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Europe - Lightware Visual Engineering has announced Roger Takacs as vice president of education. Takacs will play an instrumental role in developing and growing business in the education sector.
Takacs has more than 20 years’ experience in sales and executing strategic initiatives across several key verticals, including education. He has worked with many manufacturers, including Crestron, Atlona and Custom Display Solutions, and integration companies, such as CompView, MCSi and The Intellisys Group.
“We continue to expand our team with many of the industry’s most widely respected professionals,” said Jason Tirado, president of Lightware Visual Engineering. “We are focused on building relationships with customers, consultants and integrators and demonstrating our confidence in Lightware’s innovative solutions. We are thrilled to welcome Roger to our team a

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Europe - Lightware Visual Engineering has appointed Siegfried Hermann as vice president of business development in the EMEA region. Siegfried’s responsibilities will embrace the further expansion of Lightware into EMEA, the development of new partnerships with global corporations, and strategic planning of Lightware’s presence in the region, says the company.
Siegfried has worked in various leading positions in the AV industry for almost 25 years, with nearly two decades at Crestron, including six years managing DACH region with sales and personnel responsibility. One of his key duties throughout his carrier has been the development of new business areas and sales strategies in the AV industry.
“After being in contact with the Lightware management for several years, I am very pleased to join this private-owned European company in this new position. I am sure that
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Italy - DTS has announced Giuseppe ‘Peppe’ Squitieri as new technical sales engineer. Peppe is a production technician, specialized in lighting technology and light designing and joins the Italian lighting company starting September 2022.
With a background in musical communication sciences and technology at the University of Milan, Peppe covered key roles in the lighting industry. For over 14 years in the entertains and communication abilities, teamwork and technical skills. The addition of Peppe to the team “is part of the ongoing process of DTS to strengthen the relationships worldwide, providing clients with great technical support, sales assistance and product demonstrations. We are pleased to give him our warmest welcome and we strongly believe he perfectly fits the company growth.”

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UK - Lightware Visual Engineering has announced the appointments of Charlie Sullivan as head of business development and Chris Brzostowski as channel account manager, strengthening Lightware’s UK team.
Charlie Sullivan’s role will have a key focus on steering and cultivating relationships with Lightware’s consultants and end-users across the UK. He brings 12 years’ experience of business development in the professional AV and stadia/arena sectors, specialising in large-scale AV projects including Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Ferrari World and The Samsung Experience Centre Kings Cross. Most recently he held a senior commercial position at ZeeVee
Joining Sullivan is Chris Brzostowski, who will take a lead role in managing and developing relationships with Lightware’s system integrators. Having begun his career with True Colours (Midwich) he went on to hold senio

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South Africa - DWR Distribution has welcomed Darren Durbach, a well-known name in live events and AV, to the sales team.
“When I left school, I ended up studying electrical engineering,” Darren recalls. “But I had a passion for sound, and I was blessed that my brother was friends with Joe Copan’s middle son and that’s how I got in as a junior.” Darren completed his 18-month internship at Wild and Marr, a professional audio distributor, then for a very short stint worked at a computer-based company before being given a permanent position at Wild and Marr in February 1995. He stayed at the company for the next 27 years.
“I was mentored and guided by a subline human who regrettably is no longer with us,” Darren recalls of Joe who passed away in 2019.
“Darren has a commitment and passion for the industry which stands out,” says DWR’s Duncan Ril

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UK - Barney Jameson has joined the leadership team of online platform Second Warehouse. Jameson takes on the role of chief marketing officer as the redesigned Second Warehouse rolls out across Europe and the United States.
Jameson is the founder and managing director of marketing agency The Inside Story. He will continue in that role alongside his duties as Second Warehouse CMO.
Second Warehouse has secured fresh funding, a new headquarters in the United States and strengthened leadership team including CEO Phil Van Peborgh, head of sales Will Lewis and founder Stuart Kerrison.
“Second Warehouse is very dear to my heart and I’ve been delighted to watch it make such a strong return from the challenges of the pandemic,” says Jameson. “There are big plans underpinning the platform and a strong team of industry leaders steering the way forward. I consider it

