UK - DAC Pro-Media has been appointed sole UK and Eire distributor of the EFX DJ and Civilian lines for American based Mono Cases.

Part of the Mono brand set up in 1996 by Daniel Kushner, these ranges were secured by DAC's Damon Crisp, who jumped at the chance to acquire the EFX series, including a "really funky and superbly made DJ Controller bag range allowing the user to carry his laptop and DJ Controller in style to his gigs."

In addition to the 365 DJ Pack, the series also includes The Flyby, The Kondensor, The Producer and the Fader.

Damon Crisp comments, "These products use rugged industrial materials with smart details. From musicians and DJ's on tour to business professionals, these products have been clearly thought out, with smart storage areas.

"The 365 DJ backpack in particular, is built for DJ's who are constantly in transition. MONO ha

Sweden - Seeking to satisfy his curiosity, or perhaps confirm industry buzz, Stephan Aue, lighting and scenic designer for Swedish electronica band Covenant, decided to see how bright the compact Martin MAC 101 really was.

"When I started using them I was blown away by the light output they had and amazed by their physical size and weight," Aue comments. "The low power consumption and the easy cabling due to PowerCon outlets were the final argument to bring them on a small club tour with a low budget and limited transport capabilities."

Aue, who also serves as lighting op for part of the band's Modern Ruin tour that has the band touring Europe throughout the year, is using 24 of the compact wash lights, which he transports in a single Sprinter van. Lighting supply is by Ambion GmbH.

"This is by far the smallest lamp I had on the tour when it c

Switzerland - Barix AG reports that it surpassed the 100,000 device threshold for sales as part of a highly successful 2010 that also saw major project wins and double-digit growth.

"2010 was a huge success for Barix," said Johannes G. Rietschel, CEO and founder of Barix AG. "We passed a major sales milestone and experienced a substantial revenue increase. Barix contributed more than 1,200 devices to the largest Audio over IP project for live sound ever at a sports event in India, while securing key customer wins in security, transportation, healthcare and other markets."

Barix supplied the 1,200-plus Audio over IP devices for the Commonwealth Games in India last summer, handling IP contribution from all the venues to the control room; and distribution to a large number of broadcast studios. The company also continued to develop technology and business part

Canada - US microphone manufacturer Blue Microphones has appointed HHB as exclusive distributor of its products in Canada, effective 1 June.

Blue Microphones has grown to become a major international force in microphone manufacturing, with a product range that now encompasses studio, live, USB and iPod mics.

"In HHB, we've found a partner that shares our vision of providing the highest quality microphones to those with a passion for uncompromised sound," comments Blue VP of sales Dino Virella. "Blue Microphones is excited to expand our availability through the efforts of HHB Canada President Dave Dysart and his team who have a solid track record in supporting audio professionals and recording musicians in Canada."

Located in Toronto, Ontario, HHB Canada was formed in 1997 and is exclusive Canadian distributor for a range of audio technology innovators inc

UK - At ABTT 2011, A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) will highlight a selection of new theatrical solutions from the many brands it distributes - including Jands, Chroma-Q, GLP, Spotlight, Shure, Sennheiser, Prolyte, Litec, Columbus McKinnon, Green Hippo and many more.

Staff from AC-ET's specialist sales divisions will be on hand to discuss the company's one-stop service, which includes a stockholding of new and used equipment encompassing over 200 brands, one of the industry's largest custom colour filter and cable manufacturing facilities, product servicing and repairs, and a round the clock emergency delivery service during evenings and weekends.

As the exclusive UK supplier for Chroma-Q, AC-ET's Lighting division officially launches the new Studio Force V (Variable white 2,900K - 6,000K CCT) and Studio Force D (Daylight white 6,000K CCT) white LED fixtures.

The new

UK - Each year the UK's Comic Relief appeal seems to go from strength to strength, with some of the biggest names in comedy and entertainment coming together with a simple plan to 'do something funny for money'.

So far this year, £74,360,207 has been raised, proving that even in a recession, people can still find it in themselves to dig deep and do their bit for others.

Richard Martin Lighting (RML) showed its support by supplying lighting equipment for the Red Nose Day event, which was filmed live at BBC Television Centre (TVC). The show was themed with a bright new bubble-themed set, and once again lighting designer Chris Kempton (and his trusted team) were invited back to design the lighting. Bill Peachment assisted as moving light operator.

