TPMEA #013

APRIL 2018 • ISSUE 013

EMELI SANDÉ •

SHARJAH’S AL MAJAZ AMPHITHEATRE PROVIDES A UNIQUE LOOK FOR THE AWARDWINNING UK ARTIST

DUBAI ART WEEK: LA CASA AZUL • ECLIPSE DELIVERS FOR AMWAY • TECH PROFILE: LAKE OF STARS INTERVIEW: PHILIPS ENTERTAINMENT’S AMBER ETRA • ISNR OPENING CREMONY • ULTRA SOUTH AFRICA

would like to congratulate TPi’s 2018 Award winners : SAM O’RIORDAN Lighting Designer of the Year MARK CUNNIFFE The Mark Fisher Set Designer of The Year Award ER PRODUCTIONS Favourite Special Effects Company and NEG EARTH LIGHTS Favourite Lighting Rental Company

NICE WORK.

MDGFOG.COM

TPMEA

WELCOME...

TO TPMEA

Dear readers, Welcome to another bumper edition of TPMEA. Thanks to a typically busy events season in the Middle East, we have a diverse selection of features for you to enjoy; running the gamut from corporate events and EDM roadshows to temporary art installations, opening ceremonies and even a bespoke show design in a Romanesque amphitheatre.

In our Africa section, we find out how you provide crystal clear audio for a crowd of 750,000 and speak with the team behind an intercontinental festival phenomenon. With only one full issue left before the summer, make sure you stay in touch regarding all of the events you have left this season!

Now, as many of you read this, the inaugral TPMEA Awards is just around the corner.

Votes have been coming in thick and fast and, following the shortlist announcement at the EINO event on 18 April, the time to reveal your first TPMEA Awards winners will soon be upon us.

Although I will not be at the event myself (my wife and I have ordered a daughter and she’s due to be delivered on 7 May), you can expect to see plenty of the TPMEA team in amongst a who’s who of the region’s live event sector.

We’ve worked tirelessly with some of the MEA’s most trusted companies and individuals to give this industry the event it deserves - we hope you enjoy it.

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

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The Complete Event Package in the Middle East

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS MIDDLE EAST

36 - INTERVIEW

06 - FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

Stew speaks with a cross section of those involved in and affected by the ever-changing RF regulations in the region.

08 - REGIONAL ROUND-UP

AFRICA

Lighting, video and scenic designer, technical director and consultant, Ben M Rogers.

The latest news from the Middle East.

18 - TECH FOCUS

Amway drafts in eclipse Staging Services to facilitate with an ambitious gala dinner.

22 - TECH FOCUS

The latest news stories from the region.

44 - TECH FOCUS

24 - TECH PROFILE

54 - TECH PROFILE

30 - TECH PROFILE

60 - INTERVIEW

34 - ILEA COLUMN

ABU DHABI

TPMEA finds out how The Experience provided audio excellence for a crowd of 750,000.

48 - TECH PROFILE

Red Event Services brings the silver screen to life for the opening ceremony of the ISNR.

dUBAI

40 - REGIONAL ROUND-UP

We peek behind the curtain on an innovative collaboration for Dubai Art Week - La Casa Azul at INKED.

Al Majaz Amphitheatre provides a bespoke production design for Emeli Sandé.

VIDEO SOLUTIONS

Lake of Stars celebrates its 15th anniversary.

The Ultra brand’s South African cousin more than lives up to the long-established family name.

Philips Entertainment’s Amber Etra talks work, life and her company’s presence in this diverse region.

Mark Hill tackles event law.

EDITOR Kel 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

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

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

ADVERTISING SALES Georgia Guthrie Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8399 Mobile: +44 (0)750 1597 837 e-mail: g.guthrie@mondiale.co.uk

ADVERTISING SALES Lauren Dyson Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)741 5773 639 e-mail: l.dyson@mondiale.co.uk

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

DIGITAL EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jacob Waite: j.waite@mondiale.co.uk

ACCOUNTS Lynette Levi / Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk CHIEF EXECUTIVE Justin Gawne Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7768 850767 e-mail: j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk EDITORIAL INTERN Daniel Broadley www.tpmeamagazine.com www.tpimagazine.com www.tpiawards.com

MONDIALE GROUP CHAIRMAN Damian Walsh

KSA

EUROPE

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Emeli Sandé at Al Majaz Amphithatre, courtesy of Al Majaz Amphitheatre / Dubai Artistic Innovation PRINTED BY Buxton Press • www.buxpress.co.uk @tpmea_magazine facebook.com/TPMEA_Magazine youtube.com/user/TPiMagazine

See back cover for more productiontec.com

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FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

BEN M ROGERS LIGHTING, VIDEO AND SCENIC DESIGNER, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR AND CONSULTANT, BEN M ROGERS, DISCUSSES DIVERSITY, CREATIVITY AND WHETHER A ONE-STOP SHOP REALLY IS THE BEST SOLUTION TO ENGENDER THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF PRODUCTION INGENUITY IN THE REGION.

It’s the wide-ranging nature of our work that fuels my creativity. As a freelancer I used to try and say ‘yes’ to everything; not just to be sure of some income, but also in a bid to sustain a career in the industry I loved. As larger projects came in and I established a more formal business model, I still tried to not be phased by the ever-eclectic selection of jobs but rather embrace the diversity and let it be the stimulus to success.

The last 12 months stand as testament to that, insofar as I’ve designed custom LED matrix displays for a government buildings, delivered lighting and visual packages for venues including Lock Stock & Barrel JBR and Inner City Zoo, created designs for theme park and theatre shows in the UAE and designed corporate events ranging from the Dubai World Cup Welcome through to Financial Times conferences, the Banker Middle East awards and immersive themed private parties.

I’m currently consulting on systems designs for a major new event and hotel hub in Dubai, and have corporate events booking in to 2019.

While I try to embrace the variety of the work we undertake, I do remain concerned about how easy it is for businesses to pitch and aim to become a catchall solution. As a small consultancy and design operation, our mandate is to deliver unique design solutions to our clients and then work with them to find the best way to resource the technical needs of the project. While I don’t doubt the capacity of many companies to deliver complete production resources from start to finish, including all design and delivery, I’m not convinced that it’s always to the client’s benefit to have a one-stop shop for all production needs. Certainly the separation between the event management and design and the technical delivery is, in my opinion, best resourced when the creatives have the liberty to design without brand or inventory restrictions and match the vendor to a specification later. While price and profit are key motivators, it’s all too easy for the need to get gear off the shelves to stifle the creative spark.

The Middle East, especially the UAE, has always positioned itself as a leader and innovator in the global market. For creative practitioners this has often provided the financial resources to support bigger, bolder and more dynamic productions. The big buzzwords of this season seem to be about connectivity, the rise of the ‘smart city’ and a level of augmented reality and immersive experiences available. We’ve been able to showcase these technologies on events for some time but often in quite a limited format. As we plunge further into 2018 and beyond, I’m excited by the potential for these technologies to be embraced on a wider format - where augmented reality helps as a communication tool for translation, where branding and scenery can evolve in real time and as a direct response to audience interaction and mostly to find new ways to engage and excite guests from bars to parties to conferences and events. www.ardentcp.com

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FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

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REGIONAL ROUND UP

PROLYFT HOISTS SELECTED FOR OMAN CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre has taken delivery of ProLyft Aetos hoists.

To meet its customers’ demands, the venue operator, AEG Ogden, was looking for a flexible solution for the venue’s rigging facilities.

Adhering to rigging solutions, supported by the service and knowledge. Meeting OCEC’s brief, Prolyte Group was selected to present a proposal.

All the separate venues within the OCEC are supplied through the venue operators’ office.

Based on the incoming rigging plans for the upcoming projects, it assigned the required equipment for the shows and exhibitions. This ment the equipment needed to be as flexible as

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possible and suited for all types of applications.

Prolyte supplied a large batch of Aetos hoists with a lifting capacity of 1,000kg and a lifting height of 20m. All hoists are equipped with limit switches, incremental encoders, double brakes and load cells. These extended specifications were all specifically required by the OCEC, since it wanted this installation to be not only flexible, but also to offer full safety characteristics in use.

Furthermore, giving the user tool like positioning, load monitoring and integrated limit switches.

Supplying the complete system, including hoists, encoders and cabling, flight cases and storage bins, Prolyte decided to choose the Kynesis Libra system for load monitoring and

controls to match the tender requirements. The systems integration was simple as all add ons are based on a plug-and-play system.

The complete time frame to deliver the system proved to be quite a challenge for the ProLyft department. Not only did the ProLyft team equip all the hoists bodies with double brakes, encodes and extra fittings for the load monitoring cables, all hoists were individually tested and certified before shipment.

Prolyte performed a basic training before handing the equipment over to the venue’s supervisor and further training to the complete OCEC technical team. www.prolyte.com

SWEET LIGHTS

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REGIONAL ROUND UP

ELROW AT MEYDAN

Soho Beach DXB opened its doors on 23 February in conjunction with the renowned Barcelona and, more recently Ibiza brand, elrow, to a sold-out Dubai crowd. Protec provided a full audio and lighting package for the event, including SMD ground support, for the opening event. The brand has become renowned for its colourful, over the top décor and special effects, and didn’t disappoint in Dubai with confetti cannons working overtime, firing 6 times over the course of the night leaving the 5,000 revellers wading through heavy showers of colourful confetti and streamers, along with a sea of wacky inflatables.

The new Meydan super-club boasts a club area 50m deep and 30m wide, with a large dance floor surrounded by raised VIP decks and a pool

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area. Dan Dignan, Protec’s Senior Audio Engineer, described how he maximised the potential of the space: “This was handled by 16 L-Acoustics K2 loudspeakers, flown left and right in hangs of 8 on Protec’s ground support in an asymmetric 90-degree throw to contain the sound within the venue. It covered the entire area with a smooth and consistent coverage from front to back and was supported by a pair of ARCS Wide boxes to fill the front of the dance floor, hung high in the centre of the ground support. A total of 8 SB28 subwoofers took care of the low end; delivering a strong sub to the house and techno style music that elrow is famous for. A large, raised bridge overlooking the dance floor was covered effectively by 8 L-Acoustics 5XT loudspeakers.

Although small and discreet, they did a great job

of filling the top end clarity to the deck. The front of house system took care of the rest, but was trimmed to shoot below, so as not to affect the other venues in close proximity.”

Soho Beach’s brand new pool area to the rear of the venue opened in the afternoon to entertain sun-seeking early arrivals. Protec’s L-Acoustics Syva system was placed to the left and right of the area and was supported by a pair of L-Acoustics X8’s hung from the bridge to fill in the front of the pool. Acording to Dignan, the slick appearance of the Syva fitted in well with the high end Dubai vibe of the venue.

He continued: “The 2 large VIP decks left and right of the pool were a challenge. They both linked to the adjacent clubs - Soho Garden and Drai’s. We were asked to effectively cover the area

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REGIONAL ROUND UP

but minimise spill into the other venues. For this Protec hung its L-Acoustics KARA Loudspeakers on 9m towers and trimmed them in such a way as to reduce sound at a chosen crossover point between the other venues. This proved to be effective as all 3 clubs operated simultaneously with minimum disturbance between them.”

The system was controlled by a DiGiCo SD11, with a D-rack at the stage end to distribute signal effectively over the venue. An Avalon SP747 tube compressor was inserted over the master to control the sound while adding the famous character the unit is renowned for. A total of 15 L-Acoustics LA8’s and 3 L-Acoustics LA4X amplified controllers were used to power the speakers, all talking to an L-Acoustics network manager to control the EQ and time alignment.

