UK - Tom Etra has joined Green Hippo's sales team as technical sales manager for the EMEA region.

As of Monday 21 November, Etra has started looking after key accounts across this territory and he has already added his own touch, by implementing a few new strategies. Green Hippo's sales director James Heron comments, "We are very pleased to be welcoming Tom into the team full time and feel that his skills and knowledge of Hippotizer will be a great asset to the department and a driving force in generating new business for the company."

Etra, has been with Green Hippo for the past five years. His previous role entailed working closely within Green Hippo's special projects and support department. Special projects have been closely involved with a variety of high profile multimedia events which allow customers to think outside the box when it comes to designing their sh

South Africa - Multi-Media used their 12 new Robin 300 LEDs for two prominent events, Herbalife Southern Africa Extravaganza and the PICA Awards.

Some 2 500 guests from across the country attended the Herbalife Southern Africa Extravaganza, a three day event hosted at the Emperor's Palace Conference Centre in November. Multi-Media were the technical suppliers and used their Robin 300s, hiring a few additional units from MJ Event Gear, for the show. "The units were very responsive, bright, power efficient and the saturation in colour," commented Tim Fish from Multi-Media.

The 42nd PICA Awards, presented by the Magazine Publishers Association of South Arica (MPASA), was held at the Sandton Convention Centre on 17 November. Multi-Media once again provided the full technical for the event, hosted in the Pavilion Room.

"This was quite a large show and the room will

UK - Electrosonic was recently awarded the AV systems integration contract at JP Morgan's new Canary Wharf site in London. As a result of this appointment, on Thursday 10 November Electrosonic and Skillsmatch jointly held a recruitment and selection event to appoint young, local 'Apprentice Installers' to take part in a six month audio-visual apprenticeship programme with Electrosonic, working in-part at JP Morgan. Following a six month placement it is Electrosonic's intention to offer six individuals a full time 'junior AV installer' position.

Skillsmatch is the flagship job brokerage service for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Supported by Canary Wharf Group and working with a range of strategic partners, it offers innovative recruitment solutions to companies looking to source new staff and to job seekers wishing to secure sustainable employment. JP Morgan has made a com

Europe - Roland Systems Group has announced the immediate availability of a system update for the popular Roland V-1600HD Multi-Format Video Switcher. Addressing the requirements of using the V-1600HD in a live production environment - especially with LED walls - this new update includes additional scaling functions to both the Program and AUX outputs in all modes.

Common LED video wall aspect ratio presets are included, such as 4:3, 5:4, 5:3 and 16:9, as well as a manual pixel accurate mode allowing any wall size or aspect ratio to be inputted. Using this setting, the source material can then be scaled within the output space with additional crop, zoom and position adjustments to hand.

The V-1600HD now enables all video sources to be connected, converted and mixed directly to the LED video wall display. Two configurable outputs make it possible to drive both LCD/plasma/projec

Norway - Vestad Lighting of Norway recently supplied a large Martin lighting and video screen package for Get Focused, one of the largest Christian youth festivals in Norway and one of the first events to incorporate visuals using Martin's new 10mm pixel pitch EC-10 LED video panels.

Vestad focuses on lighting rental for television, concerts and events and through the years has also supplied a number of large-screen video productions.

"When we were looking for an LED solution, it was important for us that it could be used creatively as well as a video wall capable of delivering crisp video images with good color and low latency," comments Thomas Voilås of Vestad. "We've had good experience with Martin Professional products and support and felt that the EC-10 was a product that could fit our needs."

Held in the city of T°nsberg in early November, Get

The Netherlands - At ISE 2012 Crestron will be introducing "a range of breakthrough technologies that lay the foundation of audio visual technology for the future". The company will be displaying many products ranging from the latest developments in the DigitalMedia and HD solutions through to control systems, audio, cabling and lighting control solutions.

The DigitalMedia range continues to evolve and grow. With a solution for every budget, the new DigitalMedia 6X6 Distribution Center delivers high-definition audio and video signals to multiple rooms and produces the highest quality HD picture quality available, says the company.

The unit features next generation DigitalMedia 8G+ technologies and is able to distribute pure uncompressed digital and analogue audio/video content, plus Ethernet, control signals and more over long distances to up to six rooms, all over a

UK - Adlib supplied a full technical production package of sound, lighting, AV, staging and crew for the recent John Barrowman tour.

