Star Hire (Event Services) Limited joined the cream of the pop world once again when it installed the staging for the 2002 Top of the Pops Awards in Manchester.

The Awards, hosted by Ronan Keating, attracted a veritable A-List of pop stars, from Best Newcomer Will Young, to double- winner Kylie and Lifetime Hall of Fame winner Sir Elton John. They also performed live sets alongside Miss Dynamite, Blue and the Manic Street Preachers.

The set, designed by Miranda Jones of Mermaid Design, was in keeping with the look of the televised weekly programme, but expanded to fit the dimensions of the enormous Manchester Evening News Arena. Star Hire was contracted to supplement the Arena’s own staging system to house the huge production. This included building the awards platform sited to one side of the stage and a temporary ‘bridge’ and red carpet walkway connecting the plat

PCM’s Projects division has supplied the main theatre space in Dublin’s Liberty Hall Centre for the Performing Arts with specialist lighting bar winches. The new venue has been completely refurbished - along with the rest of this historically significant building. It was re-opened as the Performing Arts Centre by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, TD.

Installation of the new lighting and technical infrastructure was undertaken by Dublin lighting supplier Stage Lighting Centre, who also supplied a full set of stage curtains, complete dimming system and stage lanterns. They worked very closely with Brian Tracey, Liberty Hall’s head of technical, throughout the installation period. When it came to custom engineering and installing the specialist lighting bars required at the FOH and forestage positions, Stage Lighting Centre’s Paddy Farrell approached PCM.

Working to the s

The Jewish Free School's new campus in North London was officially opened by PM Tony Blair in October. Designed by leading UK architects Terrence O'Rourke, the new campus provides a base for approximately 2000 students.

In charge of the development of the 22,224sq.m facility was Jarvis plc, a facilities management and infrastructure services group, and the first company to win a schools project under the government’s Private Finance Initiative. The Jarvis team worked in partnership with the local education authority to create the facility, and also with a number of sub-contractors - amongst them Maltbury, who fulfilled the staging part of the contract.

As the facility's main hall is used for school presentations and exams, the Jarvis team wanted to provide under-stage storage for the exam desks without lifting the height of the stage. To achieve this, Maltbury designed and buil

Could LDI capitalize on the renewed focus on business demonstrated at PLASA just a few weeks earlier?Ruth Rossington headed to Vegas to find out.

With PLASA providing a much needed fillip to the business, the question everyone wanted answering about LDI was whether it could pick up the baton and continue where PLASA left off. Well the jury’s marginally out on that one - certainly, the first day got off to a blistering start, but there were definitely times when things felt quiet on the show floor. That said, all the exhibitors I spoke to reported good levels of business and that’s the only yardstick a trade show should be measured by.

Much of the product on display had already made its presence felt at PLASA, but there were some real innovations and some noticeable trends. The undiminished homage to all things LED continues, to the point where Ellen Lampert-Greaux, part o

Fifteen months in the job, and already the Fairfield Hall’s new technical coordinator Ian Locke is beginning to make his presence felt; not least in the realms of safety. "Before I took the appointment I could already see this was a very, very busy venue; sometimes three performances a day, so I knew safe working practices would be paramount."

Consequently there has been, in his own words "huge changes", not least the recent installation of a new rigging grid above the famous Fairfield stage. "The existing grid was well past its sell-by date, so in September of 2001 I visited PLASA to see what was available. At the time I didn’t even know Total Fabrications’ T2 system existed (hardly surprising as it was barely a year since launch) so when I stopped by their stand I was more than impressed with the system."

Being a prudent shopper, Lock

Star Rigging joined a star line-up in December 2002, rigging the set and production for the Top of the Pops Awards, as they celebrated a successful year for the pop world. In a year that brought us Pop Idol and Fame Academy and more pop tours and radio roadshows than ever before, the Top of the Pops Awards gave its own accolades to the most successful acts of 2002. The show attracted the year’s hottest property, from Miss Dynamite, winner of the best R&B act, to Kylie and the Manic Street Preachers. Star Rigging was once again contracted to supply the rigging for the entire set, lighting, sound and screens for the awards, held in the Manchester Evening News Arena.

