February 2015 - People News

25 February 2015

Sean Hoey returns as High End restructures sales team

USA - Entertainment lighting manufacturer High End Systems has announced that industry sales veteran Sean Hoey has returned to the Austin-based company as Eastern US sales manager. After working at High End Systems throughout the 1990s-2000s, Hoey enjoyed a successful tenure as a territory sales manager at Christie Digital Systems. Hoey comments, "I am excited to be back at the company that was so instrumental in my career development in this industry. High End Systems is now in its third decade of creating cutting-edge products for ... More >>

24 February 2015

Flashlight Ltd appoints Gordon Smith

UK - Flashlight Ltd has announced the appointment of industry veteran Gordon Smith, who joins the company's UK sales department as a Film and TV sales executive. Gordon will provide field based sales and support for the company's expanding range of leading lighting brands. A well-known face in the industry, Gordon brings over 40 years' specialist knowledge and commercial experience to the new role, having previously worked in a variety of TV, film, theatre and entertainment lighting hire and sales roles. Gordon says: "I'm looking ... More >>

23 February 2015

New European account manager for GDS

Europe - GDS has announced that Fernando Freitas has been appointed as its new European account manager. Fernando will be responsible for the European territory working with GDS's dealer network in Europe and end users in both, the entertainment industry and development of new opportunities in other industries. Moving from marketing manager to European account manager he changes his role at GDS as part of the ongoing strategy to increase GDS participation in the European market. Fernando brings almost two years of experience within GDS ... More >>

PAI Group appoints Martin Draisey

UK - PAI Group has appointed Martin Draisey as its new business development manager. Martin is an experienced sales professional with a wealth of industry knowledge. He will be responsible for the delivery of specialist integrated audio-visual, sound, lighting and control solutions, working directly with clients and design teams across various sectors. After receiving a diploma in Multi-track Recording from the Gateway School of Recording & Music Technology at Kingston Polytechnic, Martin started his career as a recording engineer at ... More >>

20 February 2015

TSL welcomes Andrew Cheshire

UK - TSL Lighting is pleased to welcome Andrew Cheshire to its team as Head of Projects. Andrew has over 19 years' of experience in the rental and installation markets. Andrew was most recently technical manager at West End Studios and has also previously worked at Hawthorns. Andrew heads up the project management team at TSL and brings a wide range of expertise and experience to the role and the company. More >>

18 February 2015

In Memoriam - Joseph P. Harris

USA - PRG has announced the passing of Board Member and award-winning theatrical producer, Joseph P. Harris. As a producer and general manager, Mr. Harris had been associated with over 200 Broadway productions. He died peacefully at home in Greenwich, CT on Wednesday 11 February at the age of 87. Mr. Harris was born in Manhattan on July 2, 1927 and moved to Queens during his childhood. He graduated from Forest Hills High School and was drafted into the Army. After returning home from serving as part of the occupation forces under ... More >>

Neil Coles joins Presteigne to boost sales

UK - Presteigne Broadcast Hire has appointed Neil Coles as its sales manager. A sales professional, he has a solid history in the studios and post production industries, so clearly understands the challenges and opportunities facing Presteigne's clients today. Working for the past three years as a business development consultant, largely with clients in the broadcast and media sector, he has also driven sales at post house Prime Focus in London, fixed-rig specialist Roll to Record, and Pinewood Studios Group where he was primarily ... More >>

17 February 2015

Muriel Wiltshire 1924-2015

UK - It is with great sadness that the family of Muriel 'Mu' Wiltshire has announced the news of her passing on 5 February. Mu was the mother of HHB Communications MD Ian Jones and a founding member of the successful professional audio technology supplier. A shareholder since the company was started in 1976, Mu served numerous roles at HHB and was a company director for many years. She was also HHB's first accountant/bookkeeper and retained this role until her retirement from day-to-day activities in 1989. During her years with HHB, Mu ... More >>

11 February 2015

Stage Electrics & Northern Light strengthen board

UK - Greg Wood has been appointed to the Group Executive Board in the position of chief operating officer, further strengthening the senior management team. Greg, a CIMA qualified accountant, joins the business from the Avesco Group, where he held senior positions including group finance and operations director for Presteigne Broadcast Hire. "I have worked in finance for many years, predominantly with entrepreneur-led businesses such as Regus, Holiday Autos and lastminute.com, all of which were in particularly high growth or ... More >>

10 February 2015

Audiologic expands technical support team

UK - Audiologic has further strengthened its team with the appointment of technical support specialist Yavor 'Max' Yanakiev. Max joins Audiologic from the Shoreditch Bars Group where he was tasked with designing, installing and commissioning audio and AV systems for the group's various premises, as well as supervising, training and offering technical support to in-house and freelance engineers. Having gained qualifications in electronics and broadcast engineering during an already impressive career, in 2010 Max obtained a 1st Class ... More >>

