UK - CPL (Central Presentations Ltd) has completed a full technical upgrade - staging, lighting, audio and AV - to the conference theatre at Heythrop Park Resort where the west Midlands-based company is also the house onsite technical support provider.
Heythrop Park Resort is a luxury venue set in 440 acres of stunning Oxfordshire Countryside and dating back to 1710. It currently has two hotels, an 18-hole golf course, a health club & spa and state-of-the-art conference facilities including a ballroom with capacity for 300 – 400 guests (in banqueting or theatre style respectively), the Conference Theatre which can hold 400 delegates and the charismatics Enstone Room for up to 200.
The latest plans have seen the addition of a marquee which can be configured as a 650-seater banqueting hall or an 800 capacity theatre space which will further expand the available res

UK - In their fourth year of attending PLASA Show, Current RMS have ensured their focus remains on evolving their software alongside the fast-paced AV and lighting industry it was built for.
PLASA Show 2017 was “a huge success” for the Current team, meeting lots of new and existing customers while demoing their cloud-based software on-stand. It was also the perfect opportunity to show PLASA visitors exactly what’s changed in the last 12 months, with over 20 voted-for new features being released since last year’s show.
Launching a new feature, Global Check-in, on the show’s second day, Current RMS has made it even easier to keep track of inbound and outbound stock in one centralised system. The much-anticipated Global Check-in lets users scan in returned stock from multiple jobs all from one screen, perfect for those busy mornings in the warehouse when differe

USA - In August, one of America’s largest Christian groups, the Assemblies of God, summoned youth from across the United States to its National Youth Convention and Fine Arts Festival in Anaheim, California. Held 7-11 August at the Anaheim Convention Centre, an important centrepiece of the event was a large stage set up used for presentations, services and evening concert celebrations, much of which was live streamed.
Elation dealer Illuminate Production Services provided a large Elation lighting and video rig for the five-day gathering with IPS’s Caleb Franke handling lighting design duties. IPS, headed by Caleb’s father Rick Franke, worked on the project with Jerry Dahlberg of DC Productions and used a wide variety of Elation gear on the event.
With Assembly of God church students from all across the nation in attendance, and the 10,000-seat capacity venue host


UAE - After 18 years of producing some of the region’s most memorable shows, Protec – a Dubai-headquartered event technical and staging solutions company, continues to deliver extraordinary experiences through its creative technical skills.
Company founder and CEO Stephen Lakin said: “We have seen the events industry evolve considerably over the last 18 years since I started the company. Technology has grown, creativity has become bolder and audience engagement now plays a crucial role in every event. Our clients are spending more time on developing bespoke events, creatively using content with technology to immerse and involve their audiences into their story’s environment.
“Technology continues to play an important role and new technologies are guiding content developers to dig deeper into their creative talents to make full use of the technical reso

Singapore - Automation and motion control specialists and manufacturer Kinesys has appointed a new distributor in Singapore - Total Solution.
The move underlines the increased trend for motion control and movement systems becoming a visual element of live shows, events and spectaculars.
Kinesys MD Dave Weatherhead said: “There’s been a surge of interest in Kinesys in Asia generally in the last two to three years, and the timing of this deal is perfect for us to capitalize on this and increase our brand exposure and market share. Total Solution is a strong company that is well-established and respected, and we’re looking forward to a very positive working relationship.”
Total Solution was founded by Glenn Wong in 1998 and works with a number of premium lighting, rigging and AV brands across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Glenn commented:

UAE - With the delivery of a large batch of over 500 pieces of LiteDeck staging platforms, Prolyte Group and Fruition Events LLC embark on a fruitful cooperation in the Middle East region.
Prolyte Group will deliver the LiteDeck staging elements in two batches, the first to be completed in September, just in time for the start of the season in the Middle East region. The second to complete later in October.
Fruition Events aims to become a recognised event delivery partner in the Middle East region.
They choose to achieve this through continuous investment into a world-class team of industry professionals and sustainable product lines that can meet creative challenges. They focus on offering a professional and full-service infrastructure for the events sector. Fruition Events have extensive regional experience and can boast varied strategic partnerships, guarante

