UK - Pod Bluman, formerly head of the Music Division at PSL Events, has left the London-based event services company to set up on his own.

Under Bluman's stewardship, PSL has provided projection and screens to Global Gathering, Creamfields and The Big Chill festivals, to Razorlight, Faithless, Portishead and the Pet Shop Boys, to the BAFTA Awards and to the World Music Awards.

(Jim Evans)

USA - D-Tools reports that Visimation Inc., a Seattle-based professional services company, has joined the D-Tools Certified Partner Programme. Visimation provides custom Visio shape development and integration with Microsoft Office applications Word, Excel, and SharePoint. The company is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. In addition to custom services, Visimation's online store www.ShapeSource.com offers thousands of pre-made Visio shapes including network equipment and symbols for security and safety planning.

"We are very pleased to offer our customers the ability to become more productive with Visio through the customisation that Visimation can provide for special shapes, reports, and more," said Adam Stone, president and founder of D-Tools. "When our customers need something special related to Visio, Visimation is the go-to company that can deliver it."

Awards News - Bandit Lites was named as 'Lighting Company of the Year' at the 2008 Parnelli Awards Ceremony. The annual awards event took place at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino on 24 October in conjunction with LDI. Rock & Roll legend, Alice Cooper hosted the event. Bandit president, Pete Heffernan, vice-presidents Richard Willis and Mike Golden and San Francisco general manager, Dizzy Gosnell were among Bandit employees to attend the awards ceremony and accepted the award on Bandit's behalf.

Comeback News - Led Zeppelin are planning to tour and record but without frontman Robert Plant. Bassist John Paul Jones told BBC Radio Devon that a new singer was being sought after Plant ruled himself out. The last time the band performed together was at the O2 arena in London in December 2007. Speculation has since been rife that the surviving members of the band, with Jason Bonham, son of

UK - PRG has announced that it has strengthened its specialist brand strategy in the UK by acquiring Essential Lighting Group from the Staging Connections Group.

PRG CEO Jere Harris said: "We are very excited about the acquisition of Essential Lighting which underscores our commitment to a specialist brand strategy in the UK. The EL business has been driven by an engaged and committed leadership team that will strengthen the management of our UK businesses"

Essential's managing director, Martin Locket commented: "We are looking forward to becoming a member of PRG's group of companies. The resources available to us from a global organisation will help us provide a wider range of products and services within our offer to our customers."

Essential Lighting will be keeping their name, logo and identity, continuing as an independent brand, focussed on the mark

USA - NSCA members who have shown exceptional achievements can share their expertise with peers and customers through NSCA's Excellence in Business Awards. The awards will be presented at the 2009 NSCA Business and Leadership Conference, sponsored by InfoComm International, 26-28 February in Phoenix, AZ.

Systems integrators are encouraged to nominate themselves or their industry peers who have demonstrated outstanding success in the past year in various categories.

Submissions are due 31 December 2008. The NSCA Business and Leadership Conference Committee will announce the winners on 15 January 2009.

"Creativity, vision, flexibility, economic security - these are key to the success of today's integrators," said Chuck Wilson, NSCA executive director. "NSCA is pleased to promote and recognise integrators who excel in their day-to-day activities."

Four com

UK - UK Skills Secretary John Denham announced that small businesses will be the focus of £350 million worth of Government funds to help them train their staff. The Government's approach will be reshaped and money will be available to deliver a new package of support to help small businesses get through the tougher economic climate by building the skills and expertise of their workers.

It will deliver funding for training, with the minimum level of bureaucracy or delay. This will be for subjects such as business improvement techniques or leadership and management, which are proven to provide skills to increase the productivity of individuals and firms. John Denham said:"Small businesses are an important engine of our economy and we must make sure that we support them during tough economic times.

"We are overhauling the training system to make sure that they can

UK - Stagecraft Ltd, the Salisbury-based lighting, sound and AV hire and sales company, went into liquidation on 17 October 2008, LSI Online has learned. Lisa Tapper, the former accounts manager of Stagecraft Ltd, reports that she and other key staff members have bought the assets of the company and are reforming as Stagecraft Technical Services Ltd as of today, 30 October 2008.

