Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
Renkus-Heinz - Banner - May 2025

Rigging / Staging

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North East-based Hi-Lights Theatre Services recently saw its new Prolyte stage in action at the National Trust's Ormesby Hall over the August bank holiday weekend. With a concert featuring Suzie Quattro and headlined by Status Quo, the Prolyte ST complete roof and tower system with additional front cantilever proved a great success, especially with the rigging crew, thanks to its speed and ease of construction. The fully fitted cover also meant that rigging could continue in the heavy rain experienced before the event which thankfully cleared up for the night.

(Lee Baldock)

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Litec will show its new professional truss system designed for very heavy duty use, at PLASA 2002. This new range is designed to meet professional needs when a high loading capacity is required together with wide spans. It is particularly suitable for building large covered structures. The connection systems consist of aluminium or steel forks according to the model. The High Load line expands Litec's range in this demanding professional sector, where materials have to meet special needs and be highly reliable.

Litec can be found on Stand E16.

Doughty - Banner - from 8 April 2025

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Next week’s PLASA Show will see the launch of the largest collection of new products ever from Milos Structural Systems. Amongst the many launches planned are the QuickTruss M400 and M520 ranges for heavy-duty applications, including folding truss sections and Super-sized MR3 ground-support roof systems to cover areas up to 280sq.m. However, the central launch will be that of the X-Stage platform system. This is a lightweight range of fast assembling deck systems with high loading capacity offering a versatile solution for stage and touring applications.

Representatives from Milos, Milos UK and Milos America will all be at the show to welcome visitors to the stand.

Milos can be found on G45/H60.

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BSR E1.4, Entertainment Technology - Manual Rigging Systems, is available for public review through the end of the business day on 19 November 2002. This draft American National Standard describes the design and construction of manually powered rigging systems to enhance the safety of these system. These systems are used in theatres to raise and lower scenery, properties, lighting equipment, and similar loads over the stage. The standard does not apply to raising and lowering people, or to motorized systems.

Copies of the document may be obtained from the ESTA website at www.esta.org/tsp/ or by requesting a copy from ESTA's technical standards manager by writing via mail, fax, or e-mail. Comments on the document should be received at the ESTA office before 17:00 Eastern Time on November 19. Comments submitted after the deadline may not b

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Following the success that AVW’s motion control system Impressario, culminating at this year’s ABTT show in London where it won the prestigious Product of the Year Award in the Engineering category, AVW has today introduced Impressario Advance! - a new product at PLASA 2002.

The most obvious change is the new-look silver console, but underneath its modern exterior Impressario Advance! makes use of the latest computer technology in the form of Windows XP. Hardware developments mean that a floppy disc is no longer necessary, being replaced with a CD R/W drive, whilst the Pentium II board had been replaced with a more powerful and faster Pentium IV.

Changes to the software include a new Cue List and Equipment List facility, which enables users to look at all cues/equipment on a single page rather than scrolling through as is currently the case. To provide more relevant info

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One of the most talked-about live music mixing consoles of recent months - the DiGiCo D5 Live - was launched at PLASA yesterday, with and Dave Webster and Bob Doyle making a special presentation to members of the press over an enjoyable Sunday roast. On stand D28, the D5 Live system is on demonstration in a fully working set-up with a digital multitrack concert recording sync’d to video.

Designed from the ground up to deliver high sonic purity and powerful, instantly accessible controllability, the D5 Live comprises the D5 Live console itself, a front-of-house Digirack containing A/D converters and I/Os, a matching stage Digirack and 100m of fibre optic cable. This is a complete, self contained system that does away with the need for a multicore, splitters, line drivers, dynamics processors and - optionally - an entire effects rack too. The D5 Live can even record live to multitr

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The 2002 PLASA Show got off to a positive start yesterday as the industry congregated in Earls Court, London. With another bumper crop of new product innovations on show the PLASA Show is providing an unmissable opportunity to see and discuss the state of the art in entertainment, communications and presentation technology. Comment from exhibitors was upbeat - one first-time exhibitor told PLASA Media he had been overwhelmed by the attention his company had received on stand, and wished he had more staff to deal with enquiries.