UK - East Anglia-based CEG has recently launched its new website (www.ceghirepro.uk) which includes a hire catalogue allowing customer to get a real-time view of inventory information and availability.
Working closely with rental management software experts, Current-RMS, CEG has created its website using the API (Application Programming Interface) provided by Current to help build these industry-first features, which give CEG’s customers access and control as never seen before.
CEG’s director Ben Bowles explained: “When we started this project back in 2016, we worked closely with Chris Branson and his team at Current RMS to see how we could build our new website using the functionality built within Current. From the start of the project we were keen to incorporate some ground-breaking features into the hire catalogue and rental account sections of the website -

Europe - Entertainment engineering experts WIcreations has constructed several major set elements and developed associated rigging systems for the spectacular stage architecture designed by Stufish for the Rolling Stones’ No Filter European tour.
WI’s team, led by Hans Willems and Koen Peeters, had to create a cantilevered stage roofing system above the main performance area; devise a method for rigging and securing four 23m x 11m LED video screens to the front of four large steel towers; and build two mobile technical areas.
Koen Peeters has worked on previous Rolling Stones Tours in 1998, 2002 and 2005. He said: “It’s great to be back working with the band and an amazing creative and technical team. We have really enjoyed the challenges and the collaboration, and I think the end results are something of which we can all be proud.”
After discuss

UK - The 40th anniversary of the PLASA Show saw its refocussed direction paying dividends, with an increase in visitor numbers, a sold-out show floor and a 25% increase in the number of audio companies exhibiting. Exhibitors reported continually busy stands and a high quality of visitor across all three days, with a particular increase in the number of international attendees, whilst visitors were pleased with the number of brand new products on show and the content rich seminar programme.
“The quality of the people was bang on,” says Mick Hannaford from the show’s platinum sponsor, Robe. “The amazing thing from our point of view was the amount of lighting designers attending, especially on the Sunday, and not just from the UK, but mainland Europe, too. It was a really impressive. Undoubtedly, the move back to West London is making that happen. Every time I looked, t

South Africa - To cater for theatre productions Priscilla Queen of the Desert (South Africa & Hong Kong Season), The Sound of Music (Asian tour 2017/18) and Evita (South African & Asian tour 2017/18), South African based Gearhouse Splitbeam, a theatre equipment rental company, has invested in 90 additional Prolyft motors and six controllers supplied by DWR Distribution. Alistair Kilbee is the managing director of Splitbeam and writes on his experience with the brand and why he went this route.
“I have always liked the Prolyft brand and this purchase made sense as we already had a stock holding of 57 Prolyft motors (1 Ton & ¼ Ton). The new acquisition, consisting of 85 Prolyte Prolyft Aetos 1 Ton and five Prolyte Prolyft Aetos 2 Ton, all in cases, along with six Aetos Pro range low voltage 8-way control, fits in nicely with our current stoc

UK - On its first ever public outing at PLASA 2017, Le Mark’s new PAL Label Challenge was attempted by some of the shows strongest visitors and exhibitors, but remained completely undefeated.
“The PAL Label Challenge is so much fun. It gets really competitive between friends and colleagues but so far, no one has made it budge.” Said Le Mark’s marketing & strategy manager, Mark Gibbons.
What’s the PAL Label Challenge? Le Mark wanted an entertaining way to demonstrate the raw strength of the adhesive they use in selected PAL Road Case Labels. With the help of with 5 Star Cases, they designed a set of flight case plates, fitted with heavy duty handles and stuck them together using the very same super-strength foam adhesive used in their foam-backed PAL Labels. The challenge is to see if anyone has the strength to pull them apart.
With no one successful

UK - Tourflex Cabling, the cable manufacturing division of A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ltd. (AC-ET), has launched its new dedicated website - www.tourflex-cabling.com.
Tourflex Cabling builds cable assemblies to customers' specific requirements in its manufacturing facility in High Wycombe, not far from London. The level of customisation even goes down to adding specific heat shrink labelling, RFIDs and barcodes as required by the client. Typical customers include rental and production companies, as well as venues and installers.
Phill Capstick, AC-ET’s managing director said: "Custom cable assemblies for Entertainment, Film and TV is an important part of the business, but it’s always been difficult to explain the full range of what we’re able to do as there are thousands of options. Having a dedicated site for Tourflex Cabling helps us to do this.
Ou

