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Belgium - Even while the news of the stage collapse tragedy in Indiana was still being digested by a shocked production industry, the almost unbelievable news of another stage collapse in Belgium reaches us - again the result of a severe storm, and with reports of five fatalities, as of Friday morning, and over 70 others injured.

Although they had not yet been named, it has been reported that the five dead are all Belgians: four died at the scene and one died later in hospital.

Video footage recorded at the Pukkelpop Festival, at Hasselt, Belgium, yesterday shows the site being struck by very heavy wind and rain prior to the collapse of the stage. The storm hit at around 6pm local time. Belgian news reports have said that the strong winds uprooted trees which then smashed into the stage structure: photography from the aftermath of the storm seems to show trees amid the stage d

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UK - Andrew De Rosa, who was appointed the first CEO of the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) in December 2009, will shortly be leaving the Association "to pursue his own interests in new and exciting ways", the Association has announced. The statement ads: "The time however is right for others to lead the Association as it moves into new and uncharted waters. The Association has grown under his tenure and his efforts to market and promote the ABTT in new ways has been well received and puts us in a stronger position."

The ABTT says that Andrew De Rosa was keen to give greater member benefits and reasons for joining. "He gave us a new look and this came as we celebrated our 50th Anniversary. The Association now through Andrew's efforts is able to offer insurance schemes that better protect members of the Association when they are working

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UK - Roland Systems Group (RSG) UK will showcase their new R-1000 dedicated 48 track audio recorder/ player and the M-480 48 channel live digital mixing console at PLASA this year1 (Stand F-5).

The R-1000 is a standalone, dedicated recorder/player designed to work with the V-Mixing System in any live event or production, making it suitable for virtual rehearsal, rehearsals, playback and training. It can also be used with any digital console with a MADI output via the Roland S-MADI REAC MADI Bridge. Previewed earlier this year, this multi-purpose, rackmountable solution is now fully featured and shipping globally.

Based on REAC (Roland Ethernet Audio Communication), the R-1000 eliminates the bulk and noise susceptibility typically associated with analogue snakes and replaces it with Cat 5e/6 (Ethernet/LAN) cable. Recording up to 48 tracks of 24-bit audio in BWF format, its remo

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UK - Traction Sound has entered its SDS Range of speakers for a 2011 PLASA Innovation Award. The Awards ceremony will take place at 6pm on Monday 12 September at the PLASA 2011 Show.

The range of installation and portable PA speakers features Traction Sound's SDS Horn technology. Technical specialist Andy Pardoe explains, "The SDS Horn is a high frequency device utilising multiple high-powered soft dome tweeters arrayed in a line. This eliminates the use of industry standard compression drivers, providing a higher quality alternative."

Jonny Goodwillie, sales director at Traction Sound continues, "We decided to enter the Innovation Awards following a very positive response to the SDS Range launch at PLASA Focus in Leeds earlier this year. The range is designed to deliver accurate sound reproduction at high SPL with absolutely no distortion. We believe our entry

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USA / UK - GDS (Global Design Solutions) has announced the appointment of Chris Patton as Head of US Operations. With over 12 years' experience in the entertainment technology industry, Patton brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Working for most of his career in various roles for Stage Electrics, his most recent position was as export sales manager, where he was responsible for developing overseas business opportunities and implementing effective export sales strategies. Patton has been appointed to develop the GDS brand across North and South America and will work in strong partnership with GDS's distributor A.C.T Lighting, which distributes LiteWare, Cue SystemNet, SMConsole, ARC System and MOBAL to the North America market. Chris will initially be based in the UK and will re-locate to GDS's New York office in August 2012.

Patton Commented: "GDS are an incredibly

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On Broadway - Ghost The Musical is to transfer to Broadway next year. The show, adapted for the stage by Bruce Joel Rubin from his screenplay, opened in London's West End in June. The musical features an original score by Eurythmics star Dave Stewart and Grammy winner Glen Ballard. The Broadway show will begin its run next April after a month of previews at a yet to be announced theatre. Casting will be confirmed at a later date. The West End production currently stars ex-Coronation Street actor Richard Fleeshman and Canadian actress Caissie Levy.

Olympic Countdown - Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue bosses have warned that the technical demands of events surrounding next summer's London Olympics could drain available technical staff away from the Scottish capital.

