VGt features 8 transducers, amplification, a networked DSP endpoint, and Autolock rigging, all integrated into a lightweight and compact design.
New filter sets for next-level sound, efficiency and performance for COSMO, CONTOUR X and C SUB.
The March/April leader is always an interesting one to pen as so much is packed into the first two months of the year. From two large international tradeshows – NAMM and ISE - to our very own TPi Awards, we really do hit the ground running at the start of each year.
Start ing with the Awards; speaking on behalf of the entire TPi team, thank you to all of this year’s attendees who made this night so special. It has been written on many a social media post over the past week, but there really was such a good atmosphere in Evolution London throughout the whole evening. A special shout out to all this year’s winners and shortlisters – showcasing the very best this industry has to offer [p12]. Another big thank you to the TPi Academy who aided in the creation of this year’s shortlist. You can read more about the event in the coming pages – from a full list of winners to a deep dive into the production that made the event possible [p14]. You can also hear from Roadies in Recovery who hosted multiple sober tables on the night, thanks to the backing of several supporters in the industry [p32].
Issue #286
March/April 2025
Editor Stew Hume Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360
Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344 e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk
Deputy Editor Jacob Waite Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7592 679612 e-mail: j.waite@mondiale.co.uk
Staff Writer Alicia Pollitt Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7508 441986 e-mail: a.pollitt@mondiale.co.uk
Commercial Director Fran Begaj Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7852 336728 e-mail: f.begaj@mondiale.co.uk
Account Manager Matilda Matthews Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7413 555978 e-mail: m.matthews@mondiale.co.uk
Account Manager Tom Dyson Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7306 505230 e-mail: t.dyson@mondiale.co.uk
Account Manager Sheelan Shah Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7401 690960 e-mail: s.shah@mondiale.co.uk
Digital Content Manager James Robertson Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7725 475819 e-mail: j.robertson@mondiale.co.uk
Marketing and Events Manager Alice Clarke Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7752 392465 e-mail: a.clarke@mondiale.co.uk
Marketing and Events Assistant Charlie Moore c.mooore@mondiale.co.uk
In addition to the TPi Awards, you can read a selection of highlights from the inaugural Live Events Stage which we launched at ISE 2025. With 21 panels over three days of the show – it was great to showcase so many aspects and topics from the live touring industry on the show floor in Barcelona [p50].
Despite a packed diary, the TPi team still managed to visit several live shows over the past few months. Alicia headed to the O2 to meet the production crew behind Kygo’s return to the circuit. With this being the artist’s first linear tour in eight years, the DJ and his team pulled out all the stops with an impressive production.
Elsew here, Jacob witnessed musical virtuoso Jacob Collier on the final night of his biggest production campaign to date. Known for his impressive crowd work, the team behind the scenes had to create a show that was able to
keep pace with the artist’s incredible energy and charisma. Jacob also met the road crew powering Culture Club’s return to the stage in celebration of the band’s first two studio albums.
Gigs aside, we check-in with the team at Entec Live [p110] to hear about some of its upper management changes and plans for the rest of the year; I chat to Mike Bolton, Co-Founder of Go For Wardrobe – a company looking to elevate the standing that wardrobe departments have within the live events ecosystem [p112] and I check in with Rock-It Cargo’s Chris Palmer to uncover the growing development of the Indian live events scene [p104].
As the disco ball stops spinning on another successful TPi Awards, we are excited to get the 2025 touring season underway. This means heading out to catch several shows and making some well-overdue visits to our friends within the sector. Don’t forget, there are a select few spaces available for this year’s GTL Sessions. So, if you’re a Tour Manager and would like to pay a visit to our latest networking event, held at a luxury resort in Mykonos, be sure to drop us a message. We’d love to see you there!
Until next time...
Stew Hume Editor
Editorial Director Peter Iantorno Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7763 233637 e-mail: p.iantorno@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
Accounts Lynette Levi / Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk
Mondiale Group Chairman Damian Walsh
Graphic Design & Production
Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk
Jez Reid: j.reid@mondiale.co.uk
Cover Photo
Kygo
Photo: Zoltan Szabo
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TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL is a controlled circulation
As the dance music stalwart returns to linear touring, TPi goes behind-the-scenes to document the hard work that goes into staging Kygo’s first tour in eight years…
TPi AWARDS 2025
12 TPi Awards’ class of 2025.
14 Meet the team powering this year’s awards ceremony.
28 NRG students light up the TPi Awards 2025.
32 Roadies in Recovery return with multiple sober tables.
40 Pieter Smit wins the Green Award.
EVENT FOCUS
42 PixMob takes centre-stage at Superbowl LIX
44 Timothy De Mets uses ChamSys for Jiangsu TV NYE Gala.
48 A high octane show kicks off the the 2025 F1 season.
50 Kyle Woodrow selects Shure’s new ADPSM for Noah Cyrus.
54 TPi launches the Live Events Stage, bringing 21 panels to ISE.
PRODUCTION PROFILE
62 CULTURE CLUB
An almost entirely northern touring crew supports the band’s latest arena tour.
72 JACOB COLLIER
Behind the genre-bending artist’s most ambitious production yet.
104 Rock-It Cargo sets up operations in India.
108 IntelliEvent launches Lightning V.6 soft ware.
IN PROFILE
110 Dan Scantlebury joins Entec’s main board of operations.
112 Go For Wardrobe spotlights the impor tance of the department.
PRODUCTION FUTURES
114 The Cluny’s Ross Lewis reviews Independent Venue Week.
115 Breakthrough Talent Award’s Emily Haigh shares her story.
GEAR HEADS
116 DPA Microphones introduces CORE+ to the market.
118 Elation lifts the lid on the PARAGON Series.
FEEDBACK
122 PSA welcome three new council members
124 LIVE commits to eradicating misog yny in live music.
125 The importance of AV over IP for immersive projects.
126 Robert Juliat previews Showlight 2025.
130 TPi Industry Recognition Award winner, Carol Scott.
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The 24th edition of TPi Awards celebrates another record-breaking year of live production excellence….
With lighting, pyrotechnics, trucks and tour buses on display, it’s safe to say the experience of the TPi Awards began before attendees even walked through the door of Evolution London for the 24th annual gathering of live production talent. Once all 1,856 guests entered, they were soon engulfed in this year’s jungle theme. Walking through an immersive tunnel dressed in tropical foliage, they found themselves in the main room, featuring vines from the ceiling, a jaw-dropping lighting rig and a main stage video wall where the main LED overhung into the audience and was used for an eye-catching waterfall-inspired look throughout the show.
The origin of this theme began when TPi Commercial Director, Fran Begaj sketched out an idea of a ‘waterfall’ stage design that incorporated an LED wall, in collaboration with TPi’s Alice Clarke and Charlotte Moore and Ryan Esson and Jessica Webb of GoTo Live. “This year, we wanted to incorporate some fun and sun into the TPi Awards,” began TPi’s
Commercial Director. “On what is usually a cold and bitter Monday night in February, when Alice and I were discussing the theme this year, we were immediately aligned on wanting the colours to be bold and bright, and to bring a tropical and Hawaiian essence for the event. After attending a few tradeshows over the past year, and also some fantastic live concerts, I scribbled down a stage design on a scrap of paper and sent it over to Ryan – taking inspiration from clients’ stands and displays of curved screens and flowing corners, and it sparked the idea to have this huge curved waterfall feature for the centre of the stage with accent screens either side to continue this ‘oasis’ inspired look. It was then down to our production teams to make it a reality, and they exceeded our expectations.”
Scenic elements provided a more ‘immersive’ feel to the tropical jungle theme. Fran shared her desire to improve the TPi Awards experience every year: “We always try to design and plan something that we have
never done before to keep every experience new and exciting for all the attendees. This year is a standout, delivering something unique. We are so pleased to have suppliers that have backed us with this vision and contributed to create an incredible, impressive and visually outstanding event.”
Despite a brand-new look to the show, there were some familiar elements – namely our host for the evening, Emmanuel Sonubi. After a hilarious opening set, he dived straight into the 32 awards.
This year saw the addition of SFX Operator of the Year, which was won by Eleanor Waller, and Laser Operator of the Year, which went to Daniel Briggs.
In the weeks leading up to the public vote, the TPi Academy – largely made up of the previous year’s individual winners – pull together a shortlist for each of the categories with the goal of highlighting crew members who excel in their given fields. Meanwhile, for the company awards, businesses put themselves forward for the related categories with the
Academy selecting which of these companies make the shortlist. There are already plans in the works to expand the TPi Academy for the 2026 event – so watch this space.
Other notable winners from this year include Adele in Munich [see TPi #283], which was crowned Outstanding Event Production. Several faces from the camp were present on the evening to accept the award – including Production Manager, Paul English, as well as Adele’s Co-Manager, Rose Moon.
As Principal Sustainability Advocate for TAIT, Carol Scott was recognised for her environmental work with the TPi Industry Recognition Award. Under her leadership, TAIT has embraced a comprehensive approach to sustainability, integrating practices that reduce energy consumption, minimise waste, and lower carbon emissions. Scott was also recognised for her long work in mentorship and education, where for years she has shared her expertise with the next generation, mentoring countless young professionals, helping them secure jobs and develop their careers.
GoTo Live’s Ryan Esson and Jessica Webb once again oversaw all the technical suppliers for the awards which included; PRG (video), Pixels and Noise (video content ), Area Four Industries (truss), Showforce (crew), TRUCKINGBY (trucking), Robe (lighting), Avolites (lighting control), Sound Of Music (audio), Blackout (drapes), Disguise (media servers), BPM SFX (special effects), and Encore (in-house technical provider).
Embar king on his eighth year at the helm of the event, Esson said: “It’s always great working with TPi. We have gone from strength to strength under Fran Begaj’s guidance. She’s brilliant with the creative, has a great vision and attention to detail. Jess and I love working with her on the awards,”
He cont inued: “Every year we try to push the envelope of production and do more to improve what the attendees expect. It can be quite daunting to put on an award show for your peers, but it is so rewarding when it works. Sitting back after the last award, once
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everything has gone off without a hitch, is a highlight but I always get goosebumps during the intro VT.”
Fran added her thoughts: “This year guests will have seen some returning suppliers and some new suppliers, that we have been very excited to work with. Year on year, we aim to include key suppliers into the decisions and the design for the event so that everyone can feel confident and comfortable putting their best foot forward to what is an extremely highpressured event to deliver. The support and input from all these individual companies have made this year’s awards a joy to work on and I think once again, the whole team has delivered an exceptional event.”
Along with providing crew for the event, Showforce celebrated a calendar year of hard work by walking away with Favourite Crew Company on the night. “Every year, the TPi
Awards bring together the best of the best in the world of events and entertainment.
To be involved in the delivery of the awards ceremony itself when so many of our peers’ attend is an honour,” commented Showforce’s Michelle Tayton. “It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the skillsets of our crew chiefs and crew, who have a wealth of experience in delivering for major events all over the world. We also assigned a crew manager to the project, who conducted several site visits and signed crew in to demonstrate our approach to projects of 30-plus crew and highlight our commitment to customer service. To receive glowing feedback from both GoTo Live and TPi’s other suppliers is fantastic and we’re already looking to working on 2026.”
The focal point of the production was a curved LED screen in a waterfall configuration. A further curved video screen was flown above
the bar, assembled by PRG who also supplied a comprehensive camera set-up that included four Sony HDC-2500 cameras, four Panasonic UE160 PTZ cameras and two jibs to capture wide-angle walk-up shots, the crowd and action on the main stage. The output was controlled by PRG’s latest camera system – a 4K Ross Video Carbonite Ultra PPU partnered with a Ross Video Touchdrive TD2S panel.
“It was a new year working with PRG and even though that meant new dynamics in the team, we also saw everything come good during the process and PRG were great on this,” Esson said, praising the video supplier’s involvement.
“It’s fantastic to be involved with the TPi Awards for the first time,” stated PRG’s Nick Clarke. “Fran approached us with a cool concept for the main screen and we got to run with the creative idea for both the main room and the screen hung above bar.
Although both were technically challenging, our event services team got stuck in. Overall,
Since 2016 we have been assisting our clients with shipping their equipment on a global scale. Utilising air, road and sea we deliver on-time, every time.
we’re happy with the outcome, especially the curved screen over the bar!”
“It’s been a pleasure working with TPi and the other suppliers to pull off a fantastic evening!”
With the theme centring around a jungle theme, 2024s Content Creator of the Year, Pixels & Noise created a tropical rainforest of video content with images of the TPi jungle during the day, transitioning into night amid the meal, before for returning to brighter, bolder colours as returning compere, Emmanuel Sonubi took to the stage. The opening VT featured everything from supporter logos, through to swinging monkeys and a headbanging parrot – with Lewis Kyle White behind the screens, making the magic happen.
Extending the story told through the video content further into the venue was coverage of vines, trees and all-around greenery – not forgetting multiple parrots and other jungle wildlife, courtesy of Visual Architects.
Accompanying the tropical content was an impressive lighting design devised by Robe’s Lead Creative Designer, Nathan Wan, who employed an all-Robe rig including 40 LED Pointe, 60 SVB1, seven SVOpatt, 36 Forte LTX, 36 iSpiider X, 20 iBolt, 32 Tetra X, four T2 Profiles, three T1 profiles, six LTX FS solutions and six RoboSpot systems, controlled by two Avolites D9 consoles.
Addit ional fixtures featured around the bar area, with a special appearance from Avolites’ new Diamond 7 console that was paired with a Quartz console.
Outside iBOLTS powered from an Avolites Tiger Touch II console greeted arriving attendees in the car park, while a secondary Tiger Touch II was utilised to light Robe’s famed VIP bar.
Reflecting on the brand’s involvement, Mick Hannaford, Robe UK Managing Director,
commented: “It is with great pride that Robe supports the TPi Awards – celebrating the incredible talents within our industry. It is always a pleasure to see our fixtures light up Evolution, London for the evening, facilitated by our brilliant in-house creative team who take great care in programming and designing the show, start to finish.”
BPM SFX brought the fire, literally, to Evolution, London with eight G flames and four Eco2 Jets bringing the party to those before stepping in to the venue. The SFX specialist also provided two MDG Low Fog Machines and six Sparkulars for the main stage. The company also scooped its sixth TPi Award for Favourite SFX Company, with employee Daniel Briggs also awarded Laser Operator of the Year. “It’s the best feeling in the world winning a TPi Award,” stated BPM SFX’s Rikki Bent commented.
Sound of Music deployed an all-NEXO sound system. The main area boasted two flown left and right hangs of six GEO M1210 and a pair of GEO M1220 loudspeakers, supplemented by two flown hangs of GEO M1012 and GEO M1220 as infills. Left, centre and right delays came in the shape of three flown hangs of four GEO M1210 loudspeakers.
A sub array, hidden under the stage and LED risers, featured 16 MSUB18 horizontally arrayed in OMNI mode. A trio of three ID24 lip fills were positioned across the front of the stage with backstage monitoring for the green room handled by two ID24s. GEO M12/M10 and MSUB solutions were powered by 4X4MK2 amplifiers fed from Dante inputs, while ID24s were powered by NEXO 4X2MK2 amplifiers fed from Dante inputs. Four further flown NEXO P15s and eight P8 sounded out the main bar area, while Robe’s VIP bar was soundtracked by a pair of ID24s and IDS110 aside. The control and radio microphone package included an Allen & Heath dLive S5000 console with Sennheiser EW-DX handhelds and headsets over Dante. Area Four Industries supplied 12 Dynamic wireless load cells to monitor two LED screen installations for in-house technical specialist, Encore and PRG. Encore deployed 12 real-time cells to monitor lighting trusses around the bar area. As a collective, Encore, Area Four Industries and Blackout worked closely to position draping and rigging solutions that transformed Evolution, London into the home of excellence in the live events industry.
As has become a staple of recent iterations of the event, TRUCKINGBY showcased its trucks outside the venue, while ensuring that the kit was in the right place, at the right time, 30 hours before the industry’s best walked through the door. “TRUCKINGBY has been proud to support the TPi Awards for the past seven years, providing reliable trucking services for this prestigious event. This year, we’ve supplied four trucks to transport suppliers from across the country, ensuring smooth operations for everyone involved,” commented Melissa Ness, Live Event Office Manager. “Additionally, we are thrilled to showcase some of our specialist fleet outside the entrance to Battersea Evolution – giving industry professionals, colleagues, and friends a firsthand look at the impressive vehicles that transport the shows throughout the UK and Europe. It’s an honour to collaborate with TPi, playing our part in making the event not only a success but also a memorable
“The support and input from all these individual companies have made this year’s awards a joy to work on and I think once again, the whole team has delivered an exceptional event.”
TPi Commercial Director, Fran Begaj
experience for all involved. We look forward to continuing our support for many years to come.”
In the lead up to the build, Vans For Bands and Phoenix Bussing transported the TPi and MONDO-DR teams from Stockport to London for the event. Company Director of Vans for Bands, Tarrant Anderson, commented: “This year’s TPi Awards were the best yet, providing a fantastic opportunity to see old friends and make lots of new connections; we can’t wait for next year!”
Phoenix Bussing’s Andy Gray echoed: “It was great to be involved in the TPi Awards and
providing a sleeper bus for the Mondiale team to travel on, to and from the event. Well done to TPi for organising a great night!”
With yet another successful TPi Awards drawing to a close at 4am, Esson was keen to praise the 100-plus crew and supporters involved in the project. He concluded: “This event wouldn’t come together without the crew and the suppliers working in harmony. It’s a massive undertaking, but the suppliers and their staff cannot be thanked enough.” www.tpiawards.com www.gotolive.co.uk
www.pahire.com www.showforce.com www.brianyeardley.com/live-event-logistics www.avolites.com www.robe.cz www.nexo.com www.pixelsandnoise.tv www.prg.com www.disguise.one www.bpm-sfx.com www.areafourindustries.com www.blackout.co.uk www.hire.encore-emea.com
In partnership with Robe, Next Robe Generation (NRG) students illuminate the industry’s favourite night out.
With an extensive all-Robe lighting rig illuminating the largest gathering of industry peers and decision-makers, the TPi Awards offers an extraordinary opportunity for NRG students to showcase their skills. As in previous years, NRG put out a call for students interested in joining Robe’s on-site team at Evolution, London. The response was overwhelming, leading to a rigorous selection process. Seven students were chosen and invited to Robe UK for training in RoboSpot and Avolites, along with a preview of the event rig.
Ant Ioannou – who studies Event Production at Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies in Nottingham – took on the role of Assistant Lighting Designer in the main room.
He shared: “When the room filled with industry professionals, the pressure was on to deliver a flawless performance. Afterwards, I felt incredibly proud of myself and was grateful to Robe for giving me this opportunity. I’m looking forward to attending as a guest next year and
supporting the next group of students as they step into our roles.”
Abigail Skelton, Lighting Designer for the main bar – who studies Event Production at Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies in Nottingham – added: “The experience was like a dream filled with lights, cables, and so many of my industry idols. I am still in disbelief that I had such an amazing opportunity to get hands-on experience and talk to so many lovely, inspiring people. Being a part of this event has helped me feel more confident and gain so many valu able industry connections. I am so incredibly grateful to NRG and the creative team for this opportunity, and I’m thoroughly looking forward to attending as a guest next year and supporting the next NRG crew.”
