The Week . . .
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Rigging / Staging
Airstar on the beach for Surf de Nuit in Anglet
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Listed in the official World Surf League (WSF) calendar, this competition sees 12 of the best professional surfers duke it out by night under the light of gigantic Airstar balloons. Equipped with LED-lined surfboards (lumiboard), the riders compete for this coveted League trophy and put on a real show with daring tricks.
This event is made possible thanks to the Anglet city hall which organises this event in cooperation with regular partners and service providers, without the help of a specialist company. Both the logistics and power supply are handled by the technical team from the city. One of the Anglet city partners is none other than Airstar, whose South West branch has been working on this exciting project for the last 10 years, tak
Pearce Hire at the Showman's Show
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This follows a week after Pearce Hire's participation at the first Production Futures event, a collaboration between TPI Magazine and Production Park where the event took place.
"Production Futures and the TPI Breakthrough Talent Awards provided an excellent platform to engage with the next generation of technicians and designers for our industry. And we were delighted to have met some students who would be suitable candidates for our intern programme," observes Shaun Pearce, MD Pearce Hire.
"But obviously equally important is nurturing our existing business and making sure we continue to deliver for our current client base, whilst engaging with any new business opportunities for next year. That is what Showman's Show offers us - the
Area Four Industries teams up with
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S+H helps 10cc celebrate 40 years of Sheet Music
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The LED screen was specified by video and visuals designer Ian Holmes of Essex, UK based XIVIX, having used it very successfully on previous tours.
It's the second tour for which he has co-ordinated the video elements for 10cc, where he is again collaborating very closely with lighting designer Russell 'Tigger' Matthews - they have also previously worked together on the Genesis Revisited European tour by Steve Hackett throughout 2013 and "make a good team" says Ian.
Ian sourced the video
Doughty's Articulated Carriage debuts at LDI
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Speaking ahead of the show, Dan Phillips, project sales co-ordinator at Doughty, said, "We are extremely excited to give this Articulated Carriage an official debut - it's an item I felt was missing from the Studio Rail 60 range, so I've spent time on the design to ensure it works seamlessly. The Articulated Carriage means our curved Studio Rail to be used for many more applications, including its original use as a curtain track - as visitors to the stand will see, it works well with pieces of our Modular Rigging System, for example."
The Articulated Carriage enables the Studio Rail perimeter tr
WIcreations finds Epica solution
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WI's project manager Koen Peeters was initially approached by Epica's lighting designer Erwin van Lokeren - familiar with WI's work on various projects - and asked to propose a robust, reliable and tourable solution to enable Coen to whizz around the stage.
With only three weeks from receiving the order to delivering the finished completely bespoke product to the band in time for the start of a new world tour campaign for their seventh studio album, The Holographic Principal, WI designed and fabricated two different systems to suit differe
Strong support for PLASA Focus Glasgow
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The event will again offer live product demonstrations, the latest technological innovations from a wealth of manufacturers and distributors, alongside a packed two-day programme of informative, relevant and educational seminars.
The events and festivals sector is a major contributor to the Scottish economy - both locally and internationally and this year Scotland has taken steps to invest in the future of the industry with the unveiling last month of a 10-year collaborative strategy to significantly grow this £3.5 billion industry.
The result of an 18-month consultation process involving the Scottish Government, VisitScotland, Scottish
Arena Group acquires RIM Scaffolding
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RIM Scaffolding, with a 25-year history in the live events industry, is renowned for its expertise in designing and building structures for prestigious dates such as the Ryder Cup, Wimbledon, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Henley Regatta. In 2008, the business expanded into the UAE, China and India and subsequently supplied the Omega World Cup, the Dubai World Championships and the HSBC Men's Championship in Shanghai.
As a result of the acquisition, Arena Group has added significant amounts of scaffold systems, glass handrails, viewing decks, sub platforms for temporary structures and ice rinks, camera platforms and carpentry services.
