business news

Lighthouse Technologies Announces Expansion Plans

Following a year of strong growth, leading LED display developer, manufacturer and supplier Lighthouse Technologies Limited continues to forge new ground with several major global wins in the first quarter of 2010 and has announced major expansion plans.

Lighthouse scored two huge sports contacts in early 2010, starting with the historic Rose Bowl, home of one of the United States' biggest college football championships. This year's matchup between the two top-rated undefeated teams, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Texas Long Horns, was brought to life with a gigantic 10.16m (w) x 8.38 (h) R7-ER LED screen, which displayed game-speed, slow-motion and stop-action replay with stunning lifelike clarity.

A month later Lighthouse screens were in the spotlight again at the American Airlines Center, where Lighthouse installed the first ever true 1080p LED display to appear in an NBA or NHL facility. Along with 25 other Lighthouse screens, the 1920x1080 display added drama and excitement to the NBA's annual Slam Dunk Contest, delivering instant replays, real-time stats and scores, and dynamic advertising in lustrous colour and rich detail.

Lighthouse has also seen big gains in Europe and the Asia-Pacific. In January, installation was completed on a new Lighthouse screen at Ippodromo San Rossore, one of Italy's most progressive horse racing venues, while in the UK Lighthouse has installed screens at several new London locations for Ocean Outdoor. In Asia, Lighthouse added screens to iSquare, one of Hong Kong's most luxurious shopping and entertainment destinations, and will supply screens to a Tseung Kwan O property estate in Hong Kong, Sagar Catering in India, and is rapidly expanding into Korea as well. Lighthouse is also participating in several upcoming global events, including the World Cup 2010 in South Africa, Shanghai World Expo 2010, and the Asian Games.

As a result of its consistent growth and success during the past months, Lighthouse has announced plans for a massive expansion of its factory base to ensure it can continue to meet rapidly growing demand.

"By pursuing an aggressive growth strategy, we have managed to grow rapidly yet stably," said Peter Chan, general manager of Lighthouse. "This growth has enabled us to initiate plans for dramatic expansion in our supply capacity, so we're confident that we'll be able to go on providing world-class products, service and expertise as demand continues to rise. And, with the outstanding customer and partner relationships and trust we've built over more than a decade, we are extremely optimistic about the road ahead."

SES Wade into the U.A.E.

SES Entertainment Services of Datchet, Berkshire has appointed newly-formed RFW Trading LLC as their sole UAE distributor for its extensive range of Power Distribution Products.

RFW is owned and managed by Fragille Wade, formerly of Dubai based Protec, and she has gone it alone and tied up with SES to sell its products to its already extensive client base in the region.

Fragille Wade commented: "Having worked with SES's products for many years, I was pleased to be able to represent them in the region and supply a market that has an insatiable appetite for quality distribution equipment. There has been a significant gap in the market here for some time which we hope to be able to fill with a wide range of power products which we will hold in stock at our new warehouse in Dubai. We will be adding to our product range over the coming months and will be a one stop shop for the production and event companies here. I will soon be joined by my husband Rick once we are established."

RFW will initially stock a range of Power Distribution, along with a wide range of cables, cee-form connectors and 19-pin accessories, and will offer a same day service to its customers.

SES/RFW will have a stand at the forthcoming Palme Expo in April and look forward to welcoming customers new and old to the show. They are looking forward to strong sales in the coming months.

In picture: Gordon Cooper of SES about to load the first 20ft container of product destined for RFW Dubai

i-Pix Announces New Middle East Distributor

UK based LED lighting manufacturer i-Pix announces DLC Dubai as its new Middle East distributor.

This follows an increasing awareness of and interest in i-Pix' landmark BB range of products in the region over the last two years, together with their use and specification on several high profile projects by leading lighting designers including Svend Pedersen, Mark Cunniffe and Billy Aidie.

DLC Dubai was formed in 1993 and will be supporting all companies in the region who are using i-Pix products for shows, events, permanent and temporary installations and those working on the numerous government projects.

Completing this deal with DLC means that i-Pix products are now available across all continents. While the distribution network continues to expand, the Middle East was the last piece in a strategic geographical jigsaw giving customers a truly global sales and support network. This follows the meteoric success of its products in Europe and US.

DLC Dubai offers the full i-Pix range - including the newly launched BB1, alongside the popular BB4 and BB7 units - for sale and rental. i-Pix is also intending to launch a new architectural range in 2010.

Say's DLC Dubai's Lorraine Ludman: "i-Pix products came highly recommended by a number of the leading lighting designers with whom we work, so we were really keen on using and promoting them. The low power consumption is a definite bonus and they also have a great reputation for being robustly engineered and tough enough to withstand the rigours of touring."