O Sunday night, PLASA’s 25th anniversary party took place to round off a highly successful day on the show floor. The event - staged at The Bridge - was attended by over 500 exhibitors and visitors who participated in numerous side shows at the Party including a bucking bronco, sumo wrestling, boules and the highlight, a full-on seventies disco.

On the

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Mobil Tech UK is to take on the manufacture and distribution of selected items from the Mobil Tech France range, which will include the ALP, Standtech and Alutech lines, and will also see the reinstatement of some of the company’s most popular stands from previous years. The move comes after Mobil Tech France had experienced some problems with its manufacturing capability. It is also envisaged that Mobil Tech UK will change its name to Mobil Tech International to reflect this change in emphasis.

Mobil Tech can be seen on stand D28.

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The Martin Audio stand at PLASA 2002 was the site for an important announcement yesterday, and the first appearance of the Synco W8L Line Array System by Martin Audio, a specially configured version of the Martin Audio W8L line array system which is exclusive to the Synco Europe Network. Fred Heuves, MD of Synco Europe, and David Bisset-Powell, MD of Martin Audio, announced the signing of the deal that will see Synco Network members equipped with the system.

The deal represents Martin Audio’s largest single European sale since the launch of the acclaimed W8L system in the spring of this year. The Synco W8L Line Array will be operated in parallel with the existing stocks of the network’s Renkus-Heinz Synco Touring System and proprietary Synco floor monitors. "The network has grown very fast in the five years since we launched it and reached over 1000 cabinets but still

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Announced at the PLASA Show, Chameleon Audio has appointed the UK’s leading export company, Expotus, to source potential distributors for its products throughout Asia, and the alliance has already borne fruit, with three companies now handling the line.Total Solution, Singapore, Stagecraft International in the Philippines and Phoenix Audio & Lighting Technology, Hong Kong, are now official distributors of Chameleon amplification.

According to Chameleon MD, Paul Houlden, the decision to appoint Expotus was based on the company’s imposing track record of successfully marketing other UK brands overseas, particularly the Far East. Says Houlden: "Trying to break into the Asian market has been a particularly tough nut to crack. However, thanks to Expotus’ expertise, it’s already beginning to pay dividends for Chameleon."

Following a series of field trials,

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Following the success that AVW's motion control system Impressario has enjoyed over the last two years, culminating at this year's ABTT show where it won the Product of the Year award in the Engineering category, AVW is using PLASA to launch Impressario Advance!.

The most obvious change is the new-look silver console, but key changes have also taken place internally, including the use of the latest computer technology in the form of Windows XP. Hardware developments mean that a floppy disc is no longer necessary, now replaced with a CD R/W drive, whilst the Pentium II board had been replaced with a more powerful and faster Pentium IV.

Changes to the software include a new Cue List and Equipment List facility, which enables users to look at all cues/equipment on a single page rather than scrolling through as is currently the case. To provide more relevant information to stage manag

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The PLASA Awards for Product Excellence were presented yesterday evening in the New Technology Gallery in front of a packed audience. This year’s awards attracted one of the largest tallies of nominations ever - 64 in total - across the categories of Lighting, Sound, Audio-Visual and Stage Engineering.

The judging panel of freelance lighting designer Simon Swift, sound system consultant Richard Northwood of Coms UK, Live Business International’s technical director Roland Hemming, freelance AV consultantPhil Pike, system designer Glyn Hughes of Sysco, project manager Andy Hayles from Theatre Projects Consultants, technical consultant Mark Jones of the Royal Albert Hall and Jason Tang, general manager of Bandit Lites (UK), deliberated over three days to decide the winning products in each category.

In the Lighting category, Clay Paky’s Stage Profile Plus SV received

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Under the watchful eye of Jim Hamilton, president and CEO of Doughty Engineering USA Inc - the US division of Doughty Engineering UK Ltd - the clamps and couplers manufacturer and supplier is expanding. The latest distributor to be welcomed to the company’s network is Industrial Metal Supply Company which has three branches covering California and Arizona and is ideally positioned to supply a comprehensive range of Doughty fittings. The Doughty range features high tensile, extruded aluminium, clamps and couplers. Our picture shows Jim Hamilton (left) congratulating Neil Sherman, CEO of IMP, on the new association.

