Vincent Lighting Systems of Cleveland, Ohio has added an e-commerce component to its revamped website, www.vincentlighting.com. This one-stop shopping venue for boxed goods offers over 6,000 products from 41 manufacturers with new products being added continually. In addition to 24/7 convenience, customers benefit from interactive features such as in-depth product descriptions and photos. The user-friendly system allows even a first-time customer to place an order with ease. Regular customers who set up an account have access to the Business-to-Business portal of the online store. B2B access allows a customer to view previous orders, quickly place a reorder of a previous purchase, view shipping information, and check invoices and RMA tracking.

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J.R. Clancy has always promoted the belief that rigging safety requires constant vigilance. In its over 120 year history, it has made safety a priority from design innovation through manufacturing and installation and promotes daily reinforcement of rigging safety. To help users of rigging systems, professionals and non-professionals alike, J.R. Clancy offers several safety support items.

Rigging products, like the PowerLift and the award-winning PowerAssist, offer innovative features for safely running a rigging system. The firm recently turned its attention to a few low tech safety solutions. J.R. Clancy has redesigned all of its instructional signs. They are free and can be ordered from Clancy as two-color signs or downloaded from the website.

The company has always sent out bright yellow plastic batten end caps to increase visibility of the ends of standard pipe battens. Now set capacity information has been added to the batten end caps, and Clancy will send up to 10 batten end caps to users without charge.

J.R. Clancy can help find a qualified rigging specialist to inspect the condition of backstage equipment. Those who would like to have a theatre inspected for safety and talk to a qualified rigging specialist can contact Tom Young at tomyoung@jrclancy.com.

The J.R. Clancy website is a great resource of rigging information, safety articles and even hosts interactive tours of different types of rigging systems so take time and explore it. The company also sponsors www.rigging-safety.com, a site that provides a wealth of rigging safety information.

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Creative Stage Lighting (CSL) has added North Central and South Central Dealer Sales divisions increasing the number of sales divisions from four to six.

The North Central Dealer Sales Division is managed by Rocky Harlow and includes Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The South Central Dealer Sales Division is managed by Seth Scott and includes Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

For more information, visit the company's website at www.creativestagelighting.com.

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Patricia Basileo has been promoted to vice president of American Harlequin. She has been the company's genereral manager since 1999. "Pat has become an irreplaceable part of American Harlequin" said President Robert Dagger. "With her vast knowledge of both our products and the sales industry, she is a driving force behind our success in the United States."

Ms. Basilio, of Medford, New Jersey, is a former Lindenhurst firefighter and Long Island business owner.

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Beginning in April, Vari-Lite embarked on a six-city road show as part of its 25th anniversary celebration.The show highlights the new VL3500 Wash luminaire, the newest member of the VARI-LITE Series 3000 family of luminaires, along with the complete line of VARI-LITE automated luminaires. The road show began in Los Angeles, California and will conclude in November in Orlando, Florida.

The Vari-Lite road show is scheduled to visit Los Angeles, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; New York City; Mexico City, Mexico (June 5 to 6); Nashville, Tennessee (June 14 to 15); Chicago, Illinois (June 21 to 22); and Orlando, Florida. To schedule a personal demonstration during the Vari-Lite road show, contact the appropriate Vari-Lite Regional Sales Manager.

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City Theatrical, Inc. (CTI) has moved to a new 40,000- square foot facility in Carlstadt, New Jersey. The move allows space to add newer and more productive machinery, better work flow, faster throughput, and improved facilities for employees and visitors, all while remaining almost the same distance from the Broadway theatre district as its former South Bronx factory.

CTI's move has allowed a significant expansion of manufacturing capability and speed. The addition of a second Amada CNC punch press more than doubles punching capacity, while the installation of a full conveyorized powder coating system will allow parts to move through the manufacturing line from raw materials to finished goods in just hours.

In electronics assembly, the addition of a lead-free surface mount pick and place system for printed circuit boards propels CTI to among the leaders in the lighting industry in this area, and complements CTI's existing wave solder line.

City Theatrical produces a full catalog of lighting accessories. The company's new contact information is: City Theatrical, Inc., 475 Barell Avenue, Carlstadt, NJ 07072; phone 201-549-1160; and fax 201-549-1161.

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As universities and academic performing arts centers employ increasingly sophisticated lighting rigs, they need powerful lighting consoles to control them. And consoles themselves become essential learning tools within the curricula of lighting design and theatre technology programs. Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is among the most recent schools to add Electronic Theatre Controls' (ETC) new Eos lighting control system to its program.

MTSU used the console for the first time in February, on Ramona Quimby, a play based on the book by Beverly Cleary. The Eos was delivered just days before the show's opening, and without any formal training, the lighting designer was able to program the show on the console. For more information about Eos, go to www.etcconnect.com.

Poland's broadcasting market is one of the largest in Eastern and Central Europe and Polish Public Television (TVP S.A.) is the largest broadcaster in the country -- with an average of 8 million viewers. TVP was so impressed by the caliber of lighting control on the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest, which was done with four ETC Congo consoles, TVP decided to acquire its own Congo.

TVP's studio in Poznań employs a range of moving lights including Clay Paky CP Colors, Robe ColorSpots, ColorWashes, and other lighting equipment similar to that used at Eurovision, so TVP technicians were confident the Congo would be compatible with their lighting inventory and could easily handle the station's changing demands. TVP technicians appreciate Congo's optional Polish language interface, which makes the system even easier and more accessible.

Steeped in history, TVP was created in 1937, the first television channel in Poland.

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Barbizon Systems Team in Florida played a vital role in the design, installation, and implementation of Telefutura Studios Stage B in Miami, Florida. The studio is home to Escandalo, a daily entertainment program featuring musical acts, topical issues, and entertainment personalities.

One of the challenges facing Telefutura was that the space was below three floors of active office space. Barbizon Florida Systems Manager Chip Schane worked closely with the architect, Antonio Cantillo, to design an insert support structure from which to suspend the pipe grid without transferring weight load to the surrounding floors. Stage B also was unique because many different productions take place within the course of the week and a series of ETC Unison push button stations enable the weekend staff to bring up looks from the floor without using the console or the RRFU.

Rounding out the integration for the ETC Net 2 system, was a series of portable touring nodes and stationary nodes, an ETC Insight 3, and a Martin Light Jockey for intelligent lighting control.

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Production Resource Group, L.L.C., (PRG) and High End Systems, Inc., (HES) announced a joint licensing agreement regarding their patent portfolios of lighting and control technology.

Both PRG and HES have been innovators in developing digital and analog lighting fixtures, systems, and controls for the entertainment industry. Both companies hold extensive catalogues of patents in the United States and abroad. Under the agreement, PRG will be able to offer licensees a single license that covers both the PRG and the HES patents.

HES is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and a leading innovator and manufacturer of automated and digital lighting instruments, and lighting control systems. PRG is a worldwide supplier of entertainment technology solutions, including video, lighting, audio, scenery, and automation systems. It has more than 19 offices in North America, Europe, and Asia.

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