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Italy - FBT Elettronica SpA has announced the appointment of Mr. Roberto Mataloni to be in charge of international sales for East Europe, Africa, Middle East, Far East and Oceania. He will work alongside with Mr. Mauro Zazzini.

Mataloni is pleased to be back to FBT after the six years he spent at Proel, he comments: "For me this is like returning home, having previously worked ten years with FBT before joining Proel. A lot has changed during this time and this opportunity finds me very motivated: over these years FBT has built a stronger reputation of a professional sound reinforcement manufacturer, developing and manufacturing high quality products to meet the most demanding applications. FBT has grown a lot in these last years, both in sales and in "made in Italy" technology: today, the company can present one of the most advanced R&D department. Products like t

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USA - In a move that is bound to set the lighting industry talking, Strand Lighting announced today that Sonny Sonnenfeld would be rejoining Strand after a 20-year absence, as commercial consultant and New York representative, serving the consultant, Broadway, and dealer community. Sonnenfeld joined Century Lighting (now Strand) in 1945, after serving throughout World War II in the South Pacific. In 1961 he co-founded Lighting & Electronics, rejoining what had then become Strand Century between 1975-85.

Strand president Tim Burnham comments: "Sonny is coming home to Strand after a brief 20 years away from the family - it's a very cool thing! Sonny has forgotten more about this business than most of us will ever know, and his rejoining us speaks volumes for the direction Strand Lighting is taking. We're working very hard every day to satisfy our growing customer base, and n

PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

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UK - It's been a case of in with the new at Scottish lighting specialist black light, with two new faces on the team. Hire manager Alan Jackson has decided to return to his native England, so managing director Gavin Stewart has taken the opportunity to reorganize the company's hire department.

Richard Hogg was already doing a fine job running the day-to-day business of the department and Seonaid "Shonny" Aitkenhead has now joined him, having worked with black light as a freelancer at the end of 2004.

This has allowed Jackson's successor to fulfil an expanded role. Phil Haldane has now joined the black light team as events manager to actively develop the company's specialist events work.

"We are seeing our events business develop with an increasing amount of themed weddings, presentations and corporate projects running alongside events like the Edinburgh Fringe

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UK - John Houldcroft has had a distinguished career in the Public Address industry, having worked as chief engineer for Eagle International, and with engineering positions with Millbank Electronics and Federal Signal. A specialist in amplifier and PA loudspeaker design, John has expertise in the field of voice evacuation and it is this regard that he and ADSworldwide have come together.

John will be heading up the engineering team and will be responsible for R & D engineering quality control as well as customer services in terms of maintenance. ADSworldwide has enjoyed ISO9001 and Investor in People status for the last 12 years continuously, but according to company chairman David Hopkins OBE, a company is only as good as the level of service that it offers. John Houldcroft will strengthen the team considerably, bringing in-house a level of expertise that few companies in the in

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USA - Loud Technologies announced today the appointment of Colin Evan Quek to the position of South East Asia sales director. Quek brings to Loud an extensive background in the MI and professional audio industries.

Schooled at the SAE Institute of Technology, Quek has managed operations, sales, and marketing, for Roadie Communications, NVM multimedia, Casio MI, Celviano Music, and Trektech, representing brands such as Behringer, Sonex, Blue Mics, Chauvet and Layered Sound Technology.

As Loud's new South East Asia sales director, Quek will be the primary contact for all Loud Technologies-related sales business in Singapore. This includes expanding the South East Asia distribution network, as well as managing all regional marketing efforts, and facilitating greater communication with Loud Technologies' worldwide headquarters, in Woodinville, Wash., USA.

"Colin will be an

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USA - Color Kinetics has informed PLASA Media that Bill Groener has resigned from his post with the company, with effect from 1 April. The resignation is based solely on personal reasons, say the company. Groener has commented: "The last year has been full of challenges and accomplishments and I am truly grateful to Bill Sims and George Mueller for the opportunity that they gave me. Color Kinetics is (and will continue to be) a tremendous operation and I have great respect for the work that we have done and for the people who 'make it happen' day in and day out. I have absolutely no doubts that the initiatives that we started will result in profitable growth and that Color Kinetics will remain the market leader when it comes to Intelligent Solid-State Lighting."

