South Africa - Kilowatt AV has taken productions up a notch since acquiring 200 Absen D2V indoor panels. The panels have been on shows continuously for the past eight months on events including Ultra Music Festival, Adidas Product Launch, Food Lovers Market Annual Conference and a long list of others.
“We were the first in Cape Town to see the Absen demo by DWR and the first in the Cape to place an order,” comments Neil Zaayman, chief operating officer at Kilowatt AV. “As with most new products there were initial teething hurdles, but it was more around understanding how the screens like to be programmed rather than product issues. The screens have been amazing and have added huge production value to our events.
“The biggest motivation for the purchase was the pitch, and black face LED. We've seen high-res LED on the rental market for a while, but the Absen sol

Colombia – The 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games (CACG) kicked off with a spectacular opening ceremony at Barranquilla’s Roberto Meléndez Stadium, featuring projection mapped visuals to the stadium pitch and huge LED screens using Avolites Ai RX8 servers.
The opening ceremony’s most famous performer was Latin superstar Shakira, who was born in the Games’ host city.
During the ceremony, the 47,000-capacity crowd experienced a video concept based on a story of time travel from the future to the present, offering a perspective of Barranquilla, which highlighted local culture, folklore and its vibrant music scene. The ceremony was produced by Victor Ariza from Performa SAS. Miguel Carrillo from Foro IQ designed the stages.
The main stage was backed by video-mapped content, displayed on a 664sqm LED screen.
“We needed to manage a lot of pixels

USA - This year’s Electric Daisy Carnival, known to most as EDC, powered into action with a three-day flagship festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. Winner of the Festival of the Year award at the Electronic Music Awards 2017, EDC has grown since its 1991 launch to become one of the world’s leading electronic dance music festivals, and this year’s event, held in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, cemented EDC’s position as North America’s largest EDM festival.
Over 400,000 visitors flocked to Vegas and EDC organiser called upon Tenfeet to help deliver visuals to match festival goers’ expectations. Working alongside Insomniac and LEG, Tenfeet was responsible for the lighting design, media control and supply, as well as programming and operating. Following on from the Vegas event, EDC goes global with Tenfeet adjusting the design into a touring version.
Tenfeet knows Gre

UK - Video production company Media Flare has added three Hippotizer V4 Boreal+ Media Servers to its hire stock of nine Hippotizer V4 and Hippotizer V4+ media servers.
Media Flare’s freelance TV lighting designer Tom Sutherland comments: "Our Hippos have never let us down, and with the V4+ models' new features and enhancements providing even more creative flexibility, for us it was the only way to go. It's great that I can rely on a media server which can cover such a range of productions and budgets."
Freelancer programmer Nick Hansen adds: "Hippotizer Media Servers are so user-friendly. The Output Manager side is incredibly powerful and flexible, enabling us to handle things when a show's technical needs can change quickly during production. Also, we are really excited by the potential of Notch, which we will definitely be using on future projects to manipulate c

UK - PLASA Show, the worldwide event for entertainment technology, is returning to London Olympia on 16-18 September with a whole host of industry leaders and influential brands primed to deliver popular products, inspirational talks and expert training.
The exhibitor list has been rapidly growing with international brands spanning lighting, audio, AV, rigging and staging, and the programme is filling up fast with critical updates, exclusive panels and the latest projects.
In association with LSi, respected lighting designer Rob Halliday and entertainment architects Stufish will present Giudizio Universale - Michelangelo and the Secrets of the Sistine Chapel, revealing the technical secrets of this stunning €9m immersive stage show created by Marco Balich, now at the Auditorium Conciliazione in Rome. Having worked on the show, Rob Halliday will discu