Consisting of over 200 lights, a substantial lighting rig illuminated the various stages and catwalks used by the show hosts t

Denmark- For Christian Behrens, owner and engineer of SoundCrew Live Production, Aviom Personal Mixers have been the solution to help minimise volume and ease production setup for countless projects - from concerts and musicals to corporate events.

Founded in 2001, SoundCrew Live Production provides sound equipment and engineering for small concerts, corporate events, amateur musicals and school functions. When it comes to events such as church concerts and school musicals, where minimum volume on stage is crucial, SoundCrew has come to rely on Aviom, as the company's A-16II Personal Mixers help get a clean front of house mix and keep productions running smoothly by providing users with custom monitor mixes.

"We selected the Aviom equipment because of its low- to no-latency and availability in the Danish professional audio rental market, thanks to Moto Audio Sales,"

Germany - Black Box Music has become one of the first in a growing number of rental companies to invest in a second L-Acoustics K1 WST line source system, giving the German company a total of 96 K1 boxes.

The new K1 system, which raises BBM's inventory of L-Acoustics cabinets to more than 700, will be busy from May until September on major tours with Sade and Rammstein across Europe as well as North and South America, and will remain in the US for further shows. In the meantime, BBM's original K1 system, purchased in 2009 and the first in Germany, will be used for a Herbert Grönemeyer tour as well as the Hurricane/Southside festivals.

"K1 enjoys a high level of demand and market acceptance, and we were receiving more bookings than we could fulfill," says BBM technician and K System Engineer (KSE) Ulf Oeckel. "K1 is the best full range system on the market, inst

USA - Outline will showcase its iMode intelligent digital loudspeaker control platform at InfoComm 2011. iMode technology embeds a Linux-based CPU - with integrated DSP chip, parameter control software and web server - right into its powered speaker systems, thereby streamlining setup and control by eliminating the outboard gear between the console and power amplifier. Winner of a PLASA Innovation Award in 2010, iMode represents the next step in the marriage of loudspeakers, amplifiers and IT, says the company.

"When looking at what the next logical step should be for advancing digital parameter control for its self-powered loudspeakers, Outline decided to go to an entirely different level than anyone in the market by developing iMode," says Tom Bensen, senior vice-president and managing director of Outline North America.

"Not content with simply adding a DSP ch

Europe - Effective immediately, Philips Vari-Lite has announced the realignment of its European distribution of products, parts, and support services.Through an agreement reached with Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG), Philips Vari-Lite will assume control of relationships with current and future Vari*Lite dealers and will now provide goods and service direct from the company headquarters in Dallas, Texas.

"This is a very exciting development" said Bob Schacherl, Philips Vari-Lite vice president of sales and marketing. "We are grateful to PRG Europe Distribution (PRGED) for their years of dedicated service as our European master distributor. We look forward to taking full control of these relationships in order to further solidify the strength of the Philips Vari-Lite brand and significantly grow sales within the greater European market."

In order to

Austria - A debate on Austria's most explosive political issue takes place every Sunday evening as part of the widely viewed "im Zentrum" TV programme. The show is produced and broadcast by ORF and was recently relocated. The outdoor entrance area of their headquarters and central production facility in Vienna now makes up the visual back-drop for the set.

Outdoor RGB LED fixtures were chosen by lighting designer Reinhard Traxler to put a splash of colour on an outdoor reflection pond that is centrally located in, and the visual focus of, the area. ArcSouce RGBW LED fixtures from Robe were used to paint the facade of the building in a warm welcoming tone and to highlight the ORF logo and other decorative elements used in the show.

The lighting fixtures are all located on the outside of the building and the control of the fixtures is located inside the building and co

UK - Blitz reports that it will be relocating its Oldham operation back to Manchester, where it was based until five years ago. From 8 June 2011 Blitz will be in residence at Trafford Park.

Managing director Paul Hutton comments, "We have been looking to relocate back to Manchester for some time, and with our lease at the Oldham facility coming to an end, this has proved to be the ideal opportunity. Blitz is proud to be the sole onsite supplier of AV services at Manchester Central, a preferred supplier at The Point (Lancashire County Cricket Club) and Event City. This new location will position us within minutes of all these prestigious venues."

