With an all-star lineup packed with some of the most popular Afrikaans artists backed by an expert creative and technical team with a genuine passion for the project, it’s no surprise that Afrikaans is Groot (AIG) is one of South Africa’s most popular annual events. A celebration of Afrikaans music and culture, the event has become so popular that last year’s iteration saw nine shows take place over two consecutive weekends, with more than 70,000 people flocking to Pretoria’s SunBet Arena to take in the spectacular cultural experience. Produced by Coleske Artist Management under the leadership of Technical Director Ian…
Author: Peter Iantorno
Founded in 1981 by Ofer Lapid under the name Lighting Unlimited, Gearhouse South Africa began as a modest operation with limited resources but a clear ambition to support the region’s emerging events industry. Over the decades, it has grown into a leading technical production provider, now operating as the cornerstone of the Gearhouse Group of Companies. Based out of Johannesburg, with additional facilities in Cape Town and Durban, the company has built a reputation for delivering integrated solutions across a full spectrum of live events, from intimate gatherings to large-scale international productions. At the heart of Gearhouse’s success lies its…
In an era where the scale and ambition of live events continue to soar, the desire for highly trained and reliable on-site personnel has never been greater. Meeting that demand head-on is THE Production TEAM – a UK-founded company, part of Spendlove Group, rapidly expanding its footprint across the region. At the helm of the Middle East Operation is Ann Dacumos – an experienced events professional with a track record of successful projects in the region, supported by Daniel Clark, the Group General Manager, whose global perspective continues to shape the company’s delivery, “Our knowledge of the industry is undoubtedly…
What is Spectera and what industry need does it address? Spectera is the world’s first bidirectional wideband solution. Using the ground-breaking WMAS (Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems) technology, Spectera greatly reduces wireless system complexity, while at the same time considerably increasing capability, enabling time-saving workflows and offering full remote control and monitoring, including permanent spectrum sensing. The wideband solution will be ideal for large productions, whether in the touring, broadcasting, or theatre fields, or in any other area that requires multichannel audio setups. Spectera satisfies customers’ needs – ease of use, operational reliability and flexibility. It offers less hardware, drastically reduced…
Could you tell us more about the fixtures in the NEO series? The NEO Series is a family of high-performance RGBL wash fixtures designed for both live events and permanent installations. Each product is tailored to specific use cases while maintaining consistent colour quality and output across the range. The NEO Series includes: the NEO, the next generation of IP65-rated washlight, featuring 24 40W RGBL LEDs, delivering over 27,000 lumens; NEO FX, an IP65-rated pixel washlight that adds individual pixel control and a massive motorised zoom range; NEO mini, a compact yet powerful version of the NEO equipped with 10…
The Saudi Light & Sound Expo was one of a host of industry tradeshows taking place in May, but as one of the newer events, and being located in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets, it showed growth in both its floorplan and visitor numbers. Organised by dmg events and now in its fourth year, 2025 saw the exhibition return to Riyadh Front – the only centrally located exhibition space that can accommodate a show of this size now its floor space has been upped to two halls. By my count, SLS Expo had around 185 exhibitors this year plus…
Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres world tour, which is led by Production Manager, Chris Kansy, called upon Clair Global for communications solutions and IT deployments for the band’s performances at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, attended by almost 223,000 fans over two nights. Clair Global designed a communications system comprising two Riedel Communications Artist 64 digital intercom network frames, 50 Bolero wireless beltpacks and six panels. The band’s busy Showcaller, Julia Whittle, communicates via Clair’s main show channel, which has a one-way transmit to Motorola radios, while multiple radio interfaces are deployed to offer seamless coverage for distant positions,…
The Middle East has gained a reputation in recent years as a global leader when it comes to spectacular aerial events, and with Qatar’s recent Lusail Sky Festival, that status was given a further boost. Organised by Visit Qatar, in collaboration with Qatari Diar and held for three days at the start of April to coincide with the Eid al-Fitr weekend, the festival combined an array of aerial performances, including aerobatics, skydiving, skywriting demonstrations, high-speed jet displays, laser shows, and aerial pyrotechnics. Playing a central role in the event was a spectacular daily drone show, created by Lumasky, which featured…
Trivandi has acquired Brisbane-based Cutler Synthesized Projects, a specialist event overlay company with experience across multiple Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups and international sporting events. This strategic move enhances Trivandi’s end-to-end service offering and places the company at the forefront of the rapidly evolving major events industry, where sustainability, legacy and creativity are reshaping how events are delivered around the world. The acquisition marks another milestone in Trivandi’s impressive growth trajectory, following the launch of Trivandi Academy in May 2024, the acquisition of sustainability leader The Bulb in November 2024, and the opening of its APAC office in March 2025.…
Martin Professional Middle East and GESAB are celebrating a decade of partnership – 10 years of innovation, collaboration, and success across the Middle East and the GCC region. Since 2014, GESAB and Martin Professional Middle East, have joined forces to deliver exceptional projects that blend functionality with forward-thinking design. Over the past ten years, their synergy has transformed countless mission-critical environments, spanning control centers, security hubs, energy sectors, and beyond. From the beginning, the partnership was built on a shared vision: to combine world-class engineering with customised, human-centered design. GESAB’s ergonomic consoles and technical furniture paired seamlessly with Martin Professional’s…
The TPiMEA Awards 2025 took place on Thursday April 24, celebrating the achievements of the best and brightest talent in the region’s live events industry. Held for the first time at the new venue of Soho Garden, Palm Jumeirah, this year’s awards saw more than 500 people in attendance. With Headline Sponsor SLS Production taking on the majority of the technical supply, alongside fellow suppliers 3 Monkeys, CasaMilan, and GES, production levels were higher than ever. Among the big winners on the night were Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour, which was crowned Outstanding Event Production of the Year,…
Norwood Productions recently bolstered its audio capabilities with the acquisition of a d&b audiotechnik V-Series PA from the manufacturer’s South Africa distributor, Stage Audio Works. Norwood Productions now owns both V-Series line array systems and V-Series point source loudspeakers, enabling the company to serve the growing number of live events alongside its existing client base within the corporate market. “The point sources are awesome because it gives us the ability to really scale down when we need to work on a small event,” commented Chris Norwood, Founder and Director of Norwood Productions. “With these boxes, you can have them running…
