TPMEA - 001 by Mondiale Media

SEPTEMBER 2015 • ISSUE 001

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

A LOOK AT THE WORLDCLASS MEA REGION

INTRODUCED BY FLASH ENTERTAINMENT

TPMEA

WELCOME... TO TPMEA

Hello readers! Welcome to the very first edition of TPMEA, a quarterly supplement that will hone in on the Middle East and African entertainment technology markets, trends and movements. TPi is, of course, an international publication but the MEA region is truly a force to behold all on its own. I’m delighted that Lee Charteris - aka Justin’s doppelganger - is introducting this supplement. Upon meeting Lee at various events in the UK and then in the UAE, I knew instantly that his knowledge and anecdotes from the last few years of his varied career ought to be shared. Turn over to see the CEO of Abu Dhabi-based promoter, Flash Entertainment, deliver an insider perspective on the continual growth of the Middle East. For me personally, in the last couple of months I have been lucky enough to visit both Dubai and South Africa for the first time. As an ‘outsider’ I got a fresh look at each territory and was not only taken back by the creative thinking in these somewhat testing parts of the world - the heat being a trying factor on show days! - but I was also overwhelmed with the incredible hospitality shown on each continent. It was easy to feel at home straight away, but then, that’s what makes this industry a global family, right? As you’ll find inside, my MEA adventures took me to networking events such as EFM’s renowned party in Dubai and Johannesburg, for Mediatech. It turned out to be a local tradeshow worthy of an international audience. As this is only issue 001, the landscape is somewhat open. If you have any editorial enquiries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch as we’d love to work with you in the future. This is your magazine as much as it is ours, and I’d like to say a huge thank you for all of the positivity and encouragement the live production and AV industry in the MEA locations have show us so far. The question now, is where to next?

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS 06 - FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST The Evolution of the UAE: Lee Charteris of Flash Entertainment provides an insight into the Middle East’s growing live event market.

10 - TECHNICAL CREATIVITY

Prisme International, ESME and HQ Creative reveal how to turn vision into reality.

12 - RENTAL HOUSES

With inventory investments in some of the industry’s most sought-after technology, we take a look inside Protec, PRG Gearhouse, Delta Sound, eclipse and iLight.

20 - INDUSTRY NETWORKING

ILEA (International Live Events Association). EFM’s yearly social gets underway.

23 - CREWING & POWER

Showforce, Gulf Crewing and SES explain why the Middle East has both manpower and power distribution covered.

26 - AFRICA

Expo: Mediatech Africa Report. The latest live event news from South Africa.

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

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

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Stewart Hume Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7712 607419 e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk

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

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

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

GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRODUCTION Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Mel Robinson: m.robinson@mondiale.co.uk

MONDIALE GROUP CHAIRMAN Damian Walsh

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ACCOUNTS Donna Barlow/Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY UFC Fight Night - Au Arena Abu Dhabi courtesy of Flash Entertainment

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Justin Gawne

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

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FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE UAE CONCERT INDUSTRY LEE CHARTERIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, FLASH ENTERTAINMENT “I FIRST CAME TO THE UAE IN 2007 AFTER A 30-YEAR TOURING CAREER TO PRODUCE A ONE-OFF JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE SHOW IN ABU DHABI. I DIDN’T THINK FOR A SECOND THAT I WOULD STILL BE HERE IN 2015, THOUGH I AM GLAD TO SAY THAT’S WHAT’S HAPPENED...” When I arrived, the Middle East was never on my radar or part of the many ‘world’ tours that I had worked on, bar a couple of visits to Dubai. Most shows here and in the region up until then were private parties or corporate events for copious sums of cash, with very few commercial shows for the public. My tenure here has seen an industry emerge alongside a country. A ‘make it happen’ attitude with less concern for costs has developed into a more mature market with profit and loss centre stage, much like the established events industries I left back in the UK and US. It began like it did in the UK, with the production house being the only option and staging, lights, audio, video and backline all coming from one supplier - essentially making it a seller’s market. Jump forward eight years and that is no longer the case. Driven by demand, the event production market has grown into a much more competitive place and the production house has taken a backseat to specialist service companies, making it much more of a buyer’s market. As a promoter this was great news for me. Prices have become more manageable, though I still have the odd ‘take it or leave it’ conversation with some of those original suppliers. Thankfully they are few and far between. On those early shows, I would bring four or five folks from the UK to assist with the events part of the migratory workforce that used to arrive here for what was ‘the season’ back then. Now, the growth of the industry and the ever-increasing number and type of events has seen many experienced technicians choose to make this their home. There is now an event industry here, with all the players and companies that feed into it such as ticketing, staffing suppliers, security companies and food and beverage providers present and correct. These all then liaise with local authorities, police, fire and first aid services as part of a twoway education process. I am very proud of what we have achieved here in such a short time and it continues to get better. Seasonally, there will always be a month break for Ramadan, but either side of that I would say that most suppliers are flat out for the rest of the year. More shows means more equipment. Lots of the big names are now based here such as StageCo and, more recently, PRG - now PRG Gearhouse. There is also a lot of local talent with the likes of Delta Sound and eclipse - companies that have been built and grown here. There are a couple of good backline rental companies and a now a handful of crewing companies too. When I arrived I worked with eight guys that showed up in a van. They seemed to be friends of the site manager and were affectionately called ‘The Love Children’. Enough said.

FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

All images courtesy of Flash Entertainment.

FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

All images courtesy of Flash Entertainment.

