UK - Being seen for the first time at PLASA (Stand J50) is Doughty Engineering's innovative motorised lectern, as well as its new and stronger range of truss adaptors.

The lectern - the first of its kind - is fully DDA compliant and visitors to the stand will be able to try it out for size. Designed and manufactured in the UK, the black powder coated steel lectern is supplied with a reading light and fitted with anti-vibration/ noise dampening microphone mounds to ensure a clear, concise sound from the user.

Mark Chorley, Doughty Engineering's design engineer said, "This lectern is a real show-stopper and visitors will be amazed by its capabilities. Changing height from its lowest setting of 640mm to its highest of 1150mm is smooth and simple and takes just seconds, ensuring presentations are flawless and speakers are comfortable and confident."

Riggers are being e

UK - SES will have its new and much anticipated Brochure available to give away at this year's PLASA show.

Following on from the success of its first copy a few years back, the brochure has now quadrupled in size and covers SES's very wide range of power distribution and ancillary products, giving users a better knowledge of what we are able to produce. This publication coincides with the release of the new SES website, and will be followed very soon by a web shop.

(Jim Evans)

UK - The stage is now set for the fourth annual PLASA Rigging Conference & Riggers' Forum, unmissable events for anyone involved in entertainment rigging. Taking place alongside PLASA London on 6, 7 & 8 October 2013 at ExCeL London, this year's forum & conference are all set to open their doors from Sunday.

The conference's keynote speech will be given by one of the rigging industry's leading and longest-serving practitioners, Robin Elias of Unusual Rigging, whose light-hearted account of his long career will act as a vehicle to illustrate the challenges and rewards of working as a rigger. Then Cristiano Giavedoni at Kinesys Projects explores control systems and the operation of automated scenic movement, examining ways of achieving a safe environment without over-engineering systems.

Codes of Practice - The Next Steps, presented by Lori Rubinstein, Director of Skills a

World - PLASA Members worldwide have begun voting in the Association's yearly elections, which commence this week.

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

The role of the Regional Boards 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 2014.

For the European Regional Board, Adam Blaxill, of Stage Electrics, has put his name forward for the position of Vice- Chair; Duncan Bell, of Autograph Sound Recording Ltd., has put his name forward for Secretary; Mark Cooper, of SES Entertainment Services Ltd., Peter Heath, of Roland UK Ltd., and Matt Lloyd, of Global Design Solutions Lt

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) Ltd, a leading one-stop provider of cutting-edge new and used professional equipment to the entertainment industry, will showcase a selection of the very latest lighting, audio, rigging and video solutions available from its vast portfolio of premium brands at PLASA 2013 (stand P40/P41).

The stand will showcase the many marques which AC-ET distributes exclusively in the UK, as well as other leading brands the company is an authorised reseller for.

AC-ET's Lighting Division

From AC-ET's Lighting division, the stand will showcase their diverse portfolio of LED lighting solutions, including an exclusive unveiling of the new LED lighting family from Vision™ alongside the latest offerings from Chroma-Q®, PixelRange, Spotlight, SGM, Philips Selecon and Mole Richardson. The Vision range also provides sole stand illuminati

UK - PLASA London 2013 is ready and raring to go, with new attractions, free seminar sessions with high calibre speakers and excellent networking opportunities all lined up for the visitors from all sectors of pro audio, lighting and stage technologies. Those that have not yet registered can still save 50% off the door price by signing up at www.plasashow.com. Over 15,000 industry professionals have already registered for this year's PLASA London event, which takes place at the ExCeL Centre, London from 6-9 October 2013.

PLASA London is supported by Platinum Sponsor Robe Lighting, Gold Sponsor Martin Professional and Silver Sponsor Clay Paky.

Chris Toulmin, Head of Events, PLASA London 2013, said: "Our move to ExCeL has given us and our exhibitors the scope to truly get bigger, brighter and louder. We are very proud to unveil the AudioLab feature which brings the latest a

UK - Dave Roberts has is to retire from the helm of the British Standards for Imaging Committee CPW/04. A statement reads: "Developing Standards is a fairly dry occupation at the best of times and yet many in the industry give of their time (often voluntarily) to help ensure that all of our working - and indeed our personal - lives benefit in all manner of ways, whether by ensuring a safe workplace or that our equipment operates as we expect it to. Having held the helm of the British Standards for Imaging Committee CPW/04 for the last six or so years, Dave Roberts has decided that the leisure activity opportunities offered by retirement are more attractive than running a BSI committee. Those who've been involved in standards development work will appreciate that such a choice is an easy decision to make."

