UK - The Pub Landlord, Al Murray is in the midst of a year-long sold out stand up comedy tour. Tour manger Adam Booker and lighting director Paul Timmins called upon Bandit Lites in the UK to service their needs for the 2009 live tour campaign. Mick Freer from Bandit handles the daily needs of this production.

Bandit has supplied a collection of PAR fixtures, manfrotto stands, MR 16 ministrips, dimmers, cable and an Avo Pearl.

(Jim Evans)

Germany - Wireless Solution Sweden is preparing to show its latest additions to the W-DMX product line at Pro Light + Sound next month. The company will be showing three new products: the W-DMX UglyBox, the W-DMX ToolBox Pro with Dongle, and the W-DMX BlackBox S-2000.

The W-DMX UglyBox which can be attached to a belt with its built-in lanyard connector, measures the presence of DMX, the signal strength, and even a signal strength history monitor to gauge signal stability. The unit is built for rugged conditions and is adaptable for any W-DMX antenna, says the company.

The W-DMX ToolBox Pro with Dongle is Co-Existence software with an antenna calculation tool. The software ensures that the co-existence of multiple wireless protocols remain in harmony.

The BlackBox S-2000, a double universe transmitter, a 19" 1U Rack unit is prepared for ACN Lite, ETC-NET and Strand ShowN

Italy/UK - Clay Paky has confirmed the appointment of Ashley Lewis as regional sales manager for the United Kingdom and Ireland. Lewis will start in his new position immediately and will be responsible for the broad customer base of Clay Paky in the region, adding value to the existing relationships and providing local support.

Lewis, who has 20 years' experience in entertainment lighting, commented, "I am looking forward to working with such a professional and respected lighting company and I am so honoured to be looking after such a loyal network of quality dealers."

Pio Nahum, international sales director at Clay Paky said: "The creation of this new position happens at a very positive time for Clay Paky and it is part of our strategic plan for providing our customers with a solid support worldwide. I have known Ashley for many years and I respect his competen

USA - The Long Reach Long Riders and The ESTA Foundation announced the results of their joint raffle to benefit the Behind the Scenes programme at the USITT conference in Cincinnati, Ohio.

A total of $5,236 was raised from raffle ticket sales during the three-day conference, more than doubling the $2500 Challenge Grant issued by Sapsis Rigging. In addition, Jonathan Deull made a $1500 donation to Behind the Scenes in support of the Long Reach Long Riders 2009 charity ride this summer, bringing the total raised at USITT to $9,236.

The winners and their prizes are: Fred Allen - Altman Rentals Ghostlight; Shan Ayers - USITT 2010 Conference Registration; Dennis Booth - Nolan Engineering Services' Structural Master Class; Ed Condit - Martin Light Jockey; Kacey Fisher - Live Design's Broadway Master Class; Ben Gasper - Utah Shakespearean Festival Ticket Package; David Griffith - Sap

UK - The Michael Northen Bursary 2009 will be awarded by the ALD in conjunction with ETC and The Mousetrap Foundation. This prestigious award which is open to all students, and not just ALD members.

The Michael Northen Bursary was set up by lighting designer Michael Northen shortly before he passed away in 2001. It takes the form of a £500 prize awarded to a student who shows exemplary talent in lighting design. The award is to be judged on a project that the student has produced within the past academic year (July 2008 - July 2009). This award was originally made in conjunction with the White Light Bursary and since 2004 the ALD has administered the scheme and organises the presentation of awards as a fitting tribute to Michael who was a founding member of the ALD and a previous President. The fund itself is held by The Mousetrap Foundation, an organisation committed to e

USA - CAD developer Design & Drafting has released LD Assistant 08.5 with sACN support. This allows consoles that support ACN to connect with LD Assistant over a local network. Consoles include those from Electronic Theatre Controls that support ETC's Net3. "I believe that you will see GrandMa, Strand, Pathway, CK and other manufacturers moving to the ACN protocol. With the ease of use that ACN brings to the table, it just makes sense," says Florin Nitu, programmer and VP of Design & Drafting.

Included in the release is an enhanced Jands Vista and Vista PC connection using Art-Net. This connection allows user to connect and operate both Vista PC and LD Assistant 08.5 on the same computer, without needing any dongles.

