TPMEA #004

JUNE 2016 • ISSUE 004

MARIAH CAREY

SWEET SWEET FANTASY IN SOUTH AFRICA

Winners at the

TPMEA

WELCOME...

TO TPMEA

Well, we’ve made it. What started off as a little curiosity trip over a year ago turned out to be the begining of a whole new magazine. We’re a whole four issues of TPMEA down and I’d like to think we’ve established some great new industry contacts, colleagues and friends, so thank you for being a part of this, and showing us the ropes in the Middle East and Africa!

This issue brings full production profiles on cover star Mariah Carey in Cape Town, Nicki Minaj in Dubai and Mother of the Nation Festival in Abu Dhabi amongst others. There’s also an interesting read from the anual SARA conference in South Africa, and a look inside the latest GSL / Harman Professional demo day.

We’ll be back in October with a special edition on anniversary celebrations, until then, enjoy your summer break, as we set up home in the fields of the UK and Europe for the mighty production feat that is festival season.

www.tpmeamagazine.com | www.tpimagazine.com | www.tpiawards.com

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS MIDDLE EAST 06 - FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

Neumann & Müeller: Alexander Ostermaier, CEO, discusses N&M’s 10 year history in the Middle East.

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08 - REGIONAL ROUND-UP The latest news from the Middle East.

14 - TECH PROFILE

American rap star Nicki Minaj treats Dubai to a headline show.

18 - TECH PROFILE

Crowds descended on the Autism Rocks Arena to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day.

22 - TECH PROFILE

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TPMEA speaks to the suppliers at the Mother of the Nation festival and concert.

30 - TECH PROFILE

The third Times of India Film Awards makes its home in Dubai with the help of Showtech ME.

36 - TECH FOCUS

TECS’ Shane Manning tells the story behind Dubai’s XLine while TPMEA’s Ste Durham makes the jump.

38 - TECH FOCUS

Prolyte once again organises a series of rigging courses in the UAE.

42 - TECH FOCUS

Connect with GSL Professional - the business and technology conference for the Middle East

AFRICA 46 - REGIONAL ROUND-UP The latest stories from Africa.

50 - TECH PROFILE

Mariah Carey plays her first ever shows in South Africa as part of the Sweet Sweet Fantasy tour.

54 - TECH FOCUS

A look at the creative team behind Miss South Africa.

56 - CONFERENCE

The South African Roadies Association held its second International Live Events and Technical Production Conference. This is the report.

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EDITOR Kelly Murray Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7738 154689 e-mail: k.murray@mondiale.co.uk

ASSISTANT EDITOR Ste Durham Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8385 Mobile: +44 (0)7891 679742 e-mail: s.durham@mondiale.co.uk

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Stewart Hume Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344 e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk

GENERAL MANAGER - TPi MAGAZINE & AWARDS Hannah Eakins Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7760 485230 e-mail: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk

ADVERTISING SALES Charlotte Goodlass Tel: +44 (0)161 476 9126 Mobile: +44 (0)788 0208 226 e-mail: c.goodlass@mondiale.co.uk

EVENT MANAGER - TPi AWARDS Mo Naeem Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)775 9272 313 e-mail: m.naeem@mondiale.co.uk

GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRODUCTION Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Zoe Willcox: z.willcox@mondiale.co.uk

MONDIALE GROUP CHAIRMAN Damian Walsh

www.tpmeamagazine.com www.tpimagazine.com www.tpiawards.com

ACCOUNTS Lynette Levi / Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Mariah Carey - Photo courtesy of Jethro Snyders Photography

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Justin Gawne

PRINTED BY Buxton Press • www.buxpress.co.uk

@tpimagazine facebook.com/TPiMagazine youtube.com/user/TPiMagazine

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FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

NEUMANN & MÜELLER ALEXANDER OSTERMAIER, CEO, NEUMANN & MÜELLER EVENT TECHNOLOGY: INTERNATIONAL EVENT TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST FOR 10 YEARS.

N&M has been realising technical concepts for corporations and agencies that are active internationally and in the Middle East since 1981, we operate in Germany, Europe and all over the world.

Our Dubai office was established in 2006 as a result of our global clients requesting that we offer and execute the same trust-based relationship that we deliver to them in other markets nationally and internationally.

The Middle East is a dynamic market and the event scene has grown very quickly over the last 15 years. It’s constantly changing and has developed and matured with clients increasingly raising the bar in terms of expectations of quality, delivery and, importantly, innovation.

We were delighted to be involved with some exceptional events that took place in Dubai over the last year, including The 44th National Day Celebrations in Dubai, 2015, whichwe were awarded by HQ Creative for the second consecutive year. We were responsible for delivering all of the lighting, projection, cameras and media-playback technology and bringing our own expert team on board to ensure the quality and project management of the prestigious and ambitious event.

The 44th National Day Celebrations won Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Production at the Middle East Event Awards 2016. Another exceptional project was The Museum of the Future event, held as part of the three-day World Government Summit in Dubai. Some of the world’s leading figures from the fields of technology, design and prototype development created the concept for seven exhibition areas. A highlight was a four metre high, 360° LED wall measuring three metres in diameter, which we deployed to visualise artificial intelligence and lead the guests into a world of the future. PublicisLive had commissioned us to realise the audio, light, video and rigging for the project. We had already collaborated successfully with the agency on previous World Government Summits.

Both of these events contributed to us winning Supplier of the Year at the Middle East Event Awards 2015.

A recent project that we were selected to deliver in Germany was the 25th Reunification Celebrations for the German Parliament. The 90-minute event was attended by over 2,000 VIPs seated in a covered transparent grandstand and additional seating area, as well as around 15,000 visitors in the public section.

Our studios in Munich and Dresden used 3D mapping to design and realise a full-surface projection onto the parliament building. This was used for all of the items on the program as well as for the subsequent multimedia installation.

We believe in investing in innovation and we recently showcased at the Middle East Event Show 2016 in Dubai, a new theme that we think will affect the event industry globally and in the

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FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

Middle East, Virtual Reality. The potential uses of VR in events are limitless, and will lead to completely interactive experiences that haven’t happened before.

VR has moved out of the realm of just entertainment and is forging new paths for immersive interactions in entirely new worlds that can be completely customised for brand new user experiences.

All organisers will be constantly challenged to deliver new and exciting VR experiences to the more tech-savvy younger generation of attendees. The good news is that VR is getting less expensive as affordable headsets hit the mainstream market. This poses plenty of opportunities for holding unprecedentedly engaging events.

Our Dubai team works in collaboration with

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our Munich team to support the Middle East market in realising and delivering world class projects where clients have raised the bar in terms of quality, delivery and innovation and N&M have been extremely well placed to meet those demands.

Photos: Neumann & MĂźeller www.neumannmueller.com

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REGIONAL ROUND UP

World Class is headed up by Managing Director, John Adkins.

WORLD CLASS A BREAKTHROUGH BUSINESS LAUNCH FOR THE MIDDLE EAST ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

A brand new business specialising in the delivery of safe, secure and successful events across all sectors of the entertainment industry has been launched in the Middle East. World Class will offer clients a complete event support package, from production and technical expertise to health and safety advice and guidance.

World Class is headed up by Managing Director, John Adkins, a Production Director whose career spans three decades, including a six-year tenure within Birmingham City Council’s events division where he produced the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations in 2002 and the opening and closing ceremonies for the World Indoor Athletics Championships in 2003. Adkins’ resume also includes: Coca-Cola’s Beatbox Pavilion at London 2012, the Supreme Committee Fanzone in Qatar 2014 for the Brazilian World Cup, Qasr Al Muwaiji’s Inauguration, Al Ain and the UAE’s New Year’s Eve celebrations at the Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai in 2014 and 2015.

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Adkins has a wealth of experience that, coupled with his passion and creativity, will ensure that World Class is perfectly placed to surpass any client’s expectations.

With special projects at the heart of the new company’s ethos it has the ability to assist with brand pavilions and activations, experiential, corporate, arts or music events. Its dedicated team are technical experts that are able to scale its services to meet individual requirements, using trusted local suppliers and industry experts where necessary.

Specific services will include project delivery, technical support and CAD design, agency and venue support and event safety. Seamlessly assisting with any size of project, it is able to utilise its longstanding supplier relationships and knowledge of a region to help deliver complex and unusual projects with confidence.

Moreover, event safety will be paramount in all of World Class’ projects, the company offers a health and safety consultancy

service and can assist with risk assessments and method statements, qualified health and safety officers for onsite; safety audits and emergency contingency planning and training. Also demonstrating its commitment to the environment it offers environmental sustainability assessments and action plans.

Adkins added: “This is a really exciting development in my career. I’ve enjoyed working out the Middle East over the last five years and have built up an excellent understanding of the region’s entertainment industry.

With the knowledge, skills and experience that myself and the rest of the talented team at World Class has, we can really make a difference.

The Middle East is an exciting place to be with many global events planned for the region, including Expo 2020 in Dubai and the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, I’m very much looking forward to creating some truly spectacular events.”

REGIONAL ROUND UP

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AL JAZEERA ENHANCES AUDIO QUALITY WITH SENNHEISER IN WHAT HAS BEEN THE LARGEST BROADCAST PROJECT FOR SENNHEISER IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AL JAZEERA, THE DOHA-BASED BROADCAST GIANT, HAS EMPLOYED CUTTING-EDGE WIRELESS MICROPHONE AND IN-EAR MONITORING SYSTEMS AT ITS STUDIOS IN QATAR.

The latest deployment enables Al Jazeera to deliver crystal clear audio for its viewers and will now serve as the standard template for all the broadcaster‘s major studios across the globe including those in London, Washington DC and the Balkans.

A highlight of the project was the use of Sennheiser’s flagship Digital 9000, an all-digital wireless system that can transmit completely uncompressed audio, artefact-free and with superb dynamics. The system has been meticulously designed for the highest channel counts and operation in dense frequency environments. Infrared (IR) synchronisation between receivers and transmitters greatly aids setting up of the system.

Commenting on his company’s decision to leverage the latest audio solutions, Allie Kader Gaffoor, Network Specialist Sound & Audio Acoustics – Network Operations Standards at Al Jazeera Media Network, said: “Quality audio is integral to viewer satisfaction and this is particularly true for a network such as Al Jazeera given the nature of our content. We have therefore equipped our studios with the latest technologies available in the market for the broadcast industry. We selected systems that we knew would give us the optimum level of performance while leaving little room

for error. This project perfectly showcases our commitment to delivering the very best experience for our subscribers.”

While HD video is now commonplace in the industry, Al Jazeera’s decision to utilise Sennheiser’s Digital 9000 system reflects the broadcaster’s recognition of the significance of HD audio to the television viewing experience.

Although wireless offers both convenience and flexibility, the success of these systems is highly dependent on expert design and implementation. The joint efforts of Sennheiser and Sony Professional MEA, the systems integrator for the project, in the RF planning across Al Jazeera’s extensive Doha headquarters, that includes over 15 studios, was therefore critical.

“This is by no means an easy feat as all the wireless microphone and in-ear monitoring systems required radio frequency coordination to ensure that there is no interference between them, even if presenters walk from studio to studio whilst wearing their transmitters,” commented Ryan Burr, Technical Sales Manager for Sennheiser Middle East.

“To ensure Al Jazeera has complete flexibility with their wireless microphones, we designed all 75 channels of D9000 to operate within the same frequency bandwidth, allowing them to

use all transmitters in any studio. We also utilised this approach with the 72 channels of the 2000 Series IEMs, which operate within a different bandwidth to the wireless microphones to avoid interference,” added Burr.

Sennheiser’s Customer Development and Application Engineering team from Germany assisted the local team by designing bespoke multi antenna systems which helped enable seamless wireless coverage in all areas of the studios.

“The D9000 wireless microphone system is like no other in that it uses technology that is unique to Sennheiser and is the only microphone system capable of transmitting uncompressed audio. This means that it delivers the highest resolution audio quality with a cable-like purity,” said Burr.

Besides serving as the standard template for audio systems that will now be leveraged across the broadcaster’s studios worldwide, this implementation offers a clear upgrade path. Gaffoor commented: “We selected audio equipment that can easily facilitate any future growth required by our studio or production needs. Our viewers will therefore benefit from the continuous advancement of our systems and capabilities.” en-uk.sennheiser.com

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REGIONAL ROUND UP

EFM IN THE MIDDLE EAST A STAPLE OF THE SOCIAL CALENDAR FOR THE EVENTS INDUSTRY, THE NINTH ANNUAL EFM PARTY TOOK PLACE AT THE IKANDY ULTRALOUNGE. EFM has grown to become the leading event logistics company in the Middle East region, with offices in Dubai and Qatar, in addition to overseas offices in Europe, the US and Australia.