James Levy, Lighting Designer for the iBOLTs outside – who studies Theatre Technology at Guildhall School of Music & Drama – said working on the TPi Awards was a highlight of his burgeoning career in the sector. Levy said:
“I left not only having had a mind-opening and amazing experience, but also with the contacts of some of the biggest live events professionals in the industry. While daunting and nervewracking at first , I met some incredible people and learnt a lot from the process.”
RoboSpot Operators Sebastian Ollivierre and Mason Dilworth – who both study Creative Lighting Control at Rose Bruford – were among the handful of RoboSpot Operators involved in illuminating proceedings.
“Work ing on this event opened my eyes to a whole new type of performance, since I had never worked a corporate event before. Equally, getting to work with a rig with just intelligent lights made me realise how interesting and dynamic lighting can be,” Ollivierre said.
Dilworth echoed: “It was an amazing opportunity to network with such brilliant minds and see how they got into the industry themselves, as well as hear their perspectives on how they lear nt different skills from my age. ”
Fellow RoboSpot Operator Harry Mooring – who studies Sound, Light & Live Event Engineering at Derby University – relished the opportunity to work at the industry’s biggest night out.
He said: “Being able to meet and talk with many lighting professionals afterwards allowed me to ask questions about the industry. Everyone was very welcoming and knowledgeable about how the industry operates,” he remarked.
The RoboSpot Operators also took charge of the lighting design upstairs in the Robe bar. Andrew Whewell – RoboSpot Operator – who studies Theatre Design & Production Technology at Leeds City College, says working with Robe and his fellow NRG students was a “tremendous” honour.
He concluded: “Everyone involved was so kind and passionate about what they did, always ready to lend a helping hand. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking to enter the industry, as the connections you make and the knowledge you acquire are invaluable. I will always be grateful to Robe for the opportunity.” www.robe.cz
The sector unites to promote visibility and inclusivity by sponsoring multiple sober tables at the TPi Awards…
Following the successful response to TPi Awards’ first-ever sober table last year, Roadies in Recovery enlisted the support of key industry names to raise the funds for multiple sober tables, allowing those in recovery to network safely.
“I’d just wrapped up a tour with Duran Duran and wanted to get the ball rolling with another year of fundraising,” Roadies in Recovery’s Joanne Croxford began, recalling a conversation with Amanda Thompson of AM Touring, who suggested enlisting the support of industry suppliers. “Having private funders and supporters is awesome, however, there is so much responsibility that the wider industry should take.”
The long list of supporters included AM Touring, Beat The Street and Phoenix Bussing, Cath Roberts, Chapman Freeborn, Christie Lites, KB Event, Mathew Kushner, Music First Partnership (MFP), Nick Gosling, Nighthawk
Video, Rock-It Cargo, Simon Le Bon, Suzi Green, and Wob Roberts, among others. “They are dear friends and were instantly forthcoming with their encouragement and backing,” Thompson stated, proudly.
In an industry where socialising has historically centred around substances, the TPi Awards can be a daunting prospect. KB Event’s Stuart Macpherson elaborated: “Anything we can do to help people in recovery feel part of what is a very inclusive and caring community can only help. The fear of a slip or relapse can drive people to isolate, which is very dangerous for someone in recovery. Offering a safe environment where they feel included and welcome is so important, and we urge others to get involved if they can.”
MFP’s Dan Horton added: “Roadies in Recovery struck a chord with us. Until recently, there was little advertised or publicised help for those on the road, so it’s important we
keep resources like these at the forefront of everyone’s mind.”
US-based visa specialist Mathew Kushner – who recently celebrated two decades in recovery – first discovered Roadies in Recovery amid the pandemic. “There’s something special about people uniting as a community,” he said. “There are thousands of us in the industry that are in recovery, but it doesn’t get spoken about a lot. Initiatives like this, which have changed and enriched my life, should be highlighted.”
Rock- it Cargo’s Chris Palmer believes the industry has a responsibility to support its workforce. “It’s important that these subjects are discussed openly and given a platform – and the TPi Awards is the perfect place to shout about Roadies in Recovery,” he said. “We will continue to support Roadies in Recovery and give back to our beloved industry.”
Suzi Green who hosts The BACK LOUNGE – a weekly gathering of live music personnel on
Zoom, said: “I’m honoured to be a part of the Roadies in Recovery’s sober tables and raise awareness about addiction, which is rife in our industry, and how we can all play a part to support recovery. Joanne Croxford is a massive supporter and inspiration for our community. Roadies in Recovery have shared their insights with us as guests several times, including a session on dispelling some of the myths as to what 12 step means – which we recorded as a resource and is available to watch back.”
Encouraging sobriety in a fast-paced industry is both “rewarding” and “challenging” due to the “pervasive culture of excess,” notes Nighthawk Video’s Todd LePere. “As a vendor committed to the industry’s growth, prioritising
sobriety is essential for long-term success, mental well-being, and a sustainable, inclusive culture for our crews, clients, and industry as a whole moving forward,” he stated.
Beat The Street’s Ian Massey echoed: “This is an inclusive industry, and everybody should feel welcome and be able to congregate without any external pressures. We’re proud to back industry-wide initiatives that make people feel more welcome and accounted for.”
Duran Duran frontman, Simon Le Bon, was among the notable private donors. Cath Roberts, Tour Manager for Duran Duran, added: “The sober tables at the TPi Awards act as a reminder to the touring world that every one of us has a part to play in helping to keep our
friends and colleagues safe and healthy at work and in life. And that resources such as Roadies in Recovery are available and provide vital support to those who access them.”
Once t he team had met their fundraising goal for one sober table, Chapman Freeborn stepped in to host a secondary sober table.
Chapman Freeborn’s Paul Kindred commented: “In the same way that we provide a personalised experience on our flights, the sober tables also created a tailored experience for those who need it. We couldn’t be prouder to have helped open the TPi Awards to those in recovery – promoting visibility and inclusivity across the industry, while giving them a safe place in a room that they deserved to be in.”
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Christie Lites further provided a third table for people to network freely. Christie Lites’ Roy Hunt said: “It’s vital that the community across all levels in the industry has a support network that’s sole focus is to support and help one another. We encourage more people from the industry to get involved and be a part of changing attitudes.”
On the topic of visibility, Croxford added: “There shouldn’t be a barrier for inclusion and representation is everything. Many of our supporters don’t live sober lifestyles but want to support what we’re doing, and it’s those pioneers that are showing others that it’s OK to talk about this and the shroud of stigma is being lifted because of representation.”
Chic and Nile Rodgers’ Production Manager, Nick Gosling, who pledged his support as an ally, added: “It’s important that everyone in the community feels welcome and that the signature awards show for the industry is for everybody,” he said.
Production Manager, Wob Roberts further underlined the value of a support network: “Supporting those in recovery is critical
in changing perceptions of what it means to congregate and network as an industry to overcome societal stigmas,” he said. “Encouraging those in recovery or who feel like the TPi Awards isn’t for them as someone who wants to attend sober can only be a positive step forward for the industry.”
Despite this outpouring of affection, Croxford is aware that there is still work to be done. “The TPi Awards is a celebration of all our achievements, and we never get together so it’s important everyone feels included. We had a 12-step meeting online beforehand, which is important because there are people on different parts of their journey, who couldn’t physically attend – but felt like they were closer to us, which is vital to recovery,” she explained.
Addit ionally, the collective met outside the event and walked in together. “There’s such power in safety in numbers and it’s palpable when the first thing you experience upon entry is the bar and tables and tables of people drinking,” she added. “It’s important to support people in that space. I can tell by the enthusiasm from suppliers and supporters this is a shift that
there needs to be a space for people to network without external pressures. It’s because of them we were able to hold that space.”
So, are perceptions shifting? Croxford is positive: “It feels like because there is more awareness and attention on sobriety, and I am noticing incremental change. Culturally, there is a relationship in the UK with alcohol that nobody else has. I hope that changes for the better and certainly initiatives like this are evidence things are changing.”
Swarmed with messages of support, Croxford was proud that instead of just having a seat at the table this year, it felt like the collective had their own space to network: “It’s a beautiful feeling to be able to walk into a room and know you’ve got your space. We feel like we came home, and table 126 is forever going to be the sober table at the TPi Awards. Fundamentally, we felt supported, appreciated, recognised and celebrated as members of the community.” www,tpiawards.com www.roadiesinrecovery.com www.vimeo.com/backlounge/rir
With Pieter Smit bestowed with this year’s Green Award, discover how the company remains committed to providing a bespoke e-truck solution and storage for Jakop Ahlbom’s theatre production, Horror.
The Green Award is presented annually to the companies and products that have gone above and beyond to promote or demonstrate sustainable practices within the live touring sector. Following a rigorous process, where applicants had to showcase the innovative steps taken to enhance sustainability in the live entertainment sector, Pieter Smit was crowned the winner.
Dedicated to pioneering sustainable transport solutions that set new standards in the industry, one of Pieter Smit’s proudest achievements is its involvement in the tour of Jakop Ahlbom’s theatre production, Horror – providing a bespoke e-truck transport and storage solution.
Over the past two years, Pieter Smit has worked diligently to implement this solution. Initially, the team faced challenges due to the high height of its tractor, which did not match the height of its mega trailers. This required the team to purchase a suitable trailer for the production team to adapt their set to.
To ensure seamless operations, Pieter Smit partnered with a company that provides mobile chargers. During the load-in, a charger was connected to the theatre’s power supply. Generally, theatres use less power due to the
adoption of LED lighting. By the end of the afternoon of the show, the production took over the reins of the power supply to focus lights, perform soundchecks, or run catering. After the show, when the venue no longer needs power, it reverted to charging the truck.
An external data company played a crucial role by offering insights into how the tour could be executed more efficiently. This collaboration among multiple companies, all sharing the goal of making touring more sustainable, is what impressed the judges.
Following the success of the project, Pieter Smit has received further requests from clients interested in using an e-truck for their events, highlighting the growing demand for ecofriendly transportation solutions.
The e-t ruck theatre tour had a significant positive impact on the sustainability of the event. Most notably, the tour was completely emission-free. This is a stark contrast to regular fossil fuel-based tours, which contribute substantially to carbon emissions.
Furthermore, the success of this initiative sets a precedent for future electric tours, amplifying its impact on the industry. By demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of using electric vehicles for large-scale events,
Pieter Smit hopes to pave the way for more sustainable practices in the touring industry.
Addit ionally, the firm’s rental fleet includes electric vehicles, which were used to transport the cast and crew. This comprehensive use of e-vehicles not only reduced the event’s environmental footprint but also showcased Pieter Smit’s commitment to sustainable transportation solutions.
Horror’s set, technical equipment, wardrobe, and merchandise were also stored in one of Pieter Smit’s 400 shipping containers in the company’s warehouse – which is heated to a minimum of 17°C, using sustainable energy sources such as geothermal energy and solar panels. This way, the firm not only ensures that the materials are stored safely but also provides an eco-friendly solution for the storage itself.
Moving forward, Pieter Smit hopes to contribute to the ongoing dialogue and inspire others to join them in their mission to create a greener, more sustainable transport sector.
Honourable mentions go to CES Power, d&b group, Grid Faeries, Ecotricity, KB Event, and Power Logistics, that all put together outstanding applications for this year’s Green Award voting process. www.pietersmit.com
PixMob Moving Video Transmitter (MVT) technology takes centre stage on its North American debut, seamlessly blending fans with the on-field action at Caesars Superdome during Super Bowl LIX.
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: PixMob
Super Bowl LIX delivered an unprecedented spectacle, transforming the stadium crowd at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome into a ‘low-resolution, high-impact visual canvas’ of immersive effects, enveloping football and music fans in the action. At the heart of this unique experience was PixMob – a Montrealbased company that has revolutionised the way audiences interact with live events.
Having previously worked exclusively on seven Halftime Shows in recent years, this year PixMob’s mandate was extended to the full game. The show kicked off with a pregame performance dedicated to New Orleans’ resilience, featuring a marching band illuminated with PixMob’s synchronised LED
wearable tech courtesy of 75,000 fans.
“We are always honoured when we are called upon to be involved in spectacles like this.
We began planning back in September 2024, and because it’s a closed stadium, the NFL wanted to use our technology to its advantage when it came to the production,” Jean-Olivier Dalphond, Partner and Chief Commercial Officer at PixMob, recalled.
“It was exciting to be able to bring MVT Technology to creates what we call a ‘human video screen’ – a low-resolution, high-impact motion graphic space,” he added.
Throughout the game, PixMob’s lighting effects reacted in real-time to touchdowns, kick-offs, and fan-driven moments, reaching
its high point in an awe-inspiring halftime show by Kendrick Lamar. “MVT technology is evolving constantly. At the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, we created symbols like a flying bird. For Super Bowl LIX, it was used to create words to support the narrative of the story that the artist wants to tell. Before PixMob solutions would enhance emotions and the human connection with each other, but now with this new technology, the crowd can tell the story that the artist wants to put into words to emphasise certain moments.”
The enclosed environment of Caesars Superdome amplified PixMob’s immersive effects, offering a pitch-black canvas for visuals that mesmerised both live attendees and over 100 million viewers around the world. The final month of pre-production process is more intense with the PixMob team on site for three weeks.
The team included: Executive Producer, Sophie Blondeau; Technical Director, Jacques Vanier; Lead Video Integrator, Nikolas J. Sigouin; Pixel Manager, Samantha L. Torres; Video Designer, Joshua Koffman; Video Technician, Gianni Santangelo; Motion Designer, Nicolas Turmel; Lighting Programmer, Jeremy Carrier-Lévesque; and Climber and Rigger, Martel Timothée.
“There was a lot of snow this year, so there were delays, but we had an amazing production team who united to overcome any challenges,” Dalphond remarked.
Wrist bands were placed on empty seats throughout the stadium during the testing phase, so the creative teams were able to pilot
concepts and visualise the product. “Bruce Rogers, Aaron Cook, Tim Tubito and Jesse Collins at the NFL share this level of trust and understanding about how the production team on site operate and will do anything it takes to deliver the show. We don’t mind working for a month to make those 12 minutes as impactful as possible.”
For the Halftime Show, it was important to tell the story, so the visuals were only in white colour with a minimalistic approach. Whereas during the game, big and bold colours reflected the energy of key moments of the game, serving both parties’ creative visions.
“I really liked when we lit up the crowd in the colour of the team during a touchdown. Equally, the game-inspired visuals like the loading bar dreamt up by Kendrick Lamar’s creative team for the halftime show was clever. It always amazes me how people take our technology and come up with increasingly creative solutions,” Dalphond enthused, explaining his desire for MVT technology to pave the way for “a new era” of storytelling.
“What makes MVT so exciting is that it controls the audience’s LED wearables like
pixels on a TV screen. Each fan becomes an active pixel in a canvas of animated effects that transforms the typically dark stadium space.”
Vincent Leclerc, PixMob Co-Founder and Partner, added: “MVT is transformative in that each show is entirely customised to the event or artist’s creative visions and designs. While our previous tech would cast waves of moving colours, now it’s casting motion graphics and content. It changes the game.”
PixMob’s MVT was piloted at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games closing ceremony and Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour [see TPi #276]. Dalphond concluded: “We do these projects with technology that is still being invented, but that is our DNA – we are a company that advance, and we have enough brain power within the team to ensure we meet the creative vision of clients. We take creative and innovative risks that we can learn from to set the standard for future projects. I’m excited to see where the rest of the year takes us. I am beyond proud of our ability to create experiences, amplify emotions and tell stories across the world.”
www.pixmob.com/mvt
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A ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium Console controls over 3,000 fixtures for a high-profile televised event in Macau, China.
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Timothy De Mets
Lengthy tech specs are nothing new for us at TPi, but we’re not ashamed to admit when we were sent the kit list from the Jiangsu TV NYE Gala, we did a double take. The annual event once again saw the team from Arf & Yes oversee a lighting rig of over 3,000 fixtures, all of which were controlled by several ChamSys desks. With the event being broadcast live, the show design had to be on point for the entire four-hour run time, with 53 songs performed by a plethora of artists.
This year, the staging was design by Skywalker and Arf & Yes.Arf & Yes’ Ignace D’haese took on the role of Lighting and Show Director with Tijs Coene handing Lighting Designing responsibilities. Kris Huberland was Technical Director and Joeri Pluym, System Engineer. Timothy De Mets was then brought in as Programmer and Operator alongside Olivier Demoustier, Korneel Wilkin and Key Light Programmer and Operator, Jarmo De Blaeij. Other key members of the team included
Spot Caller, Robin Verlinde; Rendering Lead, Emiel Vancraeynest; Junior Lighting Designer, Margo Van Hoorebeke; System Engineer, Joeri Pluym and Giovani De Schampheleire from the Legal Department. “This massive production always features ChamSys,” began De Mets. “We’ve always used one show file for the initial programming in previs, then when we go into the venue, we split the workflow, so we have another desk running key lights with mine running the rest of the rig.”
With so many fixtures used on the rig, networking of the desk was vital – ChamSys supports up to ten consoles in a network session. The team used the MagicQ MQ500M+ Stadium Console capable of outputting 400 universes direct from the console. “Both Olivier and I each had a MQ500M+ with mine being the master and his being the slave.”
One of the biggest benefits was the use of multiconsole control, which enabled the pair to work seamlessly. “Olivier, had his own macros and layouts stored in his user profile,” explained De Mets. “He had his own group of lights he always controlled but he could easily take control of the complete rig when I was away or take a part of my fixtures to program some extra’s if I was busy with another part of the rig. For example, I was able to ask Olivier to do something with a group of fixtures that are usually under my control while I was programming something else.”
This year, the lighting team were presented with another challenge with the set incorporating a lot of mirrors in the show design. This meant extensive tweaking of lighting looks due to the reflections caused by the stage. Due to these labour-intensive rehearsals, De Mets discussed how ChamSys, as a company, provided support to give the creative team a clever way to have each desk sending it’s own data to separate Syncronorm Depence systems. This meant that three desks were simultaneously sending a full lighting rig of sACN data to each Depence while programming on the same showfile with multiple desks.
De Mets was quick to compliment the work of Chris Kennedy from ChamSys; “Each year, Chris checks in to see if we’re doing this show and is on hand to help with any problems that might
crop up. The entire team at ChamSys are doing an amazing job and I have nothing but good things to say about them.”
Continuing the ChamSys conversation, De Mets was also keen to emphasise the benefit of the “group effects” and “palettes” on the desk, which made it quick to adjust looks in the rehearsal period. “We needed to tweak and create the looks very fast during rehearsals. Group FX with pallets on grid layouts allowed us to quickly create complex looks in seconds,” De Mets stated.
“Using these two functions together are super-fast and there were cases where we’d program a song and the artist during rehearsals decided they preferred to use a different colour for the song. All I needed to do was filter all cues and replace the colour and it was done.”
