Hoist UK showed for the first time at The ABTT show in London in June and received a great reception from old friends and new contacts alike.

Fellow directors Paul Jordan and Tony Dickson were very pleased to have been able to support the ABTT by exhibiting at this show "it is one of the most important events in the entertainment industry calendar" says Jordan, "I always enjoy this show and we have made many good friends and business colleagues during the last few years here at the Royal Horticultural Halls" adds Dickson.

Amongst other things Hoist UK showcased the Stagemaker variable speed system for the first time in the UK, offering live demonstrations of the system. The system offers a very flexible approach to multi speed and multi cue lifts that have become more and more important in the live entertainment industry.

Tony Dickson adds "When people think of a variable speed show cue system they automatically think of the Cyberhoist system which is widely used throughout Europe and offers the very highest levels of safety and precision with 0.1mm accuracy, and a 0.1 mm/sec slow speed as well as meeting the BGV C1 safety standard.

Along with this very special application and product comes the very special price tag which can push a client away from using this type of technology for reliable show cues into a smaller production, tour or event.

We have demonstrated the Stagemaker variable speed hoists and programmable controller at the ABTT show, and this has proved to be a very flexible, user friendly and more importantly an affordable alternative to this problem, offering an accuracy of 1 to 2mm, a lifting speed range of 0.5 to 16 metres per minute and being able to meet the strict BGV D8+ and BS7905 standards. The SM10 V and R8 CPU controller is perfectly acceptable for over 95% of the movement in most shows, due to the fact that it's easy to programme and is quiet in operation, ideal for the theatre and event industry.

We offered live demonstrations throughout the show and were inundated with people wishing to see the system, so much so that we have arranged to visit several clients at their premises for an extended system demonstration. We will be taking Hoist UK "on the road" during July demonstrating this affordable system to the industry.

Jordan added "We have found that there are a lot of myths and misconceptions within the industry both on the equipment available and as to the legislation and requirements for their use. We are happy to spend time with people and talk them through what can be a "legislation mine field" and we offer a fully engineered package that is fit for purpose with the full backing and certification of the manufacturer.

I think that we are the only industry supplier that offers this. A full system prepped and ready for use that is plug and play and complete with certification right out of the box.

The back up on the product also comes from the one of the largest manufacturers of lifting equipment in the world, so no worries there.