Rigging / Staging

The Hay Festival has expanded to encompass a broad spectrum of cultural activities

11th Hour in the action at Hay Festival

Details: 10 August 2018

UK - The Hay Festival, an annual festival of literature and the arts, held in Hay-on-Wye in Powys, Wales, has expanded to encompass a broad spectrum of cultural activities. This year’s 10-day event welcomed more than a quarter of a million visitors.
The festival site comprises temporary marquee structures of varying size (capacities vary from a few thousand to less than a hundred) connected by covered walkways and is located in a field on the edge of the town. The infrastructure required to meet the needs of the festival audience and the 800 or so events that take place is significant.
From lectures, readings, concerts and screenings, to discussions, sales, children’s activities, catering, media centre and more besides, Hay Festival presents logistical challenges that might bring a frown to even the most seasoned events professional. This year, Cardiff-based events

The trio of footballs needed to appear to float effortlessly within the atrium

Light Fantastic kicks off Harrods World Cup launch

Details: 08 August 2018

UK - Event specialists, Light Fantastic Production Services Limited partnered with L'Atelier Five agency on the recent Hublot FIFA World Cup installation and product launch event at Harrods, Knightsbridge.
L’Atelier Five turned to LFPS to handle rigging and technical installation on their installation for Hublot watches in the store’s Hans Crescent entrance atrium. At its centre, the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia themed project featured three large open frame ‘footballs’ constructed from aluminium with integrated LED lighting and video displays.
Finished in red, white and blue to reflect the Russian national colours, the trio of footballs needed to appear to float effortlessly within the atrium. Limited by extreme load restrictions on the rigging points and severe weight limitations on the sloping floor below which precluded the use of traditional lifting methods

LumenRadio - Banner - April 2025 (embargoed til 2nd)

Dino Mazza: “We’re currently working on future wysiwyg enhancements”

CAST unveils wysiwyg R41

Details: 07 August 2018

Canada - CAST Software has released a new version of its wysiwyg lighting design and previsualisation tool. Release 41 brings a broad range of new features, including scaling objects, section sets, NDITM support, enhanced rigging points and realistic smoke and light effects.
CAST has also announced it’s working on a cloud and student licencing option and support for 64-bit architecture.
Scaling Objects: users are now able to easily scale up, down or stretch any 3D object within wysiwyg. The Scale tool can be applied to a primitive shape, an object from wysiwyg’s library (except truss and fixtures) or objects imported from other applications.

The new features

Selection Sets: these are designed to save time by reducing the need for repetitive selection tasks. Selection Sets will save the selection information such as which objects are selected

Attendees at the 2018 symposium were impressed with the knowledge and passion of the presenters

New World Rigging Symposium 2019 dates set

Details: 06 August 2018

USA - ESTA and USITT have announced that the second New World Rigging Symposium is taking place 19-20 March 2019 in conjunction with the USITT Conference and Stage Expo 2019 in Louisville.
Symposium attendees will receive free show floor passes to the USITT Stage Expo opening on 21 March as well as a discount on the conference registration.
The event will provide an opportunity for riggers and those interested in the live entertainment rigging industry to network, discuss current issues and new technologies, and help shape the future of the industry.
In 10 sessions over two days, participants will be given a range of opportunities to further their technical knowledge, keep up to date with codes and standards, increase their understanding of structural issues, and learn about the challenges of working as a rigger in other segments of the entertainment industry. T

Litec has increased its current range of Flyintowers to a total of nine models

Litec adds more models to Flyintower range

Details: 03 August 2018

Europe - Litec is increasing its range of Flyintowers to nine in total with the release of four new towers this year.
The company has introduced the first two of these - the FTH40 and FTH52. The FTH40 allows 1,600kg of your audio equipment to be supported up to 10m, while the FTH52 Flyintower supports a total load of 1,400kg up to 13m.
Both towers are designed for lifting loads with an electric chain hoist or manual winch, but more importantly, feature all straight sections made from standard truss, rather than truss that’s custom made.
(Jim Evans)

