UK - BeamHoist is the latest addition to Stage Technologies and will be promoted, along with the company's other products at the forthcoming ABTT Theatre Show. Installed at venues in the UK, Europe and China, it provides a low cost power flying systems that is fast and simple to install and i easy to operate. BeamHoist is ideal for smaller venues such as school theatres, conference centres and television studios, says the company.

Also on show will be the Illusionist control console, billed as an affordable entry level console offering all the advanced programming and operating tools of the standard Chameleon software.

Saxis control unit is Stage Technologies' portable single axis system designed for theatre productions, live music concerts, TV and film studios that would like to move a single piece of scenery, fly a performer or "whiz a film camera across a set".Tow

UK - Brent Woods has been appointed general manager of Litestructures Studios. Canadian born Woods will report to Litestructures GB managing director, Adrian Brooks, and will be responsible for business development, operations, marketing and sales for the Litestructures Studios rehearsal facility.

Since its opening in May 2005 the Studio has hosted production rehearsals for Coldplay, Robbie Williams, Muse, George Michael, Westlife, Meat Loaf and many others.

Adrian Brooks says, "This is an exciting new appointment for Litestructures. Brent brings with him considerable experience within both the live music and television production sectors. He will bring real innovation to this role and establish the Litestructures Studio as the UK's premier rehearsal facility."Brent Woods adds, "Litestructures has built a wonderful facility which is unique not only in Yorkshire,

UK - Le Mark Group has appointed John Henry's as its new London Stockist for its gloves & accessories range. John Henry's already offers an extensive range of spares, accessories, equipment and instruments, sold from their 5000sq.ft showroom, 'The Pro Shop', at its London premises.

Mark Gibbons, Le Mark Group's business development manager comments, "The Setwear Gloves & Accessories range only started a few years ago with Le Mark. Since the addition of the IronClad range we've noticed a tremendous increase in interest from both end-users and existing distributors. The addition of John Henry's stocking the range is a huge advantage, especially as they are a company already well established within this industry but, most importantly, one that is known as a friendly, fast and reliable supplier."

Paul Cooper, Pro Shop sales manager adds, "Having grown up in an indus

UK - When Spanish fashion house Mango wanted to make a serious splash for the launch of its new Prestige Book to London's fashion and general press, its event design company turned to the River Thames for a backdrop, and to the company that knows the river as an event venue better than most - Vertigo.

The presentation of 'Mango in big words' was designed by Elsinor of Spain as a celebrity surprise reveal in which the press, gathered on the Millennium Bridge, would be treated to a sail-by of giant pages from the book.

That was to be followed by a presentation by the celebrity guest - Elizabeth Jagger, the new face of Mango - and speeches at the Old Billingsgate Market in the City of London.

The production brief required technical director Adam Wildi and Vertigo's project team, headed by MD Becky Loughran, to organise and equip suitable vessels to transport the giant pa

UK - Hoist UK staged its inaugural Motor and Truss Workshop, hosted by Litestructures GB in their premises in Wakefield, utilising their new rehearsal space with their own Lee Brooks presenting an informative truss section on the second day.

The workshop was also enhanced with the guest speaker Siobhan Hitchen from Rope Assemblies, who went through wire rope inspection and LOLER requirements as well taking part in the workshop as a student.

The main emphasis of the workshop included the current and potential future legislation that the entertainment touring and event industry could encounter. This subject was very competently covered by Verlinde's Hans van der Moolen, who has been at the forefront of the advances in technology and safety within the entertainment event rigging industry throughout Europe for the last 30 years.

Tony Dickson, one of the founders of Hoist UK, say

UK - J&C Joel, working in partnership with Strabane District Council and Production Services North, has supplied and installed a stage flying system and mechanical engineering to the new Alley Arts & Conference Centre in Strabane, Northern Ireland.

The project was handled for J&C Joel by contracts manager Tony Griffiths, who assisted in the technical design of the building and in the client's final choice of stage equipment.

The client chose a highly flexible arrangement of 14 3-phase, 250kg, single speed, 4-line electrically operated pilewind winch units, plus six 4-line hemp sets.