(Ruth Rossington)

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The 25th PLASA Show closed on a high yesterday thanks to one of the most positive shows in the event’s history. Business was high on the agenda for all exhibitors - many of which reported the highest levels of business they’d ever done, some saying that they had signed up orders of significant size at the show. The exhibition was buzzing practically from the moment it opened and the visitor count will significantly outstrip last year’s figures.

The show was active on many levels - the PLASA Product Awards for Excellence attracted one of its highest number of nominations ever with 64 products displayed in the L&SI sponsored New Technology Gallery - a clear indication of the importance of the event as a showcase for innovation. The Masterclass, Seminar and Round Table sessions that ran throughout the show added to the appeal of the event, allowing visitors to learn more

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Edwin Shirley Staging (ESS), the international staging and structures specialist, has returned to central London once more after its run of successful installations at this year’s Bloomberg World Cup project in the City of London and the Golden Jubilee events at Buckingham Palace Gardens, the Mall, Hyde Park and London’s West End.

This time ESS developed an ESS Superstructure building solution for the Event Management Company Fortesqueue’s, at a location inside the garden square at Lincoln’s Inn Fields; an occasional destination for bespoke private events. The brief, to house a one-off project during the second week of September, was introduced to ESS earlier in the summer. ESS' Olly Watts and the ESS team worked closely with the Event Management team at Fortesqueue’s to create a stunning environment for this multinational organization. The one-off event

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Vertigo Rigging’s expertise and knowledge of the Royal Festival Hall came into its own when they transformed the famous concert hall venue into a full pros arch theatre for Raymond Gubbay’s popular, month-long production of Follies.

The project involved Vertigo undertaking an intense four-day working period during which time they installed large amounts of trussing and drapes. Follies - considered by many to be one of the greatest musicals of all time - was directed by Paul Kerryson and designed by Paul Farnsworth, and this was the first time the Sondheim classic has featured on a London stage for 15 years.

Follies’ scenic style transposes the audience to the crumbling Weissman Theatre, as memories from its glorious past reunite and are remembered one more time. The fact that the RFH needed to resemble a dilapidated venue at the end of the day didn’t make the

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ALC Truss is a new exhibitor at PLASA. Spawned from ALC, a Belgium-based sound and light service provider, ALC began manufacturing aluminium products to solve problems for its rental client base. Of most interest is the self-erecting 10.5m tower for line array PAs: load rated to 1000kg and TÜV approved, the tower can be erected by one person, using the lifting motor to raise the main mast. This is very neatly packaged: all components except the actual motor - that’s truss pins, hammer, gallows head and struts - travel securely on two 2.4m truss section dollies.

Austrian Truss Constructions (ATC) presented what looks to be an excellent modular outdoor stage roof system. Based on a regular 3D truss frame, the roof forms a grid using ladder trusses between with four-way steel node connectors. Although ATC doesn’t have official rating figures, it is confident the system can su

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Edwin Shirley Staging (ESS), the international staging and structures specialist, made a welcome return to London’s Hyde Park for the 2002 BBC Proms in the Park series. The event took place over the middle weekend of September.

After the successful completion of last year’s event ESS were commissioned to provide an ESS Orbit staging solution with PA wings and screen supports. In advance of the event the organizers were predicting that this year’s concerts expected to attract record numbers due to a popular repertoire choice and good weather prospects. This event marks the second major event in the park that ESS has attended to during the summer of 2002 the former being the five stage arrangement implemented during the Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Tim Norman, managing director for ESS, said: "It’s extremely good for us to be able to return to the Proms ser

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MoonBurst Structures Ltd, the Sheffield, UK-based company has supplied equipment and services to the World Summit On Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa through their technology partner, Gearhouse South Africa Pty. JOWSCO, the organizer of the world environmental summit in Johannesburg, used Tensile 1 to house the Ubuntu Village Exhibition. Tensile 1 is the UK designed and manufactured structure, which holds the Guinness world record for 'World’s Largest Portable Event Venue'. The exhibition runs alongside the summit, which is staged 10 years after the Rio earth summit. The structure has a surface area of 14,500sq.m and houses the whole of the exhibition which includes many national pavilions. The exhibition runs for three weeks and has had an average attendance of 20,000 people per day. The structure is floored throughout and the 18m internal height allows the u