Communications were taken care of by Protec’s Freespeak ii, allowing the 10 crew on comms to wirelessly communicate effectively over the entire venue. Production requested 42 radios and Protec supplied its extensive range of DP2400’s to cater for this.

“In all, the venue sounded great, with everything seeming to resonate from the stage

and propagate throughout the venue seamlessly.

A large amount of time was spent liaising with the venue and working on Soundvision, to develop an effective system for the new super club. I was extremely happy with the results and look forward to working with the venue again in the future,” concluded Dignan.

VISUALS The elrow travelling roadshow’s reputation for peddling sensory overload motivated Protec’s lighting department to produce a colourful, punchy, and totally immersive experience to complement the costumed dancers, confetti and CO2 cannons. Designed by Chief Lighting Designer at Protec, Aaron Russ, and operated by Daniel Ivanovski, the show got rave reviews from the client, DJs and guests alike.

It was a 1.5-day set up for all rigged fixtures and atmospheric effects. Equipment used included 36 Robe Pointes, 20 Spikies, 6 Claypaky Mythos, 6 B-EYE K10’s, 12 Show Batten 100’s, 8 SGM Q7’s, 2 P2’s, 2 MA Lighting grandMA2 Full Size desks with 2 8-port nodes, 2 Luminex network switches, a WYSIWYG rack, 2 High End

Systems FQ-100 smoke machines, 2 MDG ATMe haze generators and 8 ADJ UV COB Cannons. In the DJ booth, Protec supplied 4 ETC Source Four Minis and 6 SGM P5’s.

According to Ivanovski: “The design worked rather well and the Robe Pointes - being the workhorse of the show - had more than enough punch to produce a very visible and powerful beam with good colours in a venue this size.”

Project Manager, Robert Handley, recalled comments such as “amazing”, “incredible”, “insane” and “stunning” from the audience, while both elrow the venue were delighted with the energy, fun, and atmosphere of this epic party.

Overall, the show went smoothly and there were lots of fist bumps and smiling faces from the production team as guests wandered out, encumbered with inflatables and props, in very high spirits. “It was an incredibly fun show to do and everybody is already looking forward to the next instalment in Dubai and, of course, working with the promoter elrow and the client Soho Beach again,” Handley concluded. www.elrow.com www.productiontec.com

AYRTON APPOINTS DYNLIGHT AS EXCLUSIVE ME DISTRIBUTOR Ayrton has announced the latest addition to its international distributor network as DYNLIGHT of Abu Dhabi is named as its new, exclusive distributor for the GCC region and Lebanon.

To mark the occasion, Production Director, Thomas Linke, has been newly appointed as DYNLIGHT’s brand manager for Ayrton products.

Originally from Germany, Linke joins DYNLIGHT from his position as Area Manager of A&O Technology Middle East, where he spent a decade building a comprehensive understanding of the region. He shares a passion for Ayrton and is backed by DYNLIGHT’s innovative and proactive distribution ethos and excellent customer support.

“We are especially excited to be the exclusive distributor for Ayrton in this region,” said Linke. “The entertainment industry is growing at a phenomenal rate in the GCC and the demand for Ayrton products is keeping pace with it as Ayrton’s reputation for quality, reliability and innovative lighting fixtures precedes it. We want to be able to supply our customers with world-class products and already have enquiries from lighting designers who want to specify Ayrton fixtures in their upcoming projects. We are preparing to be very busy indeed!”

“With DYNLIGHT as our new distributor and Thomas on board as their dedicated Ayrton brand manager for the region, we are now in a position to offer our GCC and Lebanese customer base even greater access and support for all our Ayrton product line,” Ayrton’s Global Sales Director, Michael Althaus, commented. “We want to take this opportunity to welcome DYNLIGHT and Thomas to the Ayrton network and are looking forward to working with them as we strengthen Ayrton’s presence across the GCC.” www.ayrton.eu

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REGIONAL ROUND UP

SENNHEISER UNVEILS EVOLUTION WIRELESS G4

Building on its wireless series, Sennheiser has launched the evolution G4, the 4th generation of its product family.

Upgrades to the G4 line-up are user-inspired features such as multichannel capabilities, single click scanning and set up, frequency agility, as well as longer range, battery life and reliability.

With 4 product series in the range – the 100, 300, 500, and IEM series – evolution G4 is ideally suited to meet the needs of the Live Performance, Broadcast and Film, as well as the Business and Education market segments.

“Whether it is in the corporate world, live entertainment, theatre or broadcast, the evolution wireless series has long been the professional’s choice for the widest range of applications. We have set the precedent of introducing an ever-evolving feature set with each iteration and ew G4 is no exception. With many user-driven improvements and features, it is the culmination of 60 years of expertise in analogue wireless design,” said Mig Cardamone, Director of Sales and Marketing at Sennheiser

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Middle East.

The evolution wireless G4 maintains the pricing of the preceding generation and its compatibility with all previous generations of evolution wireless safeguards customers’ investments. The evolution wireless G4’s 100, 500 and IEM Series offer flexibility, versatility and easy setup, making them the ideal solution for live stage, house of worship and theatre applications.

Sennheiser designed its 100P Series around the needs of mobile journalism, ENG and documentary film makers while introducing the 500P series for professional film. The 100P G4 series includes the ew 135-p G4 Portable Handheld Mic Set, two Portable Lavalier Mic Sets, the 112-p G4 (omni) and the ew 122-p G4 (cardioid), as well as the ENG Combo Set, which combines the camera receiver with a plug-on transmitter and a bodypack transmitter with omni ME 2-II clip-on.

Complementing the G4 100P sets are brand-new 500P series PRO Sets for ENG work and general filming needs. Systems include the

ew 512-p G4 Pro Portable Lavalier Mic Set, the ew 500 BOOM G4 Pro Portable Boom Set and finally the Pro Film Combo Set, which includes both transmitter types, the camera receiver and accessories.

Targeting users in corporate, hospitality and education settings, the ew G4 300 series comprises a Vocal Set with an e 865 microphone head, a Lavalier Set with the ME 2-II clip on, and a new Headmic Set which includes the SL HEADMIC 1, ideal for speeches and lectures. Also new in the series are the Base Sets, which provide a cost efficient way to update or expand existing evolution wireless systems.

Sennheiser has also announced of a new version of Sennheiser Control Cockpit. This software enables users to centrally and remotely control their wireless systems in real-time via a web browser on their smartphones, tablets or laptops. Sennheiser Cockpit Control will not only work with SpeechLine Digital Wireless and the new G4 systems but also with Digital 6000. www.en-uk.sennheiser.com

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REGIONAL ROUND UP

REDFESTDXB MATRIX LASER WAS ONCE AGAIN DRAFTED IN BY DONE EVENTS TO PROVIDE LASERS AND SPECIAL EFFECTS FOR THE ANNUAL POP MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA. RedFestDXB returned to Dubai’s Media City Amphitheatre on 8 and 9 February 2018, featuring performances from The Chainsmokers, Russ, Kelli-Leigh, Kesha, Bebe Rexha and Marshmello, among many others. Matrix Laser supplied lasers and special effects for the inner city festival, resuming its relationship with promoter Done Events - a collaboration previously seen on events such as RedFestDXB in 2016 and Meet d3.

Michael Hilgemann, Managing Director at Matrix Laser, explained: “All of the laser systems are equipped with full Coherent OPSL Units. The equipment specifications were a combination of the technical riders for Marshmello and The Chainsmokers and the specifications from Technical Director, Miguel Galvao. In order to give all acts the option of lasers and SFX, Done Events

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requested additional consumables for flames and CO2, which added to the spectacular atmosphere during the festival.”

The SFX package on show at Media City Amphitheatre included Magic FX Flamaniacs and CO2 jets and Galaxis G-Flames. In terms of lasers, the company provided its own MLPG Green18 18W single colour and MLPW20 20W multi-colour units.

“Our main point of contact throughout the festival, from planning to execution, was Miguel,” said Hilgemann.

“Together the decisions were made in terms of positioning of lasers and special effects units.

When dealing with SFX, health and safety is always a main priority, with extreme care taken in positioning and placement within safe distances.

Emergency stop units were placed directly on

stage, while crewmembers were situated stage right and stage left so that all of the units could be within full view at all times. Additionally, flame units were inspected by Civil Defence to ensure that the required standards were met.”

He concluded: “In our opinion this has been the best RedFest so far. Besides world class performances, the spectacular stage design placed this event on another level. Due to great teamwork between Done Events, festival Lighting Designer Harold Fernandes and crew, Delta Sound and our SFX crew, the overall aesthetic was amazing. We certainly are very proud to have played a part in that - a huge thank you to Done Events for bringing Matrix Laser on board.”

Photos: Matrix Laser & Ob Panakal http://www.redfestdxb.com/ www.matrix-laser.com

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TECH FOCUS

ECLIPSE DELIVERS AN AUDIOVISUAL FEAST FOR AMWAY With a crowd of 4,500 assembled at the Lisaili Fort for Amway’s gala celebration, eclipse was tasked with taking the show’s design and technical specification from concept to completion. Coordinating with the client based out in India, the site was accurately 3D mapped using a drone to provide a lifelike, immersive virtual version of the multifaceted event in its initial planning stages.

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The use of 3D modelling allowed accurate budgeting, helped to manage client expectations and brought more accuracy and pace to finding solutions and delivering a very detailed vision.

The set construction was managed by a team used to building scenery for Bollywood films, as the client wanted a highly detailed set with an excellent level of finishing. Commenting on the event, Aikta Tyagi, Associate Vice President

- Special Events and Facilities at Amway India Enterprises, said: “Right from the initial meeting to the execution of the event, we found eclipse to be very organised, competitively priced, detailed and professional. Their final plan stood in line with our expectation and their contribution of creative ideas, business contacts, and personal time created a blend that ensured the event was a success.”

TECH FOCUS

The lighting team had to deal with the challenge of delivering both practical and architectural show lighting from only 6 structures, which had to also be shared with the video department. This presented a challenge in terms of placement of the structures in order to light a 2,000sqm area while minimising the visibility of the structures and fixtures.

On the video side, the team had to contend with both projection mapping onto the surface of the fort structure and an LED wall that was seamlessly built into the set. The projection mapping component of the show presented additional complications, including several palm trees that necessitated extra units to project around them.

Flying the speakers was not an option for the audio department due to the client’s desire to keep them as discreet at the rest of the production elements. The audio department from eclipse worked closely with the set builders to ensure the speakers were concealed without compromising the audio performance or the set design; eventually opting to integrate the d&b aduiotechnik J-Series speakers in the set.

Wissam Shaheen, Senior Audio Engineer at eclipse Staging Services, recalled: “The biggest challenge we faced with the audio design was to keep our PA more or less invisible and completely clear of the video projectors’ aperture. We are no strangers to such challenges as we know that aesthetics is as important as the audio quality,

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especially in the corporate world.”

Despite the pre-production design work, there were several additions to the show requested by the client as the time got nearer.

This included a zipline entrance over the audience and through the set for one of the award winners, which was provided by High & Wired. This concept was met with skepticism initially, until the engineering drawings and H&S documentation were provided, proving a big hit with all involved.

Detailed risk assessments and method statements had to be reassessed and updated with the assistance of eclipse’s in-house Group Health and Safety Manager to deal with the specific hazards of working in a desert

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TECH FOCUS

environment. This was a very useful exercise as it helped highlight potential issues on both sides and allowed procedures to be put in place to manage risks specific to this environment.

