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."

SIA Acoustics Establishes Local Office in India

SIA Acoustics, a leading acoustical design and facility planning firm with offices in New York City and Hollywood, CA, is opening an office in Mumbai, India. Operating locally and offering the advantage of shared resources from three offices, SIA Acoustics now also serves Indian customers in all aspects of acoustics, technical systems, and facility design.

"Supporting the growing number of sound critical facilities being built here in India truly requires meeting with people face to face," says SIA Acoustics partner Steve Sockey. "And this means it is essential to have local staff who understand both acoustics and the specific way that work is done in India."

Collaborating with architects, developers, facility owners and operators, SIA Acoustics works closely with the project team at the local level to properly address sound critical concerns of both new and existing facilities. SIA Acoustics is widely credited with a wide range of successful projects including production and broadcast studios, recording and multimedia facilities, musical performance venues, theatres, clubs and hospitality and conference facilities. SIA Acoustics demonstrates its commitment to a projects success by building deep long lasting relationships.

In announcing the openings, founding partner Sam Berkow said: "We are thrilled to be opening an office in India. Having traveled here many times through the years, it is a place we enjoy greatly. We are excited to be a part of the current development of important facilities and venues that India is building helping establish it as a leader on the worldwide stage."

Apollo's Design-A-Pattern Contest Benefits Behind the Scenes

Apollo Design Technology recently made the first donation to Behind the Scenes from first year sales of the winning templates in their annual Design-A-Pattern Contest. Each year, Apollo is committed to adding new gobo designs to their library of standard patterns but they wanted to get the actual users more involved so in 2008 they created the Design-A-Pattern Contest. Anyone can submit a design and those entries that meet Apollo's basic criteria for what makes a good standard pattern are posted on Apollo's website and the public votes for their favourite.

The first contest resulted in 30 entries and five winning patterns submitted by R. Christopher Stokes, Dwayne Thomas, Morgan Landrum, Todd Proffitt, and Gary McGarity. As recognition for being selected, the designer's name is included in the pattern name, the designs are added to Apollo's marketing materials, and Apollo makes a donation to Behind the Scenes based on a portion of first year sales.

"These elements combined to generate the user interest and interaction we were looking for," commented Monty McWilliams, VP Marketing for Apollo Design. "Based on the number of submissions and winners in year two, we anticipate the program's contribution to Behind the Scenes will continue to grow."

Visit www.apollodesign.net to view the 2009 contest winners and support Behind the Scenes or to submit your own design for the 2010 contest, which is underway right now.

The ESTA Foundation's Behind the Scenes program provides entertainment technology industry members with grants for emergency situations created by serious illness, injury or death. For more information about Behind the Scenes, to donate, or to apply for a grant, visit www.estafoundation.org/bts.htm.

Nemetschek North America and City Theatrical Establish New Partnership

Nemetschek North America has announced that a new partnership with City Theatrical has been established. This partnership will allow both companies to cross sell and market their products to professionals and schools focused on the entertainment and lighting design industries in the US.

Acting as a U.S. distributor partner, City Theatrical will sell Vectorworks Spotlight and Vectorworks Designer software through their distributor network of more than 200 lighting dealers in all major cities. Nemetschek North America, in turn, will be able to offer their customers the product Lightwright 5, a quintessential tool for tracking all aspects of selecting and arranging, numbering and comparing, assigning, and footnoting lighting paperwork.

"The partnership between John McKernon's Lightwright and Nemetschek North America's Vectorworks is a natural fit," stated Gary Fails, president of City Theatrical, Inc. "The products complement each other and are both standards among lighting professionals. This partnership will make it easier for users to obtain both programs at one time and will strengthen the leadership position of both products."

Nemetschek North America's U.S. director of sales and marketing, Michael Pacylowski, is also looking forward to the new collaboration and explained: "This partnership will reinforce the Vectorworks Spotlight and Lightwright data-exchange solution as the gold standard in the world of lighting design."

Behind the Scenes Receives Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Grant

Behind the Scenes, the entertainment technology industry charity, announces it has just received a grant of $50,000 from Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS. In his cover letter to the grant, BC/EFA executive director Tom Viola said: "BC/EFA is very grateful to the companies and individuals working in the technical professions - from lighting and rigging to scenery, special effects, audio and more - who have participated in and made so much of BC/EFA's fundraising in the theatre community possible."

Tom went on to say: "This first $50,000, in what will be an annual grant, is sent in appreciation of that long-time support and to celebrate the wonderful friendships that have been forged between BC/EFA and so many working backstage, behind the scenes and in the entertainment technology industry."

