USA - K/A/S Lighting, part of the Kaufman Astoria Studios (KAS) campus has announced that Bobby Flecker has been promoted to managing director.

In his new position, Flecker will manage the operations of the division and will bring new technologies including intelligent lighting, rigging, dimming and consoles and led lighting to the department. Together with Hal Rosenbluth, president of KAS, the team will strategize innovative ways to expand K/A/S Lighting's business portfolio throughout the city and region.

"Bobby is an industry leader and has proven over the past three years that he is an invaluable resource in our lighting division. He has worked on countless films and television shows in New York and will continue to grow K/A/S Lighting, making it the go-to source for all production lighting needs," said Rosenbluth.

Prior to joining K/A/S Lighting, Flecker was t

Argentina - German manufacturer GLP has added a new subsidiary office to its organisation in order to better serve the Latin American market. Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the office will be headed up by sales manager, Peter Hald.

"The Latin American market has been growing with interesting speed in the past few years," commented Mark Ravenhill, president of GLP US. "We have had plans for a Latin American operation, but needed to ensure that we had the correct structure in place to support it 100%. We have that now and can ensure that customers benefit from our high level of customer service."

Peter Hald commented, "I'm delighted to be joining the GLP team. They really have a great product line up with leading edge technology which I can't wait to bring to the Latin American market." Hald has recently been working in telecommunications, but is

Germany - Fashion show Show-Me recently celebrated its world premiere in front of about 2,000 guests at the Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin. The show boasts some impressive features: the legendary Parisian Haute Couture Designer Christian Lacroix created the costumes for the opening and closing ceremonies, and there was a 21m high waterfall on the stage, where 40 female and 20 male dancers performed.

The show's lighting set-up is equally impressive and mostly includes equipment from Lightpower. Ten Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 1500s and 14 Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 300s have been used, among other lights.

Marcus Krömer is again in charge of the lighting design. He reports, "For the first time in 10 years we are using a grandMA2 desk at Friedrichstadt-Palast for this show, along with the grandMA 'series 1'. Basically the lighting and video are split. The lighting is handled on

USA - grandMA2 went on a mission shortly after Christmas when almost 16,000 people gathered in St. Louis for Urbana 12, the triennial student missions conference held by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Dodd Technologies Inc. furnished the grandMA2 full-size as part of its lighting, audio, video and scenic support for the event's arena show.

With the theme of God's 'Great Invitation', the conference ran at the America's Centre and Edward Jones Dome. Attendees had access to more than 100 workshops and over 250 mission organisations and seminaries exhibiting at Urbana 12.

Dodd Technologies was responsible for supporting the three main stages for the show: one for the worship band, one for drama and skits, and the centre stage for speakers and business activities. "We used one giant rig with 280 moving heads, which was set up so they could use some or all of it as they

UK - West London-based rental company, Entec Sound & Light were asked to supply lighting, trussing and rigging for a high profile one off concert by Malaysian Chinese superstar Fish Leong at Wembley Arena.

Entec was working for the show's producers Magic Sound and the project follows on from the massive success of another gig by Fish Leong last year at Hammersmith Apollo, also serviced by Entec

This time both the scale, the production values and the ante was upped considerably - and it all had to go in and out in a day.

The show's technical production manager Simon Tutchener co-ordinated all the different departments and oversaw the hectic production schedule on the day. Entec fielded a very strong and experienced crew consisting of Phil White, Pete 'Pepper' Schofield, Sudip Shrestha and rigger / crew chief Nic Burlace.

They worked closely in advance with Leong's lighting

Denmark - From 28 December 20 January, Lennon and McCartney fans were treated to the theatrical concert Hey Jude at the Forum in Copenhagen. A spectacular musical and visual treat with lighting design by Jonas B°gh, the Beatles-inspired show used a host of Martin Professional MAC luminaires, including the new MAC III Wash, with supply by Nordic Rentals.

"I needed a very powerful fixture to create an enormous 'background of light,' explains LD Jonas B°gh. "At the beginning of the theatre concert I used the MAC III Wash to light through an opening in the enormous back drop to create the idea of something threatening outside pushing to be let in."

At one point in the show an enormous backdrop falls and the MAC III Washes define the entire background of a bare and open scenography. "The fall of the backdrop reveals a full-size building crane and

Czech Republic - As Robe Lighting's head office and production facilities are located not far from ?eský Krumlov where Showlight is being held this May 18-21, the Robe team is offering all Showlight 2013 attendees a special visit to its factory outside of the Showlight schedule.