She adds that taking a high quality LED range onboard will also allow DLC to take advantage of the current government schemes which are encouraging energy conservation. With almost no heat emission and a lifespan of thousands of hours, minimal maintenance is needed on the BB range once installed, even further reducing any running costs for permanent schemes.

i-Pix' Chris Ewington comments: "It's great to have DLC onboard - the company has an excellent track record and a reputation for being ground-breaking. The BB range has already been seen in action on prestigious shows and presentations in the Middle East, and it was always part of our planned growth to have a strong representation there."

i-Pix' BB1 fixture is the first in a new generation of high output, low power lighting technology that has been specifically designed for challenging environmental and working conditions like those prevailing in the Middle East.

www.i-pix.uk.com

Robe Restructures For the Future

Czech Republic based moving light manufacturer Robe lighting has announced a series of new appointments in a planned management restructuring exercise designed to position the company for a new decade of growth and expansion.

Robe lighting has a new operations director and sales director, while LED manufacturer and sister company Anolis gets a new sales director.

"This will help take Robe and Anolis to new levels of quality and excellence, and continue the trends of innovation and service that has made both companies so successful," states Robe lighting owner/founder and CEO Josef Valchar.

Harry von den Stemmen takes the position of sales director at Robe lighting. Von den Stemmen has been an integral part of the Robe management team for the last seven years as International Sales Manager, and has been instrumental in developing the worldwide distributor network which now spans 120 countries.

John Saunders becomes sales director of Anolis. Saunders has been business development manager for Anolis since its launch in 2005. With the massive increase in demand for environmentally conscious and sustainable products, Anolis has always been at the forefront of the LED revolution.

As dedicated sales directors for each company, von den Stemmen and Saunders bring their energy, experience and enthusiasm for their respective industries to the top of the management structure. They will focus directly on moving the two companies forward globally, continuing to 'push the envelope' of innovation and retaining their positions as market leaders.

Adrien Trecek joins the Robe management team as operations director. He will be based at Robe's HQ in Roznov p.R., and be involved in overseeing the efficient and smooth running of all Robe's day-to-day operations including logistics, the production process and the factory. Prior to the appointment, Trecek has been working for Robe as a consultant for two years and brings fresh ideas and insight.

This will enable Robe and Anolis founders and owners Josef Valchar and Ladislav Petrek to concentrate on major objectives including future strategic planning and product development, creative engineering and R&D, plus key initiatives like consolidating the Robe and Anolis patent portfolios. They will also continue the lively programme of research into future technologies - seen as a central inspiration to the future of both companies.

The restructuring follows the recent physical expansion of Robe during the latter half of 2009. This included a 3.5 million Euro investment in constructing a completely new Logistics Centre and doubling the warehouse space to nearly 4000 square metres, together with the creation of a purpose-built Plastics Moulding Centre equipped with all necessary state-of-the-art machinery. Robe also acquired PCB production company Dioflex, previously a long term electronic parts supplier.

In picture: The Robe management line up: Adrien Trecek (operations director), Josef Valchar (owner-founder/CEO). Harry von den Stemmen (sales director) and Ladislav Petrek (owner/founder)

www.robe.cz

TC Group Announces Creation of TC Group International

The TC Group has announced a restructuring that has resulted in the formation of a new organization known as TC Group International which will operate out of Aarhus in Denmark and Coatbridge, Scotland. The new organisation, which comes into being today, February 1st, will offer a new and revitalised sales and support structure based on vertical markets across all TCGI-owned brands, namely Tannoy, TC Electronic, TC Helicon, Lab.gruppen and Lake, as well as the distributed brands Dynaudio Acoustics and Blue Microphones.

All sales activity that was previously handled at individual brand level, such as order processing, and account management will now be centralized and handled at group level out of the offices in Aarhus and Coatbridge. In addition to this, all sales force and sales support activity will be organized by market segment, of which there are five in total - Installed Sound; Touring; Residential; MI; and HD (High Definition - covering broadcast, recording and post production facilities). The business model has already been adopted with great success in North America following the creation of TC Group Americas in 2009.

According to TC Group's CEO Anders Fauerskov, the resulting benefit of implementing this strategy in America has been the inspiration for change for the rest of the world. "Clearly, our main aim in initiating such a change is to increase sales and profitability through an increase in service level to our customers, and we wouldn't have done it without clear and irrefutable proof that the strategy works," he commented. "I would also like to welcome Peter Bager as the CEO of TC Group International. Peter has an excellent track record with TC stretching over the past 9 years, and I am convinced that TC Group International will be highly successful under his leadership".