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USA - AtlasIED has announced three additions to the company, including Graham Hendry, VP of loudspeaker strategy; Mike Ulrich, VP of specialty acoustic projects and Riccardo Balistreri, director of acoustical engineering. The new hires are part of a strategic initiative that will focus on product development, strategy, design, and positioning of new products for the premium loudspeaker marketplace across a variety of industries including hospitality, specialty commercial, corporate, and entertainment.
“AtlasIED has significantly invested in talented people, infrastructure, and machinery over the past five years,” said John Ivey, CEO at AtlasIED. “We’ve created a foundation for innovation, and Graham, Riccardo, and Mike are joining us to help propel that innovative culture forward and translate it into solutions and platforms that benefit our industry, clients, and e

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UK - Polar has announced the expansion of its team with the appointment of Nick Bellis to the post of business development manager, professional audio.
An experienced pro audio sales manager and successful freelance FOH/monitor engineer, with more than 30 years’ experience in the live and installation markets, Nick joins Polar with specific responsibility for its Music Tribe brands. Polar recently entered a partnership to re-introduce direct supply of Music Tribe’s leading brands to the UK market.
Polar managing director John Midgley comments, “Nick is a highly respected figure in the industry and knows these brands inside out, having earlier in his career spent seven years working for Music Tribe in European sales. Add to this a hands-on appreciation of the products from his freelance role as a highly regarded pro audio engineer, and it’s easy to see why he is

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USA - Lightware Visual Engineering has announced Clint Hoffman as vice president of business development for the Americas. Hoffman will establish and build customer relationships and support business development with global enterprise partners.
Hoffman has more than 35 years of success in sales, marketing, operations, and product development in the professional AV industry. Hoffman has worked with leading manufacturers, including Sony, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, and Kramer Electronics. Most recently, Hoffman served as the president and country manager for Kramer North America.
Hoffman brings a background in promoting and championing the professional AV industry through his leadership at AVIXA International. Hoffman is currently an adjunct faculty member of AVIXA International
“I am delighted to welcome Clint to our team at Lightware Visual Engineering,” said Ja

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UK - JB Toby, technical director of Avolites was the proud recipient of the 2022 Gottelier Award at this year’s PLASA Show, as voted for by his peers. Named in memory of Tony Gottelier, the renowned industry innovator and commentator, the award recognises individuals or teams of people who have made long-term contributions to the advancement of entertainment, presentation or installation technology.
JB Toby joined Avolites in the late ‘90s and focused on developing the dimming range which put Avolites in a powerful position in the live touring market. In 1999, he spearheaded the team behind the Art 2000 dimming range which is now a well-known product in the live entertainment, film and TV worlds. Not only would it start a revolution in intelligent dimming, the Art 2000 dimming range would also act as a catalyst within the film and TV world, being put to work on the sets

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UK - TAIT has confirmed the appointment of Mark Dakin as managing director of TAIT Neasden & Haverhill in the UK.
Mark brings to TAIT over 40 years of production and technical direction for London’s principal opera companies and major performing arts venues, including the Royal Opera House, National Theatre and English National Opera.
In this new role, Mark will oversee local business operations, team and clients, whilst working closely with the Global Executive Group.
Mark Dakin comments: “The one thing that links the many varied roles I have held over the 40 years of my career, is the artistic application of technical expertise, the joy of collaborative practise and the balancing of the systems that enhance and deliver the artistic vision of creatives and optimise the business imperatives of producers and organisations.
“I am thrilled to be join

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Canada - Elation Professional has announced that Illumixx - a new distribution company owned by Christie Lites - has been appointed the exclusive distributor for Elation Professional products in Canada. The distribution partnership which also covers the distribution of Obsidian Control Systems and Magmatic atmospheric effects products, went into effect on 1 September, 2022.
Claudia Pfaffinger, CEO of Christie Lites Sales, the sales and integration arm of Christie, stated, “Illumixx brings an understanding of the needs of the professional lighting marketplace. We are confident that this partnership will result in wide product range availability and local stock for quicker deliveries and service.”
Christie Lites provides professional stage lighting systems for a broad range of market sectors and is one of the largest stage lighting companies in North America with lo