The new company directors are Lisa Tapper, Mike Naish (formerly Stagecraft Ltd production manager), Kevin Hughes (former projects manager) and Simon Sketchley, who has joined the company from AJS Theatre Lighting and Stage Supplies, where he was general manager.

Tapper reports that eight key members of staff have been retained as part of the new operation, while a further eight have lost their jobs.

Tapper was also confirmed that all forward orders on Stagecraft Ltd's books will be honoured by the ne

UK - The Creative Blueprint has been launched in Northern Ireland and will ensure the long term success of the nation's creative and cultural industries. The Creative Blueprint has been informed by extensive research from employers, education providers and the industry in Northern Ireland. It gives a snapshot of where the industry is currently at and what needs to be addressed in the future to ensure workforce skills development.

Tom Bewick, chief executive of Creative & Cultural Skills said: "This action plan is employer-driven and therefore entirely employer focused. The creative and cultural industries in Northern Ireland have grown considerably, but there still isn't a clear progression route for those entering the industries and skills gaps exist within the workforce. In Northern Ireland, we are delighted to have received funding from the Department for Employment and

Jordan - "We've just completed one the most unusual, challenging, and yet ultimately rewarding shows in the company's history," said Britannia Row Productions' Bryan Grant, speaking after a recent gala event in Petra, Jordan, that saw stars from the world of classical and popular music come together to celebrate the work of Luciano Pavarotti on the anniversary of his birthday, 12 October.

"This wasn't just an act of veneration," explained Grant, "Pavarotti touched many people in his lifetime, particularly through his work as United Nations Messenger of Peace. It's rare to see stars the calibre of Sting and Zucchero rubbing shoulders with the likes of Carreras, Domingo and Bocelli, but that was the nature of the man."

Naturally, such a potent mix of performers brings its own challenges, the services of Britannia Row being engaged to bring their own

Opera News: Plans by the Royal Opera House to establish a northern base at Manchester's Palace Theatre are to be examined by the Arts Council. The proposal from the London-based company was discussed with Culture Secretary Andy Burnham. It was decided that an independent evaluation of the scheme, to open a new opera, ballet and lyric theatre venue at the Palace, would start immediately. Mr Burnham said the review was the "positive next step". The Arts Council said the evaluation would look at plans to expand opera and dance provision, develop new audiences and provide more training and skills development to the sector.

Live News: Big-name bands like Take That and Oasis are leading a boom in gig ticket sales, with UK stadium shows selling in record time despite the credit crunch. Take That sold 700,000 tickets for their 2009 tour, a week after 500,000 tickets to see Oasis were

USA - Behind the Scenes, the charitable initiative of The ESTA Foundation has confirmed the winners of the 2008 LDI Raffle. The Grand Prize ticket for a $10,000 dream vacation was drawn by Christian Choi, the very first Behind the Scenes grant recipient. The winner is Ken Vannice from Leviton Lighting Management Systems who is well known in the industry for his tireless work on behalf of standards and certification.

The winning ticket for the Second Prize of a $2,500 Amazon Gift Card was drawn by Rick Fisher, who took a short break from lighting Billy Elliott on Broadway to receive LDI's Theatre Lighting Designer of the Year Award. Rick is one of the founders of Light Relief, the UK based industry charity. Holmes Brown from PRG was the lucky winner.

Peter Finder of Rose Brand was the winner of the Third Prize, a $1,000 Amazon Gift Card which was drawn by Tim Hansen. Tim

UK - Until recently head of German giant Monacor's UK operation, pro audio marketeer Damon Crisp has set up his own distribution company.

The newly-created DAC Pro-Media has opened its account by signing up GCI Technologies, the American conglomerate, whose brands include Gemini, Cortex and iKey Audio. DAC will also act as a specialist sub-distributor for premier pro-audio and M.I. supplier Sound Technology, selling its portfolio of products including the Harman Pro brands JBL, Crown and AKG into the DJ market.