EFM opened its first office in the Middle East back in 2008, and the company celebrated with clients and industry friends, at the ninth EFM networking party. This year’s event took place on 25 April at the iKandy Ultralounge and was attended by over 150 key event industry figures. The party has become an annual fixture in the social calendar.

From the Clusters of Light event in Egypt to the Dubai World Cup, theme park rides to shows and festivals, and corporate events across the region, the last year has once again been a busy one. This year has also marked the

launch of EFM’s Automotive division, dedicated to the complex logistics of moving cars around the region for events, car shows, launches and high net worth individuals. From McLaren to Bugatti, Aston Martin to Ferrari, EFM has been transporting some of the most expensive cars in the world, supporting production companies, car manufacturers and dealerships, investing in highly specialist equipment including state of the art covered recovery vehicles.

Since setting up in the region, EFM has handled shipments ranging from one kg to 200 tonnes for royal weddings, national days and other government events, sport, concerts and shows across Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and beyond. One of the fastest growing areas of EFM’s Middle East

business in recent years has been the inter-GCC transportation of event equipment, including the particularly sensitive and specialised area of pyrotechnics, which are popular on a large scale at most events. With more and more event companies and suppliers basing themselves in the region, demands on the EFM team have become increasingly diverse. The team has developed expertise in complex customs documentation and the handling of time-critical border clearances, whether by air, land or sea.

EFM has recently renewed its ISO accreditations once again, and just launched its new EFM World service, whilst rolling out a new website, marketing and social media campaign. www.efm.global

STAGE FX EXPANDS INVENTORY Stage FX has grown its special effects inventory with a significant investment in Universal Effects Europe, with a band of 10 new JetBubbles 500, bubble machines.

“The decision to purchase these machines was a no brainer considering the increasing popularity of events featuring bubble effects,” said Stage FX General Manager Arran Hopkins.

With two wheels for a variety of bubble sizes, the high output bubble machine generates hundreds of glistening bubbles every minute, meaning it can cover large areas in

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a short time. This portable machine with its easily accessed fluid tank is ideal for any event wanting to evoke a sense of playfulness with their guests.

The fleet of new bubble machines’ first call to action was the fifth season of the International Photography Awards, HIPA. The event, quite fittingly, was themed around ‘Happiness’.

This new purchase has increased Stage FX’s bubble effects inventory and bolstered its position at the forefront of the special effects rental industry. http://stagefxinc.com

The flagship sound system from Pioneer Pro Audio

The Sankeys installation comprises the GS-WAVE series 3-metre dance floor stack with GSA technology, and the XY Series in-fill speakers. All powered by Powersoft’s high performance K Series amps with built-in DSP. This comprehensive line-up guarantees versatile installations that deliver superb sound and complete coverage throughout venues of every shape and size.

visit www.pioneerproaudio.com to learn more about our GLOBAL installations. venues include Sound Nightclub LA, Sankeys Ibiza, UshuaÏa, Pikes and Bierfabriek #madeintheUK

Pioneerproaudio

PIONEER_PRO_AUDIO_SANKEYS_TPI_JUNE16.indd 1

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REGIONAL ROUND UP

2016 MIDDLE EAST EVENT AWARDS TPMEA ROUNDS UP THE WINNERS FROM THIS YEAR’S MIDDLE EAST EVENT AWARDS.

With comedian Ruby Wax hosting proceedings in Dubai on 25 May, the Middle East Events Awards (MEEA) was a night to celebrate the successes of those within the live events industry. A total of 22 categories were judged by a panel of experts all known for their experience and knowledge of the industry.

All of the winners are listed below. www.me-eventawards.com

BEST ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION Jumpzone Productions LLC & Yannis Michalandos & QTF (Qatar Tennis Foundation) - 2016 Qatar ExxonMobil Open BEST MEETING OR CONFERENCE Salt & Pepper Events - Mindshare MENA ‘Content Decoded Summit 2016’ BEST EVENT LIGHTING DESIGN HQ Creative on behalf of Dubai Tourism - UAE 44th National Day Celebration BEST SOUND PRODUCTION Delta Sound - Dubai National Day 2015 BEST EVENTS VENUE du Arena BEST CORPORATE PRODUCT / SERVICE LAUNCH Media Interactive Agency - Infiniti Q70 Launch BEST EVENT ON A BUDGET Blink Experience - Infiniti Xline Drive Experience BEST TEMPORARY VENUE / STRUCTURE The Glow’n Company W.L.L. - Grand Hyatt Doha Ramadan Tent 2015 ME

REGIONAL ROUND UP

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Opposite: eclipse Group was named Employer of the Year. Above: HQ Creative celebrating its award; Maestra Group won Supplier of the Year.

BEST EXHIBITION TRADE OR CONSUMER The Alliance LLC - Middle East Film & Comic Con 2015 BEST EVENT DESIGN Dynamic Motion - 4th FAI World Air Games (WAG) 2015 Opening Ceremony BEST USE OF EVENT TECHNOLOGY Protec - Robotics BEST MUSIC EVENT Flash Entertainment - Enrique Iglesias at the du Arena, Yas Island (Yasalam 2015) BEST SPECIAL EVENT People - WEF Summit on the Global Agenda, Gala Dinner EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR eclipse Group SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR Maestra Group BEST FESTIVAL HQ Creative on behalf of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs - Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival BEST ARTS AND CULTURAL Choirfest Middle East - The Fridge BEST SPORTING EVENT Yas Marina Circuit - 2015 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix OUTSTANDING BRAND ACTIVIATION Jack Morton Worldwide - Porsche: #GTUnleashed Roadshow ILEA – SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE IBS Group ME

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TECH PROFILE

NICKI MINAJ IN DUBAI MARCH 2016 SAW THE LAUNCH OF DUBAI’S NEWEST ENTERTAINMENT VENUE, THE AUTISM ROCKS ARENA. TPMEA’S STE DURHAM WAS INVITED TO BE AMONG THE FIRST TO EXPLORE THE SITE AND EXPERIENCE THE INAUGURAL PERFORMANCE, COURTESY OF US MEGASTAR, NICKI MINAJ. Pulling a 20,000 capacity, purpose-built entertainment venue out of the sand dunes in a matter of months is no mean feat, but newly created events company 117Live has accomplished just that in the outskirts of Dubai with the Autism Rocks Arena. Despite the fact that the site is only a stopgap until a permanent amphitheatre is constructed, 117’s parent company, Al Ahli Holding Group (AAHG), has invested $4 million (US) in making sure that the region’s stellar entertainment standards are upheld.

Freshly appointed CEO of 117Live, Thomas Ovesen, explained: “Normally you wouldn’t spend this amount on a temporary build but that’s the level of commitment we have towards our permanent venue. We want people to have a good time here and be excited about the thought of visiting our permanent venue.“

The arena is the first foray into the world of live events for AAHG, having been primarily concerned with construction and industrial work, but the project benefitted from the experience of

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Ovesen and 117Live Operations and Production Director, Malcolm Giles. Ovesen continued: “I’m immensely proud of the team and their abilities.

We’ve looked at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre (DMCA) and other venues around the city and learned from each of them - fixing things that don’t work and sticking by others. For example, we liked the two entrance approach at DMCA so we’ve split our venue down the centre, allowing us to manage half of the capacity at a time.”

The Nicki Minaj gig was expected to run at around half capacity, which meant that 117Live could observe the advantages and disadvantages of the site’s design in relative comfort. That said, Ovesen was keen to point out that his team were not at the Autism Rocks Arena purely to test the pros and cons.

“People are paying real money for this so we can’t treat it as an experiment. If I thought I could have put on a better gig at DMCA then I would have held it there. The fact that we are hosting Nicki Minaj has worked out well, in that younger audiences tend to have less preconceptions,” he

added.

To maintain a level of consistency at the venue, 117Live decided that the key structural suppliers would remain the same regardless of what the event was. That means that the staging will always be provided by StageCo / All Event Services (AES), the VIP platforms and additional structures will be supplied and built by Al Laith (and stay in place for the entire 18 months) and Byrne will be responsible for power. Other than these companies, Ovesen said that the suppliers for each event will be chosen on a gig-by-gig basis.

TRIPLE THREAT Protec was charged with providing all lighting, video and rigging for the Nicki Minaj show, including LED signposting at each of the entrances to wish fans welcome on their way in and direct them to taxis and busses when the closing firework display had fired its last.

Mark Battle was present at the arena to serve as Production Manager for Protec and oversee

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Above: Protec PM Mark Battle; The AES constructed B-Stage and FOH structure, in the shelter of Al Laith’s multi-level VIP platform; Protec’s Daniel Ivanovski.

the inaugural load-in. He commented: “It’s a great venue from our point of view. There’s plenty of space to work and the access for vehicles couldn’t be more convenient.”

A 30-year veteran in music business, Battle was originally hired by Protec in 2011 to expand its backline department, and has since adapted to the idiosyncrasies of putting on a rock ‘n’ roll show in the UAE. He said: “When you’re on tour, you quickly get into the swing of things and setting up the gear becomes second nature.

Whether you’re in London, New York or Tokyo, you can still stand at the centre microphone position and everything you’ve brought will be in the same place.

“With it being all one-off shows here in the UAE, you don’t get that practise. This means that planning and thought take up a lot more time, which isn’t ideal in this heat! Luckily everybody knows what they’re doing here and being the first gig in the venue has certainly made it easier because we’ve had a week to set up.”

For the main stage, Protec supplied and rigged 267 panels of its Mambo nine mm LED to create an upstage wall and 130 panels of Mambo six mm LED per side that were arranged as portrait IMAG screens. The company also provided Barco ImagePRO-II and ScreenPRO-II gear, an Extron Electronics Matrix switcher, and a Lightware fibre distribution system.

Battle said that one of the biggest challenges in the context of the whole event was the

installation of the LED signage. Both of the 25 metre wide archways were topped with 24 LED panels per side, installed back-to-back.

He added: “We had to lift the flight cases to the working level of the entrance with a telehandler. Our crew assembled them on a one metre wide platform, with a scaffolding structure running down the middle to secure the panels to. We then had run power to each entrance and also try and weather-proof all the control needed to run them. These kept on running for 36 hours in the wind and rain without a problem!”

When it came to the main stage rig, Video Engineer for Protec, Chad Smith, explained: “We have live camera feeds going to the main screen and IMAG, mixed in with content provided by Nicki’s team. The only real issue we’ve had is the orientation of screens, which means we’ve had to use two separate feeds. Hanging them wasn’t easy either but it’s still a relatively simple job they’re just big screens really!”

117Live specified the portrait orientation so that corporate logos could run across the top and bottom of the IMAG as borders throughout the show. Smith continued: “It’s a very basic show from my point of view as we are just cutting cameras and content. There isn’t much rehearsal necessary as it’s all running from one server. The fact that Protec is supplying lighting and rigging is another advantage. It’s always easier to work with your own team, particularly when it comes to communication and finding compromises.

We had a couple of issues regarding followspot placement and the trim height of the screens but we were able to agree quickly and get straight back to work.”

Protec supplied 18 Ayrton MagicPanel-Rs, 74 Philips Vari-Lite Spot VL3000’s, 12 VariLite Wash VL3500’s, 15 Clay Paky Stormys, six Chromlech Jarag-5’s, and 30 Clay Paky Show Batten 100’s to be flown on the main stage truss, as well as 12 generic 8-lite molefays, four Strong Gladiator followspots and a Strong Truss Trouper followspots.

Lighting the floor was 12 Clay Paky Sharpys and 24 Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K20’s, while eight Clay Paky Mythos were used to light the IMAG screens. Protec provided four Clay Paky Sharpy Profiles to light both the entrance archways and the spot towers and 72 PixelRange PixelSmart LED PARs to light the VIP area.

The company also provided two Luminex network switchers, two MA Lighting grandMA2 full size consoles with the corresponding NPUs and 8-port nodes, and CAST WYSIWYG Perform R36 software.

Daniel Ivanovski, Lighting Designer for Protec, commented: “All of the fixtures were specified

by Nicki’s team, though they gave us options regarding the choice of spot.

