Nexo - Main Banner - June 2024

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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

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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.
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Nexo - Main Banner - June 2024

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Backstage Roles - Venues around the UK - including Chichester Festival Theatre and the Lyric Theatre Belfast - are partnering to offer a total of 20 people full-time backstage roles as part of a scheme that aims to stem the exodus of talent in the sector during the pandemic. It is part of a £1.5m two-year pilot programme, previously announced by Sam Mendes in 2021, as part of the Theatre Artists Fund. Mendes said at the time that Theatre Artists Fund was to be developed into a two-year pilot bursary programme to provide long-term support to theatre freelancers.
It has been created to address the shifts in the creative workforce after the pandemic and will investigate support for mid-career artists by creating full-time positions in arts organisations across the UK.
Twenty people will be offered full-time two-year positions in backstage roles in the industry, with up t

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USA - As part of the Behind the Scenes (BTS) Mental Health Initiative, BTS and LDI are bringing the Wellness Lounge to LDI 2023, (3-5 December) in Las Vegas. The Wellness Lounge offers attendees a safe space to learn about mental and physical health through daily presentations, activities, and one-on-one consultations.
Each morning will start with Cup of Coffee Yoga where no experience, equipment, or special attire is required for a brief yoga practice with ETC’s VP of marketing, David Lincecum. Immediately following, participants can sample the benefits of breathing and meditation with University of Tennessee lighting professor and licensed meditation instructor Kenton Yeager.
In the afternoons, all attendees are invited to experience short presentations by industry colleagues on a range of topics that can improve your mental and physical wellbeing.
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UK - This year, the Association of British Theatre Technicians’ annual general meeting and council election announcement took place at the landmark venue Woolwich Works, London on the 31October.
Three vacancies on the ABTT Council came into being at the time of the AGM. The council, which is made up of 11 trustee-directors, each elected by the membership maintains the running of the ABTT Group, is responsible for the overall management of the ABTT and provides vital support in steering and advising the association’s work.
The ABTT received nominations for election as a trustee-director from Alexander Cann, senior lighting tutor at Mountview and Anton Woodword, managing director - AVW Controls (who had both completed their current three-year term of office and wished to reapply) and from Suzy Somerville, head of production at Birmingham Rep.
As three nominati

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Island Life - Plans for a new film and television studio on the Isle of Wight are still live a year after they were announced, the council has insisted. Medina Studios unveiled proposals to construct the complex on the banks of the Medina River, East Cowes, in November 2022. The council said designs were being worked up but no planning application has yet been put forward. It said the US writers' strike had affected demand for UK studio space.
Medina Studios said last year the facility would have four sound stages totalling 70,000sq.ft and be the island's "first screen-based media hub". Production workshops, offices and other related facilities could also be built, creating nearly 1,000 jobs. It added it would benefit from "copious amounts of filming locations on its doorstep" on the island.
Festival Funding - Edinburgh’s annual arts festivals will receive mor

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Crisis Grants - The Royal Theatrical Fund has launched a one-off Emergency Crisis Grant Award to assist struggling workers in the industry during the cost-of-living crisis. The grant, open for applications from 1 November, is intended to help those who are "unable to meet their essential needs" due to an unexpected change in circumstances.
The non-profit organisation cited the continuing cost-of-living crisis as a factor behind the initiative, and suggested grants could be used to pay phone bills, buy school uniform and for food. Eligible applicants must derive their main income from the entertainment business and have worked professionally in the industry for seven years, with professional training included within that time.
The RTF launched a similar small crisis grant scheme, the Fleabag Support Fund, in 2021. The scheme awarded more than £1.7m to theatre industry

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UK - HireHop, the cloud equipment rental software, has been adding new features at a rapid pace and has just released their supercharged scanning module, that can also be run as a progressive web app on any device.
This new addition is free to all users, even the users using the free version of HireHop.
HireHop’s product manager, Daniel Shenker, said: “HireHop’s ethos is not just doing the minimum to say we have “a feature”, we always strive to implement features never seen or tried before and, with our new scanning app, we have invented new technology to give users more scanning functionality than ever before to further boost their warehouse productivity and accuracy. We are so proud to give our users all of these world class features, and at no extra cost.”
The new scanning app is fully adaptive and works on all mobile devices, including mobile P

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UK - Staged at the conclusion of its recent On Tour event at Production Park in Wakefield, this year’s expanded format Production Futures Breakthrough Awards proved to be a major success.
The Awards recognise and mark the achievements of young talent within the production industries, with a mission to inspire the next generation. Designed in cooperation with Awards sponsors, the 2023 edition based the ‘prize’ around ‘opportunity and access’ in contrast to the customary ‘glass trophy recognition.
More than 200 people from countries including Germany, USA, Dubai and the Netherlands in attendance to witness 18 winners receive their awards in 20 categories.
Chief executive Hannah Eakins was thrilled with the response to the updated format: “It was hands-down the best thing we could have done. We loved the new concept because the recipients got so much m