USA - At the grand opening of their 338,000sq.ft, $166m Athletes Village, the University of Minnesota ushered in a bright new chapter in the history of their Athletics programme.
Comprising three new buildings, the university wanted to create a memorable experience for their recruits, fans and the 700 student-athletes. Looking for a dynamic visual environment, which included the creation of their Letterwinner tribute, the University called upon the experiential design specialists at Advent who installed an immersive LED video display using 3.9mm FLEXLite NXG from PixelFLEX.
“The overall vision was to create a unique digital experience inside the new University of Minnesota Athletes Village with slightly different approaches in a few key locations,” began John Downie, VP of experience at Advent. “For the Football Hall of Fame area, we used the LED video in a very

UK - Event design and technical production company Maestra London has expanded its team in readiness for a busy autumn season.
Joining MD Justin Hammond and the London team are Matt Spark (senior project manager), Euan MacLeod (business development manager) and Cameron Pullar (warehouse assistant).
Spark started working at festivals and events like SW4 and the Isle of Wight and other international events, as well as becoming a freelance production assistant for a succession of artists. This experience took him to Australia for three years where he worked with a raft of brands including Star Wars, Quantas and Disney.
MacLeod worked in New York and Woodstock before relocating to Scotland to take a degree in Events & Entertainment Management at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Pullar worked at a Scottish LED company whist still at school and then studied M

UK - ADI supplied in excess of 900sq.m of LED screens across 12 competition and non-competition venues to the Glasgow 2018 European Championships for the benefit of over 250,000 spectators and brand partnerships.
The largest sporting event held in Scotland since the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games featured a combination of ADI’s mobile and modular LED screens - in addition to plasma displays - to suit the specific indoor and outdoor locations.
Nick Robinson, ADI’s director of screen rental, comments: “Nine months of planning have come to fruition with diverse, tailored solutions across a variety of sports and cultural venues. We’ve been able to add value through centralised project management of the screens and HD video signal distribution across all 12 locations. Our delivery of market-exclusive mobile and modular LED provides the very best quality to enhance

UK - Cambridge-based conference technology provider Brähler ICS UK has rebranded as BUK Solutions.
The change comes as the company marks 30 years of trading and enters a new phase that incorporates new distribution partnerships and a more diverse range of suppliers. The company is also offering enhanced complementary event services as part of its rental portfolio including consultancy, interpretation and translation. Launched in the late 1980s, Brähler ICS UK operated alongside German parent company Brähler ICS Konferenztechnik AG until 2012. It then became independent but remained a member of the global Brähler ICS Network until recently.
Simon Sainsbury, managing director of BUK Solutions, comments: “The success of our expanded portfolio, which now includes several new non-Brähler products and services, prompted us to redefine our identity in the marketpl

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

China - When Audi introduced its A8L luxury saloon to the Chinese market, technical service company Redline turned to the BlackTrax real-time motion tracking system to help deliver the wow factor to the launch show.
Each of the cars featured in the show was fitted with BTBeacons which transmitted the exact position of the vehicles as they moved around the stage to BTCams, which then relayed the information to the lighting console so that any lighting look could be designed while automatically following the cars on the stage, regardless of speed or direction, with an accuracy that would not have been possible to achieve manually.
Another big part of the reveal, was the futuristic graphics projected on the floor and not only accented the beautiful car, it also helped explain some of the A8L’s new built in technology and features. The mapped projection interacted with

UK - Virtual reality (VR) specialist MelodyVR is working with the NEC Group Arenas to offer virtual access to live events in its venues.
Concertgoers will be able to access a selection of live events held at the Genting Arena and Arena Birmingham venues, using the power of virtual reality technology, including performances from chart toppers Royal Blood, The Script and UB40 Feat. Ali, Astro & Mickey.
Over the coming months, MelodyVR will also live stream real-time concerts via VR and offer virtual tickets to sold-out shows with the biggest artists, enabling an unlimited number of fans to attend in-demand concerts around the globe.
The concerts, as well as virtual tickets, will be available to purchase via the MelodyVR app, on Oculus Go or Samsung Gear VR virtual reality headsets (with more platforms coming soon). Information on upcoming shows will also be p

