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USA - Solotech has announced a new leadership structure in the US in response to the company’s growth. The past two years have seen Solotech acquire Pro Sound & Video, SEAL, Miami StageCraft, and PSSL.
“Our systems integration expertise has been taken to new heights and our footprint in the United States has been significantly strengthened,” explains Philip Giffard, global president, sales and systems integration division. “With our solid positioning, the time has come to take another important step and consolidate our strengths to ensure succession in a context of undeniable growth”.
David Shoemaker is appointed president, sales and systems integration, US. Reporting to Giffard, Shoemaker has primary responsibility for profitability and growth. David is also responsible for defining Solotech's business strategy in concert with Kelly Prince, chief technol

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UK - Polar has announced the promotion of current national sales manager for integrated solutions, Will Turney, to the post of head of integrated solutions. Will joined the Polar team in 2017 as a business development manager after five years with HARMAN-owned AMX.
Will Turney comments: “My role managing the integrated solutions division will include supporting and developing the sales and technical support teams at Polar in continuing to meet the challenges of a fast-moving technology sector. I will also be responsible for liaising with our brands to develop strategies for new product launches, as well as ongoing product updates. My task is based on taking a holistic view of the industry to help us develop in new areas and respond quickly, as a value-added distributor, to the needs of the market.”
Polar managing director John Midgley adds: "In his time at Polar, W
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Germany - Wireless LED lighting manufacturer Astera has announced the appointment of Thor-Andre who joins the after-sales technical support team based at the company’s HQ in Munich.
“This is a fantastic and hugely exciting chance to work directly with one of the world’s leading entertainment LED lighting manufacturers,” stated Thor.
He will be engaging directly with key customers and companies worldwide offering after-sales support and be working with gaffers, DoPs, lighting and set designers, rental and production companies, combining his first-class communications skills with his love of geekery. He will also be travelling extensively as well as attending all the major international trade shows once they get up to speed post-pandemic.
“Astera’s growth has been extremely strong even through this very difficult pandemic period, and that’s a testam

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USA - SmartLabs has announced that Rick Sailor has joined the company as VP for business development North America & Canada.
Gary Hamer, SmartLabs global SVP for sales and business development, says: “Service providers are facing some difficult challenges now about the best way to provide video; how to package channels and maintain costly equipment. At SmartLabs, we can help local providers address some of those challenges in a profitable way that gives them a competitive edge, thanks to our global experience. We’re delighted that Rick has joined us to lead our US and Canadian expansion at this pivotal time.”
Rick Sailor adds: “The opportunity to lead the roll-out of SmartLabs to the US and Canadian markets was too good to miss. The company has been in the business since it was in its infancy and has such a good track record in multiple countries, operating

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UK - The family of Mike Jarvis, lighting designer and projects manager, are sad to report that Mike passed away 9 August at the age of 65.
Mike grew up in south Birmingham in a loving home, with his parents Douglas and Peggy and his brother Paul. Music was very important to Mike, especially when it was live. Growing up in Birmingham meant that he saw bands in small clubs before they went on to become rock legends.
He attended Harborne primary school, followed by Lordswood boys school. His foundation year at Fazely street in Birmingham studying art was a happy one, experimenting with sculpture and design which led him to the Theatre Design course at the City of Birmingham Polytechnic in the mid-1970s.
Joanna was one of his fellow students on the course and they quickly developed a strong friendship. At the end of the three years that friendship developed into th

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UK - Optimal Audio has announced the appointment of Raf Willems as head of sales and channel marketing EMEA.
Willems' 20-year career in the industry began in residential audio sales in his native Belgium, before a move into the commercial audio sector with Apart Audio where he progressed through a variety of roles to become sales and marketing director. Following Biamp’s acquisition of Apart, Willems became head of business development for Europe with additional responsibility for managing Biamp’s retail and hospitality team.
“It’s so rare in our industry to get the chance to be involved in developing a new brand from its inception,” says Willems. “I’m passionate about commercial audio so I honestly consider this to be something of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Everything I’ve seen and understood about the launch of Optimal Audio indicates that th