Phil Broad was head rigger for the show and worked with the organizers from the concept of the stage set to the practicalities of the rigging on the day. Phil worked with the client, BBC Worldwide, production manager St

USA - Stage Tools Truss America LLC has introduced a line of TÜV-approved aluminum trussing that is not only very strong and durable, but is also priced affordably to fit the budget of virtually any lighting user. By offering high-quality aluminum trussing at a down-to-earth price, Stage Tools is opening the way for smaller clubs and DJs to take their lighting set-ups to a new level of professionalism, says Kenneth Kahn, general manager of Stage Tools Truss America: "In the past, many smaller performers, DJs and clubs haven't been able to rig their special effects and lighting fixtures on high quality truss, because it was priced beyond their means," said Kahn. "But now Stage Tools is changing all that with our new line of highly affordable aluminum trussing."

Stage Tools is designed to accommodate the growing market of lighting users who would like to move

UK / Ireland - Rigging and lifting specialist PCM, based in Prenton, Wirral, kicked off 2003 by announcing that Dublin-based Stage Lighting Centre has been appointed sole agents for all PCM equipment for the Irish Republic.

All service, back-up, spares and orders for PCM equipment in Ireland will now be processed by Stage Lighting Centre under the contract, which was finalised during a recent PCM Lodestar Motor School in Dublin. The Stage Lighting Centre was founded in 1987 by Pat Walsh and Pat Farrell. The company is one of the most respected sales, hire and installation operations in Ireland, and works in all areas of the professional entertainment industry. PCM and the Stage Lighting Centre have steadily engaged in more business in recent years, particularly in the last 12 months, so the distribution deal was a logical progression.

Pat Walsh comments: "We've used PCM a

UK - A regular and long-standing supplier to the UK's leading electronic retailer QVC, Triple E was back there towards the end of 2002 installing its lightweight, but strong Unicyc track in Studio One of the channel's London headquarters.

Prior to this installation, Studio One had a make-shift rig on which a cyclorama and lights were hung, but as it was outdated and inflexible, Mike O'Brien, QVC's backstage manager, approached Triple E to come up with a solution. Unicyc was created especially for TV studio applications and allows for a vast degree of versatility as it can be curved and assembled on site. Replacing Studio One's original track, the new U-shaped Unicyc system also incorporates ladder-frame lighting crossbeams, a points system and storage areas. "The system provides the opportunity to hang two cyclorama curtains from it, whilst the crossbeams allow better light

UK - Columbus McKinnon has announced the addition of Adrian Forbes-Black to its international sales team. Forbes-Black, who will be regional manager for Europe, was previously general manager at Tomcat UK, a distributor of Columbus McKinnon products. Ned Librock, vice-president of sales, commented: "The Lodestar chain hoist continues to be the theatrical market leader and we believe this appointment will further support our European distributors, customers and users."

Adrian will be based in the Wirral, UK and will be supported by Columbus McKinnon's UK and European-based subsidiaries.

(Lee Baldock)

The Netherlands - Prolyte Products, a well-known manufacturer of high quality truss, will kick off the year 2003 with a stunning action. Under the name 'Axion X' Prolyte Products launches a permanent price reduction of 25% on the standard lengths and corners from the X30-series that will be effective from 1 February 2003.

Prolyte Products has always heavily invested in their production facilities. Through the years this investment was paid back in high quality trusses and an outstanding reputation for reliability and durability. Making the production process more efficient is a constant challenge, not only for the engineers, but for the welders as well. Based on these insights in the complete production process, Prolyte gained an enormous effectiveness by intelligent routing of the production line of standard truss from the X30 range.

After a period of intensive try-outs and t

UK - In a move that will be welcomed throughout the industry, Chris Cronin of Total Fabrications Ltd (TFL) and Mark Surtees of Outback Holdings, have announced the merging of Slick Systems into TFL. "With rigging at our core, we had taken on Slick and really knocked it into shape over the past few years," said Mark Surtees, "but now's the time to take it to the next stage. As the biggest stockist of Slick trussing in the UK, we can't think of a better, safer pair of hands than Total Fabrications for the company to be in."