Moving away from the console, he spoke of the large lighting rig at his disposal. With all fixtures being provided by Vision, the rig comprised 3,809 fixtures in 1,547 groups. “The FX console managed 117,769 channels, 107,138 parameters, and 241 universes,” chuckled De Mets, citing the sheer size of the show. Most of the lights were ACME fixtures including the LEO, Pixelline IP, Strobe6 IP, Gemini, Skybar, ThetaFX and Tornado. The team also utilised the Aeco 20 for followspots and Key lighting. With such a great deal of multi-element fixtures De Mets praised ChamSys for its part in the production.
“Chris created a new feature Function Type to manage different functions on a fixture handling multi elements madness. Groups can be recorded with a Function Type. This enables us to quickly create Group FX to apply to a specific Function Type.” www.arfyes.com www.chamsyslighting.com
STUFISH Entertainment Architects, 1826, Brian Burke and DX7 Design partner to redefine the future of motorsport entertainment with F1 75 Live.
Photos: Alamy
Formula 1 made history with its first-ever season launch at London’s O2 arena. Unveiling the 2025 car liveries while marking F1’s 75th anniversary. F1 75 Live brought together all ten teams and drivers for an evening of spectacle and high-energy entertainment.
The wor ld premiere event was brought to life by STUFISH Entertainment Architects in collaboration with production partner 1826, alongside creative visionary Brian Burke and DX7 Design. Together, they crafted an unforgettable experience that merged Formula 1’s signature speed with the thrill of live theatrical performance.
The event was meticulously designed as a multi-sensory storytelling experience, with each reveal uniquely choreographed to build anticipation and excitement. Renowned for
their visionary stage designs for global icons like Beyoncé, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, and Sabrina Carpenter, STUFISH reimagined the stage as a long central runway extending into the crowd - evoking the high-speed straightaways of an F1 track. Towering above the stage is the largest LED screen ever used at The O2, stretching across the width of the venue. The screen serves a dual purpose – delivering cinematic visuals that build anticipation for each team’s segment.
Hidden beneath the main screen is a garage-style door, which introduces each team’s driver for the 2025 season. In the centre of the stage, a mechanical lift system was incorporated, capable of raising the cars eight meters high adding an element of vertical spectacle. Suspended above it all, a flying
LED screen, embedded with dynamic lighting effects, moves fluidly throughout the night — serving as both a visual storytelling canvas and seamlessly lifting away to reveal the next team in an unforgettable sequence of reveals.
“At STUFISH, we are always looking for ways to push the boundaries of live entertainment, and designing the staging for the F1 launch was an exciting challenge - blending the theatricality of a live show with the raw energy of motorsport. With this production, we wanted to bring the thrill of the racetrack into the heart of The O2, immersing audiences from the instant the lights dim to the roar of the engines,” commented Ray Winkler, CEO and Design Director at STUFISH Entertainment Architects. “We’re always excited to get the call from F1 for one of their shows. They love
pushing the boundaries and so do we. We’re lucky enough to have great creative partners, like StuFish, Brian Burke Creative and DX7 and a great production team on this show and have thoroughly enjoyed producing what’s going to be the talked about event of 2025,” added Joe Sanchez, CEO of 1826.
As the production partner for Formula 1’s 75th Anniversary season launch, 1826 played a pivotal role in bringing the event to life, ensuring that the spectacle aligned with F1’s evolving vision. Known for its work for artists such as Tyler, The Creator and Charli XCX, and brands such as the LA Dodgers, 1826 were tasked with bringing all aspects of the production together. Its mission was to orchestrate and execute a dynamic experience that blended motorsport with entertainment, catering to an ever-expanding and diverse fanbase.
Designed to extend beyond the racetrack, each team’s segment is designed as a fully
immersive experience. Custom music, live performances, and curated video content transform each reveal into a compelling narrative - celebrating not just the cars, but the teams, their stories, and the passionate fans who drive the sport forward.
By transforming the unveiling of the ten cars into a pop-rock spectacle infused with the electrifying energy of a stadium concert, STUFISH and 1826 have redefined how motorsport is presented to the world. It’s a bold statement that Formula 1 is bigger, bolder, and more immersive than ever before.
The fusion of music and sport has become a defining trend, as fans increasingly seek festival-like experiences that go beyond the competition itself. From Formula 1 to the Super Bowl, major sporting events now incorporate world-class musical acts, recognising that music amplifies emotion, enhances storytelling, and deepens fan engagement.
As sports continue to attract younger, more diverse audiences, the integration of music helps create shared cultural moments that transcend the event, transforming it into a global spectacle.
Building on their groundbreaking collaboration, the Formula 1 Season Launch marks the second major F1 project for 1826 and STUFISH. Their partnership began in 2023, when they joined forces to create the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix, transforming the event into a spectacular fusion of motorsport, entertainment, and theatrical production. By blending the highspeed adrenaline of F1 with immersive staging, cutting-edge visuals, and live performances, they redefined how the sport is experienced bringing the electrifying energy of Las Vegas to the global stage. www.eighteentwentysix.com www.stufish.com
Kyle Woodrow extols the virtues of Shure’s latest advanced digital in-ear monitor system, following a successful tour with Noah Cyrus
Words:
Over its 100-year history, more than 50,000 different electronics products have been developed by Shure. At NAMM 2025, TPi tracked down Monitor Engineer, Kyle Woodrow, following a successful touring campaign with Noah Cyrus, to discover how Shure’s latest advanced digital in-ear monitor system benefitted the American singer and actor and her band in the lead up to Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
“I did my first tour with Noah Cyrus two summers ago now. Ever yone in the camp is super fun, easy to work with, and importantly, the music is great,” Woodrow said, speaking to TPi at Shure’s bust ling NAMM ’25 boot h.
“There were immediate family vibes with every body in the camp and we recently wrapped up a super fun tour.”
Woodrow trialled the Shure Axient Digital PSM during summer 2024 “I was excited to work with it because it’s new, but I wanted to have time to play with it before taking it to the
band,” he recalled. “It was a litt le nerve wracking telling six musicians that we were changing their in-ears pack and going digital.”
So, what was the response? “They immediately loved it, especially our keyboard player, Roland Hamilton. He referenced the clar ity of the mix, and I received wholly posit ive feedback from ever yone in the camp,” Woodrow enthused.
“I was pleasantly surprised that they asked me to turn it down when I was A-Bing between the old analogue and the new Digital PSM.
Once Production Manager, Benjamin Omlor and I got the mix to where we wanted it, they asked me to turn it down 12dB having overshot, which was awesome – it’s better to turn it down then not having enough gas!
The biggest benefit of the system for Woodrow is the Wideband Mode “I ran the entire tour on a four-channel Wideband Mode, simpl y because functionally I’m eating up less frequencies and in a fest ival environment,
going up to the RF coordinator and asking for just two frequencies in whatever band they can give me is much easier than asking for eight. It allows me to simply assign four stereo sends per rack unit , and it does the rest of the work for me,” he explained. “Additionally, if I’m taking hits on one sub channel, I will have to change the whole rack unit , which is weird but fine because it’s fewer frequencies.”
This is a convention Woodrow decided to pilot amid production rehearsals at The Noho House “There is a lot of RF traffic in downtown Holly wood, and I took considerably fewer hits in Wideband Mode as opposed to Narrowband Mode, which was surprising and a big deal to me – it felt like I was doing a lot less work ,” Woodrow remarked.
Having had the luxury of an entire summer tinkering around with the system privately before introducing it to the band, Woodrow forged a greater level of trust with the band during the two- month-long summer tour and
a handful of one-off shows, before showing up with the new gear.
“I felt like I built up enough trust with the band, and a few of them have their own home studios, so were excited to try out some new stuff and have new technology accessible to them and be able to provide feedback.”
Woodrow further cited the “impressiveness” of the low end, a “greater sense of clarity” and a “wider stereo image” as benefits of Shure Axient Digital PSM, based on feedback provided by the band. He elaborated: “The biggest thing I noticed was a lower noise floor. We’ve all grown accustomed to the noise floor of the analogue PSM but that is pretty much gone with the Digital, which is nice. Latency also wasn’t an issue for me, personally or any of the musicians I was providing the mix for.
Having introduced Woodrow to the system, Jenn Liang-Chaboud, Entertainment Relations Manager at Shure, explained the importance of cultivating and maintaining
relationships with touring camps in the field. “Being directly in touch with them and having a two-way conversation about what they are listening for, what can be done better and what tools they wish they had, helps us figure out the ideal solutions for the market,” LiangChaboud commented, going on to express her enthusiasm for networking spaces like NAMM in Anaheim, California.
“NAMM is huge. This is a musical town, close to Los Angeles, so we have a tonne of engineers passing through the show. It’s perfect to showcase new products. Face time is important to drive conversation.”
Woodrow was experiencing his first NAMM. “Everyone is here, and it’s awesome to experience. I can’t wait to hit the road again later this year, but for now, I’m gearing up for Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.” www.noahcyrus.com www.shure.com www.namm.org
Shure Product Manager, Sergio Alvarez; Monitor Engineer, Kyle Woodrow; Shure Entertainment Relations Manager, Jenn Liang-Chaboud at NAMM 2025.
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With 21 panels across three days, TPi launches the Live Events Stage at ISE, bringing an insight into the world of the live events industry to the tradeshow floor.
This year at ISE 2025, TPi launched the Live Event Stage. Building on previous year’s work hosting the Live Events Summit, the Live Events Stage was a three-day event that saw 21 panels take place over three days. The stage was situated in Hall 6 on the show floor, among the lighting exhibitors. The goal of the programme was to bring voices from throughout the live events industry to share an insight into the world of live touring and events. Covering a range of topics from audio, video, lighting, staging, transport, special effects, and more – there was a little something for everyone, with all content being completely free to all attendees at the show. With TPi curating all the content for the show, the programme was sponsored by MA Lighting. “Sponsoring the Live Events Stage as a main sponsor was a no-brainer for us,” commented Stephan Saremba, Managing Director for MA Lighting. “Bringing it down to the show floor and allowing people to participate at any time gives everyone the ability to learn from the experience that the speakers share. That is what it is all about in our industry.”
After a brief opening introduction by host for the week, Stew Hume, Editor of TPi Magazine, the first session saw WICREATIONS CEO, Hans Willems and PRG Commercial Director, Miles Hillyard both give an overview of the past 12 months in the live touring sector. Next attention moved to the world of lighting with Concept K’s Frédéric Fayard, Spectrum AV’s Lex Willems and
Gary Numan’s Lighting Designer, David Howard coming to the stage. The lighting professionals discussed the growing number of brands on the market and how they deal with the proliferation of choice. Then to close the morning, Adele’s Production Manager, Paul English, walked through how he and his team pulled together the artist major production in Munich.
After t he lunch break, we then heard from Koen Peeters from WICREATIONS, who explained some of the latest innovations within automation, providing an insight into some of the recent productions he and his team had been working on. Then from automation to audio, Peter James from Shure gave a brief history of the company as it celebrates its 100year anniversary.
From there, the Live Events Stage returned to the topic of counterfeiting and how it is affecting manufacturers in the live events sector, with MA Lighting’s Franco Zaghini and L-Acoustics’ Laurent Ostojski.
Closing out day one, Paul English returned to the stage alongside Ben Brooks of TAIT and Chris Neary, Senior Technical Manager, Live Entertainment for Scottish Event Campus and OVO Hydro. The topic on the docket was venues – specifically how spaces are having to deal with increasingly complex and large tours.
Starting the second day, the Live Events Stage welcomed Dave Weatherhead from TAIT and Mike Birch from NEWSUBSTANCE who conversed about the latest developments in
automation as well as the type of requests they are getting from clients. Then headline sponsor, MA Lighting took the reins, welcoming Tue Knudsen, System Engineer of the Eurovision 2024. With questions being delivered by MA Lighting Brand Manager, Daniel Kannenberg, Knudsen walked the audience through the complex control setup that helped to make the 2024 edition of event possible.
Then f rom lighting control to projection mapping, the Live Events Stage delved into this visual format welcoming Martin Pošta, CoFounder of Signal Festival. The annual festival takes place in Prague each year with visual artists deploying the very latest in projection technology throughout the city. Also joining Pošta was Graham Miller, Director of Live Events for 4Wall Entertainment, who spoke about his projection mapping at Glastonbury this year, along with Will Harkin, who mentioned several case studies such as the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, as well as Joe Graziano from Christie Digital.
In the af ternoon, the conversation turned to sustainability within the live events sphere. To speak about this hotly debated issue we had Tim Benson from Showpower Global and Barbara de Gregorio from Atlas Copco – both companies offering alternative power solutions for live shows utilising battery technology.
Also joining the debate was Richard Burnett from KB Event – a company examining multiple ways to improve the sustainability of logistics, specifically with the use of HVO fuel in the live entertainment and touring sector.
Next, the Live Events Stage welcomed Patchwork London’s Calum Mordue. Fresh from touring with Burna Boy, he spoke about some of the latest innovations within wireless technology and the logistics of having to run RF on these complex shows.
Having arisen in previous discussions, the topic of tracking software was one that carried a lot of interest. This technology has been prevalent within the lighting world for a long time but is now often utilised within video, automation and audio departments. Naostage’s Olivier Le Doeuff, BlackTrax’s Nicholas Lau, zactrack’s Paul Roch and Follow-Me’s Tim van Dijck all shared their thoughts on the subject.
Closing the second day, the host city of Barcelona was in the spotlight as we welcomed Primavera’s Head of Press, Marta Pallarès. As well as discussing how this year’s event was shaping up, she also gave her thoughts on the state of the European festival scene, not to mention the overall need for festivals to franchise a brand, giving the example of Primavera’s satellite events in South America.
Opening the Live Events Stage’s third day was Laura Frank and the team from frame:work, who brought together a stellar panel of video experts to tackle the topic of ‘The Art and Science of Time’. The panel featured Emily Malone, Head of Live Events for Disguise, Nils Porrmann, Director of Content Workflows for dandelion + burdock, Chema Menendez from Evoke Studios, and Sean Hooper from Carbon Arc Projects.
Following that, the Live Events Stage maintained the theme of content creation, welcoming Lewis Kyle-White from Pixels & Noise and Adam Young from FRAY Studios. Both Kyle-White and Young revealed how they go about creating and delivering content for various touring clients.
From pixels to SFX – the next session featured leading voices from the special effects and pyrotechnics effects world, including Matt Hales from BPM SFX, Dan Mott from ER Productions alongside drone specialist John ‘JP’ Partridge from Celestial.
Following a lunch break, the Live Events Stage welcomed James Chapman from TAIT. As one of the leading providers of staging for the touring markets, Chapman spoke about some of the changes he’s witnessed in the market and the demands coming from artist and productions – specifically the growing trend of artists wishing to have stages that spiral out on an arena floor.
From there, TPiMEA’s Peter Iantorno hosted a session discussing the development of the Saudi Arabian events market, welcoming some of the team behind the record-breaking MDLBEAST Soundstorm festival, including Michael ‘Curly’ Jobson, Executive Director of Events at MDLBEAST, alongside PRG’s Director of Music Lighting, Yvonne Donnelly Smith and Rock-it Cargo’s Harry Calthorpe.
In the penultimate session, the Live Events Stage welcomed famed Lighting and Show Designer Roland Greil. Having worked on shows for the likes of Rammstein, Genesis and The Rolling Stones, Greil described his process for
MA Lighting Brand Manager, Daniel Kannenberg and Eurovision Song Contest’s System Engineer, Tue Knudsen; Rock-it Cargo’s Harry Calthorpe, PRG’s Director of Music Lighting, Yvonne Donnelly Smith, Executive Director of Events at MDLBEAST Michael ‘Curly’ Jobson and TPiMEA Editor Peter Iantorno; zactrack’s Paul Roch, BlackTrax’s Nicholas Lau, Naostage’s Olivier Le Doeuff, Follow-Me’s Tim van Dijck and TPi’s Stew Hume; dandelion + burdock’s Nils Porrmann, Disguise’s Emily Malone, Evoke Studios’ Chema Menendez, Carbon Arc Projects Sean Hooper and frame:works’ Laura Frank.
designing and how he takes an original idea into pre-vis before pulling everything together. Closing out the programme this year, the Live Events Stage welcomed Solotech’s Technical & R&D Director for Live Production in the UK, Nick Lythgoe, and Head of Soundscape for Southby Productions, Aaron Holloway-Nahum, who spoke about some of the latest developments within immersive audio.
For the last day of the show, Hannah Eakins and the team from Production Futures produced content aimed at inspiring the next generation of events professionals.
Part of ISE’s Fast Forward Friday, Production Futures’ programme provided an inspiring focus for young people on networking, training, and career growth in the live event technology and broadcast sectors.
Hannah Eakins of Production Futures saw the organisation’s first appearance at ISE as an important milestone in taking its message to a global audience:
“Throughout the day, we invited special guests from all corners of the industry to give the ISE audience an insight into the world of training and work opportunities within live event and broadcast production, while simultaneously raising the profile of newcomers who are shaping the future. Through the generosity of our sponsors, who provided support in the form of travel bursaries, five of our Breakthrough Talent Award winners joined us for the day and gave fascinating insights into how the industry looks through their eyes, reflecting on the pathways and opportunities that were fundamental to their progress.” www.iseurope.org
An 11ft phone box, ‘blow through’ LED panels, UV footprints and a lift within a lift, assembled by a proud group of almost entirely Northern technicians and creatives in reference to the British club culture of the ’80s. Well, what did you expect from a Culture Club tour?
Celebrating over four decades since the release of their first two albums, 1982s Kissing to be Clever and 1983s Colour By Numbers, Culture Club toured arenas across the UK and Ireland with special guests Tony Hadley and Heaven 17. Considered by many as British music icons who captured the zeitgeist of the ’80s, they were accompanied by exceptional production values and a modernised sound, supplemented by impressive session musicians on stage, and supported by a dedicated, almost completely Northern touring crew behind the scenes.
Advance Production Manager, Joe Stenhouse of SJM Concerts and Touring Production Manager, Peter Shorten of Axiom Events were the integral cogs between production and artist camps, charged with delivering an “impactful” and “memorable” show, which saw everything from a kabuki drop through to a multitiered riser package, several video surfaces including “blow through” LED panels, an 11ft telephone box on multiple lifts and further custom set elements.
SJM Concerts promoted and produced the show. In addition to production management, Axiom Events provided lights, rigging, and video infrastructure; Solotech, who share a longstanding relationship with the band’s engineers, supplied audio; Hull-based Ox Event House created custom set pieces and lifts; Fly By Nite transported the tour’s equipment and handled carnets; Phoenix Bussing transported the artists, musicians and crew; John Henry’s provided backline; and Saucery Catering kept
everyone well fed. Before hitting the road, the production was assembled and rehearsed at Essex’s Backstage Centre.
“Our suppliers are known quantities and were entrusted to meet the brief, despite asking a lot from them in a tight timeframe,” Shorten said.
“Pete and I share a great working relationship and were able to meet the dynamic creative vision for this show within the budget,” Stenhouse added, further praising the support of the touring crew and technical suppliers. “It was great to get out on the road, working alongside the local promoters and crew, to deliver an extravagant show.”
