South Africa - Catering for a diverse corporate and private clientele, The Catwalk, located in Gauteng's Fourways Mall, is the ultimate venue for casual, social gatherings and slick, professional events.

Harman Pro distributors, Wild and Marr, were approached to provide a complete audio and lighting solution. The elaborate technical demands called for a system that is flexible in operation, as the dynamic venue will cater to a variety of events, including a cross spectrum of entertainment. After many site visits, audio system designer, Justin Mamulis, proposed a multi-faceted solution.

At the heart of the system is BSS Audio Soundweb London. With 12 inputs and 20 outputs, the system offers total control and flexibility. All the routing and DSP is controlled via a Soundweb London BLU-10 programmable remote panel in the control booth.

The input stage features a Soundcraft GB4/

USA - D-Tools has announced the 5th annual D-Tools Design Awards call for entries. The 2007 D-Tools Design Awards showcase "the finest residential and commercial system integration projects created with the newest version of D-Tools' award-winning System Integrator software". Winners will be announced at this year's D-Tools University (DTU) in November.

Winning projects will be selected from the following categories for this year's Design Awards: Best Residential System, Best Commercial System, Most Unique System (residential or commercial), and Best Overall System.

Winners in each category will receive an attractive award for display in their office and a copy of D-Tools System Integrator 5 Standard as well as significant prizes supplied by D-Tools Manufacturer Vantage Point (MVP) members. All entrants will receive recognition for their submissions with a prize pack

UK - A customised Kinesys motor control system has been installed into the Royal Albert Hall. The project was instigated by the Hall's rigging manager, Simon Frost, and was delivered in two phases. With over 360 shows a year staged at the Royal Albert Hall, Frost wanted to introduce additional layers of health & safety and extra flexibility to the rig, which used to work on a conventional up/down motor control system. "I have always liked the design and functionality of Kinesys equipment," he says.

With the hoists hanging over 130ft up in the grid, their movement is barely audible even during complete silence, rare when a show is being rigged. The view is obscured from most positions in the Hall, including the main control area, by an aluminium skin cladding the grid. Frost therefore sought "a tried-and-tested, foolproof system with all the safety features that wo

UK - In the ten years since leaving his native Bordeaux for the UK, Matthieu Destandau has done much to keep London's Fitzrovia on the culinary map. He made his name a block or so south of his present incumbency on London's Gt. Titchfield Street at CVO Firevault, which became an ultra-chic cocktail bar and party venue.

Then he was headhunted by David Alberto, chief executive of Avanta, the company which operates the nearby Media Village Business Centre, and the two men set about converting the somewhat drab, integral basement 'canteen', known as the Winchester Club, into the resplendent all-white Vanilla.

Common to both Destandau's' enterprises has been the Sound Division Group. Yet the two venues could scarcely have required a more different approach, as Matthieu Destandau explained. "At Firevault, the loudspeakers were in evidence and the sound more in your face - but h

UK - With the final commissioning of a purpose-designed dance system for its premier room, the Ministry of Sound in London is now equipped exclusively with Martin Audio components - from the ground up.

It had long been the dream of Dave Bradshaw (formerly head of production but now a consultant to the MoS) to make the world-famous club an exclusively Martin Audio house. After last year's PLASA Show the bar underwent a sound system conversion, and this month added the four additional S218 subs to create uniformity, while the club embarked on redesigning the venue's Holy Grail, the main dance space known as The Box. This month that process was completed.

It is around eight years since the venue specified an all Martin Audio Blackline 5.1 monitor domain for DJs working in The Box, although the six-stack system, which enveloped the audience, had been in nearly twice as long.

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Australia - Clifton Productions, a major player in the lighting production industry, has announced the creation of a newly formed company within their ranks - Moving Light Rentals (MLR).

MLR has had a flying start with a sizeable investment in 300 Robe moving lights, bringing their total Robe inventory to over 450 units. The luminaires - a 50/50 split of Spot and Wash fixtures from Robe's 700, 1200 and 2500 E AT ranges - have been delivered via Robe Lighting's Australian distributor ULA Group P/L.

MLR is designed to offer industry rate prices to its clients enabling them to re-rent the units. The new lights are now available for hire to other production companies throughout the Asia-Pacific region. MLR will also be used to service Clifton's many upcoming productions.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Portsmouth-based dance school, KateEllen Movement & Dance's production of Dance Through Time was held at St Johns College in Southsea in July of this year and the ChamSys MagicQ PC Wing was there too.