UK - AV technology specialist Peerless-AV has added Kate Butcher as key account manager (southern region) to its UK professional sales team. She will be responsible for maintaining and building on existing relationships with Peerless-AV’s reseller network, promoting new product offerings, and providing support on new tenders and sales enquires.
Butcher brings over four years’ AV sales experience, having held key account manager roles at Exertis-Medium, Sahara Presentation Systems and Beta Distribution. She studied International Theatre at the University of East London (UEL) and spent eight months at the University of Colorado Boulder campus in the USA.
Keith Dutch, managing director EMEA at Peerless-AV, comments: “Kate’s energy and enthusiasm, combined with her AV distribution experience and good industry connections, make her perfect for the Key Account Manage

UK - The Brewery, the Grade II listed events venue on London’s Chiswell Street, has confirmed Blitz, a GES company, as its new in-house AV partner. The technical event production specialist has been selected with a brief to enhance the venue’s AV capabilities and manage the technology infrastructure.
The new partnership, which will start from 1 September, will see Blitz utilise The Brewery’s advanced technology and digital infrastructure, to “create show-stopping AV experiences; from breath-taking projection mapping installations, to top of the range widescreen blending displays and flawless audio performances”.
As well as AV services, Blitz will assist clients with digital branding and digital signage opportunities helping event organisers increase exposure while maximising sponsorship revenues and increasing ROI. The partnership also brings a range of new s

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

Europe - BlackTrax real-time motion tracking system was instrumental in bringing the thrills of the Fast & Furious movie to live events in the UK and Switzerland, with further shows planned for the Czech Republic, Denmark, France and Germany.
Fast & Furious Live uses the most advanced technology and fans’ favourite cars from the series to faithfully evoke the most outrageous moments and stunts from the series. Recreating the underground streets of Los Angeles to locations that criss-cross the globe, Fast & Furious Live lets fans relive the most extreme action as precision performance drivers execute pulse-pounding stunts surrounded by blockbuster set design, authentic digital projections and state-of-the-art physical obstacles.
Kate Dawkins, already with a pedigree for creating content for spectacular live shows, was responsible for

UK - An AV overhaul has transformed a 400+ seat lecture theatre at the Surrey Business School at the University of Surrey in Guildford.
The audio installation, a collaboration between Shure and systems integrator Snelling Business Systems, created a single AV system suitable for lecture theatre / classroom theatre, live events and cinema theatre without the need for prior training or dedicated IT support.
Shure’s technical team created a system designed for switchover from one user mode to another at the touch of a button. The team provided technical support and streaming tests across campus between lecture theatres to asses Microflex Wireless capabilities for RF stability and networked control.
“The vast capabilities of the system are perfect for the range of uses we have, from lectures to live events and conference, as well as a cinema,” comments Rob Purc

Estonia - Estonia’s oldest theatre - Vanemuine in Tartu - received new audio, lighting, video, and communication equipment supplied by Amptown System Company (ASC) as part of a major conversion project.
Berlin-based Ingenieur Gesellschaft Wibbeke & Penders was commissioned with planning and implementing the structural conversion work while Dr. Reiner Chemnitius was responsible for working out the fundamentals for media equipment selection and installation.
Working together with ASC project manager Jan Vandrei and his team, theatre planner Dr. Chemnitius developed and customized the complex redundant audio/video fibre optic system based on Optocore and BroaMan components exclusively for the Vanemuine theatre.
Two management consoles with the real-time capable media control system by adunas were eventually selected. The larger main console to the right of th

UK - Rich Rowley has joined Adlib as general manager (lighting and video). Rowley has enjoyed a long relationship with the Liverpool-based full production and rental specialist over the years and brings more than a decade of senior management experience from working at XL Video and PRG.
Rowley will be concentrating on the already substantial lighting and video / AV aspects of Adlib as the company completes the transition from its original audio roots into one of the premier full service technical solutions providers in Europe.
The appointment comes at a pivotal time for Adlib, which is poised to move into a new warehouse and office facility.
Adlib owner and founder Andy Dockerty comments: “I am delighted to welcome Rich into the Adlib family. I believe it is testament to the growth of Adlib and the development of our lighting and video departments that we hav