"This structure has been hugely beneficial for us and our partners in the US." concurred Bager. "We aim to offer the same fruits of success to all of our brands in all other territories, and of course to our valued sales partners who represent them. We believe that by acting as one team that forms a cohesive unit, we will be better able to maximise our performance than as disparate sales operations."

"There will be a number of clear benefits to our customers emerging from this initiative," he continued. "The fact of addressing vertical markets with all brands within the group will enable greater opportunities for offering turnkey solutions, and make us better able to address the specific needs of the markets we are in, as well as the specific needs of each customer. I am extremely excited about the prospects for the future that will be opened up by this new structure."

MA in Style at Merchandise Shop

MA Lighting has launched its brand new MA Merchandise Shop which is now online. The shop offers a range of MA Lighting merchandise items, such as caps, polo shirts, jackets and a selection of professional workwear etc. - all branded with the famous MA logo. All articles are made to the highest quality standards and offer all the comfort and durability you would expect.

www.ma-merchandising.com

Bandit Lites Goes Green

Effective immediately, Bandit Lites is going Green! Bandit is practicing all of the known environmentally friendly actions that are possible in its offices around the world. A large amount of what was once printed material is now alive in only an electronic version. Task lighting in all of the facilities is being converted to energy efficient sources and all waste is being sorted for recycling.

Bandit is further educating staff on Green thinking and urging all team members, all vendors and all clients to consider the environment first in all decisions. A bold new look is on the Bandit website reaffirming the commitment to eco-friendly actions. The greening of Bandit is a process and not a single action. Bandit will work toward every possible action that is environmentally friendly and saves energy.

The staff at Bandit has quietly spent the last year working with GRNLite to develop a full range of rugged, bright and affordable LED fixtures that are truly the next generation of LED products. Bandit is proud to announce a full range of luminaries such that it is possible to have a high quality event illuminated entirely by energy efficient LED fixtures. All of this can also be done at a cost in line with today's current lighting products. No heat on stage, 90% less electricity used, 85% less cable used, no generator needed, less crew, less truck space and hence less fuel and emissions are but a few of the advantages an all LED solution offers to the client and the Earth!

Bandit's stated goal is to be 80% LED by December 2011. "The technology is with us and Bandit is committed to being a global leader in this effort!" says a company statement.

Updated Website for Creative Technology Dubai Goes Live

Creative Technology Dubai has today launched its newly revamped website.

Following the launch of other Creative Technology Group operations throughout the world, CT Dubai's site features the same principal properties and qualities bringing CT Dubai into line with CT Group's corporate image.

The new website displays photos of recent regional and global events, contains news items and downloadable case studies detailing the latest projects CT have been involved with, and links to all other CT offices around the globe.

The new format also offers visitors the option of registering to receive CT news as the information goes live.

The site is at www.ctdubai.com

DiGiCo Announces Strategic Alliance with Waves Audio

Waves Audio, a leading provider of digital signal processing software and hardware solutions, and DiGiCo, the UK-based manufacturer of some of the world's most popular, successful and groundbreaking digital mixing consoles, have announced a technology agreement which sees the development of breakthrough products for the live sound industry.

The joint announcement was made at the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, by Mick Olesh, Waves Executive VP, sales and marketing, DiGiCo managing director James Gordon and DiGiCo marketing director David Webster. Waves and DiGiCo have agreed to work together to integrate Waves new SoundGrid technology into DiGiCo's single FPGA Stealth Digital Processing products for the live sound industry. Further details about this strategic alliance are to be unveiled during 2010.

Commenting on the agreement, Olesh stated: "DiGiCo has always been at the forefront of digital mixing technology. Its consoles have been acknowledged as an industry leader, and everyone at Waves is extremely excited to be able to work with its R&D team. We look forward to a close working relationship."

"The arrival of Waves SoundGrid is a big step in the plug in world. Its impressive lack of latency and access to existing plug ins made it the only choice for DiGiCo," added Gordon. "When you think of plug ins, you think of Waves. In the future, we hope that DiGiCo control will be the next name that comes to mind."

In picture: James Gordon, Mick Olesh and David Webster.

www.digico.org

New Look for Stage Technologies Online

Stage Technologies recently launched their all-new, content-rich website for the start of 2010. The site has a sleek look-and-feel that reflects both the trademark technology behind their core design and automation business and the vibrant energy of the entertainment world.

Stagetech.com builds on the wide Products information that was previously available to users, adding more technical information and easily downloadable product images. A cross section of detailed project case studies can also be found in the Projects area of the site, which illustrates the main market sectors of the company's expertise in stage engineering, power flying and performer flying. The brand new Showreel and Articles areas allow users to browse videos and published articles of interest.

