Sweden - Wireless Solution has recently expanded its team with the hiring of two new staff members to meet its continual growth rate and to keep improving its development and customer support. As part of the expansion, Wireless Solution has built an in-house assembly space, where Jonas Jonsson, W-DMX’s new production technician, has started full-time. This new space will allow for quick manufacturing turnaround, along with a stricter quality control over all components. Jonas will also be involved with RMA and second-line of support and repairs of all W-DMX products. Wireless Solution has also secured another in-house R&D engineer to support Anders Zellén in the development team. Dimitar Kolev, an electronics engineer with over 20 years of experience, brings wide knowledge of hardware and PCB design, allowing for a quicker turnaround within the department. Dimit
UK - Film, TV and theatre lighting supplier Flashlight has announced the appointment of Danny Tomkins, who joins the company's UK sales department as a business development manager. Tomkins will provide field-based sales and support for the company's expanding range of leading lighting brands. He has grown into the industry over the last eight years working with Rosco (UK) focusing on the LED solutions for the film and TV market. Danny says: "I'm looking forward to the exciting challenges and learning from two of the best in Andy and Rob." Flashlight directors Andy Dodd and Rob Williamson comment: "We're delighted to welcome Danny to the company. His enthusiasm and hunger in the film/ TV lighting market allows us to continue to be in front of end users and support new business with a strong presence." (Jim Evans)
USA - Point Source Audio (PSA), an audio equipment manufacturer specialising in the development of miniature microphones and headsets, has named pro audio industry veteran Jim Sides as vice-president of global partnerships. Sides has served as a consultant at the company since late 2017 and has nearly four decades of experience in the entertainment industry including senior management positions at Apogee Sound, Nexo USA/SA, Meyer Sound Labs. He also co-founded VUE Audiotechnik and entertainment consultancy Eklektric. Yvonne Ho, vice president of sales and marketing at PSA, comments: “We are extremely pleased to have Jim officially on our team. After Jim came on board as a consultant, it quickly became clear that there was tremendous potential for a fit at a time when Point Source Audio is on a growth trajectory in the U.S. and around the world.” PSA president
Denmark - AV equipment supplier Neets has announced today that Aske Korsgaard Hejlesen has joined the company in the newly created position as chief experience officer. Hejlesen will be responsible for integrating design thinking in the organization to ensure that new products and solutions address actual user problems and needs. He comes with an educational background in industrial design and more than 10 years of experience working with user involvement and design research. Most recently, he worked as a design researcher at the international roof window manufacturer Velux Group. “I am excited to join Neets and for this opportunity to help the company deliver a seamless and consistent user experience across products and digital touchpoints,” said Hejlesen. “I am passionate about user-driven innovation, and I will be working across all teams to ensure that design thin
USA - Scott Fisher will receive the ESTA Technical Lifetime Achievement Award at the closing of the New World Rigging Symposium on 14 March in Fort Lauderdale’s Hilton Marina Hotel (Grand Salon). Established in 2017 by the ESTA Board of Directors and Technical Standards Council, the award recognises individuals with ‘significant and sustained’ technical contributions to the entertainment industry over at least 25 years. Last year’s recipient was Robert Goddard of Goddard Design. Fisher began his career in automation in the late 1980s in Las Vegas with Siegfried and Roy, the first of the mega shows at the first of the Las Vegas mega resorts, The Mirage. From this vantage point at the crest of the wave of huge Las Vegas productions and attractions of the 1990s and 2000s, he got to see what stage automation could be and just how far it had to go to get th
UK - JHS has announced the appointment of Ben Chapman to the position of media and artist coordinator/product demonstrator, joining the publicity team at the JHS head office in Garforth, West Yorkshire. In addition to being a main point of contact for the press, artists and endorsees, Ben will promote the many brands under the JHS umbrella via digital and social platforms, be available to provide our stockists staff with product training, put on instore clinics and be a regular feature at the many trade and consumer shows at which JHS promotes its brands. (Jim Evans)
