Mexico - Las Lunas Del Auditorio - Mexican live performance and music industry's most prestigious awards - took place at the 10,000 capacity venue and founder of the event, Auditorio Nacional. For the first time, the event's moving lights were exclusively Robe.

This vast production team from Auditorio Nacional was co-ordinated by Francisco Serrano, producer and director of Lunas del Auditorio, and general manager Salvador Vera Islas.

The striking lighting design was created by German 'Tiffy' Castellanos and the equipment was supplied by LED Project, both based in the vibrant metropolis of DF.

A glittering array of the great, the good and the glorious from the Mexican and Latin American world of show business and entertainment rocked the red carpet, and worldwide industry talent lined up to collect the coveted awards. It is the only event in Mexico to be broadcast live across

UK - Lifting equipment specialists, Hoist UK and its sister company, Truss UK, have relocated to larger premises, a significant expansion and one which will enable both companies to move forward with their growth plans.

The new headquarters, comprising offices, specialised workshop areas and warehousing facilities, are situated on the Tarran Way Industrial Estate in Moreton, a location chosen for its accessibility to the M53 and UK motorway network.

The expansion reflects both Hoist UK and Truss UK's continued success and subsequent growth over the past 12 months, a year which has seen developments in staffing numbers, product range and a number of new contracts being obtained both in the UK and overseas.

Hoist UK is a leading distributor of the Verlinde industrial and entertainment lifting equipment range, together with utilising its in-house skills by offering complete des

UK - White Light was recently tasked with working on two separate large-scale projects at the Barbican Centre, Europe's largest performing arts venue. The Concert Hall needed a major upgrade of its moving light rig and control system whereas the Barbican Theatre required a like-for-like replacement of its current rig, whilst incorporating some additional LED lighting. WL's role was to not only provide the equipment but ensure that this would enhance the performances in each space and provide an unforgettable experience for the audience.

The Concert Hall's moving light rig has to cope with the variety of acts that frequent the space whilst also be suitable for its busy schedule, with a typical day consisting of an orchestral rehearsal followed by a corporate event followed by an evening concert.

Jason Kew, the Barbican Centre's technical supervisor who oversees all of the light

Europe - Now in their 20th year of touring with Meyer Sound systems, Dave Matthews Band (DMB) once again relied on a Leo linear large-scale sound reinforcement system for its recent 20-city tour of European arenas. As the band's system of choice since 2013, Leo is the latest in a line of Meyer Sound loudspeaker systems provided by longtime supplier Pro Media/UltraSound, dating back to DMB's first major headline tour in 1996 with an MSL-3A conventionally powered loudspeaker system.

"I find that Leo is so transparent that I can mix without worrying about problematic interactions within the system," says Jeff Thomas, veteran FOH engineer for DMB. "Rather than mixing in a defensive manner, I can focus on artistically creating the ideal tonal balance. The low-mid directional characteristics of Leo and Lyon also allow more gain before feedback and less interaction with

UK - Two new Soundcraft Si Impact digital consoles and an elaborate BSS Soundweb network have been specified and installed by Middlesex Sound & Light (MSL) at the new 650-capacity Blues Kitchen Brixton.

This is the third Blues Kitchen to be opened by the Columbo Group, following Camden and Shoreditch, but has been upspecced to take into account the higher calibre of bands that it expects to host. Brixton is also the first of the venues to feature live music on two floors.

MSL project director Darren Olivier recommended the Soundcraft Si Impacts for FOH duty on both the ground and first floors. He confirmed that the spec had been carefully discussed and agreed with Columbo Group creative director, Liam Hart, and the resident sound engineer.

"The new Si Impacts were specified to create uniformity on each floor and streamline operation by the house engineers. It also reduc

Croatia - The eighth instalment of the Outlook and Dimensions festivals took place over the last weeks of summer in Pula, Croatia. The festivals have become a highlight in the European summer calendar. The Outlook and Dimensions festivals were some of the first dance music weekend long festivals to make their home in Croatia and are now known for their amazing fort location and towering Void sound systems.

The Outlook festival dedicates itself to reggae, drum 'n' bass and jungle while Dimensions specializes in the deep end of techno, house and other electronic music.

The festivals have fostered a dedicated following of those seeking a different festival experience who make something of a pilgrimage to the events from across Europe and North America. Void Acoustics systems were found at many stages of this year's festivals. The Void stage was powered by a monstrous combination

Sweden - The Cirkus Arena in Stockholm has become the first venue to install Allen & Heath's new dLive digital mixing system.

