UK - The lease on Central London's legendary Hippodrome - made famous in the 1980's by Peter Stringfellow - has been extended by 12 months to new incumbents, following the departure of previous operators, Luminar Leisure, last September. As a result, a consortium headed by Chinawhite director, Jeremy Hartley and Leicester Square Association chairman, Steve Bowen, have taken on the lease, and earmarked a £750,000 development budget, with a large percentage going on lighting.

A contract worth £150,000 has been awarded to Ian Kirby's Coemar UK for the supply of a large consignment of Coemar moving head dancefloor and mid-air beam effects plus Hungaroflash strobes, James Thomas Engineering LED battens and ShowCAD computer control.

Replacing the majestic satellites - the mainstay of the club's dynamic lightshows through the '80s - the fixtures have been purchased and installed by

Germany - From March of this year, students of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg, Germany, have had the opportunity to learn everything about the craft of broadcast production in a fully equipped, state-of-the-art television studio. transtechnik Lichtsysteme of Holzkirchen, Germany, project managed the installation and also supplied the lighting and studio automation equipment for the almost 380sq.m TV studios.

The studio is truly multifunctional - used for classes in cutting, montage, and series formatting, as well as for film and television productions, lectures, movie screenings, and other events. To familiarize students with the latest technologies, the Filmakademie has placed a high value on modern (as well as standard) studio equipment. transtechnik Lichtsysteme could offer everything from a single source: from planning the ceiling construction all the way

USA - Kurt Kern, long-time TMB sales representative, has relocated to Cleveland to join Vincent Lighting Systems. TMB's East Coast sales manager, Brian Dowd, said: "Kurt has been a great asset and friend to us all. We respect the devotion to his family that prompted this move. The growth of our New York office over the past few years would not have been possible without Kurt's knowledge, talent and hard work. Paul Vincent and everyone at Vincent Lighting are very fortunate. Meanwhile, we now have to deal with our worst nightmare: a customer who knows our deepest, darkest secrets!"

"Who can blame Kurt for moving to a town with such an awesome football team?" said TMB's sales manager, Tommy Stephenson, famous follower of lost causes, adding: "Paul, did you get a chance to look at my resumé yet?"

"These have been great years," comments Ke

UK - Sound Division has installed a sophisticated AV system into the brand new bar and restaurant in London's Battersea, called Iniquity, and owned and run by Rising Star Leisure. According to Rising Star's chief executive, Steve Kelly, the brief was to "implement a high quality and resilient audio-visual system, based on best-of-breed technology, to provide great sound quality from a variety of input sources, including CD, Hard Disk, MP3, DVD, and DJ."

To this end, Sound Division's David Graham specified a Crown-driven JBL system that is split into two zones with the ability to control both zones from each area. The bar area is served by JBL Control 28 loudspeakers while Graham opted for Control 25Avs for the lounge with system control courtesy of a Cloud CX242 dual zone mixer. In addition to the audio system, Sound Division has also installed a sophisticated AV syst

UK - From November 2004, ExCeL will become London's latest entertainment venue, with a capacity of up to 17,000 seated and 20,000 standing. The purpose-built venue offers fully flexible configurations for concerts, sports events and family shows, plus regularly available time-slots for rehearsals and sound checks.

Says Rob MacKenzie, ExCeL's London EventCo managing director: "Already London's premier venue for exhibitions, we are perfectly placed to host large-scale entertainment events. This has always been part of ExCeL's medium term strategy and is a logical extension of our existing client base. We are delighted to announce this move and with the assistance of our strategic consultant Andrew Zweck, who has 25 years' experience in the industry, we hope that ExCeL will become a popular venue for concerts and entertainment events."

The phenomenal success of the Schr

UK - An unusual lighting scheme has recently been completed for Stevenage Borough Council by Future Group Lighting Design, using the new KlipLED system from Light Projects Group. The KlipLED, part of the new AuraLED collection, is an interior flexible colour strip system using 1W Luxeon LEDs in red, white, royal blue, green, cyan and amber.

For the Stevenage project, the ceiling incorporates a series of concentric arcs: since the section was too small to accommodate conventional light sources, a new system was designed by Peter Phillipson, in which 2,500 Light Projects KlipLEDs concealed in the arcs by a specially detailed system. A mix of white and blue has been used so that the ceiling colour changes over the course of the day to simulate a changing sky effect.