It's the fourth JB tour that Adlib has supplied. Having the resources and flexibility to offer all the technical elements in a single source operation enabled a very cost-efficient package to be tailored to the client for the successful six weeks of sold out shows around the UK.

FOH engineer Walter Jaquiss once again specified a Coda Audio LA12 system, following its performance on the last tour. Systems tech Kenny Perrin explains that their standard configuration was 12 x LA12 cabinets per-side with a variable amount of LA8 down-fills.

For subs, they used two sensor controlled Coda SCPs per side for the standard set up, boosted to four columns of two SCPs along the front of the stage for the arenas. The in-fills were normally four LA8 speakers.

Belgium - Barco has appointed AED Display as official distributor of its projection and image processing products in the Benelux market. Through the partnership, which becomes effective on 1 January, resellers, system integrators and mid-sized rental companies will have easier access to Barco's products and support services. The agreement fits neatly into Barco's new strategy to increasingly rely on trusted channel partners for the distribution, installation and support of its products, in all markets, in order to raise customer service levels, says the company.

Over the past few months, Barco has significantly expanded its network of distribution partners. Instead of selling, installing and supporting its products itself, the company relies on its trusted channel partners to ensure the availability, delivery and pre- and post-sales support for its wide range of high-quality pr

UK - A number of schools in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham are in the process of being equipped with giant Supernova optical front projection screens from Danish manufacturers dnp.

This is designed to boost learning and provide better data referencing from sources such as Visualiers, computers and portable touch screen whiteboards, which provide the ability to control lessons from anywhere in the classroom.

The order for over 200 of the Supernova Core screens in 16:10 aspect ratio, placed with Supernova's UK distributors, Paradigm Audio Visual, was sanctioned by Sheyne Lucock, Education ICT Strategy lead for the council, after his Strategy team had reviewed all the options.

Paradigm AV supplied 105 of the 100" displays to the primary schools alone via project consultants and fit-out specialists, REDS10. All the ICT equipment is being fitted by RM Education,

South Africa - The first season of the new television musical competition, Varstrap, aired on KykNet (DSTV), has just come to an end. It is set in a cellar at Lourensford Wine Farm in Somerset West where contestants compete for the best boere orkes (band).

Joshua Cutts of Visual Frontier designed the set and lighting, which had to be appropriate for television viewing. Travis Yeatman programmed and operated the show on an Avolites Tiger Touch. He flew to Cape Town every weekend where rehearsals were followed by a recording of the show.

Four bands competed every week. Two stages were erected on either end of the cellar with the judges and audience seated in the centre of the room. The lighting comprising of Robe Colorspot 575s, parcans, Philips Selecon Profiles and LED strips, was fairly simple and mostly to light up the props and create the warm, traditional type atmosp

Norway - Barco reports that entertainment equipment rental company AVAB CAC selected 17 Barco's event projectors and 100 MiSTRIP creative LED strips to support the Nobel Peace Prize Concert on Sunday, 11 December. This year's edition was co-hosted by Helen Mirren and Rosario Dawson and featured artists such as Evanescence, Ellie Goulding, Jill Scott and many others.

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in the world. Every year, the ceremony takes place on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, and is followed by the Nobel Peace Prize Concert the day after. Featuring an international selection of musical artists and celebrity hosts, the concert honours the Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

The concert is held every year at the Oslo Spektrum Arena in the centre of Oslo. The customized three-tiered stage was able to host 50 singers and musicians a

UK - The fourth annual PLASA Focus: Leeds event launches today with a new website and a sold out floor-plan. The leading event for audio, video, lighting and staging technology in the north of England will be held on 17-18 April 2012, at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds.

Long-standing exhibitors such as White Light, Martin Audio, Martin Professional, J&C Joel, Shure, Avolites, Stage Electrics, Robe, Sennheiser, Hawthorn Theatrical and Clay Paky have been joined by a raft of new exhibitors, including Bose, d&b audiotechnik, LSC Lighting Systems, Midas, Topdeck Stage Systems, Pete Smith Inspections, JoeCo, Amber Sound, Audio Logic, English Braids, Experience Lighting, Isophase Audio, The Lectern Company, Showtex, Smoke Factory, CLD Distribution, ADB, Wirelessled.co.uk and Total Solutions.

