UK - London-based Pro System Services - leading supplier of sound, lighting and AV to events across the UK, specialising in UK Asian events - has boosted its hire stock inventory with a £60K investment into Chauvet Europe's pro lighting product range.

Pro System Services' commitment to the Chauvet brand is represented by a total of 26 Legend 230SR Beams - the 230W compact moving yoke beam fixture with a zoomable prism and motorised focus; 16 Q-Wash 560Z-LED - the best-in-class moving yoke wash with a wide zoom range and a variable beam angle; and 30 WELL 2.0 - the tri-colour RGB LED wash light run on a built in battery with 12 consecutive hour-capability.

Pro System Services MD, Brindan Sivanandan, commented, "The Chauvet products sold themselves to me straightaway - and they continue to do so. They are great quality, robust fixtures at a really affordable price. Th

UK - Production Resource Group (PRG) is holding a series of private demonstrations for industry professionals of PRG's proprietary products. This will include the most recent addition to the VX76 family of lighting control products, the V276 ON MAC, PRG's new software-only media server product, MBOX Studio, and our V-Series LED screens.

"The VX76 software application, has been an extremely successful product used with V676 and V476 control consoles on projects like the opening Olympic ceremonies of London 2012 and recently the V276 on Mac was awarded Best Lighting Product during the ABTT Theatre Show in London, in June," says PRG.

PRG Nocturne screens, are lightweight, yet rugged, purpose- designed for fast-deployment in flexible configurations and are being chosen by many touring artists this summer. They played a vital part on the Bon Jovi, Because We Can Tour

Denmark - David Ravnkilde has been promoted to director of marketing of Harman Professional's Lighting Strategic Business Unit (SBU), Martin Professional. Effective immediately, Ravnkilde will assume responsibility for all product marketing and marketing communications and will report directly to Lars Dige Knudsen, vice president and general manager of Martin Professional. David Ravnkilde joined Martin in 2004 and has held successively more senior management positions in product management and marketing.

"David Ravnkilde understands the Martin brand, has strong passion for our mission and has the requisite skillset to communicate with our community of production and entertainment professionals - listening to their ideas, understanding their businesses and providing the right ideas at the right time," Lars Dige Knudsen said. "I am pleased to see him lead our market

UK - The Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club (CUADC) has used a selection of ETC Selador LED fixtures on its recent production of Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida.

The ETC Selador Classic Lustr+ and Selador Desire D40 fixtures were used to provide a range of rear colour washes to the stage. Says student Mitchell Clarke, "The Selador fixtures offered so many choices and flexibility which simply would not have been possible with the theatre's existing lantern stock.

"Scenes were transformed by the almost unlimited colour palettes, with live fades used to suggest changes in time, mood and place. For once, the number of fixtures or cost of gel was not the limiting factor in this production only the lighting designer's imagination."

(Jim Evans)

UK - Fifty years after his first record contract, Joe Cocker is still firing on all cylinders. At the age of 68 the Grammy Award- winner is at the height of his powers for the Fire It Up Tour to promote the recent album of the same name.

Working with lighting designer Baz Halpin and lighting director Hunter Frith, PRG's Yvonne Donnelly Smith helped deliver an innovative show for the nine week tour.

Halpin's design successfully incorporates a diverse array of lighting tools to create a clean minimalistic show where retro meets modern. His choice of fixtures helped to cut through, as there was no smoke used in the show, the design was simple but effective and didn't need any bells or whistles.

Your eye is immediately drawn to the distinctive Skypans, seven hanging on the mid truss on moving pantographs with mirrored reflectors and a single 80 W bulb. 10 more, floor moun

Live in Scotland - Scotland's T in the Park festival has sold more than 2.5m tickets in the past 20 years, event organisers have revealed. The three day music extravaganza starts this Friday at Balado in Perth and Kinross, two decades after the first festival in Strathclyde Country Park. Headline acts for 2013 include Mumford & Sons, Rihanna and the Killers. So far, it has not sold out this year but festival bosses were still hopeful all the tickets would go.

T in the Park director Geoff Ellis told BBC Scotland the event had gone from 17,000 people a day in its first year to a capacity of 85,000. He said the move to Balado had opened up the festival to the whole of Scotland and beyond. "We do attract a lot of people from outside of Scotland. "About 20% of our crowd comes from outside Scotland and about 2% from outside the UK but the real passionate element is the Scott

UK - Around 400 Robe fixtures were on site in various areas at the 2013 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts in Pilton, Somerset UK. Glasto is the largest and best known 'greenfield' festival in the world with a capacity of 175,000 and a truly eclectic line up of live music and entertainment over three action-packed days.