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France - Ayrton has appointed Fabian de Brücker to its sales team. De Brücker joins Ayrton as regional sales manager for all French-speaking countries and regions with effect from 1 September 2021. Brücker’s new role includes responsibility for maintaining a high level of designer relations, as well as promoting and supporting the Ayrton brand across these regions.
Fabian brings a wealth of industry experience having worked with many major lighting brands for over 25 years. He has built an extensive network among lighting professionals, but has developed a particularly close relationship with Ayrton.
“Fabian has always been a great advocate of the Ayrton brand since his days working with Axente, so his joining us is a huge bonus,” says Ayrton’s global sales director, Michael Althaus. “His years of experience means Fabian has super-strong designer relation

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UK - Bradford-based Pro Audio Systems has announced the recruitment of Chris Beardwell to the post of video and lighting sales.
His role will be to develop existing and new relationships with manufacturers, to enable Pro Audio Systems to supply video and lighting products alongside its extensive audio inventory. Chris will also look to drive sales and deliver turnkey audio/visual solutions for a variety of different customer applications.
Having graduated in Media Production from Lincoln University, Chris joined Luminar Leisure (now Rekom UK) as a lighting technician at Liquid, Envy and Trinity nightclubs. Chris gained valuable experience utilising moving light technology and control systems from Robe and Martin Professional, before moving to become head lighting technician/operator at Wolverhampton super-club Faces.
In 2014, Chris joined AC Entertainment Technol

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UK - Recently launched manufacturer Optimal Audio has announced the appointment of Al McKinna as head of product.
A sound technology graduate of LIPA, Al joins after 15 years at Avid, where he spent three years in sales and 12 in product management. As director of product management for live sound, Al led the business strategy and product development of Avid’s Venue brand of digital live audio production systems. Most recently as director of audio hardware at Avid, he led product management for Pro Tools systems, control surfaces and live sound.
Al will be responsible for creating a future product development strategy for Optimal Audio.
“The first phase of launching the Optimal Audio ecosystem into the market is well under way,” says Al. “It’s a fantastic system, based on principles that address a clear demand in the market. My job will be to build a bu

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France - Chauvet Professional has added David Launay to its team as a product specialist. As a lighting designer, operator, and Wysiwyg trainer, Launay was the LD for Marcel et son orchestre (2003), and Ghinzu (2005). He has also worked extensively as lighting operator for photography director on French and Middle Eastern events, such as the Paralympic Opening Ceremony, the Hand Ball World Cup, and Show Hello.
“I have known David for 25 years,” says Martin Fournier, European sales director of Chauvet. “His personal character and professionalism make him a valuable addition to any organisation.”
Michael Brooksbank, managing director of Chauvet Europe adds: “David brings an extraordinary set of talents and experiences to this position. Combining his strengths with those of our existing product specialist team puts us in an even stronger position to serve our cu

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UK - SSE Audio, part of the Solotech UK Group, has announced the appointment of James Baker to the role of live sound specialist to benefit the UK sales team.
In this new position, Baker will support SSE Audio and Manchester-based Wigwam’s live sound sales customers. Working alongside their team of technical experts and service providers, he will develop marketing strategies that promote the groups’ unique services for the live sound market.
He joins during the return of the UK live events industry post-pandemic, which is seeing an extremely busy summer festival season.
Baker has become well-known and respected in the pro audio industry during his 25-year career as a freelance sound engineer while working with Nile Rogers and Chic, Chase and Status, Girls Aloud, Kim Wilde and Gilbert O'Sullivan. This is in addition to his role as a live sound sales manager

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USA - Main Light has appointed Mike Gaynor to serve as the operations manager for Main Light West, now open in Las Vegas. Gaynor is overseeing operations at the new facility. He brings a depth of experience in the industry having worked at 4Wall Entertainment in logistics and as the assistant operations manager. Prior to working at 4Wall, he was the operations manager at Christie Lites in Las Vegas.
“I am really excited to be part of getting things up and running for Main Light in Las Vegas,” Gaynor comments. “I look forward to helping Main Light West grow from the ground up and I appreciate the opportunity to have a leadership role right from the beginning.”
“We want to continue the legacy of what we built on the East Coast in our new Las Vegas operation,” states Randy Mullican, general manager of Main Light, LLC. “With that said, we feel that Mike is a

