AV Stumpfl celebrated the opening of its new 2,200m² production hall at its headquarters in Wallern an der Trattnach together with its entire team during this year’s summer family festival. Fuelled by a good economy in the United States – one of AV Stumpfl’s major sales markets – the company is experiencing a strong increase in demand from the “land of opportunity”. More than ten years ago, AV Stumpfl strategically established a US subsidiary in Atlanta, Georgia, to bring its innovative systems – developed and manufactured with dedication in Upper Austria – to the homeland of the live entertainment, hospitality…
Author: Alicia Pollitt
The Power of Events has announced the expansion of its UK Schools Engagement Programme into the Bath & Bristol region. This initiative is connecting thousands of young people with the dynamic world of events, providing insights, inspiration and career pathways into the industry. In its first academic year 24-25, it engaged 106,000+ young people through 350 school visits, across East of England, Birmingham, South Coast and Hertfordshire regions – a Year 1 Report is now published: www.thepowerofevents.org/schools-engagement-programme/ With ambassador registration now live on the Schools Engagement Programme portal industry professionals in the Bath & Bristol region are invited to sign…
Peach Pit completed the North American section of their “Long Hair, Long Life” tour with a brand-new lighting design from George Gorton from Vancouver-based creative design studio Loud Entertainment Design Group. The visual concept relied heavily on lighting for impact, there were no video elements on this leg of the tour campaign, and included some key Robe products, including FORTE moving lights and HolyPATT scenic luminaires, supplied by rental company Promosa, also from Vancouver. Gorton has been working with the band for four years as their LD, and before then their paths serendipitously overlapped several times around as they were…
CODA Audio launches free, fully functional, downloadable, SPACE immersive audio software, alongside SPACE HUB software updates. Providing users with ‘immersion without complication’, CODA Audio has announced the launch of free SPACE HUB Producer software, which enables users to build immersive sound fields using their own computer and audio hardware. The free to use software also forms an update for its SPACE HUB immersive sound processor, with added functionality and new features. SPACE HUB is CODA’s 19”/3U state-of-the-art immersive processor which allows users to build stunning audio experiences in three dimensions. With more areas of the performing arts adding an immersive dimension…
Soenda Outdoor 2025 once again delivered an unforgettable experience to thousands of visitors. With exactly 512 fixtures from Showtec and Infinity deployed across the festival grounds, Highlite International helped bring the magic to life. In a remarkable coincidence, exactly 512 Highlite fixtures were deployed across the festival’s three main areas – Java, Komodo, and Timor. The number 512 holds special significance in the lighting industry, representing the number of channels in a single DMX universe. This symbolic alignment and the efforts of all involved made Soenda Outdoor 2025 into a spectacular production. The Java stage featured a vibrant mix of…
Having delivered sustainability training across the globe for over a decade, A Greener Future (AGF) is bringing together its wealth of accumulated knowledge and experience under a brand-new identity. Together with industry-based research and UK government-recognised powers to accredit university and professional courses, the not-for-profit company is introducing AGFe – A Greener Future Education. Dedicated to providing practice-led, research-informed, actionable training and education, AGFe will support the efforts of the events industry to decarbonise and meet the challenges of climate change. AGF pioneered the first framework and certification scheme for music festivals, calculated the first artist tour carbon footprint, and…
The Occasionall Group, a leading provider of event staffing solutions has announced a strategic leadership transition that reflects both its growth and its commitment to people-first values. Managing Director Josh Heyburn will be shifting his focus from daily operations as he begins a new role as Lecturer in Event Management at Buckinghamshire New University, while long-time team leader Natalie Evans is promoted to People & Culture Director. Together, these changes represent both stability and evolution, as the company enters its next chapter with confidence. “Founding this company and leading it through the past few years has been one of the…
HARMAN Professional Solutions has announced the appointment of Freevox as the distributor of its AMX video and control solutions in France, effective 1 September 2025. This new agreement builds on Freevox’s existing role distributing HARMAN Professional’s audio brands, including JBL Professional, BSS, Crown, Soundcraft, Lexicon, and dbx. “Expanding our relationship with Freevox to include AMX is a natural next step,” said Scott Aslett, Sr. Commercial Director, EMEA, HARMAN Professional Solutions. “Their deep technical knowledge, strong customer relationships, and proven track record in the French market make them an ideal partner to represent our control and video solutions. We’re excited to…
Music Support has expanded its life-saving services with a groundbreaking new stepped care model, backed by NHS principles. The model offers four distinct levels of support, from low-level preventative care through to support for individuals with more complex needs. Crucially, and unique to Music Support, services are delivered by in-house psychotherapists and highly skilled support staff with over 30 years combined experience of working in the music industry. The four levels of complementary support in Music Support’s new model are structured according to need, as follows: Preventative & Early Intervention: Weekly support sessions and brief interventions for individuals facing low-level…
