Rigging / Staging

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14 March 2016

The course - which is a new initiative by the manufacturer - was conducted by CM's training manager, David Carmack, at their UK headquarters in Merseyside. All four AC-ET engineers who attended passed the full set of practical modules and a detailed written examination with flying colours.

The AC-ET staff - Martin Price, Julian Tether, Keith Hartley and Graham Lovell - are based across the company's High Wycombe and Leeds offices and work as part of the highly experienced A.C. Rigging team.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

The new industry-led training centre, based at the LS-Live rehearsal studios in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, registered the interest of over 250 students who visited the stand between 11-14 September. The Academy received enquiries relating to its many short courses in backstage skills, Apple-based technologies or Avid training.

It also grabbed attention for its new 15-month Foundation Degree in Live Events Production, with several students signing up for an interview for the forthcoming course this November, for which there are a few places remaining.

Said chief operating officer Robin Watkinson, "We were bowled over by the flurry of activity surrounding our stand at PLASA. Even though it was our first time exhibiting here, a lot of people and companies in the

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14 March 2016

The figure of 1817 compares with 2631 ladder-related injuries reported to HSE in 2001/02, a drop of 31 per cent.

According to the Ladder Association, no one single initiative is responsible, but rather a combination of initiatives driven by the association itself and in collaboration with other agencies, in particular HSE and the Access Industry Forum (AIF), of which it is a founder member.

"Whatever the sceptics may say, it cannot be denied that these welcome statistics coincide with a significant i

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14 March 2016

The Saville team provided full project support for the outdoor event, from the design process through to production and delivery. The facilities included staging, truss and a PA rig for the 300-strong audience, plus smoke machines and external and internal lighting to create the realistic furnace effects.

The spicy version of the more familiar fizzy drink will be on sale alongside 'trick or treat' packs to coincide with Halloween.

Saville business manager for Scotland, Chris Lawson said, "Designing

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14 March 2016

When Mike Compton of Pirates Voyage took on the challenge of bringing the new attraction to life in Myrtle Beach, SC, he turned to the rigging experts from J. R. Clancy. Compton had worked with Clancy on three other recentprojects, so he knew they could help make the technical aspects of this show as exciting as they could be.

The latest attraction from Dolly Parton, Pirates Voyage moved into the building that housed her famous Dixie Stampede attraction for 19 seasons. Transforming a former Dixie Stampede hippodrome into a pirates' show in just five months - from its closing in January 2011 to its grand reopening on

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14 March 2016

The first year of trading has been "phenomenal", says the company. The bespoke in-house workshop has already been extended and the team has expandedsignificantly to meet ongoing demand for the Walling Systems product.

Hawthorn Walling Systems uses a patented tensioned fabric on an aluminium frame system to create seamless high resolution panels for the events and exhibition industry. The product is lightweight, modular, quick to build and easily re-brandable for road shows, multiple brands/languages and also helps clients to reduce their transport costs and enhance their eco credentials.

(Jim Evans)

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14 March 2016

Townshend said he was "honoured" to be asked to deliver the address, adding that the former BBC Radio 1 DJ had introduced him to bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain and The Undertones before they had signed record deals. "John didn't just listen to music, he played it on air and let his audience decide," the 66-year-old guitarist said. In his lecture, Townshend will pose the question: "C

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14 March 2016

The month-long ballot, in which over 1,000 members participate, will decide places on PLASA's European and North American Regional Boards, together with a single seat on its over-arching Governing Body.

The two Regional Boards are still a relatively new concept for PLASA, having been formally launched at the start of 2011. Their role is to represent the interests of members affiliated to those regions, ensuring that PLASA offers strong on the ground support to members.

Both the North American and European Regional Boards are looking to fill a number of places for 2012. Following the death of the European Chair Rob Lingfield earlier this year, Ed Pagett of Panalux, who served as Vice Chair, is standing for the position of Chair. A number of representative positi

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14 March 2016

A total of 1,100m of stage barrier was supplied to each festival, which included Mojo's line-up gate system for the silent disco.