Participants will have the opportunity not only to visit the production area but also experience the famous Czech hospitality in the spa Hotel Solan, based within the stunning Beskydy Mountains.

The coach will be scheduled to leave ?eský Krumlov on Tuesday 21 May at 5pm, with an expected travelling time of approximately 4.5 hours.

After arrival at the Hotel Solan, the guests can enjoy dinner consisting of local specialities and also visit the spa centre or the hotel swimming pool.

On Wednesday morning the schedule starts with a tour of Robe's architectural lighting division Anolis and its daughte

France - Philips Selecon is powering up its range of LED luminaires to exhibit at SIEL Paris this week (Stand D88).

Philips Selecon's French dealer Dimatec will be showcasing Selecon's PLFresnel1, PLProfile1, PLCYC1, PlyCyc2, and Studio Panel luminaires at this year's SIEL, taking place at Grande Halle de la Villette, Paris from 4-6 February.

"The new PL products use the same proven LED engine as the Philips Selecon PL3, PL1, PLCYC1 and the Philips Vari-Lite VLX ranges, which means colour matching in a multifunctional rig is entirely simplified," says Grant Bales-Smith, sales manager for Strand Selecon Europe. "In addition the user interface is the same for all luminaires, which ensures intuitive operation across the whole Philips Entertainment range of LED luminaires."

(Jim Evans)

Keeping Clean - London's National Theatre is one of four historic sites to receive funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for "wash and brush up" restoration work. It has been granted £2.5m to help enhance the 20th-Century modernist building on London's South Bank. Last year, Arts Council England gave the theatre £17.5m to aid its upgrades. The remaining sites include Rochester Cathedral in Kent, the Carnegie Library in Dunfermline and Victorian mansion house Insole Court in Cardiff. A total of £11m was awarded to the places of cultural interest in England, Scotland and Wales.

Open Air - An amphitheatre is being planned in north London on the site where a 16th century theatre that hosted the premiere of Henry V used to exist. The remains of the Curtain Theatre - which was the base for the Lord Chamberlain's Men before they moved to the G

UK - MTV has been busy recording the sixth series of Brand New, a programme dedicated to upcoming talent tipped to break through in 2013. Previous discoveries include Lady GaGa, Justin Bieber and Ke$ha as well as UK talent including Tinie Tempah, Wretch 32 and Jessie J.

For the new series LD Piers Cox wanted an LED batten for backlighting and pixelmapping effects. He was looking for versatile units with plenty of punch to provide striking lighting effects but also with the ability to provide smooth crossfades and subtle colours. He approached Matt Mountier and Ed Railton from Limelite Lighting of Cranbrook, Kent, lighting suppliers for the series. They met him at the PLASA show in September and took him to the MilTec stand to see the LEDHead Batten2 being demonstrated.

Fitted with 18x 8W quadcolour LEDs, the Batten2 gives a very bright output with excellent colour mixin

Germany - LumenRadio's CRMX technology, together with lighting fixtures from Robe and Anolis, was recently used to illuminate and enhance a fascinating public renovation and arts project, named Iktomia, by German designer and sculptor Volker-Johannes Trieb.

Iktomia consists of an art gallery, an event venue, a sprawling public garden, and the old railway station of Sutthausen; a picturesque village located in the German countryside close to the border with the Netherlands. The design mandate called for an extensive lighting system to make the area attractive and engaging to the public also after dark.

Trieb, in cooperation with LumenRadio's distributor LMP, commissioned a lighting rig of powerful, yet inconspicuous, CitySkape 48 and CitySource 96 Robe fixtures; all with wireless CRMX OEM modules already installed. This rig, with a compliment of Anolis in-ground A

Austria - Vienna State Opera has taken delivery of ETC's newest lighting control desk, Gio, following an extensive search over a number of years.

Lighting chief Rudolf Fischer told Prospect magazine, "Our existing desks served us faithfully for 16 years, but no longer met our requirements. They lacked a Moving Light Engine, and spare parts were difficult to obtain, making maintenance difficult."

The theatre invested in four ETC Gio desks, along with two Remote Processor Units (RPUs) and an Ion to cover the main stage lighting, auditorium and Kinderzelt, a tent on the roof for children.

