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02 August 2024

Australia - CAST Group of Companies has announced CMI as the exclusive distributor of BlackTrax in Australia and New Zealand.

"We are excited to extend our partnership with CMI and expand the reach of BlackTrax in Australia and New Zealand. With a strong track record in pro-audio distribution, CMI is an ideal partner to propel BlackTrax in the region," said Dekkar Densham, global sales director for CAST Group Inc.

"With the successful launch of BT-1 last year, designed to bridge a crucial gap, offering a compact and cost-effective tracking solution, we are dedicated to advancing breakthroughs in tracking technology. We believe that CMI’s expertise, market presence, and client support will significantly contribute to its success in the live event and entertainment industries."

Lee Stevens, national business development manager for CMI adds,

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02 August 2024

UK - 22live and University of Birmingham, with support from DPA Microphones, is hosting a Mic Tech workshop, in the Bramall Music Building’s Elgar concert hall on 18 September 2024, 10:30-16:00.

DPA Microphones will lead the event, sharing their expertise in microphone technology and placement. Attendees will gain valuable knowledge in an area that is both crucial for live sound reproduction, and often overlooked.

The workshop will be divided into two sessions: Morning Session: Microphone Technology will feature product functionality, including different types of capsules and coverage patterns, and why specific microphones are better suited for certain applications. The Afternoon Session will focus on microphone techniques.

Participants will benefit from the newly installed d&b audiotechnik T Series PA system in the Elgar concert hall w

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01 August 2024

Europe - Turkey is a thriving market, especially for Luci Della Ribalta (LDR) which, thanks to the synergy with distributor Atempo, has managed to create a strong foothold in the country and for LDR products to be chosen for a number of prestigious installations in recent years.

These include the Cultural and Artistic Centre of the 100th Anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye in the Etimesgut Municipality, a multifunctional cultural centre where as many 70 units of LDR's Nota PC 1200 have been installed thanks to Atempo.

Most recently, Atempo has concluded work on the State Theatres – Sehitkamil Stage project, located in Gaziantep, where 24 LDR Alba PC250 W 3200K, and 48 LDR Arpa PC150 3200K LED luminaires have been chosen and installed.

The project was designed by Atempo and construction of the building began in 2021. The project was orig

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01 August 2024

USA - The Adam Hall Group is further expanding its international sales network with the appointment of ATS-Pro as the exclusive distributor for its lighting brand, Cameo.

ATS-Pro is a division of Activate The Space. Under the leadership of CEO Christopher Pelzar, ATS-Pro focuses on the distribution of LED lighting fixtures. “Professional lighting technology – along with how it’s used – spans many areas, and the American market expects quality products and first-class service,” says Pelzar. “With the combination of Cameo lighting solutions and the excellent support from ATS-Pro, Cameo will stand out from the competition in all targeted verticals.”

Markus Jahnel, COO of Adam Hall Group, adds: “We are delighted to have found an experienced distribution partner for Cameo in ATS-Pro. Christopher Pelzar and his team have been familiar with

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31 July 2024

USA - TAIT Group companies productionglue and Thinkwell will now be operating within a singular TAIT brand identity.

“TAIT has always pushed the boundaries of storytelling. With the creative and producing capabilities of Thinkwell and productionglue, we are offering an unmatched depth and breadth of skill to our partners,” said Adam Davis, chief executive officer, TAIT. “We bring a legacy of innovation and a desire to solve impossible problems. Solidifying this singular brand represents a fusion of creativity and technology, which provides unparalleled possibilities for our partners.”

“Our new brand identity is a reflection of the deep expertise and strength of our unified TAIT organisation, consisting of the most exceptionally skilled professionals in the business,” said Jennifer Kurland, chief brand officer, TAIT. “Representing TAIT a

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30 July 2024

UK - The countdown is on for the 2024 PLASA Awards for Innovation, with the early bird submission deadline fast approaching. Industry innovators are encouraged to enter their groundbreaking products by Friday, 2 August, to benefit from a 20% discount on the entry fee.

In partnership with LSi, the PLASA Awards celebrate products that exemplify new thinking, enhance technical practice or safety, introduce novel materials or techniques, or offer new commercial advantages within the live entertainment technology sector.