The challenging set was programmed and controlled by Compulite consoles

Ninja Israel controlled by Compulite Vectors

Details: 02 August 2018

Israel - Ninja Warrior is a sports entertainment competition that features hundreds of competitors who attempt to complete a series of obstacle courses of increasing difficulty in a bid to make it to the national finals and become a ‘Ninja Warrior’. The format originated in Japan and has since been sweeping audiences off their feet in hundreds of countries.
After gaining immense popularity worldwide the television format has finally landed in Israel, with the Israeli version hosted by Asi Azar and Rotem Sela.
The exhausting obstacle course was built at the Haifa Port in two weeks with a team of over 80 professionals using 4.5 tonnes of trusses. The rigging and obstacle course were built by the production riggers who arrived from the US and accompany the production worldwide.
Gil Teichman from Lighting Design Systems was in charge of lighting and sound.

The design features hundreds of highly reflective anodised aluminium poles suspended vertically

Rope Assemblies helps create St Paul's Gateway

Details: 31 July 2018

UK - Retford based Rope Assemblies has been praised for its professionalism and expertise by ScottWhitbystudio for its role in helping create The St Paul's Gateway as part of the London Festival of Architecture.
The contemporary gateway structure creates over 400 mirrored images of St Paul's Cathedral as pedestrians arrive out of St Paul's Underground Station. The design features hundreds of highly reflective anodised aluminium poles suspended vertically from a simple lightweight structural canopy. In the middle of the structure, users will find a reflective oculus and dome of poles which have been derived using the same mathematical geometry Christopher Wren used when designing the dome of St Paul's Cathedral.
Osman Marfo-Gyasi, studio project leader at ScottWhitbystudio comments: "We were initially approached by the Cheapside Bid Alliance alongside the London

The Prolyte US team will be based in Pearland, Texas

Prolyte opens North America HQ

Details: 30 July 2018

USA - Trussing and staging equipment specialist Prolyte Group has opened North American headquarters in Pearland, Texas.
The company is well established across Europe and Asia and its expansion to the USA follows five years of successful operations in Canada.
Ralph Stockley, Prolyte’s chief commercial officer, comments: “Texas was an attractive selection for Prolyte’s North American headquarters. We already had an existing partnership with a company in Pearland. Other factors, such as tax benefits, the strength of the Texas economy and the proximity to the Port of Houston finalised our decision.”
Prolyte is also planning to introduce its Prolyte Campus initiative in North America, through which the company has been offering hands-on training events across the globe.
Lambert Bouwmeester, Prolyte’s chief executive officer, adds: “The opening of o

ESTA posts three standards for review

Details: 27 July 2018

USA - ESTA has posted three documents for public review on its website. Two of the documents are reaffirmations of existing standards and one is a proposed new standard. The reviews run through 24 September.
The documents are:
ANSI E1.5, Theatrical Fog Made with Aqueous Solutions of Di- and Trihydric Alcohols
ANSI E1.5 - 2009, last reaffirmed in 2014, is being considered for reaffirmation. This standard describes the composition of theatrical fogs or artificial mists that are not likely to be harmful to healthy performers, technicians, or audience members of normal working age. It is limited to those fogs and mists made from a solution of water and one or more dihydric or trihydric alcohols, and is intended to be applied in theatres, arenas, an

The nomination process allows anyone in the industry to put forward both individuals and development teams for consideration

Gottelier Award 2018 opens for nominations

Details: 27 July 2018

UK - Nominations for PLASA’s Gottelier Award are now open.
The award, named after late lighting designer and industry commentator Tony Gottelier, launched in 2007 to recognise product developers who have made significant and sustained contributions to the advancement of entertainment, presentation or installation technology. Previous recipients include Wayne Howell (Artistic Licence), Anne Valentino (ETC), David Cunningham (Entertec), Pasquale Quadri (Claypaky), Jim Bornhorst (Vari-Lite), John Meyer (Meyer Sound), Terry Clarke (Klark Teknik, MC2 Audio), Fred Foster (ETC), Alex Cooper (Midas & Klark Teknik), John Stadius (DiGiCo / Soundtracs) and Tony Andrews (Funktion-One).
Anyone in the industry can nominate individuals as well as development teams by emailing