Rick Rudolph, chair of the Behind the Scenes Committee, responded: "We are incredibly grateful for this generous grant and the recognition of what Behind the Scenes is accomplishing and the community we represent." We have had an unprecedented number of requests for grants in just the first six weeks of this year and this gift from BC/EFA will ensure we can continue to assist our colleagues in need even through such difficult economic times."

The ESTA Foundation's Behind the Scenes program provides entertainment technology industry members with grants for emergency situations created by serious illness, injury or death. For more information about Behind the Scenes, to donate, or to apply for a grant, visit www.estafoundation.org/bts.htm

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised over $175 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States. BC/EFA is the major supporter of seven programs at The Actors' Fund - including The AIDS Initiative, The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, The Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic, The Dancers' Resource and three supportive housing residences. BC/EFA also awards annual grants to over 400 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide. For more information visit:

www.BroadwayCares.org.

L-Acoustics Launches System Integrator Charter for Fixed Installation Market

ISE Amsterdam saw L-Acoustics announce the progressive deployment of a certified System Integrators Network for the fixed installation market in France, UK, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA.

The concept of L-Acoustics System Integrator Network is based on three working principles defined in the L-Acoustics System Integrator Charter. These are the use of a systematic methodology and the deployment of specialized services from specification to post integration stages of installation projects to ensure end user satisfaction; the adoption of a full system approach in design standard to ensure predictability and optimization of system performance; and the guarantee of qualified product specialists to ensure a standard of excellence through education.

Entry into the System Integrator Network starts with a preliminary audit to ensure that the prospective integrator's activity and resources match the System Integrator Charter. After staff training is carried out, the System Integrator is listed in the directory and gets full access to the System Integrator status and its privileges. These include access to sound design, advanced system measurement, tuning services and support for system commissioning.

In addition, L-Acoustics will offer exposure of its System Integrators activities through regular marketing and the publication of the System Integrator directory and its communication to consultants for bidding purposes and preferred commercial conditions for design-build activity.

Finally, a new training program will be introduced in April 2010 to provide system and sound design training for System Integrator product specialists. The training seminar will cover system design, sound design case studies, system implementation, installation and testing/tuning.

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."

Behind the Scenes Announces Holiday Card Student Design Contest

Behind The Scenes, an initiative of The ESTA Foundation, announces its first-ever holiday card student design contest, open to any lighting, set, video or costume full-time design student interested in creating an original design for a 2010 card.

The winner will be chosen by an all-star panel of previous holiday card designers including Bob Bonniol, Beowulf Borrit, Scott Pask, Bruce Rodgers, Douglas Schmidt, and Tim Hunter Design. The winner's design will be among the cards offered for sale to raise money for Behind the Scenes, which provides financial assistance to entertainment technology professionals who are ill or injured.

The winner will also receive a free pass to the Live Design Master Class of choice (lighting, sound, or projection) to be held in May in New York City.

"This is an incredible opportunity for student designers to have their work seen by top-notch designers in our industry, including several Tony Award winners," says Rick Rudolph, chair of the Behind the Scenes Committee. "We anxiously await the submissions and hope this will become an annual event to benefit Behind The Scenes."

The deadline for entries is March 15, 2010. Design guidelines and cards from previous years can be viewed at www.estafoundation.org/bts/holidaycardguidelines.htm

For questions contact holidaycard@estafoundation.org  For additional information visit www.estafoundation.org/bts.htm or call 212-244-1421.

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.

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."

Apollo Brings Multiform's Light and Colour to the USA

Following succesful discussions a PLASA 09 Multiform Lighting have appointed Apollo Design Technology inc. based in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis as their US distributor of LED lighting and controllers for the Stage and Architainment markets.

Apollo will be exhibiting at the Big City Bash January 14 and at Super Saturday on January 16 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia.

On display for the first time in the US will be the latest LED luminaires from Multiform, the MultiSpot HP and MultiBeam HP. Rated at 27W and 54W respectively these fixtures use 3W Multricel LEDs to produce a uniform, shadow free, colour output. Fitted with interchangeable lenses they can provide beam angles of 25, 40 and 60 degrees.

Manufactured from rugged aluminium extrusions and galvanised steel they are equipped with a combined hanging bracket/floor stand, safety cable and designed for DMX or standalone operation making them ideal for most professional lighting applications.

SeaChange International Announces Agreement to Acquire VividLogic

SeaChange International, Inc., a leading provider of software and hardware solutions for video-on-demand (VOD) television, has announced that it has entered into a binding agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of VividLogic, Inc.

VividLogic is a privately-owned, California-based company that provides software and services to cable television service providers, set-top box manufacturers and consumer electronics (CE) suppliers. Its software products include tru2way, Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) and Globally Executable MHP (GEM)-based IPTV operability for set-top box and CE manufacturers, and in-home content protection, as well as funded software development for the creation of service provider-sponsored home media gateways. The combination of existing SeaChange in-home technologies and the VividLogic platforms will enable SeaChange to capitalize on the market shift towards IP-delivery into and within the home.

