AUSTRALIA: Australian production company AVE (Audio Visual Events) has become the first in the country to invest in ROXX NEO lite fixtures, with the acquisition supplied through Show Technology Australia & New Zealand, the official regional representative for ROXX. The investment adds a new generation of battery-powered, IP-rated LED wash fixtures to AVE’s rental inventory, supporting a wide range of indoor and outdoor event applications.

Established in 2002, AVE has built a reputation for delivering technical production services across Australia’s live events sector. The company’s latest investment addresses the growing need for flexible lighting solutions that can reduce installation time while adapting to increasingly compressed production schedules.

“The purchase came down to a specific gap in our kit,” commented Paul Keating, AVE’s Director/Sales & Marketing Manager. “We required a fixture that was IP-rated, ran on either battery or 240v, had CRMX, and came with barn doors, all in a small form factor that still delivers real punch. The ROXX NEO lites hit every one of those marks.”

According to AVE, the ability to operate from battery power while supporting CRMX significantly reduces cabling requirements during bump-ins and bump-outs, improving deployment efficiency and lowering labour demands for event crews. And the decision to invest followed meetings between AVE’s leadership team and ROXX during ISE, with local support from Show Technology Australia & New Zealand also playing a key role. “Ultimately, it was the relationship that sealed it,” Paul continued. “Add ShowTech’s support behind the product and the decision made sense. What’s more, DQ’s ability to customise the road cases to AVE’s standards ensured we had confidence in the entire package.”

AVE’s initial purchase comprises 16 ROXX NEO lite fixtures, which have already entered active service across a range of productions. “They’ve been working hard since they arrived,” commented Paul. “As the team gets more reps with them and starts recommending them on spec, we expect uptake from our cross-hire clients to follow.”

The fixtures made their production debut during the Tim Tszyu vs Spence face-off at Sydney’s Watersedge venue for No Limit Boxing, broadcast live on Fox Sports, where they were used on an outdoor stage overlooking Sydney Harbour. They subsequently supported a 2,500-person incentive event, Bell Shakespeare’s Open Day and a teachers’ conference at the Neilson Nutshell, demonstrating their versatility across a variety of live event environments. “Straight out of the box, they’re working well for us, which is exactly what you want out of a new product,” commented Paul.

When asked where he expects the fixtures to be used, Mark Shepherd, Director/Head of Production at AVE, offered a simple response: “Everywhere! We’ll run them indoors and out, and that versatility is the point. They’re strong on a building wash, equally good on a media wall, and they hold up as an audience wash indoors. Versatility earns a fixture space in our warehouse, and these have it.”

Mark also highlighted several features that distinguish the fixtures in practical applications, including Bluetooth control, NFC programming and a magnetic filter system that enables rapid beam-angle changes. “For a Lighting Designer building an event solution, that combination is rare, and it opens up how you rig a room,” he stated. “Their light intensity is phenomenal. It packs a punch for its size. It’s a small fixture, but its output competes with rigs of larger fixtures. That means weight and space-saving benefits. The magnetic filters are the detail that wins people over. Integrated magnets snap the filters into place with instant alignment. No screws to lose, no clips to break. It’s a smart, simple execution that holds up under the pressure of a fast bump-in. NFC is becoming a standard, and not just in lighting. We love addressing the fixtures through the app wirelessly. It saves time in the shop, with no endless button-pushing or menu navigation to set them up. The menus are there when you want them, but NFC means you rarely do.”