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UK - Creative Technology’s UK operation has appointed Lee Dennison as head of client relationships. With over 25 years of experience in the live events industry, Lee brings extensive technical knowledge as well as a deep understanding of how to build and maintain strategic relationships and partnerships.
Dennison has previous experience at Autograph Sound Recording and DeltaLive. More recently, he was part of the senior management team at White Light, performing the role of head of business development.
Dennison comments: “The world has changed so much in the last 18 months, and we have seen technology rapidly evolve to support new ways of communicating and engaging with audiences. It’s an exciting time to join CT and I am looking forward to helping our clients explore technologies and solutions we offer, to help achieve their objectives”
“We’re really e

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UK - Audiologic has announced that after almost 10 years at Polar, Stuart Leader is joining the team as senior sales manager. 
 Stuart started in the AV industry back in the late 90’s working on internal sales for a distributor local to where he was living at the time, selling projectors. His career began mainly in the displays, video and control side of the industry, working for distributors and manufacturers. Stuart then moved into the audio industry in 2012 joining Polar audio. In 2016, he joined the board, heading up the integrated solutions team.
 Andy Lewis, managing director, Audiologic, comments: “We are genuinely excited for Stuart to join us, he brings a wealth of industry experience which will drive the sales function. Stuart will oversee the responsibility for the entire sales function. The role is a very strategic and focussed one, which will drive

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Europe - Gerry Forde has become the latest member of the Point Source Audio family, taking on the new role of business development manager for the EMEA region.
Forde has a long history in the pro audio industry, working with distributors, manufacturers and rental companies. A large part of that career was spent working with Sennheiser. This was followed by spells at Rycote, and consultancy work for a variety of brands.
“My background is music and music recording," says Forde. "I was a hands-on RF operator too, so I am very familiar with the technical side of things and the production values in most sectors. I then went over to the commercial world, so I know it as a distributor, reseller, commercial manager, and sales director responsible for marketing."
“We see the EMEA region as critical for our ongoing worldwide growth,” states James Lamb, president at

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USA - Main Light has hired Steve Nancarrow to be the rental executive based at the new Main Light West in Las Vegas, NV. Nancarrow’s responsibilities will include business development and client interfacing with professional production companies on the West Coast.
“I'm honoured to be here. Main Light has an excellent reputation in the business and everyone here is among the best,” says Nancarrow. “That is what I love about this industry, first and foremost, the people in it. It's a vast industry but it's a small community representing that industry and you end up seeing the same professionals over and over again. Professionals who are highly dedicated, highly professional, and highly skilled, and that certainly includes the people at Main Light.”
Randy Mullican, general manager of Main Light, LLC notes, “Steve is a great fit for our Main Light team. He kn

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USA - After a storied career in the entertainment industry, ESTA’s membership manager, Frances Thompson, will be retiring at the end of 2021. For over two decades, she has been a vital force in the growth of the association and a galvanizing presence at trade shows and events.
In 1996, Frances was appointed to the ESTA Board of Directors, after being a part of the Business Resource Group for several years. She then served as manufacturer director until early 2000, when she was appointed as an affiliate director. Around 2001, Frances joined the ESTA staff and has since held several titles.
On her retirement, Frances remarked, “I will miss engaging with members and staff. We are irreverent, creative, resourceful, opinionated, and uproarious. But most of my family and friends are as well, so I will be happy.”
As her successor, ESTA has appointed Laura Hoepker

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USA - L-Acoustics Creations has appointed Mike Sumner to the position of business manager, based in L-Acoustics Americas headquarters in Westlake Village, California.
In this newly created role, Sumner spearheads the growth of the L-Acoustics Creations brand throughout the United States and Canada, reporting to L-Acoustics Creations global business manager Nick Fichte, based in London, UK. Sumner’s remit includes exploring new business opportunities, developing sales targets and strategies, gathering and sharing market intelligence, building and supporting the brand’s Certified Integrator network, and collaborating with the manufacturer’s application and communications teams, among other duties.
Sumner brings over a decade of experience in residential audio to L-Acoustics Creations. He spent nearly eight years with Harman International’s Luxury Audio/Lifestyle

