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USA - Lighting Designer Jeff Ravitz has been nominated for an Emmy Award by the Pacific Southwest chapter of the National Television Academy, and has also been honoured with a 'Platinum Best of Show' Aurora Award.

The Emmy nomination, Ravitz's third, is for his work on the Christmas special, Carols By Candlelight, presented by Channel 4 San Diego and carried by the Cox Cable Network. The Aurora Award was presented for the lighting design created for Univision's El Grito, the Mexican Independence Day special broadcast live from the steps of the Los Angeles City Hall.

Ravitz, a partner in the LA design firm, Visual Terrain Inc, previously received a Primetime Emmy for his work on the Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's HBO special.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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USA - Jamie Engen, president and CEO of Mackie Designs Inc has announced the appointment of Tim O'Neil as chief financial officer for the company. O'Neil brings nearly 20 years of financial management experience to Mackie: he most recently served as CFO of Washington-based Trendwest Resorts, where he was a key member of the executive group responsible for a 30% 5-year compound annual growth rate of revenue and net income.

From 1988 to 1998, O'Neil worked for Bank One Corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. There he served as vice-president of corporate banking and later, director of loan syndications, Bank One Capital Markets. O'Neil will work out of Mackie's headquarters in Woodinville, Washington.

(Ruth Rossington)

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Denmark - Martin Professional's head office in Denmark has added Henrik Holm to its area sales management team. After a brief introductory period, Holm will be responsible for Martin's business in a number of countries, including Eastern Europe, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Iceland.

Holm joins Martin from Dentact, a Danish dental products firm, where he was responsible for development, sales and marketing of new dental products internationally. Educated in international sales and marketing, his experience includes two years of distribution network development in the US, as well as development and implementation of new sales and marketing strategies.

(Ruth Rossington)

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UK - Steve Morris has joined Switchcraft, Inc as European regional sales manager, based at the company's international office in the UK. Morris will be responsible for Switchcraft's business in northern, eastern and southern Europe and joins the company with a wealth of experience in design engineering, sales development and account management. Switchcraft Inc is a US-based manufacturer of a broad range of connectors, audio and video patchbays and related products for audio, broadcast and post-production industries.

(Lee Baldock)

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USA - Lycian Stage Lighting has appointed Steve Lerman as director of sales and marketing. Lerman will be responsible for distributor relations, as well as advertising, marketing and promotions and will also be involved in trade show decisions. He comes to Lycian from the wireless telecommunications industry where he spent the last 12 years, most of it spent in developing dealer distribution for Arch Wireless and satellite voice and data provider GlobalstarUSA.

Lerman brings a wealth of distributor development to the industry and also has background in advertising, having run an advertising company in the 1980s. He will be located at Lycian Stage Lighting's office and production facility in Sugar Loaf, NY.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - TSC Music has welcomed Trevor Phillips, Sandra Platts and Tim Brooks to its UK operations based in Crawley. Phillips joins the Logistics Team, providing essential back-up and support to TSC's network of engineers and agents around the UK. He will also assist with purchasing, together with coordinating stock control and equipment servicing.

Sandra Platts joins TSC's Customer Support Team, working closely with the Projects Team to help coordinate new projects as well as handling sales and service issues, and providing key customer support. Tim Brooks joins TSC's Music Team, where he will coordinate and administer the distribution of music to customers as well as providing customer support by dealing with music enquiries and providing the latest new releases information.

The company's head of development, James Abdool, said: "The appointments of Trevor, Sandra and Tim h

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USA - City Theatrical, the New York-based manufacturer of entertainment lighting accessories, has announced that Brian Batease has joined the firm as head of manufacturing. Prior to joining CTI, Batease was general manager at Access Electronics in Gurnee, Illinois, and from 1997 to 2001 was vice-president of manufacturing at Electronic Theatre Controls in Middleton, Wisconsin.

CTI's President Gary Fails told PLASA Media: "This is a wonderful opportunity for City Theatrical to improve our manufacturing processes, lower our costs and strengthen our product development efforts. Brian has the experience needed to teach and guide our manufacturing staff and to help us grow. Following on from our acquisition of Matsuda-Dunn Design and the transition of Larry Dunn as our head of engineering, the addition of Brian Batease strengthens and solidifies our management team."

(

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UK - Sound, light and audio-visual integration specialists, PA Installations Ltd (PAI), has promoted Carl Sergeant from project manager to customer support manager following the departure of Peter Troke, who has been called up for military duties in Iraq.