The crucial period will be the opening week of the Olympics, from 27 July, which is when Edinburgh's

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UK - Following SSE Hire's recent move to use Lab.gruppen PLM 10000Q as its standard monitor amplifier and Lake LM26 for digital returns with festival systems, SSE Sales has now been appointed as a sub-distributor for the products.

"The Lab.gruppen PLM range was an easy choice for SSE Hire, because of the onboard Lake processing and the fact that the amps can work on a Dante network out of the box" said SSE's Alex Penn.

"The power to weight/size ratio of the PLM 10000Q and PLM 20000Q is phenomenal. We just genuinely believe that these are the best amps to use where we have the choice."

"We are very pleased to be have been appointed as a sub-distributor for Lake/Lab.gruppen because these are great products. The range of amplifiers now available from Lab will work in all market sectors, as well as providing the very best for the touring market."

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USA - PLASA has confirmed recent changes to the North American Regional Board. The first set of changes began this spring when Kacey Coffin, the North American regional board secretary, accepted a staff position as PLASA's membership manager, North America. Dinna Myers, director of sales & marketing at Musson Theatrical and dealer representative on the Board, was appointed to fill the vacant secretary position.

Dinna also serves as co-chair for the Membership Advisory Group and the Marketing & Communications Advisory Group. Scott Hoyt, vice president of Heartland Scenic Studio, was appointed to fill the open dealer representative position. Scott currently serves as co-chair of the Business Resource Group and chair of the Business Peer Group Advisory Programme.

In July, Charlie Davidson stepped down from his seat as manufacturer representative and Tom Siko, Midwest territory ma

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Fringe Record - Sales of tickets at this year's Edinburgh Fringe are up by 3% on last year. According to figures released by the Fringe Society 1,877,000 tickets were sold by its box office over the last three and a half weeks. It is another increase on the record breaking sales achieved in 2010. Poor weather during August and a greater concentration of venues in one part of the city did not appear to have had an adverse effect on ticket sales. During the Fringe this year there were a record-breaking 2,542 shows, with about 21,000 performers presenting 41,689 performances in 258 venues.

Off Broadway - Broadway shows were cancelled on Saturday as New York braced itself for the full force of Hurricane Irene to strike. They included Cirque du Soleil's Zarkana at Radio City Music Hall and War Horse at Lincoln Center Theatre. "The safety and security of thea

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UK - MA Lighting and Clay Paky have jointly announced that from 1 September both companies' product ranges will enjoy comprehensive UK support from London-based Ambersphere Solutions Ltd. Emerging from the team at MA Lighting Ltd, the company is already known for the outstanding support given to MA Lighting products in the UK. Now, from 1 September 2011, Clay Paky's UK customers will be able to enjoy a similar level of attention from a dedicated UK team.

Ambersphere's managing director Glyn O'Donoghue comments: "For the past six months I have been working closely with MA Lighting and Clay Paky in the UK and the synergy is fantastic. Both companies make high quality innovative products and they deserve the best support services available. Through this alliance, we'll be able to offer total UK support for both product ranges. Later this month we will be moving into larger pre

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UK - According to data released recently, the eurozone economy has slipped closer to stagnation and there are growing fears of a double dip recession. Financial reports show that the region's manufacturing sector has contracted for the first time since September 2009 and growth is slowing across the board, however many companies in our industry report healthy order books and busy diaries.

Against a background of such uncertainty, PLASA CEO Matthew Griffiths suggests there has never been a more important time to talk to each other. "When financial experts are sceptical about future economic growth, we have to take note and be prepared for market changes. Fortunately, this is a strong industry that performs well and understands how to innovate. It's also thankfully one that believes in openly discussing issues, so it's encouraging that people want to discuss what the next 12

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USA - A book signing was held Monday, 22 August for A Theatre Project, a new memoir written by Richard Pilbrow with David Collison, edited by David Barbour, and published by PLASA Media. The event, held at PLASA's new offices in the Film Centre Building in New York's Theatre District, was well attended by the theatre and entertainment technology community.

Copies of Pilbrow's book were available for purchase, which he personally signed throughout the evening. The catered reception also served as a successful networking event, and was attended by well-known designers including Ken Billington, Imero Fiorentino, Hugh Hardy, Natasha Katz, Stan Pressner, and Jennifer Tipton. PLASA Members and staff connected with their industry peers, Pilbrow's family and friends, and fans and students of his work.

Pilbrow will also sign copies of his memoir at the PLASA show in London, Tues

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USA - Orders close 8 September for 2011 Behind the Scenes Holiday Cards. After that date, a limited number of card packs and electronic cards will be available online, as well as for sale at the LDI show in Orlando, FL. Personalised cards will no longer be available.