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Europe - Business West, one of the UK’s largest Chambers of Commerce, and EFM Global, international logistics consultant for live events and special projects, have successfully transported camera equipment from Heathrow to Brussels and back using a digital carnet. This is claimed to be the world’s first demonstration of a digital carnet in action.
When commercial goods, such as musical equipment for a touring band, are exported temporarily, it is typically by way of ATA Carnets. Referred to as ‘passports for goods’, ATA Carnets can contain more than one hundred pieces of paper, requiring numerous physical authorisation stamps.
For a large-scale movement of goods, such as those involved in an international tour, there could be suitcases full of paper-based ATA Carnets, which need to be kept and looked after, as loss or incorrect use can incur significant delays

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UK - PLASA’s Member AGM returns to the Victory Services Club in London on 22 November. The friendly members-only event is a great way to meet like-minded industry professionals and learn more about the association’s activities.
Plus, the AGM features special guest speakers and updates from PLASA members. This year’s keynote speaker is record-breaking mountaineer Kenton Cool, who has climbed Mount Everest an astonishing 17 times.
As well as soaking up inspiration from Cool, attendees can learn from renowned behavioural economist Roger Martin-Fagg, who will deliver a virtual financial forecast.
PLASA members will also report on the most pertinent industry issues, including SIC codes, carbon reduction and Europe activities.
The AGM begins at 2.30pm, opening with an official AGM presentation, and will continue into the evening with drinks and canapes. A

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Full-Blown Crisis - The UK's small music venues are experiencing a "full-blown crisis" - with many forced to close over the last year, a music charity has said. The Music Venue Trust says the future of "world-beating" artists is under threat and has asked the chancellor for an extension of the 75% business rates relief introduced in April this year. It is due to come to an end in March 2024.
In an open letter to Jeremy Hunt, the charity said: "The grassroots music sector is in the middle of a full-blown crisis. One hundred and twenty-five venues have shut their doors for live music in the last 12 months, 15.7% of all such spaces in the UK. It represents the loss of 4,000 jobs, 14,250 events, 193,230 performance opportunities, £9m of income for musicians, and £59m in lost direct economic activity."
Calling the closures "an immediate economic, social, and cultural blow

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UK - A new chapter for The Purple Guide was announced at Vision 2025’s Sustainable Event Summit on 18 October 2023. The new chapter concerns Environmental Sustainability for Events and offers a concise overview of the subject, signposting areas of best practice for outdoor events to enable the industry to assess national environmental standards by local authorities, with an aim of reaching Net Zero by 2030.
Chris Johnson, Vision: 2025 chair, and Steve Heap, event industry forum chair, took to the stage in front of a packed marquee of event professionals, to announce The Purple Guide’s latest chapter. Heap explains: “There is a collective voice within our industry that agrees action must be taken, which is why it felt right for the EIF to commission Vision: 2025 to coordinate the writing of this new chapter, to provide consistent, national guidance to benchmark s

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World News - The MTV Europe Music Awards have been cancelled over "devastating events in Israel and Gaza". Organisers Paramount said this was "out of an abundance of caution". "Given the volatility of world events, we have decided not to move forward," a statement said.
The show was scheduled to take place in Paris on 5 November, with performances from BTS's Jung Kook and former Little Mix star Leigh-Anne. Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj were nominated for best artist. Paramount describes the MTV EMAs as "an annual celebration of global music," but said as "events in Israel and Gaza continue to unfold, this does not feel like a moment for a global celebration.”
"Given the volatility of world events, we have decided not to move forward with the 2023 MTV EMAs out of an abundance of caution for the thousands of employees, crew me

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Definitely Maybe - Liam Gallagher has said the chance to tour "the most important album of the '90s" in its entirety has left him "bouncing around the house". The ex-Oasis singer has announced a series of shows in 2024 which will see him perform the whole of his former band's debut Definitely Maybe. Released in August 1994, the album shot the Manchester band to superstardom and sold millions of copies worldwide.
Gallagher said he "wouldn't be anywhere without it". The announcement of the tour, which will open in Sheffield before visiting Cardiff, London, Manchester, Glasgow and Dublin, ends fan speculation that the much-loved band would reform to celebrate the album's 30th anniversary.
Concrete Concerns - A Cardiff concert venue has announced it will remain closed until the new year over concrete concerns. St David's Hall was closed in September after re