UK - Lighting and rigging dry hire specialist Nexus has launched a new brand identity as part of its wider business growth plans.
The company, which earlier in the year secured private investment from motor finance giants Evolution Funding, has introduced the new corporate identity to represent their position in the market and their vision for the future.
Tom Agar, Nexus managing director, explained: “This year has been a rollercoaster, with lots of exciting developments. We’ve invested nearly £1m in new stock over the last six months, including significant new purchases from Martin Professional, SGM, Robe, MA, ETC, and INDU.
“We’re securing contracts from all over the globe and a shift in our business model means we are now buying everything in quantity to ensure we have enough stock to service even the most onerous demands.
“We felt it was time

UK - S+H Technical Support provided substantial quantities of its LED starcloth product to production designer Sid Scott of Scott Callaghan Art Production for the 2017 National Eisteddfod of Wales.
The nine-day event was staged in a large field near Bodedern on Ynys Môn (the Isle of Anglesey), around eight miles from Caergybi (Holyhead) and approximately 20 miles from Bangor on mainland Wales.
The main entertainment hub on site was the Pafiliwn, a 40m deep 1,800 capacity pavilion built by Neptunus Structures, which was new in 2016, and once again utilised throughout the Eisteddfod for a diverse mix of entertainment, from a Sunday service to rock concerts, stand-up comedy, etc. in the evenings as well as a variety of competitions – dance, poetry, music, etc. – during the daytime.
Sid created the Pafiliwn production design in close collaboration with lighting

UK - An attention grabbing 3.5m truss gantry will be one of the main attractions on A.C. Entertainment Technologies' (AC-ET) stand at this year's PLASA London as it prepares to offer live demonstrations of BroadWeigh's wireless load cell technology.
As BroadWeigh's UK product partner, AC-ET will be giving visitors to stand E30 the chance to see the 4.75 tonne and 3.25 tonne shackles work in a live environment mapped to BroadWeigh's LOG100 software.
Matthew Millward, rigging division sales manager for AC-ET said: "Our partnership with BroadWeigh has always been extremely important to us as a company, both from a brand perspective and from a frontier technology point of view. Over the seven or so years that we have supported the brand and showed the BroadWeigh product on our stands at tradeshows, it has become apparent that showing the system in a real world environment

UK - Doughty Engineering is set to unveil a new version of its popular Space Saver this month. The Space Saver Omega will make its debut on the company's stand at IBC in Amsterdam on the 15 September and on 17 September at PLASA London.
Mark Chorley, design engineer at Doughty said: "We introduced the original Space Saver this time last year – a really simple concept that we designed after considering how cumbersome a clamp can be to store and transport. The idea that it can be folded down and therefore easier to store and transport, has really been a huge benefit to our customers. But we always see room for improvement – we've made a few tweaks to make the item even more user friendly. It's all under wraps – a little bit cloak and dagger at the moment – but we're confident our customers won't be disappointed."
Doughty will also release a face-lifted Grip Head

UK - Ten 47 officially launches its Powerline QC connector to the market PLASA 2017. Having won an award for innovation at last year’s show and after extensive field trials, the two-piece Single Pole 500 amp connector will be shipping from stock in early October.
Building on the proven original Powerline connector series with familiar safety features such as mechanical keying, colour coded insulators and IP2X finger proof contacts, the Ten 47 " QC " range offers many enhancements over existing designs. New innovations include improved insulator strength, retained louvre band (IP protected), centred contact alignment, low connector mating forces and environmental sealing to IP68.
In addition, the proprietary sandwich contact retention system within a two piece insulator body allows replaceable front ends and eliminates the need for a "Cotter/dowel pin" common on simi

Belgium - The largest summer beach festival in Belgium and one of the most popular in Northern Europe, 2 Meisjes op het Strand, is known for more than just music.
Also drawing thousands of fans and attracting a large national TV audience on Flemish network VTM are the breathtaking harbour vistas at the festival site. At this year’s event, Michiel Milbou and his team at Never Fear Shadows did justice to the festival’s music and its surroundings with a stunning stage and lighting design that featured 410 Chauvet Professional ÉPIX Strip IP fixtures, supplied by Phlippo Productions.
Never Fear Shadows’ design concept for the festival was built around a 60m x 20m translucent stage structure built exclusively from the ÉPIX Strip IP fixtures. The structure provided sizzling visual support for the music of K3, Niels Destadsbader, Gers Pardoel and other stars. At