Having also spent ten years as MD of Numark Alesis Europe, Crisp's knowledge and experience spans all sectors of audio and MI. "And ultimately we will be looking to represent the right lighting and accessories suppliers too," he says. "In this respect I hope to be able to announce new partnerships either at the start of 2009 or at the Winter NAMM Music Co

USA - The first annual Rock Our World Awards were presented at ESTA's Annual Dinner on 23 October, the evening before the LDI show. These awards, which recognise groundbreaking achievement by ESTA Members in new products, product applications, or projects were created to acknowledge the genius of both the creator of technology and the designer or integrator who applies the technology in a real world environment.

Over 30 nominations were received from across the industry and these were narrowed down to a shortlist of nine finalists for the panel of judges to ponder upon. The judges for this year's awards were Rick Baxter, Ken Billington, Cory Fitzgerald, Elaine J. McCarthy, Rocky Paulson, and Bruce Rodgers.

The judges panel was chaired by Mike Wood, who said prior to announcing the winners: "We wanted to create an award series that had no rules except for excitement

UK - O2 and Live Nation/AMG have announced a strategic alliance to launch O2 Academy venues across the UK, which are majority owned by Live Nation alongside fellow shareholders, leading UK concert promoters, Metropolis Music and SJM Concerts. The alliance will boost support for future music talent and enhance the music experience for fans visiting the venues as well as allow O2 to offer a number of benefits for its customers, says a statement issued this morning.

From 1 January 2009, the 11 AMG venues will be renamed O2 Academy. O2 customers will gain priority access to tickets to all gigs at the venues, as well as other Live Nation events across the country. In total, O2 customers will gain special access to as many as 4,000 Live Nation produced shows a year in the UK up to 48 hours before they go on general sale.

"Our customers tell us that they really value having pri

USA - Dan Erickson of General Communications was recently named NSCA University's Educator of the Year. Erickson received NSCA's top education award based on student feedback from his course, Networking Issues that Impact AV Integrators and Designers which he taught for the College of System Design during NSCA University at InfoComm 08.

Winners are determined based on evaluations completed by students participating in NSCA University courses. Instructors are evaluated on areas such as topic knowledge, engagement with students, and topic relevance. NSCA will recognise the 2008 recipients at the annual NSCA Member Meeting and Industry Forum as well as the President's Reception at InfoComm 09.

Additionally, individual Instructors of the Year were awarded for each college within the University. Recipients include: Karl Rosenberg, Extron Electronics, David Marsh, Pelton Mars

UK - Following a successful first six months, the Showsec Academy welcomes its second intake of Associates this November.

The Showsec Academy was launched in March 2008, becoming the UK's first training programme specifically produced to offer a combined theoretical and vocational course for event security professionals. The year-long programme creates a much needed progressive, operational career path within the crowd management industry, developing the knowledge, skills and experience required to become an effective operational manager.

Joining the academy are Catherine Wells, Andrew Thorn and Katie Valkovics, currently working for Showsec, Gemma Harvey and Neilesh Patel, who have previous security experience, and Simon Howard coming from the events management industry.

Keith Hackett, Academy project manager said: "We saw some strong candidates and the six selected be

USA - James Cowan, president of Neutrik USA, died on 5 November from cancer at the age of 52. He worked for Neutrik for 20 years, starting out as general manager, then vice president and was named president in March of 2000 and was well-known and widely liked by the pro audio industry. He will be greatly missed.

Prior to joining Neutrik, Cowan held various positions with such companies as Texas Instruments, Panduit Corp. and Dialight-Kulka-Smith. He received a bachelor of science in marketing and economics as well as a master's degree in marketing from Monmouth University in New Jersey.

Beyond those organisations with ties to the professional audio community, he was a philanthropic benefactor to organisations such as Oceans of Love, which provides help for children with cancer, ALS Association (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aka Lou Gehrig's Disease), the Food Bank of New Jers

Epic News: A stage production of Ben-Hur is to open next year in London's O2 Arena, marking the movie's 50th anniversary. The highlight of the show, about the life and destiny of the Jewish prince, will include the famous chariot scene. The production will require 400 performers and 100 animals including horses, donkeys, chickens and eagles.

