UK - A.C. Audio, a sales division of A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) Ltd., is hosting Digital Wireless Days in association with Shure in August, to demonstrate the brand's wireless solutions, decode the jargon, and explain why the future of wireless is digital.

The free events will take place at the company's UK headquarters (High Wycombe) on Tuesday, 9 August, and Northern sales office (Leeds) on Thursday, 11 August 2016.

RF (radio frequency) spectrum for use by wireless microphone operators has changed a lot over recent years. From the digital TV switchover to the rise of mobile phone ownership, demand for clean spectrum is greater than ever.

As the airwaves the industry operates in continue to evolve, so must the technology that is used. Digital wireless systems have much to offer in securing a positive future for wireless microphones through spectral effic

Ireland - Designed to renew and inspire Irish theatre, film and television, The Lir Academy opened in 2011 with a vision to become a centre of excellence for the dramatic arts in Ireland. Developed with collaboration from the Cathal Ryan Trust, and in association with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), The Lir offers first-rate training for the theatre and related professions. This year, the institution has turned its attention to updating its curriculum for technical theatre and lighting design students, leading to a partnership with ETC.

For several years, ETC's Playhouse at Gypsy Corner has been the education hub for the UK and Ireland, necessitating trips to London for Ireland-based technicians wanting to undertake ETC training. In recognition of ETC and The Lir's mutual interest in training technical skills in theatre to the highest possible standards, the two org

Germany - The Scorpions were formed in Sarstedt, in 1965, by guitarist Rudolf Schenker and drummer Wolfgang Dziony. During the decades that followed, the band made history: 18 albums, lengthy list of awards and innumerable tours, which have taken the Scorpions all over the world. Today the group has embarked upon its latest world tour.

Roland Beckerle is the tour production manager and Olaf Schr

UK - The Enteetainment team led by Amy Harmsworth assisted by Frankie Tee have recently delivered yet another successful season of the Rochester Castle Concerts on behalf of Medway Council.

The historic Castle Gardens played host to performances from Status Quo supported by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, Will Young supported by Gabrielle, and the 'Soul Legends' show with Angelo Starr and the Team and featuring special guests Gwen Dickey of Rose Royce fame, Clem Curtis from the Foundations, Jimmy James ex of the Vagabonds and George McCrae.

Saturday night saw a very special Military Proms celebrating Sapper 300. An informal brass band was first established in 1836 by the Royal Sappers and Miners and music has been a major part of military life for centuries and over the years the Royal Engineers have been privileged to enjoy the work of some outstanding musicians. The conc

Europe - Bram de Clerck has joined Robe as business development manager for touring, TV & live events.

Bram is already well known to many in the world of entertainment technology lighting. Based in Belgium, his character, communication skills, quick wit and extensive network of contacts have helped establish him as an industry 'personality'.

This coupled with an intense passion and commitment to the Robe brand in recent years will make him "a great asset to our international team" says Robe CEO Josef Valchar, adding, "We are very pleased to have Bram on-board, his energy and enthusiasm is infectious and his experience is very valuable. We and the whole Robe distribution network welcome him and look forward to many positive results working together."

The scope of Bram's work at Robe will include developing the expanding and dynamic Robe community, liaising with clients,

USA - Following up on the success of its STRIKE 4 multi format warm white fixture, CHAUVET Professional has introduced the STRIKE 1, a versatile single pod light that serves as a blinder, strobe, wash and flood.

The newest member of the STRIKE series, this fixture is more than a scaled-down version of its forbearer, says the company. With a 230W warm white LED source (each of the four pods in the STRIKE 4 is 100W), the STRIKE 1 has a blisteringly bright and intense output. An outdoor-rated fixture, it is ready to add eye-popping looks to festival stages and open-air events, as well as to arena and music hall concerts.

Another key feature of the STRIKE 1 is its emulated red shift, which warms the colour temperature of the light as it dims to replicate the look of an incandescent fixture. The fixture's 16-bit dimming control also enhances its performance by allowing perfectl

UK - The Go-Between, a new British musical based on L.P. Hartley's classic novel, is currently playing at the Apollo theatre on Shaftsbury Avenue. Lighting designer Tim Lutkin explained the journey the production took to reach its current location in the heart of London's Theatreland.