“The specified rig was slightly wider than the 20 metres we had to squeeze under the stage roof. Plots were sent back and forth, assessed using WYSIWYG and the modifications

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TECH PROFILE

Above: FOH Engineer Dennis Thompson; Protec’s Chad Smith; The L-Acoustics array provided by Delta Sound; Visual proof of just how much Thompson didn’t have to worry about noise levels - shot from the top of the TECS zipline tower.

were made. We had to make a few more slight adjustments once Nicki’s crew got on site but it was nothing we couldn’t handle.”

Ivanovski reiterated Smith’s sentiments regarding the synergy between Protec’s lighting and video contingents - an aspect that did the power of good for on-site morale, particularly given the time that the company has spent away from Dubai’s rock ‘n’ roll scene. Battle concluded: “It’s great to be doing live gigs again after a string of corporate events - I’m certainly back in my comfort zone. I also think it’s positive for the guys to get back out here every once in a while and feel the excitement that comes from a live show.

We’re looking forward to the next one already!”

SUPER BASS Audio Engineer for Delta Sound, Al Woods,

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was on hand to explain the tried and tested gear that his company were to provide for the first ever show at Autism Rocks Arena. He said: “We’re using L-Acoustics as always, with 12 K1 per side as our main hangs over four K2, with K1 subwoofers flown behind and nine K2 per side as outfill. We also have an arc of 32 L-Acoustics SB28 subwoofers on the ground, split slightly in the centre because of the stage thrust, and six pairs of two V-DOSC as front fills.”

This was supplemented by three SB28’s per side as side subs, four SB28’s as keyboard subs, and three SB18’s as drum subs. The system was powered by LA8 amplifiers and monitored by LA Network Manager. Woods used a DiGiCo SD9 as the house console to mix for the support act and DJ.

He continued: “We provided a DiGiCo SD5

for Nicki’s monitors and a full Sennheiser wireless system. There’s 12 Sennheiser SR 2050’s, 10 5000 Series 3732’s for vocal microphones. We also brought all of the SD racks, an Avid Profile at FOH, two stage racks and a 60-way passive split system.”

The only piece of equipment that Minaj brought to Dubai was her customised Sennheiser microphone, while the backline was all sourced locally from Melody House Musical Instruments.

FOH Engineer Dennis Thompson and Monitor Engineer Marlon Johns were responsible for keeping Minaj’s substantial audio rig in check, paying particular attention to the thumping low end that is integral to her sound.

Thompson said: “It’s a heavy bass sound but not the kind that makes you feel uncomfortable.

It’s a nice, warm feeling that still allows us to

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maintain the dynamics. L-Acoustics is one of my main choices worldwide and used Avid on the last tour with Nicki’s last tour.”

The extensive nature of Minaj’s The Pinkprint Tour meant that Thompson could rely on the queues and backing tracks he had programmed months before, allowing him to work his magic on the audio quality itself. Having leant his skills to artists as legendary as Bob Marley, Thompson was more than comfortable with getting the crowd moving.

He laughed: “I came up through the ska and reggae scene in Jamaica and Nicki definitely has some of that influence in her sound. You never lose it! I like to keep the sound clean and as close to the record as possible. The audience pays a lot of money for these shows so I like to keep the sound clear and comfortable. The job is certainly made easier by the venue - there’s no one to complain about the noise out here in the desert!”

Dubai’s own Snap provided special effects at the Autism Rocks Arena. Director Ross Marshall commented: “Working alongside Nicki Minaj’s production team, we put together a special effects package that included an array of CO2 jets and confetti blasters to enhance the touring stage design. We discussed the angles for each of the jets placed across the down stage edge and

designed a dynamic fresh look for the artist. All jets were individually controlled via DMX using one of our High End Systems HedgeHog 4 lighting consoles positioned side of stage.”

In the camera pit, Snap positioned two Magic FX Super Blaster XL confetti cannons, which filled the arena for the all-important final moments of the night. In addition to the special effects on stage, the company also provided a cluster of searchlights located at the VIP entrance to light up the sky above the arena.

Showforce was on-hand to assist the build.

The team’s primary task was to set up Minaj’s room and the VIP area, as well as distributing tables, chairs and fire extinguishers in all of the main entrances to be used by security on the night of the concert. The crew laid artificial grass, which needed to be glued and nailed down to ensure it was sturdy enough for the outdoor arena.

On the night of the show, the crew were on standby to remove any unwanted items from the stage, and to be on call to clean and de-rig the show once it was over.

AES provided all staging elements for Nicki Minaj’s show, including the six by four metre FOH structure, 12 by two metre stage thrust, and four by six metre B-stage. The main structure itself

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measured 39 metres by 15 metres, with 12 decks of Steeldeck set with handrails, at the behest of 117Live. The structure was complete with full roof and side covering, two side access/exit stairs, a rear loading dock and ramp, and front skirting with black valance cloth netting.

TECS was also on site to provide alternative entertainment in the form of a zipline - a considerably scaled down version of the structure it was involved in at XDubai (see pg. 36).

Finally, as the last note faded into the night, those of us at the now-roofless FOH structure had a perfect view of the huge firework display that lit up the sky while Minaj no doubt made her escape. It was a fitting end to the first of what will certainly be many successful shows at this promising new venue.

Photos: 117Live www.mypinkfriday.com www.productiontec.com www.deltasound.ae www.aes.ae www.snap.ae www.showforce.com www.allaith.com www.byrnerental.com www.melodyhousemi.com www.117live.com

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flame retardant fabrics / event & performance flooring drapery design & manufacture / stage machinery & engineering email: uaesales@jcjoel.com / call: +971 (0)4 884 7801 / www.jcjoel.com J&C Joel Ltd / UK / Europe / Africa / Middle East / Macau / Hong Kong Image kindly provided and approved by the Friedrichstadt-Palast Betriebsgesellschaft mbH

J&C Joel the inspiration behind the performance

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AUTISM ROCKS HOT ON THE HEELS OF THE WATERSHED GIG AT AUTISM ROCKS ARENA, DUBAI’S 117LIVE WELCOMED FLO RIDA AND TYGA TO ENTERTAIN THE MASSES FOR A SECOND WEEK RUNNING.

Only seven days after the inaugural performance in Dubai’s latest entertainment venue, Autism Rocks Arena, Protec returned to provide the lighting, rigging and video for a family fun day to celebrate the United Nations World Autism Awareness Day, all part of the Autism Rocks Festival.

Co-organised by 117Live and Autism Rocks, the concert on 1 April featured American hiphop artist Flo Rida and rapper Tyga. Both artists were at the top of their game and the crowds that came in support of autism awareness were treated to high energy performances.

The brand new, albeit temporary, outdoor

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entertainment venue was named Autism Rocks Arena in celebration of Autism Awareness Month.

The festival featured a jam-packed, fun filled day of activities for the entire family. The only thing that dampened (quite literally) proceedings, was the weather. It rained the night before the Autism Rocks gig, which meant that certain precautions had to be taken in order to keep all the electrical equipment dry. All the lights in the rig and the upstage video wall were fine as the stage was waterproof. The only challenge was to keep the front truss and the lights on the stage thrust dry.

Protec’s Project Manager, Mark Battle, explained: “We had to use plastic sheeting over all of [the

rig], which worked even though it was quite windy at times. When we arrived on the show day and everything was soaking wet, it turned out that we had only lost one light due to water damage.

“The other challenge was that it was also exposed to the wind, sand and dust. The large IMAG video screens that we had on either side of the downstage wings had to be monitored very closely. At the end of the day however, it was another perfectly executed gig, with no more rain to dampen anyone’s spirits.”

The company supplied Autism Rocks with the exact same rigging and video package that it had

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COMING THIS OCTOBER WWW.TPMEAMAGAZINE.COM

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Opposite: The festival saw the return of Protec’s portrait LED screens used for IMAG. Above: Fans of all ages gathered at Autism Rocks Arena to enjoy the performances of both Flo Rida and Tyga.

done for Nicki Minaj the week before (see pg. 14), though the rider for the lighting rig was slightly different.

The flown fixtures provided by Protec consisted of 12 Philips Vari-Lite VL 3500 Washes, 46 Clay Paky Prima Mythos’, 38 Clay Paky 330W Sharpy Washes, 24 Clay Paky Sharpy Profiles, 15 Clay Paky Stormys, six Chromlech Jarag 5’s, 12 Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K20’s, 28 Clay Paky Show Batten 100’s.

The company also provided 12 Clay Paky Sharpy Profiles and 12 Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K10’s for floor lighting, along with 12 generic 8-lite molefays and four Strong Gladiator 3KW Xenon followspots.

Lighting the IMAG screens were eight Clay

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Paky Prima Mythos’ and six Clay Paky A.leda B-EYE K20’s. Clay Paky Sharpy Profiles were also selected to light the spot tower and entrance archways.

Protec provided 72 PixelRange PixelSmart Intelligent LED PARs and eight PixelRange Pixel QPARs to light the VIP area, as well as 10 more Pixel QPARs for the artist area.

FREE REIN After a very successful first show at the new arena, Snap was also asked back to provide the special effects for the first Autism Rocks Festival in the region.

To fulfill the requirements of the touring acts, the company provided a range of products

including 10 Magic FX CO2 jets, a pair of Magic FX Super Blaster XL confetti cannons and four 20W RGB lasers.

Director of Snap, Ross Marshall, commented: “The headline artists gave us free rein on the design of the CO2 jets and we came up with a unique setup creating a stunning fanned array across the front of the stage. It was a design that Snap’s Operator Joe Jackson had been looking to try for a while and now had the opportunity to put it into practice. For the control we used a High End Systems HedgeHog 4 lighting console to individually trigger each jet from FOH via DMX, just like at the Nicki Minaj show.”

Marshall continued: “With our recent move into the special effects market and through our

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Above: The lighting rig was heavily laden with Clay Paky fixtures; Flo Rida looked to be enjoying himself, constantly interacting with the audience.

investment in a range of new products, this season we have quadrupled our original stock levels and already have the capacity to be able to support the bigger arena shows and stadium size productions throughout the region.

“We are very much looking forward to investing further into this discipline for the season ahead.�

Photos: Protec www.autism.rocks

www.officialflo.com http://tygaworld.com/ www.117live.com www.productiontec.com www.snap.ae

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MOTHER OF THE NATION FESTIVAL THE MOTHER OF THE NATION FESTIVAL WAS HELD OVER THE 10-DAY PERIOD OF 24 MARCH - 2 APRIL 2016 WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF CELEBRATING AND COMMEMORATING THE VALUES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF HER HIGHNESS SHEIKHA FATIMA BINT MUBARAK THROUGH CREATING AN ENGAGING, FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENT FOR ALL AGES AND INTERESTS. THEMES INCLUDED HEALTHY LIVING, ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS, CREATIVITY AND EMERGING ARTISTS, CHARITABLE GIVING, AND NATIONAL PRIDE.

The festival took place outdoors on the Abu Dhabi Corniche with a footprint of over 141,000 sq metres that stretched across 1.3 kilometres of beach and garden areas. In order to segment the space to spread guest flow as well as cater to a broad range of ages, nationalities and interests, the festival was split into six distinct zones: Art, Souq, Active, Conservation, Beach Dining and the Pavilion, with each section hosting activities and attractions appropriate to its theme.

Being such a large scale project running over a 10-day period, several established event companies were selected to share the load of

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design, production and operations. Evolution was positioned as the overall management company of the festival and worked side by side with key contributors HQ Creative, Mamemo and Flash Entertainment. The overall festival team worked hand in hand from the initial stages of the concept creation through production and management of the festival.

During the initial planning phases, the zone requirements and responsibilities were split up between lead companies through a process of defining strengths and resources. HQ and Evolution divided management of the identity, activities and design of the festival zones with

Evolution producing the Souq, Art and Beach Dining areas and HQ producing the Active and Conservation Zones. Mamemo undertook the task of gathering content, designing and producing the signature Pavilion exhibition space along with the addition of a feature multimedia performance shown throughout the festival run.

Flash, with its past experience running other large scale events along the Corniche, took ownership of all site operations and logistics.

Once roles were defined, a temporary project office was established in Abu Dhabi to allow for easy and fast communication between all event operatives, an important component

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due to the fact that the allotted time for design and production for the entire festival was less than three months. During that period, a combined team of over 100 staff members from all participating companies developed the ideas and strategies that were to make up the final content, layout and build plan for the festival. The result of this process was a festival programme that consisted of over 150 individual activities, more than 40 food outlets, 120 local vendors, 17 custom built art installations, 2 feature exhibition spaces and over 900 scheduled music and theatrical performances which were featured on six different stages and throughout the six festival zones.