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UK - Following the retirement of Keith Sykes, flight case manufacturer 5 Star Cases is now under a change of ownership with managing director Justin Locks and operations director Ingus Lasinskis taking over Keith’s shareholding of 5 Star Group Holdings.
Keith, a stalwart in the company's history, began his journey with Ipswich-based ProTect Cases in the early 1980’s, which was acquired by 5 Star Cases in 1991 and two years later he ascended to the position of director and shareholder, acquiring the company, along with Mossman Trunks in 2008.
In 2012, Justin Locks, the company’s general manager was appointed operations director, also acquiring a shareholding in 5 Star Group Holdings in 2016, becoming Keith’s business partner. In 2020 with Keith slowly stepping back, Justin took the helm as MD. At this time, Ingus, with an impressive tenure at the company, was pr

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In The Courts - Coldplay and their former manager have filed competing claims in London's High Court, with each party seeking millions of pounds from the other. Dave Holmes, who worked with the band from 2005 to 2022, sued them in August for £10m in unpaid commission. In a counter-claim, the group rejected his claim and said Holmes had allowed tour costs to spiral out of control, and demanded £14min damages.
The case could come to court if the parties do not settle. Holmes' original court case claimed that Coldplay owed him commission for two as-yet-unreleased albums. According to his lawyers, the band were paid an advance of £35m for their 10th album and £30m for their 11th and 12th albums.
Holmes maintains that he helped to organise recording sessions, clear samples and liaised with producer Max Martin before the band decided not to renew his contract last year.

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Just For One Day - Live Aid, one of the most famous concerts of all time, is to become a stage musical in London next year. The original event, at Wembley Stadium on 13 July 1985, was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. The musical, called Just For One Day, will feature songs played that day by acts including Queen, U2, Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney and Sting. It will be on at London's Old Vic Theatre from 26 January to 30 March.
One thing that Geldof wants to make very clear is that there will not be anyone pretending to be the singers. "This isn't a tribute thing. I wouldn't have anything to do with that. So, there isn't a person dressed up as Freddie wearing a crap moustache. The songs drive the drama along," he says.
The plot of Just For One Day, named after a line in David Bowie's Heroes, wi

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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

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Germany - The Rockharz Festival, originally started under the name Rock gegen Rechts (Rock against the Right), has constantly evolved and adopted new, important values: sustainability, environmental awareness, regionality, and inclusion.
At the beginning of July 2023, almost 24,000 music fans descended on the grounds of the Ballenstedt airfield for four days to enjoy the performances of Blind Guardian, In Flames, Arch Enemy, and many more for the festival’s 30th anniversary edition. To make this year’s Rochharz a great experience for all visitors, the organisers decided to use cable protectors from the Defender Midi 5 2D modular system.
"When it comes to accessibility, most people only think of wheelchair users," says Marco Spiller, chairman of Lebenshilfe Braunschweig and organiser of Rock in Rautheim, a metal festival that was awarded the Lower Saxony Inclusion

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Finance for Growth - A £35m investment fund is aiming to grow the UK’s creative industries by £50bn and create one million extra jobs by 2030. The Creative Growth Finance II fund has been launched by membership organisation Creative UK and Triodos Bank to meet the targets set out in the government and Creative Industries Council’s recently published Sector Vision.
Creative Growth Finance II is the biggest single fund to be delivered by Creative UK and follows the first Creative Growth Finance fund, which launched in 2019 and has invested more than £17m into 30 creative businesses. Eligible companies in sectors including performing arts, music, architecture, design, film and TV, radio and audio, publishing, visual arts and video games, will be able to apply for loans of £100,000 to £1m to grow their businesses.
Caroline Norbury, chief executive of Creative UK,

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UK - Music Support, the charity that provides help and support to anyone who works in music and live events affected by mental ill-health and/or addiction, has announced a new partnership with The Christopher Meredith Foundation (CMF), enabling them to grow existing provisions and develop new programmes which support music industry peers and their loved ones.
The partnership includes funding which will contribute towards three key areas across three years:
Funding or part-funding qualifying beneficiaries to receive the treatment they need, including counselling, psychotherapy and residential addiction treatment.
Developing Music Support’s ‘Safe Hub’ backstage at festivals, a space where artists and crew can take time out or speak to a Mental Health First Aid trained individual. Thanks to the partnership, the charity has already run Safe Hubs this summer at

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Bradford Calling - The UK's City of Culture 2025 is set to have a month-long event to celebrate its "rich and diverse" music scenes. Bradford Music Month in November will see concerts, workshops and other events across the district. Its team, made up of musicians, venue managers and record labels, hopes it will "entertain and engage" a range of communities through music. Promised highlights include a "bassline and bhangra sober rave" and a range of wellbeing-focused music workshops.
Further events are said to include public opera performances, world music showcases and opportunities for local musicians to receive funding and support to put on their own concerts. The full programme is set to be unveiled at the end of September.
The initiative, supported by Bradford Council, Bradford Producing Hub and Arts Council England, is being led by musician Sinead Campbell, QM Rec

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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
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  5. Le Mark Group celebrates 40th anniversary
  6. Backup hosts neurodiversity session at PLASA Show 2023
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