We often used to have to make a freight contribution or even ship in specific mixing desks or lighting consoles to ‘seal the deal’ on a show that is no longer necessary as it’s all here. Every aspect of the industry has had to adapt including a seed change in the general approach to health and safety. The number of high profile events here has driven this along and it is safe to say that personal protective equipment is invariably the first case off of the truck these days. We are in the desert but the climbing around in flip-flops is well behind us. With the World Expo coming to Dubai in 2020, I see even more advances in this area. I am personally involved with International Live Events Association (ILEA) which has just released some guidelines that I hope will contribute towards any new health and safety laws for the country (see Pg. 20). The demands of visiting artists also help to push industry development along. The stature of

the acts coming here, combined with the scarcity of gear they turn up with, has triggered massive investment from the suppliers themselves. Artists and their managements’ perception has also changed. Word of mouth is the best recommendation, so we are no longer seeing bulletproof cars or requests for armed security on riders. Despite this, we still do get the crazy requests such as gold calculators or snow machines on 42 degree heat show days. You know who you are... Although most shows are outdoors, they invariably cost a great deal more as a result of temporary infrastructure. To remedy this, there are at least two arenas well in to the planning phase right now in the UAE. That will help all the promoters with costs. I look forward to our first big arena show here, and I’m sure it won’t be long. A lot of the shows that we book now are no

longer a destination show but one of two or three in the Middle East. At worst, they are en route to Australia or Europe thanks in part to the growth of Etihad and Emirates as commercial carriers. Either way, I firmly believe that the UAE will begin to appear on more and more itineraries. Again the suppliers have risen to this challenge, many of whom are opening satellite offices in and around the region as equipment and event demands increase. Many of the artists that have come to perform here are on their second visit and that is testament not only to the quality of the shows themselves, but how the artists are looked after when they are here. I would argue that in all my touring years I was never taken care of the way that we at Flash Entertainment and our suppliers take care of our visiting artists. It is definitely a world-class destination. www.thinkflash.ae

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TECHNICAL CREATIVITY

PRISME PRISME INTERNATIONAL IS A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY CREATIVE EVENT AGENCY. ITS KEY FOCUS HAS BEEN TOWARDS RE-ENGINEERING THE WAY EVENTS COMMUNICATE AND ENGAGE ATTENDEES. PRISME’S APPROACH HAS ALLOWED IT TO CREATE SPECTACULAR EXPERIENCES ON A LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.

Set up in the mid-80s in France, the company decided to relocate to the UAE in the ‘90s. Back then live events were still a relatively new concept in the region. It was at that point when Prisme collaborated with the several Dubai based entities including the marketing department of the government to assist with the activations of the Dubai Shopping Festival. Safwan El Roufai, Chief Operating Officer of Prisme International, spoke about the early days of its UAE branch: “We’ve come to realise the value we can bring to this region by establishing our offices that serve as our regional headquarters. The event industry in the region is fairly new. We have been based here for the past 17 years and have seen it grow significantly with clients being better educated in terms of preparation, planning and appreciation for creativity.” El Roufai went on to state how: “Innovation

and purposeful creativity-driven projects have played a critical role in the evolution of events and have largely influenced how marketers and event experts create, plan, organise and execute events.” Since its creation, Prisme has worked on some impressive projects; from the landmark launch of the tallest building in the world to launching the Dubai Tram. The company see every project as a chance to one-up itself. El Roufai commented: “Residents of the city had been eagerly waiting for the Tram for months. We ended up creating the largest hologram in the world measuring in at 393.4 sq metres, using a 48.5 metre by 8.1 metre high definition Musion 3D holographic experience projection technology.” Another example of Prisme’s ability to utilise advanced technologies and practices was its recent work at the Arab Social Media

Influencers Summit (ASMIS). This event was an initiative created and led by Dubai’s executive office with the objective of leading the discussion on the state of social media in the world and specifically the Arab world. For the event Prisme’s purposefully designed space catered for 3,000 guests. Prisme is currently working on several existing events with the aim of helping more brands and entities engage target audiences through the use of purposeful experiences and currently has a contract with one of the largest fast-moving consumer goods brands in the world, Nestle. El Roufai commented that: “Our approach for the Nestle event involves taking some of its key stakeholders into an emotional and cultural journey showing off the Arabian charm of the Middle East and Levant regions.” www.prismeinternational.net

TECHNICAL CREATIVITY

ESME

PROVIDING EVENT SUPPORT FOR THE QATAR AND GULF REGIONS.

Offering event support in Qatar and Gulf countries at large, ESME sees itself as the translation hub between clients’ ideas and actual realisation. This involves providing all equipment and services as well as all the technical requirements and consultancy. The company offer the full package from concept all the way to implementation. Over the last few years, ESME has provided technical consulting services as well as planning, engineering, rigging, temporary structures and lighting to the event industry across the Middle East. Working with the region’s largest organisations as well as helping smaller, more intimate events to put themselves on the corporate and social map. Alexander Würfel and René Karnahl are the founders of both ESME and the rigging company Even2. They both have been based in the Middle

East for almost 10 years and together have a great deal of experience in the industry and have been involved in a broad range of events in both the public and corporate sectors. Due to the duo having a lot of local experience and connections, ESME has been able to source all the services that are necessary for a successful event. Würfel stated: “A lot of companies from Europe come to the Middle East to places such as Dubai and Doha to exhibit at the big motor shows or at pharmaceutical congresses. Usually, for them, every event is a huge logistical endeavour. Companies have to ship all of its equipment for the exhibition stands from Europe to the Gulf countries and after the event, send it back again. That is a huge costs and time to be taken into account. “Moreover, in many cases, companies have

HQ CREATIVE

to look for additional suppliers on-site to be fully operational. This can be really timeconsuming and often is a question of reliability and quality. Unless you really know your service partner, you can never really be sure about the output. We’ve been working in UAE and the Gulf countries for several years now and can arrange everything.” With ESME providing all the services from local event crew, security personal and secondary power, its goal is to provide an all inclusive package from companies not local to the area. Würfel concluded: “The first big advantage for companies in Europe and oversees is that we have a large stock of quality inventory in Dubai and Doha, so there is no need to ship everything over.” www.es-me.net

HQ CREATIVE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1996 BY KATIE VEIRA, WHO UPON MOVING TO THE UAE IDENTIFIED AN OPPORTUNITY TO ESTABLISH AN EVENT DECORATION & BRANDING COMPANY.

