France - Digigram, a world leader in PC audio interfaces and innovative networked audio devices, has appointed Remi Oudinot as marketing communications manager.

Oudinot has a strong background in marketing including a degree in the discipline and over 10 years' experience in marketing and communications in a technological environment. He has worked previously for a software vendor in business process management and most recently for a company providing the technology to produce audio guides for museums and cultural centres all over the world, including such prestigious locations as the Empire State building in New York.

Oudinot is looking forward to the challenge offered by working with Digigram. "My primary motivation has always been to work with companies who can offer innovative technological solutions to their market. Digigram's very lifeblood is to be constantly on t

USA - John Loufik has joined Community as an engineer in the company's Technical Applications Group. In his new position, Loufik will be responsible for providing technical support, applications and systems overview assistance to the company's wide range of consultants, dealers, representatives and end users.

Loufik comes to Community after many years as an independent audio design consultant in the New Jersey area. He is a graduate of Asbury College and Syn-Aud-Con, and a current NSCA member. "We are pleased to welcome John to the Technical Applications Group,"remarked Dave Howden, Community's Technical Applications Director. "His wide range of expertise is certain to be a tremendous asset to Community's product line and to our customers. He will make a great addition to an already stellar team."

"Joining Community is truly a high point in my career,&

USA - Aviom, manufacturer of the Pro16 monitor mixing system, is pleased to announce the addition of Jason Frenchman to its team as the company's new director of marketing. In this role, Frenchman will handle advertising, marketing materials, public relations, product research and development information, as well as supporting the Aviom sales force at major trade shows.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to join a growing company and help continue branding its public image," says Frenchman. "Aviom's expanding product lines are having a substantial impact on the audio community in a variety of contexts, from concert touring to TV production."

Prior to joining Aviom, Frenchman was the director of marketing for trade publisher CMP Media and held marketing and public relations positions at Crestron Electronics, Crest Audio and Quantel. His responsibilities inclu

UK - JVC is pleased to announce that John Phipps has joined the UK Sales team as Sales Executive, Pro Video. He will also be caretaking Sarah Lambley's Broadcast & Systems accounts whilst she is on maternity leave. "I am delighted to be working for such a strong brand name as JVC. This is a great opportunity for me to use the technical skills that I have to sell some great products," says Phipps. "I look forward to building on the brilliant relationship that Sarah has with her broadcast & systems customers and creating my own with in the Pro Video division."

Phipps obtained his degree in Television and Video Production at Bournemouth Media School and gained sales experience during his time at university. He joins JVC at an exciting time, as more high definition developments enter into the marketplace.

Ian Scott, director of Professional Video Operation UK,

USA - Loud Technologies has appointed Jeffrey Cox to the position of vice-president for the EAW brand group. As the new business leader for the EAW brand, Cox will be responsible for defining and leading all business and product strategies, including collaborating with Loud's sales, engineering, operations and marketing teams to ensure the deployment of these plans worldwide.

Cox brings to EAW a proven track record of introducing industry-defining sound reinforcement products and building highly successful business organizations around them. As the founder and CEO of Cox Audio Engineering, he was responsible for the introduction and manufacturing of the L-Acoustics V-Dosc Line Array, a product that caused a paradigm shift in loudspeaker formatting which completely altered modern-day touring and installed systems.

"I couldn't be happier that Jeff has agreed to head EAW,&qu

USA - Meyer Sound has announced that mixer Mark Frink has joined the company in the position of tour manager.

Frink has spent decades on the road mixing FOH and monitors for artists ranging from Tony Bennett to Joni Mitchell to Meredith Brooks. He also has worked on major events including the Superbowl, Pope John Paul II's 1995 Giants Stadium appearance, the New York Philharmonic/Metropolitan Opera's In the Parks concert series, and the Tibet Freedom Concert held at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Most recently, Frink acted as monitor engineer and production manager for k.d. lang on her 2004-2005 worldwide tour, on which she performed in concert halls with symphony orchestras.