The Souq Zone (designed and managed by Evolution) occupied the Western-most section of

the festival ground and operated as an open-air market housing 50 boutique retail outlets. The zone was designed using customised twentyfoot shipping containers, fitted out with glass fronts and air conditioning and arranged in the winding style of the traditional souqs of Abu Dhabi. Products including designer sweets, high fashion and limited edition perfumes were sold exclusively by locally owned small businesses.

Interspersed between the container shops were pop up exhibition displays featuring antique items pertaining to commerce and culture in the UAE such as vintage cameras, gramophones and pearling equipment. Workshops also took place throughout the Souq geared towards traditional goods and products. Children had the opportunity to paint collaboratively on a life-

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size dhow (an Arabian ship), learn how to make jewellery from a traditionally trained silversmith, construct wind towers at a sand sculpture station and paint their own oud burners, of which 2,000 were decorated by the end of the festival.

The Art Zone (designed and managed by Evolution) filled the 700 metre garden path that connects the East and West Plazas and acts as a buffer between the beach and the main road.

1,200 running metres of festoon lights were installed to illuminate the shaded pathway and over 35 individually designed craft activities and workshops were set up on the existing grass areas. A succession of interactive installations such as a massive human-powered kaleidoscope, step-inside comic book panels, forced perspective photo booth and mirror room were

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arranged along the pathway, each focusing on a different style and aesthetic of art. All elements of the zone were designed to be hands on and allow visitors to make artistic souvenirs unique to the festival. Intertwined between the craft workshops and installation pieces were pockets of local arts and craft vendors, (totalling over 70 vendors) who were provided with custom-built kiosks to display their products. Vendors sold creative and handmade goods ranging from fashion to home décor and fine art. Musical and theatrical performers were spaced out along the pathway or stationed below trees in a street busker style. The diverse selection of performers offered entertainment to passing guests including shadow shows, light calligraphy, puppet plays and sand art. By the close of the festival over 38,000 individual craft pieces were made in the Art Zone workshops by visitors.

The Conservation Zone (designed and managed by HQ Creative) directed visitors’ focus to the beauty and importance of the environment of the UAE. Two freestanding wooden geodesic domes, approximately 20 metres in diameter, were constructed to house separate exhibition and performance spaces. The UAE Environmental Agency acted as a featured

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stakeholder is this zone utilising the exhibition dome to create a gallery detailing the invisible ecological systems at play in the environment of the country. The second dome contained a performance space featuring live shows themed around environmental sustainability such as Steve Trash - a ‘recycling magician’ from the US who taught viewers about how to take better care of the planet through sleight of hand tricks and illusions. The main attraction of this zone was that of the Eco Safari in which festival goers were able to take one of 12 miniature jeeps for a drive on an enclosed track through a recreation of the Emirati desert, mountains and beach areas to observe the various habitats of the UAE up close.

The Active Zone (designed and managed

by HQ Creative) was developed to be a space centred around health, wellness and getting people to interact physically with the environment around them. Activities featured in this area engaged visitors at all ages and levels of fitness. Lower exertion activities included two internationally established motion installations: the first being Architects of Air, a massive inflatable maze awash in colour through which visitors could walk and explore, the second being the Pool by Jen Lewin, which consisted of

a series of pressure activated pads arranged in concentric circles allowing guests to hop from one to another activating light ripples throughout the space. Activities that offered a more extreme level of engagement included a nine metre high bag jump as well as a zipline that extended 110 metres across the zone. Further attractions included a full-size roller skating rink, custom built basketball court, and an area in which visitors could challenge their friends at a number of beachside ping pong and billiards tables.

Professional athletic performers operated at each of the activities showcasing their skills and tricks as an inspiration to guests.

The Pavilion (designed and produced by Mamemo in association with Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority) was constructed out of a 12 metre tall 1,600 square metre tent clad with backlit CNC patterned panels. The Pavillion housed an exhibition experience that detailed the progression of HH Sheikha Fatima’s life and achievements. A mixture of media was used across a series of galleries that focused on different aspects of Her Highness’ personal history and work including documentary footage following the lives of women touched by Sheikha Fatima’s charitable efforts, holograms visualising

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select initiatives championed by Her Highness, footage depicting the progression of the UAE over the past 40 years, a display of awards presented to Her Highness over her lifetime to honor her efforts and a message tree on which visitors could hang messages, signifying the values and morals that they hold dear. By the end of the festival over 3,500 individual messages were placed on the custom designed tree.

The Beach Dining Zone (designed and managed by Evolution) constructed on the West Plaza functioned as the primary food and beverage area for the festival. 40ft shipping containers were stacked and fitted out to operate as fully functioning temporary kitchens for 35 established UAE restaurants positioned around a central main stage which featured consistent musical performances (programmed by The Fridge) to provide guests with entertainment as they sampled a variety of dishes ranging from gluten free crepes to lobster rolls. Also included in the Beach Dining Zone was a The Urban Garden a section dedicated to learning more about growing your own food through the use of hydroponic gardening. The area was

construed out over 1,000 wooden pallets stacked fitted around 20ft shipping containers to make enclosures for a greenhouse, workshop area, acoustic music stage, seating and retail space for natural and organic products. Live plants and vegetable sprouted from between pallet slats to surround guests with locally grown food. Local food trucks were also stationed throughout all other zones to provide guests with light bites and refreshments.

Technical support for the overall festival area was provided by Evolution, with Protec contributing additional activity-specific technical support within the active and conservation zones. Protec provided lighting, video, audio and rigging to the Activity Zone & Conservation Zone of the festival. The areas spread across 609 metres in length and 100 metres in depth, within that space Protec used over 600 lighting fixtures and over 60 speakers. The lighting and audio fixtures were discreetly placed around the Eco Safari Area to provide a more realistic experience.

The lights lit up the movement installations that were designed to engage the senses through motion. The sound reinforcement hung off the 12

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metre high tower, which was the launch pad for the Bag Jump experience.

In total, over 44,000 metres of cable was used for power and control of 1,000+ generic and 500+ intelligent lighting fixtures. 30 hangs of line array and over 150 point source cabs were then used to relay audio via a wireless network. The Mother of the Nation Festival wrapped its 10 day run on 2 April to positive press and enthusiastic support of visitors from both Abu Dhabi and abroad with a wide majority of responders to customer surveys stating they strongly favour a return of the festival next year. Whether there will be a follow-up to the event is still unknown, but the 2016 festival will remain as a prime example of how industry collaboration within the UAE has the ability to produce fresh, dynamic and original experiences for mass audiences.

Photos courtesy of Evolution Events www.motn.ae www.evolutionevents.com www.hqcreativeuae.com www.productiontec.com www.mamemo.tv www.thinkflash.ae

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MOTHER OF THE NATION CONCERT THE CROWN PRINCE COURT CELEBRATES THE MOTHER OF THE NATION IN STYLE WITH AN UNFORGETTABLE LIVE PERFORMANCE IN ABU DHABI TO KICK OFF THE FESTIVAL OF THE SAME NAME.

Before opening the doors of the first ever Mother of the Nation festival, the Crown Prince Court organised a pre-event to the festivities that took place from 24 March - 2 April. Balich Worldwide Shows (BWS), better known for the work of its President Marco Balich on the upcoming Olympics in Rio, produced by CC2016, was brought in to create and produce an unforgettable concert in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The Mother of the Nation festivities were created as a tribute to Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi to celebrate what it means to be a mother of a family with grace, values, responsibility and guidance. Each scene in the show traces a journey of light embodied in different shapes, that illuminates the characters

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of the show and guides generations of women and men towards a blossoming finale. There was also a live broadcast from downtown Dubai at the Burj Khalifa – which was the centrepiece of a light show accompanied by the Song of Gratitude, a soundtrack specially composed by Mohamed Al Ahmed.

The concert provided a fascinating way to showcase the influence Her Highness has had on the development of the UAE. Also represented at the show was the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was symbolised by a guiding star.

LIGHTING AND VIDEO PRG provided a complete lighting and video package for the show. Peter McCann, Managing Director at PRG, explained that the company

has a strong relationship with Balich Worldwide globally as the two companies have worked in partnership on a number of large scale events such as in 2015 on the Kazakhstan 550th anniversary held in Astana. “When BWS were selected to produce this show, perhaps one of the largest and most technical shows that Abu Dhabi has seen in a number of years, we were the natural selection because of our global capabilities and our local expertise in complex video mapping and large scale lighting solution.”

In order to pull off this mighty feat, PRG in the Middle East enlisted the resources of its European counterpart, but it’s much more than that, continued McCann: “PRG is a single team of people irrespective of how you make contact or engage with the business so it’s not

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Oposite: The Burj Khalifa became the centrepiece of a light show accompanied by a soundtrack specially composed by Mohamed Al Ahmed. Above: The Mother of the Nation festivities were created as a tribute to Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi; The entire aerial cast were children from local schools.

about including our European team, it’s more about getting the right team members around the project to service the specific needs of the customer. In this case we have people in-house who were familiar to the Balich team so this worked for us as well as our client making the overall production process much easier. It’s also important not to forget that this event was staged in one of the busiest months in the region and it was critical for us to ensure there was no compromise on the delivery standards across the entire event schedule. One of our real differentiators is proving to be our ability to scale up at pace particularly over the peak periods to support both our regional and international clientele.”

McCann continued: “One of the advantages of using PRG is that our customers and partners have immediate and seamless access to the entire resource and talent pool of the global group. We have some of the most experienced people in the industry available to call upon and visibility across our complete asset base that allows us to collaborate cross border to ensure our preproduction and delivery was efficient whilst remaining cost effective.”

LD for the event was Belgium designer Koert Vermeulen of ACT Design. Tom Van Hemelryck, PRG’s Vice President Global Sports and Special Events, explained that the company already had past experience with the designer: “We had worked with him on several other occasions our biggest of which was six years ago with the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.”

The design for the show itself was incredibly theatrical, creating an intimate experience. All control came courtesy of two full-sized MA Lighting grandMA2 consoles and a grandMA2 Light. Fixture wise, 18 PRG Best Boy HPs were deployed along with 44 Philips Vari-Lite 2500

Spots and 61 Vari-Lite 300 Spots. Also present on the rig were 18 Clay Paky Alpha Profile 800 STs and 18 Clay Paky Mythos, 84 GLP Impression X4’s, 20 GLP Impression X4 Bar 20’s, 24 ETC Lustre 2’s, 44 ETC Source Four 750W (with half set at 26° and the other at 36°), and 28 Arri 300W Fresnels. Final elements of the rig included seven Chroma-Q Colorforce 48’s and 23 Colorforce 72’s, two Robert Juliat Ivanhoe 2,500W HMI followspots, two White Light Lycian 1271 with a 1,200W HMI lamp source, 18 Martin by Harman RUSH Par 2 RGBW Zooms, and 32 SunBeam 100 FCs.

For video elements PRG supplied the event with 16 Barco FLM HD 20 projectors, six Barco HDF W30 projectors and four HDF W26 projectors. Van Hemelryck explained: “We found that a combination of Barco and Panasonic products was the right solution for this project.

The video elements for this show were quite complex with many projectors in several locations. Also some of the surfaces that were projected on to were tricky such as the huge scenic petals.” Along side the Barco products 22 Panasonic PTDZ21 K projectors were used as well as one Panasonic PTDZ870 projector with one Lightware 80 by 40 DVI matric and one 40 by 40 HDSDI matrix for broadcasting and monitoring.

Van Hemelryck concluded: “We [PRG] were very honoured to support an event of this importance for the area. Through this project has shown the capacity at which we can cater for these type of events. “ AUDIO Stepping in to provide audio for the event was Delta Sound. The company supplied a range of audio products from DiGiCo, Optocore, Mergin and L-Acoustics. The design was based around a typical set-up for a large ceremony event, as the company was unsure of how the content of the show would develop, it was critical the system

was flexible enough to cope with any changes.

Delta Sound’s Craig Harvey, Audio HOD/ System Engineer, commented on the brief: “Creatively, the concert became very musically orientated so it was essential to deliver a system that could provide a good stereo image offering enough spatial quality to cater for dynamic content, maintain good even coverage for all the audience while still delivering high speech intelligibility.” Delta Sound worked closely with the music team to ensure that the correct representation of the content was delivered, as well as working with the detailed technical team, which helped provide a solid reliable platform to host such a superb show.