Europe - Lightact, a Slovenian media server manufacturer, now features a two-way sharing of textures and variables between Lightact and Unreal Engine.
Version 3.0.5 also introduces LightNet and LightSync which enable multi-server syncing.
Mitja Prelovšek, CEO of Lightact, comments: "We are extremely thrilled to be able to release v3.0.5 as it further strengthens Unreal Engine workflow as well as expanding Lightact's core media server functionalities.”
Lightact is an integrated suite combining standard media server functionalities such as projection mapping, multi-screen video output and DMX lighting control with unique real-time rendering capabilities and reliability features aimed at permanent installations.
The suite includes Lightact Cloud installation monitoring solution and Lightact WebUIs client user interfaces. Lightact v3.0.5 is available on Lig

Australia - Jay Productions and Events are lighting, vision, sound, staging, and operations specialists, covering AV for the corporate market, activations, and special events. The company has recently added Green Hippo’s Hippotizer Karst to their inventory.
Jason Ghazal, the owner of Jay Productions, comments: “We are increasingly incorporating complex lighting with mapping to LED screens, and projection mapping. We needed a media server that is versatile and easy to use. We got advice from everybody we knew that does specialised work with media servers, and they all agreed that that Green Hippo was the best.”
Jason and the team plumped for two Karsts fitted with the DVI and DP output card option, incorporating Green Hippo’s PixelMapper, SHAPE 3D projection mapping tool set, and Hippotizer V4’s multipurpose pre-visualisation tool into a 2RU, road-ready case.

France - All of France marks the beginning of the modern French nation each year on 14 July, with events taking place all over the country. As in previous years, Lawo mixing consoles helped deliver the audio for more than 500,000 Concert de Paris spectators at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
The Concert de Paris is one of the largest classical music events held anywhere in the world, and is followed by a traditional firework display. The show – featuring the National Symphony Orchestra and the Choir of Radio France, along with internationally renowned soloists – was relayed to TV viewers and radio listeners in France and beyond with the Lawo setup.
For the central celebrations on the Champ du Mars next to the Eiffel Tower – the highlight of the National Holiday – Radio France used an mc²96, Lawo’s flagship audio production console, for ultimate F

UK - The Three Festivals Tall Ships Regatta 2018 saw a fleet sail from Liverpool to Dublin and then on to Bordeaux. Marking the fifth time Liverpool has hosted a Tall Ships event, extensive celebrations were very much captain’s orders and Stage Sound Services who, complete with Green Hippo tech, was on duty to deliver a brace of projection-mapped light shows.
Taking place during late May Bank Holiday weekend, the two events brought the power of projection mapping to huge audiences. In Birkenhead’s Hamilton Square, the Stage Sound Services team, working with the creative at Illuminos, used a pair of Hippotizer Karst Media Servers to help map a spectacular show - inspired by Birkenhead’s people, places and history - on to the Town Hall.
The same team also put on another example of projection mapping in Liverpool’s Cunard Building - one of the three graces of Live

Norway - Second Warehouse is introducing SMS messaging and a built-in search assistant as it continues to refine the online pro AV cross-rental platform.
The SMS feature will offer another communication channel to customers, whose email requests might be halted by spam filters.
The search assistant, named ‘Ask Sam’ after inventory manager Sam Nesbitt, would enable users to gain the manager’s direct assistance if the platform’s search utility fails to return all requested items.
Second Warehouse founder Stuart Kerrison comments: “SMS support is being introduced to make sure that even if you miss the email, you won’t miss the deal. Email is the principle way that we communicate with our users, but it’s really important that Second Warehouse users don’t miss the opportunity to make money because of an overenthusiastic spam filter. That said, we pass

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