People

Phil Pike leaves Tussauds

Details: 14 March 2016

After 16 years of frenetic activity, Phil Pike, head of technical presentation at Tussaud’s, has left the waxworks and theme park company for a well-earned rest. "I feel that I have achieved a great deal during my time with Tussauds," Phil commented, "and that it was time to reconsider my future before embarking on another venture."

During his tenure, Pike, who started out as a theatre electrician, has been responsible for the systems design and implementation of presentation technology at numerous venues, including Tussaud’s in New York, Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Australia, as well as at Scenerama in Amsterdam and both Alton Towers and Chessington World of Adventures and numerous other destinations. A party was held to mark Phil’s departure at the newly opened Embassy Club, at the old Legends site in Old Burlington Street, towards the end of June.

Dick Tee splits from Hotcakes

Details: 14 March 2016

The successful completion of The Queen's Golden Jubilee Visit to the Armed Forces in Portsmouth has effectively marked the end of the association between production manager Dick Tee and brand agency Hotcakes UK Ltd.

Tee started working alongside Chris Spencer of CJ Spencer Associates in 1995. In the spring of 2000 Hotcakes was launched with Spencer as managing director and Tee adopting the role of production director. When, in the Autumn of 2001, Hotcakes secured the contract to handle the creative development of the Golden Jubilee Visit (GJV) to Portsmouth, Tee worked with Hotcakes on the event production, at the same time as handling the site co-ordination directly for the GJV project team on behalf of the MOD. As a result, Tee has now decided to return to full 'freelance status' - choosing to concentrate on his own ‘That's EnTEEtainment’ business activities and developin

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Honorary Doctorate for David Hersey

Details: 14 March 2016

Internationally respected lighting designer David Hersey will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Middlesex University at the Degree Congregation for graduates of the BA (Hon) Technical Theatre course run by Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. The ceremony will take place this Friday at the Arts Theatre in London.

Hersey has designed lighting for over 250 plays, musicals, operas and ballets. His work has been seen throughout the world and he has received numerous awards, including Tonys for Evita, Cats, Les Miserables and the 1996 Olivier Award for lighting design. He is the founder of DHA Lighting, and for 10 years was consultant to the Royal National Theatre. He is currently working at the RNT lighting Tom Stoppard’s new trilogy The Coast of Utopia.

Francesca Greatorex, director of technical theatre courses at Mountview, who nominated Hersey said: "I am deli

Dean Ashton heads up IAG Pro in Oz

Details: 14 March 2016

Dean Ashton has been recruited to head up national sales and marketing for the Pro Division of IAG Australia Pty Ltd. His aim is to gain exposure for the Wharfedale Pro brand in which he sees huge potential. "The gear is good, the price is right and there is a very viable market for the products in the Australian pro audio marketplace."

Ashton is well qualified for the task, having started his professional life with a disco equipment hire company in the early ’80s before moving into the AV market, installing numerous pavilions at both World Expo '88 in Brisbane and Expo 92 in Seville, Spain. Returning to Australia he enjoyed further AV stints with Total Concept Projects and then Gearhouse Systems. He then moved into wholesale area with Audio Telex, "distributing product to the guys who used to be my competition on install quotes!"

However, with musician&rsqu

Girard joins A.C.T Lighting

Details: 14 March 2016

André Girard has joined Los Angeles-based A.C.T Lighting Inc (formerly A.C. Lighting Inc), where he will be part of the Technical Sales team, concentrating on the French-Canadian market. André has been working in the lighting and sound industry for the last 15 years. Born in Canada, he started out as a lighting designer in the club scene. This led to his involvement in the distribution of professional lighting equipment, such as MA Lighting and Clay Paky, throughout Canada.

In 1997 André moved to Germany to work for MA Lighting directly. In Germany, he was responsible for technical support and training all over the world on the grandMA, as well as being part of the development team. In 2001, André returned to his native Québec and his geographical location and unique skills ideally place him to take advantage of this important sector of the North American market.

Already André

Taya Kajanus (left) and Leander Browning, new recruits at Dimes & Sillitoe.

All change at Dimes & Sillitoe

Details: 14 March 2016

Dimes & Sillitoe, the Surrey-based PR management company, has appointed Taya Kajanus and Leander Browning to its PR team.