John Hastie, Operations Director commented: ‘The site is aimed to reflect what theatre automation should be all about - it's easy-to-use, visually exciting, dynamic and we wonder how we ever managed with the old, static site!'

Stagetech.com was developed using feedback from Stage Technologies staff, clients and existing site users and continued input is encouraged. The content has been carefully geared to be relevant whatever the user's background; whether an automation amateur, artistic director or consultant, a professional automation operator or a seasoned technical director, the site has plenty to offer. This follows on from the principle of Automation in the Entertainment Industry, a book published in June 2009 by Mark Ager and John Hastie, two Stage Technologies directors, which is aimed at broadening knowledge in the field of entertainment automation. The principle of the site is to remain fresh and functional and updates are made every day, with additional new pages and features planned over the next year.

Anyone can register to view and download literature in one easy-to-access area. Simply go to the log-in page and fill in a registration form to gain instant access to the Resources pages. The site also complements the support department's services with a dedicated, user-customised area for clients with maintenance contracts. Registered News & Press users can also request additional access to the press gallery, where they can download press releases and images for use in publications.

You can also follow Stage Technologies on Twitter (stagetechworld) and keep an eye on YouTube (StagetechGroup) for new postings. Happy browsing!

www.stagetech.com

Electro-Voice Launches All-New Website

Electro-Voice is launching an all-new website to coincide with its first major trade show appearance of the year at Winter NAMM 2010. The new online destination for all things EV has a host of new features and a strong emphasis on social networking and dynamic content.

"We set out to create the pro audio industry's best website," says EV web developer Zack Kahn, "rebuilding the site from the ground up to provide an easier-to-navigate, more personalized online experience for our customers around the world."

"Not only does the site have a completely new look, it's also radically different in terms of navigation," Kahn adds. "A new product filtering system allows more intuitive and precise product and content searches - it's extremely quick and easy to use." Product pages also feature a dealer locator and ‘Buy It Now!' buttons. The site is also automatically customized according to each visitor's global region.

"EV is big into social networking," Kahn continues, "and the ‘EV in Action' section serves as a portal to EV's presence on all the key sites, as well as being a one-stop source for EV news, endorser updates, and video content."

The "Knowledge" section houses a wide range of articles on EV technology, along with "how-to" pieces. "That's where visitors can find everything from the latest feature articles on our state-of-the-art signal processing to the PA Bible," Kahn explains. "The new site really captures the broad scope of the brand and serves as a worthy destination for our passionate customers."

New Kling & Freitag Website

The new Kling & Freitag website is now online, and it highlights the change that has been initiated by the company since the successful launch of the Sequenza 10 Line Array in 2008.

The web site has been entirely redesigned and is based on completely new programming. The modern, concise design is greatly improved by slick navigation and its use has been considerably simplified. Visitors who have not yet been in touch with Kling & Freitag will learn more quickly the background to the different loudspeaker series. News articles are designed more clearly, permitting a rapid overview of the contents. Equally, the search facility for documentation and technical drawings for Kling & Freitag users is quicker and more comprehensive.

Season's Greetings: the Last News for 2009!

With this news item etnow closes down its news service for 2009 and in the process of doing we wish all our readers a very happy Christmas and Prosperous 2010. Thank you for your support throughout the past year.

First news of 2010 will be posted on line on Monday 4th January.

XL Technologies Launched

XL-Technologies is a new, Belgium-based LED sales and solutions company, launched to offer innovative solutions for anyone interested in utilising LED technologies for their shows, events, displays, art and installations of all types.

Grown out of the XL Video Group's expertise, XL-Technologies is an independent company well placed to maximise the enormous amount of expertise and knowledge held within the Group, thus offering its clients a wide range of LED products and design solutions for purchase.

All major and currently specified LED brands will be available through XL Technologies. Not being tied to any specific range or brand, the company can offer a fully integrated service to fit the exact requirements of its clients.

There is the flexibility to offer standard LED solutions from the wide product range and also 'second-hand' sales from large projects that are now finished, plus completely new custom projects designed from scratch and tailored specifically for an application.

XL-Technologies is also the worldwide distributor of the Pixled LED brand - available in a wide range of resolutions and formats - known for its extreme brightness, super lightweight and easy rigging capabilities.

XL-Technologies has a number of LED Labs dedicated to bring all possible LED solutions together on one place. Here, the latest products from all manufacturers are brought together, with the aim of offering lighting, video, scenic and visual designers the widest possible choice and the most creative options and possibilities for their work.