An independent panel of industry experts will evaluate each entry, with up to eight awards available. One of these may be elevated to the prestigious Gold Award, recognising an outstanding new product. All nominated products will be prominently featured in the Innovation Gallery at the heart of the PLASA Show floor and in

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30 July 2024

UK - John Simpson was a force to be reckoned with, a passionate collaborator and true pioneer of the theatre industry. Chair of Backup from 2016 to 2022, John improved the lives of many through his hard work and tireless dedication to the theatrical industry.

The Backup trustees are gratefully announcing that this dedication has continued after his death with a generous legacy bequeathed to Backup. Through this gift, John has enabled Backup to move forward confidently into 2025 and beyond, safe in the knowledge that technicians in need will continue be able to count on their support. John’s generosity will also enable more training to take place, furthering the reach of Backup’s support network and bettering the lives of even more people throughout the industry and beyond.

John worked tirelessly for over 50 years in theatre. His interest was form

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30 July 2024

UAE - Creative Technology APAC has recently increased its stock of Ayrton fixtures, adding 30 Argo 6 Wash fixtures to its existing inventory of Ayrton Diablo LED profiles.

The general manager Marcus Lim explains why the company decided to invest in Argo 6 Wash: “We were looking to expand our stock of wash fixtures with an IP65 rated unit and, after some internal evaluation against other similar products, we found that Argo 6 Wash was the best fit for our market segment. It’s a good all round wash light, with an added plus point of offering a pixel map option. We also like the weight, size, lumen output, and of course the IP rating.

“In addition to this, we have a long working relationship with the local distributor for Ayrton, Total Solution Marketing, and we know we can rely on their service and support over the lifetime of the products.”

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30 July 2024

Portugal - Europalco has announced a significant expansion of its facilities. The acquisition of an adjacent 18,000m² land increases Europalco's total operational area to 42,000m², nearly doubling the current space and extending the perimeter to almost 1 kilometre.

"This major step reflects our continued commitment to growth and innovation," said Pedro Magalhães, CEO of Europalco. "The expansion will allow us to double the capacity of our main warehouse from 4,000m² to 8,000m², creating 12,000m² of storage space. This increase will significantly optimise logistics, improve production capacity, and further modernise and streamline our facilities."

Magalhães continued, "Throughout our 27-year history, the dedication and hard work of our exceptional team have driven Europalco's success. Every employee has played a vital role in our continued grow

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29 July 2024

Europe - ETC has announced the launch of season two of its podcast series, On Headset. Offering a glimpse into the fascinating realm of theatrical lighting design, this immersive audio experience invites listeners to join real-time programming sessions with renowned lighting designers as they craft the visual magic of major productions.

In season two, also known as The Paule Project, listeners will embark on an educational journey with internationally acclaimed lighting designer Paule Constable and programmer Will Frost, as they share lightly curated recordings of headset conversations during the tech rehearsals of the National Theatre's production of The Normal Heart. This i play, depicting the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis in New York, serves as a perfect case study in theatrical lighting, providing valuable insights into the creative pr

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29 July 2024

Indonesia - Meyer Sound has announced a new distributor in the growing Indonesian market. PT Promedia Sejahtera Raya, a newly formed entity, will exclusively represent Meyer Sound in Indonesia, bringing their professional audio and cinema products to the region.

This new entity is a collaboration between PT Promedia Innovative Solution, a prominent player in Indonesia’s pro audio market, and Sejahtera Raya Group (Cinema 21), Indonesia’s largest cinema chain with 1,300 cinemas nationwide.

“We are excited to announce this new distributor in Indonesia,” says John McMahon, Meyer Sound’s senior vice president. “After meeting with Yosua and his team at InfoComm, we knew this partnership would be instrumental in expanding the Meyer Sound brand in this dynamic market. The road ahead will have many opportunities for product launches, demos, traini

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26 July 2024

UK - HearAngel (a LimitEar company) and Sonical have announced a software licensing agreement to integrate the HearAngel smart hearing safeguarding solution into Sonical’s CosmOS operating system for headphones. This collaboration allows manufacturers using the Sonical platform to offer hearing safeguarding either as a standard feature or user option.

Stephen Wheatley, CEO of HearAngel, stated, “CosmOS is enabling the next generation of headphone platform, allowing for personalised and updated devices through downloadable cloud apps. The functionality needed from your headphones can now be changed anytime based on preferences and usage.”