The statement from Color Kinetics said: "We at Color Kinetics thank Bill for his tremendous contributi

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USA - QSC Audio Products has announced that Mark Engebretson has joined its ranks as vice-president of R&D, chief systems architect. Now responsible for the upper-level technical management of QSC's three core product groups - power amplifiers, loudspeakers, and digital systems - Engebretson comes to QSC from JBL Professional, where he led the Northridge,California-based company's R&D department. In his new capacity at QSC, he will play a critical leadership role in the further development of proprietary technologies, enhancing overall R&D capabilities, and shaping new system solutions.

"Given all the buzz associated with my move, you'd think I was a Russian spy that just defected or something," Engebretson joked during the NSCA Systems Integration Expo just past, where QSC first broke news of the appointment. "I want to extend all the best to my friends and coll

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USA - Veteran FOH engineer Steve Cochran has joined Meyer Sound in the role of touring and sales support. Cochran will join tour liaison Buford Jones in staffing the company's Nashville office, located in the famed Soundcheck rehearsal complex. Cochran's duties will focus on applications, such as assisting artists and engineers working with Meyer equipment in the Soundcheck facility, and participating in educational seminars and training in the Nashville area.

Before joining Meyer Sound, Cochran most recently spent a year mixing FOH for country star LeAnn Rimes, but his history also includes 12 years of FOH work with Ricky Van Shelton, monitor and FOH duties with Julio Iglesias, and a 15-year association with Wolf Sound of Miami, who first introduced him to Meyer Sound products. Recently, Cochran also has been mixing showcases for Hot Apple Pie, one of Nashville's hottest break

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Germany - German manufacturer Kling & Freitag has announced that Michael Kinzel is the new managing director of the company. The changes are the result of the company's continued growth, with a larger company requiring a reappraisal of the management structure. In making their choice, Martin Kling and Jürgen Freitag decided to take somebody who knew the company well. Kinzel has worked with K&F for more than five years and supported Martin and Jürgen in the development of the reputation of the brand. Beside his new position, Kinzel will continue to be responsible for international sales.

Martin Kling remains in charge of the R&D department as the technical director, while Jürgen Freitag is taking care of the German key customers and is also responsible for special projects and customer support; among other projects he has recently finished a project which incolved the delive

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USA - Following the return of Bill Groener to the Production Resource Group (PRG), after a spell at Color Kinetics, PRG has announced that Groener will take on the role of vice-president and general manager of its Systems Integration Group. Groener, a long-time industry veteran, was formerly general manager of PRG's northeast US lighting operations. The company says that Groener left them in early 2004 to help Color Kinetics, an important PRG supplier, launch a series of new initiatives designed to increase and expand its sales and distribution of LED lighting products in North America.

Jere Harris, PRG's chairman and CEO, said: "It's great to have Bill back. New technologies are having a big impact on permanently installed lighting systems, and Bill has acquired a tremendous depth of experience with them."

Groener's return to PRG will allow Anne Johnston, who led

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Canada - Lighttex Canada Inc, the manufacturer of Lighttex Soft Egg Crates, has announced the appointment of Robert Paine as director of sales. Paine brings more than a dozen years of experience managing plant operations, quality systems and product and marketing development with a concentration in textiles. In his role as director of sales, he will build a North American sales network to support the commercial launch of Lighttex Soft Egg Crates, an architectural product that delivers aesthetics, space definition, light control and daylighting benefits, say the company.

"My focus and passion is customer satisfaction through quality product and service," says Paine. "Lighttex is both a powerful and elegant product that is poised to add the next dimension of architecture and daylighting. Our goal is to bring world-class service and solutions to help architects, des

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UK - Professional audio distributor, Autograph Sales, has appointed Mike Mann to its board of directors. He will be responsible for sales and business development, in addition to handling the increasing number of design and installation projects now being tackled by the company.

Mann has been with Autograph Sales for over two years, holding the post of technical manager, providing pre and post sales support to customers. Previously, he has worked for Meyer Sound, Cadac Electronics, Soundcraft and Drake, while his first job in the industry was in the Royal Opera House sound department.