The full address of the new Manchester office is: Blitz Communications Ltd, 5 Littler's Point, Second Avenue, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1LT. Telephone: 0161 855 2790.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Black Light has helped one of the UK's most successful 'stand-up scientists' blow away audiences at the 2011 Edinburgh International Science Festival. As a finale to Dr. Bunhead's Pyromania shows at the Usher Hall, Black Light created a pyrotechnic spectacular which, almost literally, brought the house down.

Dr. Bunhead (who also goes by the off-stage name of Tom Pringle) is a well-known science communicator who has performed over 1,600 shows around the world. He specialises in using dramatic experiments, flashes and bangs to bring science to life. For his two show contribution to the International Science Festival, Tom needed to produce an even bigger spectacle than usual and turned to Black Light's technical manager Craig Collin for help.

"Impeccably professional, Craig's pyro performance exceeded what I hoped to achieve," says Pringle. "I was trul

Germany - Jörg Heise has joined Riedel Communications as its new chief operations officer (COO). Heise began his duties at the communications, audio and video network specialist in May, 2011 in Wuppertal.

"I'm looking forward to working alongside the company's founder, Thomas Riedel, CFO Uwe Bingel, as well as the rest of the management team as we continue generating sustainable growth," said Heise.

Heise, who holds an advanced degree in economics, has many years of leadership experience at mid cap technology and manufacturing companies. He was most recently the CEO of Willach-Heise GmbH.

(jim Evans)

UK - After discussion amongst the Tallescope Working Party - which comprises representatives from SOLT, TMA and a range of UK theatre industry organisations, members of the HSE and the manufacturers of the Tallescope, Aluminium Access Products - the ABTT, on behalf of the industry, has announced:

"Tallescopes have long been and remain one of the methods for Working at Height in Theatres. However as stated and illustrated in the ABTT Code of Practice on Selection of Equipment for Work at Height in Theatres, Tallescopes should not be regarded as the default or first choice tool for working at height. Employers should always refer to the hierarchy for the selection of equipment for work at height outlined in the Work at Height Regulations 2005 before considering means for work at height. However it is recognised that in some circumstances the Tallescope will be the most approp

India - PALM Expo 2011 ended with a successful showcasing in its 11th year running in India. The annual event supported by the global industry was held from 2 - 4 June 2011, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.

PALM witnessed a jump from 75 exhibitors in 2010 to 117 Exhibitors in 2011 - an increase of 56% from last year; 15,959 total attendees in 2011, to the PALM + Integrate and Musician Expo; 8,424 visitors to the PALM+ Integrate - an increase of 30% from last year.

This year the Expo witnessed a restructured floor plan with the Musician Expo given its due importance and identity in a separate hall. The Musician Expo was well represented with booths of several new players in this segment.

Another accomplishment that was lauded by the exhibitors and visitors was the further control of noise levels with line arrays not allowed to play at high volumes in the PALM Expo Hal

UK - On 18 June, The National Theatre will see a group of bikers, hailing from all sectors of the entertainment technology industry, set off on an eight-day motorbike tour of fascinating and historical UK theatres. Their mission: To raise as much money as they can for industry charity The Theatrical Guild (TTG).

At 10am, having fuelled themselves with a hearty, al fresco, breakfast, the chequered flag will be lowered and they will be on their way. However they will not be alone. A group of police motorbike outriders will accompany them, out of London to the A11.

Stars of the stage and screen, including West end actress Liz Robertson, James Fleet and a host of others, will be waving them off.

Rob Barnard, head of technical resources at The National Theatre says, "I am delighted to be involved with such a fabulous event. I will be doing the ride for the second year runnin

UK / USA - White Light congratulates lighting designers Paule Constable and Brian MacDevitt, winners of this year's Tony Award for, respectively, Best Lighting Design of a Play and Best Lighting Design of a Musical at New York's s theatre award ceremony, which took place this Sunday 12 June.

Paule Constable won the prize for her dramatic lighting of War Horse ,the smash-hit play which was created at London's National Theatre, then transferred to the New London Theatre with a rig supplied by White Light. The New York production of the show opened at the Lincoln Centre this Spring, to great acclaim.