Originally established as a circus in the 19th Century, today Cirkus is one of Stockholm's key entertainment venues, hosting concerts, conferences, TV recordings and musical shows, including visiting Broadway shows and currently, the Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus' musical, Kristina.

The venue recently expanded with the launch of a new building, the Skandia Scenen theatre, requiring all new equipment. The new dLive system was chosen because of its high bus capacity, multiple networking options, and the powerful 96kHz sampling rate.

"dLive has incredible features and operational capacity, which are ideal for use in a busy theatre. Stand out features of the system for me are the 64 buses, the 96k processing, and the 5 network card slots, which w

USA - When the CMA Awards come to Nashville, it is a multi-night event for Music City. Country music bombshell Jana Kramer performed under Bandit lighting in a spectacular rooftop concert special.

Designed by Victor Fable, Bandit provided Chauvet RH1 Hybrids, Lekos and Sunstrips for the event, giving the Whiskey crooner a striking set.

"The RH1 Hybrids were necessary to create the Night Penetrating Beam to create a ceiling of light amongst the Nashville skyline," said lighting director Andy Knighton. "The Sunstrips offered a tungsten hue for illuminating people, and was also a rather pleasing toy to provide animation and movement."

The event took place on a roof in Downtown Nashville on Broadway, one of the city's main sources of honky-tonks and live music venues. Bandit's crew worked tirelessly to transport everything necessary for the show

If you're an EDM fan and live in America's desert southwest, El Paso's Sun City Music Festival (SCMF) is likely on your summer festival calendar. Held over Labour Day Weekend (5-6 September), both attendance and production values have grown yearly since the inaugural SCMF in 2011.

This year, some 40,000 EDM music lovers flocked to Ascarate Park in southern Texas to see an eclectic mix of acts, including EDM megastars Armin van Buuren and Hardwell, perform beneath a rig that included effects from Elation Colour Chorus LED battens and Elation Platinum Series moving heads.

The man behind the SCMF production and lighting design was Andrew Gumper of production house AG Light & Sound who turned to Color Chorus 72 LED battens and Platinum Spot 35 Pro moving heads to highlight the set design and create a level of visual excitement that brought festival goers into the experience.

The Main S

UK - LD Oli Richards has delivered a sparkling performance for the exclusive One Direction London Session with Apple Music.

Filmed in front of a live audience, this band interview and performance which was scheduled to tie in with the release of new album Made in the A.M, took place amongst the semi-industrial surroundings of the 'yet to be completed' Collins Music Hall, London.

Challenged with creating a versatile installation that needed to both compliment the venue and handle the differing onstage environments of 'interview' and 'live event', LD Oli Richards chose a variety of automated heads that could keep the action looking lively whilst providing dramatic colour washes and effects across the backdrop.

Martin MAC Auras and Viper Performances were mixed with Quantum Wash and Stagebars to deliver intense, precise colour throughout the venue and stage, the Viper Pe

UK - The gaming market is undeniably a huge part of the 21st Century entertainment industry but, until now, the graphics nature of the format meant there was little crossover between it and the live entertainment sector. All that is about to change. Between October 2014 and March 2015, lighting designer Steven Douglas was busy lighting a live stage at the Backstage Centre in Purfleet and also at LH2 as part of the new Guitar Hero Live! game, which uses live action footage as the gameplay.

Douglas explains the process in more detail, "The game has been designed to break away from computer style graphic style music games and be the first to integrate live action footage as the gameplay. The player's first person perspective is that of being on stage with an audience of up to 100,000 reacting to your performance. We filmed live bands with a real audience of 200-400 extras on a

UK - d&b audiotechnik is staging a product presentation on Wednesday 9 December in The Temporary Theatre Space, (formally known as The Shed), at the National Theatre, South Bank, London. The first session will start at 11:00 and be repeated at 14:00; both will last approximately two hours.

The presentation will offer the chance to get familiar with the latest system solutions from d&b, with a focus on the new V-Series point source loudspeakers and their rigging options.

Using The Temporary Theatre Space as a room template, Steve Jones from d&b Education and Application Support will talk through the design of a suitable loudspeaker system and the benefits of the new V-Series point sources for such a space. The V7P, V10P and V-GSUB will be heard in a variety of configurations, alongside other d&b point source loudspeakers from the Y-Series and T-Series.