"We have a very large repertoire with a very wide range of lighting - there are over 200 shows, dating back to 1957. So the ability to handle traditional fixtures as well as our old desk could, was very important to us. We watched the market for some time, waiting until t

UK - Free registration is now open for the PLASA Professional Development Programme, which will run alongside a sold-out PLASA Focus: Leeds 2013, on Tuesday 30 April and Wednesday 1 May 2013.

Whether you are a seasoned campaigner in the entertainment sector or a student considering the live events industry as a career, the PLASA PDP is an unmissable opportunity to learn new skills, watch new product demonstrations, and meet some of the most respected practitioners in the business.

Kicking off is Adam Bennette, Technical Director of ETC Europe, who leads a discussion about how to design new systems that support both tungsten and LED lighting in a rational and sustainable way. Requirements for Data and Power Infrastructures for LED Stage Lighting is a seminar where audience participation is an important part of the process so system designers, technical managers from thea

Germany - MasterCraft Boat Company, a premium manufacturer of inboard wakeboarding, water skiing and luxury performance boats, and known across the globe for its impressive boat show displays, has unveiled their biggest effort yet ...with a little help from Martin Professional.

Debuting two brand new models at the Dusseldorf Boat Show in January, Martin equipment added extra dynamic to the presentation with logo projection and colour wash at the centrepiece of the display - the all new MasterCraft XSTAR.

Providing control for the show was the Martin LightJockey USB DMX. Will Furze, MasterCraft international marketing manager, comments, "I've been a fan of Martin products since the 3032 era and the LightJockey 2 provides the perfect control format for my needs at our International boat shows. The speed at which I can program, especially when time is extremely limited, is t

USA - Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley kicked off the Locked & Reloaded Tour on 17 January with concerts scheduled throughout the US. Lighting designer Chris Lisle carefully conceived a design to suit Miranda's rock'n'roll style and to capture her talent, also incorporating 66 Chauvet fixtures. Bandit Lites provided the Chauvet gear.

"Miranda's music can have a very rock'n'roll feel as well," Lisle said. "I wanted a design that can accentuate her music, while filling the space visually. We also use a lot of circular truss to make it look like a big rock'n'roll concert."

For dramatic and energising looks, Lisle uses 26 Chauvet Professional Legend 230SR Beam moving yokes that steal the show with their big, punchy beams. "Twenty of these powerful fixtures shoot bright, powerful beams from behind the band, while six are on the floor, at the front

Italy - Clay Paky and RUMI are partners in the Moto 3 category of the Italian Speed Championship (CIV) motorcycle races.

RUMI was one of the most important Italian motorcycle manufacturers in the 1950s and 60s. It earned a reputation for innovative concepts that gave rise to motorcycles with engaging designs and excellent mechanical features.

Nowadays RUMI no longer manufactures commercial motorcycles. It concentrates on the bike racing world. It has taken part in the 125 cc class of the Italian Speed Championship for some years, and competes with multinational giants, such as Honda and KTM.

Clay Paky and RUMI are both prominent names on the Bergamo business scene. What they have in common is their continuous search for innovation for their products, their constant will to achieve technological excellence, their readiness to take on new challenges in the pursuit of new goals

Czech Republic - Robe lighting is sponsoring Czech MotoGP racer Karel Abraham for the 2013 Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix - the premier championship in the world of motorcycle road racing.

Karel, aged 23 and born in Brno, Czech Republic, is competing as part of the Cardion AB team for the 2013 season, riding a super-charged new cutting-edge Aprilia ART (Aprilia Racing Technology) bike.

Says Robe CEO Josef Valchar, "We are extremely proud to be sponsoring Karel, who is competing in his third season at the very top level of international motorcycle road racing. He is young, ambitious, talented and has all the qualities required to become a champion in one of the most exciting motorsports."

(Jim Evans)

Russia - The 10th anniversary 2012 Muz TV Awards, held at the famed Olimpiisky stadium in Moscow was more than a showcase of top musical talent, it also provided a backdrop (both literally and figuratively) to demonstrate the capabilities of Light Converse's 3D Show Platform software and server hardware in action

The more than three hour show (Muz TV is Russia's answer to MTV) depended heavily on awe-inspiring visuals to match the level of performance onstage. Besides a magical-looking crown-like three screen center piece over center stage, video elements were also projected on two large arches (33m x 15m) stage left and right. The multiple piece arches, which opened and closed as acts performed or readied their place on either the left and right stages, required precise video mapping as content was projected while sliding elements of each arch dynamically moved in seven directi

UK - As part of the company's international expansion strategy, Northern Light has announced the appointment of Terry Abbs.