By the year 2000 there were few, if any, locally-based companies providing full event design, planning and production management services in the region. Veira identified the need for such a company and set on the route to expanding HQ’s remit to provide a Dubaibased event production company capable of undertaking quality projects of every scale. Over the course of the following 15 years, Veira developed the company to the point where it is today - one of the region’s leading event management agencies that has designed and delivered hundreds of the UAE’s most spectacular and highly acclaimed events, ceremonies and public celebrations. HQ employs a team of over 40 creative and

technical staff with a diverse range of experience and local and international expertise. HQ’s longevity and strong track record in the region has enabled the company to develop a loyal base of clients with whom it has built enduring relationships. HQ works with clients as partners, involving them in every stage of the event planning process, from the initial brainstorming sessions through to the live event. Over the years, HQ has delivered many of the region’s milestone projects, including the launch of the Dubai Metro, DIFC annual celebrations, National Day celebrations, state visit of Queen Elizabeth II, the arrival of the QE2 and many more. www.hqcreativeuae.com

RENTAL HOUSES

ILIGHT TOP ARABIC ARTISTS PERFORM WITH A LIGHTING RIG FROM ILIGHT AT HALA FEBRAYER CELEBRATION.

iLight of Dubai was recently called on to provide lighting, sound and stage design for this year’s Hala Febrayer Festival and turned to Elation Professional lighting and LED video equipment to light performances at this years event. Some 80,000 tourists converged on Kuwait this year to attend the annual Hala Febrayer Festival. The month-long event featuring cultural activities and entertainment that included live television performances by some of the region’s most popular singers. The event is the most watched live TV show of the year in the Middle East and consists of five concerts over five nights with three artists performing each night. Produced by the entertainment and production company, Rotana Audio Visual, this year’s show was broadcast from the Kuwait Ice Skating Rink. Out of respect the event was postponed until March due to the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Over the last 14 years, iLight has been successful working on local events as well as with international artists who tour through the region and in recent years the company has been relying more on Elation gear. iLight acquires its Elation lighting and video products through

Elation’s Middle East distributor, Provision AVL of Dubai owned by Gary Boujikian who provided engineering and technical support on this year’s Hala Febrayer. This was the first time iLight worked on the Hala Febrayer festival. The highlight was a unique three-ringed concentric truss structure of four, six and 10 metres truss circles that emulated a rose with lighting fixtures adorning the rings and LED screens representing rose petals. Lining the truss rings for mid-air effects and big beam looks were Elation Platinum Spot 15R and Platinum Beam 5R moving heads. “The Platinum Spot 15R is currently my favorite light,” iLights founder Vince Aghnatiyos stated: “I like the colours very much, it’s really quick with a very sharp beam and it has proven to be very reliable.” Additional Platinum Spot 15Rs were placed upstage left and right to light the band with more Platinum Spot 15R fixtures spread across the floor. Aghnatiyos has used the Platinum Beam 5R for past events and is very familiar with its powerful output and speed, which he said reminds him of a scanner. “We had them all over the set. Behind the LED screens, on trusses left and right,” he said.

Lining the truss circles for added colour were Elation Opti Quad PAR lights while ELAR Bar fixtures were used to uplight artists from a floor position. Although the original design called for more ELAR Bar’s in the rig, because the ice skating rink lacks optimal rigging points it was necessary to alter the design last minute. Used as the main LED video screen was the Elation EZ6, a 6mm pixel pitch, 1,800-nits LED panel that produces high definition video with uniform colour, high contrast and a sharp picture. Some 300 panels were used on the set for a number of applications including the all-important camera background for artist performances. EZ6 LED panels were also mounted in the innermost four metres truss circle and used for graphics and others were flown left and right on the outer circle truss. “Everyone was quite impressed by the quality and stability of the Elation fixtures and none malfunctioned during the three week show,” Aghnatiyos stated after the event. “For me, Elation is the best on the market as far as quality versus price. I see Elation on more and more riders in the Middle East.” www.ilight.ae

RENTAL HOUSES

ECLIPSE GROUP FROM SWING TO HIP-HOP, ECLIPSE CAN PROVIDE FAULTLESS TECH FOR CONTINUOUS MUSIC Established in 2003 as eclipse Staging Services, the eclipse Group of companies has grown, both organically and by strategic acquisition, over the course of the last decade into a major player within the Middle East’s event industry. Comprising of several unique event technology suppliers, each specialising in a different area of the rental market. The strength of the eclipse Group is in its diversity, and it is able to ensure that whatever a client’s technology requirements, the group is able to satisfy them while maintaining the highest possible level of customer service. The eclipse Group is focused on a commitment to health and safety with a full time in-house group HSE Manager and a recent decision to annually publish a HSE report which evaluates their standards and will help

continually improve their performance. After a recent growth in inventory and the addition of Stage FX, the Group added to its Dubai Investment Park facility by taking possession of six additional storage units, this has essentially tripled the company’s warehouse and workspace capacity. This season saw a challenging project as two international artists were scheduled to perform over three consecutive days, eclipse was drafted in. Swing superstar Michael Bublé was scheduled to play sets on both Thursday and Friday while hip-hop artist Drake was scheduled to take to the stage on Saturday. For Bublé, eclipse provided all lighting, video, rigging and secondary power distribution requirements and for Drake’s set it provided all video, rigging, lasers, special effects and secondary power requirements as well as

floor package lighting. With a full technical turn-around after Bublé’s second night planning would be the key to the success of this production, with detailed and constant communication taking place between all suppliers involved, led by eclipse. It had to remove all lighting elements from Bublè’s production, including the truss and reinstall the Drake rig in less than 12 hours. As the shows had completely different lighting designs, the only aspects that remained the same were the up-stage centre video screen, the IMAGS on the stage wings and the two delay video screens. Everything on the lighting front was different so to run efficiently, Drake’s show lighting was installed at the same time as Bublès and hidden out of sight line above the rig. www.eclipse.ae

RENTAL HOUSES

DELTA SOUND THE MIDDLE EAST’S ONLY SPECIALIST AUDIO COMPANY.

