Stay up to date with the latest happenings in the live events and technical production industry. From product launches and training sessions to behind-the-scenes stories and project highlights, our news section is where you’ll find it all.
Get the scoop on what’s new at DWR, follow our journey with industry partners, and discover the people and moments that make our community so unique. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, information, or innovation — this is the place to be.

Re-Opening Guidelines
The Event Safety Council, a sub-committee of the SA Events Council, has drafted the Re-Opening Guidelines for the Events Industry in South Africa. The guidelines are based on current South African legislation covering the National State of Disaster as well as global best practices. They provide COVID-19 specific processes and

A tribute to the good times at Solid Studios
Many new friendships and partnerships have been forged during these tough Covid-19 times, such as the feel-good story of Capetonians Alex Van Dyk from SOLID Group and Alan Muller who created Solid Studios that ran from April to the start of October this year. When the South African lockdown was

Claypaky Fixtures Support The LD Talent Club’s Warehouse Competition for Young Lighting Designers in Germany
September – The LD Talent Club – The Warehouse Competition held its 2020 contest finale in September at the historic Zeche Zollern in Dortmund, Germany where Claypaky fixtures were among more than 500 lighting instruments featured in show projects and on site illuminating architecture and landscapes. Eighty-eight young lighting

iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles “Hearts” DiGiCo
Major broadcaster purchases new Quantum338 and SD12 consoles from ATK Audiotek and immediately puts them into service on tenth annual iHeartRadio Music Festival BURBANK, California – October 2020 – The tenth annual iHeartRadio Music Festival, a two-day virtual streaming, radio and TV broadcast event in late September, featured a

Signature Lighting Design for Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Lighting designer Dav Bettenhausen of design firm Lankford Fendler + Associates redesigns the exterior lighting experience for one of the world’s most recognizable concert halls Home to the Kansas City Ballet, Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Kansas City Symphony, The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

New Theater Zuidplein Invests in Robe LED Fixtures
The brand-new Theater Zuidplein in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, has over 200 Robe LED fixtures – including T1 Profiles, Spiiders, LEDBeam 150s and ParFect 150s – installed as part of an all-LED lighting rig. It is among the first cultural centres worldwide to have no dimmers! Theater Zuidplein was designed

Clear-Com Helps Black News Channel Keep Comm Lines Open
Clear-Com tech and training made big difference as new network dealt with launch and COVID-19 TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Launching a new network is difficult enough, but almost immediately having to adapt to a global pandemic raises those challenges to a new level. That was the situation that faced Black News Channel,

Green Hippo launches HippoSchool Online
UK – Video manipulation expert Green Hippo is launching an online version of its popular ‘HippoSchool’ training for the first time, making it universally accessible in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The move means more emerging users of its industry-leading Hippotizer Media Server range can access learning in a virtual environment

New training website for riggers
A4i.tv is a brand new website which provides tips and knowledge on rigging, trussing and staging. Created by the manufacturers of Prolyte, Milos, Litec, Tomcat, JTE and EXE Technology, www.a4i.tv offers a fantastic range educational videos available which includes rigging basics and product basics, to the sharing of useful

Robe Dances with the Stars in the USA
The 29th series of the popular TV dance competition “Dancing With The Stars” (DWTS) returned to ABC this month with new host Tyra Banks and 178 x Robe MegaPointes on the lighting plot as part of lighting designer Tom Sutherland’s precision-crafted epic look for the first series performed without a

Green Hippo parties with Veronica Maggio and Red Bull
Stockholm, Sweden – Visual design studio PXLFLD recently deployed Hippotizer Media Servers from Green Hippo, the specialist creator of tools for the real-time manipulation of video for the AV industries, to provide the visual backdrop for a top-secret party and live performance by singer-songwriter Veronica Maggio. Conceived by Red Bull,

The show goes on with AJR and Heartfelt Arena
Heartfelt Arena, a 4 500-seater venue in Pretoria, and technical supplier AJR Audio have stood together in protest by hosting events, without making a profit, to prove how shows can safely continue during the Covid-19 pandemic. In July, Eugene Pienaar from Heartfelt Arena and Altus Janse van Rensburg, owner

