For the fourth consecutive year, Vimal Rawjee of Insane Sound and Lighting was appointed to supply the full technical for Miss Soweto. Hosted at the Soweto Theatre in Jabulani, Johannesburg, the event took a hybrid format, being recorded for TV and with 100 guests in attendance. Having not worked on a large-scale production since the start of the pandemic, the experience was a mixed bag of adrenalin and nostalgia. “I was scared but excited,” commented Rawjee. “It has been a while! But I have a good team of guys who always step up and make my craziness happen. This really…
Author: Peter Iantorno
While many planned company expansions, mergers and acquisitions around the world have been put on hold since the emergence of COVID-19, when it came to Area Four Industries opening a new outpost in the Middle East, not even a global pandemic could get in the way of progress. Having signed on the dotted line at ISE in February 2020, for the past year, Kevin Boujikian, General Manager, Area Four Industries Direct Middle East, has been busy providing clients with direct access to the world’s best-known truss, staging and hoist brands belonging to the group, including LITEC, MILOS, Prolyte, James Thomas…
The region’s largest multipurpose indoor events venue, Etihad Arena is set to become the UAE’s leading entertainment landmark. General Manager, Brint Jackson talks TPMEA through how the arena is dealing with the pandemic and sets out his ambitious plans for the future. https://issuu.com/mondiale/docs/tpmea29_digitallr/36
David Guetta is not a man who does things by half measures. With the global pandemic putting a halt to his world tour, the award-winning DJ set about coming up with an alternative way to keep his fans entertained and raise much-needed funds for charity in the process. The resulting project, United At Home, has seen Guetta put on spectacular performances from Miami, New York, a New Year’s Eve show from the Louvre, Paris, and now Dubai’s Burj Al Arab. “In these difficult times, we hope to bring comfort, joy, and support through the power of music and emotions,” the…
The 2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship got underway on 26 and 27 February, with a double-header in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Returning to the UNESCO World Heritage site for the third season in a row, this year’s event saw the first ever Formula E night races, with the latest low-power LED technology being utilised to create a spectacular show while reducing energy consumption by up to 50% compared to non-LED tech. Conducting the planning and organisation of the event once again was STAMiNA Productions, while the Ministry of Sports (MOS) appointed Blink Experience to handle the host city scope.…
Steve Kearney gives his insight on how the industry has handled the pandemic and shares his vision for the comeback of live events in 2021 and beyond. https://issuu.com/mondiale/docs/tpmea29_digitallr/6 Photos: Gallowglass Health & Safety/ hyku www.gallowglasshs.com
Known for working with some of the biggest names in comedy, Peter Green launches a new company to keep smiles on the faces of Dubai audiences. https://issuu.com/mondiale/docs/tpmea29_digitallr/46 Photos: GME Events www.gme-events.com
The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, held its an annual event honouring the work of Israeli scientists recently, taking on a fully digital format for the very first time. Lighting Designer Eran Klein of Cochavi&Klein selected an all-Robe moving light rig for the event, which was co-ordinated by communications agency, FaZa. Staged at the usual location of the Weizmann Institute campus’s Sela Auditorium, while the event had no live audience, there was a range of ‘live’ presentational content, including lectures, seminars, presentations, Q&A sessions and the bestowing of honorary doctorates and other awards. The team comprised Liron Zabari,…
Barco has provided projection technology for a ground-breaking new immersive art centre in Dubai. Located in The Dubai Mall, Infinity des Lumières will allow visitors to discover a novel approach to experiencing art. The first set of digital immersive shows, starting in 2021, will focus on the masterpieces of coveted artists including Van Gogh, Japanese artists such as Hokusai and Kuniyoshi, as well as the contemporary artist and moviemaker, Thomas Vanz. With an area of 2,700 sq m and 3,300 sq m screen surface (walls and floor), the art centre will be powered by 130 of Barco’s cutting-edge projectors, including…
Creative Technology Middle East has made two major hires for its newly formed Venue Services Department. Dailos Rodriguez joins as the Venue Operations Manager, while Mark Johnson has been appointed to the role of Business Development Manager. “It is an exciting time for the Middle East as we continue to grow and expand our team of professionals and our offering,” commented Andrew Reardon, Managing Director. “It is a pleasure to have both Mark and Dailos on board, and I wish them all the best going forward.” With over 24 years of experience in the hospitality and audio-visual industry, working across…
Stage Audio Works (SAW) has appointed Lee Thomson to the newly created role of Projects Sales Manager, with Mike Summerfield taking on the post of Distribution Sales Manager. The move follows the decision to restructure the sales operation into two distinct verticals – namely Projects and Distribution – to better serve both markets. The Projects team will look after markets served directly by SAW; these include key accounts in the houses of worship, themed attractions and casinos, sports, and performing arts sectors. The Distribution team will manage those markets chiefly served through a reseller/integrator channel; namely corporate AV, education, retail,…
For four consecutive years, Egyptian MegaStar Amr Diab has performed to capacity crowds as part of January’s highly popular Dubai Shopping Festival. This year’s show was no less popular, despite current COVID-19 safety restrictions. Organiser SIA moved this year’s concert to the 25,000-capacity Dubai Sports City Stadium for a socially distanced audience of 6,000. To retain the same energy level and give fans the best experience, the leading regional AV supplier, THE Technology, supplied a substantial L-Acoustics K Series system, ensuring a quality, energetic audio experience for this new arena audience ratio and size. “SIA had a big challenge,” commented…