Now known as Arena RIM Scaffolding, the acquired business will continue to manage relationships with existing clients wh
Total Structures schedules five-day training event
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This five day ETCP recognized workshop will include instruction and advice on the safe use of outdoor structures as well as an explanation of the American National Standards ANSI E1.21 - 2013 (Entertainment Technology - Temporary Structures Used for Technical Production of Outdoor Entertainment Events) and ANSI E1.2 - 2012 (Entertainment Technology - Design, Manufacture and Use of Aluminium Trusses and Towers).
The third day of the workshop will focus on teaching the attendee how to safely operate and manage the complete range of Pointman electric chain hoists with the final two days focused on rigging related instruction.
The event is an ETCP approved training program and will provide qualified attendees with the ma
Area Four brings colour & sound to Lollapalooza
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Area Four Industries (A4i) is the world's largest manufacturer of modular aluminium truss and staging systems, with major brand production facilities (MILOS, LITEC, TOMCAT & JTE) located strategically around the globe working in close partnership with specialist design & distribution centres worldwide.
An extremely challenging deadline was presented to A4i UK to design and build a custom, high-capacity roof system for the Perry Stage at the music festival via their London based client Colour Sound Experiment.
As an existing long term user of LITEC, the brief from Colour Sound Experiment was to design the structure around truss products that would dovetail into their existing LITEC stock, thus ensu
Event Safety Alliance joins ETCP Council
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"We are extremely pleased that the ESA has joined the Council and that Steve Adelman will be sitting at the table. The ESA's focus on safety at live events and Steve' expertise in risk management and litigation regarding safety and security will be a true asset to the program," stated Tim Hansen, ETCP Council chair.
"I am honoured to join the ETCP Council and to support its efforts to expand recognition of and insistence on ETCP certifica
Unusual Rigging meets Half A Sixpence challenge
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Chris said, "Unusual Rigging are no strangers to me - they're my go-to company for all rigging challenges. The first step was to meet with Simon Stone, Jeremy Featherstone and Mark Davies at Unusual and discuss how on earth we were going to transfer from a non-flying thrust stage into a traditional proscenium arch."
While this was challenging in itself, one of the briefs from Cameron Mackintosh an
Showforce Stands Up to Cancer with Princess Productions
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Working directly for TV production company, Princess Productions Ltd, the Showforce team was onsite from 11th - 22nd October. Crew numbers fluctuated between 14 and 56 per day in the run up to the event and de-rig, with 222 crew shifts amassed in total. The crew were tasked with unloading and setting up all equipment onsite, this included: lighting, rigging, set building, video, sound and carrying out show calls.
Split into two mai
EXE Technology releases 2017 catalogue
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The complete offer from EXE Technology consists of the EXE-Rise range of chain hoists, EXE-Cell load cell interface, EXE-Drive controllers and EXE-DST dynamic stack tracks.
New in 2017: The D8 range now features an 8:1 safety factor as standard with new load capacities of 250 kg / 500 kg /1000 kg / 2000 kg.
The D8+ range has new load capacities of 150 kg / 300 kg / 600 kg / 1200 kg.
All EXE-Rise hoists feature a double brake, updated identification labelling and black plugs and sockets. A new 8 x 24mm chain brings added safety to 1000 - 2000 kg hoists.
Dynamic Stack Tracks from the
Thumbs up for SA Prolyte campus
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The course presented intricate information to assist riggers to comply with safety regulations practised throughout the world. The topics were covered in detail and delegates were given information on the types of loading and the effect on truss, building a safe MPT or ST Tower, slinging of truss, the process of calculating applied forces and predicting the effects of environmental influences and the basic preconditions to safely build a roof structure.
"The South African delegates are not behind in rigging. World-wide we are all at the same level... we are all consistently incompetent," commented Date Jonkman. "We don't know what we don't know and that's the main thing in our business, wherever you are. The delegates were
JTE contributes to rover's return mission to Mars
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The test stand will be used to simulate the speeds of samples that have been jettisoned off Mars by the rover and returned to earth via an ascent rocket for detailed chemical and physical analysis. It is crucial that the re-entry system containing the returning samples do not fail upon impact and become contaminated with the earth's soil.