Main control for audio lay in the hands of a DiGiCo SD7. The console presents an unparalleled input and output count but also offers great redundancy. The console was coupled with a dual redundant Merging Technologies Pyramix / Ovation playback system. This configuration allowed Delta Sound to cater for two full MADI streams of playback running with a main and a backup. Signal and time code transport across the system was handled by a dedicated Optocore fibre optic loop connected to the DiGiCo SD7. This interfaced with Optocore’s DD4MR and X6R units and DiGiCo SD racks.

The main PA for the show was made up from Delta’s vast stock of L-Acoustics loudspeakers.

The design itself comprised five hangs to cover the wide audience-seating pattern configuration.

A combination of L-Acoustics K2’s and KARA loudspeakers with SB28 subs made up the main system, together with a number of 12X coaxial units for reinforced monitoring. The entire system was powered by the manufacturers LA8 amplified controllers connected via AES. The audio team deployed by Delta Sound included FOH Engineer Richard Sharratt, Replay Engineer Luis Miranda, PA/Patch Tech James Landen, PA

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The Burj Khalifa light show was broadcast live to the arena during the show; PRG supplied the event with projection elements that were used on a variety of surfaces, including the scenic petals.

Tech / IEM Tech Richard Craig and IEM Tech David Laing.

As well as audio solution Delta Sound also provided the complete communication system on behalf of BWS for the opening ceremony.

Comms HOD and System Designer, Liam McGrath, commented: “The system comprised of around 200 Motorola radios, which were used for the production build and also the the main show. All channels were interfaced into the wired and matrix comms that were installed for the show.” The ground comms system was designed and implemented using Clear-Com, Optocore, Eaton, and David Clark products. A Clear-Com Omega matrix frame served as the central hub of the system, and this was transported throughout the venue to panels and HelixNet master stations over an Optocore fibre based IP network. A total of 12 HelixNet channels were used, which were tied into the matrix via four wire ports over the Optocore system. McGrath expanded: “The system was designed with as much redundancy as possible, including unique routes for HelixNet backup belt packs, redundant panels for key show crew, and also over an hour and a half of UPS runtime on the entire system.” Delta used a node structure to allow easy deployment of panels in the various locations. A redundant fibre loop was also installed around the venue and Optocore nodes were used to distribute the panels and HelixNet systems into the key locations.

Delta Sound used a total of 26 Freespeak II beltpacks, 10 antennas, and this was linked into the Omega Matrix using two Clear-Com E-Que cards. This gave Delta unique control of the beltpacks, with the ability to quickly assign keys and adjust user settings as if they were panels within the EHX software. The software was also used to monitor the status of the entire wireless

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system, which was duplicated on multiple screens to allow easy monitoring. Every duplex radio channel was interfaced into the matrix system, and key radio channels were backed up with a secondary simplex channel. All user stations were supplied with either Clear-Com single or double sided headsets, users in noisy environments, onstage, and positioned in the roof were provided David Clark noise cancelling headsets. This kept the comms channels extremely clean, and made for a smooth running show.

McGrath gave his final thoughts on the event: “The opening ceremony was a fantastic challenge due to the system size, and it was also a great pleasure working with BWS and their technical team to produce such an amazing show.”

Completing the comms team was; RF Manager Phil Kidd, Matrix programmer Matt Thompsett, Comms Engineer Dallas Mcintosh, Comms Engineer Rupert Boughton, Radio Shack Manager Terri Scott.

RIGGING Unusual Rigging and Engineering were brought in to supply all production rigging, automation and crew for the concert. Five show crew and two maintenance crew were supplied for the threeweek rehearsal period.

In terms of motors the company supplied 226 Liftket D104 motors alongside 12 D54’s and nine D110’s. The company also supplied 1,501 metres of truss for the event. For automation a total of 27 axis were deployed with four vari-speed one tonne motors for the set as well as performers who flew at points during the performance. Denis Bramhall from Unusual Rigging and Engineering discussed some of the challenges with automation for the event: “Due to the sequence of the show, most of

the automation was condensed into one of two scenes, which made for very busy change overs. In addition, the entire aerial cast were children from local schools who had no previous experience with aerial work. To combat this we set up a simple rehearsal space for auditions and once the cast had been selected, Alessandro Soccoli [HOD Performer Flying] worked with the cast every day training and building their confidence.”

A last minute addition from the creatives behind the event was to project on the shutdown Venetian gauze. This required Unusual Rigging and Engineering to install a second blackout Venetian a day before the final dress rehearsal.

One final thing that Bramhall wanted to discuss was cable management: “With the vast amount of video projection being used in the event, line of sight was critical. Also, with nearly all the truss located over the audience, and the need for them to be lowered daily for maintenance and to also refill the confetti pods.

With no room on the trim height, chain runs were out of the question, therefore we designed a solution to fulfill the design which required over 1,600 metres of motor cable to achieve this.”

STAGING For the staging services Al Laith Scaffolding were brought into the mix. The team was headed up by Product Manager, Michael Clark. Warren Barlow Head of Events Division commented: “Al Laith provided a fully engineered structure package with particular attention paid to safe working practices for all concerned during the intense build period.”

The primary structure included a 2,200 sq metre performance area made from Al Laith’s primary Lion Deck product. The deck housed

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a multitude of tunnels and storage locations for the vast amount of technical equipment employed during the show. Barlow continued: “The performance space was backed by a large projection wall consisting of 1,900 cubic metres of scaffolding with careful placement of internal platforms that were used throughout the show by performers.”

For the audience and VIP guests the company also created custom structures in a curved format. This was further complemented by a tunnel and ramp arrangement that served as the entrance for special guests. The final element that Al Laith brought to the table were all the camera and spot towers as well as an impressive FOH position at the rear of the seating areas.

IBS Group also had the opportunity to show off its skills during the concert by building some sets for the Mother of the Nation show.

SCENIC Throughout the show, flame-retardant ShowTex fabrics and curtain tracks were used. The company installed a patchwork of 42 flower petals of various sizes made out of black Polystetch P8 CS Matt all around the proscenium.

Having to serve as a projection surface, the black stretch fabric was covered with a layer of white

StretchTulle giving the petals a perfect texture base for the impressive lighting effect.

At the start of the show a HiSpeed Roll-Up system made the downstage GobelinTulle (10 by three metres) disappear, revealing the rest of the impressive set design. The front gauze rolled up and down throughout the show when needed for projection, creating an extra dimension on stage.

Two huge printed Spinnaker curtains were partly draped on the floor in front of the Cyclo 200 cyclorama as part of the scenery. The light and translucent curtains disappeared very elegantly when the two nine metre wide HiSpeed Roll-Up modules came into action, revealing the majestic waterfall on stage.

Behind the water, a 10 by six metre black Molton drape was attached to a Kabuki system, suddenly dropping down to reveal yet another part of the layered set.

ShowTex hung black Molton masking drapes on single or double ShowTrack rail systems all around the stage. This way, the Molton panels could be moved around to divide the stage in different sections, hide changes in scenery or create passageways for bringing set elements on and off stage.

Head of Production for the event, Jon

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Sinigaglia, summed up ShowTex’s involvement: “Everything, from the initial specifications to the seemingly unending changes in specs and detail through to the final delivery on site, was carried out by ShowTex in a friendly and constructive manner. Their support of this project has been of particular note as we have stretched your systems, catalogue and technology to its very limits!”

After the event, Balich Worldwide Shows commented on its involvement: “It was a great honour to be chosen to celebrate the Mother of the Nation and for them as a company to get to know the region and its rapid development.” The company also expressed that it would like to be present in the region in the future and is looking for an opportunity to open its own branch this year.

Photos: Luca Parisse and Paola Cominetta www.motn.ae www.evolutionevents.com www.hqcreativeuae.com www.prg.com www.unusual.co.uk www.deltasound.uk www.allaith.com www.showtex.com www.ibs-group.com

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BOLLYWOOD CLEARLY HAD A BLAST IN DUBAI BOLLYWOOD’S MUMBAI-BASED AWARD SHOWS MAY ALL BE OVER BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT THE SEASON IS OVER JUST YET, WITH ONE OF BOLLYWOOD’S NEWEST AWARDS SHOWS WRAPPING UP WITH A FULL HOUSE AT THE DUBAI INTERNATIONAL STADIUM, DUBAI SPORTS CITY.

With the genre’s most popular celebrities at the event, it was pure entertainment for fans worldwide. Along with the awards, Bollywood celebrities also wowed the audience with their performances, heartwarming acceptance speeches and tributes to industry legends.

Since its inaugural show in Vancouver in 2013, The Times Of India Film Awards (TOIFA) has rapidly gained popularity worldwide. Fans from all over the globe flew to the city to get close to their idols, with Bollywood megastars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan in attendance, TOIFA 2016 was the complete Bollywood experience; a celebration of Indian cinema in all its grandeur.

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Cineyug, the TOIFA events company who designed and managed all of the content for the awards, hired Showtech Dubai to provide the full technical solution for the event. They were chosen for its reputation as one of the UAE’s leading production companies, delivering many large and exceptional shows in the region such as the Indian Prime Minister’s visit in the the Cricket Stadium, which had over 50,000 people in attendance, and other large International and Indian concerts.

With all eyes on Dubai, a city that has become synonymous with A-list entertainment, the show organisers knew they needed to wow with a set design to match the talent that

would be performing on it. Showtech provided a set that was extravagant. The entire stage was designed to ensure a spectacular performance when Bollywood’s best artists mesmerised the audience with their dazzling performances.

The Dubai International Cricket Stadium is a tricky venue to work with, its circular shape and open topped roof can be acoustically challenging, something that Showtech is well aware having executed several events at the venue.

Showtech’s enthusiasm, creativity, innovation and countless and sleepless hours of working, contributed to make this event a huge success.

The company provided the full technical

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TECH PROFILE

“During the show I actually saw people’s jaws dropping when we played effects and videos on the lights and screen. It made the sleepless nights that my team and I endured totally worthwhile.”

Head of Lighting, Benzy Razi

production for the event, mobilising a colossal crew. A glitzy mix of Bollywood awards and high octane performances, marked a glittering opening ceremony, which set the scene for TOIFA 2016 DubaiI. As we all know, there are always some challenges during the buildup...

Adverse weather conditions with a huge storm were the first hurdle that Showtech encountered, creating a knock-on effect with the amount of time the company had to complete the setup. The crew was plagued by intermittent showers right until the technical rehearsals.

The rig involved a huge LED screen setup (three, five, six and seven mm), Analog way Ascender 32, Watchout media servers, Lightware matrix MX 16*16 DVI Plus and fiber receivers, Extron Splitters. The on-stage LED screen spanned 425 sq metres with multiple curves.

The screen that looked challenging on paper proved even more challenging during setup. To mount the LED on to the decor structure was

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difficult, it took a sleepless night of Showtech’s Head of AV Design, Kawal and the technical and production teams to support the LED within the structure itself to ensure the safety of people and equipment.

For trussing, Showtech installed Euro TT heavy duty truss with a span of 32 metres and with a depth of 20 metres, going up to 15.5 metres high. They had to use five towers on each side just to manage the total weight load on the mother truss grid.

For the custom made LED lighting, Showtech flew in over 2,600 units of RGB DMX controlled fixtures, which proved to be one of the most eye-catching moments of the show. It allowed Showtech to make full use of MADRIX software with the 2,600 units of individually controlled fixtures.

The technical production for the event was driven by Showtech Owner Shaji George and supported by Sujeet Gautam, who handled the

overall production. Wasim Sheikh was in charge of sound with Benzy Razi on lights. Kanwaljeet Singh handled all of the video and Santosh Vjayan was responsible for set construction.

Shaji George, CEO of Showtech ME spoke to TPMEA about the important role the company plays in the region. He said: “TOIFA is already a hugely respected brand and we at Showtech are very proud to be a part of the Dubai TOIFA, as it is in our home location. The awards coming to Dubai has shown the world that the Middle East region is capable of world class event production.”

Showtech has one of the biggest inventories for Harman touring products in the Middle East, holding huge numbers of JBL Loudspeakers, Crown HD Amplifiers and Soundcraft digital mixing consoles. For this event Showtech flew 32 JBL VTXV25 and 24 VTXS28 subs for the main PA hangs and 12 Vertec 4889 for delay hangs. Stage monitors were provided by eight VRX915 and

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TECH PROFILE

“JBL professional is ultimately known for its sound quality and deliverance and this event was a great chance to showcase why we use it extensively.”

Wasim Sheikh, Head of Audio.

four VRX932LA as front fills. These were amplified with 52 Crown HD 12000 and networked on Performance Manager software allowing close monitoring and processing of the entire system.