Other new features include Save Views in any of the three Simulators for quick return, named views support, more moving light profiles, gobos, textures

The Netherlands - XLNT Advanced Technologies has launched the PowerMotion DS8 Pro and Pro Plus Series of solid state motion controllers. The first public showing of the DS8 Series will be at the ProLight&Sound trade show in Frankfurt - with German distributor CAST, C. Adolph & RST Distribution.

Each DS8 motion controller can control up to eight direct or low voltage control chain hoists, and features a Solid State MCB per individual motor/channel plus adjustable maximum power output up to 9 Amps. The highest level of safety and protection is provided by the PL D, ISO 13849-1 and SIL2 compliant Emergency Stop System.

The DS8 Series is available in two types - for direct control and for low voltage control chain motors. Each type also comes in a choice of two versions. The 'Pro' version provides full hoist control for all typical professional rigging applications. The 'Pro Plus'

Canada - When Christie Lites (Toronto) began working on plans for lighting the General Motors booth at the 2009 Canadian International Auto Show (CIAS), keeping the budget lean but replicating past year's successful design elements was a tough order to fill.

Located in the show's main exhibition hall at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the GM booth covered a sprawling 84,600sq.ft. On display were 104 cars and trucks from all of the company's brands -- a myriad of offerings including Saturn, Saab and Hummer.

The original plot called for in excess of 500 fixtures to light the exhibit but the budget demands spoke to a more limited scope. Still, the overall visual integrity needed to be respected, with a solid balance between base light levels and visual punch for the featured products.

"Our inventory runs at a very high level in late winter due to the significant deman

UK - PLASA Focus will provide visitors with an opportunity to see an important UK product debut from PRG Distribution. The revolutionary product from SpotlessLight will also be revealed at PLASA Focus, Leeds.The Spotlesslight attaches to your digital projector and uses it as the light source; it then emits and reads infrared light to detect and track performers or objects on a stage within the projector's throw area.

The onboard engine then processes this information in real time in order to instruct the projector to map projected light back on to the performer or object - even while the performer is moving. Additionally, the Spotlesslight can function in the reverse mode (projecting only around the object or performer), or a combination of both modes. The light projected back on to the performer can be white light or it can be from Spotlesseffects - hologram-like special effect

UK - White Light has announced the launch of Fusion 672 from Illieum, which the company, as exclusive UK distributor, will exhibit at the forthcoming PLASA Focus, Leeds (28-29 April 2009).

Billed as "the next generation of LED lighting effect", Fusion 672 is a rugged, lightweight batten - just over 1m long and weighing just over 3kg - each Fusion 672 contains 432 (72x6) individually controllable tri-colour LEDs with an ultra-wide viewing angle. Battens can be arranged in any pattern with the units oriented horizontally or vertically, packed tightly together or spaced apart to allow lighting through the array. Fusion 672 can serve as a video display, a lighting fixture, a light sculpture or anything in-between, say White Light.

Setup of even the most complex systems is easy: units are daisy-chained together by standard Cat5e cable. The layout of the units is specified

Germany - City Theatrical products will be on display at ProLight&Sound on the stand of its new German distributor, LTH.

Products on display will include SHoW DMX, the wireless DMX system, and two new LED lighting fixtures: the iW Blast TR Lighting Kit (a variable colour temperature white LED lighting kit for film, video, and photography), and the MasterBlast (an RGB LED party and event light equipped with battery power and wireless data).

Also on display will be the AutoYoke, a professional quality automated yoke for the ETC Source Four and other lighting fixtures, along with a range of lighting accessories. Representatives from City Theatrical will be on hand to demonstrate Lightwright, the lighting paperwork tool, and all the other City Theatrical products.

(Jim Evans)

UK - grandMA full-size continues to be the lighting console of choice for most current major UK ice skating productions, including Lunchbox Productions' Cinderella On Ice tour, starring the Imperial Ice Stars. The console was specified by Sydney-based lighting designer Gavan Swift when the tour kicked off in New Zealand and Australia in June 2008 and is being operated day-to-day by Paul Mansfield.

Swift chose the desk because the rig features two High End DL2 moving projectors and a number of Martin Professional moving lights. Each DL2 has 170 parameters, so they needed a console with the power and flexibility to programme these and all moving lights easily.

