As an audio professional with experience stretching from the Paleo festival in the 1970s, through working with many of the world’s highest profile artists, to his current role of designing high end audio installations for events and venues, Pierre-André Aebischer knows a thing or two about sound. This experience is why he chose Yamaha’s STAGEPAS 1K all-in-one portable PA systems to demonstrate the advantages of multi-channel, immersive live audio.

Tallinn, Estonia-based technical production and rental company Strikken has been doing its bit to support the nation’s fight against coronavirus by voluntarily assisting the Synlab Eesti OU laboratory in collecting and transporting Covid-19 test samples gathered from all around the country. This is tied into research being conducted by the University of Tartu, including a three-month study on the prevalence of coronavirus among both symptomatic and asymptomatic people. At least 16,000 residents – based on a random statistical sample – will be interviewed and invited to be tested for coronavirus.

The Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus theatre has extended its long relationship with Optocore, in order to keep pace with evolving technology. In the case of such a formidable, multi-space complex as this, an agile digital infrastructure, with multiple routing options and interconnectivity, is essential. To maintain this, the theatre has upgraded the original Optocore analogue network, installed in 2011, to an advanced and future-proof system.

Commissioned by the Qiddiya Investment Company (Q.I.C.) and with phase one planned to open in 2023, the highly ambitious Qiddiya project is destined to be the upcoming capital for arts, entertainment and sports in Saudi Arabia. The immense 334km2 site will be built from a focus on the tourism and recreation industries, as highlighted in the Saudi Vision 2030 expansion plan by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud. The destination includes plans for expansive water and theme parks as well as a community of 5,000 residents, all within a 40-minute journey of the Riyadh capital. The destination, currently an expansive, vast land with hundreds of miles of potential, will be surrounded by immense 200 metre cliffs. Phase one of the project will feature “Six Flags Qiddiya” as a family attraction, providing visitors with endless entertainment and attractions to explore which take into consideration the cultural and natural aspects of the area, including the mountains.

Riedel Communications and Remote Recording Network (RRN) today announced their collaboration on a unique remote mastering service for a live-streamed concert performed by Peter Maffay and local musicians from Steintor-Varietè in Halle, Germany.

Nalini Tebbey owns and runs Floating Lotus, a thriving yoga studio based in Helensvale, Gold Coast, Australia, offering a busy weekly schedule of 36 yoga, pilates and meditation classes. Recently, helping to create a harmonious ambience in the studio … have been six Astera Titan Tubes. The business had just moved into a beautiful and tranquil new premises with large windows, lots of incoming natural light and panoramic views, a fully conducive environment for relaxation and concentration, when the coronavirus pandemic and resultant lockdown meant the doors had to be temporarily closed to the public!

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.

As the sun set over Johannesburg, South Africa on the evening of 19 May, Mark Gaylard of technical production company MGG had a lump in his throat. He and his crew of twenty had just replicated a version of the South African flag using 214 lighting fixtures, predominantly Robe, at the company’s premises. As he looked over the horizon, Mark hoped that life would soon enable him to get back to doing the things he loves most – running a busy and proactive lighting and visual rental and production company which services a diversity of shows and events.

“There are always unintended consequences for most things in life. Those of us in the Live Events Industry have struggled since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis to accurately define exactly when live events will return. The medical and the political situations must both be positively aligned in order for everyone to feel comfortable to return in masses to live events.

Lighting designer Brenton Slattery from Scene Change Brisbane chose Astera AX1 and Titan Tube wireless battery-powered LED fixtures to create a memorable light sculpture and high-impact messaging for the 2020 Anzac Day commemorations. The sign spelt out ‘LEST WE FORGET’ in bold, bright, positive letters and was highly visible on the waterside lawn at Howard Smith Wharfs in the Queensland state capital. Brenton is based at the Howard Smith Wharfs multi-venue site comprising a series of tastefully regenerated – and now heritage-listed – riverfront buildings on the Brisbane River, overlooked by Story Bridge which was constructed around the same time, between 1934 and 1940.

Event production specialist Leisuretec UK, headed by Phil Jameson, has utilised imagination and resources to light up Wigan’s DW Stadium in a variety of vibrant colour combinations  … showing support for the National Health Service (NHS), essential workers and various community initiatives as everyone pulls together to beat the coronavirus pandemic. The venue is used by both Wigan Athletic football club and Wigan Warriors rugby league club, and Leisuretec UK is the preferred event technical supplier, which entails providing kit, services and crew for numerous corporate activities happening there – around 2 to 3 a week for most of the year.

Creative director and lighting designer Koert Vermeulen wanted to do something extra special to celebrate 25 years of his innovative Belgian-based creative design practice ACTLD, so he and his team crafted a fluid and mesmeric large scale spectacle of lighting art – A2C5T – which was presented to the public for three weeks at the See U event space in Brussels.

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.

Our industry is full of talented and creative people who, most of the time, careering through life and business at breakneck speeds, don’t have a moment to spare for indulging their ‘other’ passions in life! The various lockdowns worldwide have changed all that, freeing up time for so many ‘additional’ skills to flourish. Xavier Demay, general manager of French rental company Dushow is one of them!

SMPTE stands for inclusion as one of our guiding principles. We believe that racial bias and intolerance are unethical and weaken our social fabric. We firmly believe that diversity strengthens the media and entertainment world and society as a whole. We support the need for a diverse and free press and celebrate their efforts for independently reporting what is happening across the globe despite challenges in doing so. As an organization, we stand with those who promote inclusivity and seek to enable all of us to make valued contributions. We are a global organization with thousands of members, and we take a firm stance against injustice and intolerance around the world.