Mojo's BLMS detects and records pressure applied by the crowd throughout the event with its unique pressure sensors. It was first used five years ago at Reading and Leeds and includes CCTV monitoring and personal observation by production and security professionals to monitor crowd dynamics.

As a result of previous years' results analysis, Mojo installed one of its trademark thrust systems into the main arena as a primary stage barrier, a first for the Leeds and Reading

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14 March 2016

Commenting on the firm's expansion plans, VDC Trading's CEO Niall Holden said, "The excitement for me in business is the constant need for change and improvement. I always enjoy the challenge, and this range expansion has been no different.

"When you're adding even one new product there is no half measure. The factories can't make 300m of cable to 'see how it goes' and, whilst our MOQs are quite high, so are our quality requirements. As a result, we have carried out a huge amount of R&D in preparing to launch this range of new cables and connectors - and we are very pleased with the outc

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14 March 2016

"Black Light have been so helpful in the process of selecting and installing our new dance floor covering. Their friendly advice and customer care has been second to none," says Yvonne Gray from the Dance School. "Our new Rosco Floor was delivered quickly, fitters found and fitting completed in a time that suited our needs."

To deliver this project, Black Light liaised with the client to clarify their needs and requirements. Once the proje

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14 March 2016

The arts council's director of theatre, Barbara Matthews, told The Stage, "We're sort of saying 'thank you for giving us the opportunity to respond to this, it might

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14 March 2016

The music events take place simultaneously over the August bank holiday weekend and share the same bill, so Brilliant Stages needed to design the giant, top heavy pieces to withstand the outdoor venues and be quick to set up and take down.

The design brief from lighting and stage designer, Oli Metcalfe, was realised by Brilliant Stages' CAD designer, David Harrison, who also acted as Brilliant's project manager and worked closely with Muse Production Manager, Steve Iredale, in delivering the various elements.

The set comprised of five forked 'pylons' ranging from 9.5m in height with a 2.5m wide span, to the smallest at

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14 March 2016

LS-Live, HSL and Adlib will be collaborating to produce one of the biggest stands at the outdoor event services show, which takes place between 19th-20th October at the Newbury Showground in Berkshire. The joint exhibit will feature a full live rig based around LS-Live's Space Roof stage system.

The three northern-based rental companies will be demonstrating how their varying products and skills, which span the entire spectrum of live event production, can add value to live events, both independently as suppliers and together as a full production package.

Studio, staging and set construction specialist LS-Live will erect a 30m wide version of its Space Roof, with a thrust, B stage, stage set and other rental and automation products, which

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14 March 2016

Clancy's new PowerLine line shaft hoist features a lighter backbone than the standard line shaft, making it easier to install with no reduction in strength or durability. The new hoist brings users an expanded choice of brake options(electric or over speed) and drums (3/16" or ¼") to meet virtually any standard application. The PowerLine series includes Clancy's heavy-duty transmissions and universal joints for longevity and safety.

"PowerLine has improved durability, easier installation, more optionsand complete safety features-all at a more affordable price," said Eric McAfee, Clancy domestic sales manager. "The PowerLine is so innovative that it has been nominated for the PLASA Members' Choice Products Award. It's a winner for our d

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14 March 2016

Flare's owner and MD Davies Roberts encouraged project manager Arron Smith to approach 5 Star - initially on their booth at the PLASA exhibition in London in September - as he had memories of the name and reputation for quality dating back to when he worked on film sets with his father.

Smith and 5 Star's Keith Sykes chatted through some thoughts and options based on the need for an innovative casing system to house multiples of Flare's Triwave i10 loudspeakers. They wanted to be able to deploy these quickly and efficiently when flown as main left and right PA arrays once inside a venue.

The resulting case co

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14 March 2016

After six years of work by a cast of thousands, the Bolshoi Theatre is just days away from reopening night, with President Dmitry Medvedev concert on 28 October.

