General

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14 March 2016

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

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14 March 2016

"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)

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14 March 2016

"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

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14 March 2016

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

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14 March 2016

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

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14 March 2016

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

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14 March 2016

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

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14 March 2016

"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

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14 March 2016

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

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14 March 2016

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

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14 March 2016

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

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14 March 2016

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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14 March 2016

A well-known and highly respected figure in the pro audio industry, Rob was most associated in recent years with UK manufacturer Martin Audio, where he was sales and marketing director - a role he left relatively recently, having helped guide the development and launch of the award-winning MLA system.

As is so often the case with leading pro audio figures, Rob did not start out in audio: he trained and qualified as a drama teacher before dabbling with work as a DJ, promoter, lighting designer and roadie - all of which led him to join forces with Malcolm Hill and start Hill Audio in the early 1980s. Hill Audio would go on to build the PA system for the world-f

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14 March 2016

The AGM featured presentations from PLASA's Acting Chair Ed Pagett, Treasurer Martin Hawthorn and CEO Matthew Griffiths, covering the early stages of the merger and operational and financial reviews of the past 12 months. In the year since the merger was first voted for by members, PLASA has restructured its membership, run new-style elections, introduced a more representative Governance structure with Regional Boards and an international Governing Body and launched new services and research projects.

Whilst the merger was a key focus of the day, it was not the only subject under discussion and in a lively Q&A session follo

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14 March 2016

"We are verypleased to have found two exceptional people to move our company forward both in Europe and the US," says Giorgio Biffi, Outline CEO. "Tom Bensen has always represented manufacturers that are on the cutting edge of technology. Tom brings with him support for expanded sales of Outline products, very strong relationships, and a fully developed rep

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14 March 2016

Modeled after the highly successful PLASA Focus: Leeds (UK), which recently broke previous attendance records in its third year, Focus: Austin will bring together members of the entertainment technology community to do business and network in a relaxed and friendly setting.

The two-day show will be reasonably priced for exhibitors and free to registered visitors. A unique hard wall booth package-including furniture, power and lighting-will level the playing field and give exhibitors a simple and affordable exhibiting experience. The show'

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14 March 2016

The one-year foundation degree, which is the only one of its kind in the UK, focuses on the artistic, creative and practical use of technology for live events.

According to Creative & Cultural Skills, the Sector Skills Council for creative and cultural industries, by 2017 there will be a need for 30,000 skilled backstage and offstage technical theatre staff to support live events. The Backstage Academy is aiming to train students who can help meet this demand.

Students will gain hands-on experience at the Backstage Academy thanks to its base at the LS-Live Studios in South Kirkby, Wakefield. LS-Live is one of the largest purpose-built rehearsal facilities in Europe and has hosted some of the world's biggest music stars, including Lady Gaga,

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14 March 2016

Seth Jackson has designed tours for two decades for Don Henley, Jason Mraz, Hilary Duff, Melissa Etheridge, American Idols Live, Barry Manilow, Carrie Underwood, and Toby Keith, to name a few. He's also a two-time Parnelli Award winner, and has received the Illuminating Engineering Society?s Award of Distinction.

Derek McLane is one of today's most sought after designers, with designs seen on Broadway in this year's How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Anything Goes revivals on Broadway. His design for 33 Variations won him a Tony Award, and his Ragtime and Pajama Game revivals each earned Tony nominations.

Jim Youmans has design

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14 March 2016

For the past six years Wardle has worked as a theatre consultant for Arup. During that time he was responsible for the design and commissioning of lighting systems for projects including: Kings Place in London, Glasgow City Halls, Royal College of Music, London and Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin.

"I'm delighted to have the opportunity to work for such a dynamic and forward looking company," comments Wardle. "I relish the idea of contributing towards Charcoalblue's diverse range of exciting projects and at the same time I'm planning to keep my hand in the live theatre world as a lighting designer."

Wardle will next be lighting Marcello Magni and Kathryn Hunter at the Arcola Theatre in September. He also brings ten years touring experience, including five years as

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14 March 2016

Reunion Blues - Paul Simon has told Sky News he hopes to be re-united on stage with Art Garfunkel for a final farewell tour. The singer said he would "like to sing with him one last time and maybe do 10 or 15 shows and then say goodbye". However, the reunion may not happen immediately as Garfunkel has been suffering from vocal chord pare

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14 March 2016

The PLASA Awards for Innovation always draw a great deal of interest from visitors to the PLASA Show, who can view all of the nominees in the specially designed 'Innovation Gallery', which will this year again be situated near the Earls Court 2 entrance to the Show. Independently judged by a panel of industry experts from lighting, audio, video and rigging & staging specialist backgrounds, the PLASA Awards for Innovation are one of the most prestigious product Awards in the business. The judges will again have eight product awards at their disposal, with the option to award a 'Gold' to a product or products

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14 March 2016

Human Rights - Sting has cancelled a concert in Kazakhstan's capital Astana over claims of human rights violations on oil workers in the Central Asian country. In a statement on his website, the singer axed Monday's planned show after Amnesty International told him of "the repression and crackdown" against them. The singer sai

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14 March 2016

The 'Big Man' as he is known springs from the imagination of Es Devlin, such is his size that Cronin knew immediately special measures would be required. "As soon as Chris Vaughan at The Production Office (TPO) confirmed us for the job the first thing I did was make a trip with Nigel Tranter (our project manager) and Malcolm Richards (TFL's long serving Structural Engineer) to Stageco in Belgium. Even before we knew exactly how we would be building him we needed to determine how his form would interface between our st

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14 March 2016

The cocktail line up included: the Avolites Ruby Rum, Charcoalblue Cooler, White Light Wimms, Rosco Lux Sangria, Phillips Entertainment Blue Hawaii and the drink with no name from MA Lighting.

Whilst sampling the various concoctions on offer, WiSE sponsors, members, guests and the press had the chance to network, make new friends and give generously to charity. Ultimately the event raised a respectable £137 for Light Relief, all in the space of just a couple of hours.

Coral Cooper, industry veteran and Philips Vari-Lite trainer was cocktail coordinator extraordinaire and kept the