The 2011 cards were created by an impressive line-up of all-star designers - Andrew Hefter (perennial favourite, back with his popular 2008 design), Seth Jackson (many tours, including Don Henley and Jason Mraz), Derek McLane (this year's Follies, How to Succeed and Anything Goes revivals, and more), and Jim Youmans (Broadway's Gypsy with Patti LuPone and Swinging on a Star, among others).

Until the 8 September deadline, three ordering options are offered, including personalised cards with a company logo and custom message (minimum 250 cards), card packs of 10 with a standard gre

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USA - The Entertainment Technician Certification Programme (ETCP) has awarded 19 International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local One members with its Entertainment Electrician Certification. Among those newly certified, is the first female ETCP Certified Technician in the New York Local.

"We are extremely proud to add some of Broadway's finest stage electricians to the list of ETCP Certified Technicians," said chairman of the Local's Board of Trustees, Paul F. Dean, Jr. who helped organise a four-day training course prior to the exam administration. "Our members who are ETCP Certified also include technicians from Lincoln Centre, The Metropolitan Opera House and various television studios who work throughout Local One's jurisdiction which includes Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Westchester and Putnam Counties."

Each of these Ent

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USA - PLASA has announced the launch of the Entertainment Industry Safety Initiative website, now live at www.safetyinentertainment.org. The site is designed to raise awareness of safety in the live event production industry among companies and individuals by providing information and resources regarding safe work practices, record keeping, accident reporting, and more. The site currently focuses on codes and regulations in the United States, but will be expanded to cover other countries in the future.

The website was created by PLASA after meeting with representatives from across the industry, including a variety of trade and professional associations, employers, venues, and labour unions last March at USITT. At the meeting, there was unanimous agreement among the attendees that there is a need and a desire for a central location where information can be easily found to help fa

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UK - HHB Communications has announced the appointment of Andrew Low to the newly-created position of HHB marketing coordinator.

Low will be based in the main HHB sales office in West London and report to group sales director Steve Angel. He will be working with both HHB and Scrub to create content for the new website, produce HHB's catalogues, write and issue press releases and work with social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter amongst many other marketing related duties.

Low joins HHB from his previous position at Intent Media where he was the editor of Audio Pro International for the past four years. He is also a gigging and recording guitarist and singer songwriter with a wide knowledge of pro audio products and an audio engineering background.

"I am very lucky to join a company that is so well respected in the pro audio and broadcast communities at a t

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UK / USA - As part of its ongoing merger activities and in response to the end of year departure of Ruth Rossington, executive director in Europe, PLASA has taken the opportunity to restructure its management team to ensure it continues to move the organisation forward while progressing a wide range of projects of benefit to members.

With effect from 1 October 2011, a new company structure will be put in place which sees CEO Matthew Griffiths heading up the association, whilst also temporarily overseeing the Events divisions in the UK and North America. Finance director Shane McGreevy becomes chief operating officer (COO) with responsibilities expanding beyond finance and core services into operational administration and personnel.

Lori Rubinstein, current executive director in North America, becomes the new director of membership, skills, standards & technical overseeing thes

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USA - PLASA has announced the finalists for the fourth annual Rock Our World Awards, to be presented at the PLASA Cocktail & Awards Reception at LDI 2011. The PLASA Rock Our World Awards were created to honour groundbreaking achievement by its members and to acknowledge the genius of both the creator of the technology and the designer or integrator who applies it in a real world environment.

The finalists for the fourth annual Rock Our World Awards are:

83rd Annual Academy Awards - Green Hippo, PRG, TMB

ALEXA Digital Camera System - ARRI

coolux Widget Designer 3.0 PRO - Coolux GmbH

DataGate Mk2 - ENTTEC

Disney World of Color - A.C.T Lighting, Fisher Technical Services, MA Lighting, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment

EverGrip Molded Motor Control Cables - Lex Products Corp

Garsington Opera - Unusual Rigging Ltd (UK)

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Seaside Saga - Blackpool North Pier Theatre has cancelled all its summer shows with immediate effect. Pier owner Peter Sedgwick, who bought the site earlier this year, says the move is to allow for essential restoration and refurbishment to guarantee the venue's future.

"North Pier Theatre will be closed in the short term as we begin a schedule of essential refurbishment and specialist restoration that cannot be carried out during the harsh winter months," Sedgwick told the Stage. "I sincerely apologise to all our patrons who have booked tickets to the shows and a full refund policy is currently in place".