USA - Community Professional Loudspeakers has announced the appointment of Paul Peace as senior director of engineering. Peace has three decades of experience in the pro audio industry, including the design and development of loudspeaker systems and real-world hands-on experience as a systems installer. He comes to Community from Harman/JBL Professional where he was senior manager in systems engineering. Previously Peace has also held technical leadership roles at Renkus-Heinz and IMAX. Leading all engineering efforts at Community, Peace will oversee product development, production engineering, product management and vendor research, while directing research in advanced directivity control, equalization techniques and loudspeaker specifications. Community’s CEO, Steve Johnson, commented, “We’re really happy to extend a warm welcome to Paul. In addition to
UK - FBT Audio (UK) has announced Mike Roissetter as its business development manager for South Wales, the Midlands and the South West of England. A well-known figure within the UK industry, Roissetter is described by FBT Audio (UK) managing director, Mark Parkhouse, as "the right man with the right ideas as we continue to grow". Roissetter brings considerable experience to his new role, having worked in both audio retail for the Soundpad chain of stores, and distribution for a number of global brands including EAW. He was also responsible the launch of the Dexibell digital piano in the UK. His arrival at FBT Audio (UK) represents something of a reunion with Mark Parkhouse, with whom he previously worked closely at Proel Group, though the relationship goes back much further. "Mike actually sold me my first PA, when I was 14," explains Parkhouse. "Since then we’ve had
Germany - Following an expansion of its presence in Germany, DPA Microphones has announced details of the new sales team that will be responsible for handling the company’s extensive product line in this market. The microphone manufacturer is also introducing a new service process to speed up product service and maintenance for all customers. The Germany team is headed by Martin Kaaber, DPA’s VP of sales for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux countries. He is supported by business development manager Florian Kresse and account managers Reinhard Stelter and Mike Brühl who will respectively handle the north and south of the country. As well as sales and support, they will also play a key role in providing customer feedback, which will help DPA deliver high levels of service and products. Kaaber comments: “Your success is our success - that is my
UK - Jo Beirne has joined the account management team of London-based lighting and visuals rental and production specialist Colour Sound Experiment. Beirne will be based at the company’s Park Royal office. She previously worked at XL Video for over 15 years, where she coordinated video worldwide for internationally acclaimed touring acts including The Killers, James Blunt, The Kaiser Chiefs and many more. Colour Sound founder Haydn Cruickshank comments: “Jo is a fantastic addition to the company. Her enthusiasm, drive and personality is a perfect fit with our core values of ensuring outstanding customer service, great personal attention to detail and encouraging innovative designers to explore their ideas and imaginations.” (Jim Evans)
UK - tvONE is expanding its EMEA sales team by adding Jon Hubery as regional sales manager for the Middle East and India. Jon has spent the last four and a half years working with a UK distribution partner, Holdan. Frithjof Becker, EMEA sales director of tvONE, states, “Jon Hubery is an experienced sales manager working in the AV Market for years. He will lead our expansion into the Middle East and India. Our local partners in the region are looking forward to working with Jon.” Hubery adds: “After working four years in the UK with AV Integrators, I am looking forward to working internationally again and introducing tvONE to India and the Middle East. I am delighted to be back at tvONE and cannot wait to get started with our partners from across the region to help and support them with their existing and future projects." (Jim Evans)
France - APG has announced the appointment of Alexis Reymond as sales engineer for Western France and the UK. Based at the company's HQ in Nantes, Alexis will be in charge of business development for both regions, as well as providing consultancy and technical support. With a strong background as a sound engineer for live events in France and abroad, Alexis also worked for many years as an audio consultant and auditor for the design of loudspeakers, providing sonic insight and expertise to public institutions and Houses of Worship. Alexis comments, “France’s Western region has very strong growth potential and already benefits from an active pool of users and a well-established partner network. A number of recent prestigious installations combined with satisfied end users are an excellent starting point for our growth in this region, allowing us to strengthen our pa