UK - At 37 years old, MDG knows all about longevity and the value of creating high quality products for its clients. With this in mind, MDG UK will be celebrating PLASA’s milestone 40th Anniversary with a selection of its award-winning and world-renowned haze and fog generators. These rock-solid machines continue to cement MDG’s long-standing reputation for the finest and most reliable atmosphere generators on the market.
The ATMe haze generator, the ME2 fog generator and the ICE FOG COMPACK low fog generator will be shown on Stand D50, alongside theONE award-winning dual fog and haze generator, and complemented by theFAN, the indispensible variable speed digital fan.
MDG’s ATMe haze generator is a development of the industry standard MDG Atmosphere haze generator. It shares the same compact dimensions, but with increased output and power efficiency, and the add

UK - Retford-based Rope Assemblies has been bought by the Unusual group of companies following the decision by its owners to take early retirement. Rope Assemblies has been supplying bespoke wire and fibre rope assemblies, plus a wide range of lifting equipment, to its customer base worldwide since 1986 and this will continue to be the case.
Alan Jacobi, managing director at Unusual, explained: "We recognise Rope Assemblies as a good fit to our business, it is managed well and served by an experienced and long standing workforce. Our intention is to allow Rope Assemblies to continue doing what it has been doing extremely well for the last 30 years. We will bring the brand under the Unusual umbrella but everything else will remain the same. We intend using the acquisition as a way of improving our market offer to existing clients and to cultivate the wider industrial sector.

UK - His aviator shades, curly mop and beard may appear to be cryogenically frozen in time but the renaissance of Jeff Lynne and his Electric Light Orchestra continues to move ever forward in popularity and – with assistance from Stageco – sheer physical size, as witnessed by 70,000 ecstatic fans at Wembley Stadium on 24 June.
Supported by The Shires and Keane’s Tom Chaplin, Lynne led his latest ELO incarnation through a two-hour set rammed with highlights from his vast catalogue of self-penned hits, including Mr. Blue Sky, Livin’ Thing, Evil Womanand Shine A Little Love, while Handle With Care served as a reminder of his brief but perfect career as a Traveling Wilbury.
The big talking point of the night, however, was the breathtaking, 16.5-tonne spaceship hovering above the band that evoked memories of ELO’s celebrated

France - With the appointment of AED France as Prolyte distributor next to its existing distribution partner Axente, Prolyte Group has established full distribution coverage in France, offering customers optimized access to the range of Prolyte products.
Prolyte Group’s trusted partner Axente, which holds the position as Prolyte distributor and ProLyft Service Point in France for a prolonged period, made it possible to succeed to open the French market for Prolyte and grow a trusted and steady customer base.
By adding AED Group to the distributing network in France, Prolyte hopes to open up more market segments by offering an alternative sales channel. “It’s really important for us to offer optimum service and flexible access to our product ranges,” states Ralph Stockley, Prolyte CCO. “By installing an extra distributor in the French market, we strive to ena

UK - BBC One’s musical show Pitch Battle recently completed a successful opening season with five pre-recorded episodes, plus the live finals. Live broadcasts have zero tolerance for malfunctions (just ask Mariah Carey or Janet Jackson) and gear must be 100% reliable. For this reason, lighting designer Mark Kenyon insists on ProPlex Data Distribution Devices for all his show data networking.
In addition to Pitch Battle, British television credits for ProPlex include six seasons on the hit show Strictly Come Dancing, five seasons of Saturday Night Takeaway and the new game show Big Heads – all designed by Kenyon.
“ProPlex just keeps working,” says Mark Newell, lighting gaffer and Kenyon’s chief systems tech. “For Pitch Battle, we used 10 ProPlex Opto-Splitter 2x8 RDM units, plus a user-friendly, versatile ProPlex IQ

Romania - Organising a range of large-scale festivals in a short timeframe, Romanian production company Arena Events relies on Prolyte products to support the elaborate and signature design of its stages and safety of its audience.
Forza Zu and After Hills in June, Neversea and Electric Castle in July and finally Untold in August mean a full production agenda for Arena Events. Prolyte Group works closely together with the mastermind behind these events, Corneliu Ladin.
Prolyte supplied much equipment for the above shows, with Untold being the highlight. Winning the award for Best Major European Festival 2015, motivated the Untold team to stage an even more impressive festival, including a line-up which encompasses almost every name on the DJ top 20.
“With the qualites and specs of the BGR70 truss type we we’re able to create a more elaborate design, being ab

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