Robe T1 PCs for Pilbeam Theatre Rockhampton
The Pilbeam Theatre in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, is a lively performing arts hub for the city and region. Located in a commanding position fronting onto the Fitzroy River, before the coronavirus pandemic dramatically impacted on all areas of performing arts … the venue regularly presented a diverse mix of drama,

Standing As One at Silverstone for #WeMakeEvents Global Day of Action
Persistent and torrential rain didn’t dampen any spirits or enthusiasm at Silverstone Circuit in the UK where moving light manufacturer Robe UK, rental and production company Clearsound and Silverstone’s events and conference team transformed the world-famous race track’s ‘Wing’ building and conference centre ‘resplendent red’ for the evening of 30th

Rokundo in the director’s seat!
Rokundo Netshiluvhi of DirectorRo has managed to ride the Covid-19 wave and come out tops, using this time to learn, establish himself as a talented lighting designer and set up a virtual platform at Vision View Productions based in Cosmo Business Park, Johannesburg. He is also a walking testament

2020 iHeartRadio Music Festival Goes Virtual with Claypaky Fixtures Lighting Up LA-based Artists
September – The iHeartRadio Music Festival marked its tenth anniversary virtually this year recording its headline artists live, with no audiences, in Los Angeles and Nashville. Lighting Designer Matthew Ardine handled the LA portion of the show, which hosted Miley Cyrus, Migos, Alicia Keys, Swae Lee, Khalid and Usher at

Robe on the Rig for NHL Return to Play
North America’s National Hockey League (NHL) spectacularly returned to play – without live audiences but with massive enthusiasm, determination and impressive TV and online followings – for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoff series which had been suspended in April during the Coronavirus pandemic. Lighting equipment was supplied by Solotech and

Basic DiGiCo Operational Training
DWR Distribution’s Kyle Robson is delighted to invite you to join him for Basic DiGiCo operational training on Tuesday, 13 October form 9am to 5pm. Due to adhering to the Covid-19 safety regulations, a maximum of ten delegates will be permitted to attend. The practical training will include

L-Acoustics Reveals Compact, Full-Range K3 Line Source System
Shipping immediately, K3 completes the K Series lineup, taking its place between the popular K2 and Kara II enclosures as the perfect versatile solution for today’s reshaped events MARCOUSSIS, France – October 2020 – L-Acoustics rounds out its industry-leading K Series with the introduction of K3, the manufacturer’s smallest full-range

Robe for Circo de Hielo 2
It’s approaching a year since Spanish lighting designer Juanjo Llorens first enthusiastically compiled his design for Circo de Hielo 2, the latest winter show from Madrid-based Productores de Sonrisas (Smile Producers), creators of large scale multidisciplined extravaganzas like Circo de Los Horrores and many others. The newest arena show, directed

Clear-Com Connects the University Cultural Centre at National University of Singapore
– FreeSpeak II and HelixNet complete state-of-the-art facility upgrade – The University Cultural Centre (UCC) is the cultural heart of The National University of Singapore. Since its opening 2000, the UCC has hosted political and cultural leaders, thought leaders and many well-known artistes and musicians. It is also key asset

Powerful performance: New products for grandMA3 onPC solutions
MA Lighting has introduced new products for its grandMA3 onPC range: the grandMA3 onPC fader wing and the grandMA3 onPC xPort Nodes DIN-Rail. The grandMA3 onPC fader wing is designed as the perfect hardware playback expansion to the grandMA3 onPC software. In combination with this free of charge software, the

Tony Reade – founder of Rigging SA
Tony Reade, the founder of Rigging SA, has enjoyed a colourful career, enriched by working with influential and hardworking people. Rigging SA is well known for supplying reliable riggers and quality film rigging equipment but it’s super special to look back to where it all started. You’ll certainly recognize some

Etienne Daho revisits Eden with MDG ATMOSPHERE
To mark the re-release of his classic album Eden at the end of 2019, French singer-songwriter and pop star, Etienne Daho, embarked upon a 17-date concert tour of France’s most beautiful venues, including jewels like Philharmonie, Pleyel and Olympia. The final date took place in January 2020, narrowly avoiding

Robe Lights Pula Arena Red for #WeMakeEvents Campaign
Robe moving lights were at the core of a truly spectacular lighting scheme designed to illuminate the magnificent Pula Arena in Croatia in red for the evening of September 1st … This was in solidarity with the #RedAlertRESTART action in the USA which saw over 2000 buildings lit in red

