Theatre while backstage a grandMA2 full-size controls the conventional and moving lights, scrollers, LEDs and video cues for Tony Award-winning lighting designer Hugh Vanstone.

Matilda The Musical, based on the novel by Roald Dahl, tells the story of an extraordinary girl who dreams about a better life and changing her destiny. It won Tony Awards for best book, featured actor, scenic design and lighting design and special Tony honours for the young actresses who portray Matilda; the show also netted Drama Desk and New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for Best Musical. A Royal Shakespeare Company production, the show was transferred to Broadway after its West End London debut.

"It's the second time I've worked with Hugh Vanstone on a transfer from the West End," says lighting p

UK - Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, first built in 1812 in the heart of London's West End, has recently completed a £4m restoration. A key component to restoring the historic venue's Grand Saloon Bar to its original regency-style décor was keeping the look and feel of the space as theatrical as possible.

Architect Norman Bragg and Theatre Royal's Steve McAndrew, the team responsible for illuminating the space, wanted to install efficient LED lighting to showcase the restored architectural elements, but it was imperative that the modern-day fixtures didn't distract from the 19th century style of the design.

Provided by lighting specialists Stage Electrics, who supplied a full architectural LED lighting solution into the theatre, Rosco's new Miro Cube LED fixtures were chosen because of their compact size and high light output.

"The bright output realised from th

Sweden - Perennially popular Swedish pop-rock band Gyllene Tider (Golden Age) have been promoting their first album in nine years with a major tour of their home country.

In other countries Gyllene Tider are best known for lead singer Per Gessle being half of pop duo Roxette. In Sweden, however, they maintain massive popularity. Promoting new album Dags att tänka på refrängen (Time To Think Of The Chorus), the tour featured a DiGiCo SD10 at Front of House and an SD5 on monitors.

The consoles were supplied - along with DiGiCo SD-Racks, microphones and monitors - by rental company Soundforce Scandinavia AB. Anders Molund, the company's audio project manager, is also Gyllene Tider's FOH engineer.

"The SD5 was the first choice console for our monitor engineer Peter Fredriksson. To be honest, I used the SD10 because we are so busy at Soundforce it was the only DiGi

UK - Students at Wakefield's Backstage Academy have gained hands-on experience with a variety of today's lighting technology thanks to the growing support from lighting professionals, manufacturers and rental companies.

There are 52 students currently studying the training academy's16-month Foundation Degree in Live Events Production, which was independently written in collaboration with industry practitioners, (validated by The University of Bolton) and places emphasis on practical experience.

The month-long Lighting Module teaches students about the theory and art of lighting, basic lighting design principles for different types of event, lighting equipment and systems, visualization and pre-programming, and includes WYSIWYG certification.

For the second annual degree course, Backstage Academy received more support from lighting manufacturers, resellers and rental companie

UK - Birmingham-based sound and lighting production company DMX Productions supplied their new Robe Pointe moving lights for a high-profile one off concert by popular Nepalese Himalayan folk/rock band Nepathya, at London's Wembley Arena.

SJ Grevett of DMX Productions managed the show's production and the lighting/video design was overseen by Tom Grant, working on behalf of rental company Siyan Ltd. Siyan provided the rest of the lighting and rigging equipment, including Robe LEDWash 600s and MMX Spot fixtures.

Formed by three students studying in Kathmandu, Nepal in the early 1990s, Nepathya fuses folk melodies with new and exciting pop and rock tunes and formats and have consistently gained popularity and acclaim.

The starting point for the lighting designs was Nepathya's 2012 Australian tour. Some elements of this were replicated for this show, including three upstage/down

USA - Following the success of their 2012 World Tour, the multi-award winning rock band Train once again hit the road in 2013 with Mermaids of Alcatraz. As their largest tour to date, the three-piece band wanted to have a completely new look. To complete this task, they once again entrusted lighting designer Brock Hogan to create a design that would push the boundaries of creativity and Hogan turned to long-time tour provider LMG Touring who supplied him with 16 Philips Vari-Lite VL3015LT Spot luminaires and 15 Showline SL BAR 640 LED luminaires.

