NEW YORK — ESTA has published a new standard on slippery floors, and has made three draft standards available for public review on its Web site. The draft standards deal with the manufacture of chain hoists, the placement of followspots in public spaces and device description language (DDL) extensions for DMX512 and E1.31 devices.
NEW YORK — The IATSE has negotiated an agreement on behalf of backstage workers traveling with touring productions produced by NETworks, LLC. The collective bargaining agreement applies to five shows currently touring through the U.S. and Canada for their 2009/2010 seasons.
TROY, MI — LED maker ilumisys, Inc. and parent company Altair Engineering announced U.S. Patent No. 7,510,299 had been issued, adding to its group of patents held for LEDs that serve as replacements for fluorescent tubes. The company also announced that it would be “aggressively” challenging manufacturers and distributors of competing products with litigation.
KORTRIJK, Belgium — Barco announced a first-quarter 2009 operating loss of 6 million euros, attributing the blame in part to the weak corporate events sector. But the company’s chief executive, Eric Van Zele, who assumed his post in January, noted better-than-expected order volume in March, particularly for digital cinema products, and expressed cautious optimism for the rest of 2009.
LAS VEGAS — Lil Wayne’s I Am Music world tour is getting some big effects from Pyrotek Special Effects Inc. Lorenzo Cornacchia, vice president of Pyrotek Special Effects, worked with Daunte Kenner, production designer, and Maceo Price, production manager to integrate a series of effects for the tour.
FT. MYERS, FL — Tomcat USA is supporting the second national tour of Wicked with three overhead electric trusses, six Tomcat Dance Towers for stage left and right and a Cyc Tower for stage left and right.
SYRACUSE, NY — Mike Murphy, executive vice president of J. R. Clancy, Inc., has been named president of the rigging design and manufacturing company. Murphy takes over the president’s responsibilities from Bob Theis, who remains with the company as its chairman and chief executive officer.
SYRACUSE, NY—When the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York City moves into its new, $78 million home this fall, its 800-seat concert grade auditorium will feature rigging designed and manufactured by J. R. Clancy, Inc.
LOS ANGELES — Nick Jackson, co-founder of Light and Sound Design and former vice president of PRG’s concert touring division, has joined John Wiseman as partner at Chaos Visual Productions and will act as COO. Jackson has more than 35 years experience in concert production.
PARIS — PRG noted the debut of its Bad Boy luminaire on the recently completed first leg of the Oasis Dig Out Your Soul tour. “The Bad Boy was just what I had been looking for—a big bright large-format luminaire, that could be used as a narrow washlight with a couple of gobos as a bonus,” said LD Rob Gawler.
David Simpson, production consultant for Lone Star Ballet in Amarillo, Texas since 2002, died April 20 following a stroke. Simpson also worked as director of production for 4th Wall, Ltd. in Amarillo and on major events on a freelance basis.
BURGOS, Spain — With little more than 2,000 square feet in floorspace, dmode Club is ”cozy” compared to bigger clubs like the almost 70,000-square-foot Privelege in Ibiza.