David Brazeau - director, research and development (R&D)

Solotech appoints R&D director

Details: 23 July 2018

Canada - Solotech has announced David Brazeau’s appointment as director, research and development (R&D).
In this role, Brazeau will lead a team of audio, lighting and video technology solution consultants and specialists. This team will support other Solotech professionals, contribute to the delivery of various complex projects and help select equipment from suppliers, in keeping with the company’s overall technology strategy.
During more than 21 years as a Solotech employee, David has developed a diversified expertise, first, as a shop technician, then as a production technician on international stages while touring with André Rieu and Céline Dion. He went on to make a name for himself as an audio project manager for various Solotech clients, including Britney Spears and Michael Bublé. Until recently, he was a technical advisor in the audio department.

Foo Fighters played two nights at the former London Olympics venue (photo: Mark Cunningham)

Foo Fighters and Stageco at London Stadium

Details: 20 July 2018

UK - Foo Fighters shook the 80,000-capacity London Stadium to its core on two consecutive nights, as they performed on a Stageco stage on their latest tour, Concrete & Gold.
Essentially treated as a one-off for Stageco, the band played under a regular Super Roof, the company’s second largest after its voluminous XXL model, which was constructed within three days by a team headed by David Van Assche, who held the same position last summer on tours by Jeff Lynne’s ELO and Guns N’Roses. “This roof came from another one-off in Hamburg,” says Van Assche. “On a tour, we could take half a day off of the build time, but one-off shows like this don’t carry the same momentum.”
The equipment arrived at the former London Olympics venue in Stratford in 17 trucks. 12 Stageco crew set to work on the build with assistance from 15 local crew climbers and 15 h

11th Hour was responsible for project managing the entire production side of the day

11th Hour manages production at Cardiff Castle

Details: 19 July 2018

UK - Since its inception in 2015, Depot has become a leading alternative events space in Cardiff, originating highly successful experiences and events that have frequently been replicated across the UK.
For the last two years, Depot’s creative team has staged its own music and street food festival - in 2017, at the SWALEC cricket stadium, and at Cardiff Castle in 2018. Cardiff-based events services supplier 11th Hour played a prominent role in this year’s renewal having been invited by Depot to supply a number of key services.
Depot In The Castle featured an extravaganza of music and family entertainment, complemented by several artisan food outlets, that was in stark contrast to many of the summer’s more directly commercial festivals. Stiltwalkers and jugglers set the tone, in a relaxed, family-focused environment where an inspired music line-up, including afte

The festival moved last year to a former French Air Force Base at Brétigny-sur-Orge (photo: Mark Cunningham)

Download’s French adventure thrives with Stageco

Details: 19 July 2018

France - In its third successful year in France, the Download festival served as solid evidence that rock’n’roll is as alive and relevant as it was in 1980, when its direct predecessor – Monsters Of Rock – forced itself on the unsuspecting English market town of Castle Donington.
Launched in 2003 to showcase the best in rock, metal and hardcore, Download expanded in 2016 with Live Nation’s introduction of Download Paris, and Stageco France – as the provider of all five stages – has played a major role in the festival’s production since it began.
In fact, as long as Igor Dawidowicz steers the ship as production manager, Stageco appears to have a job for life. He comments: “Involving Stageco was a very easy decision. Who else could do it? We know a lot of staging companies, but I can’t imagine giving this responsibility to anyone but Stageco – they

Vasco Rossi on the big screen (photo: Louise Stickland)