Formed in 1988, Delta Sound (UK) has remained at the forefront of design, rental and engineering of professional audio and communications. Back in 2007 the company created a new branched for the Middle East. Delta Sound LLC, established in Dubai, works as its own personnel and equipment services for its clients in the region. With the largest inventory of sound equipment in the Middle East its speciality lies in large-scale events and concerts. In 2009 a further branch was created in the form of Delta Sound Qatar. From its base in the capital city of Doha, it encompasses both a rental and retail establishments whilst also specialising in audio installation and system integration services. The company has a dedicated team of highly skilled in-house engineers working with the most up to date equipment. Andy Jackson, a Managing Director at Delta Sound, spoke about

the recent purchase of new equipment: “We have spent the summer purchasing new and maintaining the existing equipment. Recent purchases have included two new Clear Com Freespeak II wireless systems. With the number of wireless devices used on events, there is real limited bandwidth available. The fact that the FSII is operating within the 1.8GHZ spectrum has helped enormously.” Delta has also increased its stock levels of L’acoustic K2 and Optocore systems. The company also actively promotes health and safety in the working environment and since being award with the OHSAS 18001 means that the Delta Staff have industry recognised health and safety training and onsite awareness. Jackson commented: “We have restructured our warehouse and upgraded our quoting and booking database, implementing RFID and PST testing. In addition, there has been first aid and plant training which are very much part of our

BSI OHSAS mandate.” The company has also picked up several accolades in the last few years including Supplier of the Year in 2013, Best Sound Production for RedFest in 2014 and for the Dubai World Cup in 2015. For next season the company have already confirmed a number of shows including Spandau Ballet, Take That, Bon Jovi and Dave Matthews Band. Looking towards the future, Jackson commented: “I predict that rental will grow slowly for the next few years, but we are at a level of personnel and equipment to be able to deliver multiple large format shows on any one day. Communications is still a growing department for us. We are working closely with the authorities and their respective think tanks to ensure the region is able to cope with the foreseen growth in this market, and to improve the regulation of the wireless industry generally.” www.deltasound.uk/about/delta-sound-dubai

RENTAL HOUSES

PROTEC THE DUBAI-BASED COMPANY GEARS UP FOR THE NEW SEASON WITH EXCITING NEW PRODUCTS.

The first half of 2015 was a busy time for the Middle East’s largest event equipment rental company, yet another sign that the region’s enriched events industry is as prominent and dynamic as ever. While Protec’s core business is corporate events, the company has been known to get involved with live music. The year kicked off with #DBXNYE, Dubai’s biggest New Year’s Eve party that featured Pharrell Williams, Dmitri Vegas, Like Mike, Busta Rhymes, Paul Oakenfold, Seb Fontaine and Sky Blu. The event was hosted by E!’s Giuliana and Bill Ranci for which Protec supplied the audio using the L-Acoustics K2 system with a DiGiCo SD5 console. It also provided lighting and video for the event that saw it use Clay Paky and Vari-Lite fixtures running on an MA Lighting grandMA2 full desk while video was displayed on 150 sq metre of Mambo 9mm LED screen, staging, rigging and

its EHD Mark 2 concert roof system. After #DXBNYE ,Protec filled its first half of the season with festivals, conferences, product launches, road shows, galas, opening ceremonies, exhibitions and everything in between. Protec was then involved with another spectacular event, the opening ceremony for IDEX 2015, which won the 2015 Middle East Event Award for Best Temporary Venue or Structure. It was a daytime show, repeated over five days, that involved military jet sorties, helicopters stunts, ships, jet boats, tanks, stunt vehicles, soldiers, stuntmen, full movie grade special effects and a lot more. Protec built a unique show performance area on a car park over an area of 1,256 sq metres. The stage which was built to resemble a port, included buildings, warehouses, bridges, a canal that held 2,534m

litres of water for boats to get into the action, 8720 tonnes of tarmac, road base and sand to build the staging surface where 500 performers from across the world performed. The exciting event included parades, heritage performances, aerial displays and a thrilling battle enactment. While IDEX was in full swing, Protec was also busy providing lighting for Red Fest 2015, the region’s biggest music festival held at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre. It included artists like The Script, Iggy Azalea, Bastille, Kiesza, Jeremih, Rixton, Ella Eyre and a whole host of pop stars. Protec’s MA Lighting grandMA2 desk ran around 200 Clay Paky, Philips Vari-Lite and Martin Professional fixtures. Protec was also recently at the heart of another award-winning event. The Du Annual Staff gathering which saw its client Cheil Worldwide win the Wow Asia Award for the

RENTAL HOUSES

Best Event and Experience of the Year 2015. Conceptualised by Protec’s design department, the show content’s 3D projection mapping was tested on a scaled 3D printed model of the set before Protec’s audio, video, lighting, rigging, automation, backline, staging and design departments took over to finish off the experience. Throughout the summer, Protec continued to work on corporate events until the summer heat eventually put the breaks on the season! However, rather then take a break, the company decided to use the time to expand its in-house stock of equipment. Protec Video has added

