The Netherlands - Elation Professional recently held a successful event for its European distributor network. rELATIONship 2023 was a special gathering that the lighting manufacturer says was more akin to a family get-together than a business meeting. The event was held 16-18 October in the beautiful surroundings of the historic Abbey Hotel Rolduc on the outskirts of Kerkrade, hometown of Elation's European headquarters.
Over 60 representatives from Elation’s European partner network took part, looking to "strengthen personal bonds and celebrate the ties that make the family-owned company special".
“rELATIONship was a blast and a huge success,” says Marc Librecht, sales & marketing director at Elation Europe. “For us, the most important part of doing business is the relationships we have the opportunity to build and the memories we create with some wonderfu

USA - At the AES Show in New York (25-27 October) at the Javits Center, Focusrite (booth 926) will be showcasing its range of audio solutions for professional audio engineers, musicians, podcasters and broadcasters.
The newly launched Scarlett 4th Gen range of audio interfaces will be available for hands-on exploration. Focusrite’s audio specialists will guide visitors through the new features of the Scarlett Solo, 2i2, and 4i4 4th Gen, like Auto Gain, Clip Safe, and the updated Air mode that brings studio console magic to users’ fingertips. With over 6.5m units sold worldwide, Scarlett is the best-selling interface range in history.
Focusrite’s Red range offers digital conversion, remote-controlled mic pres, and built-in monitor controls. These interfaces have earned their reputation as the ‘go-to’ solution for the highest level of audio quality. Don’t mis

Italy - K-array, recently hosted its annual general distributor meeting (GDM) at its headquarters in the scenic Tuscan village of Scarperia e San Piero. This year’s three-day event welcomed 64 distributors representing 43 countries, a testament to the worldwide reach of the K-array group.
Alongside product workshops and presentations from all three K-array brands: K-array, KSCAPE and KGEAR, the GDM also included an awards ceremony, where brand distributors were recognised for their hard work and dedication to the K-array ecosystem.
The K-array ecosystem was a key focus of this year’s event, concentrating on the coming together of the three K-array brands to offer a complete audio solution. “We are cultivating a complete ecosystem of audio and lighting solutions at K-array,” explains Andrea Torelli, global marketing director at K-array. “This is not just a co

USA - Sennheiser Group (Demo Room 3D03) will be hosting an exclusive series of immersive presentations from Grammy-award winning audio engineers and producers during the 155th AES NY Convention, taking place from 25-27 October at the Javits Centre in New York City.
The demo room will also feature a comprehensive line-up of end-to-end immersive recording and mixing solutions, with hands-on microphone testing available to visitors.
Highlights on display from Neumann.Berlin will include the KH line of monitors, including the recently released KH 120 II, the NDH 30 open-back headphones, and the company’s groundbreaking MT 48 Interface. With this, Merging Technologies will exhibit the Hapi and Anubis interfaces and Dear Reality its suite of spatial audio production plugins including dearVR PRO, dearVR MONITOR and dearVR SPATIAL CONNECT to enable monitoring, mixing and a

USA - Verge Aero has unveiled the Verge Aero X7 drone at the 2023 UP.Summit, a gathering of innovative minds rethinking transportation. Drone shows are one application of the new technologies transforming mobility.
The Verge Aero X7 is a breakthrough product that delivers exceptional performances and smashes the barriers to entry into the drone show industry with a price designed to accelerate adoption, says the company. Now, almost anyone can create and perform drone shows with Verge Aero’s integrated, all-in-one drone show solution.
Venturing into the drone show industry has presented aspiring providers with a maze of mismatched hardware and software components creating disjointed workflows, at higher price points, making entry a daunting task. But Verge Aero, driven by a dedicated development team committed to making drone shows accessible to everyone, has flipp

Australia - Based in Adelaide, Novatech Creative Event Technology has been providing technical production services for major corporate, arts, music, and sporting events for over two decades. Novatech is set to unveil its latest turn-key offerings in vision, audio, and lighting for live events at this year's Entech Roadshow from 10-24 October. This showcase will feature demonstrations of LED processing solutions from Brompton Technology.
Leko Novakovic, managing director at Novatech, states: “As a full-service production rental company supplying turn-key event technology solutions for three major sectors, concert and touring, corporate, and special events, our high-end vision offerings in particular encompass everything from projection mapping to large-scale LED screen solutions for live events. We have relied on Brompton Technology LED video processing products for many ye