"This tour is completely different from those of years past and it's a spinoff of their origins in San Francisco and their latest studio album California 37," began Hogan. "Since this was our largest tour to date, hitting all the major markets, we added a few new features such as video wall automation and a new set

UK - West Midlands based technical solutions specialist Central Presentations Ltd (CPL) has launched a new broadcast division - CPL Broadcast - which is dedicated to supplying film and TV crews with equipment and technical packages specially tailored to a variety of studio, OB and location work.

CPL Broadcast is headed by Lee Gruszeckyj (Lee G) who joined the company last year with the new division in mind. Gruszeckyj has a wealth of experience in the world of broadcast and video, is highly respected in this area and has numerous contacts.

CPL's business has been steadily expanding over the last three years. CPL Broadcast is a related diversification specifically designed to fill and grow a healthy demand in the Midlands area for the appropriate camera, audio, lighting and grip equipment by those working on news shoots, promos and commercials.

The three key factors in establ

Finland - The Finnish equivalent of 'roll up, roll up', doesn't really translate into English, but that aside the language of circus is nothing if not international; even the horses seem to understand. "Good point," said BonBon the clown, or Lasse NØrager as he's known to his family. "Communicating with animals is one of the most important things that happen under the big top. That's why we paid it so much attention when we considered purchasing a PA system for Sirkus Finlandia." NØrager, besides his talent for visual humour, doubles as technical advisor.

"I have been with the circus for 30 years. In Finland circus began to engage with modern lighting about 20 years ago, sound about 10 years later. I've been looking after the Sirkus audio system for the last four or five years. By profession I'm a performer, but I've worked with sound since

Germany - Respected Berlin-based lighting designer Martin Kuhn has harnessed the punch and power of Clay Paky's bright, pure beam Sharpys, intense sparkling Alpha Spot QWO 800 STs, and Alpha Beam 700s for Berlin's Summer Rave 2013.

This is the fourth successful annual A&P Summer Rave, hosted by A&P Kaiser's Tengelmann and featuring some of Germany's biggest techno stars, including Westbam, AKA AKA Feat. Thalstroem, and Vitalic. Not only that it attracted 20,000 people who danced the night away until sunrise.

For the past three years the design of the event has been Kuhn's baby. 2013 saw an additional third floor increase the size of the event considerably. All in all I Kuhn took care of four floors: Planet Bass (Main Floor 1), Ostfunk (as important as the main floor), House Floor and the main hall with catering, wardrobe and chill out area.

He also created an electric atmosp

UK - The 4th annual PLASA Rigging Conference will expand this year to focus on structures as well as rigging issues, bringing in experts from both fields to share their knowledge, experiences and advice. The PLASA Rigging Conference takes place on 7-8 October 2013 at its new home, ExCeL London, and visitors are encouraged to book their tickets before the end of August to take advantage of early booking discounts.

The keynote speech will be given by one of the rigging industry's leading and longest-serving practitioners, Robin Elias of Unusual Rigging, whose light-hearted account of his long career will act as a vehicle to illustrate the challenges and rewards of working as a rigger. Robin has worked on everything from rock and roll to installing works of art, TV stunts and the engineering for some of the largest objects moved in the name of entertainment, and his experiences are

USA - To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the Telluride Film Festival will debut a new Werner Herzog Theatre for this year's festivities in the Colorado ski town. Movie screenings at this 650-seat theatre will be heard through a cinema system from Meyer Sound, which is a festival sponsor for the third consecutive year. The 2013 Telluride Film Festival is set to run 29 August - 2 September 2013.

"The Werner Herzog Theatre is a huge achievement for Telluride Film Festival and the town of Telluride. It will be the festival's most technologically advanced, and its sound system is of the utmost importance to us," says Julie Huntsinger, executive director of the festival. "Meyer Sound is a leader in its industry; its sound quality and innovation is unparalleled. Working with Meyer Sound ensures the festival meets its goal of staying on the cutting-edge, and ultimately gi

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