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USA - EAW has announced that Steve Badham will be returning to the company covering technical sales throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Badham has a long history in the professional audio industry and in particular with EAW.
“We are excited to welcome Steve back to the EAW family,” says TJ Smith, president, Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW). “Steve’s experience, product knowledge and technical savvy make him a great addition back to our team. With Steve’s contributions and hard work, we look forward to continuing to grow the EAW brand in the EMEA territories.”
Badham’s association with EAW began about two decades ago where he held the position of European technical sales engineer. During his time at EAW, Badham spearheaded several high-profile projects in the region including the Barcelona Football Club’s Camp Nou Stadium and EAW's first UK multip

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UK - TSL has announced Matthew Quade has been named CEO of the company. Chris Exelby, who was named managing director in 2007, will remain on the company’s board of directors as executive chairman and will continue to work with TSL in a senior advisory role.
Quade steps into his new position after working with TSL on a project basis for over six years, including leading implementation of the company’s M&A strategy. More recently, he held the role of COO and is already a well-respected and valued member of the TSL team. Over the last six months, the TSL Board and Quade have been working on the transition into the new role, and he will focus on continuing the brand’s tradition of developing innovative broadcast solutions.
“With getting to know the TSL team and the broadcast industry over the last few years, the opportunity to lead the business through its nex

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UK - Highlite’s UK sales representative Dave Hartley will be enjoying his well-deserved retirement from 15 September. Jeff Davenport will follow in his footsteps and be the new contact for Highlite-related matters and products in the North of the UK region.
Jeff Davenport will be taking over the UK sales representative position at Highlite from Dave Hartley. Jeff will start on 1 September. During the overlap period, Dave will bring Jeff up to speed on the current state of affairs. Jeff will dive right in at the upcoming PLASA Show at the Olympia London (4-6 September), where he will join the team on stand (B23) to introduce himself to the market and clients.
Jeff is already familiar with the market, as he has previously worked for several businesses that are active in the industry. From his hometown of Burton upon Trent, he can be contacted at Jeff.Davenport@highlite

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UK - Solotech has announced the appointment of Lee Unsworth as director of UK operations – live productions, working out of the group’s Manchester office.
In this new role, Lee will oversee the day-to-day running of the company’s live productions operations at the five warehouse locations in Manchester, Redditch, Hemel Hempstead, London and Southampton. Lee first joined the group as operations manager for the Manchester office in June 2019 before stepping up to the role of general manager.
Lee Unsworth commented, “I’m looking forward to taking on this expanded role. Since becoming part of the Solotech group we have sought to standardise and integrate our processes across the UK operations and this position is key to delivering on that promise. I look forward to maintaining and extending our hire inventory to meet the demand of our clients, while overseeing o

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UK - Martin Audio has announced the appointment of Henry Packard as its new finance director.
Henry had previously been financial controller at parent company Focusrite. He said the drive to fill the vacant position, following the departure of his predecessor Steve Miller, had become more pressing with the growth of Martin Audio and the launch of sister brand Optimal Audio. “As Dom [Harter, Martin Audio MD] and Sally [McKone, Group CFO] are in regular discussion the move came about quite organically,” he said.
“An internal move is great for the company and generally for everyone involved. I’ve effectively had a six-year interview process to prove myself with Focusrite, so it was a lovely surprise to be told I was being considered. There was no way I could let the opportunity pass, and after a few further chats with Sally and Dom, it seemed like a great match al

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USA - Clear-Com has announced the appointment of Marco Lopez as the company’s VP of engineering. Marco brings 30 years of experience in the broadcast market to his role at Clear-Com, where he will spearhead innovation across key strategic areas related to product development, including strengthening the company’s leadership in wireless technology and advancing its IP-based intercom solutions.
Over the past three decades, Marco has contributed to significant movements in broadcast technology. In the mid-2000s, he played a key role in the transformation of analog to digital signals with Miranda Technologies and helped develop the Active Format Description (AFD) standard that defined aspect ratio control between standard and high-definition broadcasting. After Miranda Technologies was acquired by Belden, Marco was appointed president and tasked with leading the acquisition

