General

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14 March 2016

The buyout was financed privately and leaves Ocean Media debt free. As such it is able to, and intends to, launch and acquire new business. Kenny will be chair of Ocean Media while Moran will be CEO. Moran and Ion Equity owned Ocean Media previously from July 2006 to October 2007.

Moran said: "They say you should never go back, but Ocean is a great company with strong products and fantastic people and I am looking forward to growing Ocean again." Kenny said: "We enjoyed working with David and the

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14 March 2016

Alongside 50 exhibitors and a two-day programme of free professional development sessions, visitors can now book a place on a very special discussion presented by world-renowned lighting designer, Peter Morse. From Madonna and Michael Jackson to Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Usher, Prince, Christina Aguilera and Janet Jackson, Peter Morse has worked with some of the biggest stars on some of the biggest tours in history. Peter will talk us through his inimitable personal style, and share some of his experiences in this very special session; Lighting the Big Stage with Peter Morse.

Another major scoop is Advanced Mapping Techniques with Hippotizer Media Servers, presented by TMB

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14 March 2016

Technical Marketing's Andy Collier announcing the engagement said, "we are delighted to have been appointed and thank the show organisers for the trust placed in Technical Marketing to deliver a successful campaign. What is particularly exciting is that although the show enjoys a fantastic heritage - 2012 will be its 34th year - it continues to evolve and retain relevance to the theatre industry now.

"As both a visitor and exhibitor over the years, for me the show has always been friendly and accessible. Not only is it a great opportunity to talk to equipment suppliers and examine new products, but it is also a 'must attend' event for networking and making or renewing contacts.&q

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14 March 2016

"It has been an honour to serve the needs of such an exciting and innovative industry these past years," Dr. Lemke stated, "and it's with mixed feelings that I leave the wonderful team of professionals and close friends I have made here at InfoComm."

The InfoComm International Board of Directors has announced that an extensive search for Dr. Lemke's successor will be undertaken, with the selection anticipated by the fourth quarter of this year.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, past president of the board, Jim Ford, said, "We are proud of Randy's extraordinary service to InfoComm International. During an economy when ma

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14 March 2016

The set and show was designed by De Wet Meyer and probably the largest challenge was having 96 LED screens to work with. However, this very obstacle was also Mauritz's highlight. He was very satisfied with the VPU, saying: "It's like having an added fixture, changing colours, shapes, images - all at the touch of a button."

The company says: "Robe lighting fixtures were scattered across the set and many areas had to be backlit, but the end result was a stunning picture for the live broadcast."

Dreamsets moved in on 27 November and had two days to set up for the Miss Teen competition, wh

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14 March 2016

As a result, small venues wanting to host live music events will no longer need a local authority entertainment licence - cutting bureaucracy and expense, and making it easier for pubs and clubs to host live performances.

Jo Dipple, acting chief executive of UK Music, the UK commercial music industry's umbrella body, said, "This is a great day for music. The Live Music Bill will make a real and positive difference to lives of musicians. There is no doubt that the current Licensing Act has created needless layers of bureaucracy - making it complicated and expensive for pubs and oth

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14 March 2016

The first Green Lighting Social brought together people from across the lighting industry to share their experiences in an informa

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14 March 2016

Gittins, a qualified engineer and CAD designer, spent his time at Brilliant Stages project managing and designing specialised sets for large-scale tours, cruise ships and events. Originally coming on board to look after the woodwork side, with Tony Bowern on metalwork and Charlie Kail on welding, Gittins experienced every aspect of the industry and, as operations manager, spent the last 10 years running the company with general manager, Tony Bowern.

"It's been a brilliant journey and I have had the opportunity to work on some of the greatest, largest and most technically challenging projects of the last quarter of a century," says Gittins. "I'm now looking forward

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14 March 2016

The events will highlight the latest innovations from these brands, and "explore the hottest developments in video and lighting convergence".

AC-ET - the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for Green Hippo and master European distributor for PixelRange - will host the two open days at its demo facilities in High Wycombe and Leeds.

Geared for all types of user, the events will include separate introductory and advanced training sessions, lunch and refreshments, and a prize draw to win various branded swag and other goodies.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

Illuminate Design, which is headed by Ben Payne, Robin Shephard-Blandy and Andrew Wales, was set up in 2005 with the intention of providing production services to the entertainment industry. However, in recent years, the company has expanded its offering to include technical services - including offering venues a complete overhaul of theatrical lighting and sound equipment.

The company now has a diverse mix of clients, including local theatres, hotels, dance companies and even holiday parks. By maintaining a mix of different client types, the company intends to continue to service clients of all sizes, from a large international tour to a one off night of entertainment.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

"We are extremely proud that our theatres have yet again gone on to achieve another record-breaking year of sales," said SOLT president Mark Rubinstein. "Despite the prevailing rigours of the economic climate, theat

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14 March 2016

Showlight has always been regarded as one of the best networking events in the international lighting calendar, with a conference programme of around 25 papers presented by a real mix of industry people talking about their work and ideas. Supported by a focused exhibition of 40 companies, Showlight is fun and informative - no hard sells, no mind-numbing seminars and no hidden costs!

The programme of speakers covers the whole gamut of lighting genres - theatre, film, television, event and architectural - as well as the technical wizardry behind our trade. Since the first event in 1981, delegates have enjoyed hearing from those who are at

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14 March 2016

Robin Elias, technical director at Unusual , explains, "Earls Court is out of commission for several months this year, as it's one of the Olympic venues, and this made the booking system difficult. We felt it was easier for all concerned to move assessments to Northampton. We're easy to reach from most parts of the country, the facilities here are excellent - and we lay on a pretty good lunch."