(Jim Evans)

USA - Each year, Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis concludes its season with Sommerfest, a month-long urban summer music festival. This year, Sommerfest also marked the unveiling of a new L-Acoustics concert sound system intended to provide reinforcement for the hall's eclectic schedule of non-orchestral performances, ranging from popular music, jazz and world music to Broadway, film music and comedy.

The 2,000-seat Orchestra Hall, opened in 1974, is home to the Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, which celebrated the 112th anniversary of its inaugural performance at the beginning of November 2015. The hall, which completed a $52m renovation in early 2014, has long been renowned for its acoustics, which were originally designed by Cyril M. Harris.

According to Joel Mooney, technical director, Minnesota Orchestra, "The acoustics are fantastic for the orchestra,

UK - The National Videogame Arcade (NVA) is designed with the twin aims of encouraging young people into the hands-on world of programming/game design and being a museum for a genre of entertainment embedded in society since the 1970s. The project demanded a highly versatile, yet simple to use, technical infrastructure. System designer / installer Rob Harris used Yamaha Commercial Installation Solutions (CIS) products to deliver a highly innovative solution.

From memories of playing Pong on a black and white television and Space Invaders in arcades to immersion in the latest online 'shoot 'em up', video gaming has been a pastime for millions for over 40 years and is an ever-expanding, multi-billion dollar business.

Created as a part of CQ Connect, a European Regional Development Fund-funded programme, the NVA is located close to Nottingham city centre and is backed by the Nott

UK - Drapes and rigging expert, Blackout, has helped transform Covent Garden Market into a Christmas wonderland through the installation of over 42 giant hanging mistletoe chandeliers.

For the past five years, Blackout has rigged the renowned bauble decorations which are famously hung from the glass roofs of the market's two main isles within Covent Garden. The decorations, produced and managed by production company Sculptivate, were redesigned for Christmas 2015 and the traditional baubles were replaced with over 40 large stems of mistletoes. There are two sizes of mistletoe, the smaller is 2.5m and weighs 90kg, the larger is 3.5m and weighs 110kg, along with 60kg mirror balls. In addition, the mistletoes are decorated with nearly 700 glowing berries, which transform each sprig of mistletoe into an impressive hanging chandelier.

Over 320m of garlands unite the chandeliers and

South Africa - The Joburg Theatre has invested in a new MA Lighting dot2 core console which was specified by technical manager Enos Ramoroko and delivered by MA's South African distributor DWR via System Solutions, the integration and installation division of the Gearhouse South Africa Group.

The Joburg Theatre Complex, (originally called the Civic Centre) was built in 1962 and has four primary performance stages presenting a lively mix - around 70 a year - of received and produced shows and performances including many famous West End and Broadway musicals.

The main Nelson Mandela Theatre already has a grandMA2 full-size console for lighting control - it was the first theatre in SA to actively adopt the platform - so when it came to choosing something for the smaller Fringe stage, it was logical to look to MA again, as everyone was happy by the power, stability and reliability

Czech Republic - The host country won its fourth Fed Cup women's tennis title in five years in the 2015 final staged at Prague's O2 Arena in front of a capacity 14,500 audience and Robe was one of six sponsors.

Robe moving lights were also used for the high energy Opening Ceremony (OC) spectacular show designed by Milan 'Mejla' Fronek from Lightneq, which prepared everyone for plenty of on-court excitement to follow. The installation and technical support was co-ordinated by Prague-based AV Media.

Milan has created high impact lighting schemes for numerous other top sporting events including the World Ice Hockey Championships held in the Czech Republic in May, the Sochi Olympic Park installation at Letna Park, Prague, during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and for the award-winning Czech House during the 2012 London Olympics.

For the Fed Cup final, Milan had some of Robe's ne

UK - One of Scotland's oldest and most renowned theatres The Pavilion in Glasgow has invested £100,000 to bring high quality audio to the many comedy, music and variety performances it hosts. Working with leading pro-audio partner The Warehouse Sound Services Ltd, The Pavilion chose to invest in a cutting edge d&b audiotechnik sound system. The system is one of the most advanced on the market.

The Pavilion's management team recently restored the theatre's exterior revamping the stonework outside the theatre and incorporating a coloured light installation. Last year, the owners also made a significant investment in upgrading the interior.