Shorten also enjoyed the process of producing a show that was engaging and fresh for the multigenerational crowd. “We upscaled the production values, and there were some nice individual moments within the show like Victims, where Boy George is lifted during a beautiful, modernised arrangement of the original track. It was a ‘more is more’ moment – fading to dark, the screens glimmering with stars and an epic Phil Collins-style drum riff with a choral entrance. Seeing the reaction of the crowd every night is special!”
Tour Manager, Ian Faddie has been with Culture Club since 2000 and believes this is by far the most complex production to date.
“The entire production team were a pleasure to work with. The end look achieved was visually stunning and a fitting tribute,” he said. “George, Roy and Mikey worked tirelessly to recreate these first two albums and many of the tracks
had never been played live for over 40 years! It was a very successful tour for the fans and everyone behind the scenes.”
‘A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE’
Having grown up as a fan, camping on Boy George’s doorstep in the ’80s, Creative Designer, William Baker was not short on inspiration for this show.
“Boy George and I have worked together for 15 years in a professional capacity, so we are on the same page, creatively. I’m acutely aware of the styles and eras referenced in the music. As this show focusses on Culture Club’s first two albums, we wanted to bring the story of the band in that era of the early ’80s in the cultural London context of the time.”
Keen to tell the story chronologically, the result was a show of two halves. “We wanted to expose their earlier work to a new generation. Both albums have very distinct styles, from the Blitz Club-inspired reggae, post punk, and New Romantic first album with religious imagery and multicultural approach through to the colourful, pop, bolder nature of Colour By Numbers,” Baker explained. “Boy George is such a good storyteller and has a great rapport with the audience as a narrator, so we wanted to carve out moments in the set for him to share the band story between songs. It was a trip down memory lane while looking forward.”
Despite being a tall show, it was designed modularly to fit into most spaces, with the production design only trimmed slightly in the notoriously shallow Utilita Arena Cardiff.
Stage Manager, Rich Gallagher, coordinated the logistics of the load-ins and -outs, ensuring the team worked together seamlessly to fit into each venue on a tight schedule without a rolling stage. A lot of wing space was required to facilitate the support acts, who toured with rolling risers and musicians.
Not onl y tasked with the aforementioned –juggling the economy of space in the wings and the turnaround time between supports and the main act – Gallagher doubled as a show caller, giving cues for various moving elements.
“There are always logistical challenges to contend with, from the size of the show and where we place the IMAG screen through to the restrictions of each arena. They all have their own quirks. Utilita Arena Cardiff, for example, has a shallow roof and is a tight space to work in. However, it’s part of the fun of touring, and knowledge is power when it comes to uniting as a team to face those challenges head on and overcome them. It was great to have the support of familiar local crews and crew bosses on this run and tap into their venue-specific knowledge,” he said.
‘A
The weight of the production-heavy show was condensed to one area of the upstage, which presented challenges for SJM Concerts Tour Rigger, Gareth Morgan. “Every room is different so it’s key to adapt and make compromises, as is standard when you step off the bus at each
venue,” Gallagher explained, declaring the feat as “hard work” and a “memorable” experience. He added: “It can be super-demanding and complicated but equally rewarding. I still get that pre-show buzz before they take to the stage each night – a mixture of pure excitement and nerves. I love looking out into the crowd and seeing the smiling faces and people dancing and singing their hearts out.”
New Yor k-based Production Designer, Josh Zangen, collaborated closely with Creative Director, William Baker to enhance the scale of the show.
“We wanted it to feel like a big pop show within the touring model. In this case, it was about using multiple layers of translucent video screens with lighting behind it. Levels were also a big consideration, on how to frame the 10-piece band artistically, while referencing Top of the Pops and the early, industrial club culture scene in Britain of the ‘80s,” Zangen said, citing Baker’s “art and fashion-forward” approach. “I’m a fan of the people within the world, the bold graphics, textures and iconography of the band on stage backed by a graphic showcase, nodding to their archive. Getting this kind of opportunity is amazing. I appreciate Will and the band’s trust and love; it’s always fun working with friends to create new things for an iconic band, bringing their artistry to a whole new generation.”
The production design featured a huge downstage centre staircase with a rear
walkway as well as a lift for the artist, and another outer lift for the phone box to travel up on-stage.
To achieve this, Ox Event House Engineer, Mick Thomas devised a ‘lock-in pin’ system. Additionally, amid rehearsals, he created UV footprints for Boy George to align himself in the right position for the lift, which were visible only when a UV light was shone on the steps.
“It was an interesting project,” Ox Event House’s Ben Levitt explained. “There was a big, 8ft wide by 9ft high centre stage staircase in two pieces that was quite long, self-supported centrally with some hidden verticals to avoid impeding the video design. This development was mainly down to Richard, our Head of Manufacturing, and Mick Thomas.”
Frames were custom made, partly from pre-existing stock, with a hybrid solution with additional extensions, which were assembled in advance – including a cart that allowed local crew and touring technicians to transport and easily access equipment to assemble the stage setup promptly, with Ox Event House crew further supporting the fitting of LED video cladding within a small window in line with the video team.
Thomas was supported by Garry Stockton on site. “Locking the deck to the extreme decks on the other side allowed us to bring the lift back down again in situ. It took us around three weeks to develop a bespoke lift system and a base so when the lift had to go on and off
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the stage quickly during the build and break, it locked into the video and stage deck structure without having to measure it, so it was in the perfect position every time with the bolt and pin system we developed,” Thomas explained. “Everybody was impressed we were able to create a lift within a lift for the prop phone box and Boy George, which operates from the ground seamlessly.”
Without a rolling stage, the timeframe between venues was challenging. “We were tight on time every day, but thankfully, the system we developed overcame this. Although it was my first time working with the team, there was a great atmosphere and we have achieved something quite incredible within the timeframe,” Thomas concluded.
‘THE UNITY OF PASSIONATE PEOPLE’
Lighting Designer, Nick Whitehouse of Live Redesigned, collaborated closely with the creative and production teams to assemble a rig within the budget, moving around the lighting plot and fixture counts over the course of 10 iterations before landing on the final design. “We wanted to it to feel ‘clubby’ with a dance party vibe, which could drop to intimate moments at other sections of the show. There was a mixture of archival content like the Blitz Club sign and phone box.”
Live Redesigned’s typical workflow transports the lighting design stages from Vectorworks into Carbon for Unreal Engine to create renders, which are dropped into Microsoft Photoshop for refinement before previsualisation using Syncronorm Depence software. This process, he assures, is akin to seeing the real thing and a vital tool for artists
and support teams to preview the show before any flight cases are tipped.
“William Baker outlined the feel and the colour palette for each song, which I took as a base to programme the lighting. We have collaborated a lot in the past – he’s a creative genius,” Whitehouse said.
When it c ame to fixture choice, with “so many great products on the market”, Whitehouse prides himself on selecting the “right tools” for the job.
Axiom Events provided a mixture of moving heads in Ayrton Rivales – a relatively new investment by the company – along with staple classics like Martin MAC Viper Profiles and Claypaky Mythos 2, as well as newly invested ACME Lighting PIXEL LINE IPs, which have seemingly taken the lighting world by storm.
“They are a great and well-built lighting fixture, and everybody is using them,” Shorten said of the PIXEL LINE IPs. “We air freighted them from China specifically for this show. ACME Lighting are doing great work, providing additional free parts and spares free of charge.”
Despite hailing from Leeds, this project was the first time Whitehouse – now based in the US – has collaborated with Axiom Events Dimmer Technician and HOD, Robbie Baxter as well as Lighting Technicians, Josh Hunwick, Ryan Currah, Ash Heritage and Chris McMillan.
“They are one of the best crews I’ve toured with in a long time,” he remarked, further praising the influence of Live Redesigned Associate Lighting Designers, Brian Vaughan and Clay Joiner, who helped Whitehouse build the model, tech, renders, and pre vis.
Joiner operated the remainder of the tour, after Whitehouse manned the MA Lighting
grandMA3 console for the first three shows. “grandMA3 allowed us to do the pre vis, move things around and sync all of the visuals with code or manually,” Whitehouse explained.
“We like to strike a balance between lighting and video. The opening of the show was strong, which was a result of experimenting late at night during production rehearsals to ensure the timing was right. This lighting design goes from super clubby, and a rave feel through to a single spotlight on a piano – it ebbs and flows along with the music. We even hit the mandatory ‘red, gold and green’ colour palette during Karma Chameleon.”
Upon reflection, Whitehouse sees this show as a testament to the fact that you don’t need the “latest and greatest” tools on the market. He professed: “All you need are the people passionate enough about their job to unite and overcome challenges to create a spectacle on a budget. I had a fantastic time with an incredible group of people that cared about the show and put the time and effort into making this special.”
Shorten noted: “The lighting design is sublime – a work of art of programming. Nick is at the top of his game, and Clay did a wonderful job on the road, considering how late they both got the tracks, with edits being made amid rehearsals. The nuance within their programming is quite something. It was an honour to watch them work, and they’re all lovely to be around!”
‘A REFRESHING TAKE ON CONTENT’
In addition to cutting cameras, Video Director, Nick Whitehead, also oversaw the deployment of media servers assembled by Media Server
Programmer, Anthony Condon amid rehearsals.
“I try to simplify as much as possible what I need to interface with during the show, so I make strong use of Bitfocus Companion, which allows me to integrate multiple pieces of software and make an easy control surface that sits on an Elgato Stream Deck. It’s a useful workflow that I’ve been developing over time to allow me to man the servers while directing the cameras, understanding what both are doing.”
For Shorten, this project was the maiden voyage for Axiom Events’ all-new Absen PL Series LED 3.9mm inventory, which was put through its paces on this tour. In total, 160 sq m of LED panels spanned seven individual screens – two IMAG, three flown behind the stage and two screens on the stage. Five of the walls were Absen PL Series LED panels supplemented by two ROE Visual Vanish 8 ‘blow through’ screens, which sat in front of the lighting rig, adding dynamism to proceedings.
“This was an ideal size of project to showcase Axiom Events’ inventory and ability to handle the complexity of multiple screens,” Whitehead said. The LED was powered by NovaStar COEX and Megapixel HELIOS
processors with two Disguise GX 3 media servers driving content. “We’re trying to catch up our video inventory with our lighting offering, as clients love having one point of contact for visuals. As a lighting, video and rigging provider, we pride ourselves on providing a great level of service and support on the road,” Shorten said.
Axiom Events’ video package, specified by Whitehead, featured a Blackmagic Design Atem 4K PPU, three URSA Broadcast G2 cameras and three BirdDog PTZ cameras. The same camera setup for all 10 shows – a FOH camera with a long lens, two cameras in the pit at stage left and right, and three PTZ cameras – sat across the percussion and keyboard risers.
All five screens behind the band featured content, with snippets of live camera feed with effects interspersed. “It was refreshing to see content used in such a dynamic way. It was very ’80s and to the era; Video Content Designer, Dean Stockings nailed the look of the show working alongside the creative and lighting teams,” Whitehead said, referencing the support of Axiom Events LED Technician and Cameramen, Harvey Thompson, Stu Thatcher and Stu Hurst; LED Screen Technician, Ali Fox; and Racks Engineer, Jude Butcher.
“We have a great team across the board. All the suppliers throw everything at the show. It has been a great and fun run of 10 shows with a mixed demographic. The music production and the band were equally fantastic to shoot.”
Live props, easter eggs and references to the band’s back catalogue were embedded into the video content like the famed Blitz Club sign, spanning the video in faux neon, while the phone box was the centre point of the production design – a nod to the club era of the ’80s where people would “often get ready
to go on a night out in a phone box”. Baker elaborated: “The band has never sounded better, so we tried to match that visually with contemporary graphics inspired by the band’s archive created by Dean Stockings – a oneman band who did an amazing job at creating 25 songs worth of material with a mixture of repurposed and reedited content.”
Lee Gregory further provided motion graphics for a graffiti-inspired number. “The mixture of styles of content gave the show an extra dimension, from over-produced studio-shot footage with people and fashion to found or archival footage from the early days of Culture Club with Disguise media server generation Notch effect blocks overlaid, in addition to stills adding the shape and feel of the show for each transition between songs and Boy George’s monologues,” Shorten noted.
‘SYNCRONISATION
“We’ve worked with Culture Club for several years, and Solotech Head of Live Production Sales in the UK, Dan Bennett, has headed up the charge over multiple campaigns and shares a close relationship with the camp. As his job role has progressed, he’s stepped away from directly managing projects, which is where I step in,” Solotech Project Manager, Ross Fearns said, picking up the story.
“The line-up and inventory requests change constantly but having familiarity with the engineers is extremely helpful – it means that they can walk into prep, production rehearsals or any venue and feel at ease, knowing that we’ll be there to support them.”
Solotech deployed an L-Acoustics K-Series system. FOH Engineer, Demitrios ‘Jimmy’ Sarikas opted for a DiGiCo SD12 console while
Monitor Engineer, Martin Hutt produced his mix on a Quantum 338 to deal with the upgraded channel count.
The consoles also featured Waves packages. The audio rider was bolstered by Shure Axient Digital microphone and PSM 1000 in-ear personal monitoring systems and a range of SM58 capsules. The microphone package included a range of Audio-Technica, Sennheiser and Shure solutions. Solotech also supplied a control package for the supports, Tony Hadley and Heaven 17.
“The audio package has evolved in recent years. The channel count has grown as has the sheer amount of equipment required,” Fearns said. “It was great to support the team and continue our longstanding relationship with an iconic British band.”
The wider audio team featured Crew Chief, Jonny Buck; System Technician, Mark Pantlin; PA Technician, Alec Barrie; Monitor Technician, Chris Courtney; and Stage Technician, Jamie Broad. Jimmy commented: “Solotech are always my go-to audio supplier. Any PA is only as good as its system tech, so I could never have achieved the quality of sound without Mark Pantlin, who is an outstanding technician and, between our joint skills and efforts, we delivered an outstanding mix that was 100% consistent throughout this UK tour. Thank you Solotech for such a great team.”
The wider touring team featured Tour Production Assistant, Caroline Milsom; Axiom Events Production Coordinator, Emily Sutherington; Drum Technician, Nick Simms; Guitar Technician, Roger Nowell; SJM Concerts Promoter Rep, Tom O’Brien; Phoenix 16 berth Bus Driver, Chris Hunt and 14 berth Bus Driver, Steve ‘Clarkie’ Clarke.
In closing, Baker candidly shared that if it wasn’t for Culture Club, he “wouldn’t be the person I am today” while reflecting on the tour.
“It was an honour to be involved,” Baker enthused. “The crew were a dream to work with. I was proud of the synchronisation of the visuals with video and lighting and bringing those eras to life and fulfilling the creative vision with an equally great sounding show. Boy George and Culture Club understand the importance of the production crew and it was great to see the performers win over the crew with their delivery, friendliness and approachability.”
www.boygeorgeandcultureclub.net
www.gigsandtours.com
www.axiomevents.co.uk
www.live-redesigned.com
www.oxevents.co.uk
www.solotech.com
www.johnhenrys.com
www.flybynite.co.uk
www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk
www.thebackstagecentre.com
Talent, improvisation, crowd-sourced vocals, a revolving door of guest artists, and clever networking fuses to create an unpredictable and genre-bridging spectacle for participating audiences as the performer and his touring team visit and adapt to venues across the globe with a show like no other…
Jacob Collier’s live shows weave together free-timed segments, improvisation and fragments of playback and timecode, allowing him and his band to experiment and change their performance each night, while having the technology in tow to follow along in ‘lock step’. This approach is unorthodox, and the camp experimented with ways of scaling the show accordingly. Timecode is used unconventionally on this show – triggered via sampler with no pre-roll. The team had to come up with workarounds to ensure a smooth show, unifying control networks to blur lines between departments with JavaScript-distributed timecode, show control, RTP MIDI, digital audio and even lighting control all traversing the same network trunk.
Live Creative Director and Co-Music Director, Ben Bloomberg acted as a translator between the artist and each touring department. “We have a good understanding of one another and share a lot of the same creative instincts,” he explained. “From day to day, I am Jacob’s eyes and ears in the audience to help build the show initially, to keep it running smoothly, and to put together specialised versions of arrangements and sets for television and broadcast. Jacob is directly involved in the technical process for this run. He sits with every department and works out the details of the programming and design elements. It’s amazing to have an artist so engaged and able to think through these sorts of issues.”
The tour goes from 2,000- to 20,000-capacity venues, so navigating the leap from four to eight trucks worth of production required attention to detail. “We built this show modularly, so we can adapt,” Tour Director, Mark McNeil of Constant Touring said. He was supported by Production Manager, Jan Sienkiewicz; Production Coordinator and Tour Manager, Katie Macdonald of Well on Tour – who provided mental health and wellbeing support for the crew on the road; Stage Manager, Marco Zanolin and B-Stage Manager, Matty Roberts and Merchandiser, Jack Payne. The tour’s vendors included Solotech (audio), Liteup (lighting and staging), 80six (video and production rehearsal space), Observatory (video content), BPM-SFX (special effects), Fly By Nite (trucking) and Phoenix (bussing), Mirrorball Paul (mirrorball), LED Creative (LED sign), and Travel Counsellors (travel agent).
“I have worked with these vendors previously, and they all provide an excellent level of service and support,” McNeill stated.
For Bloomberg, who has shared a decadelong creative partnership with Jacob Collier, the three most special shows of the run included New York’s Radio City, the Greek in LA and London’s O2 arena. “The process of integrating the visuals was particularly gnarly and we started The O2 show with some untested programming and fingers crossed – having that show go smoothly was a great feeling and testament to how hardworking and talented our crew is,” he said. “We handled a barrage of changes, guest artists, and a
complex show flow that was only confirmed the day of the show. We had 37 seconds to move Jacob from the B- to the A stage – by scooter –while one of our guests was starting a verse on stage and another one was being moved away from the B-stage.”
“Jacob has gone from touring with a couple of suitcases worth of technical equipment to an eight-truck tour in six years, so it’s been nice to be part of that trajectory,” Set and Lighting Designer, Luke Edwards said.
Key to the creation of any show, Collier and Edwards collaborate to formulate the lighting programming, refining constantly based on video capture and a detailed evaluation postshow. “The brief for this tour was to create a sustainable and ecologically focussed show. Jacob’s mood board included nature, trees, and wood, which is where we’ve landed on the carts and fascias on stage made up of reclaimed wood, while the trees are an extension of the set design,” Edwards explained.
As with most of his projects, Edwards harnessed the creative capabilities of Capture to create renders of the stage design, which were sent to Liteup for final touches. “This is my first project working with Liteup and it’s been great. Their expertise is key to the success of this project,” the designer said.
CHAUVET Strike Array 4 blinders, Robe Spiiders and FORTEs spanned three flown fingers of truss. Edwards cited Robe Spiider washes as the ‘workhorse’ fixtures of the rig.
“I’ve used them before, so I’m familiar with their capabilities and they fit the budget. FORTEs were chosen for their followspot capabilities, partnered with the RoboSpot system, which has impressed me. This automated system helps keep him well lit – Jacob always plays a game each night of trying to evade it, but it’s stood up to the task. From a creative perspective, it’s nice to be able to focus on the wider lights while the followspot duties are taken care of.”