Use of the JTE tower allows JPL to gather as much real data as possible to ensure success of the mission. With the JTE tower, the current unit doesn't just experience free fall impact but also has a built-in accelerator so impact can be simulated in real
Arena Group supports ATP World Tour Finals
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On court this year's tournament took on special significance with Andy and Jamie Murray's achievements creating tennis history, while behind the scenes UK based Arena Group supported the ATP and AEG to produce a new look tournament having secured a three year contract with the ATP Tour.
Following the 2015 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals AEG informed the ATP that the space used for the Fanzone was no longer available and conversations between the ATP and Arena Group began to redesign the event's footprint. It was decided to move the players and sponsors facilities, includi
Star film captures stunning VerTech build
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Produced by In The Bag, the short film follows construction from the first steel day, to raising the Great Oak Stage roof, to show time at Barclaycard presents British Summer Time (BST).
An extraordinary piece of festival infrastructure engineering, the BST VerTech supports Es Devlin's heavyweight design and 900sq m of 9mm LED screen, more than 50 tons across the front edge, before Star Events starts rigging the stage production.
Star made the strongest roof in the business stronger still this summer, fitting it with high tensile steel and doubling the spans, to accommodate 115 tons in the air for Mumford and Sons' rig plus the pre-rig for Take That.
Roger Barrett, special projects director at Star Events, comments, "This engaging VerTe
Straightpoint launches StageSafe load cell
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Straightpoint products are already used in entertainment applications - its Wireless Load Shackle and Loadlink plus are commonplace - but StageSafe is the first product the manufacturer of force measurement, load monitoring and suspended weighing load cell equipment has dedicated to the sector.
StageSafe is matt black and disappears into back-stage rigging, sets and lighting. It also offers riggers the ability to utilise the load cell in wired or wireless applications, which, Straightpoint believes, is a unique feature set to revolutionise the way loads are monitored in the industry. Practically, it means the load cell can be applied to the two main types of monitoring in the theatre industry -
Unusual suspension of Antony Gormley sculpture
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OBJECT 1999, is a sculpture of the artist's body cast in iron, and occupies a position of maximum visibility from the ground floor and in passing from the escalator to the Gallery's second floor.
Speaking of the decision to bring Unusual Rigging on board to assist with the display of this prestigious display, Allan Tyrrell, the Gallery's engineering manager, explained: "Some years ago I saw an exhibition at Tate Britain where a Harrier jet was suspended from the ceiling; through my contacts in the International Association of Museum Facility Administrators I found out that Unusual Rigging had carried out this work. I spoke to Robin Elias after an initi
AC-ET receives Prolyte Group's Platinum Award
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One of the world's largest manufacturers of aluminium trussing, staging and structural solutions, every year the Prolyte Group hosts its PIE event (Prolyte immersion event), which gathers together key global personnel and distributor representatives to hear about new products and company updates, and to acknowledge high performing distributors.
The A.C. Rigging division of AC-ET received the award in recognition of its strong sales performance and support for the brand's StageDex and LiteDeck product ranges.
Matthew Millward, sales manager for the division, commented, "It is an honour to have received this award two
A Specialz summer for Xylobands
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Deanie Thain and Jason Regler were the brains behind the hardware. Thain recalls how it all unfolded, "We have just celebrated our five-year anniversary. The first wristbands had a timer, so each one had to be programmed individually to go off at exactly the same time - quite a challenge and very time-consuming and a lot of friends and family helped to get them done on time.
"The original idea came from Jason Regler seeing Coldplay perform at Glastonbury 2005," continues Thain, "He wanted something to unify the crowd with lights and make them part of the show. After the first trial event, we then had another short time to create a radio-controlled version of t
Triple E solution for Selfridges' windows
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The Kent-based company's Unibeam, ChainTrack and ChainRail systems are 'animating' an art installation based on the concept of 'Always Be Open'.
The tracks are moving three different types of curtain: one Austrian, one centre opening and one swag curtain. The curtains are constantly moved from fully open to part-closed around the neon word creations 'Always', 'Be' and 'Open'.
The installation will run for 12 hours per day, every day, for the three months it is in place.
Selfridges approached art director David Lane to come up with the concept. He then brought in set designer Rachel Thomas to collaborate with him on the project. Lane is creative director and founder of The Gourmand magazine, Thomas' clients include Mulberry, He