When Imagine Dragons recently undertook the European leg of their LOOM world tour, their high-energy stage show was boosted by the presence of 52 of GLP’s new JDC Burst 1. The tour was supported by Neg Earth Lights, an early adopter of this powerful hybrid IP65-rated strobe, which substantially raises the bar in brightness, colour variety and flexibility. When the American band’s show designer for the past seven years, Mitchell Schellenger from Station Six, was seeking just such a powerful strobe/wash, Neg Earth was quick to demonstrate this superior alternative to the fixture originally specified. “And the design team were…
Showlight 2025 was welcomed back with open arms as it hosted a record number of delegates in Dijon for three days of lighting, gastronomy and conviviality. Award-winning LD, Lucy Carter gave an insight into her creative process when lighting dance, ballet and stand-alone light works, showing stunning illustrations of her work in which she imbues the light with the organic character of another dancer or performer, not just a reactive medium. Working across many creative mediums, Carter has worked with some of the top directors, choreographers and creative teams globally, to produce unique, eclectic and critically acclaimed lighting designs, with…
Showlight 2025 was welcomed back with open arms as it hosted a record number of delegates in Dijon for three days of lighting, gastronomy and conviviality. Brad Schiller’s presentation on improving workflows using GDTF has been the most requested presentation to date, with Showlight delegates citing it as a brilliant demystifying of the intricacies of General Device Type Format and a fantastic tool for teaching students, technicians and experienced professionals alike. With almost 40 years of experience, Schiller is an author, designer, programmer, and consultant who has also worked for manufacturers including High End Systems, Vari-Lite and Martin. He has…
MA Lighting International has announced its partnership with SHOWTEC AUDIO AND LIGHTS SOLUTIONS as its new and exclusive distributor in the Philippines. Since 1 July 2025, SHOWTEC has been appointed to distribute MA Lighting’s products exclusively in the region. SHOWTEC, based in Quezon City, is a company providing audio-visual and lighting equipment, backed by a guaranteed warranty program that ensures reliability and customer confidence. Its strong technical expertise, extensive product portfolio, and commitment to service excellence make SHOWTEC an ideal distributor partner for MA Lighting International. This partnership enables MA Lighting to meet growing demand in Southeast Asia and strengthen…
British loudspeaker manufacturer EM Acoustics returns to the PLASA Show 2025, bringing with them the now complete lineup of Reference Series loudspeakers. Manufactured in-house at EM Acoustics’ headquarters in Surrey, the Reference Series offers a complete audio ecosystem of point source loudspeakers, enabling designers to create comprehensive single-manufacturer systems that meet even the most demanding project requirements. “The year so far has been marked by several high-profile installations of our Reference Series, and exceptionally positive responses to the complete series from live events, hire companies and theatre professionals,” confirmed Greg Clarke, Brand Manager at EM Acoustics. “PLASA is always a…
Elite Event Technology, one of Australia’s premier production and rental companies, headquartered in Canberra with operations in Sydney and the Illawarra, has made a major investment in cutting-edge audio technology with the acquisition of a new Tour Sound System from HARMAN Professional. The new system features 96 JBL Professional VTX A-Series line array speakers, including the A12, A8, and A6 models, paired with 50 VTX B-Series 18-inch subwoofers, all driven by Crown amplifiers. This powerful configuration is engineered to deliver pristine, high-impact sound for large-scale live events such as music festivals, concerts, and cultural showcases across the country. Elite Event Technology acquired the…
Sitting some 50km south of Pisa and set in the breathtaking beauty of the Tuscan countryside, the Teatro del Silenzio was designed by architect Alberto Bartalini using a natural amphitheater adjacent to Andrea Bocelli’s home-town of Lajatico. This was the location for the final concert for the celebrated Italian tenor’s month-long tour, produced by City Sound & Events, marking the 20th anniversary of this unique performance space. Lighting designer Alberto Negri, who used Ayrton Mamba, Domino S and Cobra fixtures in his design, explained how they fitted into the production which was adapted to maximise the location’s beauty: “The production…
Experienced guitar technician Ben Jackson has worked in the industry for 18 years. He cut his teeth first as a driver and then a backline technician with a wide range of touring bands, including stints on two Vans Warped Tours, before extensive international work with the band Neck Deep. Jackson first met Dom Harrison (Yungblud) when the latter was at the start of his career, developing a strong affinity with the then-up-and-coming artist. Following Yungblud’s breakthrough, in 2019 Jackson became his guitar and backline technician, also taking care of stage-right guitarist Adam Warrington and bassist Silke Blansjaar. Given the nature…
Backup Tech has launched a Workplace Wellness initiative developed by newly appointed Backup Ambassador, Gemma Fletcher. The programme aims to help those working on the technical and production side of entertainment by providing some self-help tools which can easily be implemented in their everyday work routines to check in on their own wellbeing. In her role as an Ambassador, Fletcher will champion the charity’s mission throughout the entertainment industry, spreading awareness of its work and helping create wellbeing-related initiatives that tie in with Backup’s remit, as well as recruiting corporate partners and supporting individual fundraising efforts. In line with this,…