Taya Kajanus joins Dimes & Sillitoe from a background in TV and photography to take the role of PR support manager. She replaces Nicky Quentel who is moving to France with her family. Taya’s role will be to lend support to the PR team, dealing with enquiries, updating the company website and assisting with the general maintenance of the office. Leander Browning has joined the team as PR account manager. Leander previously worked as a music journalist for three music titles and as PR coordinator for a local authority housing association. She will be liaising with clients and the media to ensure positive publicity for all accounts held.

(Ruth Rossington)

Graham Eales gets Artistic

Details: 14 March 2016

Artistic Licence has appointed Graham Eales as International Sales Manager. Eales has recently concluded his two-year contract managing Zero 88 Lighting, and his primary task will be to continue building the Artistic Licence brand in a global capacity.

Known primarily as a manufacturer of innovative entertainment control products and project solutions, Artistic Licence has recently taken the lead in the supply of ethernet solutions for lighting control. These provide not only a software operating platform, but also the hardware solutions needed for ethernet connectivity. Eales will no doubt relish the challenge of working in a company that is at the leading edge of both ethernet and DMX512-A development. "I have known Wayne Howell for a long time and respect the things that he has achieved in the development, not only of products, but protocols. I particularly like the fact that

Phillip Manor - who joins QSC to develop new products.

QSC appoints Phillip Manor

Details: 14 March 2016

QSC Audio has appointed Phillip L. Manor as the Product Planner for Loudspeaker Products. Manor brings with him over 23 years of experience in the sales and marketing of both consumer and professional loudspeakers, and will oversee and direct the development of loudspeaker products engineered at QSC world headquarters in Southern California.

"QSC is one of the most visible and credible brands in professional audio. My goal is to take that leverage and build an assortment of loudspeaker products that will be in line with the quality, ruggedness and reliability that is synonymous with QSC," says Manor. "Where I can see myself adding value to this newly-created position is by inserting myself as the conduit between R&D and Sales to produce products that more closely match the needs of our customers."

Manor comes over from a six-and-a-half-year tenure at JBL Professio

VDC recruits Ashburner

Details: 14 March 2016

VDC has recruited Dominic Ashburner, a highly experienced and well-known pro-audio industry professional, as its new business development manager. A songwriter and engineer who once ran his own studio, Dominic has an impressive track record in pro-audio sales: formerly the European sales manager for Soundtracs, he also spent three years as the European Operations Director for Euphonix. Most recently, he enjoyed a two-year foray into the IT arena, developing Internet and web content business.

Dominic's first priority will be to take on the management of VDC's key accounts customers such as RS Components, Farnell, Maplins and the BBC. "As well as looking after the top accounts in the UK, I will be responsible for spearheading the company into new and exciting markets. These fresh commercial opportunities may be found here in the UK, in different industrial sectors to those in which

McKenzie Group: new appointments at Birmingham Academy

Details: 14 March 2016

The McKenzie Group, operator of venues including Brixton Academy, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Bristol Academy and Birmingham Academy, has made three new staff appointments to the management team at Birmingham Academy - Richard Maides, Lucinda Brown and Stuart Wright. Richard Maides has taken over as general manager of the 2,700 capacity Birmingham Academy, bringing 11 years of managerial experience to MKG. Richard’s previous position was at Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre and he was also at Liverpool University for several years; running the live concert programme and highly successful club operations.

Working alongside Richard as assistant general manager is Lucinda Brown, who joins from Wild Promotions where she had been a campaign manager for the past 18 months, working with artists such as Sum 41, Electric Soft Parade and Hoobastank. Prior to that time, Lucinda was ve

Blitz appoints Chris Jordan as regional manager for Blitz Sound

Details: 14 March 2016

Specialist audio-visual company, Blitz, has appointed Chris Jordan as regional manager for Manchester and Birmingham, to strengthen its sound offering. His immediate task will be to ensure that the same the level of expertise is available at all locations.