CPW/04 as a committee is best known more recently for the develo

UK - The British Safety Council has formally launched its 2014 International Safety Awards, which are designed to recognise an organisation's commitment to good health and safety management during the 2013 calendar year.

2014 will mark the 56th year of the International Safety Awards, which have made a significant contribution over that time to promoting and celebrating the benefits that well-managed and proportionate workplace health and safety bring.

The awards are open to organisations of all sizes and sectors, both members of the British Safety Council and non-members in the UK and overseas. Applications are welcome both from past winners and first time entrants; there is nothing to stop a first time entrant being successful if they can demonstrate clearly their commitment to good health and safety management in the application process.

Last year, 470 organisations from

UK - Hoist UK has been assessed and registered against the provisions of BS EN ISO 9001: 2008 in relation to the highest quality manufacturing systems and procedures for the design, manufacture, supply, installation, servicing and testing of industrial, entertainment and educational lifting equipment.

The certification was achieved from months of hard work by the Hoist UK staff to update and improve their quality management system with external auditing provided by NQA, who are a UKAS accredited certification body, ensuring that their systems operate to the very highest standard and fully meets the requirements of the standard.

Hoist UK director, Paul Jordan comments, "A good working relationship with our customers and keeping control of the quality of our products are vital in maintaining our success, and also gives our customers real value for money through continuous i

Canada - ADJ has named Montreal based SF Marketing as the exclusive distributor of ADJ Lighting, American Audio and Global Truss America/DuraTruss products throughout all of Canada.

The agreement brings together two of the most widely known and respected names in the entertainment products industry. ADJ has been a leading supplier of special effects and entertainment lighting since 1985. SF Marketing goes back even further, tracing its roots to 1978. Since its founding that year, the company has represented some of the leading names in the audio industry in Canada.

"We're extremely excited to enter into this agreement with SF Marketing," said Toby Velazquez, president of the ADJ Group of Companies. "Both of our companies share the same corporate philosophy of expanding our markets by educating and serving our customers better. Everything about SF Marketing has i

Following a second hectic day at PLASA London 2013, a packed audience gathered yesterday evening in the AudioLab Arena to congratulate the winners of the PLASA Awards for Innovation, sponsored by Lighting & Sound International magazine. The winner of the prestigious Gottelier Award was also announced at the ceremony.

The PLASA Awards for Innovation recognise products that advance the industry by demonstrating a new style of thinking, improving technical practice or taking a key step forward in terms of safety. During the show's opening two days, 45 new products were judged 'live' by an independent panel of expert judges who toured the show floor to view each product presentation.

Eight awards of equal standing were presented, as well as the PLASA Award for Sustainability, to the following winners:

Clay Paky for the A.Leda B-EYE K20

The judges said, "The B-EYE had a &q

Malaysia - Two of Malaysia's leading rental companies came together this summer to ensure Metallica's first-ever concert in the country would be a memorable event. By merging their Meyer Sound inventories, Kuala Lumpur-based EHQ Projects and Selangor-based SES Sound & Lighting created a massive, 146-loudspeaker system based around Milo line array loudspeakers.

"There were no delays, but the sound was clear and very loud even 100m back from the stage," recalls Jay Neil, technical director of EHQ Projects. "Afterwards, I had people telling me it sounded like a CD on a great stereo."

In order to cover an audience of 30,000 in Kuala Lumpur's Stadium Merdeka, the two companies configured a system of 72 Milo loudspeakers, including 40 for main hangs, 30 for side hangs, and two for out-fills. Front-fill was provided by 12 M'elodie line array loudspeakers, and 40 7

Record Sales - Tickets for next year's Glastonbury Festival have sold out in record time, according to organisers. Michael and Emily Eavis issued a joint statement confirming all 120,000 remaining tickets had been sold in just one hour and 27 minutes. They said they were "blown away" by the numbers logging on and were "genuinely sorry" that so many had missed out. Ticketing website See Tickets had earlier apologised to customers on Twitter for "technical difficulties". The site, which had been managing the sale of tickets for Glastonbury, wrote that the issues had led to "a very difficult half an hour" before the site stabilised, later adding that it was selling 3,000 tickets a minute.