Recent XL-Technologies projects have included supplying the "Light of the Angels" Christmas tree in Los Angeles, California, USA - a silver metal frame featuring 11,000 colour changing LED spheres. Another is a showroom installation for Mercedes Benz in Berlin, Germany. Here the creative LED screens form an effects back wall to a large plasma screen. There has also been a recent fixed LED screen installation at the new Dow Jones building on 48th street in New York City.

XL-Technologies is headed up by Koen Bossuyt, who says: " It is great to develop our work further backed by XL Video's knowledge, which allows us to focus on customer needs by being independent with product choice. We can supply a dynamic rang going, from quality second hand material to all the big brands."

XL-Technologies works out of offices in New York, Miami, Atlanta, London, Hamburg, Paris and Ostend, Belgium.

In picture: Light of the Angels in Los Angeles.

MILOS Expands with New Building

Czech Republic based trussing, roofing and staging systems manufacturer MILOS is in the final stages of completing a new 60,000 square foot building at its already extensive premises near Prague. This will be fully operational from the start of 2010 and will be utilised to expand and streamline the current manufacturing process.

The new building has become necessary to meet the huge demand for products and orders that has continued throughout 2009, and this expansion has been financed entirely from existing cashflow.

MILOS is known for its fast turnarounds. The additional space will ensure that even more efficiency and speed can be applied to deliveries, and it will also create more space for the construction of special and custom projects

MILOS' facility is designed to provide the space and the latest technologies to deal with all manufacturing needs in-house. This guarantees quality control and maintenance of the high standards for which the company is renowned

It includes a large cutting workshop and automatic welding of the full ranges of trussing and roofing, the production of circles and other bespoke shapes, special projects, stock control, packaging and dispatch of the finished products. It also includes the MILOS Design Centre, which is at the core of the company's worldwide operation

Coemar Plans New Development

Renato Molinari, CEO of Coemar states: "Our company is the oldest in the lighting industry and is known worldwide for its excellent products which have been used to light shows such as AC/DC and the MTV Music Awards.

"Our plans for development highlight our desire to extend our unbeatable know-how. 2009 was a bad year for everybody and the companies worst affected by the crisis were those working in show business and entertainment industry. However, we decided to take the opportunity to review our marketing strategy, reorganize manufacturing as well as give new impetus to our R&D department and strengthen our sales organisation. We are now more than ready for the challenges 2010 will bring."

Following the total reorganization of Coemar during the latter half of the year it was decided to bring on board top international level managers such as Roberto Bertossi, new technical manager with many years' experience in the automotive industry, and Bruno Beccaria, the new sales manager for Italy. With his background dedicated to creating and managing national and international sales channels in large Italian companies, he was called in by Coemar to develop the domestic market. Adriano Sanson is the new sales executive for the Italian market. Having made a name for himself in the industry by working as a lighting designer and salesman he now reflects the company's desire to provide support in more complex negotiations.

Coemar participated in a series of International trade-fairs and exhibitions in September and November which acted as the showcase for Coemar's new patented products. At PLASA 2009 in London, the Castel Goffredo based company presented the new StageLite Led FX and at LDI in Orlando, Florida, the Infinity M series was introduced to complete the moving-head lighting range, the flagship of the entire collection.

"And that's not all," says Renato Molinari. "We have new projects and new products in the pipeline. We are currently working together with Milan Polytechnic and other light research Institutions to find new innovative lighting solutions. We are working with drive and determination for the future."

Production Resource Group Acquires Procon

Production Resource Group, L.L.C. (PRG) has acquired Procon MultiMedia Aktiengesellschaft AG (Procon), the major Europe-based entertainment technology company. PRG chairman and CEO Jeremiah "Jere" Harris and Procon CEO Morten Carlsson have jointly announced the acquisition, which was made by MHG Media Holdings (MHG), an indirect subsidiary of PRG.

PRG and Procon will continue to serve their current clients from their existing locations without interruptions. As of January 1st, Procon will begin operating under the name Production Resource Group (PRG). Cinegate, Procon's film lighting and camera company, will continue to operate under its existing brand.

PRG's worldwide presence will extend into significant territories now served by Procon, including Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, China and South Africa. These will join PRG's existing facilities in key cities in the US and abroad, including New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando, Chicago, London and Tokyo, among others. There are no plans to consolidate any locations of either company, so clients of PRG and Procon will now have access to the deepest inventory of entertainment technology resources and the highest level of service offered by any supplier at the widest range of locations around the world.