The Alley is a new 270 seat multi purpose venue funded by a £750,000 Lottery grant - the area's largest-ever award from the Arts Council for Northern Ireland. It is also the first dedicated arts facility designed for the enjoyment of all the district's 37,000 residents. A designated link fr

Germany - Bosch Security Systems has added a visual notification appliance to its range of 420 Series fire-detector accessories. The Strobe 420 Series is compatible with Bosch's base sounder to provide optimal visible and audible fire alarm warning in a wide range of applications. The strobe has a new LED design that produces synchronised, high-visibility flashes at 1Hz. Light flashing in the 1 to 3 Hz frequency range avoids possible blinding effects or disturbance to persons with photosensitivity. The 420 series strobe is an addressable device with the advantage that it is loop powered, freely configurable and determining which strobe is switched on and in which event.

When used with a Bosch 420 Series detector base, the strobe can be used as a stand-alone device. It also allows automatic component identification, address assignment support and functional security in the event

UK - Litestructures Studios celebrated its second anniversary with the announcement that the studio has surpassed occupancy targets with a steady string of concert tours making use of the facility.

Two years ago, Litestructures Studios opened its doors to host production rehearsals for Coldplay's Twisted Logic tour. Since, the Studio has hosted rehearsals for Cirque de Soleil, Franz Ferdinand, Prodigy, Scissor Sisters, Pussycat Dolls, Muse, George Michael, Basement Jaxx, Robbie Williams, Kaiser Chiefs, Massive Attack, Beautiful South, Westlife, Journey, Australian Pink Floyd Show, Faithless, Meat Loaf and many others.

"The Litestructures Studio has exceeded our expectations during its first two years," said Brent Woods, Litestructures Studios' general manager. "The unbeatable combination of the studio's high specification, support services and Lite

USA - Bill Sapsis has announced the formation of the North American Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference (NATEAC).

Based on the model of the TEA conferences produced by Richard Brett in London in 2002 and 2006, NATEAC (www.NATEAC.org) will offer more than 50 panellists speaking at over 20 sessions on topics ranging from current rigging technology to the makeup of stage floors, as well as a discussion of where the proscenium will be by the year 2020.

The conference will take place on 20 and 21 July 2008 at the Michael Schimmel Centre for the Arts at Pace University in downtown Manhattan, NYC.

"The goal of the North American Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference is to promote communication between the architects, engineers, consultants and manufacturers responsible for designing and building new theatres and renovating existing facilities in North Ame

Spain - Blackout France provided a variety of equipment including rigging, drapes, and motors for the glittering Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony and after-show party. The main rigging contractor for the event was Vertigo Rigging.

Hosted by Cuba Gooding Jr, the global sporting star studded event was held at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona. In creating a fun and exciting atmosphere, Blackout worked with line producer, Amandine Reynolds and Pierre-Marie Quere at Monte-Carlo based production company CATS.

"We had to create a fabulous International event for 650 high-profile guests. Working with many suppliers from different countries, we were very impressed that the Blackout staff were multi-lingual. This helped us a great deal in co-ordinating the show and ensured that we could work to tight deadlines. I couldn't dream of working with a better team than Steve T

UK - An injury to a cast member during a performance of Lord of the Rings at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane, led to preview performances being temporarily suspended late last week. It was reported on the BBC News website that one of the actors caught his leg in the moving stage during an early scene. The set includes a large hydraulic stage which can revolve, and be raised or lowered in sections.

Audience member Tori Lowe was quoted by the BBC as saying: "The hobbits were on stage and had a group of dancers dressed as rangers with them. There was suddenly a lot of screaming, but at first we thought it might be part of the show. But a stagehand came runnning on, and when the music stopped we could hear someone shouting 'My leg! My leg!'."

In a statement, the producers said they were "looking at modifying the staging" so previews could resume. The &

USA - Tomcat is known for its stage systems and equipment that are on tour with some of the biggest names in the music business. However, the company reports that it is also supporting local Midland, Odessa, Texas performers as well.