Robe UK's own Ian W Brown took his tent, clothes-pegs and wellies and got into the festival spirit, where a very iffy start weather-wise came good . . . with sunshine, soaring temperatures and sizzling expectations.

Ian spent time hanging out at some of the coolest Glasto spaces including The Park with its abundance of open air stages, late night bars, lounges and cafés, tee pee villages, art installations and 17 metre high illuminated Ribbon Tower that overlooks the entire festival site.

Supplying lighting to the main stage at

UK - By way of completing a trio of open days this July, Ambersphere Solutions has announced a London open day at their West London headquarters on Friday 19 July.

This will complete a 'tour' of open days around the country this fortnight - the first taking place at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon on Tuesday 9 July, followed by a trip to the South-West and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School on Thursday 11 July.

The open day in London will allow customers to view the expanded facilities at Ambersphere Solutions, and meet the Ambersphere team behind the sales, service, support and training for Clay Paky, MA Lighting and Robert Juliat in the UK.

"As well as catching up with our team and taking a look around the programming and training facilities we have here in London, our showroom will be full of the latest kit from our exclusive brands. It will be an excellent chance for

USA - Clay Paky Sharpy fixtures proved to be country strong when they turned out in force for the 2013 CMT Music Awards at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Lighting designer Tom Kenny used a large complement of Clay Paky Sharpys for the gala special, which was hosted by Kristen Bell and Jason Aldean.

"The CMT Music Awards is a huge event on the music calendar and gets bigger and bigger every year. It outshines every other awards show," says Kenny.

Kenny partnered with production designer Ann Brahic, who marked her fifth year with the show. "She designed a set that was a very modern scape. It went along with the theme of the show: a cross-cultural look at country music," he explains. "People loved it. Ann really understands lighting, and we have a great relationship."

Francesco Romagnoli, Clay Paky area manager for North and Latin America, add

Australia - As of 1 June, 2013, authorised Shure distributor for Australia, Jands Pty Ltd, began distributing conferencing products manufactured by Danish Interpretation Systems (DIS), a division of Informationsteknik Scandinavia Group of Copenhagen, Denmark, which Shure acquired in February 2011.

"With the acquisition of Informationsteknik, Shure has reinforced our position in the installed sound market. Together, Shure and DIS have a history of innovation, quality and customer commitment, and with our strong and dedicated network of distributors, we will deliver state-of-the-art conferencing solutions to an expanded customer base," said William Chan, managing director of Shure Asia Limited.

(Jim Evans)

Norway - A dazzling array of pure beam Sharpys, rigged in a two-tier array around the Oslo Spektrum Stadium and pointing directly at the audience, has added superstar sparkle to the final of Norwegian Idol.

Respected lighting designer, Anders Busch, specified a host of Sharpys for the closing show of the international TV show phenomenon.

"The concept for the Norwegian Idol finale 2013 was that it should not look like every other TV talent show," explains Petter Nilssen from lighting equipment supplier, Elektrik Solutions AS. "The production designers didn't want the ubiquitous supersized LED or projector screens, they wanted something different. In addition the producers wanted to have as many people in the audience as possible. In order to do this they needed a 360 degree stage."

This presented a considerable challenge - how to create enoug

UK - Dating from the 13th century, the Chester Mystery Plays production involves hundreds of amateur actors, volumes of volunteer work and a great audience from different corners of the UK and from all over the world. Organized every five years, this year's performances took place for the first time ever in the Chester Cathedral's nave, where about 100 CHauvet Professional fixtures lit the set.

"In order to bring these 700-year-old Mystery Plays to life, I knew I had to deliver some spectacular effects," said lighting designer Chris Ellis. " I also knew we needed a large lighting rig to do justice to the large setting in the Nave of Chester's medieval cathedral. With only modest power supplies available, it was an ideal opportunity to try out a large LED rig to help keep the power consumption down. Chauvet lighting kindly obliged with a selection of some 10

Italy/USA - LDR has announced a significant change in their distribution policy for the USA . Effective from July 2013, LDR will cease the cooperation with Ballantyne-Strong.

LDR's Fabiano Besio says, "Ballantyne-Strong proved to be a professional and dedicated partner for LDR during our many years of collaboration and we wish them all the best for the future.