A large part of the set design was 42 Portman Lites surrounding the artist risers on the A-stage. Namely, Mantis’ boasting bespoke 3D printed Jacob Collier logos, P3 Evos and Evo Elements. Further custom elements such as the fully pixel-mappable trademark Jacob Collier sign, created by LED Creative in 2019, mimicked a Martin Professional VDO Sceptroninspired look and was automated using Kinesys. Eight Astera NX Bulbs adorned four on-stage faux trees to achieve the ‘magical forest’ brief. Edwards elaborated: “They are great and extremely bright wireless LED solutions that you can strobe and individually control and manipulate.”
GLP impression X4 Bar 20 and Martin VDO Sceptron 10 solutions ensured the band risers were lit from above as below, while SGM P-6 achieved band and artist backlight. As has become a signature style for Edwards, the show was sidelight heavy. “Having lights in different places, given his dynamic stage presence and ever-changing style of his music, gives you a lot to work with and ensures all bases are covered. This rig can do everything
we’ve wanted, and more,” the designer said, referencing the frontman’s colourful character. “My normal rule is no more than two colours, but that rule goes out of the window with this show. There are four albums, each one has a specific colour, so we’ve blended those together tastefully.”
The show was operated to timecode to ensure fluidity, with certain manual sections. “Jacob’s shows always have an element of busking. The shows are never 100% completed, there are constant refinements to ensure the best show possible each night,” Edwards stated, reciting one of his favourite looks. “There’s a moment in the show where Alita Moses stands up on the top riser and is backlit in this massive diva moment, and I’ve always liked backlight. The intro is quite nice and gives me flashbacks to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which is cool, and the ending of the intro, where everything is multicoloured and strobing.”
Reflecting on his “immense pride” in seeing this come to fruition, Edwards was joined at London’s O2 arena by members of his family to soak in the moment. “My family have travelled a long way to see this show, and it’s been a dream of mine to do arenas since I started. Who’d have thought from designing and attending shows at the Sportpaleis Antwerpen to the O2 arena. Being able to share this career highlight is special.”
‘POSITIVE VIBES’
From the time the flight cases hit the floor up until doors, Lighting Technicians, Iain Keightly,
Ryan Lynch, Kyle Best and James Gardner were constantly making refinements to the lighting rig, especially given the addition of a B-stage and added side truss for the larger arena tour dates. “Our greatest challenge on this run has been stage size. While this package fits comfortably in the O2, we’ve fit this rig into much smaller rooms, which has been quite a challenge, but the rig is modular, so we can add or remove carts if required,” Lynch explained.
“The biggest change between this European run and the US run is the configuration of the downstage lighting; we’ve gone to a Robe followspot system, which has changed the dynamic drastically. Jacob is a water beetle to follow around – it’s hard to keep up. Sometimes he makes a game out of it, and we’re left in the dust,” Lynch laughed. “One of the cool things about this tour is seeing the multitude of venues that Jacob draws crowds into, from arenas through to theatres. Every gig I get goosebumps, which is when you know you’re doing what you want to do. We get to go to work and have fun in a family environment.”
Gardner added: “We’ve toured a mixed bag of venues but the pair of MDG theONE hazers have seriously impressed me. We pick up local gas every day and ensure they’re filled up, but they’ve got an automatic gas purging system, which is clever, so when they get turned off on the console, if they’re not used, they automatically purge themselves. They look after themselves well and they’re the least hassle ever.”
Best enjoyed working with the P6 uplights and the NYX Bulbs. “They’re great! They make
the trees really ‘pop’, while the RoboSpot followspot system allows Jacob to express himself freely on stage. It’s been interesting to see how the increase in scale of production has allowed it to translate to more people, especially with having the same rig every day, with consistent emotional impact each day. The audience choir is my favourite moment of the show,” he added. “There are positive vibes all round. Every department collaborates to make the best show possible.”
Donning multiple hats on the tour, Jacob ‘Fish’ Izzo trebled as a set carpenter, lighting technician, and video operator. “It seems like a lot, but I genuinely enjoy this work. Although I am generally new to the production team, this tour has exceeded all expectations. Jacob is a musical genius, the touring band is world-class, and the eccentric dream team working tirelessly behind the scenes make each show happen,” Fish commented.
“Whenever Jacob is around, there’s a “unique vibe” that everyone in the camp feeds on. He is omnipresent and even thanks us individually by name at the end of each show, which still blows my mind. Even the most mundane tasks, like loading trucks, become enjoyable and almost symphonic when everyone feels appreciated and recognised. The remarkable aspect of this tour is that there was never an ordinary moment: something amazing was always happening. While some elements inevitably became routine
– with audio having well over 100 inputs every night and lighting spanning 128 universes with 24,000 parameters – the crew remained unfazed and welcomed technical challenges.”
Walking around backstage ahead of the ‘big London show’, the atmosphere was positive. Fish agreed: “The intensity and pressure increased as we approached the most significant show at the O2 arena. Jacob’s management team worked countless hours to piece everything together. Ben Bloomberg emerged as a hero in this story, seamlessly jumping back and forth between departments without missing a beat. It was incredibly satisfying to see everything come together for the final show, which featured the complete set design, an elaborate lighting rig, and a massive video wall. The show felt like something out of a storybook, especially with the added environmental video content from Observatory. I feel enriched to have worked alongside talented individuals who enjoyed collaborating.”
‘THE POWER OF VISUAL CONTENT’ Observatory was commissioned to create 11 tracks worth of visual content to support the performance, which already had a welldeveloped lighting package. Initially, the creative house’s role was somewhere between art and creative direction, sitting down with Jacob Collier and his team, to understand their vision, and translate reference images – some of which Jacob had produced using AI. Bloomberg explained: “There are enough starts and stops
of timecode that many of the lighting and video cues are taken manually. The visuals consist of overlapping sequences and loops triggered from both playback and the lighting rig. A complex control method to achieve the desired combination of loops and playback using Show Cockpit and Resolume’s autopilot. Jacob also wished to edit some of the visuals himself to take Observatory’s work and time it perfectly to certain abnormal time signatures and musical beats – so we had to devise a file handling workflow that would allow him to take Observatory’s video content to his bunk of the tour bus and then ingest it to Fish’s rig the next morning to be ready for soundcheck and show.”
Obser vatory’s Simon Harris and Ben Sheppee continued: “We discussed how these images could be translated into something that would work well on stage and ways that could take this show further from being a collection of songs introducing the idea of a narrative. We planned for transitions between songs, so the show became a journey through different spaces and then broke this workload down across a team of five animators to build out the content.” This project marked one of the first times Jacob Collier’s show had adopted creative content.
“We explored Jacob’s AI imagery through extended artboards, and we decided on elements within each scene to time up to the music. Most of the visuals exist within a forest setting, which, by design, works with scenic tree props on stage,” the designers said, reflecting
on the creative process. Other references echoed some of his initial album artwork and influences on the set design, which already included some set props. Pinterest was one of the ways that the designers collected ideas internally with most of the mood boards collated on Designersperation. Once the looks were realised, the team began laying the foundations for each song, building forest scenes for each song at the beginning so there was consistency and continuity. This was done using a Tree Generator called Forester in Cinema4D. Once these were approved, the scenes were optimised before sharing with each animator.
Content was processed at floating point (32Bit renders) before outputting to the media server requirements, as the gradients in the sky required a high dynamic range, especially when rendering sunrises and solar eclipses. Everything was comped in After Effects and output in a slightly oversized format, so the media server team had the ability to adjust the height in each scene depending on the stage setup at certain venues. Harris and Sheppee elaborated: “This power of the visual content lay in the way it subtly lived in the background and blended with the scenic elements on stage but then became part of the story at certain moments in the tracks to add presence to key parts of the song and emphasize some of the rhythmic highlights in the music.”
Jacob Collier was heavily involved in explaining how the music and visuals could synchronise closely, sometimes tapping out drum beats and syncopated rhythms.
“A lot of these ideas were shared through a collaborative software called LiveEdit, which became a central resource for all departments where we could share documentation of the touring show and run screen content alongside, to see how it worked together before it ever went in front of an audience,” the designers said. The initial concept for Time Alone was based on the music video, largely edited by Jacob Collier. In this song, the content switches from day to night several times.
“We drew influence from Inframunk – an infrared photography project by Bradley Munkowitz. This ‘playfulness’ with the notion of time and the strong colours, synched tightly with the lighting takes the show into a new phase where anything is possible… and from there other abstract elements, looks, and concepts begin to seep into the show like glowing mushrooms, fluorescent trees, and time remapped star-scapes,” Harris and Sheppee explained. “Jacob Collier, [Artist Manager] Francesca Haincourt and [Creative Director] Ben Bloomberg had a collaborative approach, and we were empowered because we also felt some ownership over the show. I think that’s when you get the best results because people really put their hearts into it. I’m proud of what we delivered for Jacob, and I can also see ways for it to evolve.”
As well as providing a rehearsal space for production, for the arena-sized shows, 80six supplied a camera package, an upstage wall made up of ROE Visual CB5 LED panels and CB3 IMAG screens. The screen content was all HDR
calibrated, powered by Brompton Technology Tessera SX40s processing units to drive the LED on a fall over, redundant loop system. LED Technician, Adam Barfoot picked up the story: “I’ve known the team at 80six for a decade, watched the company grow from strength to strength, so I’m honoured to work with them and the up-and-coming youngsters like Kaylee Heckford, winner of Video Newcomer of the Year at Production Futures, and the likes of legends like Video Director, Andy Warwick.”
Warwick added: “This is the first time that the camp has used full blown IMAG screens, so it’s an honour to be involved. It’s a Blackmagic Design camera system; we have a 4k constellation, but we are running HD. We have five Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 cameras, two of which are long lenses, two are 22s, and one is a HA14. We’ve got a tight team; we all know each other’s workflows so we’re able to bring it together seamlessly. You never know where Jacob is going to be, we have a B-stage, which is directly behind FOH, so having to turn the long lenses around in time is a fun challenge. It’s fantastic to see the way he interacts and conducts the audience. It’s a very exciting, fast-paced show. He does not stand still – one minute he’s playing a piano, the next he’s on the guitar, drums, or keys. He’s a very talented man and it’s an honour to be a part of. No show is the same. Guest and backing vocalists come in and out, so we try to make the show flow, visually, despite the litany of changeovers.”
To put together a tour like this, the camp start by going through the album sessions and
considering how to take his studio creations – which can be thousands of tracks – and translate them to live band arrangements. Amid rehearsals, elements of the record are taken and turned into synth patches, channel strips, and effects presets, with longstanding FOH Engineer, Jose Ortega, and Monitor Engineer, Jack Childs, working together to sequence
and program them. The show is mixed more like a Broadway show than a live concert, with very specific musical cues that the team must memorise – with over 200 inputs, they are performing as much as the band is on stage. Like Bloomberg, Ortega has toured the world with Jacob Collier since his very first one man show. Not only an accomplished sound
engineer, Ortega has a background in technical programming and electronics – helping with the development of bespoke solutions, alongside Collier and Bloomberg, so if something breaks on the road, he is able to fix it. “As soon as I met Jacob, there was an instant family connection, we’re like brothers. The amazing thing about Jacob is he knows exactly what he wants,
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which makes our lives easier, but also provides headroom for me to express my creativity,” Ortega said, reflecting on the whirlwind journey which has been him go from mixing in a tiny club in Poland to the O2 arena. “I feel like the luckiest member of the crew because I am in the middle of the audience for every show – I feel the energy of the crowd, and feed off their emotion. The O2 arena show was the culmination of a long, successful tour, so it was an emotional experience. I spent the entire time holding back my tears!”
Behind the faders as Jacob collaborated with a revolving door of guest artists like Chris Martin, Tori Kelly and Alita Moses, Ortega cites the audience choir as his favourite moment of every show. “Every crowd responds differently. It’s also the only part of the show which allows me to step back from the console and soak in the magic,” he said, further highlighting a special performance of A Rock Somewhere featuring Anoushka Shankar and Varijashree Venugopalwith in Amsterdam, and Jacob Collier performing with accomplished conductor, violinist, music educator, oh! – and his mother, Suzie Collier. “Seeing their unique connection on stage is special. We constantly push the boundaries of what is possible in the live environment, but we are incredibly proud of what we have created as a collective.”
Childs added: “This is largely the same consoles and gear as prior tours, but it was time to refresh certain elements of the rig. It was important to make an impression on the team,
so it was nice to come in and show them how I operate, build a rapport and understand what they require. Jacob is a superstar musician with an incredible ear and attention to detail, so it’s been fantastic working with him. It’s nice when you can work with an artist that understands the minutiae of the plug-ins, EQs, the ins and outs of my role – so when he’s asking for 1dB he really means it.”
Contesting with several moving elements across the A- and B-stages, Childs prioritised his bond with the artist. “Trust is imperative to my job; Jacob and the band must feel confident in what I’m doing – and that starts with having my head up, eyes on the stage, and adjusting when required, so they know I’m listening, actively engaged, and attentive to their needs.”
Childs’ rig included two SD racks loaded with 32-Bit cards for ins and outs, as well 44 channels of wireless RF. He walked TPi through his setup: “There’s quite a lot to coordinate. I have a dual redundant Waves server, d&b audiotechnik M4s and D40s powering the butt kicker, and a very standard Shure Wireless Workbench setup along with REAPER and a Blackmagic Design MultiDock 10G SSD Docking Station, powered from a Mac Mini; Shure PSM 1000s for the IEMs and an Axient Digital System for all the receiving transmission, as well as a DiGiGrid MGR for records.”
Most of t he personalisation happened on the board or within Waves plug-ins. “I’m using pretty much every inboard and outboard, running 250 channels now, mostly thanks to lots of
effects returns from Waves. We have about 156 channels from stage and playback combined,” he explained, praising his console of choice.
“The DiGiCo Quantum 5 is such a powerful board with plenty of real estate on the surface to lay everything out nicely, that’s held by using stereo channels, so everything reduces to make everything ‘grabbable’, the money channels – the main inputs – sit over a couple of layers, everything else is in the background.”
Visit ing artists often arrived without soundcheck, so Childs does his homework in advance, finding out what in-ear mix they required. “I try to chat with every artist featured on the show to discover what they like. I’ve got quite a lot of tech mixes – generally a FOH mix, with our crew talkbacks overlayed and the respective instruments that they look after, hotter in each of their mixes. Often after the first verse they give me a smile and we’re away.”
With seven musicians and visiting artists appearing at different times, everyone was performing with in-ear monitors. “Jacob likes to hear a lot of the audience, and the audience choir is a huge part of our set, so I’ve six Sennheiser MKH416 shotgun microphones as ambient mics for long range capture across the front of the stage and 414s and KM187s down the centre of the stage to capture as much crowd noise as possible. All six ambient channels are on one fader, so I can ride his ears as much or as little as I need to,” Childs explained. “There are three sections of the set where Jacob turns to the crowd and conducts
them with his arms, which is where the ambient mics come to the fore. A lot of the fans come to the shows knowing they’re active participants of the audience choir, so it’s become a big part of the set.”
Jacob’s vocal microphone came in the shape of a KSM11 capsule on a wired and wireless mic, as well as a DPA 4488F headset. “They are resilient, good sounding microphones, which
stand up to the test of a B-stage at the O2. Jacob uses the headset microphone during the harmoniser section, which means we must really drive the vocal signal into the harmoniser for it to react with the MIDI controls he’s sending it, all while being out in front of the PA with a surrounding audience,” Childs said, praising Ortega’s microphone choices. “We had a shootout with backing vocalists, who sing in front of
the drums, and settled on V7s – they are super tight, quite flattering and the BVs really like them – they beat a long list of mic capsules.”
Drum microphones included Earthwork M201 on some of the snares, 414 for overheads, and DPA Microphones on the kick out. The band toured with two different sized drums, a 20 and a 24. The latter was completely empty bar a Sennheiser 902. “It’s been nice to work on a
project where we can play around and discover the right solutions for the show. The support of Solotech in this regard has been invaluable. My favourite song to mix is In Too Deep featuring Alita Moses – a very down tempo song with a lot of sub bass. The band love to improvise, there’s a few moments where they jam, some nice moments away from the track and click, and they play another 32 bars of a song of them having fun, and the audience enjoy that as well.”
David Shepard, Solotech Senior Project Manager, oversaw the audio requirements for the tour. “We’ve been heavily involved in specifying the rig, and putting it together, because it’s a complicated system. There are upwards of 140 channels integrated with playback. Everything has got a bespoke network solution. The tour carried d&b audiotechnik KSL PA throughout Europe, upscaling to a GSL main hangs for the bigger shows. Overall, this is a tight-knit crew and a real muso’s show,” he noted. The wider sound team included Solotech Audio Technician, Kevan Snuggs; Audio Technician, Daniel Leaver; Guitar Technician, Kyle Deek; Drum Technician, Jay Fetherstone.
‘A NOVEL APPROACH TO PLAYBACK’ Tom Cooksey operated an Optocore system, managing 40 channels of playback audio,
including live FX, SFX cues, clicks, and timecode. His rig, a double-wide, four-screen system provided by OptoLive, served as the backbone of the playback setup.
The system also incorporated Jacob’s renowned harmonisers, along with a gigwide network infrastructure that seamlessly connected all departments. “The most interesting part is running the entire gig on a unified network, allowing seamless transmission of protocols and data across all departments,” Cooksey explained. “We have eight RTP MIDI positions distributed throughout the setup and four Luminex switch positions at playback, monitors, FOH, and B-stage, with a link into lighting and video world. Various protocols operate across multiple VLANs, including Dante, RTP MIDI, OSC, and a show control layer running on AbleSet. The whole system runs on a fiber loop, with discrete Cat5 runs tied into the audio prep, making it incredibly clean and efficient.” Using the harmonisers as an example, Cooksey elaborated: “Leveraging the network, I can take MIDI from both harmoniser units, dynamically route it between them and playback, and maintain full redundancy.”
Ableton ShowControl is managed via the AbleSet app, allowing each department access to playback’s current status as needed. “For
example, I provide the drummer with charts via an iPad on the network and can instantly push lyrics or sheet music to any performer’s device if needed,” he explained. “This system ensures that playback can run independently without my direct involvement, offering the flexibility needed for Jacob’s performance approach. It also allows other departments to control playback for offline programming, integrating seamlessly into their production workflow. Luminex allows the network to be deployed in a redundant ring topology. If a connection is lost, the system automatically reroutes traffic, ensuring playback, RTP MIDI, and show control remain uninterrupted. Running this approach in parallel to the Optocore loop provides a robust and flexible backbone for both networking and audio throughout the production.”
Cooksey summed up his experience: “The highlight of this tour has been taking a novel concept, fully integrating it, and seeing its impact in a live setting. Looking ahead, shifting the playback rig toward a server-like role unlocks exciting new possibilities for live production. Seeing it operate so seamlessly has been incredibly rewarding. It validates the concept and lays the groundwork for even more advanced deployments in the future.”
