UAE - One of the newest architectural marvels of the Middle East, Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi, was recently completed with the launch of the first Formula 1 race held at the new circuit built around the hotel. Yas Hotel features the world's biggest LED project to date, with control via RDM (Remote Device Management) protocol by an advanced lighting control solution provided by e:cue lighting control.

The main design attraction of this five-star, 500-room, 85,000sq.m complex, is the curvilinear grid-shell covered with over 5,300 diamond-shaped steel panels, containing nearly 5000 RGBW LED fixtures, each controlled by e:cue's Control Server through RDM protocol. 32 e:cue Butler XTs (RDM capable) provide bidirectional communication between the LED lighting on the grid-shell, and e:cue's Control Server for status monitoring of LEDs. The system sends status reports to building management

UK - The Performance Pavilion is one of the highlights of the new £86 million Medway Campus in Gillingham, which substantially extends the facilities of the MidKent College, officially the county's largest provider of education and training. Construction of the Performance Pavilion presented the ideal opportunity for design and installation specialists Stage Electrics to integrate a Cat 5 infrastructure and RSS digital audio system at the heart of the venue, reaping significant advantages in terms of versatility and cost.

"From the very beginning, MidKent College was able to make meaningful economies," says Darren Beckley, business development manager at Stage Electrics. "The whole building could be wired with a Cat 5 infrastructure, which carries audio, lighting, video and data, which considerably reduced their cabling costs. The choice of the compact RSS M

USA - XS is an exclusive club located in the Encore Tower at luxury casino and resort Wynn Las Vegas. Conceptualised by nightlife entrepreneur Victor Drai, and described as the "gold standard where no extravagance is spared," XS features a sophisticated design that includes a 10ft rotating mirror ball chandelier encircled by a Martin lighting rig of MAC 250 Krypton and MAC 250 Wash luminaires.

Lighting designer for Wynn Resorts is Tom Kowalczuk who has the job of creating a variety of lighting designs across the Wynn property, from club to casino to convention room.

The elegant atmosphere at XS caters to a clientele who are looking for a more relaxed, intimate environment, but, as Kowalczuk explains, that doesn't exclude a dynamic lighting system.

"For XS, we really had to sell the moving lights," he says. "The owner wanted the club to be subdued, s

UK - Known as The Warren, the Metropolitan Police Sports Club in Bromley is housed in a magnificent late Victorian building set in spacious gardens, where its main function room is expected to serve a number of different roles.

When interior designer Colin Stone (of Stone Me!) was brought in, it was with the task of upgrading a typical 1980's social club interior - by creating an ever-changing environment which it would be equally comfortable hosting formal conferences, banquets and wedding receptions to full-on entertainment for up to 600 people.

"This was a very dated function room which resembled a big top inside," remembers Stone. "The client wanted it to be more contemporary - sufficiently warm for the majority of uses but with elegance and opulence to enable it to host wedding receptions.

"The logical decision was to keep the environment neutral and

USA - The Church of Redeemer in Baltimore, Maryland was erected in 1858 and abounds with that ornate architecture that brings with it a reverb time of well over a second. Intelligibility is less than optimal, whether acoustic or with the portable PA system used in previous years.

As the church's congregation has grown, the 400-seat venue has seen increased demand, including the addition of contemporary services to complement their traditional ones. As Joseph Schwartz of Baltimore-based HP Electronics explains, that demand eventually led to the installation of a new sound system centred around a pair of Community Entasys line array loudspeakers.

"With both traditional and contemporary services now being held in the chapel, the need for a versatile, high-quality sound system became clear," says Schwartz. "We had originally been discussing the idea of a small line

UAE - The newest architectural marvel of the Middle East, YAS Hotel in Abu Dhabi, was recently completed with the launch of the first Formula 1 race held at the new circuit built around this hotel. YAS Hotel is the world's biggest LED project to date, controlled through RDM protocol by an advanced lighting control solution provided by e:cue lighting control.