90 new Barco projectors at 20,000 and 30,000 lumens and 16 Christie 45,000 projectors. An additional d3 Technologies Pro 4x4 media server was added to the three already in use enabling it to control up to 96 independent video channels as well as two brand new d3 2x2plus media servers to take its d3 stock to six media servers and an additional 150 sq metres of 4mm Mambo LED twist panels. Protec Lighting has also added additional MA Lighting grandMA2 full size consoles, two MA Video Processors, 96 Clay Paky Mythos, 36 Clay Paky Stormy and 48 LED Show Battens. However, one of the more exciting

developments with in the company is its investment in robotics. Since the launch of its Special Projects Division, this sector of the company has garnered a lot of interest as this new arm of Protec deals with robotics, motion tracking and innovations. The company’s facility in Dubai has recently been stocked with six Kuka robots in addition to the existing Baxter robots already in stock, with 24 metres of track that was bought for tracking the Kuka robots on. There’s no surprise that Protec’s excitement is spreading rapidly through the Middle East’s live event industry. www.productiontec.com

RENTAL HOUSES

PRG GEARHOUSE SINCE IT’S ACQUISITION BY PRG, GEARHOUSE HAS CONTINUED TO GROW, PROVIDING SERVICES FOR SOME OF EUROPE’S BIGGEST FESTIVALS.

The first half of 2015 witnessed some real impact of PRG’s acquisition of 100% of Gearhouse’s operations across the UAE. Inbound trade from its Group offices in the US and Europe is already accounting for almost 20% of local revenues, a number that Bruce Mac Lean, General Manager of the companies, is confident will grow significantly in the year ahead. “With the World Handball Championships Opening Ceremony in Qatar kicking off our trading collaboration between the global account and sales teams, PRG Gearhouse now has an increased flow of qualified business enquiries coming in from colleagues in Europe and US through existing PRG relationships,” said MacLean. The company shipped significant assets across to Europe during the summer period along with a number of the Dubai crew being sent to major events such as Tomorrowland, Pukklepop and West BW Festivals in Belgium, supporting Elton John and David Guetta at the

Coca Cola Festival in Spain and supporting the German operations at the Hockenheim Festival. The utilisation of crew and kit during what would otherwise be a slow season for the company in the Middle East, not only delivers revenue across the summer months but also gets the team exposed to more traditional markets whilst reducing sub-hires in the Eurozone area. That’s not to say that the business in Dubai wasn’t busy as the company was working with some of the region’s largest promoters on a number of indoor summer festival dates for Flash Entertainment in Abu Dhabi and the touring dates with comedian Michael McIntyre and Spandau Ballet for Done Events. PRG’s dominance in the touring music field is clear and the next quarter promises to be the busiest in the relatively short history of music entertainment in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This is undoubtedly a new chapter for the industry in the region. PRG’s scale, credentials and global reach, mixed with Gearhouse’s track

record and reputation - built up up over 21 years in Dubai - will be interesting to watch. The company announced its first Alliance Partnership in the region with Even2 in Qatar coming onboard and immediately giving some wider geography to the brand in the Gulf and echoing its approach around the world across the last 18 months. Managing Director of PRG Gearhouse, Peter McCann commented: “Bucking the global trend whilst all too aware of the macro economics from oil price through to the impact of Russia’s and now China’s financial challenges, this market is still growing and with this current demand we see a bright future ahead as the region continues to position itself on the international stage as both a convention hub and through its demand for world-class entertainment and sporting events. As the region grows so too will our business and our ability to provide technology based solutions for our ever more discerning clientele.” www.prg.com

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INDUSTRY NETWORKING

INTERNATIONAL LIVE EVENTS ASSOCIATION PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE MIDDLE EAST CHAPTER OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPECIAL EVENTS SOCIETY, THE INTERNATIONAL LIVE EVENTS ASSOCIATION (ILEA) IS AIMING TO TAKE THE REGIONAL EVENTS INDUSTRY TO THE NEXT LEVEL BY OFFERING A SERIES OF SPECIALLY CREATED NETWORKING AND EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS.

Following the launch of ILEA’s first set of recommended health and safety guidelines, members and non-members alike were offered the chance to participate in the association’s first health and safety workshop at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The workshop, designed to improve health and safety standards of the events industry in the region and minimise liability, was very well received, taking participants through objective reviews of their own documentation and processes as well as instruction on how to write a fully comprehensive risk assessment. As a result of the demand for places on this course and in response to the feedback from participants, ILEA has committed to offering the

same workshop three times per year. In addition, the group is hosting its second Inspiration Sessions on 17 September 2015 at The Fridge in Al Quoz. This event will take the format of a debate between industry professionals and thought leaders from outside the industry with special guest Natalie Price from Dubai 92 also weighing in. Topics to be debated at the event will range from the over-reliance on technology, to global events and taking care of clients. The International Special Events Society’s global membership comprises more than 7,000 experienced event professionals worldwide. Within this, ILEA is aiming to double its 100-strong membership by 2016. www.ilea-me.com

INDUSTRY NETWORKING

THE EFM NETWORKING PARTY

EFM HAS GROWN TO BECOME THE LEADING EVENT LOGISTICS COMPANY IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION, WITH OFFICES IN DUBAI AND QATAR, IN ADDITION TO OVERSEAS OFFICES IN EUROPE, USA AND AUSTRALIA. IN RECOGNITION OF SEVEN YEARS SINCE EFM OPENED ITS FIRST OFFICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE COMPANY CELEBRATED WITH CLIENTS AND INDUSTRY FRIENDS, AT THE EFM NETWORKING PARTY.