"I became addicted to live performance as a very junior sound engineer in Covent Garden - and it's that kind of lasting passion that drives the Autograph team. This is an exciting time for pro audio and Autograph Sales," he says.

(Jim Evans)

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USA - Entertainment and architectural lighting manufacturer ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls Inc) has named Mark Veldey as vice-president of Finance. Veldey, as an outside investment banker, advised ETC on its successful acquisition of Transtechnik Lichtsysteme, Holzkirchen, Germany, in 2002. After joining ETC as general counsel, he directed ETC's acquisitions of Avab France, Paris; and IES and Penko Engineering, Veenendaal, the Netherlands. ETC's CEO Fred Foster says: "In his many roles with ETC, Mark has become completely familiar with our business and culture. His broad set of skills has proven to be very valuable to us. As part of the ETC executive team, he will add a great new dimension to our strategic financial planning."

Veldey's previous work experience includes practicing law with the Milwaukee firm Cook & Franke, treasury and corporate finance responsibilit

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UK - Christopher Darnley has been appointed as sales manager - export at the UK branch of JVC Professional Europe. Darnley brings 8 years experience working in the broadcast and audio visual industry. He joins the established export sales team headed by general manager Tim Rawlings, and will be instrumental in further developing business in the Middle East and Africa regions.

Darnley comments, "I am delighted to be working for JVC. They are strong players in the industry, with an excellent reputation, and I have a great respect for their products, service and expertise."

"To meet the increasing demand for systems solutions in this market, we are delighted to have Chris on board. He has a wealth of experience in the critical aspects of sales, and his practical experience in lighting, sound recording and post production will be invaluable to developing prospec

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Hong Kong - Out Board has confirmed Jolly Pro Audio as exclusive Hong Kong and China distributor for its TiMax audio imaging delay matrix and showcontrol processor. Following the announcement, CEO Andy Leung organised a seminar in Hong Kong where Out Board director Robin Whittaker presented the psychoacoustic principles and advanced delay management techniques of TiMax to an audience of sound designers, contractors and engineers.

TiMax's use of multiple precedence delays to enhance intelligibility through precise localisation of voice and musical instrument sources were explained and demonstrated. It was shown how this "source-oriented reinforcement" technique ensures each audience member will localise to the acoustic output from the stage of an actor, singer or musician just a few milliseconds before receiving any amplified sound. Delegates also heard how stereo or su

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Singapore - Stephen Tan returns to High End Systems (HES) Singapore as the regional sales manager for Southeast and Northeast Asia. Tan was previously business development manager at HES Singapore during 1995-1998. He left to start his own company -- focusing on lighting design, installation and servicing - which he has been running until his return to HES.

"It's time to move lighting into the digital age in the Asian market," says Tan. "It's a good time for me to follow the technology. Digital lighting has become a main attraction for me, and I'm excited to be 'home' at High End again."

Tan will soon be scheduling Open House and demo events at the HES facility, and will represent HES at upcoming trade shows such as CALME in May and PALA in July.

Bill Morris, VP of Sales, said "We're excited to have Stephen return. We have experienced a tremendous am

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UK - Surrey-based loudspeaker manufacturer EM Acoustics has named Chris Hinds as sales and marketing director. Known throughout the industry for his work with Turbosound and Beyerdynamic, Hinds' role is primarily looking after international relationships, as well as strengthening the already-developing brand within the UK. Hinds says: "The offer of working with an exciting, emerging brand was too good an opportunity to pass up. Drawing from my own experiences of loudspeaker design, EM Acoustics have some very talented designers, and it is this that initially drew my attention towards them."

(Lee Baldock)

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Italy - Gioia Molinari has been appointed head of marketing and communications for Italian audio manufacturer RCF SpA. Molinari graduated in marketing and languages at UWIC (University Wales Institute Cardiff) has previously worked in the banking sector. Initially she worked for two years in London for Deutsche Bank, before moving to Milan. She then returned to London where she was responsible for all the bank's Equities Marketing activities in Europe.