Gary Spittle, CEO of Sonical, added, “Hearing safeguarding is increasingly important, with extended listening at high volumes potentially causing permanent hearing damage. HearAngel provides easy-to-use infor

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26 July 2024

Europe - Chainmaster has announced a new partnership with menzi ebz, a leading Swiss company specialising in lighting and lighting control systems.

Marco Menzi, CEO of Menzi EBZ, comments, "We have been specialising in lighting and lighting control systems for many years. However, we lacked the right partners to enter the rigging business. We are extremely proud and excited to represent Chainmaster, the number one in Switzerland for chain hoists.

“We are also aware of the high standards Chainmaster and our customers expect in terms of consulting and support. Therefore, it is only logical that we will strengthen our team with product specialists and look forward to welcoming new employees to our team soon."

Benjamin Göldner, vice president stage of the Liftket Group, adds: "This partnership with menzi ebz is a significant step for Chainmast

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25 July 2024

Benelux - LSC Control Systems has announced the appointment of Controllux as its new exclusive distribution partner for the Benelux region (Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg). The Australian manufacturer, which was acquired by Czech Republic-based Robe earlier this year, has been designing and manufacturing innovative lighting and power control solutions for more than four decades.

Controllux is a long-established and well-respected presence in the Benelux region’s entertainment market. A full-system integrator and distributor, it represents a broad range of professional lighting brands including Robe, ETC, Astera, ARRI and Prolyte. Operating across the theatre, television & film, entertainment and architectural lighting markets, the company has become a one-stop source for professional lighting expertise and systems integration solutions.

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25 July 2024

Europe - Neg Earth Lights has announced their partnership with British Ukrainian Aid (BUA), a UK registered charity. As part of their ongoing commitment to giving back, Neg Earth will be donating a truck through the donation scheme to support the work of this charity.

Since it was permitted from 15 March, British Ukrainian Aid (BUA) is operating the donation scheme with Transport for London (TfL) to donate vehicles to Ukraine through the ULEZ programme, where they would be used for medical and humanitarian purposes.

“Whilst Neg Earth Lights is not eligible for the for the scrappage scheme, they have decided to purely donate a vehicle through the charity,” says the company. “The donated vehicle is a Renault 16T rigid truck, the first of its kind to be contributed through this scheme.

“Our truck’s journey so far has been an adventurou

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23 July 2024

Europe - Showlight 2025 has sparked considerable interest. The papers committee is meeting to discuss the first raft of papers submissions for the central programme, the first sponsors are already signed up and visible on the Showlight website (www.showlight.org/our-sponsors), and 60% of the exhibition spaces have already been sold.

If you want to become part of Showlight 2025 as an exhibitor, don’t delay in contacting us to secure your space.

The exhibition area is the place to meet lighting designers, directors and delegates across all disciplines, in a relaxed and informal atmosphere, at morning, afternoon and lunchtime breaks. These breaks are a key part of Showlight’s networking opportunities and allow much closer contact with entertainment lighting users and specifiers than any of the lar

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23 July 2024

Switzerland - Netherlands-based comms brand Green-GO has announced the appointment of Electric Claudio Merlo Lighting Equipment S.A. (ECMS.A.) as its new exclusive distributor for Switzerland. With this development, which follows the appointment last year of ECM S.A. as the Swiss distributor for Green-GO’s sister-brand ELC, both brands from ELC Lighting have now joined the sales portfolio of ECM S.A.

Based in the southern Swiss Canton of Ticino, ECM S.A. was founded in 1971 by Claudio Merlo. The company first established itself in the booming discotheque market as a supplier of popular lighting brands, including Coemar and Optikinetics. However, it later developed to serve Switzerland’s professional entertainment markets, particularly theatres and TV studios, providing world-renowned brands such as ETC, Arri, Claypaky, Robert Juliat and more recently, EL

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23 July 2024

UAE - Dubai-based Spectrum Entertainment Services LLC has been an advocate of Ayrton lighting fixtures since its first investment in 2022 when it started building its stock with 100 Ayrton Cobra, 50 MagicBlade FX and 24 Zonda 9 FX units.

“The Cobra was an absolute must, especially for our outdoor events, in areas like AlUla in Saudi Arabia,” says Spectrum Entertainment Services LLC lighting designer, Andre Westraad. “The harsh outdoor conditions can be very tough on fixtures and we needed a solution that can handle all of the elements, plus being very bright and versatile at the same time.