Nick Pain, Project Manager at eclipse Staging Services, discussed some of the event’s challenges: “The event location made the technical production aspect challenging. The site is mostly soft sand, which meant all of the equipment was moved around the site on 4-wheel drive buggies with trailers. As a result,

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the warehouse had to be very careful in preparing all the equipment so it arrived in the right order and was delivered to the right place on site. All the cabling had to be buried in the sand, which required us to come up with novel ways to protect the fragile fibre optic infrastructure and ensure site safety for event-goers.”

He continued: “The addition of the zipline presented some interesting H&S challenges that had to be overcome to reassure the client that the project could be safely executed.

During the project, we experienced a wide gamut of atmospheric conditions from heat and sandstorms to rain and lightning storms.

All the staff and equipment were well prepared to endure all eventualities and the project was completed with no injuries or near misses and no damage to any of the equipment.”

www.amway.in www.eclipse.ae

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TECH FOCUS

DUBAI ART WEEK: LA CASA AZUL FELIX ERDMANN, BUSINESS UNIT MANAGER AT NEUMANN&MÜLLER EVENT TECHNOLOGY, SPEAKS WITH TPMEA’S STE DURHAM ABOUT THE COMPANY’S INVOLVEMENT IN A COLLABORATION THAT TRULY CELEBRATED THE DIVERSITY AND DYNAMISM OF THE CITY’S ART SCENE.

Innovative event venue INKED, in collaboration with the Berlin-based design studio flora&faunavisions and Neumann&Müller Event Technology (N&M), recently presented La Casa Azul - a pop-dinner series inspired by the artist Frida Kahlo - as part of Dubai Art Week 2018. The culinary creativity available to prospective diners was further enhanced by a multimedia installation that sought to give a truly immersive experience.

The activation, INSIDEOUT, was opened to the public from 19-24 March, as part of the

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Dubai Art Week’s design initiatives in the region’s foremost arts hub, Alserkal Avenue. Business Unit Manager at N&M, Felix Erdmann, began: “We were recommended to flora&faunavisions by an event agency that is a long-time partner of N&M in Germany. The brief was to provide the technical solution for INSIDEOUT, which was in the UAE for the first time having previously been revealed at the Triennale der Photographie in Hamburg during Vienna Design Week and in Paris at the Palais de Tokyo.”

He went on to give an overview of the

INSIDEOUT: “It is essentially a travelling, 360-degree multimedia art installation, which explores the idea of the house as being our sanctuary - a safe haven to hide from nature’s forces. Scottish artist Leigh Sachwitz takes everyone on an immersive experience, with the help of projection, light and sound effects inside this sanctuary, while watching and feeling the beauty of a storm.

“The award-winning composer, musician and producer, Andi Toma (who is one of the founding members of the breakthrough electronic music

TECH FOCUS

collaboration, Mouse on Mars) created the sound design.”

The pre-production and conceptualisation of the project was undertaken completely by flora&faunavisions, while N&M supported the technical planning and implementation by delving into its experience and expertise in projection mapping and audio-visual installations.

“We supplied 6 Panasonic full-HD projectors for INSIDEOUT, the necessary video backbone, a 4.1 surround sound audio system and a

programmable haze machine to make the projector beams visible,” explained Erdmann.

“The equipment brief was given by flora&faunavisions. We then slightly adjusted the kit list according to what was available in our stock during this, the busiest part of the season.

After the confirmation of the alternative products from flora&faunavisions, we began the technical implementation planning and detailed down the kit list to the last bits and pieces.”

A pair of the 21K projectors were hung from steel beams below the mezzanine level of the

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space to project onto the roof of the ‘house’ structure. The remaining 4 projectors, which were the 13K variant, were mounted inside of the building, with each unit doing back-projection onto the opposite wall side of the house. The loudspeakers were then installed in each corner of the house, which made the surround sound effects - and thus the complete audio-visual immersion of the visitors - possible.

Photos: Neumann&Müller www.artweek.ae/alserkal-avenue/inked www.neumannmueller.com

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TECH PROFILE

EMELI SANDÉ THE AWARD-WINNING UK ARTIST CHOSE SHARJAH’S AL MAJAZ AMPHITHEATRE AS THE PERFECT VENUE FOR HER RETURN TO THE UAE, FEATURING A BESPOKE SHOW DESIGN COURTESY OF SOME OF THE REGION’S BEST AND BRIGHTEST.

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TECH PROFILE

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TECH PROFILE

Inaugurated in 2014 by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, Al Majaz Amphitheatre [AMA] is rapidly forging a reputation as a unique, family-friendly, regionally strategic platform for the arts and its imaginative staging of artists in the GCC. In February 2018, British singing sensation and four-time BRIT Award winner Emeli Sandé made history as she brought her powerhouse performance to this Romanesque Amphitheatre in Sharjah.

As its own promoter and producer, Al Majaz Amphitheatre builds its stages bespoke to each artist. With the Emeli Sandé concert the venue was uniquely placed to consider a new stage setting, which would be challenging both in an engineering context and as a new configuration for the open air stage.

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The imaginative stage was designed by Al Majaz Amphitheatre and executed by Dubai Artistic Innovation, with help from Fruition Events for scaffolding and support, Delta Sound for audio and Melody House MI for backline.

The venue’s management commented: “The AMA desire was to give a stage to this international artist that was more than the ‘usual’ concert set up. The design itself took some working out to bring both the stage out and the audience in. It has been credited as one of the most ambitious and intricate designs the venue team have undertaken.”

With an open air amphitheatre and large ‘slab’ stage, the first challenge was how to do away with the usual roof truss set up, keeping sightlines clear, with a design that had no roof cover and none of the usual hanging points for audio and lighting fixtures.

The design was ambitious: using Eurotruss kit throughout, 2 truss triangles appeared to hang effortlessly in the air with no visible signs of support. An opening of approximately 28m at the base and a load at the mid-point of 1.8 tonnes, the structures were flown at a 45-degree angle by steel cables. Lifting the triangles without them kicking out at the base and bringing the whole structure down was achieved by a scaffold back wall build with load cables feeding up and over, attached to counter weight loads behind.

The onstage lighting design included 32 Claypaky Mythos 2’s; 18 Sharpys, 28 Martin by Harman MAC Quantum Profiles; 54 LED Battens; 24 LED Wall Wash 244’s; 30 LED PARs; 20 ETC Source Four Profiles,as well as 150sqm of Absen P5 LED strip screens, which gave a sumptuous depth to the stage and an audience experience

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TECH PROFILE

“There is an element of theatricality in all our builds; we strive for really high production values and clean lines everywhere.”

Al Majaz Ampitheatre Management

that drew complimentary comments across the board.

The challenge for the audio crew was rigging the flown subs inside the confined space of the scaffold towers, due to the lighting truss design.

The L-Acoustics PA consisted of K1 main hangs, with additional boxes of KARA for fills and flown side hangs of K2. Control came from an Avid S6L at FOH with a TCM6000 providing vocal effects. A DiGiCo SD10 was situated at the monitor position, while Sennheiser 3732 and 9000 RF systems were used for vocal mics, with a 2050 systems for inear monitoring. An L-Acoustics K1-SB subwoofer system ensured that the low end could be felt throughout the venue, while maintaining the clean stage aesthetic that was essential for the show.

Aesthetics are supremely important for the team at AMA, as management confirmed: “There

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is an element of theatricality in all our builds; we strive for really high production values and clean lines everywhere. Detail is everything, even down to the carpet on this one, where we reflected the main triangle shape in black exhibition carpet, outlined with a contrasting grey to give the stage added texture and interest.”

Accessed across a bridge to its idyllic lagoon setting, it’s not hard to see why the theatre approach is applied to everything with this team: “it’s such a beautiful under-the-stars venue and all AMA audiences come away feeling they’ve seen more than just the usual standard concert set-up they’ve had the feeling of a theatre. Both incoming touring production and the venue team worked to meld the performance and the staging with the architecture.

“AMA is really proud of and grateful for the

Emeli Sandé team’s collaborative support - they were great about trusting AMA to give them something exceptional. The AMA team has been overwhelmed by the positive comments on the seamless coverage for audio, the jaw-dropping staging and the lighting design, which gave an energy and dynamic to the stage and audience experience.”

With such an impressive show under its belt, all eyes are on this ambitious young venue as it sets its sights on future seasons.

Photos: Al Majaz Amphitheatre / Dubai Artistic Innovation www.almajazamphitheatre.ae www.dubaiartistic.com www.fruitionevents.ae www.deltalive.com www.melodyhousemi.com

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Our superior RF technology results in more channels and more flexibility for any production and any stage — with no trade-off in transmission power or quality. Smarter, leaner, more efficient — this is the built-in principle from user interface up to spectrum efficiency. Redundant Dante™ sockets and the command function are just two components of the recent update.

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19.02.18 09:05

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TECH PROFILE

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF NATIONAL SECURITY AND RESILIENCE 2018 THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF NATIONAL SECURITY AND RESILIENCE (ISNR), CO-ORGANISED BY THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR, IS A GLOBAL EVENT OFFERING A NETWORKING PLATFORM CONNECTING REGIONAL GOVERNMENT BODIES, HOMELAND SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, PROFESSIONALS AND BUYERS WITH INTERNATIONAL SECURITY SOLUTIONS PROVIDERS AND MANUFACTURERS. THE OPENING CEREMONY SAW RED EVENT SERVICES DRAFTED IN AGAIN TO DELIVER THE GOODS.

After a successful ISNR opening in 2016, Red Event Services in Dubai was awarded with the contract in 2018. The final storyboard was approved in December 2017 after a lengthy bidding process and various changes, before content and technical production started immediately. The story of the show, called The Brave, centred around a family that has been separated in a fictional, war-torn city, before being reunited through the efforts of relief teams and search & rescue operations.

A big part of the theatrical side was filmed content, Creative and Film Director Rodrigo Kirchner described the filming as challenging: “Without my film team this would not have been

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possible - we had an extreme time line to meet and just as we started our outdoor shoots the weather turned bad. Because the movie script had this immense amount of sound effects included, we started from the beginning filming in 5.1, on separate channels. We used a rig of Red cameras to film all content at the locations provided by twofour54. We also did on-set filming using actors on a green screen that could later be superimposed into stock content.”

As the filming determined the set for the theatrical live production (the existing film set needed to be recreated inside ADNEC ICC), the team of Red Events Operations Director, Marcin Banazsevksi, and Production Coordinators, Abdul

Rehman Shaikh and Farhanah Magumpara, had just 4 days off site and 4 days on site to build a 60m by 7m stage set with trap doors aligning to the LED back wall. They were also responsible for the VIP deck build and all prop preparation for the event. Banazsevski said: “Since me and my team built the set 2 years back for the same opening show, there weren’t too many challenges. that said, my prop builders, set painters and carpenters have done a phenomenal job.”

Production Director, Stefan Wieland, gathered the production team and developed the AV aspects of the theatrical play, putting the creatives wishes and requirements of Executive

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TECH PROFILE

Producer, Arif Ebrahim, and Action Director, Stephen Sinclair, first.

Wieland reported: “The biggest challenge was the sliding LED walls - just the centre LED had 36 tonnes of rigging alone - and getting the set as close as possible and aligned in front of the screens. Furthermore, the sheer size of the pixel space created by using hi-res LED screen was a challenge, it took us several sessions to create a technically (and financially) viable solution. We changed from standard HD to 4K playout from Ventuz and throughout the distribution and LED Controllers.”

Ventuz Designer, Chris Schmidt, and Ventuz Operator, Ghandi Al Zughbi, had to work with 3G-SDI inputs into Ventuz and take thier time to get the layout right. Schmidt’s biggest concern was the different frame rates he had to work with in the production chain. All involved media producing parties agreed on 25Hz. An overall pixel-space of 34,560 x 2,160 pixels running on 18 x 4K outputs was filled with animated Ventuz scenes, filmed content and CGI animation from Red Events’ in-house studio. LED Engineer, Vishal Sivasankran, controlled the overall 900sqm of 3.9mm and 5mm screen with 56 LED controllers that where networked throughout. In order to enhance the overall set experience, the team decided to extend the field of play by using floor projection.