The work of many other members of the show's creative team was also rewarded by the Tony voters, Rae Smith receiving the award for Best Scenic Design of a Play, Christopher Shutt winning the Best Sound Design of a Play category, writer Nick Stafford collecting the Best Play aw

France - Nexo has announced the retirement of its CEO and president Keisuke Kobayashi, and the appointment of Yoshiyuki Tsugawa (also known as Yoshi) as his successor.

No stranger to Nexo, Tsugawa was appointed by Kobayashi as a key member of the project team which oversaw the acquisition of Nexo by Yamaha Corporation in 2007. Since that time, Kobayashi has been at the helm of Nexo at its campus in Plailly, north of Paris, where he has overseen the company's transition from entrepreneurial independent manufacturer into a prized subsidiary of Yamaha. Throughout, Tsugawa has remained involved, integrating Nexo's interests into overall Yamaha pro-audio strategy.

Yoshi Tsugawa has been with Yamaha Corporation for 19 years, having joined the company at the age of 23. Although he has spent several years in Europe, working in Hamburg, his most recent position has been as the general

In Orlando - Billed as the world's largest audiovisual trade fair, InfoComm 2011 is being staged this week at the Orange County Convention Centre in Orlando. More than 950 exhibitors are participating and the organisers are predicting an attendance figure of 32,000.

"Attending InfoComm's tradeshow is a valuable investment in both time and money," states Randal A. Lemke, executive director and CEO, InfoComm International. "In just a few days you can visit the most comprehensive array of professional audio, digital signage, display, conferencing and telepresence, lighting, control system and signal distribution technology manufacturers available in one location, all while receiving world-class education and training from leading experts and manufacturers."

Voluntary Work - Mayor of London Boris Johnson is to work on a new strategic plan for volunteerin

UK - Like the ABTT, WiSE has much to celebrate: In just a few years it has grown to embrace over 420 female industry members worldwide; is about to complement its members only social networking site with a public facing website (so everyone can get involved) and, for the first time ever, will have its very own stand at the ABTT show.

WiSE was established in 2008 to address the under representation of women in the technical disciplines of entertainment. Since then the organisation has established links with colleges, businesses and training organisations, run a series of successful networking events, mentorship programmes and technical training sessions and lobbies for fair working conditions for everyone.

It could not have done this without the support of the industry it serves and works with. So, to celebrate its success, WiSE has invited aspiring cocktail designers from its

UK - Entries are now open for The Theatres Trust second annual People's Choice Award, following a launch event at the ABTT Theatre Show 2011.

Entries are invited from entertainment industry manufacturers/suppliers with a product that they consider is making a difference to theatres sustainability, either through design, manufacture or operation. Successful applicants products will be displayed on The Theatres Trust's stand 2-M14 at PLASA 2011 from the 11-14 September and visitors to the show will cast their vote for the People's Choice Award.

Visitors to stands at both the ABTT Theatre Show and PLASA 2011 will be able to see a variety of information on the Trust's European Regional Development Fund-backed 'Ecovenue' sustainability project, which is improving the sustainability of 48 London performing arts venues.

At PLASA 2011, after three days of visitor voting, the award w

USA - PLASA has extended the submission deadline for the fourth annual Rock Our World Awards to 10 July 2011, to allow for more nominations to the popular awards programme. The awards, which recognise groundbreaking achievement by PLASA members, were designed to acknowledge the genius of both the creator of technology and the designers or integrators who apply it, these awards were originated by ESTA and are now expanded as a worldwide programme under PLASA.

Contestants for the 2010 awards showcased a wide variety of achievements, from the simplest problem solver to complex uses of technology that extended the boundaries of entertainment technology. Nominations showcased everything from innovative new products, to unusual applications, to massive events that highlighted the collaborative nature of our industry.

Anyone may nominate a PLASA member for the awards. If you've seen

Off Stage - Phantom of the Opera sequel Love Never Dies is to close on 27 August, it has been confirmed. The announcement comes a little over a year since Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical first opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End. The show opened to some poor reviews, and after substantial rewrites, was relaunched nine months later. Although the new version gained a better critical reception, it failed to perform at the box office.

A fresh production of the show opened in Melbourne, Australia, at the end of May with far more positive press. In an interview earlier this month, Lord Lloyd-Webber attributed the show's failure to his being treated for cancer during production, which meant he was unable to give it his full attention. "With hindsight we should have said, 'Let's put the whole thing on hold until I'm 100% again'. Frankly I wasn't feeling v

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