L-Acoustics’ live stream product launch
On October 1st, L-Acoustics is hosting an exciting global livestream product launch! L-Acoustics will be streaming from three different cities, with three of their top application team members presenting all the details of the newest loudspeaker to join the family. This is a streaming event you won’t want to miss! Date: October 1st,

Vectorworks Spotlight 2021
You are invited for an introduction to Vectorworks Spotlight 2021 with Dylan Jones from DWR Distribution on Thursday, 1 October at 14:00. Join us on Zoom. As entertainment events get more challenging and technology evolves to handle more complex levels of productions, designers demand tools that help solve intricate

Hello Platform ZA!
Synonymous for working together as technical director and supplier on popular art and music festivals across South Africa like Innibos, Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK) and Aarkloop, Pieter Jan-Kapp (Kappie) from PJK Management and Christiaan Ballot of technical supplier Blond Productions took the road less travelled over the Covid-19

Hippotizer Drives Dynamic LED Array for The Voice Kids Colombia
Colombia – TV singing contest The Voice continues to dominate global viewing habits, and The Voice Kids in Colombia on Caracol Television is one incarnation of the phenomenon. Like its sister shows around the world, the spectacle demands ever-better visuals as each season ups the one before. For the

DKSS offer exciting Pop-Up Events
For those who refuse to give up on life, events and making memorable occasions, DKSS are proud to announce Pop-Up Events and their in-house virtual live studio. Midrand based technical supplier, DKSS, has surrounded itself with upbeat clients and suppliers to create unusual events during these unusual Covid-19 times.

South African Live Events Industry, this is your time to shine!
The South African Live Events Industry is encouraged to step out, mobilise their teams and motivate their clients to create events. You are permitted up to 500 people for outdoor gatherings and 250 for indoor gatherings in terms of the Covid-19 gatherings act, and hard work and clever thinking will

The world needs your help – join “We Make Events
The South African Live Events Industry is invited to stand with industry players across the globe, most of whom are still unable to work during this time, as they raise awareness at the #WeMakeEvents campaign – please join them on 30 September at 8pm local time. While you may want

New! The feature-packed Hippotizer Nevis+
Green Hippo is excited to announce our new lightweight, affordable Nevis+ Media Server, designed to open up new a new world of options for our community. Featuring all of the creative power of its well-known bigger brothers, the Nevis+ is designed to provide a smaller, inexpensive solution for video creation, visualisation

The headphones have landed!
Audix is proud to introduce the new line of dynamic, closed back headphones – designed for audio professionals and audiophiles to deliver the most accurate sound possible. With four models to pick from, there is a pair of headphones for every pair of ears. All four models feature acoustically-optimized, cushioned

Level 1 for live events industry
It’s a step in the right direction for the live events industry in South Africa as the country is scheduled to move to Level 1 of the risk reduction strategy implemented to slow the spread of Covid-19, next week Monday, 21st September. The eased restrictions will allow up to

Meet Green Hippo’s Hippotizer power-users
Creative Conversations: Jon9 of Holonyne Corporation Los Angeles, USA – As a leading specialist in visual content delivery, Jon9 thinks big. Not necessarily in terms of screens, pixels and layers, but in the bigger-picture possibilities of experiential entertainment and visual storytelling. With technical and creative expertise in equal measure,

3by3 Space Opens at Volt Lites, Burbank with Claypaky Mini-B LED Moving Lights as Versatile, Workhorse Fixtures
September – Volt Lites Co-founders Matthew Shimamoto and Harrison Lippman and Lulu Creative Director Michael Zinman of Zinman Company have launched the 3by3 Space on the premises of entertainment production services company Volt Lites in Burbank. The three partners have created a safe stage for the COVID-19 era that’s equipped

The show goes on with Urban Sessions 2020
As the city slept during the Covid-19 lockdown, a deserted building in downtown Johannesburg became a beacon of hope for musicians. Urban Sessions 2020, an amalgamated project by Militia Broadcast, technical supplier Stage Effects and Smack Entertainment for audio, created a studio for musicians to live-stream concerts to their