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Weiland said: “We utilised 6 Christie Boxer 30K projectors that were driven by a Watchout system operated by Snaido Davis.”

Project Manager, Dhiraj Ali, coordinated all AV departments and reported the progress to the production heads, who themselves reported and coordinated with the project and event management.

Lighting Designer, Semynov D’Souza, used 2 MA Lighting grandMA2 consoles and 3 MA2 NPUs to operate a rig of 50 Claypaky Scenius Profiles, 36 Mythos, 36 Sharpys, 56 Prolites Diamond 19’s, 10 Martin by Harman Atomic 3000 strobes and numerous LED battens and smaller conventional lights for the dramatic lighting of the stage set, as well as creating looks for the pre-show and theatrical play. He also provisioned for the broadcast and IMAG of the event, with 8 Sony HD-Studio Cameras was used and mixed in an outside placed OB van.

Sound Engineer, Ajay Emerson, deployed a Dante controlled 5.1 surround system consisting small clusters of 30 L-Acoustics KARA & SB218’s driven by LA4 racks, with a Yamaha QL5 using Motu Soundcards for the 5.1 mix. Head Stage, Manager Nadja Issa, and her team of stage managers and runners trusted a Clear-Com Freespeak2 system with a total of 12 wireless and 17 wired beltpacks that was managed by the proprietary software for show calling.

Venue Rigger, David McKean, and Production Rigger, Daniel Wiggill, utilised a total of 186 motors and 950m of Prolyte and Eurotruss truss to bring the overall load of 76 tonnes into the roof. Accurate rigging was key to the project as the complete LED walls were mounted to an automated horizontal tracking system with a total tracking length of 160m with 8 active drives.

Kinetics Operator Lesly van Rompaey praised the reliability of the system and the easy handling. In order to add drama to the show, the SFX crew under direction of Piotr Szablowski provided 6 clusters of floor concussion and an overhead array of concussion air bursts plus gel flames in the set.

Executive Producer, Arif Ebrahim, and Event Director, Fadi Akel, both declared that the work put in by the Red Events team was key to The Brave’s success. “Everyone worked with passion and went 2 extra miles to make this show happen. I am really proud of the show and the people behind it. Our client, all involved government departments and all cast & crew had such a smile on their faces after every performance - this is exactly why we love our job.”

Photos: Red Event Services www.isnrabudhabi.com www.redeventspro.com

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03/11/17 16:38

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ILEA COLUMN

MARK HILL: TACKLING EVENT LAW MARK HILL IS THE MANAGING PARTNER OF THERIGHTSLAWYERS, A SPECIALIST ENTERTAINMENT LAW FIRM CATERING TO THE EVENTS AND PRODUCTION INDUSTRIES PARTICULARLY IN THE MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA AND NEAR EAST REGIONS AND GENERAL COUNSEL TO THE BOARD OF ILEA.

Legal Issues for the Events Industry I have been involved in ILEA as legal advisor on and to the Board since the whole thing began many years ago.

There have been some fabulous developments over the period and ILEA continue to drive for further growth and coordination with the events and related industry. The legal challenges facing the events industry needs exactly this kind of coordinated and driven approach in my view.

Anyone who works in the events industry knows that there is an awful lot of time, planning and effort goes into running an events business and organising an event. At both the business and event level, potential risks need to be identified, considered and dealt with or at least mitigated and of course the risk profile will vary broadly depending upon the nature of the events business and on the nature of any specific event itself.

In this article, I will just raise a few of the key areas to consider when looking at key legal issues arising when putting on an event:

Changes to the Freelance Sector: This is a hot topic in the region right now. We know that there has always been some uncertainty about the legal status of freelancers in this region. And now things are being brought to a head mainly because of the changes in VAT in the UAE for example. A lot has been written about the actual requirements but let’s look at what they mean for the freelancer: · Companies and procurement / accounts departments may become strict with respect to who can submit an invoice for services · This may mean that they will no longer accept invoices (with or without VAT) from individuals who do not own a

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company, invoice via a company, or have a freelancer visa · This may also mean that companies can no longer pay an individual directly for an invoice submitted i.e. payment would have to go from one company account to another company account. · This may also indicate that the only time that a person can be paid into their personal account is if they are a fulltime employee receiving a monthly salary. · Remember, freelancers have an obligation to register for VAT regardless of whether they are operating legally.

So until we have a fix at the government level, we have to find a fix ourselves. One thing we are starting to do a lot of is setting up companies for groups of freelancers to operate through.

Name of an Event: I am often asked about how to trade mark event names. To be fair, disputes over rights to the name of the event can arise so it is an area worth thinking about. It is also one way of potentially creating not only a branded entity for recurring events year in year on but also a potential licensable asset i.e. something that you can trade to other parties as part of a licence package e.g. for them to organize future events under the brand. The solution clearly is to register trade marks to protect event branding but the key is whether or not you are working with the right kind of brand. So for example descriptive brands (The Wedding Show, The Motor Show and so on) are not ideal unless you have some stylised form to rely upon. As mentioned, the existence of a registered trade mark to protect event branding assists with other agreements and commercial arrangements and in particular the event organiser has a proprietary right from which you can grant licences (and potentially create further revenue streams).

Intellectual Property Rights in Event Formats: Now this is quite a difficult one. We do look at what I suppose can be described as a broad range of rights that come under the category of “format rights” but in reality the law by and large does not recognise the ownership or existence of format rights as such. Rather, what the law does is recognise ownership of a bundle of different rights which together come to constitute an event. It can be everything from theme to operating manual through to brand and well beyond. Where numerous parties are associated with the operation of an event, it is important to be clear on who owns what rights and how other parties can deal with those rights. In other words, who does what when for how much and what happens to the intellectual property rights?

Venue Agreements: A venue agreement is super important when organising an event, for obvious reasons.

For many events, especially major events, the agreement

ILEA COLUMN

that you will have with the owner of the venue often links into various commercial issues such as revenue sharing, expenditure sharing, contribution to activities such as sales and marketing, arrangements relating to signage at the venue, catering arrangements, etc. The liability and indemnity positions are extremely important here and basically this comes down to who is contractually accepting what risk relating to the activities that are going to be taking place at the venue. This is always one of the most heavily discussed areas and also should tie into the kind of insurance packages that are available to cover the type of event in play.

Sponsorship Agreements: In the current events industry, sponsorship is getting harder and harder but it is still the case that many if not all events would not operate without one or more sponsors. The key thing about any sponsorship agreement is that it clearly sets out a scope of the rights and obligations of each party. It is super important for a sponsor to understand what bang for their buck they are getting. This also includes considering exclusivity if that is relevant to the type of sponsorship being discussed.

Conditions of Entry: One way or another, there will be conditions of entry to be applied relating to the sale of tickets and entry into a venue for attendance at an event. They sometimes are displayed at the venue but most obviously in the modern world they are dealt with through online display and in particular through conditions incorporated through the ticket distribution mechanism. There are several different

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ways of doing this but it is essentially a matter of assessing risks and objectives and then applying protocols to the event. There is also often going to be a crossover with the agreement with venue owner and also obligations given to sponsors.

Broadcast and Media Agreements: These kind of agreements can be quite important, particularly as the industry develops and as new communications technologies become more and more usual. Bearing in mind that there are many things that you need to bear in mind when looking at broadcasting media rights including what has been agreed with venue, talent, any sponsor involvement or obligations including exclusivity to tailor made content.

Equipment Hire: This very much again depends on the type of event but, even if events are to be run on a recurring basis, everything from lighting to security barriers and portable toilets will often be hired in. Again, these must be catered to in contracts (whether on the supplier’s standard form or the event organiser’s) to deal with primary scope and risk issues such as delivery, collection, ownership, insurance risk and so on.

Contact: mark@therightslawyers.com For details on ILEA membership please email: admin@ilea-me.com www.ilea-me.com

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INSIDE LOOK

THE TRA’S KHALID AL AWADHI,

MANAGER OF BROADCASTING AND SPACE SERVICES SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT LEADS THE THOUGHTS ON THE LATEST RF SPECTRUM REGULATIONS...

TPMEA’S STEW HUME DISCUSSES CONCERNS OVER THE RF SPECTRUM WITH TRA’S KHALID AL AWADHI, DETAILING HOW THE ORGANISATION IS TAKING STEPS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THOSE WORKING IN THE LIVE EVENTS INDUSTRY. PLUS, TPMEA HEARS FROM MANUFACTURERS AND KEY RENTAL HOUSE, DELTA SOUND, ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION...

Since it was established in 2003, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has been responsible for managing every aspect of the telecommunications and information technology industries in the UAE. As live events in the region flourish, so increases the demand for RF frequencies, amid ever-changing regulations. Khalid Al Awadhi, Manager of Broadcasting and Space Services, to discuss where the needs of our industry sit within the region.

Al Awadhi recalled how the TRA grew out of federal law by Decree No.3 - otherwise known as the Telecom Law - back in 2003. The law laid out some general guidelines and regulations for those utilising the RF spectrum, which related to the Program Making and Special Events (PMSE) sector. He continued to outline Article 50, which states: “The use of Wireless Transmission shall be prohibited unless permitted by a radio spectrum authorisation issued by the Authority pursuant to the provisions of this Federal Law by Decree,

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its Executive Order or the regulations and instructions issued by the Authority.”

As Al Awadhi put it: “More generally we are trying to be conscious to not let the radio spectrum fall into chaos. RF is a scarce resource around the globe and the TRA are working very closely with our neighbouring countries so as to obtain the optimum environment for those working within the region.”

In the early days, the authority had to tackle the preparation of a second telecom service provider in the country, du, which would effectively create a duopoly in the region with the already established provider Etisalat.

Meanwhile, Al Awadhi explained, the TRA has always sought to avoid placing, “hard caps on any industry utilising the RF spectrum so as to encourage private sectors to continue to invest within the region”. It’s a goal that, he assures TPMEA, applies to those within the PMSE sector.

However, after 15 years working with the industry, Al Awadhi has noticed a proliferation of

products that rely on radio frequencies. “As time progressed we observed some issues using these short range devices, especially those related to live events,” commented Al Awadhi, adding: “With these complaints of interference becoming more frequent we decided action needed to be taken.” The TRA’s promise? “A proactive role in coordination of usable frequencies for those in need of the use of the RF spectrum.”

Al Awadhi and the rest of the TRA plan to combat the ever-populated RF spectrum with an important tool - communication. He elaborated: “Over the last few years our main goal has been to raise awareness of the TRA, our involvement with the live events industry and to ensure everyone working within the RF spectrum understands the procedures the industry needs to undergo.”

At the end of 2016 the organisation introduced a new regulation - Services Ancillary to Broadcast Production. By creating a dialogue with industry players such as Shure and Sennheiser, the regulations were designed to further assign RF for live events, ostensibly to the benefit of all concerned. The TRA also has an extensive media campaign planned in the coming months with the aim of highlighting its work in relation to the wider market. “The message is simple,” stated Al Awadhi. “We want to highlight our services and how those within the PMSE sector can ensure they are up to code in terms of the equipment they are using.”

The TRA have already collaborated with various large-scale events to ensure organisers are aware of the issues, such as the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “For the past few years we have worked with organisers extensively,” Al Awadhi explained. “Prior to the race we request the event organisers to supply a list of frequency demands for short range devices and from there provide lists of workable spectrum space. Afterwards, and during the event itself, the TRA works continuously to ensure smooth operations of the

INSIDE LOOK

radio spectrum, and reacts instantaneously to any report of interference that may occur”.