Chris’ background in theatre sound strengthens Blitz's presence in this field, bringing valuable experience to the whole Group. He has 23 years experience in theatre and conference sound, having worked as a sound designer, consultant and production engineer on many major productions worldwide. He joins Blitz having spent the last eight years based first in Brazil, and then in Oman. During that time, he worked as a freelance sound design and production engineering consultant. Before this, he was general manager of Theatre Projects Sound Division, handling many major corporate presentations, and prior to that worked for the Royal

Chris Curran Joins TMB UK

Details: 14 March 2016

TMB has announced the hiring of the company’s first ever Australian employee, in a move which, they say, "will live in infamy." As part of TMB’s continuing worldwide expansion, Chris Curran has joined the sales team at TMB UK. Curran has an extensive background in professional lighting and rental operations down under, with four years as operations manager for Chameleon Touring Systems, and two-years as rental manager for Graftons Lighting. He has also had a long-standing relationship as a customer of TMB. While on walkabout in London, he stumbled into Paul Hartley, TMB’s European general manager, in a pub, and the next day woke up with a hangover and a job! In the words of Tony Davies from Chameleon: "Sometimes, to move backwards, you have to take a step forwards."

"TMB has always been rampantly anti-Australian, even before last year’s

Mark White is new ABTT Chairman

Details: 14 March 2016

Just over a year after being appointed to the ABTT Council as Honorary Secretary, Mark White, ETC's manager for the UK and Ireland, has taken over as Chairman of the Association, following David Edelstein's decision to stand down.

Edelstein’s resignation comes in the wake of the de-merger of his company Triple E from Blackout and issues including the relocation of his business have put pressure on his availability and time. David told us: "It is with much regret that I resign, as there are a number of initiatives that I would have liked to see through to completion. I will, however, continue to serve on the Council and the ABTT will have my full support."

The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) is run by a Council of eleven volunteers and Mark White will now serve as Chairman until July 2003. Having worked in the theatre industry since 1985, his career

New face at Vertigo Rigging

Details: 14 March 2016

Martin Heap has joined Vertigo Rigging as projects director, based at the company’s new headquarters in Deptford, London. After working as a freelance production manager, Heap joined Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group in 1992, as technical manager, overseeing new productions and ventures in the UK and Europe.

In 1997 he became RUG’s director of production, managing all aspects of the company’s producing arm. Martin’s role at Vertigo will include overseeing the project management department, supervision of the larger contracts and aiding in the day-to-day management and running of Vertigo, an extremely busy hire and service company.

(Ruth Rossington)

Autograph Sales strengthens sales team

Details: 14 March 2016

Mike Charman has joined the Autograph Sales team as Clear-Com product specialist. Charman brings to the company a wide range of engineering skills, matched with familiarity within the field of broadcast and communication sales. His experience includes 15 years of working with innovative products such as AVS standard converters and Tekniche and Leitch broadcast systems.

Mike’s arrival coincides with an exciting period for Clear-Com, with a vast range of new wireless communications products soon to be available in the UK. The imminent licensing of the Q700 range, a programmable frequency agile UHF wireless intercom system, will be welcomed by communications users. The system has already attracted interest from across the UK, andenquiries have been coming in from broadcast users, as far a field as Aberdeen, to regional theatres, as well as numerous lighting and sound rental companie

Promotion at Andolite

Details: 14 March 2016

Andolite, the manufacturer of internally wired lighting bars, standard and custom panels and power distribution units, is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Ayling as Operations Director. Ayling has been with Andolite for 14 years and has considerable experience in the company's products and manufacturing process.

(Lee Baldock)

David Oberman joins PRG as senior vice-president

Details: 14 March 2016

David Oberman has joined PRG as senior vice-president of business development and will be based out of the Fourth Phase office in Burbank, California. Oberman was formerly the COO and president of the Obie Company, an industry leader in concert lighting, for 28 years. He made his mark as a pioneer in the use of theatrical lighting and rigging techniques, which led the company to win the contracts for major events such as the Olympic Games, the Papal Visits and the Grand Prix.

In his new role, Oberman will join the senior management team, and will focus on developing strategic relationships and exploring new markets for all the companies within the PRG Group. "We're very excited about David coming on board," says Jere Harris, Chairman and CEO of Production Resource Group. "His experience and reputation in our industry is a complementary addition to PRG."

(Ruth Ross

CDA welcomes Bill Bell

Details: 14 March 2016

Coemar De Sisti Australia has appointed Bill Bell to the position of national sales executive. Bell will provide a great deal of industry experience to the company’s sales team and will promote the entire range of products and services to clients, with particular focus on projects.

(Lee Baldock)

Dick Carruthers, pictured with Anouk Fontaine.