Unusual Rigging offers four assessment days each month, more than the other companies in the scheme, and last year assessed 55 riggers at Level 2 and 33 at Level 3.

With all the various events scheduled to take place in 2012, this year will be a busy one for riggers: Un

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14 March 2016

"As well as being hosted by Barbara Eifler, executive director, and Rebecca Emery - chair of the board of the SMA - and featuring a keynote speech by Vikki Heywood, we also have two panel discussions taking place. The first focusses on Valuing Stage Management, and is chaired by the charismatic Ken Bennett-Hunter, with Jamie Byron, James Williams, Antonia Collins and Charles Evans, all established professionals in the industry," say organisers.

The afternoon will feature five break-out sessions: Social Media and the Stage Manager, led by Caron Jane Lyon who specialises in online communications and networking; A Look at Life After Stage Management, with Antonia Coll

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14 March 2016

"Radial DI boxes are an industry standard in the touring market, with a lot of international acts visiting the Middle East it is crucial for companies like Talentz to have them in their inventory," commented Dino Drimakis, business development manager at Melody House. "We expect to see the family of Radial users to grow in 2012."

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

PLASA Focus: Leeds 2012 looks forward to welcoming a record number of visitors to the fourth annual PLASA Focus event at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 April - as PLASA Events confirm that visitor registration to date is already up 100% on 2011. Building on the success of the two-day educational programme from previous years, PLASA Events is delighted to announce the launch of the new PLASA Focus Professional Development Programme: a series of free seminars and demonstrations delivered by some of the industry's leading experts.

Events manager Sophie Atkinson confirmed, "As promised, we are bringing a broad choice of sessions to Leeds, including a look at some exciting regional pr

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14 March 2016

According to Nielsen, the company that tracks TV viewing figures, the football game was the most watched show in US history. However, TV network NBC and the National Football League (NFL) apologised on behalf of rapper M.I.A, who appeared as a featured artist during Madonna's set. The British hip hop musician raised her middle finger whilst facing the camera during the performance. The picture was temporarily scrambled, but it came too l

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14 March 2016

The main fundraising event for these charities, By Design Day focuses attention on the various ways that individuals can support the two organisations that are dedicated solely to helping entertainment technology professionals in need. Many make personal donations, some hold collections at their places of work and often designers support the day by voluntarily giving a day's royalties to one or both of these charities. Light Relief assists those involved in the UK lighting industry while Behind the Scenes aids professionals based in the US and Canada working in any area of the entertainment technology industry.

By Design Day 2012 has the full backing of a host of award-winning design

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14 March 2016

Gallowglass managing director Nick Grecian said, "Clients such as the BBC and Eve Trakway have already pledged to embed sustainability throughout their organisations' working practices, and we are committed to sharing their values. As a company, we have already achieved BS8901 and ISO14001, but we need to take this to the next level. Kirsten Henson is ideally-placed to ensure that sustainability policies convert into practical reality throughout the supply chain."

Kirsten Henson has been providing consultancy in

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14 March 2016

Accepting the trophy for best pop solo performance for her song Someone Like You, Adele said, "Seeing as it's a vocal performance, I need to thank my doctors, I suppose, who brought my voice back."

Theatre Opening - A replacement for the old Westminster Theatre will finally open this autumn. The St James Theatre will launch at the end of September, housed in a residential development near t

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14 March 2016

"PTB's full time staff members, alongside our team of skilled specialist electricians and engineers, bring a friendly, expert approach to the demands of entertainment installation projects. Whether it's a top West End theatre, a cruise ship or a multipurpose arts venue, PTB understands the client's needs and has the ability to respond productively and positively every time," says Ewins. "This philosophy has brought work to our doors from the moment we opened them for business."

Push the Button's mission is "to bring an intelligent and sympathetic approach to its clients' projects". The business covers the fields of electrical design, installation, project management and test & inspection.

Although PTB is effectively a st

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14 March 2016

The landmark London hotel has chosen Venue IT as its technology provider for meetings & events. The appointment follows discussions looking at the longer term conferencing needs for the award winning hotel.

Following a £95m refurbishment, The Cumberland is now looking to assert itself in the lucrative corporate events market set to be stimulated by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.

Venue IT will provide high-speed Internet connectivity which can be accessed throughout the hotel's 26 meeting & event spaces, including the ultra modern Ocean Room, which has a capacity of up to 350 people. The enhanced communications infrastructure will support innovations such as dedicated

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14 March 2016

According to Ken Johnsen, international training manager at The AVC Group, the new programme was rolled out last month at ISE 2012 and featured brand specific training on the ELAN, Niles, Xantech, Sunfire, and ATON brands. "Over a five day period we trained a large percentage of our European distributor partners and their trainers on every aspect of each brand's product line," Johnsen stated. "We are now taking this same integrated approach and bringing it to every part of the world."

The entire focus of The AVC Group's international education effort, Joh

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14 March 2016

Roxette began their current tour in February 2011, their first world tour since 1995, and have so far visited Europe, Russia, South America, and South Africa, with the 2012 leg covering Asia, Australia and Scandinavia, for a total of over 120 performances.

Calle Brattberg is the lighting designer, set designer, programmer, and operator for the tour, as well as creator of the wysiwyg design used for lighting the show.

The main lighting for the Fall leg of the tour was supplied by Starlight in Sweden, consisting of 40 Martin MAC 2000 Wash, 39 Vari*lite VL3000 Spots, 11 Vari*lite VL2500 Spots, 10 SGM Ribaltas, 11 Cromlech JARAGs, 14 Martin MAC 301 LED washes and 18 2-lights by James Thomas Engineering. Brattberg's own company, LXworks, is the supplier of the MA2 ligh