Abbs will be responsible for Northern Light's international business development activities and has many years' experience of successfully implementing global sales strategies for the entertainment technology sector.

Abbs commented, "It's great to have joined Northern Light at this exciting time for the company and I'm looking forward to working closely with the team to develop and expand our international business strategy. I have known Northern Light for many years, both as a partner and a competitor, and it is a company I have always respected as being highly professional and committed to delivering quality and innovation with conscience."

Colin Cuthbert, managing director of Northern Light, concluded, "I'm delighted that we have secur

UK - Later this month, entertainment lighting specialist White Light will showcase the latest lighting and effects solutions for film and television at the BVE Expo, which moves to ExCel London for this year's event on 26-28 February.

Exhibiting for the third consecutive year, White Light sees the BVE Expo as an opportunity to bring its comprehensive selection of products and services to the broadcast and TV industries. "It is important for us to support industry professionals with the right tools for the job," says sales director Peter Threadgold, "The BVE Expo gives us a great opportunity to share our newest lighting technologies and hear feedback directly from customers."

On stand AA15, White Light will display products from Altman, Arri, Coemar, CORE Lighting, Galaxia Electronics, Look Solutions, PR Lighting, Prism Projection, Robert Juliat and Rosco.

USA - Bandit Lites reports that it is lighting Barry Manilow's return to Broadway. After more than two decades, Manilow brings his l collection of hits to the St. James Theatre on Broadway. Opening night for Manilow on Broadway was Tuesday, 29 January 2013 and the show will run until 2 March.

Lighting designer Seth Jackson worked diligently with Manilow to create an elegant and polished environment for the intimacy of a Broadway house. While some lighting designers could be daunted by the compact environment, Jackson adapted his design to fit the traditional venue with legs, borders and proscenium.

"Cues can have more subtly and precision, colour choices can read much clearer, and the kind of looks and focus choices you make are much more contained," said Jackson of the smaller space. "We did our best in the process to forego the 'usuals' of the concert look and

Canada - The North American premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard of Oz was set for the new year at Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theatre, where a pair of grandMA2s is now on hand to control lighting and video for the new musical.

A.C.T Lighting Canada, in Toronto, supplied the grandMA2s to programmer Joe Allegro of Artistic Illuminations. Hugh Vanstone is the show's lighting designer.

"The show was originally on grandMA 'series 1', but we decided to move all the lighting and video to grandMA2 when the show was remounted in Toronto," says Allegro. "The decision was based on the length of the show commitment: eight months in Toronto and then on tour. In terms of hardware, the grandMA2 is a new platform and very solid; 99 percent of the information from the original production has come across."

Allegro is particularly pleased with the grandMA2's perfor

USA - Syncrolite has announced the appointment of respected industry veteran David Keighley as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, effective from 1 January this year. Jack Calmes - founder of the company in 1984 - continues as President/CEO but with a view to gradually hand over the reins as he plans for his eventual retirement.

Keighley has relocated from the UK to Syncrolite's headquarters on Royal Lane, Dallas, to lead ongoing global efforts with the Syncrolite staff and crew. Jimmy Page heads the live event side of rental and sales, while Keighley will also concentrate on live events with heavy focus on the architectural and sports lighting markets.

As part of the new business model, Syncrolite has also gained a new private equity partner, Hall Capital Partners, based in Oklahoma. "With the backing of Hall Capital, we can continue to develop and impr

UK - Pharos Architectural Controls has announced that Mark de Gruyter has joined the company as senior sales manager responsible for the EMEA region.

Chris Hunt, managing director of Pharos, said, "Mark's years of sales experience will be invaluable in helping to develop our client base and his appointment ensures we can respond quickly and effectively to the needs of our customers in these territories."

Previously representing Element Labs, Vari*Lite/PRG, High End Systems and most recently Kinesys, de Gruyter commented, "It's a busy and exciting time of growth at Pharos and this is a great opportunity to be part of the continued development of the brand and technology. I'm pleased to be working alongside a familiar group of clever and inspiring industry professionals and look forward to building upon relationships with existing and new clients and helping the c

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