The Customer Service Centre space is purposefully influenced by the lighting to create a very pleasant working env

Switzerland - In Switzerland, Pulsar's ChromaRange has recently played a major role in the renovation of a gentleman's club, The Brummel Cabaret, which is set beneath the five-star Palace Hotel in Lausanne. The club has been experiencing a complete refurbishment throughout the winter period by Yves Donati of Hybrid Concept in Geneva.

Giving the club a 'Roman-like' theme, Donati has employed an extensive use of Pulsar's LED ChromaRange products to enhance features and create ambience within the venue. Chromastrips are utilized to magnificently wash the stone walls, hall and entrance stairway, whilst ChromaScapes light the entrance from outside. An imaginative creation displayed in the lounges is of two bronze statuettes of beautiful goddesses holding ChromaSpheres on outstretched arms; one is holding a normal size 300mm sphere and the other is holding a smaller substitute.

All

UK - Ten years ago, Milne's Cold Storage & Ice Factory in Perth, Scotland, was transformed into a nightclub featuring top-of-the-line Martin Professional equipment. Today, following a refurbishment including Martin lighting, Jem smoke and Mach audio gear, the venue is looking forward to another decade of success.

Michael Jordan, managing director of Nightclub Sound & Light (NSAL), a Martin preferred dealer located in Perth, provided the lighting, smoke and sound systems for all three rooms in the venue. Jordan explains: "I'm actually a DJ at the club and The Ice Factory is the reason I got involved with Martin years ago. I wanted to be able to service this venue," he states. "I kept the lighting going for 10 years and now I'm one of the biggest dealers in Scotland. This was a top Martin install when it opened . . . with 1220s, 218s and RoboColor IIs. Now with the

UK - A.C. Lighting's Audio division has supplied the Hackney Empire with a Soundcraft MH4 live mixing console as part of the venue's £17m restoration. The venue began life as a theatre in 1901 and has undergone a number of transformations - including TV studio and bingo hall - before returning to its original theatre roots in 1986. The venue closed in 2001 to begin its multi-million pound renovation and refurbishment programme designed to re-establish the Empire as a showcase theatre for the 21st century.

Among the many improvements made to the theatre is an enlarged orchestra pit, enabling large-scale opera, ballet and musicals to visit the Empire for the first time in its history. When the Empire's owners wanted to bring the theatre's technical aspects up to date they called on A.C.'s Audio division to supply a state of the art live sound-mixing console. The brief was to prov

Denmark - Capped by a vaulting glass mosaic dome, the new conference room at Danske Bank's headquarters in Copenhagen is one of Europe's more graceful presentation venues. Designed for a maximum 150 capacity, it is a classicist's vision of light and space. But roll down the projection screen, dim the lights, cue the show, and technology begins to impose its presence in a subtle fashion that belies its potency. "The bank approached us with a good brief, very specific in terms of application, but quite open when it came to equipment," explained Jesper Rosgaard of Informationsteknik, the company charged with defining and providing a complete AV system for the conference room.

"Danske Bank had several clearly-defined needs: they wanted a facility that could accommodate events of widely varying scale and complexion, so a dominant demand was for flexibility of equipment

Japan - Jere Harris, Chairman and CEO of Production Resource Group (PRG), has announced the establishment of an Asian subsidiary - PRG Asia Inc - to be headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and dedicated to supporting PRG's many clients in the Asian marketplace.

"We've been serving clients throughout Asia for many years from our offices in North America and the UK," Harris explained. "The establishment of an Asian subsidiary is an important step in the expansion of our client support services in Asia."

PRG has more than a decade of experience serving clients in Asia in projects including theatre installations, theme park attractions, concert tours and corporate and special events. PRG Asia Inc will be engaged in business development and client support for all types of PRG products and services.

Makoto Yamazaki will serve as president of Asian Operations for t

UK - PCM is highlighting three product ranges at the 2004 ABTT Show - it's Award-winning Unibar and Pilewind winches, and its range of CM Lodestar Motors. PCM established the Lodestar brand in the European touring and event industry in the 1990s. The company supplies a wide selection of standard Lodestar electric chain hoists, which will be highlighted on the stand, together with details of PCM's well-known Motor Schools.

PCM also features the VBG70/ BGV C1 Lodestar - a hoist with special safety features including double brakes - each capable of stopping the full load. They provide double the usual hoist safety factor, with a chain safety factor of 10:1, plus four-position limit switches including emergency switches, 24V control, under/overload electronic protection and a slack chain detection device.