UK - Dutch architect Francine Houben, the creative director of mecanoo architecten has been announced as the first keynote speaker of the International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference 2018 to be held on London on 3-5 June. Houben has gained international acclaim for her work on theatres, museums and libraries to neighbourhoods, housing and parks, with each design founded on the observation of people, location, culture and climate. She holds Honorary Fellowships of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and was granted lifelong membership of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin. Booking for ITEAC 2018 is now open and as interest to attend the conference has been very strong, those wishing to attend are urged
UK - Graham Murray has been appointed to take charge of international business development and channel management for JoeCo, with a remit to deepen the UK manufacturer's ties into key export markets. Having previously worked extensively in both Asia and the Middle East, Murray brings more than 35 years of industry experience and expertise to his new role. He is described by JoeCo founder and managing director Joe Bull as "a world-class audio professional with a reputation to match his considerable experience". A well-known figure within the global audio community, he most recently held the position of sales director, EMEA for the Harman Pro brand, Studer, while in the past he has served in leadership positions for brands including Calrec, Fairlight and AMS Neve. As part of his new remit, Murray will spearhead international sales delivering increased visibility a
Germany - John Roberts-Davies has joined German audio console and IP video specialist Lawo AG as head of pre-sales & projects. In his new role, he will lead and develop the team that delivers technical consultation, solution design and system delivery to customers across the entire range of live production applications. The appointment comes at a time of rapid growth in demand for Lawo products and solutions, which are expertly designed to help gain maximum advantage from new technologies in the fast-changing world of live production. Roberts-Davies has over 30 years’ experience in the industry. He worked in operational and technical roles in radio and TV stations in several countries, as a sound recordist, radio engineer, ENG cameraman and radio and TV system engineer, before moving to the manufacturer side with various technical, commercial and professional ser
UAE - Sennheiser has announced the appointment of Arif PK as its new area sales manager for the System Solutions Channel in the UAE and Qatar. Arif will report directly to Mig Cardamone, director of sales and marketing at Sennheiser Middle East who comments: “We feel that the Middle East - with special focus on Qatar and the UAE, given the upcoming major events - continues to prove that it is a very crucial market with a demand for high quality audio equipment and international expertise. With over a decade of experience in large scale AV projects specifically in those key markets, we feel it is a great synergy to have Arif join our team and build momentum for Sennheiser.” Prior to joining Sennheiser, Arif was the country manager in Qatar for Mayflex/Excel Networking, a converged IP solutions provider. He has also held senior sales positions in CGC (Qatar) and Pix
South Africa - The South African entertainment industry bid farewell to Peter Anthony Crowther, a popular Durban-based electrician, who has passed away. Messages on Facebook poured in as tributes were made to a ‘very special and caring gentleman’. “The news came as a shock to the entertainment industry, losing a friend, a colleague and good drinking buddy,” says Nicholas Barnes from DWR Distribution. “Peter was always there to help when help was needed and will be missed by friends, colleagues and family. So, here's to Pete, may you rest peacefully bud!” DWR Distribution’s SOS Charity fund joined hands with the industry to contribute to Peter’s funeral cost. A celebration of his life was held on Friday, 16 February at the Slip Inn, which was Pete’s local for the past 17 years. (Jim Evans)
UK - L‑Acoustics has announced the creation of a purpose-built sales and application team for the UK, with additional support from L-Acoustics Marcoussis headquarters. The UK team comprises sales manager Paul McMullan, who has been with L‑Acoustics since 2016 and continues to expand the brand’s traditionally strong association with the UK market. He is now joined by new team members Sergey Becker, application engineer, touring, and Jeff Woodford, application engineer, Install. Continuing to support the UK market are Nathalie Prade in sales support, and Alex Linn in customer service. “The UK is a seismic centre for both the touring and installation markets and is recognized for its cutting edge performing arts centres. It is also home to many of the globe’s most important consultancies,” explains Jochen Frohn, L‑Acoustics director of business development.