"PRG has become a truly global brand," said Harris. "By acquiring Procon we will be able to offer our customers access to resources anywhere in the world, customised to their needs with local support. PRG and Procon have similar philosophies - both companies provide a multi-discipline, integrated product to our clients. And both companies share a passion to be the very best. With the joining of these two service-oriented companies, PRG is responding to our clients' desire to have a single source solution with experts knowledgeable across the market sectors, such as concert touring, corporate events and television. And we will continue to service clients with both bundled and individual services"

Morten Carlsson stated: "I am confident that this acquisition will create a great opportunity for both PRG and Procon as well as our customers. Like PRG, Procon has built its reputation on offering the very highest level of customer support combined with providing the latest cutting edge technology. Our two companies have enjoyed a long standing productive relationship, having previously combined forces on several high profile projects including the Special Olympics in Shanghai and The Eurovision Song Contest, to name but a few."

Midas and Klark Teknik Distribution Remains Unchanged Under New Ownership

Yesterday's announcement that the Music Group has acquired the Midas and Klark Teknik brands has attracted a phenomenal response from the industry. While there are many questions regarding this exciting new chapter for the company, demonstrating the high esteem in which the industry holds both brands, Midas & Klark Teknik say they would like to stress that their carefully chosen and highly focused distribution companies worldwide will remain in place, and that the brands will not be available through any other channels.

"Over the last five years we have secured the industry's leading professional audio distribution channels to ensure that Midas and Klark Teknik customers in each territory get the same standard of support that our award-winning team provides in the UK, says David Cooper, sales and marketing director for Midas. "It's a great time to be a Midas customer. This deal ensures that our long term distribution partnerships will get stronger and the investment of Midas' customers is not only protected but enhanced."

Cooper has been instrumental in forging many new partnerships with the absolute best distributors to support Midas' large and exacting customer base worldwide. Both Midas & Klark Teknik and new owners The Music Group are confident the present, carefully established distribution channels are the best possible to represent and support the brands in this new era.

www.midasconsoles.com

Midas and Klark Teknik Join the Music Group

Midas and Klark Teknik, business lines within Bosch Communications Systems, has announced that the Music Group has been selected as their new long-term investment partner. The Music Group owns the Behringer brand as well as a number of other associated companies and is managed by Uli Behringer and Michael Deeb.

The sale of Midas and Klark Teknik is part of an asset deal and an agreement to this effect was signed on 8th of December 2009. The sale is subject to regulatory approval. Acquisition price and terms have not been disclosed.

Currently 106 associates work for Midas and Klark Teknik. All of them will be transferred to the Music Group. The Midas and Klark Teknik brands will be continued.

Robert Mulatz, senior vice president of Bosch Communications Systems, states: "Midas and Klark Teknik have always epitomized the highest possible performance and reliability in the mixing console and signal processing markets. Within the professional audio business of Bosch this niche market has not been defined as a core business area due to its size and specific requirements. We believe that in the Music Group we have found both the passion and the financial ability needed to grow Midas and Klark Teknik. Among all potential buyers that have been screened, we have selected the Music Group as the best fit."

Uli Behringer, chairman of the Music Group comments: "I am thrilled and honoured to join with John Oakley and his team in taking these legendary brands forward. I have immense respect for the dedication to quality, performance and customer service that this team has shown consistently over the years. While we plan to invest considerable resources and support to these brands, we also look forward to learning from the achievements of their engineers and working with them to get Behringer to a new level."

Music Group CEO Michael Deeb adds: "Midas and Klark Teknik are at the very pinnacle of their market segment. They address a very unique client base and fulfilment requirement and have a very different sales channel from our current core business. They will continue to operate autonomously under the leadership of John Oakley. However, Midas and Klark Teknik will have full access to the group's extensive resources and advanced automated system platforms in areas such as product development and lifecycle management, supply chain, logistics, decision support and finance.

The final word comes from Alex Cooper, Midas director of console engineering, who said: "For over twenty years I have devoted my life to designing the finest quality audio products possible. It has always been a challenge to achieve the very best performance at a price that the market can afford. The temptation is to cut corners, but that has never been, and will never be the Midas way. I am convinced that working with the Music Group will provide us with advantages that will help us maintain our high standards for the long term."

In picture: director of console development Alex Cooper; managing director John Oakley; sales and marketing director David Cooper.

ShowTex Middle East Triples its Size at New Location

ShowTex Middle East has moved to a new site making it the largest business of its kind in the region. The company is the professional's choice for expert service and a huge stock of cutting-edge stage and decorative fabrics, precision curtain movement and drop systems, the biggest panoramic front and rear projection screens in the world, ShowLED starcloth, Blue key, Chroma key and custom made innovations for the entertainment industry.

