TR25Road – Toowoomba Highlights

TR25Road – Toowoomba

The third stop on the Technorama TR25Road has has wrapped. Over thirty Technoramans and guests game together over the weekend of 8-10 August to experience discussion, social activities, tours and presentations. In the words of one attendee: “amazing, and completely exceeded any expectation I could have had”.

Pre-Day Tour

We kicked off the TR25 Road Show on Friday with our Pre-Day Tour.

The Technorama team had the privilege of visiting the stunning Empire Theatres in Toowoomba, a true highlight of the city’s cultural life. We were warmly welcomed by Operations and Technical Manager, Tim Panitz, who took us on a fantastic behind-the-scenes tour.

It was a rare opportunity to explore spaces that most audiences never see, including the lighting rigs, sound control areas, and backstage corridors that keep every performance running smoothly. Tim shared fascinating stories about the theatre’s long history, from its beginnings as a grand picture palace in the early 1900s to its restoration and transformation into a modern performing arts venue.

Seeing how heritage and state-of-the-art technology work together gave us a new appreciation for the skill, dedication, and passion that make the Empire Theatres such an important part of Toowoomba’s arts community.

Group Foyer

Group Photo Stage

Group Auditorium

Chris Over Sound Controls

John Light Controls

Megan Pradeep Selfie

Mick Light Controls

The Core-Day

Sessions

Analog vs Digital

John and Mick kicked things off with a deep dive into Analog vs Digital — exploring where traditional meets modern in community broadcasting.

CMTO

Education is really important if you want to stay afloat. What’s on offer? Mikaela from CMTO showcased what’s on offer — from Outside Broadcast Training to Tech for the Non-Technical, and a whole range of hands-on courses designed to build confidence and skills in community media.
Want to upskill or empower your team? Check out cmto.org.au for everything on offer.

CBF

We all go for CBF grants. What’s the skinny, and how can you do better? Our special guest is Rachel Rees covered all things funding — what’s available, how to apply, and top tips for writing strong grant submissions.
Rachel also explained how to get involved as a CBF grant assessor and support the future of community media funding.
Explore more at cbf.org.au

Outside Broadcasting

Michael “Loffy” shared the magic of Outside Broadcasts.
From gear setups to going live in the wild, breaking down the essentials of taking your station beyond the studio. Real-world tips, practical workflows, and the confidence to hit the road with your sound.
Contact the CMTO to run an OB training session at your station

CBAA

The latest in landscape and regulatory stuff. Where can you go for help with that pesky licence, LAP or rules challenge? Jeremy Graham is here from CBAA

Acoustics

Chasing sound perfection? Let’s hear it straight.
How perfect is perfect? Is it music to your ears or just a sound illusion? Let’s review what we’ve discussed in webinars and tours this year. Tune in, turn up the truth, and find the sweet spot between echo and excellence.

Not that kind of Networking

Let’s connect the dots (and the cables). From firewalls to fibre, we’re bridging the gap between “It’s networking” and “It’s notworking” ”

DocoBlitz

Help getting your station into order: it’s on the way. We provide some useful tools to get started.

SIgnal coverage, power, field strength, LAP

The most difficult topics to negotiate: your transmitter location, operating conditions, and audience location. Jeremy, John, Loffy, Andrew, and Chris shared som insights and answered questions to help.