Moving on, Al Awadhi discussed some of the latest steps the TRA has taken to make the process of wireless regulations simpler for the end user. “One of our recent developments has been our online platform. The main aim with our online presence is to be as clear and transparent as possible,” he said. Indeed, for any event, organisers can look up exactly what is required for audio, video and data distribution, as well as set up applications for RF assignment for annual authorisation or temporary authorisation of up to 90 days.

Al Awadhi was pleased to announce the system has received positive feedback and assured TPMEA the organisation will continue to

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work on the platform and its usability.

Looking forward, Al Awadhi explained what was in store for the TRA in the upcoming months as part of a bigger picture in terms of UAE’s Vision 2021. The TRA’s goal is to increase the Network Readiness Index, and thus, the region’s ability to cater for more advanced telecom infrastructure.

Practically, Al Awadhi applied the goal to live events, saying: “This directly responds to the PMSE industry and, if it flourishes, will only help add to the 2021 mission.”

In conclusion, a positive Al Awadhi enthused about the upcoming developments within the industry and the TRA’s continued contribution to future events. www.tra.gov.ae

RYAN BURR, SENNHEISER MIDDLE EAST

“When Sennheiser Middle East first started in 2009, we were providing wireless products in frequency ranges that included 700MHz, 800MHz and sometimes 900MHz, driven by the demands of our customers and without much scrutiny from the regulators here in the region.

“Then, in 2011 / 12, we became aware of a drive, by the TRA, towards more comprehensive compliance on the import of Short Range Devices (SRDs) in the UHF spectrum. This approach was in line with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) guidelines and with the laws already established in the UAE.

“The new policy included a check and certification by the TRA to ensure that the wireless equipment followed the ITU guidelines for Region 1, which the UAE is part of, which specify where in the UHF spectrum they can be used and the maximum power output they can have. As this new local policy was being introduced, there were changes taking place

in the ITU’s policy on the 700MHz, 800MHz and 900MHz ranges to make room for mobile telecoms operators and other services.

“The TRA took a proactive approach with regards to PMSE and invited some of the key stakeholders in our industry, including ourselves, to be a part of a consultation process. This consultation allowed them to better understand what challenges we faced as an industry and what was required to be able to support PMSE as a significant economic contributor to the government, especially within the important entertainment and tourism sectors.

“The TRA decided to be an early adopter of the changes being planned by ITU and only allow manufacturers, such as ourselves, to bring wireless equipment that was within the 470MHz690MHz range into the UAE; with most other GCC countries following suit. At that time, we had been holding stock and supplying equipment to our partners in the 800MHz range, so we had to adjust our policy on this to a lower part of the UHF bandwidth. We also took the decision to start type-approving the wireless equipment we manufacture around about the same time.

We have continued with these type-approvals to ensure that our partners can get stock into the UAE without having to go through the process themselves. This is really important to us as, not only do we need to be able to sell the equipment, but there are many production companies carrying out cross-border projects within the region and when they move their equipment from one country to another, they need to have the assurance that it will not be stopped because it doesn’t comply with the regulations of that particular country.

“In general, the landscape for the operation of wireless microphones across the globe

has gone through a significant change to accommodate the high demand for greater and improved mobile telecommunication services.

There has been a huge reduction in the amount UHF spectrum available to production companies and broadcasters for all of the wireless equipment they use, in an age where more and more production equipment such as cameras, DMX, comms & IEMs are becoming wireless. This is only going to lead to some kind of tipping point. The introduction of the PMSE category by the ITU and the TRA will hopefully afford some kind of protection or at least a voice to those of us who still need to manufacture and operate wireless equipment for production. This will only remain the case if we all engage in the licensing process and use the facility being offered by the regulator.

“Ultimately, all of this change in regulation means Sennheiser and other manufacturers have to look at different methods and areas of the spectrum to use to transport audio wirelessly.

Some of our new digital products, for example, have been designed to use the available bandwidth much more efficiently. Because of the way we can filter out unwanted interference on digital channels, it is now possible for us to offer equidistant spacing between these channels. We are also manufacturing products that operate in the 1.9Ghz range. This is an area of the spectrum where the ITU has already established guidelines that are unlikely to change. While these new technologies come at a cost that is worked into the price of our equipment, they safeguard investments by ensuring the equipment you purchase from Sennheiser can be operated at the frequencies permitted by regional regulatory authorities.” https://en-ae.sennheiser.com

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INSIDE LOOK

ANDREA GRANATA, SHURE “Wireless microphones are essential to modern production values. From live performance to big events, corporate conferences to local houses of worship, wireless systems are everywhere.

“Wireless microphone systems have long operated in UHF bands IV & V (470-854MHz). The UHF spectrum is the preferential space to operate

in and has become open to exploitation by the mobile communication industry in recent years.

“The last 15 years have seen an explosion of mobile phones and then, in rapid succession, the growing demand to have ever faster and reliable wireless internet access available on these devices.

“Wireless microphones use the UHF

spectrum daily to produce content; the very same content that is streamed to millions of smart phones using the very same spectrum!

If wireless microphones do not have clean spectrum to operate in, the audio will be interrupted and the production values of events will be significantly diminished.

“In this scenario a regulation authority like the TRA in the UAE is showing care, involving the wireless microphone users and manufacturers in any decisions and listening to their needs. If we add that the spectrum here is not as congested as in other parts of the world we can say our transition in the new era of wireless was relatively smooth. With digital technologies we are also much more efficient in the usage of spectrum than we were 10 years ago, adapting our tools to the new scenario. Having clear and efficient regulation is very important also to support the international acts coming to Middle East, who often request our support.

“In the UAE it is very simple to apply for licensed frequencies and the TRA is very supportive. In the rest of the region there is not always such a clear process, but we can safely say that whatever is used in professional applications in the US and UK (after the clearance of the 700 MHz band) can be safely used here.

“In the future, the fifth generation of mobile devices will present new challenges for the regulators and we look forward to continue cooperating with them.” www.shure.eu

ANDY JACKSON & AL WOODS, DELTA SOUND TPMEA also spoke to audio rental house Delta Sound about the RF landscape and its involvement with the TRA. Giving their opinions on the matter were Delta Sound’s Director Al Woods and General Manager Andy Jackson [pictured left].

“Delta has been actively involved with the TRA since 2007,” commented Jackson. “As Delta moved into supplying comms and PMR, it was necessary for us to demonstrate to the TRA that we were able to comply with the licensing requirements for large scale events. This cooperation and understanding was vital for the growth of the large scale events industry within the UAE.

“Delta still works closely with the TRA on both PMR and PSME

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in a bid to one day work in a fully regulated market. The progress the TRA has made has been outstanding.

However, more rigorous regulation and compliance is required by our industry.”

Woods also gave his thoughts on the matter: “I have to admit, losing 700MHz and upwards to the 4G networks did give us a bit of grief,” began Woods. “However I also see it as an opportunity to look at our inventory. The TRA are looking for frequencies sub-700 MHz by 2020 for the 5g network, which will again make us look to where we can go.

“Delta has a great relationship with the TRA, and apart from licensing our RF through them, we also liaise regarding legislation and future changes.” www.deltalive.com

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REGIONAL ROUND UP

DB AUDIO NAMIBIA MAKES SOME NOISE WITH NEW ROBE SPIIDERS THE COMPANY HAS CONTINUED ITS INVESTMENT IN ROBE MOVING LIGHTS WITH THE RECENT PURCHASE OF 12 SPIIDER LED WASH BEAMS, WHICH HAS BOLSTERED ITS INVENTORY OF OVER 150 FIXTURES, THE LARGEST ROBE STOCK IN THE COUNTRY.

The Robe Spiiders were supplied by dB Audio’s distributor for southern and central Africa, DWR Distribution, and are the latest addition in a steady commitment to the brand which dates back 13 years.

Owner and founder of dB Audio, David Benade, started the company in 2004, initially as an audio supplier, though it soon made sense to offer other production disciplines like lighting and rigging. At that point, audio was his specialist area, a competitor moving brand was dominant in the region, and, being a start-up, budget was tight...

All these things considered, Benade began researching and scouting around what might be a rising star lighting brand with a good future, and Robe popped up again and again. He started asking around and all his sources - both personal and via the internet - came back saying that Robe was definitely a new kid on the block;

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keen, enthusiastic, tails up, but, also with a solid OEM manufacturing history and the capability of developing quality, well-built products.

So he decided to take the plunge and buy Robe, the first pieces of which were 2 AT series 575 Spots. “I’ve not looked back since that day,” declared Benade.

In terms of market positioning, Robe’s meteoric trajectory has elevated it to being among the most respected manufacturers worldwide. It is also - by some considerable way - the brand that is strongest and most prevalent in the south of Africa, due to a combination of launching some excellent products over the years and the enthusiasm of DWR, its South African based distributor since 2007.

Benade recalls how it was a big decision at the time, but one that’s “totally paid off” for his company and the wider market. He continued: “Robe has given us fantastic support over the

years and it’s been really gratifying to see their hard work pay off and make them a market leader.”

dB Audio was in fact so busy for the last 2 months of 2017 that it pulled out all its older Robe purchases including the original 575 Spot ATs and a bunch of XT Series scanners, which were all still working!

Since 2010, the launch of the LEDWash 600 and a turning point for Robe’s own product strategies, dB has invested in all the major product releases, including the LED Wash series, LEDBeam 100’s and 1000’s and more recently Pointes and BMFLs.

Being cutting edge has been part of the company’s philosophy since the start.

There’s also the fact that the cross rental market in Namibia is limited, and to hire extra kit from South Africa can be phenomenally expensive due to the transport costs, so the idea has also been to try and be as self-sufficient as possible with good equipment.

So when it came to purchasing some new LED washes, Spiiders were an obvious choice as specified by the dB lighting team led by Gillroy Barmann, who commented: “Our Robe LEDWash series fixtures have worked extremely hard, so it was time to invest in the latest versions and take some pressure off the older stock.”

Benade added: “It’s an incredible fixture with excellent output and plenty of flexibility at a good price, and it’s also going to be relevant for some time.”

The first job for dB Audio’s new Spiiders was the Windhoek Jazz Festival in Independence Stadium, Windhoek, specified by LD, Ramon Le Roux. dB’s Gillroy Barmann and Geraldo Papo then used them for the Hunter’s Roadshow, a high profile party in Ongwediva in the north of Namibia for the top South African cider brand, which needed to look fantastic. Le Roux included them again in his design for international singer Joss Stone’s one-off performance at the Warehouse Theatre in Windhoek. www.robe.cz www.dbaudio.com.na

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SARA HOSTS LETPC 2018 The South African Roadies Association (SARA) will be hosting Africa’s fourth Live Event Technical & Production Conference (LETPC 2018) from 17-19 May 2018, at the Sunnyside Park Hotel in Parktown, Johannesburg, the current home of the LETPC.

The primary objective of the conference each year is to pull together the event, technical, production and education (training and skills development) sectors from across the country, the continent and the world, with African and international market leaders from across the same sectors, as well as government, sector education and training authorities, suppliers and independent skills attending. Since the inception of the LETPC a number of specific purposes have emerged: • To gather the technical and production and education sectors together with international market leaders from across the same sector, government, SETA’s, suppliers and independent skills; • Agree on the implementation of the critically urgent need to upgrade technical and production skills 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 consider and validate the need for a technical and production sector skills needs analysis forecast; • Agree on the implementation of critical issues of guidelines, standards, transformation and health and safety; • Promotion and development of sustainable and competitive entrepreneurs and small businesses in the technical and production sector to contribute to job creation and economic growth; • To introduce for the first time at the LETPC the creative aspects of technical, event and production services.

practitioners the best practices occurring across Africa and the world and to share with those from elsewhere the gains made and challenges experienced locally.