Managing director Sven Peeters announces: "We've gone from 600m2 to more than 2000 m2! And the extra space means more possibilities for our customers, faster service, and more refined finishing. One of the major reasons for the move was to accommodate the 24 metre long high frequency welding machine table. The welding machine is actually built into the floor of the 1000m2 dedicated mezzanine workshop adding even more area. ShowTex already created some of the Middle East's biggest projection screens. Now, with the self designed exclusive ShowTex system on site, we're able to produce screens measuring upwards of 500m2 with super strong seams that are nearly invisible at less than 1mm. For the screens alone we've hired two new specialists and the expanded workshop means there's room for more sewing machines as well. Our 1200m2 warehouse makes room for large quantities of stock so we can deliver more and faster than ever before. With current projects spanning the Middle East and South Africa, the extra space is a welcome addition for a growing business.

Horizon Control & Engineering Arts Enter Into Technology Development Alliance

Horizon Control Inc. and Engineering Arts have entered into a strategic alliance for the specification, design and implementation of hardware and software technology. Building on their informal collaboration over the past six years, they are pooling resources and developing technological building blocks for license to third parties for use in their products. With shrinking R & D budgets, these technological building blocks can be used to both jump-start new products and refresh current product offerings.

Among the components under development are two hardware platforms that are designed for efficient customization and adaptation by licensees. The first hardware platform is a networked processor component that supports Ethernet, ACN, real-time

clock, removable memory, LCD touchscreen and numerous interfaces capable of handling proprietary protocols in addition to standards like DMX and RDM. The optional LCD display / touchscreen with graphical interface component supports sophisticated visuals familiar to users of consumer smartphones. The flexibility and large feature set of this platform makes it ideal for a wide variety of applications including: ACN / Ethernet / DMX / RDM Gateway; · Embedded ACN / Networking Communications; Architectural Touchscreen Interface / Controller; Adaptive DMX Playback with Multiple Trigger / Synchronization Sources; Retail / Hospitality Lighting & Environment Controller; Networked Energy Management / Monitoring Processor.

The second hardware platform is a sophisticated LED component that is scalable and capable of direct control of high density configurations of RGB LED's for applications including accent lighting, area illumination, lighting environment enhancement, digital signage, advertising and image / video display.

All technologies are available for license through Horizon Control on a non-exclusive, royalty-free basis.

Consultation services are available for customers who need assistance developing products using these technologies or integrating these technologies into their current products. Anyone attending LDI should visit Horizon Control at Booth 820 and discuss their application with Dr. Alan Martello, president of Horizon Control or Dr. Philip Nye, principal of Engineering Arts.

Element Labs Secures New Financing Linked to Cobra Momentum

Last week Element Labs closed a round of financing, led by Expansion Capital, a top tier Clean Technology venture firm. Based on the momentum developing in the new Cobra line of products, Expansion Capital provided additional funding to Element Labs to allow the company to take full advantage of new market opportunities. Leveraging off the existing products of Cobra V8 and C11, Element Labs will be developing and launching additional products off the same Cobra platform, in the near-term.

After Element Labs completed the 274 square metre City of Dreams casino project in Macau in June, Cobra has sold into numerous other applications around the world, including Times Square in New York. In addition, Element Labs has experienced increased demand for its industry standard products such as Stealth and Versa Tubes. A few examples where Element Labs products have recently been deployed include: Britney Spears Circus tour, Bay Adelaide Centre in Toronto, Eurovision Song Contest Moscow 2009, Hard Rock Café in Orlando, New Orleans Essence Music Festival 2009 and the 2009 Grammy Awards.

Total revenue in Q3 quadrupled compared to Q2, and bookings for the first month of Q4 exceeded those for all of Q3. New business in the last couple months has come from rental agencies in the US, Canada, Belgium, UK, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Japan and Mexico. To extend its market channels the company has signed distribution agreements in the US, Canada and Australia with LEDSource, SF Marketing and Bytecraft, respectively. Fixed installation projects include corporate headquarters, theaters, casinos, cruise ships, sports stadiums, restaurants, mobile trailers and retail store fronts. A popular segment around the world is TV studios, where Element Labs has seen a wide range of its products being deployed.

"We've seen a great response to Cobra. As the lightest, thinnest and easiest to deploy video platform in the market, it is extremely well-suited to many applications in rental, architecture and digital media. The fact that it consumes a fraction of the power of any competitive product and eliminates the need for fans or air conditioning is extremely important in fixed installations and achieves customers' commitments to green alternatives," says Marc van Eekeren, VP of sales and business development. "Cobra's V8 virtual pixelization gives customers the benefit of superior video quality.

Complemented by Cobra C11, customers have a choice if they want the higher resolution - both at very competitive prices," he adds. "C11 has gotten a strong response in the entertainment market where we're starting to book very large orders," said Barbara Nelson, president and CEO. "We're also seeing an increased demand for our Helix product especially in architectural installations, such as the voestalpine AG Headquarters, where customers want the creative lighting flexibility combined with powerful pixel-level mapping. The strong market acceptance of our new products was an important consideration in Expansion Capital's continued financial support."