Malta - Absen brought together over 100 of its European partners for a dedicated partner summit, at the end of September. Taking place on the striking island of Malta, the two-day summit provided Absen with the opportunity to convene with its high-level partners from across Europe, to share industry insights, to inspire new projects and to thank its partners for their on-going support.
This year’s summit was sponsored by three of Absen’s key partners: Peerless-AV, Brompton and disguise.
On day one, guests attended a conference with news, insights, panel discussions and interviews, as well as the opportunity to get hands-on with a range of Absen products, including the PL 2.5 Lite, Absenicon C138, KLCOB 0.9, CL 1.2pp and AX 1.5 powered by Brompton. In the evening and on day two, guests attended a host of networking and sightseeing opportunities to take full advantag

UK - DiGiCo has announced the acquisition of UK-based live sound software developer and manufacturer, Fourier Audio.
Fourier Audio’s team of software engineers and sound designers are focused on delivering live audio solutions that ‘enhance an engineer’s ability to create superior sounding performances.’ Over the last 24 months they have been developing a new platform bringing the power of studio audio software plug-ins to live engineers, codenamed Project Core. The Fourier team will present their new platform on the DiGiCo booth #823 at the AES New York conference later this month, with product shipping Q1 2024.
Austin Freshwater, DiGiCo MD, comments: “At DiGiCo we are always looking at how we can enhance our customers’ ability to provide new and exciting possibilities in live performance audio. With Fourier Audio, we are investing in a team that will soo

USA - As the longest-running music television series in history, Austin City Limits is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. The PBS Austin production got its start in 1974, with Willie Nelson performing on the very first episode, and has since helped Austin, Texas establish itself as the “Live Music Capital of the World”. One of the most notable pieces of the show’s history is its connection to the Austin City Limits Music Festival, which takes place each October.
Unlike the festival, which hosts thousands of attendees across eight stages over two consecutive weekends, the TV series presents up to 20 performances each year from Downtown Austin’s historic, 2,800-seat Moody Theatre. Among the most recent artists to take the stage was the Grammy-winning duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, who performed with the Austin Symphony to kick off Season 49 of the show.

USA - Renkus-Heinz will attend Church Facilities Expo (CFX) from 9-11 October at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Centre in Dallas, Texas. CFX 2023 attendees will have the opportunity to experience The Sound Solution in person at Booth E in Ballroom A3/A4, where Renkus-Heinz will exhibit the ICLive X Series of digitally steerable arrays, powered by their all-new, multi-award winning OmniBeam beam-steering software.
Renkus-Heinz will participate in the CFX Loudspeaker Demo Experience, where attendees can hear Renkus-Heinz’s latest solutions for the house of worship market at any of the multiple round-robin demo sessions and individual Renkus-Heinz product demos.
Renkus-Heinz will feature both a flown system consisting of six ICLX steerable array modules and six ICLX-118S subwoofers as well as a portable system comprising a single ICLX module pole mounted on an ICL

Singapore - Content security provider Friend MTS has continued its recent expansion by opening a new office in Singapore.
The new office will serve the Asia Pacific region, providing sales and support services for customers throughout the territory. These teams will help rights holders, broadcasters, and OTT operators to enhance their content security and revenue protection strategies through the deployment of advanced, end-to-end content security solutions such as dynamic server blocking, large-scale monitoring, subscription and distribution-level watermarking and effective enforcement.
Friend MTS has continued to grow since the investment from North Edge in 2022 and has recently added many new senior staff to the team, including a CEO, and SVPs in sales and engineering roles. Additional resources have been added to the sales function in all territories, and the comp

Australia - Opening its doors in Alexandria, Sydney on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 October, TDC Studios will give film, TV, events and advertising industry professionals up-to-the-minute insight into research and development, an opportunity to try and test out technology and participate in discussions about XR and Virtual Production.
“Australia is becoming a centre of excellence in digital filmmaking,” said David O’Connor (DOC), technical project manager at TDC Studios. “Virtual production has grown significantly over the past few years and we’re seeing a boom in high-end production techniques that mirror that growth.”
For this event, TDC Studios will be showcasing innovations with technology from ARRI, Barco, GhostFrame, Megapixel VR, Pixotope and others to demonstrate the very latest in XR technology through demonstrations of XR broadcast workflows, augmented

