Industry veteran and executive producer Soren West has joined TAIT as Executive Vice President, MENA. In this role, West will be a key leader for TAIT focusing on growth across MENA and the Gulf Coast. “I went to TAIT for a job in 1996 and they turned me away,” commented West, winding back the clocks on his long history with the company and the Rock Lititz Community. “I spent the next 22 years working across the street; we grew up together.” In those two decades, West served as CEO of ATOMIC, co-founder of Beame Lighting (which was sold to 4Wall),…
Author: Peter Iantorno
At Unilumin, we continually strive to innovate, bringing cutting-edge visual solutions to our customers across the globe, including the Middle East. Our latest product lines include the XV Transparent Series, the Utile EA Series, and the highly flexible XC & XS Series. These products cater specifically to the region’s growing demand for high-performance, rental-friendly LED displays, boasting impressive visual clarity and adaptability. For indoor applications, our 1.9mm pixel pitch ensures remarkable detail, while the 2.9mm outdoor variant offers stunning outdoor performance, both of which elevate staging and event experiences in the Middle East to new levels of sophistication. Can you…
As much as campaign groups, major companies and industry figureheads are raising awareness and working to address the imbalance between men and women in the live events industry, it’s clear that women are still underrepresented – especially when it comes to technical roles. One person who is devoted to levelling the playing field is Valerie Gard, a TPiMEA Award-winning audio engineer and system technician who has been involved with some of the biggest shows both inside and outside the Middle East, from the likes of Anoushka Shankar, Christian Scott, and London Royal Philharmonic to the main stage at Expo 2020…
While Lebanon has been in the global headlines for all the wrong reasons recently, if there’s one thing that the Lebanese people are famous for, it’s their unrivalled capacity to party at any given opportunity. One such opportunity that was grabbed with both hands by locals and international visitors alike was the Aegis Festival, which saw crowds of music lovers descend on the ancient northern coastal city of Batroun in July for three nights of back-to-back revelry featuring a packed roster of DJs including Agents of Time, Hiroko Yamamura, Seth Troxler, and Frankey & Sandrino. Taking place in the usually…
Latin pop sensation Enrique Iglesias returned to Dubai in September for his debut sold-out concert at the Coca-Cola Arena with local audio solutions from Clair Global UAE and support from touring partner, Sound Image. With 180 million worldwide record sales to his name, Iglesias has a huge live following, and his recent performance in the Middle East was met with palpable excitement. An artist accustomed to high-level touring, the singer’s crew relies on Sound Image, a Clair Global brand, for international audio solutions, and with one-off performances such as this, Clair UAE picked up the rider locally, ensuring environmental goals…
With a rich history of putting together the logistical operations behind the world’s biggest shows dating back to the late 1970s, when it comes to concert touring, Rock-it Cargo has always been at the forefront of the industry. From bringing Billy Joel’s tour into the former Soviet Union to facilitating Metallica becoming the first band to play all seven continents, the company has been the backbone of many a groundbreaking production over the years. Rock-it Cargo is no stranger to the Middle East, having operated in the region for many years, and the company’s presence in the region was strengthened…
Atlantis The Palm has hosted some epic live shows over the years, with the stunning seaside location nestled on the tip of the Crescent and the hotel’s iconic arch providing the perfect backdrop and atmosphere for some of Dubai’s most memorable nights of live music. The latest big name to grace the venue was Martin Garrix, whose show in early May marked the long-awaited return of the Atlantis Live series, returning to the hotel for the first time in a decade. Recalling the origins of the show, Protec’s General Manager Matt Allen, who served as Project Director, explained how the…
Company slogans don’t always align with the values of an organisation or the people behind it, but in the case of DWR Distribution, the company’s motto, ‘It’s all about the people’, resonates from top to bottom. This people-first ethos that values relationships above all else is driven by the company’s founder, Duncan Riley – a man who embodies the slogan in everything he does. TPiMEA got to witness the extraordinary generosity of Riley first hand recently during a trip to Johannesburg, where we were introduced to the great and good of the South African events and entertainment industry, with Riley…
Here at TPiMEA, we’ve walked around more than our fair share of dusty warehouses over the years, and while it’s always a privilege to be allowed access to the innerworkings of any organisation, after a while, the novelty can wear thin. However, as soon as the invite came through for CTME’s CONNECTME24 event, there was no doubt that this would be an occasion well worth the trip. A multiday showcase of the latest tech presented by the highly skilled CTME team in the company’s brand-new Dubai facility, the event set the standard for the industry across the region. From the…
When TPiMEA visited Onyx Arena prior to its opening [TPiMEA48], we were promised a state-of-the-art, multipurpose venue capable of hosting “anything from conferences and sporting events to concerts and everything in between”, and sure enough, the arena got off to a flying start, with MDLBEAST bringing a trio of shows over consecutive weekends, starring the likes of Don Toliver and Axwell, Jack Harlow and Salvatore Ganacci, as well as Bebe Rexha and Afrojack. The design concept for the shows was created by the MDLBEAST creative and production teams, led by Creative Director Quentin Greyling and Production Director, Jonny Gaskell, alongside…
Ask most events industry clients what they want from their suppliers and the words ‘sustainability’ and ‘innovation’ often appear high on the list of priorities. They are two qualities that are becoming increasingly valued, and organisations are placing more and more emphasis on ensuring that both are being delivered at every possible touchpoint. One person leading the charge in both fields is Jason English, CEO at Al Laith and Chief Ecosystem Officer of the wider CG Tech Group. Alongside his more than 20 years of senior management experience, English is one of the handful of South African-born leaders to be…
Having cemented himself on the global touring scene, Hans Zimmer’s live performances where he gives rousing renditions of some of his most iconic musical masterpieces from movies such as Gladiator, Interstellar and The Lion King have garnered praise the world over. As part of his packed touring schedule, the German maestro recently brought his extensive orchestra to Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena for two sold-out shows. Production Director Jim Baggott of Nvisible Productions called upon Clair Global UAE and Creative Technology Middle East to provide local support for the shows. “Clair supported us with all our audio needs throughout rehearsals and the…