The main design attraction of this five-star, 500-room, 85,000sq.m complex, is the curvilinear grid-shell covered with over 5,300 diamond-shaped steel panels, containing nearly 5000 RGBW LED fixtures, each controlled by e:cue's control server through RDM protocol. 32 e:cue Butler XTs, RDM capable, provide bidirectional communication between the LED lighting on the grid-shell, and e:cue's control server for status monitoring of LEDs. The system sends status reports to building management and automatically adjusts the intensit

Australia - CAMCO and its Australian distributor Group Technologies have been chosen as the power amplifier supplier for the primary AV systems in the new Melbourne Convention Centre.

The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) is the first and only '6 Star Green Star' environmentally-rated convention centre in the world, and Australia's largest and most versatile convention and exhibition facility.

As such, one of the primary objectives for the complex is to showcase pioneering technology which enhances a world-class convention centre encompassing 32 meeting rooms of various sizes, a Grand Banquet Room and a state-of-the-art Plenary that can be sub-divided into three self-contained theatres.

The extensive audio-visual installation draws upon different models of power amplifier from the German manufacturer CAMCO to provide a super-flexible operational functionality

UK - The only entertainment and installation technology show in the North of England, PLASA Focus: Leeds 2010 has launched its website with news of a near sell-out show. The success of the first ever PLASA Focus event this year has already seen next year's event fill two exhibition halls and now you can check out the brands bringing their new technology to Leeds, on Tuesday 27 - Wednesday 28 April 2010 at www.plasafocus.com/leeds

April 2010 will be the second time that venue owners, consultants, show designers, producers and technicians working on the North's leading events, installations and venues have a dedicated event where they can meet and find the new technologies to use in future facilities and productions.

Over 100 manufacturers from all over the world will be on show and the free Education and Learning Programme that runs alongside the exhibition brings

Germany - In the new Rudolf-Harbig Stadium, the city of Dresden - and its third division football team, SG Dynamo Dresden - possesses one of the most modern and attractive stadiums in Germany. The arena was opened in mid-September after slightly less than two years' construction, and boasts a capacity of over 32,000 spectators, a VIP area capable of accommodating just under 1,200 guests, and a customer-friendly infrastructure.

The new building, erected on the site of the old Dynamo Stadium in Dresden's Volkspark, cost around 46 million euros - a budget that left the planners and organizers plenty room for a state-of-the-art stadium design. Already, barely two months since the opening of the new arena, their decision has been vindicated, as the stadium has not only proved a magnificent setting for SG Dynamo Dresden's home games but also impressed FIFA authorities enough for them

Turkey/USA - Following the recent launch of their latest version 1.0 IQOYA V*MOTE audio-over-IP codec with SIP software, which is part of the IQOYA family of IP audio hardware and software solutions, Digigram has announced the first success story of a V*MOTE/V*CALL system by a Turkish broadcaster in Istanbul, the Power Radio group.

V*MOTE is an audio-over-IP software solution for remote contributions - usually a journalist in the field reporting back to a studio. By simply installing V*MOTE onto any laptop PC, it becomes a professional "contribution" codec. Advanced ergonomics make it extremely simple to set up and operate, enabling the journalist to establish a connection with a newsroom or studio at the touch of a button.

Power Radio's technical director, Okan Celen, confirmed that ease of use was one of the biggest selling points for him. "We needed a simple

UK - Orange's new customer experience store in Milton Keynes has become the first retail installation of the new Samsung Ultra Thin Bezel LCDs videowall.

Integrators Fujitsu worked with videowall experts PSCo to deliver a 4x4 videowall using the latest LCD technology from Samsung. The 46" screens each measure over 4m in width and nearly 2.5m high and customers in the store can interact at close range with the screens.

The interactive Mexican wave, designed by London based digital content company Poke is a feature that improves the customer experience. Visitors to the store have the opportunity to be videoed on a phone instore, doing their best Mexican wave, which is then uploaded to the wall.

Fujitsu integrated the screen as part of a large installation in the store which included a comprehensive EPOS system, training area, game playing area and a 70" Samsung displ

Royal News - The Queen has been entertained by a host of stars at the first Royal Variety Performance to be held in Blackpool since 1955. The town's illuminations had lit the way as the royal party made its way to the Opera House in the Winter Gardens. The charity event's host, comedian Peter Kay, welcomed the Queen to "the entertainment capital of the world". The show's performers included Lady Gaga, Bette Midler, Whoopi Goldberg and Britain's Got Talent winners Diversity.