Frink has also kept his finger on the pulse of the industry through his 10 years as sound reinforcement editor for MIX magazine, as well as a recent stint as tour sound editor for Li

USA - Solid State Logic, a manufacturer of professional digital and analogue consoles, is pleased to announce the hiring of Quinton Nixon as product specialist. Quinton will be based out of SSL's Los Angeles office.

Quinton comes to SSL from TC Electronic, where he served as product specialist. Prior to that, Quinton was a freelance recording and post-production engineer based in Atlanta, following three years as a staff engineer at Doppler Studios.

As product specialist, Quinton's responsibilities will include product demonstrations to SSL retail partners, in-store clinics and tradeshows. He begins this undertaking with the recent launch of Duende, SSL's new DSP-powered processing rack unit for audio workstation users.

"I was a recording engineer in Atlanta and always had a tremendous respect for SSL," says Quinton. "I'm thrilled to be working for Solid State

UK - Charcoalblue theatre consultants has confirmed that it is working on the plans for the redevelopment of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon. The company has recently expanded its operation, taking on three new staff members plus two additions to its board of directors.

Since 2004 Charcoalblue, created by Andy Hayles, Jack Tilbury, Jon Stevens and Gavin Green, has also been working on the RSC's new Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.2005 saw commissions from English National Opera and Bristol Old Vic, in addition to being appointed by the National Theatre to work on its new studio redevelopment with Haworth Tompkins Architects. Following this, Aldeburgh Productions appointed Charcoalblue as theatre consultant for a second concert hall space at Snape Maltings, and to Newcastle Theatre Royal for a renewed flytower.

This year Charcoalblue was awarded the

USA - Solid State Logic is pleased to announce the hiring of Donovan Stark as partnership manager. Based out of SSL's Los Angeles office, Stark is primed for further development of the company's successful retail channel programme. He will focus primarily on the AWS 900+ console and the XLogic range of rack mount products, including Duende, the legendary console manufacturer's Firewire audio processor for workstation users.

Donovan comes to SSL after three years as accounts manager with GC Pro, the pro audio sales division of music retailer Guitar Centre, where he was the top AWS 900 salesman. Donovan contributed to the success of the AWS 900, making sales to such customers as David Kershenbaum and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

Donovan's responsibilities will include support and development of SSL's expanding XLogic dealer network, AWS 900+ sales support for Guitar Center and GC Pr

UK - Zero 88 has appointed Peter Kirkup as product support coordinator, a role in which he will assist the Zero 88 sales team with product training and technical support. Peter has recently completed the BA in Stage Management course at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. Previous graduates from the college include Lorna Parsons who manages sales order processing for the team.

In addition to his formal education Peter has already amassed wealth of industry experience. He has been involved with productions in the Bristol & Cardiff areas for the last six years. He also launched the online industry forum the Blue Room in early 2003 and continues as one if its key moderators.

Kirkup was a big user of Zero 88 products even before university and has been actively specifying our products to local amateur groups (especially the Frog range) after attending a Zero 88

UK - The Event Safety Shop (TESS) has strengthened its board with the appointment of Simon James and Tim Roberts as directors, with Hannah Charlton becoming operations manager. The announcement coincides with TESS receiving the investors In People Award in recognition of its positive culture and the ongoing development of staff.

Recent qualifications undertaken by staff to enhance the specialist skills required to work across different sectors include the NEBOSH General Certificate (Hannah Charlton), National Rigging Award A1 Assessor (Simon James) and the Institute of Acoustics Certificate of Competence in Workplace Noise Assessment (Tim Roberts).

TESS managing director Mike Richmond said: "The Investors In People award, along with our new infrastructure reflects a continuing commitment to expand the diversity of areas we work in, and raise the quality of service to clie

USA - Loud Technologies announced today the appointment of Jeffrey Cox to the position of vice president for the EAW brand group.

As the new business leader for the EAW brand, Cox will be responsible for defining and leading all business and product strategies, including collaborating with Loud's sales, engineering, operations and marketing teams to ensure the deployment of these plans worldwide.

Cox brings to EAW a proven track record of introducing industry-defining sound reinforcement products and building highly successful business organizations around them. As the founder and CEO of Cox Audio Engineering, he was responsible for the introduction and manufacturing of the V-DOSC Line Array, a product that caused a paradigm shift in loudspeaker formatting which completely altered modern-day touring and installed systems.