Avolites Ai staff reshuffle as V8 launches

UK - Avolites has appointed London-based Annalisa Terranova as its new Ai support engineer and trainer and Pratheepan Vigneswaran moves to Ai Sales as Ai launches its revolutionary V8 software. Terranova has been freelancing with Avolites Ai as a programmer, operator and beta tester, before a permanent position arose. She has a degree in Stage Design and a Masters in Performance Design and Practice from Central St. Martins, where she also works as a guest lecturer. In the past two years, she has experimented with various programmes for ... More >>

Harvey Goldsmith joins Access Sessions panel

UK - Top promoter Harvey Goldsmith will join world-renowned designer Wayne Hemingway MBE at the Event Production Show's Access Sessions. Also joining Goldsmith and Hemingway for the session entitled The gentrification of festivals: good or bad for the industry? is Justin Clarke, CEO of Taste Festivals and Dan Walsh, managing director of Full Fat. The panel discussion takes place at 11am-12 noon on 19 February at the Event Production Show (Olympia, 18-19 February). Harvey Goldsmith's accomplishments include producing Live Aid in ... More >>

Unusual Rigging appoints operations manager

UK - Lizzie Richmond has joined the Unusual Rigging team as operations manager, bringing with her a wealth of industry experience. Lizzie takes over the role from Denis Bramhall, who becomes the company's general manager, overseeing Unusual's expansion with the opening of a new 1200 sq m facility scheduled for early 2015. Previously operations manager with Cemex Materials UK, Lizzie was responsible for managing the daily operations of up to 17 Readymix plants, contractor engagement and management, planning of plant maintenance, ... More >>

9 February 2015

Adams and Murphy join Behind the Scenes Ghostlight Society

USA - Lighting designer Betsy Adams, and her husband, theatre consultant Bob Murphy, are the newest members of the Ghostlight Society, the Behind the Scenes charity's legacy giving program. Betsy and Bob have made provisions to remember Behind the Scenes in their wills, thus ensuring their colleagues and the next generation of entertainment technology professionals will receive assistance if they become ill or injured. Betsy and Bob commented on their reasons for joining the Ghostlight society: "We really believe in Behind the Scenes ... More >>

6 February 2015

Syncrolite appoints Paul Rabinovitz

USA - Syncrolite has announced the appointment of Paul Rabinovitz of PMRi LLC as its director of product sales and marketing. In his new position, Rabinovitz is responsible for managing Syncrolite's new product sales and marketing on a worldwide basis. Using a combination of public relations, the web, traditional and social media outlets he will oversee marketing efforts in addition to being the main contact for the sale of new and used products. "I feel like I am coming home," remarked Rabinovitz. "After spending so many years, first ... More >>

5 February 2015

Stage Electrics appoints audio hire manager

UK - Stage Electrics has been delivering audio and lighting solutions for over three decades. But the company continually aims to improve and expand its service; to this end it has appointed Rob Collett to the position of audio hire manager. Rob's all round knowledge of audio and his attention to detail adds a further dimension to the hire division's offering. Rob's background spans concert touring and corporate events, having started as a system tech with bands such as Boyzone, Westlife, Busted, McFly, and Coldplay. His career ... More >>

4 February 2015

John Rechsteiner heads Audinate sales and support

USA - Audinate has announced that John Rechsteiner has joined the company as vice president of global sales and support. Rechsteiner brings over two decades of sales, marketing and customer support experience in the pro audio, broadcast and post production industries. John most recently served as vice president of sales, Asia Pacific for Avid based in Tokyo, Japan. Rechsteiner will lead the worldwide sales and customer support teams as Audinate scales these teams in response to the growing number of manufacturers who have adopted Dante. ... More >>

3 February 2015

Theatres Trust welcomes new chair - Tim Eyles

UK - The Theatres Trust has welcomed Tim Eyles as its new chair, appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP. Responding to the announcement, Tim Eyles said, "I'm genuinely thrilled to take on this role. It is a great privilege and a real honour. I'm also energised about working with such an excellent group of trustees who serve the Trust with such dedication and creativity. The Theatres Trust fulfils an important national purpose and I will give my best efforts to lead the Trust through the ... More >>

Stage Electrics restructures hire sales team

UK - With Colette Carter having recently joined Stage Electrics as sales manager with responsibility for developing growth in hire, Colette has been swift to act by restructuring the customer facing hire team. Based at the company's headquarters, Colette brings a wealth of experience to the Stage Electrics London and Bristol operations, having worked for more than 20 years within the engineering and distribution industries. Previously, Colette was branch manager at Buck and Hickman, one of the UK's leading distributors of tools, ... More >>