The theatre plans include a full refurbishment of the dressings rooms, stage door entrance, green rooms and back of house areas.

Child's Play - Kinks singer Ray Davies has used his band's hit songs to write a musical play tracing the last

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USA - Theatre Projects has opened their first office on the west coast. They've been working on the west coast for 30 years and "are thrilled to now have a permanent home in Los Angeles".

Some of their more visible west coast projects include the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Kodak Theatre. But their west coast work represents their practice as a whole, including regional theatres, university work, small-scale projects, performing arts centres, and renovations. Find out more about Theatre Projects' work on the west coast attheatreprojects.com.

Theatre Projects designs and plans performance spaces of every size and complexity and offers a broad range of services from auditorium and theatre equipment design to operations and business planning.

The new office is at 453 S. Spring Street, Suite 1230, Los Angeles, California 90013, T 213 375-3688.

(Jim Evans)

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UK - Scottish hire company, Ward Steedsy, provided the PA for the Solfest Dance Tent over the recent August bank holiday weekend, selecting a combined Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing system to manage FOH and monitors.

Solfest is a non-commercial music and arts festival with a warm atmosphere set between the Solway Firth and the Lake District in Cumbria, featuring a massive range of musical and cultural adventures. Hosting live acts and DJs including Subsource, The User Friendly, Utah Saints and the Freestylers, the Dance Tent was managed with an iLive-112 Control Surface at FOH and an iLive-R72 for monitors connected to an iDR10 MixRack with a digital mic split via A&H's ACE protocol to an iDR0 miniRack.

Partner, Steven Ward said, "For the third year running we have provided the PA for the Solfest Dance Tent and for the third year running we have had an iLive at FOH. T

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UK - Fairport's Cropredy Convention is a rare event - a successful festival that has run for more than 30 years on the strength of its original concept, the music of legendary folk rock band Fairport Convention and friends. Its distinctive identity has given it a special niche status on the UK's summer festival circuit.

Festival director Gareth Williams, himself for many years the monitor engineer for Fairport Convention, and his PA supplier Pete Russell of SSE Audio Group chose the new Nexo 45°N-12 stage monitors for the Cropredy stage, deploying 10 units for up to eight mixes, all powered by NXAMP 4x4s.

This year's line-up, headlined by Fairport Convention, also included Horslips, Badly Drawn Boy, Seasick Steve, The Coral and UB40. The busiest man on site was Jasen Hattams of SSE, who mixed monitors for every band except Fairport itself. He had a few things to say about

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Uk - CRMX Unity, SuperNova 2.0, and a dozen new OEMs have been announced by LumenRadio in conjunction with the PLASA 2011 show.

CRMX Unity is a new technology platform from LumenRadio offering "intuitive and effortless network and device management across wired and wireless networks".

CRMX Unity will be on exhibit at the PLASA Innovation Gallery and available for hands-on demonstration in LumenRadio's booth. This showcase offers an excellent introduction to the exciting future of DMX, RDM, and Ethernet connectivity and networking, says the company.

SuperNova 2.0 with enhanced RDM, Ethernet, and user interface functionality, including full integration with CRMX Unity and wired RDM communication, will also be released at PLASA 2011. Other feature additions include support for the recently released Art-Net 3 specification and IP independent discovery of CRMX Ethernet

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UK - Hoist UK has reached the final of this year's Innovation Awards at PLASA 2011 for their ULC - TT Universal Load Corner, offered through their sister company Truss UK.

The PLASA Awards for Innovation recognises products which advance the industry by demonstrating a new style of thinking, improving technical practice, or taking a key step forward in terms of safety.

The load corner unit eliminates the need to try and support the truss either side of a conventional corner block or worse still suspend from it. The ULC-TT Universal Load Corner which is an integral part of the TT series of truss is a structurally rated and certified six way corner complete with a suspension and load point for up to 2,500kgs.

Paul Jordan, designer of the Universal Load Corner says, "The ULC TT shows that thinking outside the box on a new development actually works. Up to now truss manufac

  1. PLASA 2011: MilTec extends audio & lighting ranges
  2. Renkus-Heinz names technical sales manager
  3. Lumiere returns to Durham
  4. Blitz Joins AV Alliance
  5. PLASA 2011: Sennheiser shows Channel 38 capable products
  6. Backstage Academy forms partnership with TroikaTronix
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