USA - “The ability to work fast and sometimes furiously is imperative,” explains lighting designer Tom Kenny referring to the 2023 iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina event staged at the Kaseya Arena in Miami, Florida, in conjunction with LPS Production.
This year, Tom worked his creative magic with the help of a large rig of over 200 Robe moving lights supplied by rental specialist LPS Production, also based in Miami. This included 62 MegaPointes, 77 Tetra2s, 10 Tetra1s, 58 Spiiders, 16 BMFL Blades and an eight-way RoboSpot system with five BMFL Blade and three BMFL FollowSpots.
Maximising the features and multifunctionality of these powerful Robe products, Tom ensured that the line-up of Latin stars - Ricardo Montaner, Fonseca, Servando y Florentino, Luis Figueroa, GALE, Menudo, Chayanne and others - all looked good onstage as they lit up with the vibrance and dynamics of

UK - Fatboy Slim appeared in the one of the world’s biggest holographic performances at London’s Alexandra Palace where 12 Claypaky Skylos searchlights scanned the sky and drew much attention.
As part of EE’s rebranding, Fatboy Slim’s performance in October was projected outside Alexandra Palace onto a 50m high holographic screen - as tall as the Leaning Tower of Pisa - as fans danced to the DJ’s hit track, Praise You. The event, produced by Saatchi and Really Creative Media, was livestreamed on EE’s Instagram.
Mobile phone network EE has been the UK’s biggest and fastest mobile network for more than a decade. Now the company is broadening its horizons from traditional telecommunications.
“For the headline-making event, we needed to draw focus from far and wide across London,” says Benjamin Cash, lighting designer with Flare Lighting.

South Africa - Aaron King from Crotchet Music is an audio engineer renowned for his work in gospel music. He is now the owner of a DiGiCo Quantum 225 Digital Console, complete with a Waves upgrade purchased from DWR Distribution, with more upgrades in the pipeline.
"We've been discussing this investment for quite some time," says Kyle Robson from DWR Distribution. "When it comes to emerging technology, it's truly remarkable to witness Aaron enthusiastically embrace it. He's always on the lookout for the latest advancements, such as being the first in South Africa to purchase a KLANG:konductor earlier this year.”
Achieving success has been a slow but consistent journey. "My interest in audio dates back to high school," Aaron reflects, mentioning his upbringing in a church environment where he gained insights into the technical aspects. Despite studying accounting, he

South Korea - Situated in the vibrant and ever-evolving metropolis of Seoul, Vive Studios specialises in visual AI-based metaverse content, ‘leveraging cutting-edge technologies to shape the future of virtual production, virtual humans, hyper-realistic immersive content, and CGI’. Part of its offering is a 1,200sq.m Virtual Production facility featuring a large LED wall powered by Brompton Technology LED processing.
According to CEO Stanley Kim: “Vive Studios has forged collaborations with prominent partners spanning diverse industry sectors, including entertainment, automotive, e-commerce, gaming, government, and more.” The VP studio empowers clients to unleash the full spectrum of their creativity during shooting sessions. Moreover, the company offers its exclusive virtual production integrated operational solution, meticulously designed for auto lens calibration,

UK - Martin Audio partners, Sussex Events, recently fielded their Torus 8 constant curvature hybrid PA for the launch of this year’s Turner Prize.
The event took place at the Towner Eastbourne, as part of the art gallery’s centenary celebrations (Towner 100) and Turner Prize's four shortlisted artists were introduced. This was followed by a party, with local DJs pumping music out until well into the night.
This may not have chimed with local residents, nor with the organisers of the world’s leading prize for contemporary art, had it not been for the tight focus of the Torus 8, paired with the cardioid properties of the SXC118 subwoofers, and the expertise of Sussex Events, led by partners Bob Watson and Adam Briggs.
Set up in 2012, the production company supported Martin Audio solutions virtually from the get-go, working through successive generations of pr

Hungary - Lightware Visual Engineering has started its move to a new corporate facility - Hungária Office Park (HOP) in Budapest.
In the HOP, major technology sector corporations such as Siemens, TÜV Rheinland, and TK Elevator have been operating, and Lightware now joins this operational entity.
The history of Lightware began at its former headquarters in 1998, located in downtown Budapest. Over the past 25 years, the company has evolved to become the largest AV manufacturer in Europe.
Due to the persistent growth of the company, Lightware decided to move to a larger office to create more space and capacity for creativity and handling workload even more effectively.
The handover process of the new 7,000sq.m office building began in September 2023, with the relocation of the manufacturing and the logistics departments.
Lightware used to operate its