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, SeaChange will pay $12 million in cash upon the closing of the transaction, of which $1.2 million will be deposited in escrow with respect to specified indemnification matters. In addition, VividLogic shareholders will be entitled to the working capital on its balance sheet prior to closing, an amount estimated to be $8.6 million. Of this $8.6 million to be paid in cash, $3.9 million will be paid at closing, $1.3 million will be paid on each of May 1, 2010 and August 1, 2010 respectively and $2 million will be paid on the one year anniversary of the closing. VividLogic's estimated $8.6 million of working capital at the closing includes approximately $5.9 million in cash.

In addition, SeaChange is obligated to pay $1 million in cash to shareholders of VividLogic on each of the first three anniversary dates following the acquisition. The purchase price will also include earnout payments based on the operating performance of VividLogic over the three year period ending January 31, 2013 with payment upon achievement of these metrics occurring annually.

VividLogic revenues are estimated to be approximately $7.0 million for calendar 2009, and it is expected to generate a small profit for the year.

Commenting on the acquisition, Bill Styslinger, SeaChange chairman and CEO noted: "VividLogic expands our software product portfolio by providing wireless gateway, tru2way and MHP capability to our in-home offerings. Tru2way and MHP are especially important as both North American and European service providers prepare their networks for customer interactive applications. SeaChange has made great progress with its software strategy. Not only have we established ourselves as the leader in backoffice, advertising and application software, additionally our various in-home software products are deployed in approximately 30 million devices."

"As the next generation of in-home devices including wireless gateways and cable-ready televisions emerge, it is important that we embrace these technologies to continue to lead in the in-home software markets," Styslinger continued. "In 2010 our restriction to sell TV Navigator in North America is lifted and, combined with our strong set-top software presence, we plan to offer tru2way, MHP and wireless gateway software that will enable our customers to share content and offer next-generation applications. We are excited about the market changes and the growth opportunities that lie ahead. VividLogic's leadership in key areas that complement our own software offerings uniquely position us to lead in the next generation of in-home infrastructure software, middleware and application software."

At the recent International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas the companies demonstrated available solutions including VividLogic's tru2way software stack and multi-room DVR, and SeaChange's Intelligent Video Platform for place-shifting across PCs, mobile phones and television set-top boxes.

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.

LOUD and Avid Announce Licensing Agreement

LOUD Technologies Inc. has announced that it has signed an agreement with Avid that licenses the use of Mackie's new Onyx-i Series Firewire recording mixers with Avid Pro Tools M-Powered 8 software.

To enable use with Pro Tools M-Powered 8, users will need to purchase the Mackie Universal Driver upgrade at www.mackie.com. Once the driver is downloaded and installed, the Onyx 820i, 1220i, 1620i and 1640i mixers can be used with Avid Pro Tools M-Powered 8 software.

"For years, Mackie customers have wanted to combine the familiar workflow of an analogue mixer with the world's most popular DAW," remarked John Boudreau, VP of LOUD's Music Gear group. "Through our newly-signed agreement with Avid, Mackie's Onyx-i mixers now make this possible."

Chris Gahagan, senior vice president of products at Avid said: "Avid has made openness a key component of its ongoing strategy, and this agreement with LOUD is a perfect example of how we continue to open up our ecosystem. As joint developers of the HUI protocol, Avid and LOUD have a history of working productively together, and we're pleased to be working together on this latest endeavor to provide our customers with more choice and flexibility when it comes to unleashing their creativity."

Mackie Onyx-i Series FireWire Recording Mixers are now available at Mackie-authorised dealers worldwide.

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.

Sennheiser Offers RF Coordination Service for the Vancouver Winter Olympics

Sennheiser Canada, in a coordinated effort with Sennheiser Germany has announced the opening of an RF/equipment service and sales facility in conjunction with the upcoming XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. The facility will offer assistance to radio and television broadcasters from all corners of the globe using Sennheiser technology that requires frequency coordination and equipment service. Broadcasters will be able to purchase Sennheiser's new 2000 Series wireless systems as well. Sennheiser's 2010 Olympic RF coordination facility will open on February 6th - six days before the games officially start - and close at the end of day on February 14th. To secure an appointment, it is recommended that broadcasters contact Sennheiser Canada in advance. "Walk-ins" will be accommodated as time permits.

Sennheiser Canada's technical consultant, Rob Poretti, and Germany's Global RF Specialist, Klaus Willemsen, and Technical Consultant, Gerhard Spyra, will staff the Sennheiser Olympic service facility. All three RF specialists have encyclopedic knowledge of Sennheiser wireless systems and decades of experience implementing Sennheiser technology in the world's most challenging environments. In fact, Willemsen has been providing RF frequency assistance to Olympic broadcasters for the past fourteen years.