This year’s event took place on 12 May 2015 at the Vault Bar in the JW Marquis Hotel and was attended by over 100 key event industry figures including TPi Editor Kelly Murray and TPi Chief Executive, Justin Gawne. Since its inception, the party has become an annual fixture in the industry social calendar. From Pharrell Williams to Drake; the World Handball Championships in Qatar to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; and from Porsches to one of the world’s rarest and most expensive Ferraris, it’s been another busy 12 months for the EFM team in the Middle East. Since setting up in the region, EFM has handled shipments ranging from 1kg to 200 tonnes for royal weddings, national days and

other government events, sport, concerts and shows across Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and beyond. One of the fastest growing areas of EFM’s Middle East business in recent years has been the inter-GCC transportation of event equipment, including the particularly sensitive and specialised area of pyrotechnics, which are popular on a large scale at most events. With more and more event companies and suppliers basing themselves in the region, demands on the EFM team have become increasingly diverse. The team has developed expertise in complex customs documentation and the handling of time-critical border clearances, whether by air, land or sea.

A particularly strong growth area for the company has been car transportation for roadshows, private owners, launches and motorshows. Having invested heavily in customised air-ride trucks and enclosed vehicle transporters for its clients, most recently the EFM Middle East team have been responsible for the logistics behind the launch of the new Audi Q7 in the region. Comprising four trucks full of set, audiovisual and lighting equipment and two cars on a roadshow of back to back three-day events in UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon and Oman via air and road transport, with full ground support on-site including forklifts and local crew. Mike Llewellyn, EFM group CEO, commented:

INDUSTRY NETWORKING

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The EFM Middle East team have done a terrific job in growing the company in the region and beyond, and I am incredibly proud of what they have achieved. We set up our first office in Dubai in response to demand from the local events industry for a reliable freight forwarding and

logistics company to help provide transport and particularly customs support across some pretty tricky borders. I would like to thank those same guys who have become long-standing customers of ours, for their ongoing support.â&#x20AC;?

EFM has recently renewed its International Organization for Standardization accreditations and has just launched its new EFM World service, while rolling out a brand new website, marketing and social media campaign. http://efm.global/

CREWING & POWER

SES ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES

SES ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES, THE UK’S LEADING MANUFACTURER OF POWER DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, FIRST DIPPED ITS TOE INTO THE MIDDLE EAST AROUND 15 YEARS AGO, PROVIDING ITS FIRST GENERATION OF 19-INCH RACK MOUNT POWER UNITS TO PROTEC. AS A TESTAMENT TO THE BUILD QUALITY, THE UNITS ARE STILL GOING STRONG TODAY.

Following a few years of trading in the region, and the realisation that product was hard to come by without the need of expensive shipping, SES took the decision to open up a Dubai-based operation (SES Global FZC) that offered quality British built product ‘off the shelf’ to this expanding market. Having had the business based in Dubai for the past two years, word has now spread throughout the region, and the firm regularly receives enquiries and orders from many countries, mainly due to same-day access to the product they need. Having exhibited at the Palme exhibition

for the last seven years, SES has expanded its customer base to the point that it now has a member of staff on the ground in Dubai every four to five weeks, and will soon have the need for a permanent employee based at the office there to service the constant demand for not only power distribution, but its growing range of production-associated products. SES only sell products and do not do any hire out due to the already fierce competition between Dubai-based rental companies who are well established in this marketplace. According to SES, Dubai is a very close-knit community and all the big production companies

help each other out, which is a benefit when it comes to the larger projects that are a regular occurrence in the region. SES has supplied the top production companies with an extensive and diverse range of products, and also stock items that are specific to particular customers. This takes away the need for shipping emergency orders by air from the UK. The company’s warehouse on the Al Quoz industrial estate is manned six days a week and, through its online portal, the stock is accessible seven days a week, 365 days a year. www.mainsdistro.ae

CREWING & POWER

GULF CREWING COMPANY GCC SUPPLY TRAINED AND UNIFORMED STAFF, MAKING SURE IT KNOWS EACH AND EVERY MEMBER BY NAME IN ORDER TO ALLOCATE THEM EFFICIENTLY. THE STRATEGY IS CLEARLY PAYING OFF, AS GCC IS ONE OF THE MOST IN-DEMAND CREW PROVIDERS IN THE REGION.

Having worked for several crewing companies in the UK, Managing Director of Gulf Crewing Company (GCC) Nigel Beaton started working in Dubai in 2008 as a freelance Stage and Site Manager. While the crew that were provided were eager and willing, he felt the lack of experience, unawareness of safety standards and general disorganisation was quite clear. In a highly competitive events market that was hosting world-class events, Beaton found it increasingly frustrating and couldn’t understand why someone hadn’t already built a local crewing company. He said: “It took about a year to get the initial concept to a point where we could put a business idea forward. The concept was loosely based on the tried and tested UK crewing model but with significant changes in that we trained the crew, hired them on a full time basis and ensured that they were properly equipped with the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) to a UK standard.” The company now employs over 70 staff, including 42 general crew that are all International Powered Access Federation (IPAF)-certified, and a mixture of Carpenters and Electricians. GCC has a further 10 crew that are either Heavy or Light Forklift Operators as well as Drivers, Crew Bosses, Project Supervisors and

eight Spot Operators. In addition to this, GCC has an extensive database of freelancers that it can call upon. This includes, but is not limited to, Production Management, Site Management, Project Management and Artist Liaison. For Beaton, consistency and professionalism are key. While each event has different requirements, GCC is able to cater to each client’s requirements. He commented: “The majority of our partners require the same people for long periods. They invest in the training and in turn show them their working procedures. It’s important that we provide consistency in the crew we supply, so they don’t have to constantly re-train, which ultimately costs the client time. “We must also deliver what we promise to a client. Something as simple as being on time for a job, sending the correct amount of crew and having the right person for the job is very important so as not to waste the client’s time.” GCC has a circle of international partners that continue to invest in it. Whether it is PRG UK in combination with Adam Bassett Design offering Spot Ops training or MRL Unlimited offering on job health and safety practices. Beaton added: “The key to remaining at the top of this discipline is a continued focus on