Europe - Following a record-breaking 2023 ride, BikeFest returns to Spain for the third year from 26-28 January 2024, cycling 360km towards ISE in Barcelona. Last year, the BikeFest team raised an incredible £50,000 for industry charity Backup Tech, and they hope to go even further this year.
Organised by PLASA, #WeMakeEvents and AFIAL, BikeFest is seeking new members to join them for the upcoming ride, as well as sponsors who are interested in aligning with important industry values.
The three-day route will begin in Valencia and travel along the stunning Mediterranean coast via Peñiscola and Salou toward Barcelona. Once at ISE, the BikeFest team will be presented with their medals at a drinks reception, where they can celebrate their achievement.
Team members will receive meals and accommodation as part of the entry fee. Plus, a support vehicle will on-hand

USA - “Colour has always been a huge part of our design process,” says Dayne deHaven of the work that he and his collaborator at the District 5 design studio, Tyler Shapard, have been doing for rock-pop trio The Band Camino.
Ironically, on the band’s recently concluded 25-date tour, the show begins in virtual darkness, as eerie electronic sounds resonate over a blacked-out stage. That’s only fitting, since the tour was called Screaming in the Dark, a nod to the group’s latest hit album The Dark.
However, once the band breaks into Afraid of the Dark the first tune in their 30-song set, colour reigns again in all of its powerful mood-making glory; this time, with help from some distinctive UV flourishes. Starting off slowly, with no front lighting, deHaven and Shapard, along with touring LD Alec Molinaro and light tech Sean Mines, build a

The Netherlands - Ryan Schaminee is a Netherlands-based freelance gaffer and lighting board operator who also works internationally on a wide variety of commercial, television and some film projects, utilising various Astera products almost every day.
He finds the Astera ranges reliable, highly flexible and appreciates the great quality of light, all attributes that assist him in thinking quickly and laterally to come up with inventive and cool looking lighting solutions that are spot on.
For a recent commercial shoot for Versuni - home to some of the world best known and domestic appliance brands - Astera HydraPanels enabled Ryan to do just this.
He needed to back-light a large 2m-high by 4m-wide cabinet structure which was built in Westerpark Studio, Amsterdam to showcase an impressive array of awards that have been won by various Versuni brands. The cabinet wa

Denmark - Arvid Müller's Charles Tante, the perennial favourite classic Danish comedy film based on the 1892 play Charley’s Aunt by Brandon Thomas, has been reborn as a new stage musical by Mads Æbeløe Nielsen, Nikolaj Tarp, Claus Reenberg and Rob Hartmann.
Set in the year 1900 and performed in the classic environs of Denmark’s Fredericia Musicalteater, the production ran from 15 September to 15 October 2023, under Per Toft Lehmann’s skilfully designed lighting, which blended the subject matter and its location perfectly.
Incorporated into Lehmann’s rig were 20 Ayrton Diablo S profiles chosen for their versatility and compact dimensions.
“The Fredericia Musicalteater is a classic, old-school venue with fly bars, red curtains and traditional seating and facilities, so we had to be careful in our choice of fixtures,” he explains. “We

Germany - Movecat, specialist in the field of stage automation technology, has announced its change of name to Moveket.
This decision is a direct response to the continuously increasing worldwide demand for stage automation solutions with the highest safety standards in the entertainment sector, says the company. The resulting global expansion of Moveket GmbH has led to increasing trademark challenges, which have been resolved by the change of name.
The suffix ket in the new company name stands for Kinetic Entertainment Technologies.
"The change of name is an important step in our strategic development. It underlines our commitment to first-class products, services and future product innovations that meet the ever-growing demands of our customers," says Peter Streicher, managing director of Moveket GmbH.
“Moveket remains true to its values and will conti