"I couldn't be happier that Jeff has agreed to h

USA - Vari-Lite is pleased to announce the hiring of Rich Booth as brand manager for the complete line of Vari*Lite automated luminaires. With an extensive and exemplary marketing background, Booth will manage all Vari-Lite marketing and brand imaging campaigns. Booth joins technical marketing manager Heinz Roy, product manager George Masek, and public relations manager Bryan Matthews to complete the Vari-Lite marketing team.

"I am very pleased to have Rich guide our marketing team," says Steve Carson, Vari-Lite vice president and general manager. "He has shown a tremendous aptitude for leadership and his marketing knowledge is second to none. Through his supervision, I know that Vari-Lite will once again lead the industry with fresh and unique marketing campaigns."

"When I first began to look into Vari-Lite, I knew instantly it would be marketing prof

USA - Meyer Sound has announced that Alejandro Orozco has been appointed to the newly created position of marketing manager for Latin America. Based at Meyer Sound's office in Mexico City, Orozco is charged with strengthening Meyer Sound's brand throughout Latin America by working closely with customers and Spanish language press to disseminate news about applications of Meyer Sound equipment in Latin America, and through Meyer Sound's presence at trade shows.

Orozco comes to Meyer Sound after occupying several marketing positions in Mexico's financial and entertainment industries and acting as marketing consultant to companies such as Glaxo-Smithkline, ING Financial Group, Novedades Editores, and Texas-based SoilLock Inc. Orozco also has contributed to magazines in Mexico and other parts of Latin America.

"Meyer Sound has a strong reputation and consistently inspires en

UK - DPA Microphones has announced a major staff restructure following a year-on-year growth of 20% to May 2006. The move is designed to focus staff in areas where their skills and expertise will most benefit the company, placing DPA in the optimum position for continued rapid expansion.

René Morch, formerly with DK Technologies, has joined DPA as new development manager with a brief to oversee all technical projects, optimising the potential of the creative team behind the company's product development.

The other changes affect three of the company's co-owners. Ole Brosted Sorensen has become Director of Innovation, steering the company's technological developments into the future, while Jens-Jorn Stokholm - one of the developers of DPA's renowed miniature microphone - is Director of Development, ensuring that the company's direction is realised.

Meanwhile Morten Sto

UK - One of the studio industry's best-known faces, Ian Davidson, has joined the team at Technical Earth Ltd, the London-based specialists in equipment servicing and technical design/installation. Davidson's appointment is a coup for Technical Earth's founder and MD John Fredericks, who regards it as a key step in the company's plans for expansion and diversification.

Davidson has a long and distinguished track record in the British film and music recording industries. He spent 18 years in various technical and managerial roles at Townhouse and Olympic Studios in London, before moving to Abbey Road Studios, also part of the EMI Studio Group. Most recently, he served as operations manager of the famous De Lane Lea film and TV post-production facilities in central London. He has also completed several consultancy projects in the studio sector.

His move to Technical Earth came ab

Germany - e:cue GmbH has announced the appointment of Jens Freihoefer as sales manager at the company's Cologne office. Friehoefer's experience includes exhibition booth, television and architectural lighting, as well as experience in the international distribution of lighting products in one of Europe's biggest light and sound markets. He has over five years of practical experience on all common lighting control systems and knowledge of the lighting market, which make him an ideal person for this position, say e:cue.

Freihoefer will take care for supporting the existing e:cue distributors and providing support service for special projects.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - Northern Light, one of the UK's leading providers of stage engineering, lighting and sound services, is delighted to announce the arrival of three new members of staff - Gregor Murray, Lois Ferguson and Keith Mitchell.

Gregor returns to Northern Light, after an absence of 12 years, as events services manager. During his time away he ran his own company - Liquid Lighting - supplying lighting to the nightclub and events industries. After a chance meeting with Northern Light's managing director, Gregor was wooed back to the company and will liaise with clients to plan the production of their events.