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Just over a year ago Tomcat USA Inc opened its first regional distribution facility - Tomcat Las Vegas - and the success of that distribution and service centre has presented the opportunity to expand the products and services as well as the staff. Kevin Makalous joined the Tomcat Las Vegas team as the assistant US sales manager on 16 September. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Makalous has over 10 years’ experience in the entertainment industry. "Being a former customer of Tomcat’s and experiencing the quality and commitment to service the company offers, it was a natural fit," said Makalous. The Western Region sales manager and Makalous will be working together to ensure all the West Coast customers’ requirements are met aggressively and consistently.

(Lee Baldock)

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Established staging manufacturer Maltbury has announced that it has expanded its stock to include Morgan Trussing, a product new to the UK, which will complement Maltbury’s own demountable staging systems. The Morgan alloy trussing combines strength and a sophisticated appearance with unbeatable prices to reflect the qualities of Maltbury’s staging systems. Available in a number of truss styles and sizes the individual truss sections can be connected quickly and simply by using the double-ended conical spigots which slot easily into each truss tube and are secured with a pin and clip. In addition to an array of standard angled and jointed sections, Morgan Trussing can also be custom-made to meet particular requirements.

Morgan Trussing also comes in a range of styles and sizes from slender trussing, which is ideal for indoor work to the 400 x 600mm beams that are perfect fo

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In what can only be described as a milestone event, the Professional Lighting & Sound Association (PLASA) has cause to celebrate after recording one of the most successful shows in its 25-year history. PLASA's annual show confirmed its status once again as the leading international trade show for the entertainment, communications and presentation technology industries, as more than 400 companies from across the globe filled the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London from 8-11 September, 2002.

13,810 people (subject to ABC Audit), up by 4.2 per cent from last year, visited the PLASA Show to see the array of new product launches, attend the Masterclass Programme, network with industry colleagues and strike up new business relationships. PLASA managing director, Matthew Griffiths, said the show bucked the exhibition industry’s recent downward trend as many exhibitors conducted good

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The centrepiece of the State Fair of Texas this year is a spectacular pyro show launched from a huge opening pyramid. Onstage Productions’ Charles Belcher was charged with getting the most spectacular show possible from the organizers budget, and he immediately contacted Total Structures to assist with the design, development, engineering and manufacture of this colossal structure.

The square base pyramid, 50ft square at the base and 50ft high, was a combination of stock truss sizes, custom intersections and mechanical fabrication, while the use of Total Structures OMNI connectors added additional flexibility. The top 15ft of the pyramid opens as four ‘petals’ and the inventive and efficient use of two CM Lodestars and a push rod system provides the maximum 'bang for the buck.'

The lower part of the pyramid is provided with a decking system, whilst the platform for

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A new website for freelance professionals and employers in the UK and beyond has been launched at www.freelanceshowstaff.co.uk. The site has taken two years to develop, making it a very versatile and user-friendly service for the whole entertainment industry - a market sector which relies heavily of freelance labour. A mix of useful information combined with valuable functions, the website is designed for both employees and employers. Since its launch earlier this summer, the site has registered over 200 freelancers and 80 companies - from more than 20 different disciplines including audio, lighting, carpentry, rigging, scenery, stage management and wardrobe.

Potential employers can check a specific registered freelancer’s availability or search for new ones, as well as placing job advertisements. They can search by name

  1. Theatres afloat with Stage Technologies
  2. One Big Stage for Radio 1
  3. Maltbury at the Edinburgh Festival
  4. Star Rigging Escape from Experiment Island
  5. Summit Steel the StreetKa Show
  6. Unusual role for Liberty and Livelihood
Page 75 of 233
PLASA Leeds 2025 - Large MPU - April 2025
GLP - MPU - Feb, Apr 2025

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