Spain - FENIX Stage has announced a new staff member joining its export department. Juan Bautista joins after a long international career in the industry. “I have always tried to contribute with effort and passion everywhere I have been working at, as purchasing analyst, legal advisor or trade advisor in many industries in different countries,” says Bautista. “Now I have the chance to work on the other side, on the sales department, and FENIX Stage offers me the opportunity and the confidence to begin this new challenge thanks both to its great professional team and its formidable range of products, with continuous innovation and improvement processes. The complete trust in our products is a key point for me.” “For FENIX Stage, Juan’s incorporation is an important bet for new and unexplored markets, within the ambitious, but realistic, expansion strategy du
USA - D.A.S. Audio of America, Inc., the North American division of parent company D.A.S. Audio, has announced the appointment of Leandro Jose Arguello to the position of retail sales manager - Latin America. Arguello’s appointment commenced in January 2018. He is based at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Miami. In his new position, Arguello will be responsible for driving retail sales for the MI marketplace by developing customized strategies for each Latin American country. Arguello will travel extensively throughout the Latin American territory to meet with current and potential new distributors—all with the goal of increasing D.A.S. Audio’s brand awareness throughout this important region. Prior to joining D.A.S. Audio, Arguello served in several capacities that have well-prepared him for his new position. Most recently, he was the principal and owner of
UK - Cardiff-based events services provider, 11th Hour continues to expand its team. Rising demand for its wide-ranging services has seen the company appoint a number of experienced professionals to key positions, to keep pace with continuing growth. Simon Baker brings 30 years of sales and hire experience in the technical services sector to his role as 11th Hour’s warehouse manager and new administration assistant, Rachel Burbidge, adds the skills developed during 15 years in the areas of construction, insurance and health. 11th Hour director John Davies comments, “Last year saw us significantly increase the size of our team and our investment in equipment. Events such as the visit of The UEFA Champions League to Cardiff, demonstrated our capacity to provide services on a large scale and for very diverse requirements. It’s essential that we have the expertise, c
The Netherlands - Astro Spatial Audio has announced the appointment of Graham Murray to the position of global business development manager, effective immediately. A highly respected figure within the professional audio industry, Murray brings 35 years of industry experience and expertise to his new role, alongside the determination to "raise Astro Spatial Audio's profile on a worldwide level and cultivate the success that this astonishing technology deserves". With both technical expertise and a deep knowledge of the global audio industry, Murray has attained experience across a broad spectrum of market sectors within the pro audio sphere, from high-end broadcast and post-production to the studio sector and live sound. Most recently he held the position of sales director, EMEA for the Harman Pro brand, Studer, while in the past he has served in leadership positions fo
Italy - Powersoft has announced the appointment of Giacomo Previ as sales manager at OEM solutions. Giacomo is based at Powersoft’s headquarters in Scandicci, near Florence whilst also travelling around the world to be closer to customers. Giacomo joins Powersoft from Italian speaker manufacturer Eighteen Sound, where he was in post for almost 15 years, and was already very familiar with Powersoft’s patented IPAL technology following the transducer specialist’s adoption of Powersoft’s amplifier hardware module, IpalMod. In his most recent role as sales director for Eighteen Sound, he oversaw all sales activities with a particular focus on B2B customers, whilst also developing the yearly sales budget and mid to long term business plan. He also undertook business development activities and produced the innovation roadmap during his four-year tenure. Prior to tha
Italy - Outline has announced the appointment of Fernando Rey Mendez to the newly-created position of Newton product specialist. Launched in 2017, Newton is a full-featured, FPGA-based ‘Multi Media Nucleus’ which includes comprehensive loudspeaker system control facilities, media conversion, audio distribution with networking capability, freely-assignable analogue, AES, MADI optical, MADI coaxial and Dante inputs and outputs, simultaneous multiple-clock synchronisation and independent dual-redundant power inlets. Born in Buenos Aires, Mendez he is a musician, while his professional experience includes sound system engineering and system commissioning, but for much of the last decade he has focused on audio DSP programming and design. He commented, "Becoming part of the Outline family as their Newton product specialist and taking care of this unique project