Of great importance is the growing awareness that qualified and trained personnel in the event, technical and production sectors have the type of skills for which there are jobs in the future, unlike many acquiring skills today for whom there is little chance that a future job will ever be found.

Topics such as health and safety, production, event management, technical advances will also be interrogated by the speakers and audience alike. www.letpc.co.za

The LETPC 2018 will feature a range of international from speakers from the UK, The Netherlands, Germany, Kenya, Ghana as well as local speakers South Africa and is intended once again to expose the South African live event, technical and production sectors and

RIGGING COURSE WELL RECEIVED IN SOUTH AFRICA

Twenty riggers in South Africa kicked off the year with the intensive 2018 Prolyte Rigging

Course in conjunction with DWR Distribution, Prolyte and Rhino Rigs. Rinus Bakker from

Rhino Rigs hosted his course from 29 January-2 February 2018, and on the sixth day, DWR’s Robert Izzett and Keith Pugin presented practical training.

“It was a good one,” said Bakker who has presented the course in South Africa for the past 10 years. “The delegates responded well and had good questions - they were spot on. The course ran according to schedule which was a great indication of their understanding.”

The training covered important aspects of safety, maintenance, lifting materials and force calculations.

Bakker’s next stop will be in Rotterdam where he will assist a circus and their performers to better understand rigging particularly with concepts like dynamic motion. His schedule so far includes training in Dubai, Holland, Belgium and Mexico planned for the second half of the year.

“I love the industry,” said Bakker. “I love rigging and sharing my knowledge. When I’m 85 I hope to still do this!” http://dwrdistribution.co.za www.prolyte.com

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FENIX STAGES HIRES AFRICA SALES MANAGER

Above: Juan Bautista

FENIX Stage has to announced the hire of Juan Bautista to its export department as Sales Manager for its African markets.

“I have always tried to contribute with effort and passion everywhere I have worked, as purchasing analyst, legal advisor or trade advisor in many industries in different countries,” Bautista stated. “Now I have the chance to work on the other side, on the sales department, and FENIX Stage offers me the opportunity and the confidence to begin this new challenge thanks both to its great professional team and its formidable range of products, with continuous innovation and improvement processes. The complete trust in our products is a key point for

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me.

“FENIX Stage is a relatively young company with more than 20 years of experience combined with young professionals,” Bautista continued.

“The result of this is a great combination of knowledge and dynamism, with great potential and a healthy appetite for new markets. When I became more familiar with the products, I realised how much work goes into designing and manufacturing them.

“I also realised how important it is for FENIX Stage to maintain close collaboration with our clients, speaking with them and listening to their needs to be able to offer the right answer to each situation. It is through this that we can strive for

continuous innovation, offering new solutions and adapting the improvements to our wide range of lifting towers, trusses, stage platforms and accessories.”

Alex Bryan, Export Manager at FENIX Stage, concluded: “For FENIX Stage, Juan’s incorporation is an important bet for new and unexplored markets, within the ambitious, but realistic expansion strategy during the coming years.

In addition, he will provide valuable support to develop and consolidate some of the existing markets, enriching the relationships with our customers.” www.fenixstage.com

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GEARHOUSE GROUP COMPANIES COLLABORATE FOR ARMED FORCES DAY As South Africa’s political outlook grows brighter with the appointment of a new president, Gearhouse Group was proud to provide some of the technical support for the first official event presided over by President Cyril Ramaphosa in Kimberley. Three members of the technical solutions group came together to support the Armed Forces Day 2018 on 21 February.

Memorial services are held annually in South Africa and the UK to commemorate and celebrate the lives of the fallen native labour contingent who died when the troopship, SS Mendi sank off the English Coast in 1917. This year the Kimberley Fan Park was also being launched and there were

numerous events being hosted at various venues over the preceding week as well.

Gearhouse In2Structures, the Group’s specialist venue design company provided the temporary structures to house the 1000 VVIP guests at the Memorial Site. 500 SANDF special guests were seated under a 3-bay, 28m-wide Maxi Dome structure with cantilever roof while the 500 civilian VIPS were accommodated under a 2-bay 36m wide SupaDome structure.

The South African-designed and manufactured In2structures Domes are unique in both their look and exceptional safety features, which make them ideal to use on any event where the safety of the guests is a key

consideration. Both structures were built to offer the guests protection from the elements.

Seating supplier, Havaseat, supplied the seating for 2,000 additional guests at the Fan Park and exhibition. The Havaseat grandstand seating systems are fully configurable and designed for quick assembly and optimal space utilisation, so the seating installation was able to be completed within 24 hours.

Screen supplier, LEDVision, deployed 2 of its truck trailers to relay the action on a number of mobile LED screens for the big event. www.havaseat.co.za www.gearhouse.co.za

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TECH PROFILE

THE EXPERIENCE: THE WORLD’S LARGEST GOSPEL CONCERT RELIES ON OUTLINE

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THE EXPERIENCE HAS RAPIDLY GAINED MOMENTUM SINCE ITS 2006 DEBUT. THE EVENT SAW A QUANTUM LEAP IN ATTENDANCE FROM 70,000 TO OVER 700,000 AT ITS SECOND OUTING, MAKING IT THE LARGEST MUSICAL CONCERT IN AFRICA. DELIVERING QUALITY SOUND TO SUCH A CROWD REQUIRES A MASSIVE AUDIO INFRASTRUCTURE - A TASK TAKEN ON BY OUTLINE’S SOUND SYSTEMS.

With an audience estimated at close to 750,000 people, The Experience is an interdenominational gospel concert held annually in Lagos, Nigeria. Convened and hosted by Pastor Paul Adefarasin, the colossal event debuted in December 2006 and is now the largest musical concert in Africa, featuring guest artists from numerous countries leading the crowd in worship and praise.

Lagos-based CyTech World Communication provided the huge audio infrastructure necessary to deliver the speech and music to the enormous crowds. Such is the success CyTech has achieved at this unique event, 2017 is the fifth consecutive

year in which the company and its Outline loudspeaker systems have been entrusted with the huge technical responsibility for reaching every corner of the vast audience area within the huge 280m x 200m Tafawa-Balewa Square.

A long-standing fan and client of Outline, CyTech’s owner, Cyril Utomoibor, has in the past deployed numerous Outline products from his inventory for these events, including the Butterfly, GTO C-12, LAB 21, DBS 18-2, DVS, Doppia, Subtech 218 and many more. However, for the 2017 event, he extended his investment in Outline with the purchase of its flagship GTO system.

Outline’s own Vinnie Perreux was on hand

in Lagos to serve as System Technician. He explained how the huge rig was configured:

“I started with the Outline OpenArray1 file containing the system design used in previous years, which I sent to Steve before we flew out and he was happy with it. The 2017 project was designed on OpenArray2 and helped us to figure out in advance the correct location of all the loudspeaker positions so that we could achieve the correct coverage in both planes and the average SPL he was looking for across the venue. Additionally, it also allowed us to blend the areas being covered by different types of Outline cabinet so that there was seamless audio

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Above: Outline’s Vinnie Perreux and Charles Duke of House on the Rock.

everywhere. We knew what the results would be before we even turned the PA on, which was a massive advantage for an event like this.

“From a system viewpoint, Steve sent me a L/R feed and a mono auxiliary send to drive the system controllers. They, in turn, provided the stereo and mono feeds for the various loudspeaker locations: main FOH L/R (each comprising 18 GTOs, 12 GTO C-12’s and 2 GTO-DF downfills), main FOH side hangs L/R (18 GTO C-12’s each), rear ground stacks L/R (8 Butterfly each), front subs L/R (16 DBS 18-2’s), front centre sub (mono 8 SubTechs), main FOH subs (mono 4 LAB 21’s) plus 6 delay towers (2 comprising 18 GTO C-12 cabinets each, 2 with 20 Butterfly each and 2 using 16 Butterfly) plus a stereo mix for the sound system outside the stadium.”

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Perreux concluded: “I saw 750,000 people dancing and singing from 5pm to 6am, from in front of the stage all the way up to the last seat on the top of the roof, an area 135m long by 35m high filled with Steve’s powerful mix. Mission accomplished and a huge thanks to Cyril and his audio crew!”

FOH supervisor Steve Davies was part of a team of 9 technicians from UK-based Subfrantic Production Services, dealing with everything from sound (FOH, stage and broadcast) through lighting design and operation, set design, stage management and video content for the stage screens. Davies reprised a role he has undertaken at The Experience several times before. He described some of the changes brought about by the inclusion of CyTech’s new GTO system: “Cyril

from CyTech added to their inventory for the 2017 event with a healthy amount of GTO, meaning that the rig performed completely differently to the last few years where we were using only the GTO C-12. This meant that the main PA had plenty of headroom and never struggled to reproduce anything that was asked of it from the aggressive tonal attack of the talking drums through to the more laid back and smoother sound created by Don Moen and his band.

“We look for a minimum even coverage of 115dB across the whole site and then aim to mix much lower than that, usually 95-105dB depending on the act, time of the night and, of course, who’s running the console at the time - and the number of people with whistles and vuvuzelas! This year the addition of the GTO

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“I saw 750,000 people dancing and singing from 5pm to 6am, from in front of the stage all the way up to the last seat on the top of the roof, an area 135m long by 35m high filled with Steve’s powerful mix. Mission accomplished and a huge thanks to Cyril and his audio crew!”

Vinnie Perreux

meant that we could move the C-12 around and bolster the rest of the rig, so we didn’t have to work the FOH too hard in order to cover as much ground as possible - consequently I was sat at around a comfortable 95dB for most of the event.”

Davies concluded: “I’ve always been a fan of GTO C-12. I find that it gives me a solid yet defined sound, easy to control but also

responsive. Having the GTO added to the system this year relieved all the stress points on a system covering what is really a huge area. We had more bass end and a rig that felt like it was working well within its tolerances for a show that size.

Much credit for our success must also go to Vinnie from Outline. The way he tuned the whole massive rig and generally looked after us was fantastic - thanks Vinnie!”

With the expansion of The Experience over the last 12 years, the colossal event looks set to continue its success in its annual mass gathering of live music and gospel, all delivered through the massive audio infrastructure of ever-present Outline sound systems.

Photos provided by Outline www.theexperiencelagos.com www.outline.it www.cytechworld.net

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LAKE OF STARS’ 15th ANNIVERSARY AS THE MALAWI FESTIVAL SETS OUT ON A CELEBRATORY ANNIVERSARY EVENT, WHICH IS DUE TO TAKE PLACE ON LAKE MALAWI DURING 28-30 SEPTEMBER 2018, LAKE OF STARS FOUNDER, WILL JAMESON TALKS TO TPMEA ABOUT ITS PROGRESSION, ITS INFLUENCE AND ITS PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.

Seven years on from our last interview in sister publication TPi, Lake of Stars (LOS) festival founder, Will Jameson, spoke to TPMEA about the festival’s 15th anniversary and subsequent UK shows, which aimed to raise awareness and gain exposure for African artists. He began: “My wife, Fran, and I moved to Malawi in 2014 as we wanted to build the capacity of our team there, and organise more events in the build-up to Lake Of Stars, and strengthen our relationships with artists and partners.”