Jacob Collier closed the tour by thanking the
team for “bringing his portable universe to life” while name checking every member of crew. Following the O2 show, Bloomberg said it was a “privilege” to work with the camp. “We’ve not only managed to make something special, but also kept the ‘Jacobian’ feel of the show, even as the operation has grown. We’re looking forward to building a flyable, festival-friendly version for the upcoming year with many of the same amazing people and couldn’t be more grateful and excited.”
A symptom of the project’s growth, Production Manager, Ben Pomphrett and Katie Macdonald – now operating in a tour manager capacity – will assume the reins of Jacob Collier’s 2025 touring campaign, which shows no signs of slowing down...
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As the dance music stalwart returns to linear touring, TPi goes behind-the-scenes to highlight the hard work that goes into staging Kygo’s first tour in eight years…
After documenting his breakout shows in 2016 [see TPi #203], Kygo has since had a successful career in the dance scene, one that has seen him launch his own festival, garner multiple top 10 hits, and embark on his first 35-date worldwide arena tour since 2018, supported by a dedicated crew.
With the show described by the artist as ‘the biggest production we’ve ever done’ on his social channels, TPi caught up with Production Manager, Joel Stanley of Production Value, to get an insight into the production.
“This tour has been amazing, we have a really good bunch on the road with us,” he said, retracing his history with the artist. “Kygo is my longest-standing client, I’ve been with him and the camp for 10 years over the course of a 1,000 shows.”
Stanley, too, has stayed loyal to his trusted suppliers, enlisting the support of Solotech (audio), Neg Earth Lights (lighting and rigging), ER Productions (lasers), BPM SFX (special effects), TAIT (staging and set), Comix (video content), Video Design (video), Beat The Street (artist and crew travel), Freight Minds (freighting and carnets), Mission Control (RF coordination and communications).
Trans am Trucking provided 16 trucks and experienced drivers, plus a pre rigging truck for a one-off performance in Trondheim, Norway.
“Having worked with the production team on previous projects, it was great to be a part of this arena tour, and an absolute pleasure to work with the crew,” commented Transam Trucking’s Natasha Highcroft.
Bite Tour Catering fed 130 tour personnel on the road. Lead Caterer, Paul Fearns, commented: “We had a great team around us – from production through to our local promoters, we were surrounded by nothing but happy faces and great conversations.”
Working hand-in-hand, the collaborative efforts of each vendor resulted in an impressive live show that was full of lasers, confetti, and Panda’s playing lighting fixtures like a Xylophone [more on that later…]. The ambitious production design also featured a circular B-stage, connected to the main stage by an extended walkway, bringing the artist closer to the audience. “Now that he has an extensive back-catalogue, it is more about his performance and connection with the fans than ever before,” Stanley explained, further citing his approach to staffing. “It is important to have a crew that I have a good rapport with. Being able to have special relationships with the people I have on the road, and the staff at the venues we are visiting is crucial, because even if we have a bad day, we can leave with handshakes and smiles on our faces.”
MHFA England-qualified Production Coordinator, Rachel Walsh supported the crew should any problems arise. Taking into consideration the strain that often befits life on the road, Walsh felt the addition of ‘Rachel’s Crew Welfare table’ in the production office helped break down a barrier for the crew and helped foster space to be open, request anything they may need, or take a break and have some chocolate.
“The crew love it, it gives them an opportunity to come in and catch up or grab something that might make their day easier,” Walsh commented. “When I first enrolled on a First Aid course, I had no idea how I would take it into touring but thankfully, given the tools I’ve learned, I’m able to adapt my role to be more meaningful to the crew – making sure they have everything they need or an ear to listen. It is a tough industry, and you get out what you put into it, but working conditions are improving. I’ve been touring for three years, and even in that brief time, it has changed so much with more women being hired in technical roles. This crew are particularly wonderful, and I have made friends for life. This tour is a big point in my career and has been brilliant!”
With an intricate design that features 22m of HD LED screen and over 200 fixtures, Head Rigger, Steve Walsh took on the task of setting up 69 rigging points. The show in weighed 31 tonnes, with local crew power usually coming in the shape of 24 riggers at each venue. Walsh, having been on the road for years, is used to the workload required. “This particular show has quite a shallow stage for Kygo to get closer to his fans, so there is always something new that keeps us sharp.”
Stage Manager, Jimmy Sagehorn was accompanied by Assistant Stage Manager, Johannes Solter to set up the show. Darren Clark who took the reins at showtime, ensuring the crew were sufficiently rested. “It’s a
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function of how Joel likes to staff the shows; it ensures we have the coverage we need so that we’re able to support the crew and look after ourselves,” Sagehorn commented. “It is a wellthought-out show, all of the departments work together and more importantly, talk to each other which makes everyone’s job easier.”
Sagehorn ensured the load-in process was streamlined by making sure trucks were in the right place. “Time, space and people are what we focus on most as stage managers, so making sure that everyone has everything they need, before they need it is key,” he added.
“This starts with work done before we get to the venue – whether that is packing trucks orderly or knowing what the next venue’s loading bay looks like, and whether we need to adapt our processes accordingly.”
Passing the torch to Head Carp, Pete English, was Stephen Jeffrey, who had to leave the tour early to welcome a new baby, with English taking on the role for the final five
weeks of the run. “I feel like I’ve slotted in well – it’s been great, and everything is really slick,” English commented.
The tour included a TAIT Mag Deck rolling main stage with a light shelf and a thrust with a pantograph stair and a B-stage. The main stage was integrated with a lift for Kygo’s DJ booth, whereas the B-stage included a piano lift. “The lifts are nice, clean and quieter than the hydraulic lifts I’ve worked with in the past,” English said. “It’s typical TAIT reliability.”
TAIT also created a TAIT navigator control system for the crew to use without extra training. “Following Kygo’s North American leg, we tapped into our global presence and pulled from our inventory in the UK,” Jordan Whittemore, Senior Project Manager at TAIT, informed TPi.
“TAIT was able to turn around the work in a short timeline to give the crew a product that loads in quickly and packs efficiently. It was great to be back working with Joel Stanley on
another show, and we’re looking forward to the next one with him.”
CAN’T DO IT ON MY OWN
With sound crucial to the dynamic DJ and producer’s show, Freyja Lawson was part of the four-person strong PA tech team, rigging the all-important sound system for the show. Freelancing with Solotech, Lawson has worked with the supplier for a client and as a freelancer for the past four years.
“We’re utilising everything we can in every given space on the tour, and making the most of it,” Lawson explained. “At The O2, we have flown everything, it’s quite interesting for me as I’ve done gigs before with quite a big PA, but never this much.”
The tour utilised a d&b audiotechnik GSL PA, supplemented by the brand’s SL subwoofers. FOH Engineer, Eds John chooses this specific PA for every gig he is on: “This PA is great for Kygo and the extreme dynamics required to mix
the show, but I use it for any of my artists from EDM, to rock, to pop,” he explained.
Lawson begins her day by setting up the cable truss to manage the four hangs of the PA. “We set that out first, and then we make sure the cable bridge is ready to go and start hanging the PA,” she explained. “It’s then that we’re able to get the angles right and make sure we calibrate it to make some good sounds come out of it.”
Discussing the gender imbalance in the industry, Lawson discussed her comfortability on the road with the Kygo team. “This crew has been wonderful; I haven’t been treated any differently,” Lawson said. “I am in a very privileged position of being white, straight, cis-gendered and having an education in what I do within the industry, and for the rest of the industry that seems like a minority, but I am glad that the industry is waking up a bit, and more needs to be done.”
On the ot her end of the cable is FOH Engineer, Eds John, who has been with the
camp for eight years, beginning his journey on Kygo’s last linear tour, Kids in Love. “I was initially asked to do a studio mix of a live performance for a Netflix documentary, and I haven’t left since,” John explained. “This tour is different to what we consider a normal Kygo show, which are usually focussed on remixed versions of his albums, but the Kygo World Tour is very faithful to the new album, and it shows off Kygo’s skills as a musician, as well as a DJ.”
Mixing on a DiGiCo Quantum 5 console, supplied by Solotech, John made the jump to the brand’s console recently: “The thing I love about the Quantum 5 is the way that it feels under the hands; it oozes quality and is built well,” he explained.
“It’s easy to pick up consistent packages in all territories – I live close by to DiGiCo’s UK headquarters, and everyone there has been super supportive in allowing me access to their programming rooms whenever I need it. An old friend of mine, James Baker, started working at DiGiCo and he was the final piece
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of the puzzle that helped me switch over for all my artists.”
John also tours with two DiGiCo SD-Racks, and three SD-MiNi Racks, all loaded with 32Bit cards on an Optocore loop. The engineer utilised a Fourier Audio transform.engine, loaded with plug-ins from Sonox, Eventide, Valhalla, McDsp and a Waves port for Pro Tools.
“I get a lot of information back from the desk – the faders and encoders feel great and there are so many Options cards available for expandability,” John added. “Clarity and reproducing the sound of the album is of primary importance with my mix, it is dancemusic, so you need to make the arena or stadium feel and sound like a club. However, there are also gentle acoustic moments to the show, in addition to the dance anthems. The set is cleverly pieced together to take you through these moments in the set.”
“We tour with three singers for this rendition, but we can have up to eight different guest vocalists, which Ross looks after,” John added, passing the baton to Ross James, Monitor Engineer, situated side stage.
James , also working from a DiGiCo Quantum 5, has been loyal to the brand’s desks since the start of his professional touring career. “I went to a training day when I was trying to establish myself in the industry – since then, I have been loyal to DiGiCo,” he commented. The show features a varying number of musicians onstage throughout the duration of the performance, with sections ranging from just Kygo himself
up to 12 different musicians. “I have 18 mixes on the show, the string section have to share some mixes,” James commented. “I use Nodal processing quite heavily on this show as I like to treat the mixes more like a studio sound. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, artists have started recording their own music at home, so, there is more knowledge about what they want from their mix as they learn more about studio stuff themselves. I often get requests for certain presets from the guest singers on this run.”
For IEMs, Kygo used a pair of JH Audio Roxannes, while the string players harnessed a mixture of Ultimate Ears and Shure solutions. “I use Ultimate Ears UE18+ Pro, who I’ve had a good relationship with for a long time – I find that they are a good neutral ear for when everyone else is on varying ears,” James commented.
The DJ and his team are no stranger to on-stage speakers, often touring with a ‘Texas headphones’ setup – which consists of a sub and three stacks of line array on either side of Kygo. “We visually wanted to get rid of that, but Kygo doesn’t wear his in-ears for the whole show, so when he gets to the part where he is free to DJ, we have wedges on stage to replicate the sound,” James explained.
With transform.engine adding specific adjustments to each musician’s in-ear mix, the engineer also utilised Rupert Neve Designs 5045s to overcome any external spill given that the guest singers are often positioned on the thrust, Infront of the PA system. In closing, James praised the level of service and support
provided by Solotech: “Ross Fearns and Dan Bennett have been great at communicating when we have needed to change things, they have been super quick at actioning that. I can’t fault them.”
With a lighting and video design that went viral, the streamlined collaboration of the visual effects departments on this tour is apparent. Speaking to TPi, Lighting Director, Lorcan Clarke, delved into the crucial behind-thescenes work for the tour: “It has been a great tour; with a lot of flexibility and room to get creative,” Clarke said. “The show itself has been really engaging to put together as it’s such a hybrid between both the DJ and Live. I even found myself reverting to classic theatre style lighting at times to hide prop moves on stage.”
The designer programmed the rig using a MA Lighting grandMA3 console. “The new way of making effects is complex but the looks you can create are really extraordinary,” he said.
Clarke revealed the quick turnaround from idea to creation – beginning the previsualisation process utilising Syncronorm Depence 3 at home before gathering the full creative team together including Lascelles, John Dickson (Laser Operator / Programmer) and the More Eyes team, with Pete Thornton (Video Director) and Clarke partaking in a week of pre-visualisation in Los Angeles. Production rehearsals took place in Colorado Springs,
with pre-production taking around a month, all-in. Neg Earth Lights Project Manager, Martin Garnish, expressed his enthusiasm in being involved in the tour: “It’s always rewarding to partner with talented professionals who share our commitment to excellence and have the opportunity to work with Kygo again.”
For this tour, Neg Earth deployed a dynamic lighting rig that featured a mix of Ayrton Rivales and ACME Lighting fixtures. Among the standout elements of the setup were ACME Lighting Tornados, known for their dynamic strobe effects. “We were delighted to bring the ACME Tornados out of the warehouse for their first outing on a Neg Earth rig. Their vibrant strobe and versatility added an exciting dimension to the show,” Garnish noted.
In keeping with sustainability practices, the rig was composed entirely of LED fixtures, allowing for both energy efficiency and visual impact. Other fixtures on the rig included: ACME Pixel Line IP & Pulsar S2, Ayrton Khamsin, Robe iForte LX Followspot, MDG ATMe and hazebase Base Hazer Pro
“They have been absolutely fantastic, they have incredible gear, service and technicians,” Clarke said, praising Neg Earth Lights before citing favourite looks. “In Remind Me to Forget I created huge looks on the Rivales which had eight steps using the phaser engine in MA3, achieving this level of complexity and creativity was not possible before,” continued Clarke. “I had a great time with the infinite pan and tilt
of the Rivales which I’ve used a lot in Can’t Do It On My Own – the effect has been emphasised by the blow-through LED wall upstage. Laser John and I have been getting creative with the integration of lighting and laser looks, we’ve been working hard to have a lot of specific focusses that we dial in together every show. One of my favourite moments is during Sexual Healing when there is a panda on the screen and he plays the lights and lasers, along to the melody. This part of the show is so important because all the phones go up straight away, so when I’m pre-programming my show, I always look at it through the lens of my phone.”
Comix , in collaboration with Show Designer, Sean Lascelles, crafted show visuals –blending traditional 3D-rendered content with Notch Integrated visuals and engaging character animations like the viral ‘Kygo Panda’, which beautifully interacted with stage lasers and lights. “We embraced wild ideas such as IMAG’s in billboards, pandas interacting with laser-triggered bamboo sticks, and astronauts, among others,” commented Harry Bird, Founder and Managing Director at Comix.
“Together, we aimed to elevate the experience beyond previous Kygo shows, which was a fun challenge that inspired our creativity. This project was an incredible journey, and we take pride in delivering mesmerising show visuals that transformed the Kygo live experience to new heights. We felt confident on the VJ side, collaborating with
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Kygo’s VJ team, More Eyes, who worked with us to ensure playback of GPU-intensive visuals, such as the Notch integration with visuals, which was a challenge.”
Video Director / VJ, Pete Thornton of More Eyes took care of the content and live visual playback on the tour alongside Video Director, Jim Warrier and Video Crew Chief, Richard Corns, who oversaw a nine-person video team. “A lot of the content and IMAG effects are running real-time in Notch. By utilising TouchDesigner we are able to send the Notch content back into Resolume via Spout which is then controlled via a custom Wire patch. Thanks to Dan Williams for help developing this setup,” Thornton explained.
“Having the integration of the video playback systems run on custom OSC system means that we can can do a lot of actions at the click of a button,” Warrier added. “We spent a lot of time on pre-vis and programming to make it a little bit easier on the road.”
Switching to internal Magewell Quad capture cards helped streamline the camera inputs, reducing our overall cabling by 50%. Warrier praised the involvement of Video Design, who he said “couldn’t have done any more for us.”
Corns oversaw 264 sq m of ROE Visual Vanish V8T LED panels, powered by Brompton Technology processing, Lightware Visual Engineering matrixes, and Blackmagic Design fibre systems. The camera pack age comprised five mini pit and Panasonic PTZ cameras. “The combination of Brompton Technology
processing and ROE Visual LED panels are absolutely rock-solid and superb,” Corns commented. “This show is particularly intrinsic – the more video, the better, and the assets that More Eyes have created are ridiculous and larger than life.”
Having worked with the company in a freelance capacity for a decade, Corns paid tribute to the late Video Design Director, Alex Lennister. “He always had grand designs of what he wanted to do, which he fulfilled, especially working on a tour of this scale. I want to keep his legacy alive – we are passionate, and the company has grown so much, and the team want to keep going – for him and for us.”
John Dickson, Laser Operator / Programmer and Jasper Sharp, Laser Crew Chief oversaw ER Productions’ deployment of 16 AT30 lasers, an AT60, and a smoke package which featured six Viper Deluxe units, all programmed by Dickson.
“ER Productions have been working with Kygo since 2016, we have always been impressed by the show design, seamless integration of departments and the efficiency of Joel Stanley, who is an absolute pleasure to work with,” ER Production’s Carlo Polisano said. “The design for this tour allowed lasers to be positioned for maximum effect with a great variety of focal points.”
BPM SFX Crew Chief, Ehlana Godfrey, commented: “This is my favourite tour I’ve done so far, my team have helped me out, I’ve learned
a lot from them. Any safety concerns that I have taken to the team were taken onboard instantly – the crew have given us the space and time.”
The special effects used on the tour included two Explo SFX X2-Wave-Flames, eight MagicFX CO2 Jets, as well as MagicFX’s Stadium Shots, Confetti Blasters as well as an array of Waterfalls, Comets, Mines, Airbursts, Jets and Gerbs; with special effects cont rolled from an MA Lighting grandMA3 Compact XT with pyrotechnics from a Galaxis Wireless System. Reflecting on her time with BPM SFX, Godf rey emphasised: “I’ve been with the company for a year and a half, it’s exciting and crazy but I have loved every moment of it.”
As the lights dimmed and the flightcases rolled back in to trucks, the end of The O2 arena show marked the penultimate show of 2024 for the camp and signified the end of part one of the Kygo World Tour. The dedicated crew and the artist embark on yet another year of exciting performances in 2025… www.kygomusic.com www.video-design.co.uk www.solotech.com www.negearth.co.uk www.productionvalue.co.uk www.er-productions.com www.bpm-sfx.com www.phoenix-bussing.co.uk www.freightminds.com www.taittowers.com www.thisiscomix.com www.moreeyes.co.uk
The logistics specialist breaks ground in India and shares what this move represents for the development of live touring in the region.
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Rock-it Cargo
In a deal that has been in the works for almost two years, Rock-it Cargo – recently crowned the industry’s Favourite Freight Company at the TPi Awards 2025 – announced an expansion to its global services with new access and opportunities throughout India in collaboration with Buhariwala Live. Having worked in partnership for over a decade, the family-run, Mumbai-based business will officially rebrand its live touring arm to Rock-It Cargo India.
“We’ve been moving shows in an out of India for years, with one of the biggest in recent memory being Metallica,” Rock-It Cargo’s Chris Palmer recalled, explaining why the region wasn’t previously as much of a draw for international touring as it is today. “Historically, there haven’t been huge numbers of artists attempting to tour through the region. One of the big reasons for this was that India, for a long time, did not accept Carnets.”
This meant acts wishing to travel to India had to pay a bond based on the value of their
equipment, which might not be released for several months. “It did not make sense to include India as part of a global tour,” he said.
However, with the country now accepting Carnets, Palmer cited the numerous A-tier artists that have recently included India in their touring campaigns, including Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa.