The house rig of conventional lighting, with Zero 88 Betapack dimming supplemented by additional dimming and DMX switch packs, PAR cans, UV Tubes, Jem ZR24/7 Hazer, CCT followspot and the 6ft tall hand-built Tardis - was controlled using a single laptop with external monitor and a ChamSys MagicQ PC Wing - an affordable and portable method for lighting designer and operator Matt Lemon of Eastleigh-based ML Lighting who also works in development for ChamSys.

"The new multiwindows feature in the software is great," says Lemon. "It allowed me to spread the screens I was using across the laptop and external monitor without having to open up another programme

UK - Built in London's East End in 1933, the Troxy has been many things - one of the largest cinemas in England, a World War II air-raid shelter, a Mecca bingo hall - but recently it has been restored to full theatrical glory by new owners Lali Enterprises, and is now available for private and corporate receptions, as well as live music events.

The Grade II-listed building has retained its original 1930s art deco features but now also contains a stage, dance floor, four bars and a full kitchen. With a capacity for up to 2,600 people, it provides a venue for large-scale parties, awards ceremonies, conferences and exhibitions. The addition of a high-specification Electro-Voice XLC line array sound system, with full digital control, and an impressive lighting rig from Halo Lighting has expanded the Troxy's potential even further.

London-based audio specialist Systems Etc has comp

UK - Experienced operators City Centre Leisure Group have opened the Club 2020 in Bournemouth - with a programme of appearances by top international DJs (including Erick Morillo and Trevor Nelson) and a technology infrastructure to satisfy the most discerning of practitioners.

The leisure company - run by Josh Simons, Alan Simons and John Tyror - also run the Landmark restaurant in the town. They enlisted Mark Neal's Production Hire to carry out the installation.

The conversion of the 840-capacity, former K-Bar has been inspired. The ground floor dance room (and adjacent tented chill area) lead down to a VIP mezzanine room and further down still to the main room in the basement.

Wherever you look there are snugs and annexe rooms to chill out in - and they are invariably served by one of Martin Audio's architectural AQ series speakers, and illuminated by the Pulsar Chroma ran

UK - Bristol City Football Club (BCFC) has marked its promotion to the Championship by installing a new sound system at its Ashton Gate stadium.

Following a competitive tender process against a specification by Steve Jones, Venue Technology expert for the Acoustics Division of Capital Symonds, the contact was awarded to Bristol-based systems integration company Sounds Commercial. UK cable specialist VDC Trading supplied much of the Low Smoke Zero Halogen, steel wire armoured and fire tough cable for the project.

Damian Orritt, installation contracts manager of Sounds Commercials says: "We use VDC for our cabling requirements because it manufactures and stocks the breadth of products that we need, particularly for complex installations. In this case it was important that we specified rugged and reliable cable that couldn't be tampered with - and that it complied with the v

Ireland - J&C Joel has designed, fabricated and installed seven movable acoustic panels in the main Curtis Auditorium at the prestigious new Cork School of Music.

The J&C Joel team led by Tony Griffiths, played an active role in ensuring that the 420 seat Curtis Auditorium has the flexibility to provide exactly the right acoustic environment for anything from piano recitals to full orchestral performances to vocal and choral works.

J&C Joel's biggest challenge was presented by their late appointment to the project. By the time this happened, all the AC, ventilation, heating ducting, drainage pipes, containment trays and other plant and services were already in place up in the plenum - the sound proofed concealed roof space above the auditorium.

This is where all the suspension and movement control equipment required for the seven panels had to be installed - comprising a com

UK - When Jedi Lighting & Sound were asked to install two new Essex nightclubs recently, they enlisted Futurelight distributors Fut-Euro - not only to meet their beam effect requirements, but also for their creative LED lighting.

Set up last year by Darren Jackson, the Wisbech-based Fut-Euro has quickly become a one-stop shop for lighting designers and architects looking for imaginative ideas in a wide number of applications.

Said Jedi managing director Andrew Baldwin, "What we aim for first is reliability and value for money. If we need something specific Darren can usually find it - but any new kit we are offered we will strip and pull apart before we have the confidence to use it."