Germany - NicLen has expanded its rental park by acquiring the Astra Hybrid330. Provided by Lightpower, the official Prolights distributor in Germany, this hybrid LED moving head offers a versatile range of applications and effects, establishing itself as the latest multifunctional moving head of choice for the German rental company.
Jörg Stöppler, CEO of NicLen, comments: “It’s not that easy to find a professional ‘daily workhorse’ that has a wide range of applications and effects and doesn’t overstretch your budget.”
The Astra Hybrid330 from Prolights was chosen for its powerful 330 Watt LED source, CMY colour mixing, and a versatile zoom range of 3.5° to 52°.
Stöppler adds: “The combination of high light output, compact size, and versatility convinced us to include the Astra Hybrid330 in our inventory. This moving head can produce powerful

Spain - The Medusa festival offers a DJ line up from all around the world embracing a lively mix of dance genres in a seaside location at Cullera beach in Valencia by the mouth of the Jucar River. The 2023 event was enjoyed by over 250,000 people across six days of sun, smiles and superlative music.
This year’s main stage production and lighting design by Eduardo Valverde and a team from his design studio Experiencias Visuales (EV) included 72 MegaPointes and 12 BMFL WashBeams. These lights were at the heart of a spectacular visual environment created for this key area of the festival, which featured five stages of entertainment action.
It was EV’s first time designing the Main Stage for the event organisers, Andreu Piqueras and Javier Crecente, and the setting was evolved working closely with Brok Décor who co-ordinated the construction and setup of the impressi

UK - A zactrack PRO system is integrated with the lighting and sound control for Nicholas Hytner’s acclaimed stage production of Guys and Dolls, currently running at the Bridge Theatre in London.
Bunny Christie’s innovative staging concept and Paule Constable’s provocative lighting has transformed the theatre’s auditorium into a promenade environment, complete with 14 stage lifts which are utilised throughout for the show to denote different locations - bars, clubs, lounges, street corners, etc. - as the cast conveys the serious 1950s New York hustle.
The audience is positioned in different positions surrounding all the action and Paule’s associate Rob Casey explained that to key light all these characters effectively in this created space, they needed around eight follow spots that could reach multiple positions. Given these circumstances and the exce

UK - Held over two days at the Business Design Centre, LiGHT 23 - the trade show dedicated to lighting specification - saw a 43% increase in attendees from its launch event last year - closing its doors to ‘a buzz of positivity’.
The design community came out in force to support the show - with 4,776 attendees passing through the doors to see the latest offerings from more than 150 international lighting brands and engage with 22 talks and presentations from design experts working with light, all while making new industry connections through various networking opportunities.
Attended by a broad mix of designers working in architecture, interiors, lighting, and product design, as well as engineers, end-users, and specifiers, LiGHT 23 saw several new features introduced this year.
A particular highlight included the new darc space decorative area, which saw hig

Europe - Showlight has confirmed that it is back and will return ‘soon’. Following the enforced postponement of Showlight 2023 and a bumpy ride during the pandemic, the committee has reassembled and is working towards the next in the series of this industry networking event.
The Showlight committee is currently exploring new locations and actively seeking sponsorship for the next Showlight, the date and location of which will be confirmed in the New Year.
Many experienced committee members are joined by a flush of new members in organising what promises to be one of the most exciting issues of this quadrennial to date.
Incoming Showlight chairman, Jim Tetlow, who has moved from his previous position as papers chairman, says: “We are truly excited that Showlight is back with such energy and cannot wait to bring our delegates a fantastic programme of papers

Spain - ETC distributor Stonex has announced the addition of the Hog 4 line of consoles to its portfolio. The announcement establishes Stonex as a key player in the distribution of the Hog product family in Spain.
With over four decades dedicated to professional lighting and stage engineering, Stonex will distribute the full range of the Hog 4 line including the Hog 4-18, Full Boar 4, Road Hog 4-21, HedgeHog 4X and more.
Marketing & commercial director at Stonex Paloma Expósito says: “One of the highlights of this collaboration is ETC's ongoing commitment to improving Hog console technology. Since 1994, Stonex has been an ETC distributor in Spain, combining its experience in the sector over the years.
“The entertainment industry is constantly undergoing significant transformation, with a growing demand for technologies that are not only efficient but als

UK - Creamfields festival has announced a new 30,000-capacity indoor main stage for Creamfields festival, set to become the largest indoor festival superstructure in the world according to the promoter.
The new stage, Apex, will extend the main stage opening until 4am on Saturday for the first time and will offer an additional main stage destination on Friday. The four-day Creamfields will take place on August Bank Holiday (22-25 August) next year in Daresbury, Cheshire. The line-up is still to be announced.