Bernardo Llovera, general partner of Expansion Capital comments: "The launch of the Cobra V8 and C11 products has positioned Element Labs better than at any time in its history to take advantage of new market opportunities. It has been gratifying to see such strong market acceptance. The new funding will allow Element Labs the opportunity to continue the Cobra rollout and develop new line extensions. We're very excited by the possibilities."

Out Board Announce Global Re-seller Partnership with Ubisense

Out Board has been appointed global re-seller partner for the entertainment and presentation technology sectors by Ubisense, the Cambridge UK based leaders in precision real-time location systems (RTLS).

The move follows on from Out Board's substantial successes with their own audio showcontrol application of the Ubisense technology, TiMax Tracker, which tracks actors and performers around stages and arenas to automatically localise their amplified audio signature via real-time control of the TiMax2 SoundHub audio matrix processor.

Out Board have also supplied this highly versatile precision tracking technology to control other third-party audio showcontrollers such as the Meyer LCS system, and provided support to developments in further disciplines such as control of lighting, cameras, multimedia servers and advanced showcontrol environments such as the CAST BlackBox system.

Ubisense CEO Richard Green comments: "Out Board understand the language and dynamics of the entertainment technology industry, and they have the in-depth technical and commercial experience to fully develop and support these exciting new initiatives. Their well-established distribution network also gives them a truly global reach to help apply these skills, we're confident they're well placed to maximise the potential of Ubisense in this sector."

The Ubisense core RTLS platform employs a unique combination of angle-of-arrival (AOA) and time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA) analysis to deliver highly reliable and accurate location information to a resolution of 15cm (6") in three dimensions. Out Board add their own software application layers to provide real-time visualisations and application-specific showcontrol GUI's. A network of compact Ubisense sensors receives 6-8GHz UWB radar-frequency pulses from miniature tags worn by the performers, and the resulting real-time localisation data is used to deliver either discrete or continuous positional control of external media peripherals via MIDI or Ethernet.

Just as demand has rocketed for effective RTLS resources in Ubisense's core enterprise markets such as personnel or asset tracking and process control, so the entertainment industry has also seen a growing interest in this area. Out Board's Robin Whittaker remarks: "People in our industry seem very tweaked by RTLS allowing them to do things that were just not possible a few years ago. We know a lot of those people, and we're delighted to be in a position to deliver them viable solutions to open up these new possibilities."

Cooper Controls Announce New Era for Zero 88

Cooper Controls has announced that after eight years with Zero 88, Graham Eales has resigned.

"Graham made significant contributions to Zero 88 during his 8 years, during which time the brand launched Frog consoles and the Chilli dimming range. We would like to thank Graham for his years of service and wish him well in his future endeavours," comments Ken Walma, general manager, Cooper Controls.

With this change, Cooper Controls are taking the opportunity to restructure the Zero 88 brand to better service customers, increase sales, and support new product development.

With immediate effect Grant Bales-Smith will take on responsibility for Zero 88 profitability in all markets outside the Americas as well as sales responsibility for UK, Southern Europe, Middle East & Africa. Franck Tiesing will continue to manage Northern & Eastern Europe as Zero 88 takes a stronger approach to Europe with additional resources and product developments. Claire House will take on sales responsibility for Asia and Australasia and continues as the brand marketing manager.

Many exciting changes continue to take place within the brand, which include: the launch of the brand into North America following technology acquisition and marketing agreement with Electronics Diversified; an exclusive agreement with State Automation and their high density dimming products; development of the ORB family of premium theatrical lighting consoles and additional sales staff in Europe.

"2010 represents the beginning of a new era as we build on these developments, and continue delivering innovative solutions to the performance entertainment marketplace. We look forward to working with our distribution partners to grow our business over the coming year," concludes Ken.

www.zero88.com

coolux Among Germany's 50 Fastest Growing Technology Companies

With an impressive five-year growth rate of 289%, coolux reached 42nd place as part of this year's Deloitte's Fast 50 list, a ranking of the country's 50 fastest growing technology companies. Deloitte has honoured business growth, technological innovation and entrepreneurial spirit this way for the seventh year in a row. The listed companies' performance highlights the fact that they were able to surpass expectations even in times of economic crisis.

coolux founder and CEO Jan Hüwel comments on his company's success: "We are now reaping the benefits of our sticking to triple A quality standards, no matter what the economic situation. Pushing our ability to come up with innovative new ideas to the utmost limit and beyond has always been one of our main goals. More than 1500 licences sold since the inception of our company is a number that speaks for itself."

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