Prices for the 2014 event had been increased by £10 to £210, plus a booking fee, but festival-goers could pay a deposit of £50 before sett

UK - The first ever Technical Theatre Awards (TTA) - celebrating the best of 'behind the scenes' skill and talent - were presented at a well-attended ceremony at the PLASA Show at London's ExCel.

Fifteen awards were announced on the Theatres Trust stand in the midst of the PLASA hubbub.

Sponsored by AVW Controls, dbs Solutions, Load Cell Rental, Mayflower, Philips Entertainment, PLASA, Production Resource Group (PRG), StageBitz, Stage Jobs Pro, The Fifth Estate Ltd and Triple E, the TTAs are also very kindly supported by Lighting&Sound International and The Theatres Trust.

Host for the evening was prolific multi award-winning lighting designer Rick Fisher, perhaps best known for his work on Billy Elliot the Musical and An Inspector Calls. Recent credits include Great Expectations at Bristol's Old Vic, The Herd at The Bush Theatre, and Inside Wagner's Head at the Linbury Stud

USA - Global Truss America's new Quick Rig Clamps save precious setup time while offering a low profile design for high-end looks and they are designed for simple attachment by a single installer, says the company.

To keep connection swift and simple, GTA's Quick Rig Clamps offer a hook style design and self-locking system - making setup a snap even for a single person rigging lighting equipment onto trussing. These products are designed for everyone from mobile entertainers who set up independently, to large productions eager to ease setup time and labor costs. With only a single installer required to climb ladders and attach each light, Quick Rig Clamps can offer a significant cut in setup time, saving money on every project.

The shallow-fitting clamp also provides a contemporary, professional look by holding lights closer to the trussing. With less obvious gaps between trus

UK - Doughty Engineering has awarded an aspiring performing arts student for her achievements at a gala dinner hosted by Brockenhurst College. 18 year old Josie Camble was chosen to receive the accolade at the awards ceremony on September 20, held at the end of a week of celebrations to mark the college's centenary and 100 years of education excellence.

Josie stood out as an active member of the performing arts department, and Tara Gadd, Head of Performing Arts, said: "I couldn't think of a better person to receive the award. Josie's commitment to her craft far outreaches her course requirements at Brockenhurst. Alongside her studies she was the lead dancer and choreographer for the Olympic Torch celebration, represented the college at the Christchurch Christmas Festival and choreographed the college's production of Spring Awakening."

She added: "We have an extr

UK - PLASA London 2013 proved a great success with exhibitors and visitors alike at its new home at ExCeL London. Over 11,000 visitors (subject to ABC audit) attended the show, of whom over 3,000 attended on multiple days. International interest was high, with more than 2,200 visitors from 84 countries. Stand rebookings for next year's show are also up on last year, and several major companies that did not make the move to ExCeL - including Philips Entertainment - have either already signed up for 2014 or are in serious talks to return.

Chris Toulmin, head of events, PLASA London 2013, said, "The response we've received to PLASA London 2013 has been overwhelmingly positive, both from visitors and exhibitors. They have embraced the new venue and also enjoyed the new features such as the AudioLab Arena, Theatre and Interactive. The PLASA team has worked very hard to get to th

UK - Prolyte Group and subsidiary Brilliant Stages enjoyed a busy PLASA Show at its new home, ExCeL London, earlier this month. Both companies reported positive feedback following their decision to do something different for PLASA London 2013.

On display for the first time in the UK was the ProLyft AETOS range. Visitors were given the opportunity to see a selection of the new hoists in action on a dedicated demo booth. UK sales director Keith Williams commented, "The reaction to ProLyft AETOS has been amazing. We realise the products have to be seen to be fully appreciated so we had several working units on display, which gave us an opportunity to demonstrate their potential. The hoists were very well received, reinforcing our plans for the future. We had quite a number of enquiries from new contacts and met with many of our existing global distributors. Despite some initia

UK - For the first time the PLASA 2013 was held at London's ExCeL. "We heard very different opinions about this relocation in the run-up and thus set out for London in a pretty neutral mood," says Peter Rieck, key account & distribution manager with Sommer Cable. The on-site impressions definitely had to be judged as really good. However, we felt that - compared to the previous years - there were fewer exhibitors in the sound technology sector, but then again there were visitors from all specialist fields.