Tomcat recently sold a custom fabricated 40ft wide x 20ft deep stage system to Rusk Elementary which is adjustable between 4ft and 6ft tall. The school approached Tomcat in 2006 about supplying a new stage system for the annual Veterans' Day show that the students perform at the Commemorative Air Force every year. Their old stage had become so worn out that safety had become a major concern.

For its part, Tomcat donated the stage decks required for stage set up they needed - some of the younger students would probably be very excited to know that the same deck was used on a Bob the Builder touring production. Rusk Elementary paid cost for t

Finland - A huge Cyberhoist motion control system was used to animate the dynamic set created by lighting and screen designer Mikki Kunttu for the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) semi-final and final, broadcast live from Helsinki's Hartwall Arena.

The set comprised over 400sq.m of Barco LED modules which formed the stage floor, a catwalk out into the audience and left and right screens. The screens, and a total of 16 lighting trusses, were lifted and lowered by four ultrafast Cyberhoist CH250 (250kg load capacity / 0 to 40 meters per minute, variable speed) intelligent chainhoist motors and 34 Cyberhoist CH500 (500kg capacity / up to 20m per minute variable speed) motors.

The complete system, programmed by CyberHoist-operator Joeri Swagemakers, operated by Cyberhoist technician Chris Sabelleck and supplied by Flashlight from The Netherlands, was under the control of an InMo

UK - The recently re-launched website for theatre lighting clamps, stands and associated equipment from Doughty Engineering of Hampshire (www.doughty-engineering.co.uk) is proving a hit with the company's distributors and customers worldwide, it claims.

The new site features an easy-to-use navigation system based on a mix of pictorial images for fast recognition combined with a simple, sectional menu for those who know exactly what they are looking for.

Doughty sales manager Julian Chiverton says, "The people we deal with have been asking for more on-line information for a while now, hence this six-month project to completely redesign out site, but nothing prepared us for the almost immediate and massive increase in traffic which we are experiencing. Judging by current response I guess we must have got it just about right."

Over 1000 products are featured along wit

USA - As the first line of soft cases designed specifically for lighting products, Arriba has created bags for just about every piece of equipment a mobile entertainer could possibly own. Now the company has expanded its lightweight case line and come out with a series of five soft bags for stage trussing.

The new AT Truss Series includes three different-sized cases for straight truss (designed to fit both square and triangular trussing), and two cases for holding union junction blocks. Featuring the same lightweight yet durable design and construction as the rest of the Arriba line, the new truss bags offer convenient and economical alternative to hard cases for protecting trussing in transit or when it's being stored, says the company.

Each bag features PVC plastic ridges on the bottom and ends to hold the trussing securely in place, while protecting the rugged fabric of the

UK - After a successful eight months with Stage Technologies, Gerry Jeatt has been appointed operations manager. Jeatt joined the company in October 2006 primarily to oversee large UK and international projects. His responsibilities have since developed and, following the company's further recent expansion, he has become increasingly involved in the manufacturing side of the business.

Stage Technologies has also recently been joined by Robert Hopkins who will be working on permanent installation projects as a system integration engineer.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Mojo Barriers was the barrier supplier of choice when George Michael played his recent concert at the new Wembley Stadium, supplying the touring barrier system from their Netherlands facility, supplemented by over 600m of barrier from the Mojo Barriers UK office.

The Mojo Barriers UK office supplied 617m additional barriers for the concert, installed by a team of nine staff on the Friday evening and removed immediately after the show. They also supplied promoter Marshall Arts a further 345m surrounding the mix position and delay towers.

Kevin Thorborn, Mojo Barriers UK manager said: "It was great to be involved with the first show at the new Wembley Stadium. There were a few areas we all learned from, but it is a great venue and we're looking forward to working at many more shows in the future."

(Jim Evans)

UK - Heralding a new era of live music at one of Scotland's most prestigious sports venues, new promoter Murrayfield Sport & Leisure recently launched a five-year programme of events in the Edinburgh stadium, with two spectacular concerts using a Star Events Group Group Vertech stage.