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USA - Powersoft has confirmed the appointment of Akira Mochimaru to serve as its new global marketing director, effective immediately.
His duties in this role will be to connect dots between customers, technology, products, communication, and distribution through strategic business planning and guiding implementation. Based in the US, he will also coordinate with Powersoft’s operations in New Jersey to help growing the company’s presence in the install market through his knowledge and network of contacts.
Mochimaru has made his move to Powersoft permanent after serving as a consultant for three months. He comes with a pedigree and track record extending over 38 years in the pro audio industry, including working as general manager for Bose Professional.
“My personal mission is to connect customer experience and products through the use of advanced technolo

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UK - Collaborative Creations, a provider of creative business development and PR services for the events industry, has made a series of new appointments as it enters a period of expansion.
Stuart Wood joins as the company’s new content manager and will be overseeing its PR and editorial output. Stuart joins from event industry publisher Mash Media.
Also joining the team is Ian Saunders who is the company’s new business delivery manager. Ian will be helping the team manage its increased workload after a series of new client signings. Ian previously served for 15 years as executive director of the Association of Lighting Designers (ALD), recently renamed to the Association for Lighting Production and Design (ALPD).
Finally, Luke Edwards joins the company as its new marketing manager. Luke is a familiar face on the lighting circuit who has toured with artists in

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UK/USA - Christie Lites has made several key new account rep appointments from across various industry sectors over the last several months.
Starting in the UK Christie Lites announced the addition of Mark Burnett, who is joining the UK account rep team in late Q2 of 2022. Burnett joins Christie Lites with over two decades in the stage lighting industry, having built an established and well recognised career focusing on the theatrical and events market sectors. He will work in conjunction with CL UK and North American team members and clients to further the Christie Lites growth mandate on both sides of the Atlantic.
Additionally, this summer, Christie Lites welcomed rental account rep Gordon Torrington, a live events and concert touring veteran, to be based out of the CL Coventry location. Torrington brings over 20 years of hands-on experience to his new position, in

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UK - Nexo has announced the appointment of Rich Soper to its UK team, where he assumes special responsibility for the company’s sales activity in the tour sound and audio production rental markets.
Soper began his career as a freelance sound engineer and has spent many years at the sharp end of the business, notably as a system tech and FOH for well-known artists. He further developed his hands-on experience with an operational role at Disney Cruise Lines, running ship-wide audio and AV systems, before moving into technical sales for several successful pro-audio distribution companies, including Yamaha Commercial Audio.
For the last four years, he has been in charge of business development at Allen & Heath and, most recently, at Adlib Audio. In these roles, he was instrumental in developing training and technical support packages for his clients, building strong

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Germany - Fibre network specialist, Optocore, has announced the appointment of Márton ‘Marci’ Sós, as its new technical support engineer, with immediate effect.
Sós, who will take up the same role with sister company, BroaMan, hails from Budapest and is multi-lingual. He has wide experience in both system integration and sound engineer roles within the theatre world and as a freelance, and is proficient on many industry leading digital platforms, including Optocore partner DiGiCo, as well as Focusrite Pro and Dynacord.
Of his appointment, he says, “I met Optocore’s former support team a short time ago and was impressed with their immense level of knowledge, so I know I have big shoes to fill. The challenge therefore is to move into the role seamlessly so that clients don’t notice the personnel change.”
He says the move to the German company is a lo

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USA - ACT Entertainment, the new entity formed by the ACT Lighting, RapcoHorizon and AC Power Distribution brands, has announced the appointment of David Johnson to the new post of senior vice president sales. Johnson is well known for managing the Live Design International (LDI) franchise.
“When we rebranded as ACT Entertainment, it was clear that we needed strong leadership in the sales department to bring all our world-class sales forces together across the organization and ensure their continued success and the high level of customer service for which we’re known,” says Ben Saltzman, CEO of ACT Entertainment. “David has 30 years’ experience in the industry and is a proven team leader. He’s well liked and has a broad knowledge of all the disciplines in which ACT Entertainment operates in. He knows the business front-to-back and side-to-side and understands the
  1. Pro Audio Systems strengthens team
  2. Pixotope appoints VP sports development
  3. LIA appoints head of academy and policy
  4. Dave Pretz joins Main Light as asset manager
  5. Audiologic expands application team
  6. CTME grows project management team
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