Ferguson joins Northern Light as marketing manager from her own freelance marketing consultancy. With experience in the private, public and voluntary sectors, Lois will put in place Northern Light's strategic marketing and communications plan and address the day to day marketing

USA - Color Kinetics Incorporated today announced the hire of Wendy Kaplan, who will join Kevin Jennison as an additional sales representative for the New York region.

Kaplan brings nearly 20 years of industry experience to the role, including former sales management positions with Vossloh-Schwabe and Advance Transformer Company. She most recently served as manager, specification sales for Vossloh-Schwabe Optoelectronics.

Kaplan is actively involved as secretary of the IESNY and was Chair of the IESNY Lumen Journal from 2000 - 2003. She has presented at a number of events including Lightfair, PhiliLights, LightStock Detroit, GlobalCon, and Greenlights.

(Chris Henry)

USA - Martin Professional have announced the hiring of respected industry veteran David Baum as the company's national sales director for its growing public spaces segment.

Baum comes to Martin with 19 years of experience in the outdoor, public space lighting market. He also brings with him a wealth of international business experience. During the last five years Baum was employed by Holophane in Newark, Ohio where he held positions in marketing, product development, customer and sales training and strategic planning. His most recent position was as vice president strategic initiatives responsible for establishing initiatives geared toward growing company wide sales. Prior to Holophane, Baum spent 14 years at Ameron Pole Products in Ventura, California.

Baum started in his new position at Martin on 21April. His responsibilities in the public spaces segment are extensive and in

USA - Martin Professional have announced Jamey Brock as national sales director for the company's commercial segment. Martin's commercial segment is an extensive and growing market area that includes club/DJ, retail, cruise ship, themed environments, and more.

Brock is a long-time Martin employee, having worked for the company since 1996. In his tenure at Martin he has worked in various regional sales manager positions, primarily in the Midwest and East Coast. In his new position as national sales director - commercial Brock oversees Martin U.S.'s commercial segment sales staff nationwide.

Prior to 1996 Jamey, a former Marine, worked as an independent sales rep. Before that he worked in the audio industry in his own rep firm. He also has experience working as a DJ in nightclubs and in local radio and has been involved in the entertainment technology industry since 1983.

Bria

USA - Ken DeLoria, founder and former president of Apogee Sound Incorporated, has joined Community Professional Loudspeakers in the role of product manager. DeLoria brings over 26 years of experience in pro audio product design, business development, and marketing initiatives to Community's management team.

In addition to a lengthy career in manufacturing, he worked for seven years at McCune Sound Service as a sound system designer and engineer where he pioneered high-fidelity sound for SuperBowls XVII and XIX. Later, DeLoria was the system alignment engineer for seven years of the Grammys, six years of the Oscars, two Democratic National Conventions, numerous Broadway shows and more than a hundred permanent system installations.

DeLoria says: "Community has long been known as the 'go to' company for outdoor and weather resistant loudspeaker products. What's not as well k

UK - Rigging, drape and starcloth specialist Blackout, have further strengthened their UK sales team functions with the appointment of Heidi Dieckman and Lucy Akillian.

Both new staff members are responsible for developing and managing the hire and sales of Blackout products including starcloth, drapes and rigging, working closely with Blackout's project management team, headed by Chris Brain and Kevin Monks.

"We're delighted with the two appointments. Both staff members are very enthusiastic and have settled in well in their new roles," says Steve Tuck, managing director at Blackout Ltd. "At Blackout, every member of our team is passionate about delivering the very best in products and services."

(Chris Henry)

UK - Matthew Delaney has been appointed as the new sales manager at PSCo, helping to lead the team in driving forward their sales and business development activities. PSCo, a specialist in AV rental and advanced product sales, is the UK distributor of the 'nfinite plasma, 84" plasma and award winning Fogscreen. Matthew Delaney joins the team as sales manager to look after both field and office-based staff.

Matthew's extensive AV background includes working with Reflex and Steljes alike, where he gained extensive distributor and reseller experience. With a huge knowledge of system integration and technical detail at both distributor and user level, he will be a great asset to PSCo's team, say the company.

Delaney explained: "I am looking forward to working with the PSCo team as they are a company focussed on new technologies and advancing the industry with fresh ideas

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