To complete the upgrade, an overhaul of The Pavilion's 20-year-old sound system was required. Iain Gordon, general manager of The Pavilion contracted long-term audio partners The Warehouse Sound Services to design, supply and commission

The Netherlands - Astera has appointed Keylight as the dealer of Astera's wireless event lights in The Netherlands. Keylight, a leading Dutch sales and rental company, has been specialising in providing professional wireless LED solutions to venues and events since 2012.

Commenting on the dealership, Gary Yates, lighting designer and owner of Keylight, said, "As a company specialised in wireless lighting, the Astera products are a great addition to our wireless collection. We love the way Astera's products are thought through in every detail, and made very accessible and consumer-friendly by the ease in control from the AsteraApp. In The Netherlands, these products will appeal to a wide spectrum of users from AV vendors, event organisers to wedding planners and caterers."

Sales & marketing director at Astera, Sebastian Bückle, adds: "We are expanding our Europe

UK / France - The terrorist attacks in Paris last Friday left deep scars across the city and will have a significant impact on British events' outlook, and budgets, too.

Home Secretary Theresa May confirmed that security is to be 'intensified' at events in major cities and the England vs France friendly at Wembley was a first example, armed police bringing reassurance to a telling show of unity in the face of extremism.

David Boswell, managing director of TSG Policing, suggests the solution for the greater event model should be multi-agency, so costs can be contained while all parties play to their strengths.

"The Paris incidents showed a horrific disregard for human life and the values we as a nation stand for," Boswell says. "Letting the public know they are safe at events is the priority now, highlighting the fact that these are not soft targets for terrori

Bulgaria - Located in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, the new Kolodruma Velodrome and multifunctional indoor arena is the only indoor velodrome in Bulgaria and the largest in the Balkans.

The designer of Kolodruma is the Dutch architect, Sander Douma, creator of some of the largest velodromes in Europe, the most notable in Athens, Monte Carlo, Palma de Majorca, and Manchester. In addition to cycling, the arena can host 22 other sports and operates as a concert venue. It has a seating capacity of 4,800 to 7,500 spectators, depending on its use and configuration. The complex also has large underground car parking, a modern press centre, dressing rooms, coaching facilities, a sports and recreational centre, restaurants and a large retail store for a wide variety of sports merchandise.

The audio systems for Kolodruma velodrome were designed and installed by ProAudio Ltd. Stanislav Petrov, mana

UK - A new series of BBC Three's Live from the BBC began filming last weekend at Broadcasting House. Filmed in front of a live audience, the show is designed to showcase some of the Industry's latest talent including James Acaster, Dane Baptiste, Sofie Hagen, Adam Hess, Tez Ilyas, Nish Kumar, and Felicity Ward.

Martin Kempton is the lighting designer, with equipment provided by RML (Richard Martin Lighting). He has chosen to use Pixel Par's, Stage Bar 54's, X1TC Battens and a Followspot.

"I needed a range of flicker-free LED fixtures that I could use along with the lights that are built in to this unique venue," says Martin. "The production brief was to create a warm, sophisticated look that was not 'light entertainment' but enhanced the beautiful art deco architecture of the room. We had very little time to rig so it was essential that the kit was reliab

UK - Celebrating UNESCO's International Year of Light, a new festival of light and sound art - Enlighten Manchester - is set to bring a programme of world premieres, award-winning installations and international artists to the city.

From 10-12 December contemporary artists will transform the public spaces inside Manchester Central Library and The Bridgewater Hall, offering visitors an immersive, cultural celebration amidst the festive hustle and bustle.

Visitors' imaginations will be sparked by birds soaring across piano strings to create musical scores; a chandelier of sparkling earrings and a cutting edge sound and light installation that is felt not seen. With more than 15 installations, performances and talks confirmed - many of them free - the festival will be a vibrant hot bed of light, sound and literature, say the organisers.

Confirmed artists include award-wi

Europe - Icelandic band Mezzoforte have been delighting fans on recent tour dates with the superb sound of their instruments, in particular brass and drums, which have been amplified with a selection of DPA microphones.

"People were raving about the overall sound of the band, in particular the drums and sax," says Mezzoforte sound engineer Joost Bullens, who has been working with the band for the past 11 years. "We used DPA d:dicate 2011C Twin Diaphragm Cardioid Microphones as overheads and d:vote 4099 Instrument Microphones for the live brass and drum set-ups. The sound they delivered was exceptional - really natural and precise."

Widely regarded as one of Europe's most important fusion bands, Mezzoforte had its first hit, Garden Party, in 1983 and has gone on to build a devoted fan base in both Europe and Asia. The band has had a long history of st

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