The award-winning Unibar (PLASA 2003 Product Excellence) was designed by PCM

USA - Further to the news from Color Kinetics, two key PRG executives, Joe Schenk and Anne Johnston, will take over the management of PRG's Integrated Solutions Group to take over from Bill Groener, the group's former manager.

Schenk will lead the group's West Coast operations while Johnston leads the East. "Assumption of Bill's responsibilities by Joe and Anne will be a natural transition for us," says Michael Tomkin, president of PRG. "Each is intimately familiar with the operations of the group. Each also has unique expertise that will help the group's clients capitalize on important new trends in the evolution of entertainment technology."

As President of PRG's Nevada operations, Schenk has overseen some of the Integrated Solutions Group's most important projects in Las Vegas, including the Masquerade in the Sky at the Rio, Star Trek at th

Netherlands - One of the Netherlands' most prestigious conference venues has installed a Nexo Geo S sound reinforcement system in its main auditorium, which regularly hosts events and meetings for the Dutch government and European authorities.

The venue is the largest of the halls in the World Trade Center Rotterdam, measuring 35m x 26m, with a capacity for about 1000 delegates. It has always been regarded as a difficult acoustic environment, being a very reverberant hall with marble floors. The installation was carried out in cooperation with Dutch Television Services by Frits Baan, owner of the in Huizen-based company STB, and supported by Iemke Roos, Nexo's distributor in the Netherlands. Bert Koenders of Iemke Roos explains how Geo S was snapped up: "Together with Frits Baan, we prepared a quotation using Nexo's Geo Soft package, and then did a demo on-site; the syste

Australia - In the shadow of the iconic Sydney Opera House, the Opera Bar is situated on the forecourt with views of the City and the Harbour Bridge. Open 15 hours a day, with live music or DJs virtually every night, the outdoor Opera Bar is a popular spot. Regardless of the occasion, the Opera Bar is now serenading patrons with an Allen & Heath PA12 stereo live mixer and FBT powered speakers.

Entertainment manager, David Milton, comments: "The audio system is in use every night, so we require a tough, portable mixer that also doesn't occupy a vast sightline space. Simplicity of use and operational flexibility were the key parameters in our choice of console and overriding all that is the absolute demand for audio quality - considering our location that's a given - there's no room for compromise!"

The FBT speaker system includes a pair of 10" 2-way 200W MaxX2

UK - Bakersfield Entertainment's latest - and arguably most expansive - Mood concept in Liverpool's city centre, is dominated throughout the three-storey operation by moving beam effects from Coemar UK. The Preston-based company have spent in the region of £6 million developing a three-storey Victorian warehouse (off the regenerated Concert Square). In addition to Coemar ProSpot 150s, 250s, and Cyc 250 colour washes, Ian Kirby's company has supplied the first moving mirror fixtures under their new distribution arrangement with Geni, to system integrators TMC of Bradford.

Included in this were eight Geni Sharmas, housing HSD 200 lamps, and six Shiva 600s (with MSR 575 lamp source). The Sharma colour-changer produces nine sharp and bright dichroic colours plus white, 0 to 100% mechanical linear luminous output and smooth movement to produce a twin/split colour effect. The fully-f

USA - D-Tools, a leading system integration software company, has appointed Randy Green, the former vice-president of Stardraw, to its senior management team. Green will head up a new team within D-Tools aimed specifically at the commercial system integrator market.

"We are very pleased about the addition of Randy Green to our team," said Adam Stone, president of D-Tools. "His knowledge of the commercial system integrator's software needs in the United States is second to none, and we look forward to his spearheading our charge into this market."

Green's appointment coincides with a major expansion of D-Tools' proven Si Software into the commercial market. Amongst the newest features being shown at InfoComm, will be a product data library featuring over 140 commercial manufacturers as well as the company's newest add-on, the Business Manager module, used f

USA - In mid-July 2003, Mice Creative awarded Total Structures the contract to fabricate the elliptical acoustic canopy which is flown under the new Hollywood Bowl structure in Los Angeles, California. The Bowl dates back to the late 1920s and several attempts have been made over the years to improve the acoustics so that members of the orchestra could hear each other. The last incarnation included the installation of 11 fibreglass spheres of various sizes under the direction of renowned architect, Frank Gehry.

The Design Architects for the new facility was Hodgetts + Fung Design Associates, with Gruen Associates acting as project architect for the main client and owner, Los Angeles County. The project, essentially comprised demolishing the existing Bowl and rebuilding from the ground up - the buildings on either side of the main roof structure to house new dressing rooms and p

UK - Event company Logistik co-ordinated and produced the Athens 2004 Ball - a high profile charity live event staged at London's Battersea Park Marquee, for Sparks, The British Olympic Association and The Sir Steve Redgrave Charitable Trust.