George continued: “Performance Manager is an extremely useful software to design a system for any venue and with the training that the local Harman distributor, GSL Professional, has been holding, it is something we expect to see more of. “

The FOH console at the event was a Soundcraft Vi6 with both stage rack and local

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rack connected via Neutrik 4 core fiber optic cable. Showtech used Shure UR4D Radio microphones with UR1 and UR2 bodypacks, along with DPA 4088 headset microphones and Shure PSM1000 in-ear monitors for the artists and anchors. AKG was the brand chosen for the podium microphone, using AKG GN50 ESP with a CK33 capsule and Audix MB1280 MicroBoom.

Wasim Sheikh, Head of Audio, said of the event: “JBL professional is ultimately known for its sound quality and deliverance and this event was a great chance to showcase why we use it

extensively. Whilst TOIFA was a challenge with the weather conditions that we faced, the sheer size of the set that we created and the amount of product that we installed, the end result gave a mesmerising event”

Dubai-based rental house Showtech has produced number of large scale events, including international concerts, fashion shows, product launches and corporate conferences for over 18 years, many of which has gained it international recognition.

George said: “At Showtech, we take an

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“We are all in this industry to amaze and entertain people beyond what they expect.”

Head of Lighting, Benzy Razi

enormous amount of pride to ensure that every spectator receives the finest setup; sound, lights and visual to create a spellbinding experience at every event we undertake. The company continues to excel with creative innovation by strategising its team efficaciously and holding one of the biggest rental stocks of sound, lighting, video, staging, trussing and rigging.”

TOIFA had an impressive lighting setup using, 50 Clay Paky Mythos, 80 Sharpys, 12 Martin by Harman Atomic Strobe 3000 DMXs, 16 4-way molefays, 12 Robe BMFLs, 32 Clay Paky a.Leda B-Eye K10’s, Clay Paky a.Leda B-Eye K20’s, 32 Studio Due Citycolors and 120 LED PARs. Benzy

Razi, head of lights, had planned sub hang trusses which complimented the decor design. To show off the extensive light set up, Showtech used eight nos. of MDG Atmosphere Haze machines and 6 nos of DMX PRO Fans. An additional two nos. of F100 smoke machines enhanced the whole look of the event overall.

Head of Lighting for Showtech, Benzy Razi, commented on the lighting setup: “During the show I actually saw people’s jaws dropping when we played effects and videos on the lights and screen. It made the sleepless nights that my team and I endured totally worthwhile. We are all in this industry to amaze and entertain people

beyond what they expect.”

Alongside the awards ceremony TOIFA has multiple Bollywood megastars performing, each requiring complex technical requests, multiple hydraulic entry points and a large number of artist props all of which had to be cued to pinpoint precision. Stars Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandes, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan performed at the event, bringing the best in Bollywood entertainment to the UAE fans.

Photos courtesy of Showtech http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com www.showtechme.com

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XLINE DUBAI DOWNTOWN DUBAI’S 90 METRE HIGH, 558 METRE LONG ZIPLINE HAS ALLOWED A LUCKY FEW TO FLY OVER THE DUBAI FOUNTAINS IN THE SHADOW OF THE WORLD’S TALLEST BUILDING, THE BURJ KHALIFA. TPMEA’S STE DURHAM MEETS SHANE MANNING, MD OF TECS EVENT SERVICES, AND HEARS HOW THE EPIC PROJECT CAME TO FRUITION. IT’S A TOUGH JOB, BUT SOMEONE’S GOT TO DO IT...

How did the project come about and had you done anything like this before? Was the location a key factor?

We weren’t involved in the concept or the choice of location as it was always a Dubai Film / XDubai project. Both of these companies are owned by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - the Crown Prince of Dubai.

I have a few good friends at Dubai Film who I’ve worked with on rigging jobs over the years and they asked me if we could be the locally based install support company for the XLine project, supplying riggers and crew. Due to some external circumstances, we were asked if we could take on more of the project as a whole and ended up helping out with a lot of the coordination between install, the structures, the approvals and so on.

I had done some small scale (and very primitive) ziplines over the years. I was also part of the rigging team that installed and de-rigged a highwire for Jade Kindar-Martin - a great friend of mine and an amazing highwire walker (he was the stunt double for the Hollywood film, The Wire). This was in Macau a few years ago from the roof of the Venetian Casino across the road to the soon to be opened Sands Casino. The line was

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approximately 530 metres long and 150 metres high….so yeah, I guess you could say I had ‘some’ experience!

What was the design process like? Were there any challenges or unexpected alterations when it came to the build?

Understandably there were a lot of questions and raised eyebrows (“You want to do what, where!?”)

The design of the line profile was done by a US firm so we didn’t have a lot to do with that. Once they had the loads calculated, we then started with the platform designs on both buildings, which was a lot of back and forth between the building engineers, Emaar, Al Laith Scaffolding and Unusual Rigging.

Throughout the next few months we gradually got all the pieces of the puzzle together and started making some progress. We had Unusual Rigging designing and installing the landing platform and anchor points on the roof of Dubai Mall, and Al Laith Scaffolding installing the takeoff platform and associated anchor points on the roof of The Residence building opposite. Due to the fact we couldn’t get the wires onto the roof of the take-off platform building, we had to crane the drums of wire onto the landing platform and

pull the 12mm braking line over the fountains uphill.

Once this was installed and anchored, we used this as a catenary and rigged a Pfeifer 16mm FLC (Fully Locked Cable) wire to it all and pulled it across. Doing all of this in September, in hot humid nights and in the dark at 3am wasn’t the most fun I’ve ever had, let’s just say that! That said, we had a great international team who just got on with it.

How many crew did the build take and how was the job divided up?

All in all we had between 15 - 18 people on site each night. We had Bryan Donaldson (also a good friend of Jade’s) come over from London, Dennis Lehl, Markus Zeindl and Karen Hein come over from Germany, as well as myself, Aydan De Ruiter and our Dubai-based crew. The team was pretty much split 50/50 - with Bryan on the roof of the take-off platform and taking charge of the pull, while Markus, Dennis, Karen, Aydan and the crew were on the roof of the mall letting the wire out off the drum.

Due to the fact we didn’t have access to a mechanically braked drum roller, there was some rigging involved with belaying the wire out, while

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Opposite: The top of the X-Line, in full view of the Burj Khalifa; TECS’ Aydan De Ruiter ventures out over The Dubai Fountain. Above: Late night zipline testing; Bryan Donaldson and TECS’ Dennis Lehl with Al Laith’s Neil Hobbs; TECS’ Shane Manning and TPMEA’s Ste Durham just before taking the plunge; Sunrise over the X-Line install; TECS’ install for Swan Lake install in the Dubai World Trade Centre; Sunset during UAE’s 2015 National Day build up.

also controlling the drum. I was running between buildings and watching the line over the water to ensure we didn’t let out too much wire and have it catch on the fountain nozzles.

It was during this part of the install I just had this dark thought in the back of my head that if something let go or broke, I would forever be known as the guy that destroyed The Dubai Fountain! Needless to say, it all went in safely and on time!

The main rider line was Pfeifer 16mm FLC and the braking line was 12mm Pfeifer Zipline Cable. We did some destructive testing on the wires with the TÜV guys - the 16mm wire broke at 28 tonnes. Once the people ‘upstairs’ had seen these figures and the specs on the rigging accessories we were using, they were somewhat relieved and satisfied that what we were installing was safe. Due to the high profile nature of this project, we collectively decided to design everything to a 10:1 safety ratio.

Is maintenance / testing / health and safety a big concern on this job? Did you have to bring in any additional specialists?

Not really. Of course it’s always the first thing

we have to consider and everything was with safety as at the forefront. Once it was up and operational, we handed it over to X-Dubai to operate. We have load cells in the system and they get checked and logged every day and, of course, there are the visual inspections of all the rigging components, along with topping up the water ballasts in the scaffolding in the take-off platform. The operations team also check the harnesses and pulleys every day.

How has the industry and general public responded to the zipline?

The response has been very positive. For us as a young, small company it’s been fantastic to say we were part of what is arguably one of the most iconic adrenaline activities in the world. I don’t have all of the stats, but from what I understand it’s still pretty busy...

Do you have any upcoming projects on a similar scale?

Well, if I told you that I’d have to kill you! Joking aside, you never know what will happen in Dubai.

Anything and everything is possible!

On a smaller scale we have invested in a lot

of zipline kit (primarily for smaller kids’ events) and this has been amazing for us. We designed, installed and operated two ziplines in Abu Dhabi for Mother of the Nation festival; as well as jumping on board with 117Live to provide ziplines for the Nicky Minaj and Autism Rocks shows.

Along with all the other day-to-day rigging projects we do, we’ve recently partnered with Frontline Rigging and Motion out of Holland, ZFX Flying from the US, and Showtech Line from Korea. We also joined eZ-Axis, which is a collective of companies offering advanced automation services on a global scale. This is very exciting time for us as there isn’t a great amount of automation kit readily available in the region.

We’ve recently taken stock of a Z-Spot ZFX performer flying winch with a capacity of 2.8 metres per second at 200kg, four eZ-trolleys that are good for a tonne each and four Movecat BGV C1 chain hoists.

We are all very positive about the industry here and what this new direction will bring, so watch this space!

Photos courtesy of Shane Manning www.tecs-me.com www.xdubai.com/xline/

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PROLYTE RIGGING COURSES FOR UAE

RETURN CUSTOMERS DWTC AND ECLIPSE ONCE AGIN TOOK PART IN THE FIVE-DAY RIGGING COURSE.

This June, Prolyte again organises a series of rigging courses in the UAE. With returning customers, such as DWTC and Eclipse, the rigging course has become instrumental to contribute to safety in event rigging for the region.

The five-day rigging course consists of several topics, such as risk analyses, load calculations and slinging of truss, all topics that can greatly contribute to daily work-practice for those technicians working with truss or hoists on a daily basis.

As Lars Toonen, Sales Representative for Prolyte commented:

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“Apart from a few expert companies here in the region, the knowledge level on average is low. There’s a great willingness to comply to all safety measures, but sometimes it’s just a lack of awareness. Being able to create awareness is the first, but meaningful, step towards safer working practices”.

More information on the Prolyte Campus events can be found here: /www.prolyte.com/en/prolyte-campus/events/events

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PRG GEARHOUSE DUBAI INVESTS IN PROLYTE TRUSS PRG GEARHOUSE SWAPS OUT OLD TRUSS TO INVEST IN NEW PROLYTE PRODUCTS.

PRG Gearhouse, based in Dubai, has used the favourable conditions of the Truss Exchange Programme to invest in Prolyte truss for its Middle East-based activities.

With the truss exchange programme running into its last months, this was a good incentive for PRG Gearhouse to swap some of its exsisting trussing equipment for brand new Prolyte products, investing in a large stock of H30V truss, thereby following the European branches of PRG which already have an inventory which includes Prolyte products.

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In total PRG Gearhouse now has invested in 400 metres of black-coated H30V truss in different lengths, including several corner types; thereby creating a considerable modular stock that is well-suited for the variety of markets that PRG Gearhouse serves and enabling single discipline as well as specialised and complex productions.

Paul Weaver, PRG’s Head of Asset Management, EMEA, commented: “For PRG it’s important to have a partner that is able to act and react on the same global scale as us. Prolyte

systems are renowned not just for their quality; they are a global standard. Its international partner network means we have immediate access to compatible products and support, wherever our projects are located.”

Lars Toonen, Sales Representative for Prolyte, added: “It’s important to have customers like PRG Gearhouse investing in your product. This always creates some spin-off to other companies in the region, enabling the establishment of a larger rental base.” www.gearhouse-arabia.com

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CONNECT WITH GSL PROFESSIONAL TWO EVENTS, ONE DAY AND SOME HIGH PROFILE GUESTS FROM THE PRO AUDIO INDUSTRY MADE THE CONNECT WITH GSL PROFESSIONAL EVENT A HUGE SUCCESS FOR THE DUBAI BASED DISTRIBUTOR.

The morning session saw delegates from events companies and rental houses get tour sound training from Ed Jackson from Harman and Abboud Aljuneidi from GSL Professional. It included training on mixing consoles using the only Soundcraft Vi7000 in the UAE and correct methods of rigging using the already flown truss and JBL VTX in the ballroom.

The tour sound afternoon session moved to another setting within the hotel so delegates could get hands on training with the new JBL monitor speakers the M Series, Soundcraft Vi300 and Performance Manager software.