Chris Cronin was equally animated: "We will be maintaining all Slick's excellent product line. There will be consolidation - for us as manufacturers, and for the wider client base who will see real benefits from the sharing of technologies and expertise. It's a real matrix of talent, skills and trussing."

The change is effective

South Africa - On 28 December, 2002, 10 of Bollywood's biggest stars - including Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee and Shilpa Shetty - performed in a major extravaganza at Durban¹s ABSA Stadium. The concert, called Now Or Never Live, was put together by Anant Singh's Videovision Entertainment and Amitabh Bachchan, Indian cinema's biggest star.

Gearhouse Durban was awarded the contract to provide all the technical aspects of the show. Aside from the massive stage, and three enormous screens, the Gearhouse team managed the technical requirements of live singers, a band of 18 musicians (on a raised platform on the stage), dancers and chorus singers as well as the retinue of stars. The concert aimed to convey that sense of Bollywood opulence and extravagance and the Gearhouse team had to not only create this opulent stag

UK - The nominations for the 2003 Laurence Olivier Awards were announced yesterday. The awards, now in their 27th year, are presented by the Society of London Theatres. They reward the best productions and performances to appear in London's West End during the previous 12 months. The award winners are decided by panels consisting of both theatre experts and ordinary theatregoing members of the public.

In the award's technical categories, this year's nominations are:

Best Set Design:
A Streetcar Named Desire designed by Bunny Christie at the Lyttelton
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang designed by Anthony Ward at the London Palladium
A Play Without Words designed by Lez Brotherston at the Lyttelton
The Coast of Utopia designed by William Dudley at the Olivier

Best Costume Design:
Bombay Dreams, costumes designed by Mark Thompson at the Apollo Victoria
Taboo, costumes d

USA - BSR E1.6, Entertainment Technology - Powered Hoisting Systems for Places of Public Assembly, is available for public review until the end of the business day in New York City on 11 March 2003. This draft American National Standard establishes safety requirements for the design, manufacture, installation, and use of motorized rigging systems in theatres, theme parks, studios, and other places of public assembly and performance. This document does not address manually powered systems or lifting equipment used in the construction of these spaces.

People interested in reviewing the draft BSR E1.6 standard may access it by visiting the website below or by requesting information from Karl Ruling via the e-mail address below.

(Lee Baldock)

USA - Tomcat Global is pleased to announce a newly designed website for a new year. The website not only offers a new look, but many new features as well. For the people who love to feed their visual brains, a comprehensive flash presentation featuring recent Tomcat custom projects is provided. For the people who crave the technical information, a Palm OS Tomcat catalogue can be downloaded as well as product load data and dimensions. For the people that desire training, Tomcat Hoist and Rigging Workshops information and applications are available. For the people that need to voice their opinions, an online survey can be submitted. As always, the CAD file library is easily accessible. And last, but certainly not least, for the people that want to know who, what, where, why and when, all the latest Tomcat news and archives are at your finger tips.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - Fifteen months in the job, and already the Fairfield Hall's new technical co-ordinator Ian Locke is beginning to make his presence felt; not least in the realms of safety. "Before I took the appointment I could already see this was a very, very busy venue; sometimes three performances a day, so I knew safe working practices would be paramount."

Consequently there have been "huge changes", not least the recent installation of a new rigging grid above the famous Fairfield stage. "The existing grid was well past its sell-by date, so in September of 2001 I visited PLASA to see what was available. At the time I didn't even know Total Fabrications' T2 system existed (hardly surprising as it was barely a year since launch) so when I stopped by their stand I was more than impressed with the system."

Being a prudent shopper, Locke looked around all th

UK - The Blue Room is a brand new web discussion forum, set up by two keen, dedicated industry professionals, where advice may be sought and offered by anybody working in, entering or just plain interested in any aspect of life behind the scenes in the Entertainments Industry. All are welcome to visit and browse, and register as members should they wish to take part in discussions and debates about industry issues.