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South Africa - Jade Manicom, known for her lighting design, programming and drawing skills has joined DWR as drafts woman.
After graduating, Jade entered the live events industry as a freelancer. Her first gig was with Keystone Productions, an audio, lighting, staging, and video production company that she ended up working for. “They kept me around for three months then offered me a job,” she says. “I learned so much and through them, the world of live entertainment opened up to me.
Said Robert Izzett of DWR, “We’ve known Jade for years, especially with all her work at Keystone Productions. It’s wonderful to have another lighting person join the team. Her experience in lighting shows will be invaluable for DWR going forward.”
The role of draftsman at DWR formerly belonged to Dylan Jones, who is now taking on a new position in the sales team. “I n

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UAE - Creative Technology has appointed Jemma Joy as head of operations. Over 20 years, Jemma has been involved in many projects including EXPO2020 Dubai, Qasr Al Hosn, Laureus World Sports Awards, Dubai World Cup, and Volvo Ocean Race.
Jemma comments, “I have worked alongside CT on some of the region’s biggest and technically advanced shows in the past and I am delighted to now be part of the CTME team.”
The company has also appointed two new project managers, Croft Clinton and Bhans Sheomangal.
Croft has worked alongside top event and production companies in the UAE as well as having a strong passion to deliver high quality events that exceed a client’s expectation.
Bhans has over 14 years of experience throughout the Middle East and Africa. He has extensive knowledge in production and is responsible for providing AV technical management across

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USA - QSC has announced the promotion of Ronda Ross to vice-president of human resources. Ross replaces Vicki Arnold who has retired after leading HR for 16 years.
“First, we’d like to thank Vicki for all she has done for QSC, LLC. Her contributions in building our HR team and capabilities have been immeasurable and we appreciate the dedication and care she has always given the organization and our employees,” says Joe Pham, chairman of the board and CEO, QSC, LLC. “We are thrilled to have Ronda fulfil this position as she has already made such a large impact over the last five years by delivering many improvements and laying a solid foundation to support the growth of our organisation.”
Ross joined QSC, LLC in 2017 as director of HR operations and promoted to senior director human resources in 2021 where she focused on advancing the strategic partnerships be

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UK - Venue-finding agency ExecSpace has reshaped its senior management team and hired a number of new recruits to facilitate further growth and focus on quality of service.
Founder and CEO Emma Little has appointed Louise Lowe as managing director to lead its expanding team.
Lowe, previously the agency’s commercial director, joined the Edinburgh-based company four years ago and has been promoted alongside Pamela McCaw who steps up from finance manager to head of finance and business operations.
The moves follow three hires of meetings and events executives: Logan Muir, Georgia Kinsella and Ellie McPhail.
The restructuring continues the agency’s recovery from the repercussions of COVID lockdowns with more than £5m worth of bookings already won this year. Last year it also launched the ExecTech platform, dedicated to supporting meeting and event plan

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USA - QSC has announced that David Angress has joined the organisation as senior vice president and general manager of the company’s new pro audio division.
“Throughout the years, I have always had the greatest respect and admiration for QSC – its people, its culture and its portfolio of innovative, market-leading products,” says Angress. “The pro audio division is gearing up for an incredible phase of transformative growth and I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to serve as its leader going forward.”
Angress, a seasoned veteran of the music and pro audio products industry, brings a wealth of experience in senior executive leadership with roles at brands including ADAM Audio GmbH, Guitar Centre, Harman, and AKG. As principal at Angress Consulting for the last 12 years, he has utilised his extensive international experience in marketing, prod

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UK - Void Acoustics has announced the appointment of Dan Moors as head of sales & marketing. Dan joins the team having previously worked in the construction and PPE sectors, and he is motivated about the challenges of working in a brand-new industry and at a time of record expansion for Void Acoustics.
“This is the first time I have worked in the professional audio industry which is clearly both dynamic and fast-paced, and I am embracing it 100%! I have a lot to learn from a product perspective, but there is real synergy with what I have done previously with similar supply chain structures and distribution networks. In addition to which, joining Void at this exciting phase of its development is a fantastic opportunity and one I am really looking forward to being a part of.”
Alex Skan, managing director Void Acoustics comments, “We are pleased to welcome Dan
  1. Neutrik Group broadens market horizons
  2. LTM names Robert Price general manager
  3. Kinly reappoints Vel Johnson MD for USA
  4. Creative Technology grows Middle East live team
  5. CT appoints head of system integration
  6. Lightware appoints senior executives in UK
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