After six years in the banking sector Molinari decided to go back to Italy to pursue a different career in a more creative environment. She joined the RCF team on 1 March where she will be responsible for looking after all the public relations activities, as well as updating the website. Molinari commented on her appointment: "I'm looking forward to working in the audio industry and the new challenges that it offers. One of m

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UK - Technolight, a leading designer and distributor of professional lighting systems, has announced the appointment of Louise Tester to its new division, Light Planning Techniques. Tester is well known in the entertainment side of the lighting industry, having worked for 14 years as sales manager of DHA Lighting Services Ltd. She will be providing services from Light Planning Techniques as a total lighting solutions provider. At the same time, Technolight has announced the appointment of John Hannaford as sales manager for Technolight.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Rory O'Neill has been appointed by Arena Structure's as commercial manager, an appointment which the company says is in line with its ongoing growth strategy. Specifically, O'Neill will be concentrating on developing projects outside of the traditional seasonal peaks, while also fostering relationships with existing clients'.

O'Neill has a varied background which includes eight years in investment banking. He has developed more obvious skills for his role with Arena Structures having worked on numerous events projects over 17 years, including being part of the production team for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. O'Neill commented on his new position: "I am thrilled to be given this opportunity to work with such a dynamic team, with a company that has secured such a varied clientele with such a vast range of products."

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Phil Cobourne has joined Showsec as UK Safety & Project Manager. He will primarily work on large scale events and develop the company's health and safety consultancy service.

Previously employed by the Tussauds Group at Warwick Castle, his 11 years there included numerous events from the castle's in-house classical concerts, the film première for King Arthur, three episodes of Mastermind, the first National Lottery outside broadcast and pop concerts ranging from Simply Red in 1999 to the Summer Nights concerts in 2004.

Showsec is servicing a steadily increasing number of one-off and annual events requiring professional crowd management, security and health and safety services. MD Mark Harding commented: "Phil brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and he will help to increase the momentum we have towards a health and safety conscious

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UK - Martin Professional A/S recently announced that Henrik Miller will be the company's new R&D director. Henrik comes to Martin with roots in project-oriented R&D and an extensive background in product engineering. He has held previous R&D positions at Purup Electronics, Terma, Crisplant, I/O Technology and Esko-Graphics, all of which are Danish firms.

Based at the Martin headquarters in Aarhus, Denmark, Miller's main responsibility will be to oversee Martin's R&D activities at both its Danish and Chinese facilities. "My primary focus at Martin will be to strengthen the project organization and continue to work on the integration of product development into the main business process," he stated.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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Denmark - Kristian Kolding, the former President/CEO of Martin Professional, has entered the Board of Directors at Swedish gobo manufacturer Beacon AB. Martin Professional and Beacon entered a strategic partnership in 2001, in which Martin purchased 25% of the share capital to ensure the future supply of quality gobos. Subsequently, Beacon has become Martin's most important supplier of standard gobos and its preferred partner for custom gobos.

"I'm excited to join the Beacon board," says Kolding. "Beacon is - based on their own patented technology - one of the world leaders in this very specialized industry and I look forward to help continuing the positive trend."

Kolding held the CEO post of Martin Professional from 1998 to 2004, a six-year period in which he saw a dramatic growth in the company, more than doubling its size. Today Martin Professional is p

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UK - The return of David Morbey to D&M Professional Europe has led to a number of new appointments being confirmed, as general manager Mark Perrins reshuffles his 'cabinet'. Explaining the rationale, Mark states, "When the Denon and Marantz operations merged last year there wasn't a great deal of movement in personnel. But with the benefit of a year's trading behind us there is now the opportunity to restructure on a more defined European basis."

This has been influenced by the centralizing of all stock within Germany, the appointment of four country managers (each with their own reps), the newly-created position of a German-based European service co-ordinator and a product planner - all of which are central to the strategic development.

Crucial to the change in the UK is the appointment of David Morbey to the new position of product manager - where he takes on respo

  1. Richard Lambert joins MA
  2. New MD for Bosch Security
  3. QSC appoints systems specialist
  4. Cast appoints Joshua Koffman
  5. Nico Lewis strengthens EVI Audio's intercom team
  6. AV team appointments at CIE-Group
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