Vasco Rossi on the move with Kinesys

Details: 18 July 2018

Italy - Concerts by Italian megastar Vasco Rossi are usually an emotional experience, but the artist’s recent Non Stop Live summer stadium tour was ‘moving’ for a different reason - a large Kinesys automation system was used to dramatically change the architecture and shape of the stage through the show.
Lighting designer Giovanni Pinna, set designer Claudio Santucci of Gioforma, d3 operator Marco Piva and other key members of Vasco’s creative team including live camera director Peppe Romano were instrumental in the implementation of the Kinesys system to maximise the dynamic movement they wanted as part of the show aesthetic.
The hardware and control was supplied by PRG Belgium and operated on the road by Jimmy Johnson a UK based rigger / automation specialist.
The system comprised 16 x half tonne Kinesys ApexHOISTS complete with ApexDRIVES which

This bike ride is part on an ongoing collaboration between PLASA and PSA to support mental health

Industry representatives to cycle to PLASA Show for Backup

Details: 18 July 2018

UK - A group of industry representatives will cycle from Chippenham to London Olympia on Saturday 15 September to increase awareness of mental health within the entertainment and events industries. All donations will go to Backup, the technical entertainment charity which helps industry members and their families get back on their feet during times of hardship.
Starting at 7am, the cyclists will traverse 100 miles across the North Wessex Downs towards London in time for the PLASA Show. So far, eight cyclists have signed up to the challenge, including Peter Heath and Shane McGreevy of PLASA, John McEvoy and Bryan Raven of Whitelight, and Ben Tredwell of Autograph.
This bike ride is part on an on-going collaboration between PLASA and PSA to support the mental health of all those working within lighting, AV, live sound, rigging and staging. This collaboration continues

Seabourn Ovation is the latest luxury vessel to join the Seabourn fleet

Unusual rigs ship naming ceremony in Malta

Details: 17 July 2018

Malta - Luxury cruise line Seabourn introduced its newest vessel, the Seabourn Ovation, with a naming ceremony in the harbour of Valletta in Malta in May. The ship is the fifth ultra-luxury vessel to join the Seabourn fleet over the past decade and the second of two ships designed by Adam D. Tihany.
The event was managed by Belinda King Creative Productions and saw the ship's Godmother, Elaine Paige perform to an exclusive audience on the cruise ship’s pool deck and a debut of the Seabourn anthem entitled We Sail to See the Lives of Others by Tim Rice was performed. The evening was capped with a fireworks’ display that lit up Valletta Harbour.
Belinda King Creative Productions brought Push the Button on board to handle the technical aspects of the project and they, in turn, asked Unusual to deal with the rigging elements.
Jim Dugan, production manager

ANSI approves Prevention of Falls standard

Details: 16 July 2018

USA - The ANSI Board of Standards Review has approved a revised version of ANSI E1.46, Standard for the Prevention of Falls from Theatrical Stages and Raised Performance Platforms. The standard has been revised to address changes to the OSHA regulations for fall protection, while keeping the document's useful guidance for preventing falls from stages into the orchestra pit or the house.
ANSi E1.46 – 2018 can be downloaded at no cost from the ESTA TSP website at tsp.esta.org/freestandards. The no-cost download is made possible by the sponsorship of ProSight Specialty Insurance. Alternatively, the standard may be purchased for $40 from ANSI and IHS at webstore.ansi.org/ and global.ihs.com/ respectively.
(Jim Evans)

Airstar specified and installed 30 Crystal and Solarc lighting balloons

Airstar balloons at Eurovision opening

Details: 11 July 2018

Portugal - Airstar, the French lighting balloon technology specialist, delivered a remarkable performance for the opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest at the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT) of Lisbon, on the banks of the Tagus.
Before battling it out in Lisbon’s Altice Arena, one of the country’s largest concert halls, delegations from 43 countries gathered at the MAAT to walk on the ESC’s ‘Blue Carpet’, under the light of Airstar’s lighting balloons.
Airstar specified and installed 30 Crystal and Solarc lighting balloons.
Raphael Vaz, head of Airstar’s Portuguese subsidiary, explains: "We had lengthy discussions with the client, and we were able to come back with a solution that was a perfect fit for such a high-profile event, but also perfectly adapted to the constraints of the venue. We wanted to bring out the magni