USA - Following the success of its open day in May this year, Martin Audio North America has moved the location of its next open day from Maryland to Texas, where it will adopt a similar formula on 3 October.
The destination this time will be the Coppell Arts Centre in Dallas where a morning session at 10am will be followed by a later presentation at 2pm.
Explaining the choice of venue, Lee Stein VP of sales, North America, says: “Texas is a key state for many influential system integrators, and it also has a thriving live sound community. We’ve also used this venue previously and it’s well suited to our demos.”
The product demonstrations themselves will once again be led by UK-based presenter-in-chief Robin Dibble, supported by the entire US team.
As with the recent UK open days, Martin Audio will line up many of its premier systems, including WPM,

UK - CVP will be holding its third annual Production Technology Showcase this year at four different locations in Europe and the UK. The events of this year’s expanded programme kick off on Thursday 5 October at CVP’s European HQ in Brussels, before moving on to be hosted in Glasgow, Manchester, and Bristol during November.
The CVP Production Technology Showcase provides a platform for visitors to explore the latest production solutions, technology, and insights across a wide range of the company’s products and services, from engineering and repairs to finance and technical advice. This year’s showcase includes ARRI ALEXA 35, DJI Ronin 4D, RED Komodo X, Blackmagic and the latest releases from the Sony Cinema Line and Canon’s EOS range.
Workshops will run throughout the day - across two days in Manchester and Bristol - and the focus will be on real-world case

Australia - Sydney-based TDC is at the forefront of the virtual production market. The Australian company, established since 1981, owns and operates purpose-built VP facilities in Sydney, supported by a team of experts. The team can partner with a production from concept to completion, while providing a deep knowledge of the processes and technology needed for video display, real-time rendering platforms, server hardware, playback platforms, camera tracking, remote connectivity, and content delivery.
It has delivered large scale virtual production facilities for TV, commercials, corporate films and blockbuster movies including Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder and hit psychological thriller Mercy Road, which was Australia’s first fully virtual production shoot. Mercy Road was released in Australia and the US in August, 2023.
VFX supervisor Andrew

UK - GLP has reported its best PLASA Show footfall for a number of years. According to the head of GLP UK, Simon Barrett, this was partly because of its unmissable stand - immediately inside the entrance - but also because it placed a clear focus on promoting the new impression X5 product family integration - and the quality and integrity of light emanating from its new colour engine. But equal focus was placed on GLP’s highly professional, and ever-expanding, technical and customer support team.
The sophistication was manifest in Andrew ‘Twiggy’ King’s choreographed lightshow, which demonstrated the entire impression X5 Family. This included the impression X5 Wash, impression X5 Compact, X5 IP Bar, X5 IP Maxx and impression X5 Bar 1000 - the last two being shown in the UK for the first time. This was played out to Ludovico Einaudi’s haunting and beautiful Diven

Spain - Integrated Systems Events has announced the expansion of its senior leadership team with key appointments ahead of ISE 2024. Tom Barker-Harrold joins as senior marketing director and Jeroen Perquin as senior finance director.
“At ISE, we have ambitious goals for the future so it’s important that we have the right team in place to get us there. Tom and Jeroen join at an exciting time, as we prepare for our special 20th anniversary edition at ISE 2024, and we’re thrilled to welcome their unique knowledge, insights and experiences to our dynamic and international team,” says Mike Blackman, managing director, Integrated Systems Events.
Jeroen joined as senior finance director at ISE earlier this year and is based in The Netherlands. Jeroen brings extensive international finance experience from the energy, engineering and IT business to the company, working

Europe - Showgear, an all-round supplier of stage essentials, expendables and accessories, has introduced its biodegradable confetti, ‘transforming celebrations into eco-conscious experiences’.
In a world where sustainability is paramount, Showgear’s new biodegradable confetti allows revellers to celebrate with a clear conscience and to elevate their events while minimising their environmental footprint.
The new biodegradable confetti proudly carries the respected TÜV OK-biodegradable SOIL certification, assuring users that it will completely decompose in the soil, leaving no lasting environmental impact. In addition, the confetti is flame retardant and meets the stringent DIN4102-1 Class B1 safety standards, ensuring that celebrations are both stunning and safe.
Made from top-quality tissue paper, Showgear’s biodegradable confetti blends contemporary