safety and all-around quality of work. The reason that GCC has grown so much from when we first started, and the reason that we continue to grow, is that we have not only developed alongside the Middle East event industry but also keep abreast of global changes and standards. In doing this we have maintained the ability to meet our customers growing and changing needs and be apart of world class events.“ Although training is imperative for a company like GCC in order to keep up to date with any market changes, it has found that partnerships work incredibly well and keep the team on top in an international market. “While the event season is generally eight months long, we are lucky enough that we have partnered up with several of our clients and now provide crew to them year round. This can include carpenters, electricians or general crew. In actively seeking out preferred supplier agreements we are ensuring that the season is extended which helps in the quiet months.” In addition to the preferred supplier contracts, GCC works extensively within the live entertainment industry including events such as the Abu Dhabi and Dubai concerts, Formula 1 after-show concerts, local weddings, the Volvo Ocean Race and the Doha Tribecca Film Festival. www.gulfcrewing.com

CREWING & POWER

SHOWFORCE

SHOWFORCE HAS BEEN OPERATIONAL IN THE UAE SINCE 2003 AND OPENED THEIR DUBAI OFFICE BACK IN 2009. IT FURTHER CEMENTED ITS PRESENCE IN THE REGION BY OPENING AN OFFICE IN DOHA, QATAR IN 2012. THE COMPANY OFFERS A BROAD RANGE OF EVENT SUPPORT SERVICES INCLUDING STAGE CREW, TECHNICIANS, PRODUCTION STAFF AND PROMOTIONAL PERSONNEL.

Showforce has an in-depth understanding of the Middle East events market and all the relevant licenses and paperwork required to operate correctly in the region. This allows it to adapt its services to meet the demands of the ever-evolving sector. To this end Showforce has recently added two new services to its offering. The first of these is a team of experienced, friendly and resourceful all-female event crew. Many events in the Middle East are attended only by women, and customs and culture in the region dictate the need for can-do ladies who provide an extra pair of hands and ensure successful delivery. Launched primarily to cater for private events, weddings and galas, the crew can assist with set-up, decoration, operate lighting and sound desks, follow spots and other technical elements. Another recent addition is the introduction of technical staff support. Showforce has a

reputation for being able to provide the most experienced and highly-skilled technicians from around the globe. Event organisers in the Middle East will often bring in internationally-acclaimed techs, which is obviously expensive. For certain projects they may be overqualified and, in these instances, Showforceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technical team can bridge the gap and recruit someone with the right skill sets locally and provide the organiser with a more cost-effective solution. When the latest Disney On Ice production Princesses & Heroes was brought to the Middle East by Sports & Entertainment Solutions FZ LLC in May and June, Showforce provided stage crew, skilled technicians, logistical personnel, demonstrators, follow spot operators and event staff. It provided an Assistant Production Manager who was the first member of the Showforce team onsite and worked closely with Sports &

Entertainment Solutionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Production Manager to oversee the smooth running of the entire project. An experienced team of stage crew led by a Crew Manager assisted with all aspects of the production. The work began with the team unloading containers and moving kit into the venue. They then assembled the ice rink and, once complete, a team of two worked 12 hour shifts on rotation for 48 hours, monitoring the water being turned into ice. Additional stage crew assisted with the installation of staging, trussing, lighting and sound. With 11 shows on the Doha leg of the tour, Showforce also provided follow spot operators and stage hands for back of house to ensure that everything ran smoothly. Once the run in Qatar came to an end, the crew had just 48 hours to dismantle all the kit and load it onto to trucks heading to the UAE. www.showforce.com

EXPO: MEDIATECH

MEDIATECH AFRICA MEDIATECH IS THE LARGEST ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY TRADE SHOW IN SOUTH AFRICA, HELD EVERY TWO YEARS IN THE CITY OF JOHANNESBURG. ORIGINALLY SET UP FOR THE BROADCAST SECTOR, MEDIATECH HAS EVOLVED INTO A TRADE PLACE FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY SECTOR.

When TPi - and sister publication mondo*dr - arrived at Mediatech, this year sponsored by Gearhouse, it already boasted extremely sophisticated stands being erected from both the Broadcast and AV exhibitors. Lighting distributor DWR showed great innovation with its creative jungle-themed stand, which had a large trussing tower as the centre piece in representation of a large tree, blossoming with lighting fixtures. Robe, for the first time, had their own standalone booth opposite DWR (Robe’s South African distributor), which showed many of its products from the BMFL Blade and Mini Pointes to the Robe Strobe. Robe also had a separate Black Box demonstration area, which displayed a ‘one man one light’ spectacular, giving chance to show off the BMFL’s quality and diversity. Robe’s CEO Josef Valcher commented: “We have enjoyed great success in South Africa working closely with DWR, and this year, we felt it was time to further endorse the show and underline the importance of the African market generally with our own stand.” Valcher was joined by a full complement of Robe’s international team including International Sales Director Harry von den Stemmen, Marketing Manager Jiri Baros, Exhibition Co-

Ordinator Ales Gill, Technical Specialist Ondrej Hegar and LD and Lighting and Media Designer Nathan Wan. Wan designed one of Robe’s now famous stand lightshows featuring many of the latest products including BMFL Spots and BMFL Blades, LEDBeam 1000s, Pointes and miniPointes, CycFX 8s, CycBar 15 and Strobes. Stage Audio Works, distributor of Sennheiser, d&b audiotechnik, Audac, Christie, Analog-Way, High End Systems, Zero 88, Acme and more was celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The anniversary cake was almost as large as its impressive double tier stand. Stage Audio Works were displayed its own trussing, which is manufactured in its South African factory. Philips’ entertainment lighting brands VariLite and Strand Lighting, along with the Showline product range, enjoyed a buzzing Mediatech Africa show in Johannesburg. Joining valued partner and leading lighting supplier for South Africa DWR Distribution on stand, Philips exhibited the award-winning new Vari-Lite VL4000 Series, industry-standard Strand Lighting NEO and 500ML Consoles and the Showline SL NITRO 510 and 510C LED strobes. The DWR team reported a high level of interest in the Philips range. Nick Britz, Product