"The Go-Between has a pretty interesting history; we opened at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds five years ago, before hitting the Derby Playhouse and Royal and Derngate in Northampton - the reviews were great and we really wanted to bring it to London, but we were aware of the need for a strong actor to play the lead role who could really pull in the crowds. When Michael Crawford said he'd do it, it was the perfect casting, so we started planning to bring the show to the West End."

Tim continued, "The lighting rig we have here in the Apollo is a full mix of what we used in Leeds,

UK - Singer/songwriter John Grant has been using Shure KSM8 and KSM9HS vocal microphones on his most recent UK tour, in addition to Shure PSM900 in-ear monitors.

Grant was the frontman in alt-rock band The Czars in his twenties and thirties, left the music business altogether for six years, and has enjoyed a more soulful renaissance as an electronica and orchestral-driven solo artist on leading independent label Bella Union in his forties, with a string of successful albums to his name.

Following the release of Grant's third solo album Grey Tickles, Black Pressure in Autumn 2015, he took to the road for a short tour of the UK and Ireland which lasted into early 2016. It was on these dates that he began using the Shure microphones, as Ber Quinn, the tour's front-of-house engineer, explains, "The difference once John started using the KSM9HS was startling. A voice as

Australia - The Adelaide Convention Centre has expanded its already impressive fleet of High End Systems consoles with the purchase of two Full Boar 4's and six Road Hog 4's, bringing their inventory to four Full Boar 4's and 10 Road Hog 4's in total.

The purchase is part of the plan for the anticipated mid-2017 opening of their new Plenary Building, a multi-purpose venue built on the site of the original 1987 Convention Centre, with a capacity of up to 3,500 seats. Local production and installation company AJS were selected to fulfil this government tender, and have developed a close working relationship with the ACC.

"This was all part of the Convention Centre's tender process for stock replenishment and the new Plenary Building," relates AJS's Luke Hattam. "We contacted Australian High End Systems distributor Lexair Entertainment for guidance. We were successful in our

Switzerland - Winkler Multi Media Events in Canton Aargau is one of the leading Swiss event solution providers for multimedia and three-dimensional live communication. They were recently entrusted with providing the equipment for the opening ceremony of the Gotthard Base Tunnel.

With a construction period of almost 17 years, and extending to 57k in length, the world's longest tunnel is regarded as the "Swiss project of the century", and has attracted many superlatives.

The construction, which is 7k longer than the Eurotunnel, is the heart of the new Railway Link through the Alps and connects the cantons of Uri in the north portal Erstfeld in central Switzerland to the south portal in Bodio (Canton Ticino). As a result, the travel time from Zurich to Milan has been reduced by one hour to about two hours 40 minutes. For freight transport, the new Gotthard tunnel brings great

Italy - Nine years after his death, Luciano Pavarotti still attracts thousands of fans and followers. The residence of the Master in Modena, Italy, was turned into a museum and inaugurated during last year's Expo in Italy. Now it has become a permanent project.

A few kilometres from the city of Modena, the ancient villa represents an important part of the tenor's life and it contains a vast collection of personal items, souvenirs and scene costumes that Pavarotti was particularly fond of. Unreleased pictures and videos are projected in the rooms where the Master spent his last years, and constitute a great opportunity to get to know more directly the artistic and human heritage of the tenor.

The quality of the audio system is a key feature of the Home Museum. Willy Gubellini, a sound professional who has worked on all editions of the famous charity project Pavarotti & Frie

Chart Topper - The debut album from Viola Beach - the British band killed in a car crash in February - looks set to reach number one in the album chart. All four members of the band and their manager Craig Tarry died when their car plunged into a canal in Sweden. The Official Charts Company said Viola Beach's self-titled album was leading the chart by around 6,000 sales.

In June, Coldplay paid tribute to Viola Beach at Glastonbury by performing the band's song Boys That Sing as part of their headline slot on the Pyramid Stage. This week's official chart will be revealed on Friday.

Cats Criticised - British singer Leona Lewis has failed to impress critics in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway revival of Cats. The former X Factor winner was given the leading role of Grizabella after Nicole Scherzinger pulled out days before rehearsals were due to star

USA - API reports that Loyola Marymount University is the most recent higher education facility to commission an API Legacy Plus console.