Conference delegates arrived early afternoon and had a chance to catch up with contacts

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before the event began. GSL Professional’s General Manager, Sam Brandon opened the conference, giving updates on the changes that GSL Professional had been through over the last year and the reasons why they were choosing to hold the conference before starting the presentations with a hospitality focus; what it meant in the region, previous successes and future opportunities and the product available to tackle regional challenges.

Georgi Hristov, Technical Manager from GSL Professional, was up next to talk about new products available for hotel resorts, which are extremely common in the UAE and the numbers are expected to grow in the run up to 2020.

Resorts are becoming more popular in other areas in the Middle East due to countries like Qatar expecting to see a huge growth in tourism surrounding the football World Cup in 2022.

Among others, Hristov ran through the technical specifications for the new landscape mushroom speakers from JBL, the Control 80 Series that were later demonstrated in the event foyer.

Hristov handed over to Faegh Fowzi, GSL Professional’s Founder and Managing Director to present on the new Control -1 Series from JBL. Fowzi has a huge amount of technical experience and easily explained why this new product was perfect for restaurants and bars. This was another one of the many products that were

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demonstrated during the event.

Justin Hankey from Harman came next to give updates on BSS products. Specifically the Contrio Controllers and Contrio Server. Followed by Sam Brandon for a second time who gave a good overview of AKG Wireless and Microlite products.

Well known local hospitality consultant, Ged King, was another one of the presenters for the event. King is the founder and CEO of Mediatech and has consulted on some of the Middle East’s best hospitality projects. He gave a regional understanding of hospitality sector For AV from a consultant’s point of view. As many of the conference guests were system integrators this was particularly of interest and value to them.

After King, the conference took a short break, to allow some of the products mentioned in the earlier presentations to be demonstrated in the event foyer.

After the break, Brandon gave his final presentation of the day on houses of worship and column loudspeakers.

Dave Budge from Harman was then on stage to talk about malls, retail outlets and convention centres. Both malls and retail outlets are big opportunities in the Middle East and JBL loudspeakers such as the pendant speakers; Control 64 P/T, Control HST and the IDX100 are perfect for this application. Budge also mentioned the EN54 product update from JBL as they have

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added additional speakers to the already strong certified range.

Jaime Albors, the Harman large venue president flew in from the US to speak at the event, he gave a great presentation on best practices for stadiums and theme parks. There are many regional projects falling under the large venue category such as the stadiums for the World Cup in Qatar, Expo 2020 and Dubai Parks and Resorts project and delegates found this presentation extremely useful.

Justin Hankey then took to the stage to present on connected systems and the Audio Architect software used to pull all the products together. He did a live on stage demonstration

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mapping out the room and creating a system in Audio Architect.

To finish the conference, both groups of delegates joined in the ballroom to hear from Adrian Curtis on tour sound. Adrian presented the best products from JBL, AKG, dbx, Studer, Soundcraft, Lexicon, BSS and Crown for the touring market. He also announced finance options that were now available for touring companies wishing to make large purchases, something that will certainly help local rental houses and events companies.

Closing the conference was Ed Jackson,

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who demonstrated the JBL VTX system through live track mixing. Such is the clarity and sound quality from JBL that the demo was popular with all of the delegates, not just the rental and events companies. It was a great way to finish, such innovative and exciting products had been discussed and to be able to hear how great JBL sounds through a variety of different music genres gave delegates a memorable experience.

During drinks and canapĂŠs, GSL Professional was also lucky enough to demonstrate another new JBL product, the new EON One. A Colombian pop star and her guitarist entertained guests

using the product, which created a lot of interest.

After a networking dinner, GSL Professional CEO Fouad Fowzi had a few words of thanks to say to delegates before picking the winners of the company’s prize draw. First prize of a Harman Kardon full home theatre system went to Sebastian from Showtech and Milad from Oasis won the second prize of a Harman Kardon home speaker system.

GSL Professional has a full calendar of events scheduled for 2016.

Photos: GSL Professional www.gslprofessional.com

Photo: Ralph@Larmann.com | Lighting Design: Thomas Gerdon

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REGIONAL ROUND UP

STRAIGHTPOINT NAMES DISTRIBUTOR IN AFRICAN MARKETS

Dale Hutcheson Managing Director of Anchor Industries.

STRAIGHTPOINT HAS NAMED MARINE LIFTING AND RIGGING SPECIALIST ANCHOR INDUSTRIES AS A DISTRIBUTOR OF ITS FORCE MEASUREMENT, LOAD MONITORING AND SUSPENDED WEIGHING LOAD CELL EQUIPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA, MOZAMBIQUE, NAMIBIA, BOTSWANA, ZIMBABWE AND ZAMBIA.

Headquartered in Cape Town, Anchor Industries provides engineering services and equipment for marine and lifting to local and international clients. It also has facilities in Durban, Nelspruit, Johannesburg (all South Africa) and, further northeast, Pemba in Mozambique.

Dale Hutcheson, Managing Director at Anchor Industries, said: “We are excited to announce the addition of another world-class brand to our product range. Unlike other load cells available on the market, the high IP rating of Straightpoint load cells means they are impervious to the harshest weather conditions and may be left in place during a lift just like any other item of rigging hardware.”

Hutcheson pointed to the standout features of Straightpoint’s most popular product, the Radiolink plus. The load cell which is capable of both weighing and dynamic load monitoring, is constructed with the high-quality aircraft grade aluminium and features an advanced internal

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design structure. This internal design structure not only provides the product with an unrivalled strength to weight ratio but also allows the use of a separate internal sealed enclosure providing electronic components with IP67 environmental protection even with the battery cover plate missing, making the dynamometer even more suitable for use in the most demanding environments.

Dave Mullard, Business Development Manager from Straightpoint, said: “Africa is a strategic marketplace for us and Anchor Industries is active in major hubs that will be key to our continued growth in the region.

Leveraging its lifting, rigging, marine and offshore contacts, whilst harnessing an intrinsic understanding of load cells and below-thehook equipment, Dale Hutcheson, Tyrone Tilley [business development and national service manager] and the whole Anchor team are perfectly placed to represent us.”

Mullard expects Anchor’s contacts to take a keen interest in Straightpoint’s expanded range of ATEX and IECEx equipment that meets zone zero, one and two hazardous area classification. The Radiolink plus, compression cells, shackle cells, load pins and the Running Line Dynamometer (for monitoring line tension on winches), are particularly well-suited to the work of oil and gas end users in the region, he explained.

Hutcheson concluded: “Safety, reliability and quality are paramount in the lifting and rigging industries, and these products are designed and manufactured to the highest standards. Used in the variety of markets we serve, the Straightpoint range is synonymous with the manufacturer’s overarching goal to make the lifting industry a safer place.” www.anchors.co.za www.straightpoint.com

REGIONAL ROUND UP

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CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL PARTIES WITH ROGUE R2 WASHES THE FORTH LARGEST JAZZ FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD ONCE AGAIN GAVE BACK TO THE LOCAL CAPE TOWN RESIDENTS BY PROVIDING A FREE CONCERT IN GREEN MARKET SQUARE.

Tickets for the world’s fourth largest jazz festival invariably sell out quickly, as aficionados from around the world descend on this famous seaside city every year.

However, for local residents unable to attend the acclaimed festival, its organisers put on a free jazz concert in Green Market Square. Featuring some of the artists from the festival as well as diverse mix of local talent, the free concert in the heart of old Cape Town also serves up eye-popping visual excitement, which in 2016 took the form of a Jean-Pierre Willson designed lightshow featuring a collection of Rogue R2 Washes from Chauvet Professional.

“The festival promoters do this every year to give back to the city, and allow those that cannot buy tickets or missed out as they sell out so quickly,” said Willson, owner of Unfazed Productions. “It’s as a great way of recognising the community. We’re proud to have been the lighting supplier for this event for the past three years.”

Turn out for the free concert is very large and the programme is very eclectic, according to Willson. “The concert features a wide range of artists,” he said. “It’s really more of a party feel and not just a jazz festival. This means that our rig has to be as versatile as possible, while staying within budget and the load bearing requirements

of a Stageline SL320 mobile stage we use, courtesy of Coca Cola.”

With budget and load bearing factors in mind, Wilson made the Chauvet Professional Rogue R2 Wash a pivotal part of his rig for this year’s concert. Weighing just 9.25kg, the Rogue fixtures offered the compactness that his rig demanded. Plus, with a 12°-49° zoom angle, five zones of LED control and six distinct dimming modes, the Rogues allowed him to create a diverse range of looks out of a single fixture.

Willson positioned two Rogues on each of the four above-stage horizontal truss structures.

He used the RGBW LED fixtures to side and top wash the bands on stage, as well as to cover the audience during the DJ and dance songs. At other points during the concert, the Rogues also served as back washers and aerial washes.

“The Rogue washes definitely worked well to increase the versatility of my rig,” said the LD. “Their zoom feature really stood out. In narrow mode, they match the other lighting in the rig to perfection. Changing colours really allowed me to reflect the mood on the stage for the different artists.”

Willson extended the versatility of his fixtures further by angling his overhead truss. “I positioned the four horizontal truss structures at a slight angle to each other,” he said. “This

made it easier to light the stage effectively from different points with fewer fixtures. It also gave me the easy option of lighting the audience for the dance bits!”

In addition to the Rogue R2 Washes, Willson’s rig included an impressive collection of highoutput beams and spots, as well as LED blinders and 16 Chauvet Professional SlimPAR 56 PAR-style fixtures, which were used as truss warmers. “We used the SlimPARs to warm three to four meters of truss,” he said. “It was excellent for setting a mood on stage.”

For atmospherics to engage the audience, Willson positioned four Geyser RGB foggers from Chauvet DJ on the stage roof. Shooting plumes of LED colored fog over the stage and into the crowd, the Geysers created an exciting aura around the free concert.

“The Cape Town International Jazz Festival is a world class event, and the free concert at Green Market Square is definitely a part of it,” said Willson. “Our goal was to convey this special feeling on the free concert stage.”

Based on the reaction of the huge crowd, Willson and his client Aki Khan from Eastern Acoustics, and ESP Afrika (the event producers), fulfilled this mission very well indeed. www.chauvetprofessional.com

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REGIONAL ROUND UP

DWR’s Nic Britz , Bruce Riley , Duncan Riley , Kyle Robson and Robert Izzett.

DIGICO ANNOUNCES NEW SOUTH AFRICAN DISTRIBUTION DIGICO HAS APPOINTED DWR DISTRIBUTION AS ITS EXCLUSIVE SUPPLIER FOR SOUTH AFRICA.

Founded in 2006, DWR has built a reputation in the South African market for supplying predominantly lighting products and providing a complete service from concept through to installation and commissioning.

“I was truly honoured to receive a phone call from Ian Staddon from DiGiCo, who was on the search for a new representative for his product in South Africa,” said Duncan Riley of DWR. “I am really excited about this, and so is the whole company and we cannot wait to get going with this amazing product.”

With this in mind, DWR has hired Kyle Robson as the new audio technical representative. Having studied music and sound, as well as being factory trained at DiGiCo,

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Robson worked as a sound technician and then in the capacity of technical support and audio training.

Robert Izzett, Head of Sales at DWR reiterated: “It’s a new venture which we aim to tackle flat out with the right people and skills to provide the same back up and support as we do for our other products.”

DiGiCo’s Staddon added: “After spending a hectic week in South Africa meeting with customers and many terrific potential new distributors, all of which would have made great partners for DiGiCo, I chose DWR. The company had a great vibe and good reputation in the market and whilst selecting a lighting company for DiGiCo may appear a bit ‘left field’, DWR

know what it takes to supply, work and support consoles - albeit lighting ones!

“They have the same customers and address all our market areas and with the addition of Kyle to the team they have a DiGiCo expert on board.

Additionally, the fact DWR do not offer a PA, means that they can be ‘neutral’ when it comes to audio installation projects and can supply DiGiCo to other South African distributors of speakers without competing and can provide the customers an independent choice.”

DWR is due to host a DiGiCo open day as well as roadshows in the near future. www.digico.biz www.dwrdistribution.co.za

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TECH PROFILE

MARIAH CAREY THE MULTI-PLATINUM SONGSTRESS, AS PART OF HER SWEET SWEET FANTASY TOUR, PERFORMED IN SOUTH AFRICA FOR THE FIRST TIME - WITH NIGHTS IN CAPE TOWN, DURBAN AND JOHANNESBURG.

