Sennheiser Group and the Shanghai Concert Hall have agreed to terms that officially renames the Shanghai Concert Hall, “Sennheiser Shanghai Concert Hall”, effective March 10, 2014. This is the first time in Sennheiser’s history that a performance centre has been named after the company and signals a new beginning for Sennheiser Group. This prestigious event also introduces the formation of Sennheiser-owned record label, Sennheiser Media. Sennheiser Media is a subsidiary of Sennheiser. Famed Chinese musical prodigy, A-Bu is the label’s first signing and Sennheiser is pleased to launch A Bu’s first album at this event.

Having been declared European Capital of Culture 2014 all eyes now turn to the city of Umeå in Sweden. Lumination of Sweden was put in charge of the technical production for the inauguration ceremony, and brought in 36 SGM P-5 wash lights to create the right atmosphere and colour large outdoor spaces for this opening winter weekend of the cultural year. This incorporated the shows, “Burning Snow” and “Lit City”.

West London based lighting and sound rental and production specialist Entec Sound & Light supplied a full production package for the 2014 Bhangra Showdown event staged at London’s legendary Hammersmith Apollo venue by Imperial College’s Punjabi Society.

West London based rental company Entec’s Sound division renewed its long term acquaintance with Bedales School, supplying a d&b sound system and crew for their annual Rock Concert event, staged in the 340 capacity Olivier Theatre on the school’s picturesque campus in Hampshire.

This year, Robe was already involved in some of the highest high profile New Year’s shows around the world  including Berlin, Las Vegas and New York … and once again its moving lights were right at the centre of the action for Chinese New Year celebrations in London’s Trafalgar Square, featuring an afternoon of onstage entertainment culminating in a massive son et lumière extravaganza finale show to welcome the Year of the Horse.

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The late afternoon sun casts a magical amber glow across the surrounding hills, the air is filled with pulsing rhythms; you can taste the fecund African soil on the breeze. At the end of a dusty farm track somewhere in northern South Africa a large group of people are ululating rhythmically to the beat. “Most of the crowd are in their twenties,” said Evert De Munnik, “And about all of them are metal heads.” Not what you were expecting? No, but then Oppikoppi is not your run of the mill festival.

The College of Music at the Mahidol University in Bangkok has equipped its new performing arts centre with audio, communication and media technology from SALZBRENNER STAGETEC MEDIAGROUP. Seating up to 2 000, the centre with its symphonic hall is a prestigious cultural project for Thailand's capital and raises the bar on quality of acoustics and technical equipment. Concerts started in December 2013, with the opening ceremony in the presence of the royal couple scheduled for March 2014.

The Experience Lagos, is the world's largest Gospel concert, gathering some of today's best-known gospel artists. Originally, The Experience was an opportunity for Nigerians to put aside their differences, to come together and pray.

During a technical upgrade, the existing setup at the recording studio of the Herkulessaal – the history-packed concert hall of the Munich Residenz – has been enhanced with additional STAGETEC systems. The main purpose of the studio is recording and live broadcasting performances of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, which uses Herkulessaal regularly.

With three spectacular events, A&O Technology in the role of general contractor, along with its in-house creative department under the leadership of the lighting designer Jerry P. Appelt, was able to close out the year 2013 in style and hit the ground running in 2014. At the end of November, the lighting specialist bathed the Burj Khalifa in light to mark the announcement that the city had been chosen to host Expo 2020. On 18 December, a magnificent light show in Doha followed to mark National Day 2013, and a further superb lighting spectacle that included a record-breaking firework display on 31 December at the Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai heralded the advent of 2014.

Choirs from 12 African countries competed in the 9th annual One Harmony Choir Festival at the Joburg Theatre. Having supplied the full technical equipment since the show’s inception, Showgroup were honoured to be involved once again.

Ross Ashton and the Projection Studio (TPS) worked as consultants to Jack Morton Worldwide who produced the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display for the 10th consecutive year and invited TPS to provide the large format video projections system.

The world watched in awe as Dubai set a new world record for the largest ever firework display. A dazzling array of colours illuminated the night sky above the city as a staggering 450,000 fireworks were launched in six minutes to set the new world record.

An estimated 1.2 million people packed into Times Square, New York City on December 31 to party into 2014 with the New Year’s Eve Ball drop. Billions watched the broadcast worldwide as Lighting Designer Paul Miller updated the old annual tradition this year with new technology, using Robe ROBIN LEDWash 1200 fixtures from Christie Lites New York.