That’s exactly what they were able to do: in 2015 they launched a series of new events that would demonstrate Malawi’s suitability to eventstourism. He continued: “We organised a short film festival called Lilongwe Shorts & also started the country’s first ever festival dedicated to children, Children’s Future Festival with UNICEF. On top of this, we partnered with the Mount Mulanje Conservation Trust to help with the 20th Anniversary of their insane 21km mountain race, the Porter’s Race.”

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Of course, Lake Of Stars also took place again in the September. And this time, it had a free add-on event on the Friday, with the Ministry of Youth and 500 young people from the surrounding community. “In 2016 we took the main festival back north to its original home of Chintheche Inn. There we partnered with the EU and UNICEF to deliver free community events on the Thursday and Friday before the festival started. We ran a ‘Day of Ideas’ that included creative workshops, discussions on gender and citizenship and technical workshops including a DJ lesson from a pastor.”

2017 saw LOS have a year off so that the Jamesons could support the expansion of the Tumaini Festival - an event they helped to set up at a refugee camp near Lilongwe. “Our team helped with the marketing and production and saw the audience jump from 6000 to 10,000.

And, suddenly it’s 2018, which is actually our 15th LOS anniversary. We started off the celebrations with a gender focussed event in Zomba with

3,000 students in January, followed by our recent UK events in Glasgow and London before the main festival takes place between 28-30 September on Lake Malawi.

A NEW MINDSET “We have become a much more multi-arts project, and aware of our impact and reach,” said Jameson. “Each year we generate approximately £1.3 million for Malawi’s struggling economy by attracting tourists to visit Malawi and travel around Africa. We are supporting the development of the creative sector by running workshops for Malawian artists and have now succeeded in taking many Malawian acts to the UK to perform at events such as Celtic Connections and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the most recent being the LOS London and Glasgow shows. We have also become a more youth-focussed project, organising free community events around Malawi and partnering with the British Council, DFID, EU and other

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developmental agencies. We use culture and music as a way to inspire change in Malawi.”

Lake of Stars is more about economic development, job creation and industry in Malawi. There is a lack of exports from Malawi and as such, unemployment levels are some of the highest in the world. Said Jameson: “We feel that events and tourism can work together to get Malawi on the map and get more people to travel there. There are hundreds of charities in Malawi but without a growing economy they can only patch things up - the issues and challenges of extreme poverty will continue. There is also a mindset that needs to change: entrepreneurship, innovation and new ideas need to be generated and that’s what we work towards in order to provide a platform for change, and a vehicle for progress. We work with the local chiefs and community to ensure there are benefits from market stalls both inside and outside the festival. Much of the £1.3 million goes around the festival area where houses, lodges and hotels get booked up, and tourism booms. We want the development sector to recognise the power and potential of events and festivals in developing countries like Malawi.”

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THE UK COUNTERPART & PRODUCTION PARTNERS At the recent UK shows, there were over 3,700 attendees in London and over 1,000 in Glasgow who came out to support African artists. Lake of Stars London showcased an eclectic line up from across the globe, with a focus on acts from Africa and the UK. Featuring live and electronic music, poetry, street art, theatre, film and more, with free daytime activities followed by an evening ticketed gig at the Walthamstow Assembly Hall (WAH17), which once hosted the likes of The Rolling Stones and New Order.

On the bill at WAH17 was award-winning Ghanaian rapper and poet M.anifest, known for his multilingual wordplay that marries traditional African sounds with hip-hop sensibilities. Described by The Guardian as “the foremost rapper on the continent,” M.anifest’s originality and impressive lyricism has earned him collaborations with musical giants such as Tony Allen, Damon Albarn and Femi Kuti.

Glasgow indie-rock favourites Frightened Rabbit also performed a special stripped-back set on the night, fresh from a US tour. Their last studio album, Painting of a Panic Attack, hit the

Top 20 UK album charts in 2016, achieving the best critical reception of the band’s career to date. Alongside them was be Malawian singersongwriter Faith Mussa, performing his unique one-man-band set up which combines loop pedals with traditional Malawian instruments including the badza, a type of kazoo made from a gourd, and ndani (thumb piano). One of the most gifted and prolific musicians in his home country, Mussa has come a long way from his roots playing hand-made gallon guitars, to international performances including the 2017 Glastonbury Festival and Scotland’s Celtic Connections. Joining these was rising star of South Africa’s alt-folk music scene Bongeziwe Mabandla. His ability to effortlessly entwine Xhosa lyrics with traditional music and folk stylings to create something uniquely captivating saw him garner multiple South African Music Awards nominations for his debut album Umlilo and praise from the late Hugh Masekela. Zambia’s queen of Afro-Soul, Wezi Heartsound and talented 6-piece Malawian youngsters Zathu also appeared.

“With the UK shows, we’re trying to reach new audiences, who we hope may then travel

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to Malawi. We’re setting up bases in the UK for new African talent as we want the artists we work with in Malawi to then be able to travel to Scotland - Scotland and Malawi have a long and vibrant connection thanks to the Scotland Malawi Partnership - and England, to then reach a European audience, collaborate with UK artists and producers and further develop their careers,” Jameson said.

“I always believed that the basic principle of great music and art in a stunning location in an exciting country like Malawi would work but

never thought it would be to this scale. It’s been amazing seeing it grow and seeing the support that the project has secured from amazing events industry volunteers and companies like FunktionOne, dbnAudile, Vespasian, Foresolutions, DHL and Kenya Airways.

“At LOS, you get 3 days of incredible music from across Malawi, Africa and the world from reggae and indie, to electronica. You’ll meet amazing people from Malawi but also the new generation of young Africans travelling around southern and East Africa.”

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Jameson has worked with Rob Leach and Rob Ashworth from dbnAudile for years, since his very successful Chibuku club night in Liverpool first put him on the UK events map. “They’ve never let us down; they give us incredible crew, amazing gear, always reliable and professional. For several years, they sent crates of lighting gear out to Malawi FOC that helped us to secure UK acts such as Foals, The Maccabees and Young Fathers.”

Young Fathers shot a video there, artists have taken part in workshops and connected with African creatives who have influenced and in

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some cases featured in their work. In this way LOS offers an exciting, cultural gateway to Malawi and southern Africa.

TRUSTED SUPPLIERS In London, dbnAudile provided a Funktion-One PA and full lighting rig for our Assembly Hall show in Walthamstow. “They were fantastic as always; they did a full install on the day of the show with a load-in 8am, sound checks all afternoon and everything cleared and out by 2am.

“Their crew are brilliant - they worked hard and gave us a great sound and lighting show. It was the first standing gig at the Walthamstow Assembly Hall in over a decade too, so it was amazing to see the venue used to its full potential again.

dbnAudile’s Rob Leach told TPMEA: “Will gave me a call over Christmas saying he was putting on some UK events this year and would we be involved. I’d known Will for many years during his time at RPM working on experiential events and naturally that relationship had continued when he left to set-up Lake Of Stars in Africa.

“We naturally said yes - we have been involved with his Malawi events for many years, regularly flying out our equipment and crew to support the shows. We also supported Will with assistance when Funktion-One kindly offered to send some permanent equipment out to Malawi.

Our UK crew have had unbelievable experiences working in a very unique environment and developing some close bonds with the crew in

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Malawi. The working practises differ vastly from those found in the UK, yet our team has met the challenges head-on and always returned feeling extremely positive about the shows - I’ve seen some incredible pictures of their times over there!

“We feel extremely lucky to be in a position to assist. The challenges for Will and the LOS team are vast and we like to play our part. I know it means a lot to them to have familiar faces to undertake the technical challenges. Also, the support from Tony & Ann Andrews from Funktion-One has been invaluable in making it all happen. Our audio team’s knowledge has really benefitted from spending time with them in Malawi.”

Back in the UK, dbnAudile provided a sound reinforcement system comprising a Funktion-One Res5 with Funktion-One F-221 PA running from MC2 amplifiers with XTA processing.

The monitor system was a Turbosound TFM-450 running on QSC amplifiers. The desk at FOH was a Midas PRO2 and a Yamaha M7-CL was chosen for monitors.

The lighting package comprised fixtures including Claypaky Alphaspot HPE 700’s, Claypaky A.leda B-EYE K10’s, Claypaky Stormy CC Strobes and Showtec Sunstrip Active DMX MKII’s. The rig was operated via an Avolites Pearl Tiger Touch console.

Another of Jameson’s trusted suppliers included Vespasian Security, which is described as being: “Spot on as ever - we had no incidents, the door and audience were managed perfectly and everyone had a great time. Vespasian is quite

simply the best independent security firm in UK, in my opinion. They have sent crew over to volunteer with us since 2010, helping improve our crowd management systems, training up local police units and enhance the crowd health and safety aspects of the festival. The London gig had a team of 10 crowd control personnel present and Mojo Barriers also installed a pit barrier for crowd safety.”

For all crew radios, Foresolutions was brought in. Jameson stated: “Foresolutions have been our comms partner for the last 3 years, sending radios out to Malawi and enabling our festival to grow and improve. They provided over 25 radios for our London and Glasgow shows.“

Both of the UK shows were run by a dedicated team of volunteers. He added: “They come from across the industry from companies such as DF Concerts, Udderbelly, and Crystal Palace Festival to name but a few. We had a team of over 30 who ran everything seamlessly, and without our volunteer team, we couldn’t deliver the project.

We owe them a huge thank you!”

Jameson also thanked LOS UK partners: Waltham Forest Council, Sound Thread, British Council, Empire Cinemas, Wood Street Walls, Wood Street First and the Scotland Malawi Partnership.

Photos: Louise Hall, Chris Jepson, Jean Jameson, GJ Fotography & Natalie Robinson www.lakeofstars.org www.dbnaudile.co.uk www.foresolutions.co.uk www.vespasiansecurity.co.uk

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WWW.TPiMAGAZINE.COM

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TECH PROFILE

ULTRA SA GEARHOUSE PULLED OUT ALL THE STOPS FOR THIS YEAR’S ULTRA SA - THE SOUTH AFRICAN ARM OF ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL’S WORLDWIDE EXPANSION. DESPITE RECORD-BREAKING CROWDS AND THE TRADITIONAL BAD WEATHER, THE COMPANY SUCCEEDED IN PROVIDING VIDEO, LIGHTING AND AUDIO FOR THE FESTIVAL’S MAIN STAGE IN CAPE TOWN AND MAIN STAGE AND RESISTANCE STAGE IN JOHANNESBURG.

Founded in 1999 in Miami, Florida as a 1-day event, the EDM festival has since expanded to over 20 countries - including 2 dates in South Africa. This year over 15,000 ‘Ultranauts’ attended dates in Cape Town and 32,000 in Johannesburg - the largest Ultra SA to date.

Gearhouse has been working with Ultra SA for the last 5 years, and this time around saw 89 members of its crew in action.

Overseeing the both the Cape Town and Johannesburg sites were Project Managers Eyal Yehezkely and Jaco Saaiman. As it has been for the previous 4 years, the challenge was set for the Gearhouse team to step-up the production for 2018. “The look of this show changes every year,” began Saaiman. “Our brief is received from Ultra and their designers, which we then need to look at and advise how best we can make this design come to life with the gear that we have available. We try and keep it as close to the design as possible with as little compromise.

Last year was a very ‘square’ look, both on stage

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and on the wings. This year the design had a lot of angles and 3D looks in it, which made the implementation very interesting.”

VIDEO As with other renditions of Ultra around the world, LED visuals played an integral role in the stage design. Taking on the gargantuan task of suppling the LED was Gearhouse Group member, LEDVision, which split its stock for the 2 Ultra SA shows. For the Cape Town leg, 260 Lighthouse R16 LED panels were deployed along with 200 RS1200 panels and 36 ROE Radiant CB-8 LED panels. For Johannesburg, there were 136 Lighthouse R16 panels, 144 Lighthouse DuoLED 18 panels, 250 RS1200 panels, 288 ROE Radiant MC7 panels and 44 ROE Radiant CB-8 panels.