USA - SPH Engineering will announce the winners of the 4th International Drone Show Competition at LDI on 4 December at 6:15 pm at the Las Vegas Convention Centre during the LDI 2023 Expo.
In partnership with Sky Elements, SPH Engineering will host a Drone Show, showcasing the outstanding achievements of the Drone Show Competition. The evening will also feature an Award Ceremony, recognising and rewarding the exceptional participants of the competition.
The 4th International Drone Show Competition marks the culmination of a year filled with innovation in the drone show industry. Alexander Levandovskiy, head of drone show technologies at SPH Engineering, stated: "Our mission is clear: to unite the brightest minds from around the globe, showcase their mesmerizing drone shows, and foster a sense of the drone show community. This year, we are proud to extend the competitio

UK - Polar recently enjoyed a successful demonstration of HK Audio products at Com Church in Dunstable. Visitors witnessed live demos of the HK Cosmo line array as well as the brand’s Linear 5 MKII and Linear 9 systems.
Polar’s dedicated Pro Audio division, led by Andy Plunkett, staged the event in conjunction with Remedy Sound Limited, who assisted with the setup. This well-received demo day follows on from Polar’s roadshow events earlier in the year, and according to Andy Plunkett will be the first of many more in 2024.
“One of the main reasons that we decided to form a dedicated Pro Audio division within Polar is to facilitate customer engagement with our premium brands,” says Plunkett. “It's obviously vital to demonstrate high-performance loudspeaker technology; now that we have more capacity to do this across the UK, we’re planning more organised eve

UK - PLASA recently hosted the 2023 Member AGM at the Victory Services Club in London, for an afternoon of friendly networking and business insights.
PLASA chair Adam Blaxill kicked off proceedings by sharing the association’s activities and plans. Plus, new board members and board positions were announced.
Following the official AGM, attendees enjoyed a virtual presentation from renowned behavioural economist, Roger Martin-Fagg. During which, Roger detailed the current economic position of the UK and provided his expert financial forecast for the year ahead.
Then record-breaking mountaineer Kenton Cool took to the stage for an invigorating talk in which he shared harrowing stories of survival and unbelievable feats.
To round off the event, members and guests enjoyed drinks and canapes into the evening, sharing industry experiences and anecdotes.
PL

UK - Nestled in the heart of East Belfast, Banana Block, a captivating community space, made its debut in October 2021 as a part of an extensive neighbourhood revitalisation initiative. A thriving ecosystem of local talents and diverse activities, this dynamic venue stands as a living testament to the area's storied past.
From hosting a plant shop and bakery to a record shop, mind hacks, mushroom growers, salsa classes and animal foods, Banana Block's day-to-day operations buzz with energy. However, its versatility goes beyond daily activities, as it plays a pivotal role in East Belfast's artistic and entertainment scene. The venue regularly welcomes various events, including art exhibitions, comedy nights, live performances and even parties that attract hundreds of people from near and far.
Conleth McGillan, production and programming manager behind Banana Block share

South Africa - Norwood Productions, a technical supply company based in Johannesburg, has announced the recent acquisition of Absen NT2.9 panels. This development significantly enhances their capacity to provide LED panel solutions, particularly catering to larger venues such as the prestigious Sandton Convention Centre.
Chris Norwood, owner of Norwood Productions, had already integrated Absen NT2.9 panels into the company's inventory during a strategic acquisition in August. Now, in November, an additional influx of these hardworking units has been warmly welcomed, thanks to a collaboration with DWR Distribution. Anticipating continued growth, more shipments are expected in the coming months.
"Our stock is growing rapidly and is pushing us to the next level," says Chris Norwood. "Before we could cater for up to four hundred people but now we can supply the much larger

Europe - Italian manufacturer Prolights has chosen Brompton LED processing for its recently introduced KappaPix LED screen series. Designed for virtual production and XR applications in the film and television industry, the KappaPix series serves as Prolights' flagship LED screen.
“Our Film & TV division has consistently proven to be one of the most successful units within our organisation,” says Fabio Sorabella, managing director of Prolights. “Over the years, we've solidified our presence on some of the world's most prestigious stages and studios, primarily through our comprehensive range of ECL lighting fixtures. Expanding our video product line to include specialised LED screens was the natural next step to meet the elevated standards of the XR and virtual production sectors."
The KappaPix series boasts a 2.6mm pixel pitch and is meticulously crafted to m

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