When the COVID-19 pandemic began to go global, the organizers of CoNZealand, the 78^th World Science Fiction Convention, scheduled for late July in Wellington, New Zealand, were searching for an alternative to cancellation. Division Head for Technology Services, John Maizels, was already assembling a suite of publicly available tools like Zoom video and Discord chat rooms. But to stage a full virtual convention, they had to find a way to manage it with a globally distributed tech team.

Around 2000 venues, places, landmarks, and monuments all over the USA were lit in red for the #RedAlertRESTART campaign on September 1^st to highlight the critical situation facing the live events and entertainment industry and the need for lawmaker’s support of the RESTART Act (S.3814) to offer some sort of relief to the industry.  This latest red day of action was part of a wider industry campaign being led by the #WeMakeEvents movement, a collective of trade organizations including PLASA (the Professional Lighting & Sound Association). The idea of lighting buildings in ‘emergency red’ started in Germany with #NightofLightDE in June, and the concept caught on with red days of action organized in many European countries and the UK (initiated by #LightiItInRed on 6^th July, followed up by PLASA’s #WeMakeEvents action on 11^th August) as well as South Africa (#LightSARed on 5^th August) and others.

For the first time in its history, IBC will present its highest award, the International Honour for Excellence, not to a single individual or organisation, but to the news broadcasters of the world. The award comes in recognition for the key role journalists have played in educating and informing audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, while operating under extremely challenging conditions. The award will be presented in a livestream on Friday, 11 September at 13:00 BST, with access available via the IBC Showcase.

With Covid-19 lockdowns worldwide and health authorities urging people to self-isolate and practice social distancing on a massive scale as part of an enormous effort to #FlattenTheCurve of this global pandemic … we are reaching out to industry friends, colleagues, associates, partners, etc., and asking them to share their #StayAtHome and #QuarantineAndChill activities with us during this extraordinary time.

Seongnam Arts Center is a cultural hub in South Korea that prides itself on being a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose performance facility. Ease of use, durability and reliability of equipment are what make one venue the preferred choice over another for visiting performers, and this mounting pressure for technological excellence in Korea was a major driving force behind the Arts Center’s decision for an audio overhaul. Having recently installed a new audio system, the 1,808-seat capacity focused on an intercom systems upgrade comprised of Clear-Com’s® HelixNet® Digital Network Partyline and FreeSpeak II® Digital Wireless Intercom. The new system would be implemented across three performance halls: the Concert Hall, the Ensemble Theatre, and the largest of the three, the Opera House.  
 

On August 11, as part of PLASA’s first UK-wide #WeMakeEvents campaign, the live events and production community in Manchester organised a silent and socially distanced flight case march across the city which culminated in a dramatic red flare exhibit. Over 1,000 freelancers and supply companies attended the regional protest which collectively asked the Government to extend its furlough scheme - due to end in October - and allow access to grants in order to help save an estimated 114,000 jobs. The protest became the world’s first time-sensitive event with its crew implementing the Tour Production Group (TPG) COVID-19 Working Guidance.

Robe UK partnered with Clearsound Productions, Venue Lab and Broadwick Live to support #LightItInRed and PLASA’s #WeMakeEvents national call to action on 11^th August – to draw attention to the live entertainment industry and its need for sector support from the government to survive the coronavirus crisis.Robe moving lights were used to illuminate the exteriors of three flagship live entertainment venues – Magazine London on Greenwich Peninsula, Printworks London in Canada Water and Exhibition London in White City – all managed by Venue Lab, part of Vibration Group.  

Bristol, UK-based production manager and lighting designer Tim Smith of TS Productions utilized the power and practicality of Astera wireless lighting to illuminate his “One-hundred Unseen” an innovative high-impact live art installation created as part of a UK nationwide campaign day on August 11^th 2020 to the highlight the critical state of the live entertainment industry amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. Shows and events came to an abrupt halt in March, stranding companies, venues, organisations and a large community of freelance creatives and technicians without any income, with precious little government financial assistance, and currently, no roadmap to reopening.

Riedel today announced that the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) has migrated its production communications infrastructure to Riedel’s Bolero wireless intercom system. Replacing an obsolete wired system, Bolero provides crystal-clear, efficient, and easy-to-manage communications for WAAPA performance crews at both on-campus and off-site venues.

UK lighting control manufacturer Zero 88 presented “Live from the Congress” a dynamic live stream highlighting the latest technologies in its control, data and power product ranges … and announcing that key products like the ZerOS Server, Splitter 8, Gateway 4 & Gateway 8, Betapack4 and RigSwitch are all “shipping NOW”. The 30-minute broadcast was hosted at the Congress Theatre in Cwmbran, the nearest theatre to Zero 88’s manufacturing facility, and was presented by general manager David Catterall, supported by Jon Hole, Tyler Holpin (who also works as a technician at the venue) and Edward Smith.

With Covid-19 lockdowns worldwide and health authorities urging people to self-isolate and practice social distancing on a massive scale as part of an enormous effort to #FlattenTheCurve of this global pandemic … we are reaching out to industry friends, colleagues, associates, partners, etc., and asking them to share their #StayHome and #QuarantineandChill activities with us during this extraordinary time.

“My Light Shines On” was a stunning large-scale light art installation designed by Kate Bonney and Simon Hayes from Lightworks, commissioned by the world’s leading performing arts festival, Edinburgh International Festival, to mark what would have been the opening weekend of Edinburgh’s 2020 Festival Season. Celebrating the spirit, energy, vibe and imagination of the Festival – with a multi-disciplinary programme and was cancelled for the first time in seven decades due to the coronavirus pandemic – fourteen separate lighting installations around the city highlighted some of the most famous venues of Edinburgh’s festivals in August.

Over 160 Anolis – a Robe business – LED luminaires have been used to illuminate public and connecting areas of the Les Bassins de Lumières, an imposing former World War II U-Boat bunker in Bordeaux, France. Originally known as ‘Betasom’, four of the 11 vast submarine basin areas have been reimagined by private organisation Culturespaces for use as a stunning and provocative sanctuary for immersive digital arts and mixed media installations. Nicolas Valette from lighting design practice 4eleven was asked to create a lighting scheme that highlighted the internal architecture of these impressive 115 metre long water-filled bays which have a draft of between 9 and 11.40 metres – with a tidal allowance of 1.5 meters.

Qwest TV, the on-demand music-centric streaming video service co-founded by Quincy Jones, is here to bring viewers worldwide proof of Ray Charles’s insistence that “good music is good music.” To do this, the service is adding new channels and a free, ad-supported tier of curated linear streaming video, a broadcast-like experience of the world’s best music.

On 11^th August, the live events industry across the UK will come together in solidarity to host a series of creative action to help save the live events and entertainment sector, which is on the verge of collapsing without financial support from the government. Hundreds of venues are expected to turn their lights red, along with other creative activities being staged in over 20 cities across the UK to symbolise the industry going into red alert, and a final call to action titled ‘Throw us a line’ will be taking centre stage on London’s South Bank.