Dick Carruthers joins Metropolis Group’s M Productions

Details: 14 March 2016

The Metropolis Group - which includes Metropolis Studios, Metropolis Mastering, Metropolis DVD and New York-based Sterling Sound - has strengthened its newly formed London-based M Productions by bringing in award winning director Dick Carruthers.

Carruthers will be working alongside Anouk Fontaine, executive producer and founder of the DVD content division of Metropolis Group. The pair have worked on a variety of multi-camera projects, as a producer/director team whilst at Done and Dusted. Past productions include Texas, Paris Live Concert; Channel 4 documentary and DVD; Nelly Furtado Live at the Forum for MTV US and the live webcast Backstage at the Brits 2001, nominated for the ‘Best On-line Music’ award.

Internationally recognized as one of the most experienced and creative directors, Carruthers has worked on concerts, documentaries, pop promos and DVDs for a vast sel

tsg promotes Kemp

Details: 14 March 2016

tsg, the media programming and systems design company, has promoted Paul Kemp to the role of operations manager. Kemp joined tsg in August 2000, bringing a wealth of technical knowledge acquired during his 10 years in the industry working primarily as a consultant and latterly for Tape Techniques. Paul's promotion is part of the ongoing strategic expansion at tsg, providing a good fit to their advanced pursuit of both ISO 9002 and Investors in People. His main role is to provide a more focused approach within tsg's increased national multimedia work, whilst being the all-important link between customers and his project teams.

(Ruth Rossington)

John Ellis who joins Turbosound to head up customer support.

Turbosound installs new customer support

Details: 14 March 2016

Turbosound has announced the appointment of John Ellis as the company's new customer support engineer. His primary role will be to act as Turbosound's interface with installation contractors and acoustic consultants, working alongside customers to advise on system specification and design, with a particular emphasis on fixed installation projects.

Previously sales and installations manager at B&H Syscom, John brings to Turbosound his considerable practical experience of specifying and installing sound reinforcement systems. These included some of the UK's first installations of Turbosound loudspeakers in hotels and houses of worship, utilizing both TCS and Qlight series. Earlier in his career, John worked as a freelance sound engineer, subsequently joining TOA as UK projects manager. This role provided him with a broad background in the design and specification of systems, and involved

New staff appointments at Dimtek UK

Details: 14 March 2016

Lighting controls manufacturer Dynalite has expanded its London office support team in response to the rapid growth of UK business, and the recent appointment of new distributors in continental Europe. This has involved the creation of two new area management positions - Emmanual Moutsos and Tony Kinsey relocated to the UK in May to assume responsibility in these new positions.

After a number of years in the electrical technologies industry, Emmanuel Moutsos joined Dynalite in early 2000 as a sales engineer. Over the years he gained experience in a broad range of related industries, including audio, automation, energy management, lighting and security. Most recently, he worked on assignments in both Greece and Italy and succeeded in securing opportunities for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. His assistance also contributed to the successful launch of Dynalite in Italy, by local distribut

Expansion at ETC London

Details: 14 March 2016

UK expansion at ETC sees the appointment of project manager, Iain Quinn and field service engineer, Martin Savage. Taking over from David Gray following his relocation to Italy as field project manager, Iain Quinn has a wealth of experience in the industry - his most recent position was as project manager at Fisher Productions, with further experience including lighting design assistant for The Lion King at the Lyceum, senior lighting technician and maintenance coordinator at the Millennium Dome and second production electrician on the Return to the Forbidden Planet UK tour.

Based in ETC's West London office, Iain is currently working on large-scale project in Germany, dealing with logistics, ensuring all parts and products are delivered to specification and that the resulting systems operate effectively.

Also based in the West London office, Martin Savage, appointed as field service

JBL hires Martin Seidl as European sales director

Details: 14 March 2016

JBL Professional has named Martin Seidl as the company's new Director of European Sales. Seidl comes to JBL with a solid background in professional audio: after studying Sound Engineering at the University of Music and the Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria, Seidl went on to receive his MBA from the University of Minnesota and the Vienna University of Economics.

Seidl set up Crazy Sound Productions (CSP), which specialized in the management of performers and promotion activity for various shows in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. He then went on to become international sales manager for AKG Acoustics - a position he held until he joined JBL Professional. "Martin brings with him years of industry experience and a vast knowledge of the European market," stated Doug Daniel, VP of international sales for JBL Professional. "We're delighted to have him on our internat

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