Blackpool's Opera House, which seats 2,900 people, was used to host the show in the 1950s era of acts such as Morecambe and Wise, Arthur Askey and George Formby. The annual event was first staged in 1912 and the proceeds go towards the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund. The show's staging in Blackpool comes in the wake of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing being staged at the resort's Tow

USA - Giorgio Armani's newest flagship store on New York's Fifth Avenue has been wrapped in a custom Martin LED display designed by design firm Speirs and Major Associates (SaMA). The four-floor glass box store is located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 56th Street in the heart of the shopping district, prime space for a flagship architectural fashion store.

Speirs and Major have worked on other Armani flagship stores, notably Armani Store Ginza in Tokyo. "The Tokyo and New York stores are very much about the impression of the Armani brand through an architectural form," states SaMA director Keith Bradshaw. "On Fifth Avenue we developed the idea of wrapping the glass box in an LED screen, effectively extending the impact of the store out onto the street." The animated facade is double-sided and is visible from inside the store at the restaurant level.

To

Canada - CAST Software of Toronto has announced the arrival of Vivien2010 - Virtual Event Designer, available now for download for members only.

Vivien is an intuitive, 3D event design and sales software designed and built by CAST Software (makers of wysiwyg) for the full spectrum of event professionals who work in the special events and meetings industry.

By making use of its wide array of tools, onboard Wizards, a library of more than 3000 proprietary industry-specific objects and textures, and the ability to import external files in a variety of formats (including Google SketchUp), individual or multiple users from all areas in an organization can become more professional, more productive and more profitable.

Through the use of Vivien's accurate 3D images, event planners, designers, venue sales teams, caterers, furniture rental specialists - can design winning proposals,

UK - London Light Production Services' relationship with Rose Bruford College is continuing after supplying them with a new ETC Ion console for their lighting labs and is set to follow up this sale by providing the lighting tutors with initial training, which in turn will allow the college to offer students day-to day support. London Light has committed to offering the students more in-depth support as and when they require it.

Hansjörg Schmidt, lighting design programme director at Rose Bruford, says, "We are very happy with the Ion, which was purchased for use by students on the BA (Hons) Lighting Design course at Rose Bruford College. Students use the desk in our specialist lighting labs to create small scale projects in a range of applications, from theatre lighting to product launch and concert lighting projects. The console is also used to serve college productions,

Italy - The Università degli Studi di Torino (University of Torino) is one of Italy's leading public Universities with an international reputation for high quality teaching and research. With its 13 Faculties, 55 Departments and approximately 70,000 students, it is one of the largest in Italy.

Although the Rettorato (Chancellor's Building) at the Palazzo dell'Università - which houses the entire administration - occupies an architecturally-magnificent building with a historic quadrangle that dates back to the mid-1700's, the University was originally founded in 1404 by Pope Benedetto XIII, making it among the few of European Universities to boast a medieval origin.

Recently the Rettorato's aula magna - the great hall, and main assembly room for the University - underwent a complete audio-visual fit-out.

QSC Audio components were chosen for the sound reinforcement and signa

UK - Manchester-based DBN Lighting has completed the design, supply and installation of lighting for the new Da Vinci - the Genius exhibition at the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester.

DBN was working for Grande Exhibitions from Melbourne Australia and also for MOSI, and the project was designed and managed for them by Nigel Walker. The Da Vinci Exhibition occupies most of the top floor of The 1830 Warehouse, a Grade 1 Listed timber frame building, originally completed in 1830 as the Manchester terminus of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway.

Da Vinci - The Genius features four rooms, some sub-divided and a small theatre space that the DBN team created with rigging and drapes, plus a separate area devoted solely to the Mona Lisa.

The major challenge was in rigging all the equipment without actually attaching anything directly to the building's superstruc

UK - White Light has had a double involvement with the launch of the new UK Centre for Carnival Arts in Luton by supplying the venue with its new lighting installation and helping to mark its official opening in spectacular style.

Created by the Luton Carnival Arts Development Trust, the Centre is intended to "become an expression of the living, breathing and evolving spirit of carnival arts", providing a 250 seat performance space as well as teaching and workshop spaces and a knowledgeable, experienced support staff.