"All broadcasters are assigned frequencies prior to their arrival to the games, but with an event this logistically challenging, there are bound to be some questions and issues," remarked director of technical services at Sennheiser Canada, Robert Généreux. "Sennheiser recognises how significant the Olympics are and wants to assist our customers with expertise and equipment to ensure that everything runs smoothly."

The RF coordination facility will be located at Video Matrix/Matrix Pro Shop, 123 West 7th Ave, Vancouver, B.C., V5Y 1L8, just 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the International Broadcast Center. It will be open from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm daily from February 6th to February 14th. Contact Robert Généreux at +1 (514) 823-8223 or genereuxr@sennheiser.com to setup an advance appointment. Additional information, including a map of the location, can be found at http://www.sennheiser.ca/live/senn/olympic/en/

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.

Solotech Advances Multimedia Entertainment with New Las Vegas Facility and Meyer Sound

With the boundless possibilities of multimedia integration, Canadian production giant Solotech has inspired audiences through its work with Cirque du Soleil, Leonard Cohen, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Diana Krall, Michael Buble, Pacific Symphony, and Star Wars: In Concert, using high-performance Meyer Sound systems. To lay the groundwork for further growth in the AV installation and touring markets, the 35-year-old company opened a new facility in Las Vegas in 2009 to support and advance the use of multimedia directly from the international capital of live entertainment.

Solotech has maintained an active presence in Las Vegas since 2003. "We worked on the opening of some of Las Vegas's major showroom projects such as the Colosseum at Caesars Palace and the KÀ theatre at MGM Grand," says Pierre Leduc, vice president and general manager of Solotech US Corp. "With this new facility, we'll continue to support the region's installation projects, including the Elvis showroom in City Center and the Kodak Theater in LA, offer local rental services, and have a storefront to meet the supply needs of local AV professionals."

The opening of the new Las Vegas location has also put the company in close proximity to the West Coast touring market, which has constituted a major portion of Solotech's growth. "The idea with the Las Vegas expansion is that we can create any production virtually-wherever you are, we can make something for you," says Richard Lachance, Solotech's vice president of development. "Within five years, Las Vegas will be bigger than Montreal, so we're laying the foundations for that forecast.

"We don't see ourselves as a typical touring company or audio visual provider per se," continues Lachance. "We tend to think and operate as a full-service provider of multiple media technologies. For a production to be successful, it's critical that the show's entire technical infrastructure be designed and supported with the same degree of integration."

Solotech has achieved an impressive annual growth rate of 25% in the past three years, and equipment predictability and reliability are vital in each of its projects, which often involve original designs that are both complex and creative. "We do a lot of Cirque shows, which have a life expectancy of a minimum of 5,000 performances, as opposed to a typical tour with 100-150," says Lachance. "When you build these shows, they are for the long term, so we require maximum reliability and quality for the large number of performances. This is why we spec Meyer."

Solotech's large Meyer Sound inventory includes more than 30 different models that range from the award-winning M'elodie line array loudspeaker to the innovative SB-1 sound beam currently on tour with Andre Rieu. "The exceptional quality of the products, the great support we are getting from Meyer, and the close relationship we have had with the company has been a key factor in our success," says Leduc.

Solotech puts a heavy emphasis on ongoing technical development opportunities for its worldwide staff of more than 500 AV professionals. "We deal with a lot of different technologies," says Lachance. "And to do it right you need to have highly competent people to run them. We're much more than just a rental company. Our gear doesn't go out without seasoned technicians who will maximize the performance of the products. These talents are the foundation of our success and will continue to play a key role in Solotech's growth."

Solotech's new Las Vegas facility is headed by Pierre Leduc; Robert Brassard, director of operations; and Louis Boutin, director of finance and administration. The Las Vegas management team works closely with Dean Roney, vice president of business development in the touring sector.

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."

coolux China Limited Founded with Offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong

coolux GmbH, based in Cologne, Germany has announced that coolux China Limited has been founded with offices opened in both Shanghai and Hong Kong.

With these two offices coolux China is aiming at the growing projection and digital signage market in the region. Next to the sales and support offices the team has developed important demo and training rooms, both well equipped and featuring all Pandoras Box products.

"With this step coolux underlines the growing importance of the Chinese market. Headed by Kim Lee, Francis, William, Kenneth and the expanding coolux supporting network around China, we have found the right partners to develop sales, support and training. This team has been working with Pandoras Box for years now and have proved their knowledge and their reliability across this time," said coolux CEO Daniel Schaefer.

In picture: Kim Lee, Harry Gladow, Daniel Schaefer, Francis Lee and Helmut Protte.

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