Packed aisles and major UK product debuts have firmly established PLASA Focus as an unmi

USA - Free registration is now open for the PLASA Focus: Austin 2012 Professional Development Programme, a two-day programme of free educational seminars and workshops, running alongside PLASA Focus: Austin, on 22-23 February, 2012.

The programme has been designed by some of the industry's leading names and presents an opportunity for visitors to broaden their specialist knowledge and contribute to discussions about innovative projects and techniques, say organiser PLASA Events.

"Giving people the opportunity to develop their professional knowledge is key to the success of PLASA Focus: Austin 2012," comments PLASA CEO Matthew Griffiths. "We're creating an opportunity to talk about the choices behind major projects in the region, from the Austin City Limits studio and The Long Center for Performing Arts, to seminars as broad and far-reaching as the use of lightin

UK - Flight case manufacturer 5 Star has supplied well over 1000 cases to West Midlands-based AV rental specialists Central Presentations (CPL) in the last seven years, which have ranged from audio equipment, 19" racks, projector, plasma and LCDs and video production cases.

5 Star's Keith Sykes says: "Clients like CPL are invaluable. They are extremely busy year-round, their work is always varied and interesting and they are constantly expanding the equipment and rental stock, all of which needs flight casing for on-going road work. Consequently, we are involved in supplying a full range of standard and special cases."

The latest CPL 5 Star case project has involved a custom designed set of road cases for CPL's newest series of 'fly away' portable video production units (PPUs).

This is a smaller PPU specifically designed to service the proliferation of project

UK - Mike Glover of Essex Sound & Light (ESL) has spent 2011 engaged in installation projects as far afield as Delhi and Spain - but he saved one of his best creations for a nightclub right on his own Southend doorstep.

Chameleon has been a landmark venue since it first opened as Mr. B's Discotheque in the mid-80s. The venue subsequently underwent many iterations and corporate ownership changes before falling into demise following the collapse of CanDu Entertainment three and a half years ago.

As a result, enterprising local entrepreneur Dick De Vigne (whose eponymous 500-capacity Dick De Vigne's nightclub is the lynch-pin of the burgeoning Warrior Square scene nearby), snapped up Chameleon on Lucy Road from the receivers.

Not only does Lucy Road provide the traditional nightlife heartbeat of Southend but De Vigne also owned this place previously (first as Discotheque Buzz a

UK - Audio Light Systems has completed the AV installation in the Moffat Auditorium at the National Museum of Scotland as part of the £46m epic transformation.

The auditorium which was originally a 1950's screening cinema was fully refurbished & modernised. It now houses an 8m screen, Christie Digital HD10K-M high definition projector which is fed via a Analog Way SME100 seamless switcher. An Allen & Heath iDR system processes and controls the audio from Tascam & Bluray systems.

The Extron & Crestron systems provide easy end user control with an 8.4" WIFI Touch screen.

"Our museum portfolio has increased dramatically in the last few years. We are very proud of our workmanship which leads to repeat business as attention to detail is incredibly important in these environments," says Stephen Dishon, project engineer at Audio Light Systems.

(Jim Evans)

Germany - Since being signed by Green Hippo Ltd, their exclusive distributor for Germany and Austria, B&K Braun, have had a very successful year boosting Hippotizer media server's presence in this market.

In recent months an increasing number of production companies, technicians and designers have started to use and spec Hippotizer media servers, with high profile shows, such as the German X-Factor utilizing the technology.

In an effort to raise the media server's profile even more and provide extended training options to the region, B&K Braun recently organised a three day training event in conjunction with Green Hippo, which took place 6-8 December.

The training sessions were held at B&K's new training facility and consisted of two full day's basic training and a third day of advanced HippoSchool, aimed at professionals from the industry.

Led by Green Hippo's head of tra

UK - Following the announcement yesterday (20 December) of Westminster School's purchase of Lawrence Hall from the Royal Horticultural Society, organisers of the ABTT 2012 Theatre Show moved swiftly to announce the event will be transferring to a new venue.

The Show's director, Roger Fox, spoke to assure both exhibitors and visitors that the 2012 Show would be going ahead, explaining: "This announcement has come as a surprise to us today and at a time when planning for the 2012 Show was well advanced. Discussions to secure an alternative venue are already in progress, which we see as also an opportunity to offer improved facilities for our exhibitors and visitors."