Jedi first specified the Futurelight effects - notably the PHS-220 pro moving head with 48 pre-programmed scenes for stand alone operation and EVO-7 effects projector at Tony and Inge

The Netherlands - Located in the basement of the five star Kurhaus hotel in Scheveningen, lively bar Crazy Pianos' evening entertainment is provided by pairs of pianists who play requests from classical to rock'n'roll, get the audience to sing along and generally clown around.

The entertainment might be light-hearted, but the business of Crazy Pianos audio system is very serious indeed. A Yamaha DME24N and DM1000 console are at the heart of a flexible system which is designed to give the club's clientele the best possible audio experience.

The system was designed by Jeroen ten Brinke of Audio Design International and installed by More Stage Services. With Crazy Pianos manager Bjorn being a serious audiophile, updating the venue's eight year old sound system had to be done to the highest possible specification.

"When Crazy Pianos installed the first system, eight years a

UK - Robe moving lights have been installed at Glasgow's very 'happening' nightspot Byblos - a 900 capacity venue housed in the basement of an atmospheric listed building in Albion Street - in the Merchant City area of town.

These were specified by Andrew O'Neill of Glasgow-based design and installation company Flashlite. "As always from an installer's viewpoint" he says, "reliability is a key factor - you need fixtures that are going to work with an absolute minimum of fuss and maintenance - so Robe is an obvious choice."

Byblos has two main rooms and a VIP Bar. It is independently owned by three individuals, two of whom are local nightclub industry movers and shakers ...And all of them appreciate the advantages of good production values.

"They wanted a quality installation" explains O'Neill and they were prepared to spend some money on it, whi

UK - Norwich Theatre Royal's £10 million modernisation project is entering its final stages, with the new look building due to re-open early in November following major improvements to the auditorium and front of house areas.

The modernisation will provide audiences with greater access and comfort. Improvements include increased leg room and access in the circle, a new air treatment system, double the amount of foyer space, improved eating areas, a newly designed theatre façade, and upgrading acoustics in the auditorium to concert hall standards.

Norwich Theatre Royal closed its doors to the public at the end of March 2007 following the visit of Northern Ballet Theatre's The Three Musketeers. The opening show in the new-look venue will be Glyndebourne on Tour's production of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore on 13 November.

(Jim Evans)

The Netherlands - The Muziektheater in Amsterdam has chosen to replace its analogue, wired intercom infrastructure with a fully digital intercom solution from Clear-Com, including wireless beltpacks and matrix frames.

The Netherlands Opera and Dutch National ballet both create and produce their own operas and ballets which involves a large amount of rehearsal time on stage where clear communications are vital. The Clear-Com FreeSpeak beltpacks provide a reliable, wireless system for Muziektheater stage, lighting, sound, and technical teams.

"Intercoms are the lifeline between the artistic staff and technicians," said Hans-Willem de Haan, head of the sound and video department at Muziektheater. "We have a long-standing relationship with Clear-Com, so when we decided to move to a digital intercom system, we chose the Clear-Com 4000 matrix in combination with the F

UK The Cadogan Hall in Chelsea, south west London, home to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, has taken delivery of a Renkus-Heinz Iconyx digitally steerable array loudspeaker system for its popular crush bar where up to 500 concert-goers enjoy their interval drinks.

Formerly a church, Cadogan Hall was transformed into a modern concert venue in June 2004 and boasts an airy 900-seat auditorium with excellent acoustics and unimpeded sightlines.

One area that was due for an upgrade was the hall's crush bar, an approximately square, low-ceilinged and highly reflective room where the buzz of the interval drinks crowd made voice announcements calling people back to their seats inaudible in many areas. The room is also let out for other functions such as book launches, where again the requirement is largely for speech reinforcement.

Acoustic consultants and system engineers COMS had

USA - Disney's High School Musical which started as a Disney Channel TV movie in January 2006 has turned into a global phenomenon. A story of personal empowerment and the pursuit of song and dance dreams in the face of high school peer pressure and cliquey disapproval, kids the world over are interested in musical theatre like never before thanks to High School Musical. The DVD and soundtrack have left millions of fans hungry for more, and a sequel and big-budget movie are in the works.