“This year we began a search for a replacement for our workhorse profile fixtures. We also needed an upgrade in our LED Wash area as well. We had to keep in mind we need a product that is not just IP rated, but can take the punch when installed outside for

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23 July 2024

Cleanfields – Dance music festival Creamfields has drawn up plans to massively reduce its impact on the environment. Festival organisers said its comprehensive three-year ‘Cleanfields’ plan will help to preserve its 600-acre site in Daresbury, Cheshire. They said the "primary goal" was to encourage attendees to "adopt more environmentally responsible habits" to ensure the site remains "clean and vibrant". A representative said the "call to action" would encourage the "entire dance music community [to] come together, enjoy the music and make a positive impact on our planet".

The festival is due to take place across the August bank holiday weekend and will see a host of acts perform, including headliners Calvin Harris, Armin Van Buuren, Chase & Status and Alesso. The event's representative said it was working with sustainability impact agency Bettern

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19 July 2024

UK - The panel topics and first speakers at Vision: 2025’s Sustainable Events Summit (SES) have been confirmed, returning to the Showman’s Show for its ninth edition, on Wednesday 23 October 2024.

Supported by title sponsor Festival Republic and hosted by The Showman’s Show, the action-focused summit will present the latest research, tools and knowledge, and brings together leading outdoor event organisers, local authorities, suppliers, and sustainability experts, to shape the future of climate action in the industry - this summit will include roundtables on sector strategy for 2030.

The SES 24 morning is an invitation-only industry roundtable session, where green leaders will focus on national policy priorities and sector strategy. A sustainable lunch is being supplied by Eat to The Beat, which will frame later conversations around food impact

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18 July 2024

Canada - CAST Group, creators of Wysiwyg design software, has announced all training resources available through the CAST Academy are now free for all, effective immediately.

"We believe that the key to innovation and progress lies in education," said David Ferraz, international business development manager. By making our Academy training resources free, we are ensuring that everyone can master their skills and excel in lighting design. Our goal is to support the design community in reaching their highest potential."

The CAST Academy offers a comprehensive library of training videos designed to cater to users of all skill levels as well as webinars from professional lighting designers such as Tim Routledge, Durham Marenghi, and John Rayment.

"We are always listening to our users and striving to enhance their experience with our software," Dav

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17 July 2024

MENA - DirectOut has announced Beamcast as its official distributor for the broadcast market in the Middle East and North Africa.

“We have had excellent relationships with many system integrators in the region for years, yet we have consistently struggled to secure a permanent distributor capable of enhancing the region's knowledge of our audio solutions for broadcast,” states Lorenzo Sassi, business development manager at DirectOut. “With Beamcast, we now have a partner who not only understands the market, but also the technologies we support, and how to match them with the needs of the customers.”

Beamcast will now offer comprehensive support and training services. This includes seminars, provision of demo and loan equipment, and the ability to ship products directly from a regional warehouse in the Middle East. This will enable DirectOut t

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17 July 2024

Canada - Bluesound Professional has announced the addition of two new distribution partners in South America and Scandinavia. Joining the network are ZRS Distribuidora in Brazil and Exton in Iceland.

“We are thrilled to welcome ZRS Distibuidora and Exton to the Bluesound Professional team as industry leaders in their respective markets,” says Graeme Harrison, vice-president and general manager of Bluesound Professional. “Both of these strategic relationships will further help us to expand our innovative streaming audio solutions in new influential markets across the globe, while Bluesound Professional continues to gain a noteworthy reputation in commercial spaces.”

Since the brand’s launch at the Integrated Systems Europe 2019 trade show, Bluesound Professional has expanded to over 70 international markets and is looking to add further terr

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17 July 2024

Croatia - LAV Projekt has been appointed the exclusive distributor for Renkus-Heinz throughout Croatia with immediate effect.

LAV Projekt places particular emphasis on staying up to date with technological advancements and emerging trends to better serve their customers. In that light, Patricio Valenta, who heads up the audio department of LAV Projekt, comments, “In our endeavour to establish ourselves as a premier system integration company in Croatia, we place great emphasis on innovation and adaptability.

“We firmly believe that the groundbreaking technologies and integration ease offered by Renkus-Heinz will be pivotal in our success as distributors and system integrators.

“As we've been working on a lot of projects lately, we've come across spaces where it was very difficult to get adequate sound coverage and deliver audio excellen