Avignon’s Palais des Papes Lights up with Robe ESPRITES
The famous Palais des Papes in Avignon, France came alive bathed in a vibrant collage of colours, shapes, and textures – thanks to 12 x Robe ESPRITE moving lights – which were part of a design by LD Fabien Chamakoff for the 2020 Helios Festival. Launched in 2017, the event

The Sound of Victory at Mamayev Kurgan with DiGiCo and Stage Audio
On 24 June, a spectacular concert was hosted at Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd in honour of the 75th anniversary of VE Day. One of the only concerts allowed during Russia’s Covid-19 lockdown, it featured famous artists from Russia’s vibrant theatre, opera and cinema worlds, accompanied by the All-Russian Youth

#Flightcasemovement fight for human rights
For the South African Live Events Industry, September the 8th will never be the same again – it was an emotional day that will be tattooed in the hearts and souls of the two hundred people consisting of business owners, technicians and freelancers, who gathered at the Paul Kruger

Robe Installed at Terminal 5 New York
Three key live music venues in New York City managed by The Bowery Presents – Brooklyn Steel, Webster Hall and most recently the Mondo Award-nominated, 2800 capacity Terminal 5 in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan – all feature Robe moving lights in their house rigs. The lights have been specified by Luciano

Struggling live event technicians to march to Department of Sports, Arts and Culture
The #Flightcasemovement is a call for all South African technical companies, technical crew and freelance technicians, to hand deliver a memorandum of demands to the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC) on Tuesday, 8thSeptember 2020. Business owners, technicians and freelancers in the live events industry will meet at Paul

Virtual studios with MGG
Technical events supplier, MGG, have set up two virtual studios at their premises to accommodate their clients’ wide range of events from conferences to product launches, live broadcasts, and music performances. Interestingly enough, this professional virtual experience is extremely affordable. It’s not a Zoom meeting but rather an appealing package

Seongnam Arts Center Completes State-of-the-Art Upgrade with Clear-Com
– HelixNet and FreeSpeak II elevate live performance capabilities in Korea – Seongnam Arts Center is a cultural hub in South Korea that prides itself on being a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose performance facility. Ease of use, durability and reliability of equipment are what make one venue the preferred choice

Robe Gets UNLOCKED in Perth
Smiles and high spirits abounded at the HBF Stadium in Perth, Australia at the country’s first large scale live music event since March! UNLOCKED, staged mid-July, was possible due to the Western Australian state lockdown entering Phase 5 on the 27th of June, and Zaccaria Concerts’ brainchild ‘Castaway’ and VenuesWest

DiGiCo and KLANG capable and cost-effective for Selwyn Outreach Centre
Despite the current pandemic hitting the AV industry particularly hard, some organizations are making the most of the mandatory downtime by carrying out system upgrades that would have otherwise been challenging during regular event scheduling. This was certainly the case for The Selwyn Outreach Center in Peterborough, ON., which

Robert Juliat Roxie2 followspots installed by Clearwing Systems Integration in Wisconsin’s Waterford Union High School
Clearwing Systems Integration (systems.clearwing.com) has provided systems design and integration for the LED lighting upgrade at Waterford Union High School’s auditorium and other venues and included Robert Juliat Roxie2 followspots as part of the new improvements. Waterford Union High School is located approximately 25 miles southwest of Clearwing’s Milwaukee

Anolis Illuminating the Base
Over 160 Anolis – a Robe business – LED luminaires have been used to illuminate public and connecting areas of the Les Bassins de Lumières, an imposing former World War II U-Boat bunker in Bordeaux, France. Originally known as ‘Betasom’, four of the 11 vast submarine basin areas have been
Robe at the #LightSARed Campaign
Story by Louise Stickland The South African entertainment industry unified en mass for their August 5th #LightSARed ‘Code Red’ activation … to shout out the critical state of the live entertainment industry and its support infrastructure, which has had no work, no cashflow – and no meaningful government support

Astera Gets COLOSSAL
COLOSSAL is a lively, dynamic, and inventive street theatre and performing arts company based in Wellington, New Zealand, founded by three highly creative individuals, brothers Zane and Degge Jarvie and Imogen Stone, with backgrounds in circus, architecture, and design. Over the last three years, COLOSSAL has started working light in