SHORT CIRCUITS

High End Systems is supplying lighting for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. LD John Rayment and lighting director Rohan Thornton are using over 300 Cyberlights[R], more than 130 each of Studio Beams[TM] and Studio Colors[R], and 14 Flying Pig Systems Wholehog II[R] consoles for control. Bytecraft, High End's exclusive Australian distributor and exclusive general lighting contractor for the events, is working with Germany-based companies Procon and Sound and Light to pull the massive system together...LD Chris Parry, who is also the principal of Axiom Lighting Design, has recently relocated from San Diego to New York...Leprecon supplied Lep Power Distribution Racks to Upstaging for the Summer Sanitarium tour, headlined by Metallica...Through two of its Korean distributors, Samhwa Yang Heng Co. Ltd. and C&C Electronics Inc., TMB Associates also contributed components, including a complete load distribution system and gear from ETC, Wybron, City Theatrical, Altman, and Le Maitre, to the LG Arts Center in Korea (July "Short circuits"). Stephanie Algarin has joined TMB in the newly created position of marketing administrator... Updating another July entry, two 510i rack-mount consoles and 12 Alto Pirouette PCs are among Strand Lighting equipment keeping The Witches of Eastwick aloft at London's Theatre Royal. Howard Harrison is the LD and Lighting Dimensions contributor Robert Halliday is the moving-light programmer...Scottsdale, AZ-based Louie Lighting has launched e-commerce at www.louielighting.com, offering products and information on lighting design...GAM Products has appointed Le Mark Group its lead distributor within the UK, reintroducing selected items from its product range. Le Mark project manager Jeremy Bramley helped introduce the GAM Torch to the UK...Lighting designer Heather Carson will join the faculty at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts department of design this fall and will be teaching third-year graduate students...King of Prussia, PA-based Current Events International provided concert and corporate audio and lighting systems for more than 30 events related to the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in August. LD Bill Klages was on hand, with High End Systems equipment supplied by PRG, lighting various performers and spectators at the RNC...Apollo Design Technology recently claimed the Greater Fort Wayne (IN) Chamber of Commerce Large Business of the Year award. Staff appointments include Brandi Hite (executive assistant), Kathy Yarrington (receptionist), Melissa Reader (inside sales), and Mike Pick (research and development). The company also has a new address: 4130 Fourier Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46818; phone and fax numbers remain the same...Products from Italy's La Novalight, including searchlights and centerpieces, are being distributed exclusively in the US by Kent, WA-based OmniSistem Lights & Effects...SurgeX, manufacturer of Series Mode surge suppressors, has recognized independent sales representative firm Cardone, Solomon & Associates as its rep of the year for 1999...Littlite named Fuzion PLC export distributor of the year, and New England Technical Associates its rep of the year. The company also appointed St. Louis-based Audio Video Associates as its rep firm for Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas... W.A.C. Lighting and R. Saul & Associates named Paul Mulley and Mark Iddon its new sales reps in Georgia and Alabama...Mark Swanson has joined Hermitage Lighting Gallery as an exterior lighting sales representative...Super Vision International has appointed Fritz Meyne as senior director of its sign products division...Industry veteran Barry Rackover has joined Production Resource Group as vice president of PRG Lighting Michigan. PRG has reassigned George Kindler to director of engineering duties at Signal Perfection Ltd. in Las Vegas; phone: 702/942-4570... Total Fabrications has added Neil Darracott to its staff in the UK, while technical director Peter Hind has been appointed to the Council of the Institution of Structural Engineers, for a term that runs from October 2000 to October 2003...In the US, Total Structures supplied the roof canopy structure for the 2000 commencement ceremony at Stanford University in California, a Live 4 Live Inc. design...ETC Americas has promoted Todd Reemtsma to associate regional manager for its Northeast US region, including Broadway and Atlantic City...High End hires: Stu Chalmers is the company's new vice president of operations, overseeing product manufacturing, as the firm ramps up for ISO certification by year end. Sean Hoey has been promoted to US and Canada sales manager, and Thommy Hall is its Northeast sales rep at its New York office. Jimmy Chai has been promoted to regional sales manager for High End Systems Singapore. And departures: High End's vice president of sales Grif Palmer and High End Singapore's general manager Adrian Oh. Both are pursuing new opportunities outside the lighting field...Ivan Myles has been appointed general manager of UK trading at Strand Lighting.