"The change has been necessary to answer the growing demand on LDR products in the USA and particularly on the Canto followspots and The Xpress 21 color color Scroller . Our customer base is very demanding and expects from our distributor the same high level of quality and service that are representative of our products.

Beginning 1 August, 2013, the Canto followspot range and related LDR products will be exclusively distributed and serviced by CantoUSA.

(Jim Evans)

Germany - The first live show in Europe to use Robe's new Pointe moving light fixtures was headlined by DJ and house music producer David Guetta at the DR2 Plaza Festival in Hannover.

The Pointes, supplied by satis&fy AG, were part of the specification provided for his headline slot enjoyed by 17,000 fans who packed the venue.

Guetta's lighting designer is Leggy (Jonathan Armstrong), and lighting is looked after on the road by lighting director Junior (Alex Cerio) from Smash Productions.

Armstrong is a big Robe fan and has used various Robe products in his work for some time. He was delighted to get the chance to run 20 x Robin Pointes - making their worldwide concert debut - in Hannover.

These were supplied, together with the rest of the lighting rig, including another 74 Robe fixtures by the leading German lighting rental house which has over 800 Robe units in its hire s

Peru - Together with Novolite screen & Light s.a.c, MA Lighting's distributor in Peru, MA Lighting Latin America, has just finished its grandMA 3D competition in Lima. Twenty young LDs selected from 50 participants had the chance to present their designs in the auditorium of the UNIFEM in Lima during the contest.

The contest was an ideal opportunity to showcase the use of grandMA 3D as a free pre-programming and design tool. It also showed that in combination with the free grandMA2 onPC software, users could access a real life design studio.

The jury comprising Alarico Sanchez, director of Novolite, Daniel Ridano and Paulo Lebrao from MA Lighting Latin America, Francesco Romagnoli from Clay Paky and lighting designer Mario Ráez assigned the awards to: first, Alex Tacora from Peru winning an MA onPC command wing; second, Jose Luiz Fagundes from Brazil winning an MA 2Port Node

UK - Neneh Cherry is back for a small UK tour with new band RocketNumberNine and they have chosen the RML demo room for their production rehearsals.

This multi-purpose space can simulate studio conditions especially useful for lighting demonstrations, effects and design. The RML team of proficient lighting and industry experts and technicians can be on hand to clarify features, performance and technical characteristics. Alternatively the space can be hired for many other purposes including small productions, rehearsal space, pop promos, music videos, photo shoots and training to name a few.

Lighting designer Ed Warren, who is busy working with a number of artists including Mumford & Sons said that it was "a fantastic space" and wouldn't hesitate in recommending it.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Black Light now has one of the largest hire stocks of ETC LED lighting in the country. The company has recently invested in over 100 pieces of ETC's technically-sophisticated range.

"LED is the way forward," says Calder Sibbald, Black Light's head of hires. "We are committed to providing our customers with the best possible choice and the latest technology and we think that ETC's range offers an unbeatable combination of features."

The new additions to Black Light's stock include Source Four LED Lustr+ and Studio HD Profiles, Vivid Desire D60's Vivid, Lustr+ Desire D60 Lustr+'s and Vivid Desire D4060 Vivid luminaries.

"We bought some Lustr+e Profiles last year and they have been out on hire almost constantly ever since," says Sibbald. "We know that this range is perfect for our broad customer base which includes Lighting Designers, Ven

UK - ADB Lighting has supplied the English National Opera (ENO), based at the Coliseum in London, with a Eurodim TwinTech dimming system, fitted with dual-mode DimSwitch dimmer modules.

The installation in April was carried out by ENO's chosen installer, Push The Button (PTB) and distributor White Light. The innovative DimSwitch software-switchable dimming and switching system, housed in ADB's dedicated Eurodim TwinTech cabinets, replaced ENO's existing dimmer system.

Already performing in many of Europe's leading opera houses, theatres and TV studios, ENO joins the likes of the Onassis Cultural Center in Athens, the De Doelen auditorium in Rotterdam, Opéra Bastille in Paris, Opéra de Lausanne, New Music Centre Linz, National Theatre of Bahrain and many others. White Light had already supplied a quantity of ADB's WARP/Motorized silent automated profiles for ENO's

Denmark - Sitting off the main highway in the Danish town of Losning, innovative concrete solutions provider Boligbeton decided to take advantage of the 30,000 vehicles driving past its facility on a daily basis. An opportunity to refresh its image by using free advertising space presented a more positive company image than the mundane concrete yard. Design firm Pluskontoret Arkitekter (PA) presented a lighting solution featuring 10 Martin Exterior 400 image projectors to tell the detailed story of the concrete process.