The custom 32 channel Legacy Plus will feature in LMU's Recording Arts programme, which focuses on production, post production, live sound, and music recording. The new console will familiarize LMU Recording Arts students with analog signal flow, preparing them for world class recording environments they are likely to encounter after they graduate. LMU students will be able to utilize the Legacy Plus this coming fall semester.

"We're proud to play a role in LMU's Recording Arts program," said API managing director Gordon Smart. "We're convinced that truly understanding signal flow while working with top quality analogue audio is an unbeatable combination."

(Jim Evans)

UK / China - Global event supplier, Arena Group, has bought Hong Kong-based event production company Ironmonger Marquees, to create Arena Hong Kong, extending its Asian capabilities with a new office and hub in Northern Asia.

Ironmonger Marquees was introduced to Arena Group in 2015, when the companies collaborated on the Art Central project in Hong Kong. Tom Evans, managing director of Arena Asia explains, "We worked very well together, identifying a shared ethos of giving our clients the best possible event space. Arena Middle East and Asia Tents Arena work hand in glove serving the growing events market in North Asia and identified Ironmonger as an ideal acquisition to help grow the Arena brand in the region."

Key Ironmonger Marquee contracts that have been delivered recently include the Cathay Pacific HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, European Tour (HK Golf Open), IMG's Taste Foo

UK - Event technical production and rental specialist PR Live has expanded its team with the addition of three new key staff members who joined the south London based company following strong business during the first half of the year.

Dave Gillett joins as head of technical, while Karl Travers and Rhys Williams both come on-board as senior project managers, all bringing a fund of experience, knowledge and excellent contacts to the PR Live equation led by founder and MD, Ian Coull.

Ian comments, "I'm delighted to welcome Dave, Karl and Rhys to PR Live, and we all look forward to the hectic pace continuing for the rest of the year. It's great to attract three people of this calibre to join our excellent and highly committed team who all share our core values, ideas and personality."

Dave Gillett has a decade of industry experience, starting off with a lighting company i

UK - Power distribution specialist ide Systems has launched ide Online (ideonline.co.uk), an online store where customers can buy power distribution equipment. The user-friendly interface and enhanced navigation ensures online orders are quick and easy. Free delivery is available on all orders and, as an introductory offer, all first time orders will qualify for a five per cent discount.

The range of equipment available to buy on the new website includes power distribution units, automatic transfer switches (ATS), site transformers, single and three-phase power cables ranging from 16A-125A, as well as a wide range of electrical accessories.

The new website will also feature an online exclusive in the form of the Vulcan range. This budget range of power distribution units features a high-visibility orange enclosure, making it ideal for outdoor use.

"We've launched ide O

Edinburgh Rocks - A spectacular light display on the side of Edinburgh Castle marked the opening of the city's International Festival. Dubbed Deep Time, the event, soundtracked by Glasgow post-rock band Mogwai, saw the landmark used as a canvas for animated projections taking in 350 million years of history. A planned live stream of the event malfunctioned, but spectators hailed the event as an "amazing spectacle". A viewing arena was created on Castle Terrace for the show, which marked the start of Standard Life's three-year sponsorship of the Edinburgh International Festival.

Deep Time was developed by 59 Productions with academics from Edinburgh University and will also look at the work of renowned Edinburgh scientist James Hutton (1726-1797), often referred to as the father of geology. Leo Warner, creative director of 59 Productions, said, "Deep Time g

USA - The ESTA Control Protocols Plugfest, an event where manufacturers and developers can test their products for interoperability with other manufacturers' products, is scheduled to take place 20-23 January 2017, at the Dallas/Fort Worth Marriott Solana in Westlake, Texas. The event is free to attend and everyone is welcome.

The ESTA Control Protocols Plugfest is an educational opportunity for control manufacturers and developers to gather together in person and test their products for interoperability with the latest versions of the Control Protocols Working Group standards. Our goal is to assist you in ensuring that your customer is purchasing products that interoperate and communicate correctly on the same control network.

Attendees may bring controllers, intelligent lights, architectural fixtures, control protocol analyzers, and various other tools. In an effort to l

UK - Members of PLASA attending the 2016 AGM at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire were presented with the Association's plans for the next 12 months.