Inside the venue, White Light has supplied a rig based around fixtures from Selecon, ETC and Thomas, including Acclaim Fresnels and Profile Spots, Source Four Parnels, and Thomas Par Cans. Control is from a new ETC Congo Jr console supplied with a custom flightcase, controlling ETC SmartModule and Zero88 Betapack 3 dimmers; distribution from dimmers to

UK - Fibre Optic Systems (FOS) have joined forces with Cheshire-based VME to provide the ever important lighting element to an installation at Altrincham's newest bar, Heart and Soul. The project went so well, the two companies have decided to embark on future sound and light projects together.

FOS supplied DIVAflex LED - RGB colour-changing flexible LED - which was installed by VME to run sound-to-light. DIVAflex also provides a strobing function which the bar uses as the atmosphere heats up later in the evening.

The lighting element, which highlights and accents the bar and seating areas to provide the elegant main lighting scheme, joined an initial sound-only installation completed by VME. This featured Kling & Freitag SONA5 compact installation speakers around the seating areas, coupled with Kling & Freitag SW112 compact sub woofers.

In the main room, a more powerful sys

The Netherlands - The De Doelen in Rotterdam underwent a major refurbishment this year. De Doelen was last reconstructed after the end of Second World War as part of the rebuild of this Dutch city and incorporates four individual concert halls that also double as a congress venue making it the largest of its kind in the Netherlands. The lighting design for the 2009 refurbishment was undertaken by the design team at ARUP headed by Rogier van der Heide. In particular the Grote Zaal's (Large Hall) renovation included a new lighting rig and control system.

VisualDMX software lighting control from Visual Productions has been selected for controlling the house lights, stage lighting and LED fixtures throughout the Grote Zaal. The project manager for this renovation was Harm Ruitenbeek, overseeing a wide array of important issues that the control solution was required to resolve. Key t

UK - The organisers of EvenTech Scotland exhibition, which was due to take place on 10-11 February 2010 in Glasgow, have announced that the event has been postponed.

A statement issued by Scattered Media blamed the "current economic climate and the strain this is having on many companies' budgets at present" and said that they were "in the process of looking at the calender to find suitable dates later in the year".

(Lee Baldock)

USA - The Baby Grand is the smaller of two venues at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware. The historic Grand first opened in 1871 and the Baby Grand debuted next to the Grand in September 2000. The Downtown Wilmington location where it now stands had once been occupied by the Aldine Theatre.

The 300-seat Baby Grand is an intimate venue, which hosts a variety of different performances and features many small independent musical acts. Its stage stretches 56ft, and has a proscenium arch opening that measures approximately 36ft wide by 17ft high. The Baby Grand and The Grand combine to draw approximately 100,000 people to their shows each year.

The Baby Grand's configuration made the installation team's job challenging. Howard Fulton, audio engineer for the Grand Opera House, explained that horizontal coverage was difficult because the Baby Grand's seating area is wider

India - Most Technical India has announced the launch of its new website at www.mosttechnical.in. Facilitating access to all events and installations already designed, the website also gives an insight to the company's background, with a brief history of its directors Dave Parry, Isa Sapin and Arjun Bahl.

Best known for his design of the sound and light systems at London club Fabric, Dave Parry has also been responsible for systems at Ministry of Sound in London, Re-Hab in Leeds, Sub Club in Scotland, The W.A.G.G Club in Paris, Elevate in New Delhi and now Fabric's sister superclub, Matter, at the O2 in London.

Direct links to the social networking website Facebook and the video sharing website YouTube are also available with a simple click, giving easy access to anyone who wishes to become a fan of the company and see update

Italy - The Magna Lecture Theatre in the Roma Tre University, Rome, is a modern, elegantly-styled venue. Located in the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy, it hosts important lectures and conferences. The only problem it had was sound coverage, which can often be a challenge when fine architecture and acoustics come together. The solution was to completely change the sound system for a new innovative system designed specifically to meet this challenge.

The new sound system is based around Bosch's Hemi-directional Loudspeaker. Embodying an innovative acoustic design using 14 specially positioned speaker drivers combined with advanced filtering, it provides a large opening angle for the whole frequency range. The result is consistent, high-quality sound reproduction over the whole coverage area.

The new installation resolved the innumerable coverage problems that plagued the p

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