Graeme Baker, LEDVision Project Manager, commented: “This was an enormous deployment of LED to deliver both the Johannesburg and Cape Town concerts a day apart, while still servicing a number of other big events around

the country over the same weekend. The LED element is really the differentiator between a conventional music concert and a DJ event like Ultra where the content (which was superbly created and supplied by Ultra) becomes the show to a degree. The LED carried the visuals for this massive event, augmented by the lighting.”

In Johannesburg, LEDVision used MC7 on the stage R and L wings together with DuoLed 18 on the outermost pillars and the brand new CB8 screen in the centre. In Cape Town on the slightly smaller stage, the same design was used with only R16 on the wings. Both cities had the signature U- shaped trussing at the top centre which, was constructed by Gearhouse In2Structures with wood inserts and support provided by Sets Drapes Screens and ROE LED strips from LEDVision.

Baker continued: “For the Resistance Stage in Johannesburg we used 85sqm of BP 3 screen paired with moody lighting for the underground DJs. The black diode gave us brilliant contrast,

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allowing the stage to disappear and come to life as needed. The introduction of this indoor stage was a winning formula and helped with audience flow.”

On handling the video content each artist brought along for their sets, Baker spoke of the gradual simplification of the operation: “Over the years of experience with this event, Richard Baker (Director LEDVision) and Chris Grandin (Gearhouse Group Technical Advisor) put a lot of thought and effort into making the operation as simple as possible. In 2018, the VJs could simply plug their laptops directly into the Barco E2 switcher. This meant no latency between input and screen display and made for a less busy FOH and more physical space.

“The trick with this event is to colour-match and calibrate all screens so that you can use all the various types together and it works seamlessly visually,” he added.

LIGHTING Overseeing the lighting department for both shows was Lighting Operator, Robert Grobler.

“This is that one job where every single fixture is a workhorse,” began Grobler. “Ray from Ultra always says that every performance on an Ultra

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stage has a 3-piece band - the DJ, VJ and Lighting Operator. I been involved since the first South African show and each renditions has always got bigger and better.”

For Johannesburg, Gearhouse provided a selection of Robe products including 8 ROBIN 600 LED Washes, 20 Colorspot 700’s and 36 ROBIN Pointes. Also present were 24 Martin by Harman 56 MAC Vipers, 30 Philips SL Nitro 510’s, 100 Longman Colorme011A Pixel LEDs and 7 James Thomas Engineering 4-Lites Molefay. For the Cape Town shows, the rig consisted of 36 Robe Pointes, 16 ColourSpot 700Es, 8 ROBIN 600 LEDWashes, 52 Martin by Harman MAC 2000 Profiles, 24 MAC 101 LEDs, 46 Atomic 3000 DMX strobes, 50 James Thomas Engineering 4-Lite and 103 Longman Colorme011A Pixel LED Washlights.

For both Ultra sites, control came courtesy of an MA Lighting grandMA2. “I remember the first year in 2013 very well, as we had multiple consoles on the show and I had to integrate it all into one system,” reminisced Grobler. “Since then it has simplified with grandMA2 being the standard.”

Finally, adding to the visual feast was LaserFX, which supplied both shows with a sizable laser package alongside Nick Mitri from

Fireworks which - as I’m sure you can guess supplied fireworks for the proceedings.

For the revelers, rain is always welcome.

However, the heavy downpour at this year’s leg in Johannesburg produced the challenge of keeping all the gear dry. Gearhouse stepped up to ensure not a single fixture went down and its team was spot on with its predictions.

Prior to both events Gearhouse had invested in 128 Selbyguard Rainroof covers and bases, along with 12 Selbyguard Air Domes from DWR Distribution. To transport these items, a further 11 Dolly Rainroofs and 2 Dolly Airdomes were bought.

Setting up the Selbyguard covers is simple and is like rigging a standard moving light. First to be rigged is a base plate, followed by the lighting fixture, and then the actual cover is attached to the base with velcro. A real bonus is that it doesn’t affect the look, especially on evening events.

Saaiman commented: “There is a long leadup (4 months) of planning that goes into this event every year and our lead project manager Eyal Yehezkely puts in a lot of effort and a lot of hours to make sure we don’t have major challenges and if there are any concerns that we

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get to solutions ahead of time.

“Normally for the Johannesburg show we struggle with rain however this year we were very well prepared for this with the purchase of rain covers for all our exposed lighting fixtures. This really assisted with a successful show.”

Baker spoke highly of the Gearhouse SA team, concluding: “2018 was a lot less stressful.

The Ultranaut family have formed a very strong relationship over the past years of Ultra in SA and that familiarity has bred excellence.

“It’s my personal passion to see the ‘Gearhouse family’ pull together so well. So many of our extremely competent, strong technical people started at the bottom and have worked themselves up to international standard technical specialists. That’s what brings me joy. Our success is due to the calibre of people in our team and the fact that we can absolutely rely on them to make it happen.”

AUDIO Discussing this year’s audio packages for both sites was FOH Engineer, Kgashane Malatji. He began: “This was my fifth time working on this event. In 2013 I was there as a system tech and

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was so excited to have been part of the team.

From then I knew that I wanted to be part of this once-a-year thriller each time it came to South Africa and being offered the best seat in the house at the FOH, makes it even more fun to work on this event.”

This year’s event mandated a similar PA package to the one used in 2017, totalling 105 boxes of L-Acoustics PA. The system, supplied

by Gearhouse, consisted of 28 K1 for main L & R hangs with 6 KARA for downfill. Additionally there were 16 K1-SB flown behind the K1’s, 24 V-DOSC out hangs with 6 DV-DOSC downs, 6 KUDO for front fills, 8 K1 as a delay with 3 KARA downs and 12 KUDO for stacked delays.

For stage sound, there were 8 L-Acoustics HiQ monitors for the frontline as well as 8/4 KARA and SB18. For control, Avid Venue Profiles were selected at both monitors and FOH.

Malatji commented: “We also used 48 SB28 in a very interesting configuration - 12 blocks of 4 subs with the spacing of 2.4m in between each stack across the front of the stage. It’s a very interesting configuration and trying to delay all the subs to work together a single unit it was really fun.”

RIGGING Gearhouse also provided the staging and rigging for the show. Johann Moolman, Rigging Operations Manager, ran through the spec: “Gearhouse Rigging Department supplied complete coverage for both Main Stage and Resistance stage. We utilised our full variety of CM Electronic hoists ranging through our ¼ tonne, ½ tonne, 1 tonne and 2 tonne spectrum.

As usual we worked very closely with all departments, given that it was a very tight-fitting rig meeting the requirements and targets ranging through audio, lighting, trussing frame work and LED.”

Despite half a decade of Ultra shows under its belt, Gearhouse Group show no signs in slowing down with this annual EDM extravaganza. Before closing, TPMEA asked Saaiman what we might expect for year 6. Not wanting to give too much away, he simply stated: “The next year is going to be even bigger…”

Photos: Soundpix, Jaco Saaiman, UltraSA, Gearhouse SA www.gearhouse.co.za https://ultrasouthafrica.com

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INSIDE LOOK

AMBER ETRA TPMEA TALKS TO AMBER ETRA ABOUT HER NEW ROLE AT PHILIPS ENTERTAINMENT LIGHTING, AS EMEA PRODUCT APPLICATION SPECIALIST FOR TOURING.

How did you get into the lighting business?

I did a technical theatre degree, at Mountview Academy, graduating in 2007. My A Level Drama teacher suggested I go there because I’d enjoyed the backstage bits of that course so much. I was actually planning to go into the police force!

I did 2 years at Mountview, and fortunately the course was weighted heavily on practical working at venues around London. I got to spend time training alongside industry people and making connections right from the start. I met

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people like Alastair Grant, who taught me how to programme the 520 and a 300 Series while working on a production at the Royal Academy of Music - with thanks to Rob Halliday and his quick tips and notes!

During that period I was also depping and freelancing in the West End. I was working at The Lion King and I got a full time job there when I graduated. I was at the ABTT exhibition one year and I popped to the Strand Lighting stand. I was interested to see where their consoles were going

- they’d just released the Palette series. We had one at Mountview and I was programming on it, so I went and shook hands with Bill [Richards] and Alan [Luxford] and said ‘I’d like a job, please’ and they gave me an interview.

How did the role at Strand Lighting develop?

I worked as a product assistant with Bill, learning a lot. He’s a mine of information. It developed more into a console-based role, so I learnt my way around the consoles and eventually became

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INSIDE LOOK

the European trainer. I’d go out to Dublin and train 27 people in a room at a time on Palettes; I did all the technical training throughout Europe at that time. What I loved about it was the people. This industry’s so friendly - I think that’s what hooks you - and that’s what its always been about for me; the people and the relationships.

There were big changes with the acquisition of Strand and Vari-Lite by Philips, and then with Selecon joining too, and gradually we’ve become the Philips Entertainment division that we are today. We saw people come and go, but there were always those who remained passionate about the brands, who were strong influences on where we needed to go as a business and how we needed to serve the customer base.

those conversations and to help with their user experience - from design, to touring and all the backup. It’s also about making sure the products we’re bringing to market are relevant, that there are real reasons for making something. So I spend time working with the creative elements, helping them put things together for large-scale concerts, events, TV shows.

I have a good understanding of the technology and hopefully also what it is that a designer is trying to achieve; I like to see things from their point of view, and understand that there are different ways of doing things. We’re not carbon copies of each other, and no 2 shows are the same. It’s not necessarily about how you achieve something, it’s about that end goal. We’re

close relationships being formed from all over the world.

How that has the MEA market changed in recent years?

We’ve seen a change in the installation market, and the way these projects come to fruition.

We recently gave a great deal of support to the stunning new National Army Conference Centre in Cairo with our established partner Quality Egypt, which has over 240 Philips lighting fixtures and a Philips lighting network infrastructure.

Quality Egypt is also our dealer for the country, and a prime example of the wonderful and supportive customers and partners we have in the MEA region. They include companies like

“I have a good understanding of the technology and hopefully also what it is that a designer is trying to achieve; I like to see things from their point of view, and understand that there are different ways of doing things.”

Amber Etra

Everybody on the team has persevered to get us where we are now.

One of the best things about the Philips acquisition - and it’s completely behind the scenes - is the interaction between our R&D departments and the design campus in Eindhoven. The team there are working on things that are completely mind-boggling in terms of technological advancements, yet we’ve got access to those.

What does your new role involve?

It’s about spending more time in contact with the amazing creatives in this industry, and making sure they have the support they need from us. We want them to know we’re there for

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all there to do a job, which is to make something look fantastic.

I’m honest. I’m not going to jeopardise my personal and professional relationships by telling them something that isn’t true. If a product’s not right for them, I’ll tell them. Giving the wrong product for the job is not good for anybody involved.

How important is the MEA market for Philips Entertainment Lighting?

The UK, US and MEA markets are all very closely linked, not only in touring and live events, but also in installation and film. So we look at these as a collective, but with individual requirements.

Our industry is a wonderful niche, but with very

the brilliant DWR Distribution in South Africa, who excel in everything they do, and our friends at Procom Middle East, our distributor for the UAE. We see the relationships we have with our customers as extensions of our team, and vice versa.

We have started an incredibly supportive network that acts as a family and connects people right across the globe. Having a platform to join these people together is one of my favourite things about this brand. We share the passion and drive to help make the right decisions for the industry as a whole. It’s a long term goal, not short term. www.lighting.philips.com

Photo: Andreas Keller

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