You would think that over 26 years as one of the most well-known female solo artists in the world would leave Mariah Carey with very few things to cross off her career bucket list. However, during her latest outing, the Sweet Sweet Fantasy tour, the singer made her South African debut. Carey played one night in the Moses Mabida Stadium in Durban, one night in Cape Town Stadium and two nights in the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg. As the singer had never visited the region there was an inevitable surge of excitement with the songstress promising that each performance would explore some of her biggest hits from

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the last two decades.

The task of providing Carey with a complete audio and visual package fell in the capable hands of leading technical supplier, Gearhouse.

Taking care of the pre-production and communication for the shows was Gearhouse’s Jako De Wit with the company’s Project Manager, Jaco Saaiman working on the site itself. Saaiman began by telling TPMEA about what it was like to work for the global superstar. “I think we, as a company, are fortunate when it comes to dealing with acts of this scale,” began Saaiman.

“Gearhouse do multiple international shows each year and we know what is expected from

us. It’s also frequent that we get to deal with production people we know because we have worked with them on other projects so there is a relationship there already, even before they get to South Africa.” Saaiman complimented the team that worked for Carey: “The production team on Mariah’s side were fantastic to work with. Her Production Manager, Ian Kinnersley, was really professional and was very accommodating. Sean Burke, Production Designer was also fantastic to work with and our lighting team really interacted and integrated very well with him and his team.

I also should mention Art McConnell, Production Rigger, who was most helpful not to mention

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“The production team on Mariah’s side were fantastic to work with. Her Production Manager, Ian Kinnersley, was really professional and was very accommodating...”

Jaco Saaiman, Gearhouse

pleasant. He worked very well with our guys.”

The PM went on to talk about the kit that Gearhouse provided for the event. “Most of the gear supplied was specific, sent through from her production side and we were fortunate able to supply most of it. There were one or two substitutions made due to some of the requested gear not being available in South Africa but her production were happy to use the substitutes we offered them.”

On the audio side, Gearhouse provided a complete L-Acoustics system. The PA deployed was an L-Acoustics K1 loudspeakers systems (36 boxes in total), with two sets of 12 boxes in the

PA and other two sets of six used for the L-R hang with 16 K1SB loudspeakers. For fills, 24 L-Acoustics KARA speakers were used for front, down and side fills along side L-Acoustic SB28 subwoofers.

Also present on the audio rig were eight ARCS II speakers with three flown on the L and R fill with the remaining two on the side fills. The company also supplied two SB18 loudspeakers. The audio control for the show was done via a DiGiCo SD7 for both FOH and monitor control which was brought in via the production.

For lighting control Gearhouse supplied a High End Systems Full Boar 4 with a Road Hog for backup. Fixture-wise the company provided

several Robe products including six Robe ROBIN 600 LED washlights, 24 Robe ROBIN Pointes and 20 Robe ColorSpot 2500E ATs. There were also 58 Martin by Harman MAC Vipers and 48 MAC 2000 Washes. Finally, Gearhouse deployed nine ETC Source 4 19° Profiles, eight James Thomas Engineering 8-Lite molefay Frame, six Philips Lighting 400W Metal Halide Floods and 12 PAR 56 PARcans. For video Gearhouse deployed two Christie HD20K along side a Panasoncic HS400 Vision Mixer and Kramer 1:4 DVI DA (VM-4HDCP) Switcher. The final aspect of the visual side that Gearhouse supplied was a 72 LED Panel Lighthouse R16 configured as two of four panels

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TECH PROFILE

“It was a great tour to be part of and a great experience to see how the fans came to sold out shows and enjoyed themselves...”

Jaco Saaiman, Gearhouse

wide by nine panels high.

For rigging Gearhouse delivered 84 CM one tonne Electric Hoists, 45 CM 0.5 tonne Electric Hoists and 12 CM two tonne Electric Hoists. Truss system was an amalgamation of 27 Milos Trio the metre truss sections along with Prolyte V-Type.

The South African leg of the tour created a few issues for the tour as both the Cape Town Stadium and Moese Mabhida stadium are located very close to the ocean with the Cape Town venue being well known for its windy conditions.

Saaiman explained how the production overcame these issues: “This is always a factor we take into account when we work in those

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stadiums. In Cape Town the wind can gust up to 120km an hour and it’s always a priority for is to make sure the structure we supply and build is solid and would be able to contend with weather like that. The audio design is always a top priority for us and ensuring that each person in the venue can hear clearly. It was her first visit here and fans have been waiting a long time to see her live and therefore the audio component was such an important element to get right.”

Giving his final thought on the tour Saaiman stated: “It was a great tour to be part of and a great experience to see how the fans came to sold out shows and enjoyed themselves. It

makes the delivery, long hours and hard work so satisfying and worth every moment. We also received a very nice email from her production designer after the tour thanking us which is always an added bonus.”

Since the latest tour Mariah Carey has returned to do begin her Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace. Here is hoping that her South African fans will not have to wait for another 26 years until they see the diva hit the stage again…

Photos: Jethro Snyders Photography www.mariahcarey.com/ www.gearhouse.co.za/

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TECH PROFILE

MISS SOUTH AFRICA 2016 DESPITE ITS NEW HOME OF CARNIVAL CITY, JOHANNESBURG, THE TECHNICAL TEAM FROM LAST YEARS AWARDS WERE BROUGHT BACK IN TO PRODUCE THE SPECTACULAR TELEVISED EVENT.

The 2016 Miss South Africa was staged at Carnival City, Johannesburg, with this year’s theme having a robust feel as Lighting and Creative Designer, Joshua Cutts, made use of negative space and aimed to create a production that had the distinct flavour of a music awards event. With the winning formula of the previous year’s beauty pageant, the same technical team were contracted for the second consecutive year to ensure a dream occasion.

Sun International contracted Sic Entertainment to produce the televised show, which in turn brought in Dream Sets to cater for the technical, and Visual Frontier for the design. It was the same team with the same names: Gavin Wratten [Sic Entertainment], Eben Peltz [Dream Sets] and Joshua Cutts [Visual Frontier] doing what they do best.

The surreal and massive opening saw flames and actors on stage in a ‘dark circus’ type carnival with this year’s contestants gracing the ramp, adorned in dramatic designed apparel. The lighting then transformed to a classical look, the audience captivated this time by clean lines with a minimalistic feel.

To pull of an event of this scale required a

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great deal of careful planning. Cutter explained: “We had teams working 24 hours-a-day for six days because of the tight deadlines. Eben’s role is to make sure that everything comes together technically and he is remarkable.”

The work done by the production is even more impressive due to the fact that they had less time than last year to create a bigger show.

The venue had moved from Sun City to Carnival City, a slightly smaller venue but with a whole new set of challenges. Peltz explained: “We needed to pull in a much bigger team than usual to complete the set-up within the time available, as we had two days less than usual to get everything done.

“A new challenge in this venue was building the tiered seating stands, which flanked the stage and ramps. This is a huge project on it’s own and had to be done at the same time as the set was going up. It was awesome to watch the team in action, no task was too big and our guys had to put in long hours. It was all worth it in the end and we are very proud of what we achieved,” said Peltz.

The Arena at Carnival City worked well for this type of show as everything was more connected,

making it an intimate experience for those attending. “Gavin Ratten liked the idea of multiple arches with LED above the stage to create depth,” explained Cutts. “And we had a large LED wall with two doors. This made it appear as if the contestants were walking out of the LED Screen and onto the ramp.”

With last year’s fashion show type feel working well, the team kept the ramp. However, this time Cutts, who was also the Set Designer, included two ramps on either side of the main walkway, which meant models could continue walking without turning around to return to the back stage area. “Close friends and family of the contestants were seated between the ramps in the inner circle, something which we didn’t do last year,” said Cutts.

For the swimsuit category, each contestant was projected onto a water curtain. As the water curtain opened, it revealed the actual contestant standing behind the curtain. “LaserX provided the water curtain for us, which was controlled by the MA Lighting grandMA2 console. We also used the console to switch the water on and off. We were worried about projecting onto water but we got enough brightness with two 20K projectors

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Lighting and Creative Designer, Joshua Cutts, made use of negative space and aimed to create a production that had the distinct flavour of a music awards event.

which we piggybacked on the curtain.”

For Cutts to create a music awards feel layers of LED screens were deployed with layers of lighting in-between. “I was chuffed,” said Cutts.

“It gave a young and energetic feel. We had lots of negative space, but we aimed to create negative space that worked for us instead of against us.”

He also had a fantastic lighting rig at his disposal. “The Robe BMFLs for me are one of cleanest profiles on the market and assisted in creating a very textured backlight and perfectly colour corrected key light,” said Cutts. He added: “The Clay Paky Mythos’ role were their strong beams which I needed to cut through the negative space and they did their job perfectly.”

As well as the beauty pageant, the show also included top entertainment by Prime Circle, Mi Casa, Sketchy Bongo and Shekhinah and was hosted by MC, Speaker ProVerb.

Photos: DWR Distribution www.misssa.co.za www.dwrdistribution.co.za

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CONFERENCE

SECOND LETPC BUILDS ON GOALS SET OUT AT LAST YEAR’S CONFERENCE

FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF THE FIRST LETPC IN 2015, THE SOUTH AFRICAN ROADIES ASSOCIATION (SARA) HELD ITS SECOND INTERNATIONAL LIVE EVENTS AND TECHNICAL PRODUCTION CONFERENCE (LETPC) AT THE SUNNYSIDE PARK HOTEL IN JOHANNESBURG FROM 12 TO 14 MAY 2016.

The event was principally sponsored by the Department of Arts and Culture with additional sponsorship from Gearhouse, Dreamlenz Productions and Beautiful Creations Décor & Design.

Delegates, who hailed from a raft of industry organisations such as TPSA, EXSA, IFEA, SACIA and SARA and included small businesses and professionals from the event, technical and production sectors, once again had the opportunity to hear various international industry leaders share their expertise and experiences.

International speakers included Adrian Brooks from Backstage Academy (UK), Falco Zanini from VPLT (Germany), Jim Digby from Event Safety Alliance (USA), John Botham from Semperior LTD, Julius Grafton from CX Networx, Lyiola Ayoade from Multiple Concepts Group and many more local speakers.

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At the event, a strong government commitment was made to supporting arts and culture as both a significant employment sector and a platform for building the nation. Within this context, it was emphasised that a strong event, technical and production industry is essential for a healthy live music and performing arts industry.

Trained and experienced event, technical and production skills were acknowledged as central to the music and performing arts industries in South Africa, and for the key role they play in the conference and tourism sectors, notwithstanding a host of other industries and the wider region.

The LETPC 2015 concluded with four clear objectives: • To gather the technical and production and education sectors together with international market leaders from across

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•

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the same sector, government, SETAs, suppliers and independent skills To update and advance the critically urgent need to upgrade technical and production skill qualifications and standards in South Africa To discuss the enhancement of technical and production vocational training and education with a view to formulating a sector plan for the future To confirm validating the need for a technical and production sector skills needs analysis forecast

These objectives were discussed further at this year’s conference. In this regard, the many opportunities that the industry offers young people to obtain skills and establish livelihoods were described. It was pointed out that South

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CONFERENCE

Africa is a key destination in the live events industry, exhibition and conference sectors, thanks to the good weather, infrastructure, and African and international relationships.

All of these favourable aspects could be leveraged to a much greater extent to create more opportunities within the industry.

The education framework of various countries were discussed, and it became clear that in South Africa it is important for government departments, SETAs, employers and employees to collaborate more to create opportunities for young people and to ensure a wealth of skills for the industry to draw from.

The conference also highlighted the importance of transformation in the industry, and all stakeholders once again emphasised their commitment to this essential goal. Jacob Maphutha of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) highlighted the challenges facing the industry in this regard, including the low base of entrepreneurs and industrials and

lack of proper monitoring and evaluating.

These challenges were duly discussed, debated and noted by attendees at the conference.

SARA president Freddy Nyathela emphasised the need for a Backstage Academy: “A Backstage Academy is a must-have, because … without skills and knowledge, the industry won’t grow.”

The Department of Arts and Culture told delegates more about its upcoming provincial roadshows, which will share information about opportunities across the country. Furthermore, the department reaffirmed its support for the conference and its commitment to improved collaboration within the industry.

The LETPC 2016 concluded with a unanimous and firm commitment to further develop the industry through employment opportunities for the youth, improved industry communications, better governance and an upgrade of skills. www.soundstylists.co.za

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