Creator Franz Abraham said the show would have a "high level of artistry that would excite the audience". He added: "The show will have the speed of a musical, the depth of great theatre, the power of a rock concert and the visual opulence of a Hollywood blockbuster."

The thoroughbred horses will undergo 12 months of intensive training with a team of trainers and charioteers. A combination of light, sound, water, wind and pyrotechnic effects will also be used. Tickets for the new production will go on sale on 14

USA - ESTA (the Entertainment Services and Technology Association) reports that the 2008 Eva Swan Award was presented to Tim Hansen, for his exceptional service to the Association over many years. The award was presented at ESTA's Annual Dinner on in Las Vegas.

The award was presented by 2005 Swan recipient, Wally Blount, who had worked closely with Hansen in several areas, including the development of the Entertainment Technician Certification Programme (ETCP"I am honoured to be the 2008 recipient of the Eva Swan Award," commented Hansen. "To receive this recognition from your peers is truly a special honour. Everyone who has helped and supported me over the years, especially everyone at Oasis Stage Werks, also deserves a piece of the award. Thank you to ESTA for this very special award. It will always be the high point of my career, but certainly not the end poi

UK - The Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games dominated the second SportBusiness Sports Event Management Awards, presented at a gala dinner in London on the 12 November 2008.

Creative Technology received a Gold Award for its contribution to the spectacular Opening Ceremony which became the hallmark of the Games.

Working closely with the Beijing Organising Committee Ceremonies team, CT developed, designed and delivered the complex processing and switching requirements used on the dramatic video LED floor and scrolls, one of the pivotal elements during the 2008 opener.

Dave Crump, managing director, Creative Technology London, comments: "Being recognised by industry peers is the highest compliment it also sends such a wonderful message to our dedicated team, who I know work tirelessly to deliver such complex projects."

(Jim Evans)

Light on the wind - Artists are lighting up London's South Bank with 1200 wind-powered lights as part of a digital arts festival. The Aeolian tower - which means moved by the wind - is a 15m steel structure located next to Waterloo Bridge. The tower is covered with hundreds of tiny wind-powered LEDs. Each one is made up of a plastic turbine, control circuits and three red LEDs. The designers aim to show how renewable energy can be used to power sustainable art and design. As wind blows over the tower, swirling patterns of light reveal the strength and direction of the breeze. "We want to visualize the invisible, making people realize that there's a lot of energy out there that we're not using," said Zena Bruges from Jason Bruges Studio, which designed the tower.

No Knebworth - Coldplay say they won't be playing a one-off gig in the grounds of Knebworth House in

UK - Skins 3 is coming to e4 soon, and the programme's creators are looking for some bright young things to help them with a very special project. They'll be creating an online mini-episode of Skins that will feature some of the series 3 cast - and four very important behind the scenes roles still need to be filled.

The producers are looking for a writer, director, costume designer and production designer to join the team. No experience is necessary as the Skins creators will be mentoring the winners and providing support. Not only that - they get to join the set of series 3 for paid work experience. The mini episode will be screened online in 2009.

Entrants need to be between 18 and 23 years old and the closing date for all four competitions is Tuesday December 9th at 6pm.Directors: Skins are giving one budding director the opportunity to ge

UK - Stage Electrics has launched its new and improved website. The new site has been designed with a clear and easy to navigate style which is more customer focused and user friendly.

New additions to the site (www.stage-electrics.co.uk) include case studies detailing the range of completed Stage Electrics projects from educational installations to West End shows. There is a new look web shop with over 4,500 items available.

(Jim Evans)

New Zealand - Selecon has launched launch a completely redesigned website (www.seleconlight.com ).

Navigation around the wide range of product information and support together with the extensive technical and educational resources that the site contains has been made simpler and easier, says the company.

New back-end enhancements allow for a more flexible operation of the Selecon site with a new 'search' function on products by either family name or luminaire type via the Support section in the main menu bar. This function is a one-click way to pull a quick overview, lighting calculator, specifications, downloads, related products and accessories together in one place for the product which is of interest.

(Jim Evans)

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