Continuess Rieck, "My sentiment with regard to the overall number of visitors is highly positive - due to our location directly opposite the entrance we were able to keep a weather eye on this. I felt that Monday and Tuesday were the days with the highest attendance figures; we've booked again for next year already. Meet'n'Greet has priority at PLASA, so we coul

USA - With significant business growth throughout the Asia Pacific region, J. R. Clancy has opened a Southeast Asia office in Singapore.

Robert J. Degenkolb will step into the role as managing director of J.R. Clancy (Singapore) Pte Ltd, where he will be focused on business development for the region.

"We initially opened the Singapore office to provide support for the Star Performing Arts Centre project," said Degenkolb. "Since then, we've found that Singapore's business infrastructure and high quality compliance requirements have been favourable to hosting our Asian Pacific stage engineering presence."

Singapore is known for having some of the highest quality standards in Southeast Asia, making it a natural fit for J. R. Clancy's standard for manufacturing, installation and operational/maintenance philosophy.

Degenkolb formally joined Clancy as a proj

UK - The First Night Riders charity motorbike and classic car adventure, which raises money to help The Theatrical Guild support backstage and front of house staff, has announced new dates for 2014.

Organisers David and Brenda Edelstein, from track systems specialist Triple E, will be leading next year's event and are inviting riders and classic car enthusiasts to join them from 20-23 June 2014.

Next year will be the fifth time the First Night Riders have toured the UK, setting off from a London location (TBC) and visiting some of the UK's most fascinating theatres and theatre suppliers.

Last year, the intrepid gang embarked from London's iconic Roundhouse and travelled through the Midlands, visiting sites including the Oxford Playhouse, the Buxton Opera House, and Sheffield's Crucible Theatre.

This year's route and stop offs are still in the planning stages but seaside

USA - Many major venues and employers across North America are now requiring ETCP certified technicians for lead positions. Increase your credibility with your employers by becoming ETCP Certified!

The ETCP Examinations will be given at LDI 2013 in Las Vegas, NV. All three ETCP examinations will be given in one session the morning of Saturday, 23 November, 2013. Candidates who wish to take more than one exam should contact ETCP. All applications must be submitted by 5:00 pm on 28 October 2013.

Candidate information, including eligibility requirements, applications and study tactics, is available on the ETCP website (http://etcp.plasa.org/ldi2013.html), or etcp@plasa.org.

Can't make it to LDI? ETCP examinations are given daily at over 190 computer based testing centres across the US and Canada. After an application has been received and accepted, candidates will be sent infor

UK - The LS-Live Studios in Wakefield hosted and produced a launch ceremony for the prototype of Keating Supercars' new super car 'The Bolt' last month, which is anticipated to beat the world speed record for a production car at over 300mph.

Developer Tony Keating introduced the car to an audience of over 100 people before it descended from the studio roof to a pyrotechnics display and performances by the Wakefield Wildcats cheerleaders. X Factor contestant Laura White and MC Gordon Burns warmed up the crowd, which included governors from The University of Bolton.

Guests were then invited to inspect the car, which is the fourth car to be developed by Astley-based Keating Supercars, founded by engineer Anthony Keating in 2006. The key to the latest model is a new kind of supercharger, developed in-house by Mr Keating alongside experts from the University of Bolton's automotive

UK - PLASA secured a significant lobbying success last month when the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee published its report into 'Supporting the Creative Economy'. The Committee roundly endorsed PLASA's position regarding the Olympics 'No Marketing Rights Protocol'.

The report was the culmination of an inquiry which was launched just over a year ago with a call for evidence from the Committee, which is made up of MPs from across all political parties. PLASA made a detailed written submission as to how the creative industries can be better supported, with a particular emphasis on the value and importance of the Entertainment Technology sector. PLASA's evidence focussed on issues around allowing companies to promote their involvement in the Olympics, tax relief for apprenticeships, improving protection for intellectual property and helping SMEs in the sec

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