The black velvet velour fabric used for all acoustic panels, stage borders, legs, and backdrops was selected by the project's main contractor Rexroth in a blind test.

There were several requirements for the Bolshoi's new drapes, from fabric weight and colour, to density of weave and flame retardant certification level. In the end, the Molière cotton velvet developed by ShowTex stood out as the truest black that can be achieved in a staging environment. In fact, all three of the Ultrablack velvet velour fabrics from ShowTex absorb more than 9

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14 March 2016

This featured multiple events worldwide and in Ireland, incorporating major live stages in Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Limerick - plus a myriad of organically flowing pub-based live music gigs and celebrations in all those towns and throughout the entire country.

The main venue for the whole event was the Guinness Hop Store at the St James's Gate Brewery, where PSI supplied a new eight-legged Litec ground support and trussing system that was purchased for this event. They also supplied all lighting, trussing and over 60 points of rigging.

The performance line up of the Stereophonics, Paolo Nutini, The Saturdays, Yasmin and more was recorded and the highlights br

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14 March 2016

There are various opportunities available, from tutoring modules on the FdA in Live Events Production (a 15-month degree starting this November), or running short courses, to taking students out into a real working environment to gain industry practice, or simply dropping in to spend an hour with the students on the FdA to pass on some of your knowledge and tell them what it's really like in the working world.

So if you'd like to get off the road or do something meaningful with your spare time, get in touch with the Academy at:enquiries@backstage-academy.co.uk.

The Academy is continuing to grow and develop new courses, and is always interested in hearing your ideas for how it can help raise standards in the live events sector.

T

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14 March 2016

The NATEAC conference provides a forum for consultants, architects, engineers, technicians and technical managers to discuss planning, design, construction, installation and commissioning entertainment venues, conference and international sporting event spaces, and houses of worship.

Mark Ager, CEO of the global Stage Technologies group said, "We are pleased to once again offer our support to the 2012 NATEAC conference. This industry thrives on the opportunity to exchange id

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14 March 2016

Installation artists, Jason Bruges Studio, were commissioned to create a 'public art' design to be a key feature in Chestnut Plaza, the central public square leading to the Stadium. And they turned to Prolyte Group's creative brand division, Litestructures, to help them realise their vision.

The brief was to create a design that would be "both engaging and sensorial" and was shaped by Westfield's collaboration with the Discover children's charity, which took children around London and asked them what th

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14 March 2016

Starting in Whitehall, the cyclists rode up to Trafalgar Square, down Northumberland Avenue and then along the north bank of the Thames to the Tower of London, returning by the same route to pass beneath Hungerford Bridge, a quick dash past the Houses of Parliament and then back to the starting point via Parliament Street.

"As usual, several weeks before the event we liaised with Westminster Council, Transport For London and independent traffic consultants, planning the road closures and how to move staff to different areas as the eve

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14 March 2016

The cases were ordered in two different colour schemes and comprise 5 Star's Super Tour type road trunks, based on its popular Eurotrucker series.

Sixty of the cases were made in light grey with navy blue lids, and the remaining 15 in dark green with light grey lids. This helps to easily identify different contents and also the cases themselves.

Internally, the trunks are all lined with a generous layer of 12mm of polyethylene foam which gives excellent hard-wearing protection and aids a snug fit. 5 Star's in-house screen printing facility was utilised to display the Static Light logo prominently on the tops and sides of the cases.

Static Lighting, headquartered in Waltham Abbey, Essex, is a regular 5 Star client and specialises in supplying daylight lightsour

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14 March 2016

Gadget Category

Apollo Design Technology's Wrenchmate 2:

An adjustable wrench with a closed-end wrench built into the handle with three different sizes to provide easy access to the common sizes found on lighting fixture clamps.

Equipment Category

LightConverse 3D Show Platform Version 52:

Integrates and visualizes multiple show-related disciplines including lighting, video, laser, pyrotechnics, and moving objects. New features include 3D Object Tracking capabilities and the ability to realistically visual