Rigging / Staging

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14 March 2016

5 Star worked closely with Pioneer's Paul Beardsall on the design of the new case which although identical in size to the 2006 version, includes some additional features.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

Following an original concept by Alan MacDonald, it took the Litestructures design team just six weeks to complete the technically advanced structure.

Features within and around the stage's 55 LiteDeck platform modules included a new 3.5m high modular leg lift, constructed using LitePro 4 heavy duty truss. This lift passes through all three tiers. In addition, Litestructures built a 10m 'totem pole', also using LitePro 4, which sits centrally atop the highest tier, and which houses a laser feature.

Rollability for the lower tier was achieved using legframe snap-on bracing. Some 32m of handrails, with per

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14 March 2016

Digital Print Centre - with whom Milos has worked on many previous projects - approached them with a basic brief, explains project manager Milan Kolousek. They had a quick turnaround time and needed a fairly complex design to accommodate various graphics and AV displays along with some sound and lighting equipment. Above all, the client wanted a structure that looked aesthetically stunning.

"This was the challenge" says Kolousek, "Our technical department did a good job to deliver all the drawings from a complete blank piece of paper to the final product in so short a time". The initial design also un

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14 March 2016

The college started with a straightforward package of Metrodeck in standard sizes. Thomas has returned to Maltbury over the years, ordering a few decks every time which slowly added to their collection as the budget allowed. "The great thing is that when I put the older pieces and the new ones together for a show there's no difference between them," he says.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

The Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre is a busy venue with a wide variety of performances; many of which are just a few days long or even for one night only. This poses logistical issues for the production staff who must often do the 'get-in', rehearsals, performance and 'get-out' in a single day.

The major refurbishment carried out at the venue over the last few years presented an opportunity to add to the infrastructure to make this process easier an

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14 March 2016

LTM offers an extensive range of lifting and rigging equipment including the Lodestar and Prostar electric chain hoists which are being highlighted at the show.

Also showing will be the compact CM Prostar hoists, with capacities up to 500 kg and speeds up to 10m/min. This higher speed version will lift at 6 or 10 m/min (increased from the industry standard of 4m a minute).

LTM started manufacturing hoist controllers in 2005 and has constructed systems for both direct and low voltage controlled hoists. The past 12 months has seen the range expand from standard units to more bespoke control systems to fit clients' exact and specific requirements.

To highlight this they will be demonstrating their latest custom products - a variable speed controller whi

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14 March 2016

Exhibiting as guests of VenueTech, Green Hippo's training manager, Simon Harris, will be taking the Hippotizer V3 through its paces to demonstrate its full capability to this growing market.

"The increasing number of music tours and rock and roll shows which proliferate in this region make it an area of great potential for the Hippotizer," says Harris. "Many tours are already using Hippotizer and we have found the demand for it across the Middle East is expanding. The theatre and club scene are still small but developing and some our latest technology, due for release later this year, is aimed specifically at the architectural market."

Green Hippo's newest family member, the HippoPortumus, will

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14 March 2016

"The show was very well attended. As well as meeting with our existing distributors, we also experienced much interest from new contacts. The movement of the Rotating Stage proved to be a real show stopper," comments Marina Prak, communications and marketing manager from Prolyte. "Presenting new products is always a challenge, but it is very rewarding to see and hear the response."

The launch of new products has had an immediate effect on sales, says the company. The Rotating Stage has already been sold to several customers including Kimix from Belarus and Prolyte distributor in Russia, JSA, who have both ordered a complete 6m rotating stage.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

Working with Scena Projects, Tomcat UK created some larger than life Christmas presents for display on various roundabouts at the award winning shopping destination in Kent. All four presents were finished just in time to set the scene during the 2007 holiday season.

When Scena Projects were asked to build four 'Christmas Presents 20ft high' they turned to designers at Harriman Steel and Tomcat UK for help to achieve this vision. For its part, Tomcat UK manufactured the framework which consisted of a Tomcat One aluminum trussing system with counter weights for each of the presents. To complete

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14 March 2016

A.C. Lighting's rigging sales manager Adam Beaumont comments, "I am delighted to partner with Out Board and be able to work with such a leading brand, whose products fit together perfectly with our existing ranges. We looked at several options, but the products that distinguished themselves as the front runner and the only real contenders for us were those made by Out Board. We are looking forward to a long and successful relationship with them."

Out Board director Dave Haydon comments, "We have seen unprecedented growth in our motor controller sales since we re-launched with the new LV-Series and DV-Series just over a year ago, and we greatly value the substanti

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14 March 2016

The user can walk up to plugged in cable ends with the drum in one hand and simultaneously wind the cable onto the drum with Sideguider. This is practical and saves time, says the company. The Sideguider can be used for cables up to a diameter of 18mm.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

The Award Winning ChainRunner has been designed to provide a safe, off-the-shelf solution to the cable management problems faced every day within the touring event industry. The ChainRunner is used to manage power, control, audio and data cables associated with moving truss applications and thus eliminating the necessity for very expensive spring driven cable reels and eradicating the home-made gizmos that abound in the industry, say Hoist UK.

The ChainRunner range is available to fit the Verlinde, CM and Liftket chain hoists used in the entertainment industry. It is simple to fix, with no need to remove the chain or hook from the hoi

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14 March 2016

The extra space enables a dramatic increase to the standard stock inventory of trussing and roof systems, ensuring even quicker and more immediate delivery throughout the UK sales network. Milos is renowned for its fast deliveries worldwide in the entertainment business.