Disney is also taking High School Musical to the next level via a partnership with the NAMM Foundation that will extend the reach of the show through a public affairs initiative, communicating the vital role of personal creativity, expression and music education to millions.

NAMM's work with Disney includes the development of a public advocacy campaign that will draw content from

International - The first digital edition of Lighting&Sound International magazine goes live today, on the eve of the 2007 PLASA Show.

Timed to coincide with both the PLASA 07 and the re-launch of the popular LSI Online website, L&SI's digital edition will offer an easily navigable and fully searchable on-screen version of the familiar magazine, accessible for subscribers anywhere there is Internet access, as soon as the magazine is published.

The digital edition will allow PLASA Media to significantly increase the global circulation of Lighting&Sound International magazine.

Available free to industry professionals worldwide, the digital edition will boost readership, particularly in developing markets where the cost of subscriptions has previously been an obstacle, and equally in far-flung territories where

UK - Draping and stage machinery specialists J&C Joel has designed, manufactured and fitted 42 acoustic elements into London's newly refurbished Royal Festival Hall.

The project includes the supply of four concertina banners and 38 acoustic roller blinds, plus ten chain driven tapestry tracks to which the Hall's famous Hilary Bourne designed tapestries have been re-attached following restoration. The movement of all these elements is integrated into the Stage Technologies automation control system.

Acoustic consultants Kirkegaard Associates were responsible for transforming the room acoustics into a perfect environment for staging world class events of all types and productions of all sizes, and they specified all the various treatments. Getting the acoustics right was a major part of the whole refurbishment scheme, and the overall project was led by architects Allies and Morr

UK - The new look PLASA07 opened for business this morning, 9 September, following a rush of last-minute registrations and confirmation of a substantial number of major product launches scheduled over the four days of the exhibition.

This year's show features a new layout, new features, over 50 new exhibitors, plus an expanded educational programme with many sessions free to visitors. These include special interest sessions from BEIRG, InfoComm International and the Theatres Trust, plus specialist sessions from Cirque Du Soleil, Duran Audio and Wireless Solutions. Additionally, the organizers have invested a range of visitor facilities including wi-fi lounges and meeting rooms.

The PLASA Awards for Innovation will be announced at 6pm this evening in the Central Bar area, located between Earls Court 1 and 2.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Following discussions between PLASA Events and A.C. Lighting, an agreement has been reached that will see A.C. Lighting sell its A.C. Lighting North Trade Show to PLASA Events.

The agreement reflects the intention of both organisations to work together to ensure the entertainment, event and production industries in the north have a single industry-led event that serves their needs.

A.C. Lighting, a long-standing member of PLASA, started their event in 1999 and quickly established it in the industry calendar, developing it further in recent years to provide a strong focus for the region.

A.C. North 2008 will be the last trade show organised under that name by A.C. Lighting. Immediately after its close, PLASA Events will take over the management and ownership of the event and will look to build on the regional platform established by A.C.

The move fits the strategic aim

UK - The 2007 PLASA Awards for Innovation, announced last night in a special presentation ceremony at the PLASA Show, reflect the ever-more dynamic, diverse and creative health of the global entertainment and installation technology industries.

65 products from 10 different countries were entered this year, and covered a broad range of lighting, audio, rigging and staging, AV, effects, software and accessories - amply reflecting the industry's diversity and global nature.

"The energy, ideas and innovation that feature at PLASA start from the imaginative minds that make up the industry," said PLASA CEO Matthew Griffiths. "The talent in this business is formidable, and it's that talent that we're celebrating."

During the ceremony, attended by special guests from across the industry, eight awards were presented.These went to:

beyerdynamic (GB) Ltd - Hea

UK - In the world of high-fashion retail, Abercrombie & Fitch has remained a frontrunner with its popular, youthful brand of casual apparel. When the successful retail and catalogue operation decided to create a new class of flagship stores, they opted for Meyer Sound systems.

Each of the three locations selected for the new stores - on New York's Fifth Avenue, at Los Angeles' The Grove shopping centre, and in London's Mayfair - has been designed for maximum audio and visual impact. "The vision for these stores was to design a retail environment that is as much about fashion as it is entertainment," says David Schwartz, Abercrombie & Fitch's director of audio/video technology. "We wanted to design an audio system that could deliver the impact of a full-blown theatre experience."

For the London location, Schwartz designed a distributed system that includes 5

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