On 11 May, tribute bands the Bootleg Beatles, Bjorn Again, Killer Queen and Led Astray performed, while the following evening opera singers Katherine Jenkins and Russell Watson were backed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra - an evening which also included the two singers performing together for the very first time.

The Vertech VT2015FPVL stage unusually being placed on a 'long' side of the stadium, rather than the traditional position at one end.

As Murrayfield is the home of Scottish international rugby, great care had to be taken of both the playing surface and the perimeter running tr

USA - Six Flags recently approached Tomcat USA to provide a fixed grid system to be permanently installed at its Music Mill Amphitheatre in Six Flags over Texas. The project was completed just in time for the busy summer season and is now installed in its new home. This extra equipment will be utilised in the Coobrila show by Cirque Dreams which will run from 16 June through 19 August as part of the Late Nights Six Flags series at the famous theme parks.

Although the entire system is made of medium duty and heavy duty trusses (approximately 65' deep and 100' wide at its widest point) the equipment is not the typical standard product. To achieve the desired look, no guide cables were used to secure the system. In light of this design consideration, Tomcat came up with a solution utilising eight 34ft medium duty spigoted towers with diagonals on all four faces of the

World - Pentecost Sunday saw millions of Christians from 176 nations around the world join in a 24-hour prayer watch for Global Day of Prayer. In London alone, an estimated 18,000 worshipers attended the event held at Upton Park, the home of West Ham United FC, where Star Events Group (SEGL) and SRC provided a 13m Alpha stage from which prayers were led and artists performed for the crowd.

With access to the stadium at 5pm on the Saturday evening to start laying trackway, and soundchecks commencing at 8am, contractors were scheduled to work through the night. The stage drove onto site at 11pm and needed to be positioned and built by 3am. At the end of the event, the crews had just 12 hours before the pitch was in use again for football.

In charge of production for the event was project manager Andy Barr from London-based Pure Solutions. He explains the logistics of the day: &q

USA - Spring 2007 has seen the second BBC BritBus Tour take to the turnpikes around the US, this year playing in 15 major cities across America, and climaxing in New York towards the end of June. Each bus stop is a two to four day event featuring the best in British music, television, entertainment and products, and Litestructures is out there with them.

A high-profile promotional tour like these BritBus events, needs to travel with an easy-to-assemble, lightweight, modular, transportable staging and decking system. Litestructures' LiteDeck was the choice. Having designed and supplied the ideal rig tour, Litestructures has also become a BritBus sponsor, joining the BBC, Virgin, Gibson Guitars and other world brands.

Litestructures' managing director, Adrian Brooks comments, "When it comes to combining engineering with entertainment, Britain in general, and LiteDeck in par

UK - Even the inclement conditions of the Bank Holiday weekend couldn't dampen the spirits of the participants in Sue Ryder Care's Beat the Baton, a 5km run held on 28 May in London's Battersea Park.

Beat the Baton attracted over 800 participants, who ran the course around the Park to the accompaniment of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, to raise money for people suffering from multiple sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke and cancer.

Logistics for the event were taken care of by London-based Absolute Events, working closely with Wandsworth Council's events manager for Battersea Park, Alison Smith.

Formed in 1998 by Jonathan Price, Absolute Events' experience stood them in good stead to handle this occasion. "Not only was this the first Beat the Baton Sue Ryder Care has held, but it was the first time the Royal Philharmonic

UK - Lifting and flying specialists, Lift-Turn-Move, launches two new products at ABTT 2007 this week - the Carbon Cub winch and the Kinolift PHC 1000 S person lift - both of which are designed for theatre applications of all types.

The Carbon Cub is a compact, portable, 'plug-and-play' mini hoist system. It is suitable for a variety of lifting applications and is perfect for theatres, broadcast studios, museums, sporting productions and worship and retail venues, says the company.

It features a matt black finish with black lifting cables and weighs only 41Kg. It has a travel speed of 4.3m a minute and can lift loads up to 136Kg to a height of 7.5m.

The Kinolift PHC 1000 (made by Alplift in Germany) is billed as a cost-effective telescope type person-lift and a quick, safe and easy way of reaching and working roofs and ceiling spaces. It makes changing lamps and other equipm

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