A number of thoughts were considered to improve the yard's aesthetics, but the proposal to illuminate the 140 x 11m façade was the winning idea. A unique and fun way to tell Boligbeton's production story, from the open pit and transportation to the end product, would provide a stunning, yet simple solution. Architect Daniel Olsen of PA understood a dynamic illum

India - LumenRadio continues the expansion of its global distribution network with the announcement of Integrated Entertainment Solutions as CRMX distributor in India. Based in Mumbai, Integrated Entertainment Solutions is a leading distributor of products for the entertainment industry in India, with brands such as Robe and Martin Audio already part of their portfolio.

IES was founded in 1996 by Rasesh Parekh and Kekul Sheth. IES started out as a lighting distribution company but soon realized the potential of the industry and the need for more products and services.

Besides being a distributor, IES also offers lighting and sound solutions including complete integration with concept, design, installation and execution.

Rasesh Parekh says, "Intelligent lighting has seen a lot of development since the early years, CRMX wireless technology is the next step in that develop

USA - Elation Professional takes advanced Philips MSR Platinum lamp technology to "the next level of brawn and brightness" with the Platinum Spot 35 PRO, an 800W, feature-packed moving head spot fixture that's designed for large stages, amphitheatres, sports arenas, and major concert tours.

Featuring the biggest, most powerful Platinum lamp source used by Elation to date -- the 55,000-lumen, 7,800°K MSR Platinum 35 - the Platinum Spot 35 PRO delivers up to 76,880 lux @ 5m (at minimum 8° zoom). Yet, like all Elation Platinum Series fixtures, it's energy-efficient relative to its output and features a high quality optical system that provides the power and sharpness professional applications require.

Not only is the Platinum Spot 35 PRO powerful enough to illuminate the largest venues and events, its palette of creative tools makes it a lighting pro's dream to

UK - Following the successful HOG4 launch and due to high demand, High End Systems is releasing a series of Hog4 training videos.

In tandem with the large number of worldwide training classes undertaken both by High End Systems and its extensive distributor network, the initial 12 videos will allow everyone to learn how to use a Hog.

The videos have been split into easy to watch segments meaning that beginners as well as experienced users will benefit from them. They are also in a logical order allowing for the user to move from one element of the Hog software to another with ease. The 12 videos means that users who only need to look at a specific area of the console may do this with ease.

"The addition of these videos to our already extensive training program is testament to our commitment to offer education at multiple levels"says Jeff Pelzl, VP, technical and ma

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) Ltd provided spectacular video projection for the British Racing Drivers' Club's (BRDC) dazzling annual British Grand Prix party at Silverstone racing circuit.

Staged every year on the eve of the F1 Santander British Grand Prix, this year a party was held for the first time at the BRDC Farm, which is adjacent to the celebrated race track.

AC-ET's technical manager, James Bawn, decided to bring the façade of the space's Georgian building to life. For this he used dynamic, high-speed racing footage from the BRDC's own film archive. To achieve the overall look Bawn specified a Green Hippo GrassHopper controlling Barco HD20K Projectors and TV One signal transmission for the projection.

BRDC's Stuart Pringle was delighted: "It was fantastic to see the BRDC Farm transformed into a dynamic, visually vibrant space full of light and

Brazil - Robe moving lights were at the hub of the show lighting for the recent Skol Sensation Party staged at Anhembi Parque in Sao Paolo.

The popular event, attended by over 50,000 dance music fans, enjoyed a stellar line up of DJs and megamix sessions from Mr White, Sunnery James, Ryan Marciano, Anderson Noise, Do Santos, Funkagenda, Michael Woods, Deniz Koyu, DBerrie and many more.

Sao Paolo-based LPL Professional (LPL) has been the official provider for the Brazilian Skol Sensation for five years. The main stage lighting production was a collaboration between LPL and the event's two LDs - Summer and Pascal - who ran lighting and visuals on the night.

The Brazilian version of the event - originated in Amsterdam and staged worldwide - is known as one of the best and most sumptuous of these dance music extravaganzas, packed with beautiful people and superlative sounds. It'

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