Ed Pagett, formerly managing director of Panalux Broadcast & Event and current chairman of PLASA's Board has led the organisation through very challenging times. In his speech Ed outlined the many changes that have taken place over the last year including bringing in a new managing director following the departure of former CEO Matthew Griffiths, and the demerge from PLASA North America (which has now returned to its former name of ESTA) after four years. This development, said Ed, although not desired by PLASA, had brought fresh clarity and new opportunities for PLASA, but had also resulted in a financial fallout with the North American organisation that has yet to be resolved.

Ed commented, "My role as Chairman has been to navi

UK - On 1August, founder of Leisuretec Distribution Ltd. Mike Henden officially took back the position of managing director following the departure of Cliff Dounting from the company. Mike Henden commented, "I would like to thank Cliff for his contribution towards the success of the company since he joined us in 2007 and wish him the best of health and happiness for the future."

Cliff Dounting commented, "I want to thank the people that have made my journey so special and I will miss working with such a great bunch of colleagues that make up Team Leisuretec."

Mike Henden further commented, "Our business has seen many market and economic changes over the last 26 years and inevitably personnel come and go as well. I am proud to say that I have always reinvested in Leisuretec to ensure that it is robust and does not rely too heavily on one or two single aspects, whether it be

UK - Named in memory of Tony Gottelier, the renowned industry innovator and commentator who passed away in 2006, the annual Gottelier Award aims to recognise those product developers who have made significant long-term contributions to the advancement of entertainment, presentation or installation technology - whether in audio, lighting, rigging, staging, or any other related field.

Voting in the Gottelier Awards is only open to PLASA Members, registered readers of LSi magazine and pre-registered visitors to PLASA 2016. All will receive an email with a unique code inviting them to place their individual vote via the PLASA Show website. Voting closes on Friday 9 September 2016 and the winner will be announced at the PLASA Show at Olympia, West London, on Monday 19 September.<

UK - Sound designer Rick Clarke sadly passed away on 10 July 2016 after a prolonged period of complications from cancer.

One of the UK's most prolific and accomplished sound designers, Rick Clarke started out as a roadie and mix engineer for the 1970s band Medicine Head and The Grateful Dead. He went on to enjoy a successful career in theatre, especially musicals.

In 1980, Clarke joined the staff of the National Theatre, under Peter Hall, and worked there for four years. He was fondly remembered by the National's technical coordinator Rob Barnard as "a very capable technician - fearless, self-confident and a lot of fun".

Clarke himself recalled Richard Eyre's 1982 Guys and Dolls as a stand-out National production that helped to make musicals more highly regarded by the theatre establishment.

He left the National in 1984 to work on Howard Goodall's groundbrea

USA - Behind the Scenes has announced that lighting designer and theatre consultant Dawn Chiang has accepted an invitation to join its Board of Directors. Upon her acceptance Dawn commented, "Behind the Scenes helps address an important need to technology professionals within the entertainment industry -- issuing grants to those in need due to serious illness or injury. I am honoured to join the board of Behind the Scenes to help support such an important, and often overlooked issue."

Dawn has designed lighting on Broadway, Off Broadway, the New York City Opera, regional theatres across the country, and concert tours. A few highlights include Zoot Suit on Broadway; work at Manhattan Theatre Club, Arena Stage, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and the Guthrie Theatre; and a Paul Anka tour. Dawn has earned two Drama-Logue Critics' Awards and numerous nominations around the cou

UK - The judging panel of the Knight of Illumination Awards 2016 Concert Touring and Events category has announced its shortlisted designers for the highly-anticipated ceremony next month at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith.

The panel, led by new Chairperson for this year Coral Cooper, is made up of deputy editor of Lighting&Sound International magazine Claire Beeson, head of lighting design at creative agency Imagination Jonny Milmer, editor of Total Production International magazine Kelly Murray and formally-trained lighting designer and experienced video content creator Miguel Ribeiro. Beeson, Milmer and Ribeiro are also new to the process for 2016.

"The incredibly high standard of entries for the KOI Awards Concert Touring and Events category made selecting a shortlist a real challenge," says Claire Beeson. "It's been an honour to witness the vast and varied array of wo

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