The grandMA is also controlling six DMX scenic clocks which keep real time and were specially built for the production.

Cinderella On Ice is produced by James Cundall, Tony Mercer, David Atkins and Vladisla

Germany - GLP has recruited Mark Ravenhill to develop closer relationships with Global Key Players within the entertainment lighting industry, in particular lighting designers, key customers, decision makers and other important personnel. Mark Ravenhill brings a vast knowledge of the lighting market to GLP and will ensure that the focus on customers increases.

Ravenhill said: "From their base in moving head fixtures, GLP have really stepped out of the shadows with the Impression range, showing that the ability to meet customer demands with innovation and passion is alive and kicking in our industry. I am really looking forward to being a part of this tight-knit team with these values at their core."

The Impression product range is genuine German engineering and already a standard in the industry - in the USA the Impression is sold through Elation Professional and in

USA - Shure Incorporated will officially support Earth Hour 2009, a global climate event led by the World Wildlife Fund, by switching off all non-essential lighting in all of the company's facilities around the world for one hour on 28 March, and encouraging all of its associates, customers, and suppliers to do the same.

Shure will join corporations, organizations, governments, and individuals in more than 240 cities around the world in supporting Earth Hour, which begins at 8:30pm local time. Tens of millions of people from all corners of the world are expected to participate in this call for global action on climate change.

"One of our company's core values is to be a good corporate citizen and neighbour," said Sandy LaMantia, Shure president and CEO. "We have an internal team, our Green Team, which strives to constantly implement and improve environmentally-f

Netherlands / Australia - Royal Philips Electronics has announced that it has acquired Dynalite, a leading maker of lighting controls headquartered in Sydney, Australia, for an undisclosed sum. Dynalite now becomes part of the Lighting Electronics business within the Philips Lighting sector.

Rudy Provoost, chief executive of Philips' Lighting sector, comments: "Sophisticated lighting control systems can provide our customers with significant cost and energy savings. A variety of lighting control methods present a solution to suit any setting, ensuring that energy is not consumed unnecessarily, while providing the user with complete flexibility and control over their environment. As such, the acquisition of Dynalite enables us to further strengthen our offering of integral energy management solutions to major corporations, property developers and hotel groups. Having a promi

UK - Among the range of lighting products being exhibited by trade supplier Impact Products (Europe) at PLASA Focus is a selection of fixtures from Chauvet which have never before been shown in the UK.

New to the US manufacturer's COLORado series is the 2, 3, or 6-channel COLORado 1VW wash, producing variable shades of white from its 18 warm white and 18 cool white LEDs. An IP66 rating makes it ideal for both indoor and outdoor use, whilst colour temperature mixing and custom program recall can be done with or without DMX controller.

The compact LED Pinspot gives a 9° beam angle from its single high-power white LED, perfect for a variety of applications where powerful and highly directional illumination is required.

Introducing LED to the range of spots in the Q-Series are the Q-Spot 250-LED and Q-Spot 150-LED DMX-512 moving yokes. Features include a three-facet prism an

USA - Bandit Lites has named Chris Barbee as its new national director of sales and installations. He makes this move from a successful eight year run as the company's sales and installations design specialist.

Pete Heffernan, Bandit Lites president said: "Chris has played an integral role in the success of this company's sales and installation department. His experience and innovative design concepts have helped to set the standard in his division that Bandit Lites strives for in all of our endeavors."

(Jim Evans)

USA - Acclaim Lighting's Rebel Pro Par is suitable for a wide range of applications, indoors or out. Powered by 36 high-output Rebel RGB LEDs (also available in Cool White and Warm White LED models), it provides high luminous efficiency in a compact, lightweight case design, making it suitable for both the production and installation markets. Small enough to fit in standard 12" truss, the Rebel Pro Par can even be used as a truss warmer onstage. Additionally, advanced LED driver circuitry allows for completely flicker-free operation and dimming, which, combined with the Rebel Par Pro's totally silent operation, makes it suitable for TV/film production use, too, says the company.