“I think we’re going to see more acts adding India to their schedules,” he prophesised, suggesting that the country is the ideal link to the Middle East and the likes of Saudi Arabia and the UAE – the former of which also only recently started accepting carnets in 2024.
On the topic of carnets, Palmer shared a status update on the incorporation of ecarnets. “Our last update from the Chamber of Commerce was that implementation will be brought in for 2026. Then for two years we’ll use a hybrid system using both electronic and paper carnets with the goal of a full move to digital in 2028,” he stated. “With more regions’ acceptance of carnets making movement of
David Stone, Managing Director of AsiaPacific for Rock-it Cargo on site at last year’s Lollapalooza India.
equipment much easier, and with another regional base, clients will not have to deal with multiple companies when going from region to region. There have been productions in the past that have been nervous about touring in India, but now with Rock-it Cargo, a trusted brand out there, it will build confidence that their kit will be moved safely into and out of India.”
Palmer revealed how Lollapalooza India had attracted more touring acts to the region. With Rock-it being involved in the production since its inaugural year in 2023, more and more international acts are now filling the bill, with the 2025 edition featuring the likes of Shawn Mendes, Green Day, Glass Animals and Louis Tomlinson alongside several regional artists.
“This w ill hopefully expose more productions to India and mean they are more likely to consider touring through the region,” he remarked.
With the announcement of the new Indian base, Palmer explained what the next steps are for this new branch. “The established Buhariwala Live team are still manning the office with the Rock-it team collaborating remotely, but the goal is to put somebody from our established global team in Mumbai permanently soon.” www.rockitcargo.com
Discover why thousands of users are turning to IntelliEvent’s cloud-based rental platform to increase profitability and centralise workflows…
Words: Jacob Waite
Photos: IntelliEvent
Established in 1997 by husband and wife duo, Don (CEO) and Tina (CFO) Romeka, cloudbased event rental business management software, IntelliEvent, is on a mission to develop, enhance and support businesscritical software for the rental and event industry – harnessing its team’s industry knowledge and experience to act as trusted advisors and partners for its global userbase. In 2024, the firm launched Lightning v.6 to improve user experience, speeds, and funct ionality of its business management software, based on the feedback of end users.
“Our team’s industry know ledge and experience are extensive, and we aim to act as trusted advisors and part ners to our customers. We have world-class customer support, training,
and professional serv ices,” Don Romeka said “With steady grow th in the US and abroad we are expanding our team internationally. The search for talent is continuous as we hire across the globe.”
In the spir it of part nership, IntelliEvent’s vision is to become the number one solution for business management soft ware, building its customer base through a strong referral network, driven by extensive training, customer support and professional serv ices. “Our goal is to inspire new relat ionships and collaborate with our users to help them maximise profitability and efficiency,” Romeka added.
While the company’s long -term goal is to be the number one solution for business management soft ware in the vert ical markets
it serves, shor t-term goals are focussed on continual improvement of its soft ware, user exper ience and converting existing clients to the latest v.6 iteration of IntelliEvent.
According to Abig ail O’Connor, Marketing Consultant at IntelliEvent, the main benefit of the cloud-based rent al soft ware is that it allows you to manage operations specifically, inventory tracking.
“It can track where equipment is, when it will be back , and so on, which is incredibly helpf ul for many of our clients,” O’Connor said, referencing the CRM plat form, along with its financial capabilities, and the ability to connect with other plat forms, as facets ideal for live entertainment and tour ing companies.
“We know it’s a strong product, and we feel
confident there is demand for it. Customers appreciate the support and user interface. We also pride ourselves on having solid relationships with our clients, as well as the sophistication of the inventory system.”
A key focus for IntelliEvent in 2025 is the expansion of its userbase in the UK and European markets. “Several of our large clients are based in the UK and Europe and our team is growing in the continent to support their needs. We currently have team members based in the UK and across the European Union that speak multiple languages,” Romeka explained.
At the time of writing, IntelliEvent’s customer base spans the US, Canada, Central America, the UK, Europe, and Australia with over 40 team members based in North America. Additionally, IntelliEvent has committed to attending 100 events in a calendar year.
“We believe that seeing our clients, partners, and prospects live and in person is the most effective way to train, collaborate and build relationships,” Don Romeka stated. “We have a robust internship programme for college students and recent graduates. One of our company missions is to lead, teach, mentor and grow our team with young talent.”
IntelliEvent’s headquarters is in Monterey, south of San Francisco, by the beach. The
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office has a very relaxed, sporty vibe, with surfboards everywhere. At any given moment, Don might arrive at the office and take the team out for whale watching or a spot of stand-up paddleboarding, which the team aptly dub a ‘board meeting’.
O’Connor underlined the value of self-care and striking a healthy ‘work-life’ balance as the key to surviving and thriving in a fastpaced, dynamic sector: “The office has a friendly, homely atmosphere, with a focus on wellbeing. We also have an office in LA, near a university, which attracts quite a few graduates looking to make their first steps in the industry. Fundamentally, IntelliEvent prides itself on innovation, and if you look after yourself and the next generation of talent, it’s a win-win.”
Speaking to TPi following a transatlantic trip to London’s ExCeL for Event Tech Live, O’Connor further highlighted the value of meeting and connecting with clients face-toface in an age of web calls. Moving forward, IntelliEvent will host a Training Camp event at Twickenham on 16 June.
“This year, IntelliEvent will look to grow and continue collaborating with existing clients, with a key focus on expanding our remit in the UK and Europe.”
www.intellievent.com
As Dan Scantlebury joins Entec’s main board, Jerry Gilbert catches up with the independent lighting and PA rental company to hear how its progressive global approach will help steer future operations.
Words: Jerry Gilbert
Photos: Entec
In times of globalisation and the ‘selfpreservation-at-all-costs’ ethic, it’s almost a quaint oddity to see Entec entering its 57th year as a family-run business, with its independence intact, stock running high and welcoming a new member to the main board – Head of Audio for the past five years, Dan Scantlebury, who recently took a seat at the high table under the new title of Operations and Technical Director.
Scant lebury’s arrival at Entec – the longest serving independent lighting and PA rental company in the UK – was arguably a marriage made in heaven and not only because it gave the industry stalwart’s audio team a fresh injection of ideas and ambition.
The main trigger for his move had been that Entec had a proven track record for high standards and for investing in the best kit. This had been a pre-condition of his move. Fortunately, the company had just invested in d&b audiotechnik’s KSL system and had the distinction of being the first company to showcase it in Europe with Gorillaz at the O2.
Dan Scantlebury immediately set personal goals as to where he wanted to see Entec positioned in five years’ time.
“One of t hose was to get the company onto The Other Stage at Glastonbury, but in the end,
we didn’t achieve that in five years… We did it in four years!”
Entec MD, Noreen O’Riordan commented: “It was always our intention when we employed Dan to build for the future, including a revitalised board. It was unfortunate that COVID came along as Dan was progressing, but we are honouring our five-year commitment, and he has reciprocated by providing not just clients, but insight into the business. Our core values are people and when you find the right person you all grow together. Dan has brought knowledge, balance and vision.”
In an ever-changing ecosystem, Scantlebury’s lateral vision will now extend far beyond audio into Entec’s whole production enchilada while his vista has become a truly global one. “It means I’ll be taking a more strategic view of the business – how the operation is run day to day, and our purchase plan for the future at board level.”
For the past year, Entec has been able to cost effectively offer clients either a whole world tour or one-offs in US or Middle East, ensuring clients who want the care and attention that independents supply can do so. While Entec cannot match the infrastructure of the great international PA behemoths – with inventory drops all over the world – clients are
Above: Entec Live’s Noreen O’Riordan, Daniel Scantlebury and Nick Pendleton. Opposite: The Entec Live team at Glastonbury and Silverstone.
increasingly asking them for global support. “Now rather than just supporting client tours in the UK and Europe, we’ve worked out costeffective ways of supporting full world tours; this was the final piece of the puzzle. It means we can offer the same service and effectively compete with US-based companies that do tours in Europe.”
One of the company’s USPs is that, unlike many of its competitors, Entec has not come late to the game with either sound or lighting. The company was born ‘Entec Sound & Light’, and largely thanks to O’Riordan’s experience in production lighting, has as many top LDs as FOH techs beating a path to its door. It accounts for why so much of Entec’s work is repeat business. The underlying reason behind these long-term relationships, Dan Scantlebury believes, “is because I don’t try and force things down their throat. We may have a client that we provide sound for but who has a happy relationship with the lighting company so I wouldn’t do a sales pitch. Nobody likes hard sales, especially in an industry that is primarily about relationships.”
However, when it comes to pitching new work, the ability to show the extraordinary history of the company often gives him a head start. To exemplify this, Entec provides sound
support for Dream Theater on the US leg of their world tour, having handled full production on the European leg.
In a serv ice-driven touring industry, maintaining relationships is key. “People know they can ring me at what would be midnight in the UK on a Sunday night, and I will do my best to solve the problem. With Entec they can come straight to senior management whereas with bigger companies this may get lost at junior level,” he said. “There are companies I will go out of my way to help because I know they’ll do the same for me. Our reputation means we can offer that level of service.”
Entec chairman Nick Pendleton also emphasised how Scantlebury’s presence has helped the company re-establish itself as a front-line supplier for major events. “He’s helped re-energise and reinvest in our core business. We are proud to have been the first independent to invest in d&b’s GSL PA. We are also the first company to own and deploy DiGiCo’s new Quantum 326 consoles.”
With summer approaching, Entec is set fair, with The Other Stage at Glastonbury and the main stage at the Silverstone Grand Prix its focus. Scantlebury believes that both one-off productions and touring merit equal focus. “You need inventory working constantly, which
is why I market us more towards the larger end of festivals and one-off productions, because the equipment usually stays in a lot better condition than if you’re just doing the everyweekend grind of smaller festivals.”
Finally, lest anyone fears that Entec may get stretched beyond capacity at peak time, consider this. While making its debut on The Other Stage in 2023, the company was handling Blur’s final gigs at Wembley Stadium, while simultaneously providing infrastructure for the main stage at Silverstone – and all within a two-week period, punching well above its weight. “It means there isn’t anything we can’t do,” posited Pendleton.
Scant lebury added: “We’ve reached the point of being able to service larger shows quicker than I originally thought we would.”
With a focus on what lies ahead, Entec’s new director can predict a confident future while reflecting on knowing he had made the right move five years ago, in what could have been a classic ‘sliding doors’ moment. “For a company that had been going so long, I could see the kind of plan they had for a future that we could mould together.” And so, it has proven. The latest exciting chapter in the remarkable history of Entec is only just unfolding. www.enteclive.com
Founder Mike Bolton discusses the history of Go For Wardrobe and shares his ambition to elevate those working in the wardrobe department within the production ecosystem.
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Go For Wardrobe
“What is often forgotten is that a person in the wardrobe department is often the last person an artist sees before they go on stage; as well as helping them change, they are the one who can help a performer calm down or alternatively put them on edge. The costumes are only part of the conversation,” began Go For Wardrobe Co-Director, Mike Bolton, discussing the role of the wardrobe department with TPi.
Looking back at the progression of the live events industry, we now have departments serviced by dedicated companies that never existed several decades ago, with video and automation being just two of the many examples. However, when it comes to the wardrobe department – an element of live touring since its very beginning – dedicated companies providing specialist crew are almost unheard of. This is something that Bolton is keen to change.
The company, which was founded by Bolton and his wife Hannah Kinkead, has been operating since 2017. Starting out providing local crew to aid wardrobe departments, it soon amassed a fully vetted database of almost 1,000 freelance wardrobe specialists. At the time of writing, the company is providing touring wardrobe crew for the likes of Madonna, Shakira, Rod Stewart and Billie Eilish.
Having worked as Head of Wardrobe for the likes of Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, KISS and Green Day, Kinkead is likely to be a familiar face to TPi readers. Bolton, meanwhile, has a background in the worlds of lighting and audio. “I couldn’t believe some of the horror stories Hannah
would tell me about some of the local crew she was being sent for shows. The lack of skills and experience was astounding. It got us thinking that surely there was a better way to support touring wardrobe departments.”
After toying around with the idea, the pair finally launched the company, taking on their first major client, Lorde, supplying local crew for the artist’s UK run. “After that tour, we started to cast the net out to find more freelancers and very quickly we ended up having a list of up to 1,000 people that we fully vetted.”
Bolton was also keen to highlight the support that Go For Wardrobe had over the years from individuals from Live Nation including Andrew Craig, Max Burnham and Rik Weightman. “Originally, when we were getting our name out there, we spoke to a lot of promoters but in terms of progression, we always knew we had to start conversations with Production Managers,” he added, explaining that it was often a PM putting a head of wardrobe in place and finding the right person for that role was vital. “The majority of PMs we speak to do not have a background in wardrobe. We really wanted to help them find the exact wardrobe teams they needed, with the necessary skills for their artists”
Bolton highlighted a worrying pattern of some people within wardrobe departments getting roles due to nepotistic or personal connections rather than skill or experience.
“You wouldn’t put someone without knowledge or experience in front of an audio desk just because they had some sort of connection to the band or artist, so why does it
happen in wardrobe?” he said. “To work in this field, you need to understand the construction of costumes, how things are made. Often on a big show you’ll have clothes provided by a fashion house that are designed for the catwalk rather than live and without the proper adaptation and alterations they will not hold up.” He compared the importance of knowing how to maintain costumes to the knowledge needed by carpenters to maintain the quality of touring set and stages.
The co-founder believes the formation of Go For Wardrobe, has in some cases, changed the perception of the discipline with production managers. He used the example of the current Billie Eilish tour. “Nicole Massey, Billie’s PM, came to us ahead of the latest tour and explained the type of person she was looking for to head up her wardrobe department. We knew straight away Trish Forde was exactly who Nicole needed.”
While t he company started in the UK, Go For Wardrobe has already expanded to LA and the founders are looking to grow the business on both sides of the Atlantic. “We are looking to expand the team,” closed Bolton clearly excited about the prospect of growing the team.
With show designs increasingly adopting a more holistic approach, with video, lighting and staging often spoken about in the same breath, it only makes sense that wardrobe is also included in the overall production conversation, and we at TPi, are excited to follow the progress of the hardworking crew in this sector in our pages in the future.
www.goforwardrobe.com
As the dust settles on Independent Venue Week, The Cluny’s Ross Lewis shares the crucial work the Newcastle venue is doing to forge and support careers in live music…
Celebrating its 26th year in 2025, The Cluny is one of over 200 venues that took part in Independent Venue Week (IVW), with over 5,000 gigs taking place over the organisation’s 12-year tenure. The Cluny’s Production Manager, Ross Lewis, and staff were honoured by Music Venue Trust (MVT) for Outstanding Contribution to Grassroots Music in November last year alongside other independent venues.
Following the award, Lewis was keen to speak to TPi about how the venue is giving young people opportunities to forge a career in production. “It’s important to give kids opportunities through the arts,” he began.
“I was or iginally involved in a scheme called Create, which gave kids who were at risk of leaving school experience in live events. Through the one course that we did – because we could never get funding for it again – we now have two touring professionals, someone who co-runs Guerrilla Events in Northumberland, a full-time police officer and a young entrepreneur. I’m evangelical about the power of live music. Once young people discover that these job roles exist, they want it.”
Lewis doesn’t let the lack of funding stop him from inspiring the next generation of roadies, offering training and shadowing opportunities at The Cluny at almost all of its
shows. Following his full-time appointment at the venue, Lewis introduced the collaboration of Attitude is Everything to increase accessibility in the venue. He also helped create a 10-week introductory course for technical skills required in the industry, which introduces budding technicians to The Cluny.
“I was once a poor kid, and my biggest barrier was access,” he stated. “I don’t want access to be a barrier for people who want to come to The Cluny.”
Lewis has links with colleges in the North East, and through this collaboration, 50 to 80 students per year can go to The Cluny for shadowing or work opportunities. “I’m obsessed with what music does for people’s lives,” he added. “Things like IVW shine a light on what we do. Even if it triggers just one sale, it works, but equally if it triggers someone to think about the strain on independent venues then that is just as important. There has always been magic in this industry and if you use it correctly, you can achieve good things quickly.”
With MV T’s 2024 annual report revealing that a venue was closed every two weeks on average last year, IVW is now more important than ever.
“After 12 years of Independent Venue Week, I’m in no doubt of how vital these spaces are to local communities – whether they’re
staging music and cultural events, providing a springboard for new and emerging talent, or an access point for young people to gain vital work skills and experience,” commented Sybil Bell, Founder and CEO of IVW. “That last quality is arguably the least recognised, but there are scores of live music professionals – from promoters, agents, managers to sound and lighting technicians – who learned the ropes at their local independent venue.”
Independent Venue Week is now set to expand it’s impact with a new charity called Independent Venue Community (IVC). Launched in 2024, IVC brings together development services and noncore programming, aiming to encourage participation from under-served communities.
“So many towns and cities in the UK have a venue where local people can come together and enjoy music and the arts. From our experiences with Independent Venue Week, we believe passionately that they have potential – in daytime hours – to deliver even more,” Bell stated. “As well as recognising the role played by independent venues as employers and skills developers, we should also be looking to unlock funding to ensure even more venues can reach their full potential.”
www.independentvenueweek.com www.thecluny.com
Newcomer of the Year details how her career has changed since winning the accolade and reveals what’s next...
Since winning a Breakthrough Talent Award in 2023, Emily Haigh has soared to new heights beginning her role as Venue Manager at Stylus Leeds, stage managing Leeds Pride, and working Boomtown festival as well as being awarded one of AAA’s 30underThirty accolades. “My confidence has grown, my career path now seems clearer and overall I am much more excited about the opportunities that await me,” Haigh commented, reflecting on her whirlwind journey while speaking to TPi.
What first sparked your interest in live events?
“My first experience in the live events industry was wristbanding at Leeds Festival. I was absolutely just looking for a free ticket to see some bands, but what I gained was a family of event professionals and I came away knowing that I would love to do it full time. My next role was at Stylus, where I work now, supervising Leeds’ longest running club night, Fruity. I felt a thrill from all the chaos and found myself in a role I really loved. It spiralled from there, from supervising a small club night to managing large scale music events.”
How has your career further developed working at the venue?
“I’ve grown personally and professionally since starting my role managing the live music programme. One thing I am particularly proud of is my efforts with accessibility for all. I have been working alongside Attitude Is Everything over the past 18 months to implement new policies and ideas into Stylus to make the venue as accessible as possible. Last year, I led the team to achieving Bronze certification, and this year we’re aiming for Gold!”
Have you faced any barriers when breaking into the sector?
“I think being a young woman with big ambitions can absolutely be a barrier sometimes. I have experienced being mistaken for the merch girl, the assistant or a volunteer plenty of times. I do believe the industry is more diverse than it ever has been, and the issues have nothing to do with me or how I carry myself, but with the people on the other end. I was really lucky with my break into the industry, it was just right place right time, but it’s not that easy for everyone. Something I do now to create
more opportunities is provide shadowing opportunities within Stylus so those who want to learn have a safe space to come and do so.”
What advice would you offer to those looking to follow in your footsteps?