UK - The Power of Events has announced its cross-four-nation tour to introduce the Event Industry Insight App. This roadshow will traverse the four nations, showcasing the potential of this app. It is designed to be an innovative tool for industry partners to help them with their insight/data and research needs.
All event professionals are invited to download it from the App/Google stores and register. Several projects are already looking to deploy the app to support their own research projects - including for Leeds Beckett University and also for supporting a freelance data insight project for later in the year with LIVE, Handle Freelance Solutions, UK Live Event Freelancers Forum and The Back Lounge - with more in the planning pipeline.
The Power of Events tour comprises over 20 engagements throughout October, launching in Wakefield at Production Futures On Tour on 2

UK - BeamZ Lighting enjoyed a busy three days at the PLASA Show in London, showcasing its technical lighting solutions.
“We would like to thank everyone who visited our beamZ booth at the PLASA Show in London. Our innovative, affordable lighting solutions fascinated industry professionals and set new standards in lighting technology,” said Mario Velders, CEO of beamZ Lighting (Tronios).
“Our presence at the PLASA Show was nothing short of spectacular. We unveiled our latest lighting marvels, leaving attendees spellbound. One of the stars of the show was the Ignite300LED 300W BSW, a powerful beam/spot/wash LED moving-head fixture that is ready to revolutionise live events and stage productions.”
The StarColor200, the latest addition to the StarColor family, a wall wash fixture known for its extensive colour spectrum and versatile control options, also took

UAE - The Adam Hall Group reports a successful LD Systems day in Dubai. Together with the LD Systems sales partner Pro Lab, the global event technology manufacturer staged a one-day partner and customer event at the Pro Lab headquarters on 7 September. The highlight was the first hands-on demonstration of the LD Systems MAILA system in the United Arab Emirates.
After an introduction of the Adam Hall Group and its long history in the field of event technology, Viktor Wiesner, senior product manager, pro audio, guided the numerous attendees through the constantly growing LD Systems portfolio, followed by a detailed product demonstration of the MAILA (Modular All-Round Intelligent Line-Array) system by LD Systems field application engineer Jens Kleinhuis.
In general, LD Systems and Pro Lab placed a lot of emphasis on the intensive exchange between existing customers and

Germany - With the Opus - German Stage Award, Prolight + Sound will once again honour outstanding productions that have created impressive shows through the innovative use of event technology. The award ceremony will take place at Prolight + Sound 2024 (19 to 22 March) in Frankfurt. Both participants and the audience can submit projects until 03 November 2023 at www.prolight-sound.com/opus.
"Although many large event companies are now generating high profits again, a significant part of our industry is dependent on subsidies. The Opus - German Stage Award sets a shining example for the creative power, innovation, courage and perseverance of all those involved in these challenging times - and pays tribute to those who pull the creative strings behind the stages," states Mira Wölfel, d

UK - Rycote Windshields reports the resounding success of its recent ‘Meet the Team Event Day’. The event, held at Rycote’s new manufacturing facility in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, offered a hands-on experience that showcased the company’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and its close-knit partnership with its global network of dealers and on-location sound engineers.
The event, which took place on 5 September 2023, brought together valued partners, dealers, and sound engineers, for a day filled with engaging activities and insights. The highlight of the event was a comprehensive factory tour that allowed attendees to witness first-hand the meticulous craftsmanship and technology that goes into every Rycote product. They in fact, got to experience production for themselves as they were invited to get hands on, on the production line and create their very own Softie.

UK - The Nick Bache ABTT Cymru - Technician of the Year Award recognises the achievement of an individual who consistently delivers technical excellence.
Nick, who died earlier this year, had been technical and production manager at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre for 15 years.
This award is open to ABTT members and non-members alike working predominantly in Wales. The recipient will have usually pursued full employment in a backstage or production management role and they will have predominantly worked on the presentation of live performances in places of entertainment or on theatrical experiences in non-conventional spaces.
This award will be presented annually. The first award will be presented on 20 October at Aberystwyth Arts centre.

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