At present it is unsure if the Show's previously published June 2012 dates will be available at an alternative venue, but all effort is being made to avoid changes to the timing of this important annual ev

UK - Projection artist Ross Ashton of London-based The Projection Studio was invited back to Caerphilly Castle in Wales - by popular demand - to recreate his Illuminata digital art son et Lumière.

The commission - for which Ashton also designed the large format projection system used to bring the work to life - was from Cadw - the Welsh Assembly Government division responsible for preserving and promoting the history and heritage of Wales.

The 2010 event was the first time that an entertainment spectacle of this genre had been commissioned for a Cadw historical monument, and proved such a massive success that they decided to repeat the experience for three evenings this year.

Ashton's 20-minute work depicted the history and stories of the castle, accompanied by a special audio track produced by sound artist Karen Monid.

Working at Caerphilly Castle again was a &quo

South Korea - The Gaya Theatre in Seoul, South Korea, recently hosted a spectacular hologram performance called VR BreakOut.

Zenex Wave, a Korean design and production company, used Medialon Manager Show and Media Control Software with an iPad to give a chance for the audience to enjoy and experience a 3D world of virtual reality on stage.

The performance is a musical and dance story about prisoners who lead a routine life, isolated from the outside world, and dream of freedom through a mysterious Bi-guep (a book with supernatural power), which happens to fall from the sky.

In VR BreakOut - selected for the 2010 Virtual Reality Content Support Project of Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), Zenex Wave applies holograms to a commercial stage for the first time in Korea, realizing virtual reality on the stage by combining technologies like 3D projection mapping

Ukraine/USA - Lightconverse 3D Show Platform Version 52 continues to provide a powerful photo-realistic solution for integrating and visualizing multiple show related disciplines in real-time, including lighting, video (in and out), 3D Mapping, laser, pyro, water effects and moving objects.

Among the most anticipated features in this release of the ESTA/PLASA Award-Winning (2009, 2010 & 2011) software are its integration with VectorWorks 2011/12 (PC & Mac), providing the ability to do your design and paperwork in VectorWorks before exporting directly to LightConverse in order to see your work truly come alive; a real-time live object tracking system, which allows performers and objects such as moving set pieces and video screens to be automatically followed by moving fixtures and projectors during their movements on stage, and an increase in fixture capacity to 1,536 devices wit

The Netherlands - projectiondesign will use Integrated Systems Europe to highlight how their innovations are integrated in today's visual solutions for collaborative working.

"Recognising the increased adoption of AV into IT systems, projectiondesign's stand this year focuses on demonstrating several live and real-world demonstrations of product compatibility with leading 3D visualization and collaborative working examples that are already widely in use all over the world. We understand that today's businesses see the value in faster, better, and more well informed decision making and these examples will allow visitors to see, feel and touch enhance their effectiveness" says Anders L°kke, marketing director at projectiondesign.

"Our projection display products meet the ever increasing and challenging needs of a highly detailed and clear image. The wide range

Germany - Hip-hop band Die Fantastischen Vier, AKA Fanta 4, just concluded their latest sold-out arena tour with a set, lighting and visual design by Gunther Hecker. The tour culminated in a spectacular home-coming performance by the band at Stuttgart's Hanns Martin Schleyer Halle.

Hecker - one of Germany's most innovative designers - worked in close collaboration with Marc Lorenz, who looked after all the LED screen and video elements, to create the show and specify the equipment. It has been acclaimed as one of the best stage presentations of Die Fantastischen Vier's long and eventful career which has put German hip-hop on the map. The 14m wide circular stage was built with a combination of Lite Structures' standard and custom products. It featured four 5m thrusts, each at 90 degree intervals around the stage.

Above, it was crowned by four circular trusses at 8, 10, 12 and 1

USA - Two of Elation's most innovative new NAMM 2012 introductions are in the video realm: a flexible LED panel that can bend around dimensional surfaces to create curved video walls, and a DMX-512 moving head video camera that can project images of people and objects in a room or dance floor onto a video wall or TV.

Also new is Elation's RGB LED pixel tape, which can be affixed to the edges and surfaces of any object in moments to highlight it with a dramatic border of changing colours.

As far as lights themselves go, Elation will be showing "plenty of remarkable fixtures" including the Opti QA Par, an RGBA color-mixing LED par can that features the company's Quad Color Technology, in which four colours - red, green, blue and amber are combined into each LED source for superior colour blending.

(Jim Evans)

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