The Rebel Pro Par offers 12 red, 12 green and 12 blue Rebel LEDs with special designed optics that produce a very smooth and even effect. Over 16.7 million rich colours can be created via RGB colou

Germany - OSRAM (Germany) has extended the existing licence with Everlight Electronics Co. Ltd (Taiwan), about manufacturing and sales of white and coloured LEDs with conversion technology for all applications. These patents are owned by OSRAM. In return Everlight granted to OSRAM a license to use housing patents of Everlight. This agreement paves the way for a closer cooperation between the two companies.

The licensed conversion technology was developed by the OSRAM subsidiary Opto Semiconductors. It enables the production of white or coloured LEDs using blue emitting InGaN (Indium Gallium Nitride) based chips and suitable fluorescent converters. With the agreement signed, the existing license agreement (September 2003) is extended - especially the right for Everlight to use this OSRAM intellectual property in all areas of application without limitations, including automotive a

USA - With a congregation of 2,000 members and growing, ClearView Baptist Church recently completed construction of a second chapel on its 50-acre suburban Nashville campus. Housed in a separate building, the new 450-seat chapel will accommodate overflow from Sunday worship services.

When choosing a lighting system for the new chapel that would deliver both quality and flexibility, the church and its longtime A/V designer/installer Springtree Media Group turned to Elation Professional.

Elation and Springtree had previously helped ClearView solve a challenging issue during a renovation to the church's original worship centre. ClearView had wanted to upgrade its lighting for video production, but was operating on very limited electrical capacity. Church officials didn't want to go to the expense of installing a new transformer, so Peter Vaque of Springtree came up with the solut

Europe - Lighting Designer Scott Warner is putting the grandMA through its paces on the Pussycat Dolls' world tour, which is now playing dates in the UK and Europe. Warner, who is the lighting designer, director and programmer for the tour, tapped the grandMA to control LED lighting for a previous Pussycat Dolls' tour and moving lights for Grammy Award-winner Queen Latifah's Trav'lin Light tour.

For the first time, on the Doll Domination Tour, the grandMA is controlling an all-Robe digital spot complement. "I wanted to go with newer technology," Warner says. "The whole rig is almost all Robe. It's a new digital moving spot technology combined with LED-based wash lights that delivers a very high-tech design. "Pods on trusses are packed with fixtures that make it look like there are more lights than we really use," he explains. "So I can

Germany - Martin Professional's expanding range of LED lighting solutions will feature prominently at the upcoming ProLight&Sound exhibition. On display will be the LC Plus Series of LED video panels with new generation technology and an IP65 rating; EvenLED, a modular LED system for extremely even field projection; and FlexDOT, a lightweight yet bright string of LED pixels for customized video solutions.

Also on display will be Martin's first LED moving heads, the MAC 401 Dual, a powerful LED washlight with a unique double-sided design that gives it dual functionality; and the MAC 301 Wash, a compact, high-power LED washlight with powerfully fast zoom. Another innovative launch will be Martin easyStrip, a simple yet highly capable plug-and-play LED striplight for interior enhancement. Martin's successful 1500 watt MAC III Profile will also be shown.

Several new control soluti

Germany - Entertainment Equipment Supplies is exhibiting Tinhao, their range of dimmers and distros, for the first time at Prolight&Sound.

The company produce a wide range of reliable products, ideal for use in conjunction with each other to ensure safe installations of dimming and power distribution, making them suited to TV productions, theatres and touring.

EES's product lines offer different options to meet a variety of needs, as will be shown during the exhibition where samples will be displayed for visitors to take a closer look at.

As well as presenting their Tinhao equipment, EES will display a new member of their product family, the Flygeko wall rack for fixed installation, which will launch and be introduced to the market at the exhibition.

(Claire Beeson)

South Africa - Rosco has confirmed a new partnership between Rosco and South African lighting design company Congo Blue Design. After being appointed as a new Rosco distributor for South Africa, Congo Blue Design can now offer South African customers the full range of all Rosco colours and products. Having been regular users of Rosco products on many of their projects previously, Congo Blue Design will now stock Rosco products themselves and distribute them throughout South Africa.

Congo Blue Design specialises in lighting design and consulting for both theatrical and architectural environments. They are headed by lighting designer Declan Randall, who has worked on projects all over the world especially in South Africa and Europe, and they are joined by Dave Whitehouse as senior lighting designer and Rosco's product manager.

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