Forums have been created for all major industry disciplines, as well as for students, health & safety and useful outside sources of information, all alongside a place to just chat with other like-minded people. There is also a private messaging facility, where members may communicate with each other personally. Up-to-date security measures, together with sensitive, responsive moderation of the forums, help to maintain a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in which people

UK - Orange, in association with Esquire and Harpers and Queen, launched the Orange Business Awards 2002 in celebration of the best of Britain's entrepreneurial talent. This year, staging automation specialist Stage Technologies has announced that they have not only been nominated but also short-listed for the 'Excellence in Exporting' category with their managing director, Mark Ager, also in the frame for the Businessman of the Year award.

The formal judging day took place in early January when an expert panel of leading figures from industry and business met to decide the winners of each category. However, the results are to be kept under tight wraps until the award ceremony due to take place early next week at Le Meridian Hotel in Russell Square, London.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - Automation specialists Andy Cave of Entertainment Innovations and Dave Weatherhead of Gravity Control have joined forces to establish Kinesys, a new company providing motion control and automation systems.

Kinesys is dedicated to providing fully featured, high quality products to cater for all motion control requirements. The standard, modular product range includes control equipment for motors, hydraulics, pneumatics and steppers, as well as a full range of power distribution equipment, emergency stop modules and high speed networking products. All this is controlled by a similarly in-depth range of controllers from the top-of-the-range PC-based Vector control system to the single-axis Pulse controller. All equipment is designed to integrate simply and seamlessly to provide a quick to assemble, quick to program, flexible and reliable control solution.

Kinesys products ar

Sweden - Tomcat UK recently hosted a Hoist School at Woodlite Sweden A.B. in Karlstad, Sweden. The one-day event consisted of motor instruction led by Jim Marshall of Tomcat UK which included the stripping and reassembly of a one ton CM Lodestar chain hoist to demonstrate trouble-shooting techniques. The hoist school was requested by Woodlite to improve their employees' ability to work with Columbus McKinnon motors. A number of Hoist and Rigging workshops are planned for other countries in Europe, and Tomcat UK will conduct workshops on request.

(Ruth Rossington)

UK - Orange announced the winners of their Business Awards earlier this week in a ceremony that paid tribute to the entrepreneurial passion and dedication that goes into making a business truly successful. The 'Excellence in Exporting' category was specifically dedicated to those companies that have "excelled in the international market place and that have understood the importance of overseas growth as a way of expanding their business."

The short listed companies for this category included Stage Technologies, Reynolds Geo-Sciences Ltd, Blue Chip Feed Ltd and Nucoda. Despite this stiff competition, the judges - including Trade Partners UK and Emma Crosby from CNBC - voted Stage Technologies the clear winner, with their international approach and implementation of trading practices being hailed as 'outstanding'.

Stage Technologies was founded in 1994 by Mark Ager and

The Netherlands - Prolyte Products, in conjunction with the Stageco Group, have developed a range of stage decks, called Stage DEX, which they claim are among the strongest and most versatile demountable staging systems on the market. The Stage DEX is an efficient and lightweight stage system with high loading capacity. The decks can be assembled quickly and easily and are available in several standard sizes and different heights.

The Stage DEX consists of an aluminium frame with a plywood top bolted and glued to it to reduce noise and vibration. The legs can be fitted to the frame and fixed with one simple handle, without the need for tools. Rails and other accessories can easily be attached to the by inserting a spigot in a pre-bolted hole on each corner of the deck, allowing the rails to be assembled after the decks are built.

Apart from the standard sizes 2 x 1 m and 1 x 1

UK - Sister companies Tomcat USA and Brilliant Stages recently came together to create a stage system for the 'Curtain Up' show designed by Joe Ragey for Princess Cruise Lines. One of the challenges of the project was a very demanding stage system. Its complexities included the need to change several times during the run of the cruise. With this in mind, the design teams of Tomcat Global created a system which could be easily assembled and disassembled using their own bolt-free hook and channel system.

The multi-level stage system is made of a series of decks on aluminum frames. Each deck has a birch plywood surface covered with a black dance floor surface from Harlequin Flooring. As space is limited, two of the main upstage risers may be turned on their sides and used as dollies to store the remainder of the stage.

Fourteen collapsible 2ft x 2ft x 6ft dressing room lockers we

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