Over 1,000 people enjoyed the event during an evening of entertainment hosted by Radio 2's Jeremy Vine and Sir Steve Redgrave - an official 'send-off' party to wish the GB Olympic team success at the upcoming Athens Olympics. Leeds and London-based Logistik were called in to oversee the event's creative and technical production including the design, graphics, dressing and venue themeing for the event.

The night culminated in live performances by international artists including Gabrielle, Mike & The Mechanics and Amy Winehouse. It was recorded for broadcast by Radio 2, and a post-event DVD will be produced by Logistik Vision, the company's

UK - Manufacturer and installer HIQ Sound has refurbished the sound in a Sleaford bar/restaurant, close to its headquarters in Lincoln. Using a combination of products from its own, and the Wharfedale Pro catalogues, the company has injected a new lease of life into the Barge & Bottle.

As system manufacturers, HIQ partners Mark Hudson and Tony Hopkinson are discerning audiophiles, and they did not take the decision to specify Wharfedale's Programme 50Ts and Class AB MP1800 amplifiers lightly.

Said Hudson: "The existing system was awful and so I worked alongside the proprietor (Frank Graves) to redesign the sound. It was singularly pointless building our own loudspeakers for the background areas when the Programme 50s are so well turned-out and sensibly priced. Overall, they are nicely finished and very satisfying. "They provided the perfect solution for delivering th

UK - Harlequin Floors' new website provides a useful reference resource for anyone involved with the world of dance and in choosing a dance floor to suit their needs. With the growing understanding that the right floor can allow dancers to perform with confidence and protect them against the risk of injury, Harlequin's new website is a helpful asset.

A simple three step online guide steers through the process to selecting an appropriate floor and presenting the possible options. Product detail and specification as well as help direct from British Harlequin is easily accessed. The site also includes testimonials from many of the world's leading dance companies, case studies of recent projects, as well as useful guides for installing, maintaining and transporting floors.

The site includes a comprehensive coverage of all Harlequin's activities, history, products and services as w

USA - Denver-based Rave Lighting supply a Martin Total Supplier package for Denver's own South Beach getaway. Modeled after clubs more typical of Miami's infamous South Beach, Rise is a true tropical-themed mega-club complete with real palm trees, Latin beats, Caribbean Happy Hour and tropical cuisine and theatrical entertainment in the form of its very own Theatre Surreal.

Rave Lighting designed and supplied the lighting systems which include a Martin Total Supplier package of Martin lighting, Mach audio and Jem smoke gear. Rave's Brian Gysegem was instrumental on the project, serving as lighting designer and project manager with assistance from Stephen Cox of Rave. Sound engineer was Chad Busse.

The three-floor club boasts one of the largest club layouts in Denver's lower downtown with four dance floors and five separate bars spread across Rise and a pair of sub-venues, the

UK - Ceven nightclub has recently opened its doors in Albertslund, Denmark, and is already creating waves in the city's nightlife. Lumodan Aps - based in Frederiksberg, Denmark - is responsible for the venue's lighting installation, which features an array of Tryka L.E.D. luminaires.

The products are present in most parts of the club, starting with the entrance, where revellers are welcomed with a wash of colour courtesy of Tryka's Module 12s, on to the bar where the flexible colour changing LinkLEDs help to create the desired atmosphere. RGB Strips fitted on the walls complete the mood of this dynamic nightspot. Control is provided via a Tryka Smart Card Controller.

Brian Markussen, Lumodan's managing director, enthuses: "Tryka's L.E.D. fixtures proved to be the best products for this installation, as well as the strongest available on the market at present."

(L

UK - An exclusive new members club opened its doors in June, revealing a striking visual interior. Design and brand consultant, David Collins, has created a space designed to stimulate all the senses. With a capacity of just 100, the subterranean Kabaret's Prophecy in Beak Street, Soho, hosts a display of visual stimulation created to "redefine the concepts of environmental design".

Constructed from modular intelligent LED pixel blocks, two of the venue's walls act as backdrops upon which graphics and animations, triggered from a real-time generator or MIDI keyboard, create a constantly morphing environment. Clad in Barco's proprietary MiPIX system and displaying intelligent lighting effects, 3D logos or graphics - even full video content - these moving images curve around the contours of the walls and wrap into the alcoves, giving a strangely three-dimensional depth t

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