”Shadowing and networking! Skills can be built over time, but without the confidence to speak to people, you won’t gain that first foot in the door. I still shadow events from time to time, if I feel a gap in my knowledge that I’d like to explore then I reach out to someone with that experience and ask if I can join them. I believe the best way to network is asking ‘What can I do to help?’”
Where would you like to see yourself five years from now?
”At the moment, I feel like I can go and do absolutely anything I want. I have the drive, determination, and a wide skill set that will allow me to progress into a variety of different specialties when I decide to move on. My passions lie with venue management and festivals, so I will definitely be still in this space, most likely making big waves!”
DPA Microphones’ Helga Volha Somava details the patent pending technology unveiled this tradeshow season that aims to set a new standard for distortion free microphone sound.
Words: Helga Volha Somava
Photo: DPA Microphones
What is CORE+ technology and how can it benefit those operating in live events?
“CORE+ is an innovative technology within DPA miniature microphones that neutralises distortion across the entire dynamic range of a microphone. For live events, CORE+ ensures sound is captured with even greater authenticity at any volume. The real benefit of CORE+ lies in maintaining a consistent sound character as SPL increases.”
What was the idea and guiding principles behind the creation of CORE+ technology?
“We are committed to providing audio professionals with the best possible tools — ensuring exceptional sound quality with minimal effort. We continuously push the boundaries of microphone performance, challenging industry norms to set new standards in clarity and precision.
“CORE+ takes the commitment further, delivering authenticity in sound capture. It not only refines but surpasses our already top-tier CORE by DPA technology, allowing professionals to achieve the highest-quality audio effortlessly.”
How will the development of CORE+ enhance the use of condenser microphones in the field?
“CORE+ technology allows condenser microphones to handle sudden SPL peaks without altering their sound character. This ensures that every nuance is captured with clarity and authenticity. By maintaining a stable sound character across varying volumes, CORE+ minimises the need for frequent EQ adjustments. This provides professionals with technical reliability and streamlines the mixing process, allowing engineers to be creative.”
Having showcased this new concept at NAMM and ISE, what has the reception been like from the wider live entertainment industry?
“The introduction of CORE+ technology has been met with enthusiasism from the AV and technical production communities. At ISE 2025, CORE+ was honoured with the Best of Show Award in the Mix category. We have also conducted extensive testing with industry professionals, and the feedback has been positive. Everyone noted a improvement in clarity, reinforcing CORE+ as a major step forward in microphone technology.”
Following a successful launch, where can we expect to see the CORE+ technology in the coming weeks/months?
“CORE+ technology is now set to make its way into applications across various industries. In the coming months, you can expect to see CORE+ microphones used in live events, theatre productions, and broadcast environments. Additionally, we are working closely with audio professionals and rental companies to integrate CORE+ into their workflows, ensuring that more engineers and performers experience its benefits firsthand.”
What’s next for CORE+, do you plan on expanding the remit to feature a wider array of solutions by DPA Microphones?
“Currently, our miniature omnidirectional microphones contain CORE+, but the technology will soon be added to other miniature microphones, including cardioid variants. Our long-term ambition is to expand CORE+ into other forms, making it a standard technology for our 40- and 60-series of microphones.” www.dpamicrophones.com
Following an award-winning debut at LDI, Matthias Hinrichs, Product Manager at Elation, lifts the lid on the company’s latest weatherproof IP54-rated moving head range of lighting fixures.
Photos: Elation
What market needs or gaps did you aim to fill with the development of PARAGON?
“PARAGON was designed as a refined workhorse fixture that is at home in almost any application. You can take it from a live music show to a rave to a corporate event before lighting a theatre play. It performs perfect in any of those and many other use cases. To achieve the most versatility, we designed it from the ground up with some primary goals. Namely, to create the best light quality in its class while retaining very high output and incorporate a variable CRI engine for enhanced colour precision. We also merged the traditional spot/ profile/wash products into one single unit by using easily interchangeable front lenses and created a sealed ruggedised fixture that can withstand any weather while remaining lightweight and serviceable without any special
tools or testing devices – all while utilising the latest materials and technologies to make the fixtures light, compact and service friendly.”
What makes the TruTone variable CRI system essential for today’s lighting setups?
“We felt an increasing need for higher colour accuracy, something that wasn’t addressed well by the current options in the market. Users must choose a dedicated high CRI fixture, or at worst, exchange the entire LED engine. None of this is appealing to the designer or the production houses owning the fixtures. So, we came up with a variable CRI engine concept, originally for the PROTEUS ODEON, and further refined it for the PARAGON Series, with three different performance classes. The obvious application is white light quality, and the PARAGON allows you to dial in the perfect
white light while retaining very high intensity.
As a designer you get the perfect light source that allows you to tune the reproduction of colour on sets or costumes or find that perfect key light quality when you work with today’s extremely precise cameras. We also found the variable light spectrum interacts very nicely with the CMY mixing, expanding the colour range greatly. A magenta can essentially be more rock ’n’ roll or more theatrical, a yellow can have a harsh greenish tinge or a warm sunny tone. TruTone is remarkable in its ability to shape and compose colours in ways not previously possible with any fixture.“
How does the interchangeable lens system expand the versatility of PARAGON?
“As with the TruTone engine, we offer a way to adapt one fixture for the intended application.
“Each PARAGON has two lens options and with the high and low CRI engine positions essentially merge six versions into a single unit. Lenses are easy to exchange, and due to its innovative IP54-rated design the PARAGON requires no IP testing after the lens installation. The optical design was created to accommodate the Profile, PC and Fresnel option, providing the correct beam pattern without compromise. The fixture automatically detects the installed lens, optimises its focus and zoom algorithm for the most efficient output, and even adapts its movement control as the lenses have different weights.”
How does the 30% lighter design enhance handling, rigging, and setup times while maintaining performance?
“IP fixtures like Elation’s PROTEUS Series have seen massive adaption in the market and encouraged some amazing stage designs encompassing the audience that bring performers closer to their fans. Fixtures can be placed anywhere without concern for bad weather or dry hot dusty environments. However, such fixtures tend to be heavier and larger. With PARAGON we didn’t take IP65 and make it a bit less so, we rethought how to create a fixture that operates and feels like any indoor moving light but sealed it and ruggedised it to be essentially weatherproof. Our R&D team managed to create fixtures that are lighter, brighter, smaller and with higher CRI than our
previous generation. A show designed with PARAGON can have indoor and outdoor dates without compromise. No tarps or weather protection, simply have the exact same design in any location.”
What feedback have you received so far?
“The first feedback we receive when someone turns on PARAGON for the first time is how clean and pure the light quality of the white beam is. The fixture offers such a neutral brilliant light quality that must be appreciated in person. Users immediately study how the light reads on their skin or clothing and realise that PARAGON is one of the most refined lighting fixtures in existence. It just looks so clean and pure. Secondly, the combination of our new ultrafast CMY with the TruTone engine provides a wider creative colour range that allows subtle changes and instant colour bumps without compromise. Touring shows increasingly migrate from indoors to outdoors throughout their run. PARAGON allows you to scale up for a few stadia shows requiring fixtures that are designed to operate in an exterior environment, even upgrade some lighting positions for a few shows to a high performance long-throw unit like PARAGON LT. With its three performance classes and weatherproof design plus a fresh new gobo package that provides a great blend of textures and aerial effects, PARAGON is truly a unit that excels.”
www.elationlighting.com
Production Services Association (PSA) welcome three new council members.
Words: Liz Madden and Tom Rees
Photo: PSA
It’s been a period of healthy reflection at the Production Services Association over the past 10 months… It’s also been a busy period of communication, outreach and delivery with our members, partners and industry advocacy working groups.
As a newl y elected executive team, last May we took a breath, reached out to our membership and reviewed what was important to them. With that initial work almost complete, now is the time for delivering sustained growth and evolution of the PSA.
After a successful AGM last week and attendance at ILMC, Production Futures and the Event Production Show, we look forward to maintaining a full schedule this year.
We welcome three new council members: Mark Bannister, Mary Shelley-Smith and Lisa Ryan. All of whom bring a wealth of experience to an already knowledgeable council.
We are also working on several new initiatives and forging forward with those
already started; people, as always, remain our key focus. Our members, of course, but also the wider industry that we all exist within.
Our principle has been to reset and restart – we’ve taken the opportunity to go back to basics and look at what the important topics are. Some of these get little attention and that needs to change, so in the coming months we will be supporting several initiatives.
A safer workplace - Pushing for full disclosure when it matters; misogyny, assault, bullying and bad attitudes are sadly still around…. let’s call it out for what it is.
This behaviour is not acceptable and whilst we may never get rid of it, we can provide people with the tools to deal with it. As part of our website upgrade, we are introducing a ‘signpost’ page – directing people to support, training, advice and someone to talk to.
Training and development - for those members looking to broaden their skillset, our training bursary is now fully open, and we
have already supported several successful applicants so far.
Having the right insurance - another topic we at the PSA will be focussing on is medical insurance – are you covered for work, and will your travel insurance cover any medical and repatriation bills?
We’ll be looking back on the safety culture of our industry, why it has evolved the way it has, and how freelancers can genuinely create a better work/life balance.
A strik ing observation was brought up at ILMC last week on how things are no better than they were 15 years ago, when the PSA worked with James Cobb to review how freelancers felt about working conditions – this is something we are looking to do again over the coming months.
If you have any thoughts on what the PSA should be addressing, or want to get more involved, please let us know. www.psa.org.uk
Live challenges the UK Government to action the recommendations of the Women and Equalities Commitee
Photos: LIVE
LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment), has underlined its commitment to eradicating misogyny in the live music Industry, with a four point strategic plan backed by all 15 member organisations. This plan was launched in response to the last UK Government’s rejection of recommendations made in the ‘Misogyny in Music’ Report from the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC), which was published in January 2024.
The cross party WEC holds the Government to account on equality law and policy, including the Equality Act 2010 and cross Government activity on equalities. Its report, ‘Misogyny in Music’, concluded that women working in the music industry face limitations in opportunity, a lack of support, gender discrimination and sexual harassment and assault as well as the persistent issue of unequal pay in a sector dominated by self-employment and gendered power imbalances.
Despite increases in representation, these issues are endemic and are intensified for women faced with intersectional barriers, particularly racial discrimination. The report made a number of key recommendations that were rejected by the last Government but could now be actioned.
Building on the work of its LIVE Workforce group, the ‘Statement of Commitment’ underscores how LIVE members have pledged to work towards a future where everyone, regardless of gender, can thrive and feel respected in the live music community. This commitment involves actively challenging sexist attitudes and behaviours, promoting gender equality, and providing support and opportunities for women and female identifying people in the industry.
LIVE and its 15 member organisations have made four key commitments to create safer, more inclusive environments for women in live music, including: committing to collectively
benchmarking female representitives at CEO, Board, Chair and Executive level, promoting gender diversity and inclusivity, undertake or provide training on gender equality and sexual harrassment and establishing zero-tolerance policies.
Gaby Cartwright, Head of Partnerships at LIVE and Chair of its Misogyny in Music Group said: “Following the publication of the Women and Equalities Committee’s Misogyny in Music report last year we were disappointed that the then UK government chose not to adopt its recommendations. While we will continue to challenge that decision, there is an urgent need to have a strategy in place to confront the serious issues being faced by too many women working in the UK live music industry. To that end, we are pleased that, within our wider work on equity and inclusion, all 15 members of LIVE have made this commitment to eradicating misogyny from our industry.” www.livemusic.biz
Jonathan Dyson, Regional Sales Manager (Live Events, Rental and Staging) at Lightware UK explains why AV over IP solutions are critical to the future of immersive projects...
Words: Jonathan Dyson
Photo: Lightware
At Lightware, we believe the future of live events is about creating experiences that truly resonate with audiences. The rise of immersive events has changed how we approach live production, and technology is at the heart of these experiences. However, it’s not just about flashy tech; it’s about making sure every detail comes together seamlessly to deliver an unforgettable moment.
As we move further into 2025, there’s a noticeable shift in the live event industry.
Audiences now expect more than just a performance — they want to be immersed, with interactive visuals, soundscapes, and environments that pull them into the experience. However, delivering this level of engagement requires more than just good
content; it requires technology that can support the complexity of these large-scale productions. This is where AV-over-IP comes into play. It’s no longer just about transmitting video and audio signals from one place to another; it’s about creating a unified network where everything flows effortlessly across screens, projectors, speakers, and other devices, enhancing the overall experience. We’ve seen how these technologies are not just nice to have anymore — they’re becoming integral to the success of immersive events.
One of the features that’s really changing the game is the flexibility AV-over-IP allows for managing multiple content sources in real time. Take the new multiview operation mode in the UBEX receiver, for example. It’s a simple
concept, but it makes a huge difference in live environments. Whether it’s displaying four video streams on a single screen or integrating Picture-in-Picture setups, this functionality offers the kind of adaptability that live entertainment professionals need when managing dynamic content.
However, it’s not just about cool features. The live event world is unforgiving, and the systems we rely on must be able to handle everything thrown at them. AV-over-IP solutions need to work reliably, with low latency, and maintain high-quality output, no matter the size or scale of the event.
The stakes are high — whether it’s a concert, festival, or corporate gathering, no one has time for technical issues.
One thing I’ve learned over the years working in this field is that it’s not just about the technology itself; it’s about how it fits into the bigger picture. Of course, we can talk about high-quality 4K video at 60Hz and how it works over 1G to 18G networks, but the real magic happens when the technology allows the creative minds behind the event to focus on what matters — creating experiences that resonate with audiences.
As someone who’s had the privilege of seeing how this technology is evolving, I’m excited about what’s to come.
The future of live events is interactive, immersive, and connected — and it’s going to be fascinating to see how the industry continues to innovate. For me, it’s all about the experience, and I’m looking forward to watching this space evolve.
www.lightware.com
With Robert Juliat named the headline sponsor of Showlight 2025, François Juliat provides an insight into what attendees can expect from the networking event...
Showlight 2025, the quadrennial global networking event for designers and practitioners from all genres of lighting, takes place between 19 to 22 May in Dijon, France. This will be the first in-person Showlight to take place since 2017 and is sponsored by French lighting manufacturer, Robert Juliat, a family-run company with a 100-year legacy.
“Robert Juliat is very proud to bring Showlight to France for the very first time in its history,” said Rober Juliat’s third generation Managing Director, François Juliat. “Showlight is all about light, and light has been the very DNA of Robert Juliat for the last 100 years! Being specialist lighting developers and manufacturers, it makes perfect sense for us to support such a special event which is so focussed on lighting, the tools that produce it and the creative people who use them.”
He added: “As manufacturers of lighting products, we are always excited to gain direct insights from those creative minds who use such tools, and to see the results that emerge
from their imagination. We are so looking forward to them sharing their ideas and projects at Showlight 2025.”
There are many highlights to anticipate at Showlight 2025. The event is renowned for its eclectic programme of speakers, with discussion subjects ranging from theatre to live events, cinematography to architecture, fashion to large scale installation, and everything in between. This year, the schedule includes presentations from key members of the community like Willie Williams, Mikki Kunttu, Anne Militello, Nick Schlieper, Thierry Goron, Martin Kuhn, Kenneth Coker and Christina Thanasoula, and many more besides. A list of speakers is available on the website with more speakers being added in the coming weeks.
On the social side, there’s plenty of time to network and socialise in between Papers Sessions in a relaxed and convivial environment; to enjoy face-to-face discussions with lighting designers, manufacturers and students, and browse the supporting exhibition
that runs alongside the Papers presentations. Delegates can also enjoy networking time and refreshments during the morning and afternoon breaks, daily lunches, with a Welcome Reception hosted by the City of Dijon in the opulent, historic setting of the Salle des États on the Monday evening, a companysponsored dinner on Tuesday evening, the new workshop programme on Wednesday afternoon and, of course, the grand Showlight Conference Dinner on Wednesday evening – taking place in a very special location of which is kept under wraps until the day! “Show light is the ultimate forum in which to exchange ideas and inspirations over three glorious days of networking,” confirmed Juliat. “We cannot wait to host it and welcome everyone to Dijon in May.”
Tickets are on sale now, direct from the Showlight website where you can also find a list of hotels offering discounts for Showlight delegates on a first come first served basis. www.showlight.org
TAIT’s Principal Sustainability Advocate wins the TPi Industry Recognition Award
How did it feel to be awarded the TPi Industry Recognition Award?
“From the first school show, I instinctively knew that somehow, I needed to make this my career. The fact that it has since allowed me to travel the world in an industry that creates amazing experiences for communities everywhere has been incredible. To realise my peers regard me as an influencer and an advocate for change is a true honour and I am beyond grateful.”
What were some of your highlights from the 2025 TPi Awards?
“Seeing Nicole Erin Massey getting the award for Production Manager of the Year was totally uplifting. Not only is she an incredible advocate for women in the industry and embracing change from a sustainability perspective alongside the team from Billie Eilish but she is a wonderful human being.
“There were also many beautiful touches at the event that I hugely appreciated from a sustainability perspective such as making the plant-based meals as appetising as the meat dish, the initiative to limit food waste, limiting the giveaway on the table to one gift from a truly ethically supplier to having the option to sit a table that was alcohol free. It is a joy to see the awards ceremony using its platform to be an agent for change.”
What would you cite as some of you biggest achievements in this field?
“I think that the work that has been done by the team at LIVE Green to create a template for Green Clauses in artists contracts is exemplary. As is the incredible work that encompasses the Massive Attack Act 1.5 initiatives in Bristol and Liverpool stemming from the research
“To realise my peers regard me as an influencer and an advocate for change is a true honour and I am beyond grateful.”
Carol Scott, Principal Sustainability Advocate at TAIT.
done at the Tyndall Centre that culminated in creating a blueprint to put on events both in a green field site and in an arena. This has been built on a strong foundation created by so many wonderful individuals and organisations across the ecosystem of live events, and I wish I could mention them all. Visiting Glastonbury last summer and seeing first hand a festival walking the talk from a sustainability perspective was truly uplifting especially as I know there are numerous festivals that share the same ethos.”
What steps do you think the industry needs to take to ensure more opportunities are open to the next generation?
“As the majority of our industry are freelance it would be hugely advantageous to us an industry if we had a central resources hub that could provide mentoring and coaching opportunities. It would allow us to ensure that there was a pathway to continual professional development as well as creating a culture to foster and develop leadership skills building on the wisdom and experience of time served industry professionals.”
What’s next for yourself and the team at TAIT in 2025?
“I hope to continue to support and be an integral part of the sustainability community within our industry.
“Cont inuing to mentor the next generation will always be a priority as I am grateful to all of the wonderful people that took the time to teach me, and this is a way to give back.
“As for TAIT, we have just launched our global Green Affinity Network group to help embed sustainability into our culture. Our two high level objectives are to reduce emissions and work to the circular economy. We are creating our overall short and longterm strategy for both of these objectives to identify what additional resources, such as external consultants, that we might need to attain our objectives. We have just completed an extensive basic carbon literacy training program, and we will be launching our onboarding sustainability training module for all new and existing employees to ensure everyone has an understanding of why sustainability is important to us at TAIT.”