Manager for the stand, said: “The SL NITRO 510 strobe is extremely popular in South Africa, thanks to its versatility. It acts as both a flood and strobe light and can be pixel mapped. We saw a lot of people coming up to discuss its wide range of features and wanting to see a demo.” Martin Palmer, Regional Sales Manager for Philips, supported the DWR team on stand to offer visitors in-depth product advice. “It was a privilege to have Martin Palmer on stand with us,” said Sherryn Riley of DWR. “He was very friendly and made clients feel comfortable yet at the same time had the necessary product knowledge.” “Mediatech Africa is a fantastic platform for Philips to connect with our valued partners and customers in South Africa,” said Palmer. “It is definitely on the up and up, the atmosphere felt very fresh and exciting and we were delighted to get some great feedback on our products. I’d like to thank DWR for all their support in making it such a successful show.” Electrosoincs South Africa, which distributes Martin Professional, Green Hippo, Kramer, Litec, ADB Lighting and more held a competition for up and coming lighting designers to show off their skills on stage in front of an audience of 200 industry representatives. This event was

EXPO: MEDIATECH

Opposite: SA Lighting Designer Sessions with Clay Paky’s Giovanni Zucchinali, LD Durham Marenghi, LD Paule Constable and Clay Paky’s Massimo Bolandrina. Above: mondo*dr’s Laura Iles sounds out Sennheiser; Peter Draaisma of Eurotruss and Julian Chiverton from Doughty Engineering; The Electrosonics SA staff; Solid State Logic held hands-on demos; The Stage Audio Works booth; The Chauvet Professional and Audiosure team; The Robe and DWR teams join forces; The Yamaha booth.

EXPO: MEDIATECH

Above: Shure was represented at the show; d3 Technologies’ Sarah Cox was on-hand for technical support; Philips’ Martin Palmer; The High End Systems crew on the Stage Audio Works stand; Klaus-Jorg Jasper of Lawo; TV Audio’s Peter Berry; Adamson visited Mediatech for the first time with its SA distributor, TID.

held on the second evening of Mediatech, presented on the stage at the entrance of the Dome. The stage was set with Martin Professional lighting and a Milos trussing structure. There were some really impressive displays from all five LDs and the judges Simon Robinson, Denis Hutch, Peter Dahlin (Martin Professional) and Christopher Bolton had a hard job choosing the winner. However Gary Sam walked away with his well-earned prize of a Martin Professional M2PC Controller. Other evening events included the Mediatech Exhibitors networking party, which was well-attended and became a great networking event. TPi was also kindly invited to a traditional Braai (BBQ) hosted by Mike Jones of MJ Event Gear. Thanks for the great hospitality! TID Distribution introduced a new member to its distribution family. Canadian loudspeaker company Adamson joined ranks for its first ever Mediatech. Another new collaboration that was announced earlier this year was renowned Projector Company Christie and coolux - seen sharing a booth for the first time. Chauvet Professional also reportedly had a great show with its distributor Audiosure. The Penmac team presented WATCHOUT by Dataton. LPS Lasertysteme had its own stand and representatives from both Germany and South Africa were manning the booth. Sound

Harmonics, distributor of Audix, L-Acoustics, Haze Base, Ayrton, Cadac and Earthworks displayed some new products to South Africa, including Ayrton’s Nanobeam S3, the smallest fixture in the S Series and the L-Acoustics X12. Prosound SA were showcasing some new companies this year including ETC Lighting, William Sound and Destini. They also had Electro-Voices EKX series on display and DPA’s d:facto. More of its brands include Eurotruss, Meyer Sound, Audio Technica, Furman and Ashly Audio. One of the most popular and well-attended events during the biennial Mediatech Africa 2015, held in July, were the Lighting Designer Sessions, sponsored and organised by Italian lighting manufacturer Clay Paky. Presented by multi award winning theatre and opera designer Paule Constable and largescale arena spectacular LD Durham Marenghi, both sessions were quickly oversubscribed from the moment they were announced and two further sessions were quickly scheduled to absorb the overflow. Constable, who is also Associate Director of the National Theatre, London, talked passionately about her preferred collaborative approach to the design process and illustrated this with images of her recent designs for shows including the award-winning Warhorse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

In contrast Marenghi focused on the challenges and joys in delivering theatrical style lighting designs for huge stadium events. He drew on his experiences at the Olympic Opening and Closing ceremonies, along with other large scale sporting events in Turin, Beijing and Sochi, to exemplify the techniques he employs. Blessing Mudehwe, LD for Celebration Ministries International said: “I have been searching for mentors like Durham and Paule to provide such invaluable advice so thank you.” Both Constable and Marenghi enjoyed the opportunity to meet local designers Tim Dunn of Gearhouse South Africa - who were the technical sponsor of Mediatech 2015 - a leading technical supplier, and lighting designer and theatre consultant Denis Hutchinson. Dunn spoke about how his own career started in Sheffield, UK, and chose to focus on, “The responsibilities on Lighting Design”. In summary, Mediatech 2015 seemed to be a successful show for everyone involved and the organisers did a great job throughout. From what the exhibitors were saying, Africa is really starting to pick up in the entertainment technology market. TPi certainly had a great time and even managed to fit in a Safari trip before the flight home... Mediatech, we look forward to returning in 2017. www.mediatech.co.za