Star Events stages Roger Waters’ spectacular

Details: 11 July 2018

UK - Star Events redesigned the entire Great Oak Stage sub-structure and super-structure to accommodate Roger Waters’ Us + Them production, which opened the BST Hyde Park series last Friday.
With gags including smoking Battersea Power Station chimneys rising above the stage, graffiti strewn flying pigs and the surround sound effects synonymous with Roger Waters, Us + Them managed to set a new precedent, even for a Hyde Park performance.
The Pink Floyd-heavy two-and-a-half-hour show contemporised the politics from the band’s mid-70s/early-80s canon through a series of stunning visual sequences fitted to the songs.
The back of the traditional performance box was pushed up and film, cartoons and stills on the resulting 1,100sq m video wall focused on state-sponsored torture, refugees, human rights, Donald Trump and the singer’s support for Pale

Unusual leads the marchers through London

Details: 10 July 2018

UK - Unusual was the technical production company of choice for Artichoke when it staged the Processions march in London last month. The mass artwork took place on 10 June in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London and saw thousands of women and girls come together and march, wearing either green white or violet – the colours of the suffragette movement - creating the appearance of a flowing river of colour through the city streets.
Jim Dugan, production manager at Unusual explained: “We’ve been working with Artichoke on its major events and art installations for some years now – Lumiere London and Durham, the Sultan’s Elephant, Great Fire 350 etc, so we were excited to get involved with an event that celebrated something so fundamentally important in our country’s history.
“Our role on this project was to facilitate all the technical elements – from th

Penn Elcom expands German operation

Details: 10 July 2018

Germany - Penn Elcom GmbH in Germany has moved to a new 8,000sq.m premises in Elten, north Westfalen just 10 kilometres from the previous warehouse – and over double the size.
From this hub, the company distributes over 1,700 product lines and hardware including 19-inch racking, flightcase components and loudspeaker elements directly to B2B and B2C customers all over Europe.
The new facility will assist the busy operation in continuing – and streamlining - the efficient and fast delivery of products worldwide which are manufactured by Penn in the UK.
It was imperative to stay in the same regional location explains Dennis Marco Meertens, co-MD of Penn Elcom GmbH with Thomas Mostar. “Elten is perfectly positioned for expedient onward transportation and delivery to our local and regional sales teams – a very successful model devised to best understand speci

Closing date for entries is Friday 17 August

PLASA Awards for Innovation open for entries

Details: 05 July 2018

Europe - The PLASA Awards for Innovation are now open for entries. Product manufacturers and developers are invited to enter the annual awards by 17 August (Friday). Successfully nominated products will feature on the Innovation Gallery throughout the PLASA Show (16-18 September, London Olympia), with winners announced at a special ceremony on 17 September (Monday).
Entries will be judged by an independent panel of industry experts, with up to eight awards, including the possibility of Gold Award, set to be given to products and solutions that demonstrate a new style of thinking, improve technical practice and safety, introduce new technology, materials or techniques, or offer new commercial advantages. The PLASA Award for Sustainability may be presented to a solution that achieves significant power reduction, has a positive impact on the environment or makes an effective us

Roy Hunt, Mathew Ilott and Andy Strachan of Christie Lites UK with some of the new Kinesys kit

Christie Lites UK invests in Kinesys

Details: 26 June 2018

UK - Christie Lites UK has made a major investment in Kinesys automation equipment. The stage lighting company’s British operation has purchased 24 half-tonne Liftket motors with Kinesys Elevation 1+ vari-speed controllers, complete with LibraCELL load monitoring shackle pins and the brand’s powerful and flexible Vector control software package.
Christie Lites UK account handler Andy Strachan comments: “Kinesys is constantly appearing on riders and technical specifications - a strong sign of their success and that is across all sectors of our work - corporate and industrial, concert touring, television and theatre”.
Christie Lites CEO and founder Huntly Christie made the decision to go with Kinesys, together with Andy Strachan, Roy Hunt and Mathew Ilott who are all part of the Christie Lites UK’s account management team.
The Kinesys investment is an in

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