The Milos Group portfolio has increased immensely over the past 12-18 months, and "too much space is never enough," says Glen Brown, UK sales and marketing director.

The Open Week will enable customers to visit the new facilities and see a whole range of Milos products close-up, including the latest specification MR1 curved Roof System, the MT1 and MRT1 PA Towers, plus various other products

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14 March 2016

Its special notch-free 'Master Blend' jacket (a PUR jacket with the flexibility of PVC, the company says) is resistant to soiling and easy to clean and is also resistant to cold temperatures down to -40°C, warm temperatures up to +80°C). A thin paired wire insulation made of 'Special-TPE-Hytrel', plus the tight stranding of the 18 x 0.1mm copper litz wires guarantee outstanding audio transmission properties, say Sommer, while the use of oxygen-free or low-oxygen copper also ensures high bending cycles and consistent performance. The paired copper spiral shielding, in conjunction with the tightly-braided overall shielding made of tin-plated copper braiding, also help to prevent

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14 March 2016

Replicating the service in the UK, Unusual says the new office will offer a specialist rigging and engineering service, supported by a comprehensive range of well maintained and up to date equipment. Operating to European standards, all equipment will be stored locally in Dubai.

Alan Jacobi, MD of Unusual, commented: "This is a significant investment and development in the life of Unusual. The decision to open up in the Middle East has been made as a result of numerous requests for comprehensive technical rigging solutions, backed up with a proven track record. The marketplace is expanding so fast that it became a logical decision to take up the challenge."

Presenting th

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14 March 2016

Built in 1971 and seating 980 in a thrust-stage configuration, the theatre has just completed the first phase of its current refurbishment project - to replace the stage with a versatile system that allows the stage level to be easily and safely changed for different functions, including the forthcoming snooker championship.

Theatreplan's Clive Odom says: "The stage system was developed using Steeldeck Easydeck platforms which are the 'industry standard' s

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14 March 2016

UEP's Steve Butcher comments: "We had bits of kit here collecting dust for ages which we always meant to sell on, but never got around to doing anything about it for a variety of reasons ......and I kept encountering people in this exact same situation. A major reason no-one was selling their unwanted kit was that they didn't have the time to get it together - it was always last on the agenda and something that no-one ever got around to. Also, until now, EBAY was the only serious option to reach a wide audience."

Butcher has decided to take advantage of this gap in the market with Audiovisualbay, making

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14 March 2016

"We thought this an excellent chance to demonstrate our support of the Middle East entertainment market, having launched our Middle East sales office at the same time," comments marketing manager Marina Prak. "In addition to the sponsorship we will also run a second rigging training this year and will look for more opportunities to support the local market."

The Sound & Stage Awards will boast an extensive number of categories honouring excellence in the region's pro audio, lighting and live events production industries.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

Also in Bristol, Gareth Matchwick has joined Stage Electrics as safety services coordinator. Gareth has an extensive background in sales and marketing and his most recent role was as BDM for Expertise Training, the second largest training company in the UK.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

It was attended by 50 people who travelled from across Europe, including Italy, Sweden, Germany, the UK, Ireland, Croatia, Slovenia, Spain and Belarus among others.

The event included a demonstration of building the new Milos MR5 Roof system - its largest roof product to date - which has been specially designed to cater for indoor and outdoor events needing substantial stages with plenty of space and weight-loading.

A team from hoist manufacturers Columbus McKinnon in the US presented a seminar on CM Lodestar Motors. This featured a selection of standard Lodestar hoists and a hands-on demonstration of how they work with the MR5 system, illustrating the safe use of hoists in this and other situation

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14 March 2016

Mark Ravenhill, vice-president for television and theatre lighting at Martin Professional, says, "Showlight has emerged as one of the most important events for lighting professionals, an invaluable asset to the ongoing development of the industry. It is exceptionally fruitful for us as it provides the opportunity for real two-way dialogue."

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

Many new innovations on the lighting front will be showcased this year with an emphasis on energy efficiency in line with the Theatres Trust conference on sustainable theatres to be held on 10 June.

Selecon will showcase its new 80V Power Supply with direct DMX control.

ETC will highlight products that offer low cost of ownership and sustainable solutions. PRG Europe will highlight its products and services.

Zero 88 will demonstrate its new version 3 software for its Leap Frog 48 & 96 consoles. Its Jester ML series will be showcased.

Stage Electrics will premiere the QMaxz 575 moving head, which offers cost effectivity and high performance as the latest addition to its expansive rental fleet, says the

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14 March 2016

In addition to the competitive Verlinde range of manual winches Hoist UK can now offer a full range of spur gear models ranging from 125kg to 2,000kg and worm-gear winches with capacities ranging from 250kg to 5,000kg. Both the spur gear and worm gear winches come in either a painted finish or galvanised finish. All models have sealed bearings and adjustable crank handles.

Hans Siertsema, managing director of Gebuwin BV tied up the deal with Hoist UK's Paul Jordan and says: "As a manufacturer of hoisting equipment we are happy to do business with Hoist UK because their team has great knowledge of anything to do with professional hoisting. Whether standard or specialised equipment, the

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14 March 2016

The case contains all the DJ kit required for a show - including two Pioneer CDJ-1000s, a DKM800 mixer and rack mountable screens, together with a series of custom connecter panels to integrate with the store's existing Technics 1210 vinyl decks and Bose Lifestyle "monitor" speakers. The latter are now incorporated into the top left and right ha