Troke, a Captain with the Royal Engineers TA, based in Swansea, will be spending eight or ninemonths in Southern Iraq, helping with civil infrastructure reconstruction. Paul Adams, managing director of PAI, commented: "Peter is a valuable member of our team, and has formed solid relationships with our customers. However, ensuring our customers continue to receive high levels of service and support, meant that we need to identify an individual who could hit the ground running in this pivotal position. We wish Peter all the best and look forward to his safe return during 2004."

Carl Sergeant will continue delivering a

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UK - After eight years with Zero 88, Tim Burt is leaving to launch his own web development business. As part of the move, his company, Muddyweb Ltd, will be managing the internet services of the iLight group, including the Zero 88 and iLight Ltd brands.

Graham Eales will be taking over the position of Zero 88 brand manager, having been managing the company's US, Asian and South African sales for the past five months. iLight group manager, Chris Fenwick, commented: "The new arrangement with Tim should prove beneficial to all. The iLight Group places high priority on e-business and wants to continue using the latest e-media tools for our business and communications. Tim's understanding of our industry, coupled with our ongoing commitment to providing the best tools for our customers and suppliers, will keep us ahead of the game."

(Ruth Rossington)

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UK - Allen & Heath has further expanded its sales and marketing team with the recruitment of a new product specialist. Simeon Ludwell has been appointed to meet the training demands of the company's worldwide network of distributors, as the company's product portfolio continues to grow.

Ludwell has extensive practical experience in the live sound reinforcement market, having previously worked as a freelance sound engineer and club/bar Installer, designing and specifying sound systems for a number of bars and clubs around the Midlands. One club was voted BEDA Club of the Year for its lighting design and sound system.

Ludwell has also worked as a sound engineer and lighting designer for artists such as Sasha, James Zabiela, LTJ Bukem, Orbital, Freestylers, Chicane, Reef, JJ72, Therapy, Herbaliser, Jools Holland, Scratch Perverts, Plump DJs and Judge Jules. Even during his degree

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Canada - Top management changes at Montreal-based MDG Fog Generators see Martin Michaud, vice-president of sales and marketing, take over as president following the retirement of Marc Gringras. Michaud has been with the company for over 10 years, and is joined by two business partners, both of whom he has worked with for many years. Jacques Foisy, chief accountant of MDG for over 15 years, becomes vice-president of finance whilst Marcel Larivière, who has been involved with MDG for many years as a supplier, joins the company as vice-president of production. In addition to his role as president, Michaud will also retain his responsibilities for sales and marketing.

MDG has enjoyed steady growth over recent years, with recent projects including the Universal Studios 'Coin' project in Florida, and all the atmospheric effects for Céline Dion at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. As wel

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UK - Point Source Productions has appointed Steve Davis as hire co-ordinator. Davis has worked in the lighting and sound industry for over 10 years, having started out in fringe theatre. His experience has included work for Wimbledon Theatre, Dobsons, Delta and RG Jones, as well as freelance lighting and sound for numerous bands, conferences and theatre events. Most recently he has had the travelling bug, and has enjoyed working the cruise ships for Cunard and Seabourne as senior stage manager. He told us: "I have decided to settle down and want to get my teeth into something. Point Source Productions is expanding at a rate of knots so I have a great opportunity to use my expertise within an ever-growing hire company."

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Hawthorn, the supplier of technical solutions in creative lighting and sound, has appointed Tony Rhodes to a business development position within the company. Rhodes joins from Stage Electrics where he fulfilled a similar role, bringing to Hawthorn a wealth of experience of the exhibition and events market.

Managing director Martin Hawthorn told PLASA Media: "The company has grown dramatically in recent years, to the point where we regularly complete a wide range of contracts from international conferences to parties, music tours, product launches and major permanent installations. Tony's appointment offers us the opportunity to take our services into the exhibition and allied markets, at a time when the true value of effective lighting is becoming appreciated in these areas."

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

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USA - Jon Sager has been appointed as QSC's new manager of installed sound. Now responsible for lending direction to contracting and all other fixed application sales across the US, Sager steps up to the position following his predecessor Greg McLagan.

"Greg's will be a tough act to follow," Sager confides. "He did a tremendous job building the market and providing our customers with the support they need. As far as my own plans are concerned, promising business as usual sets the bar fairly high right from the start." Sager joined QSC in November of 2002. Prior to making the move to southern California, he spent six years with EAW, most recently as the company's director of market development for installed sound products, and before that was director of strategic projects with Mark IV Audio. Sager will play a vital role in the introduction of QSC's next gener

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UK - Carlsbro Electronics Ltd has announced the appointment of Dave Martin as its export agent. Martin's appointment follows the closure of Edgeworth Electronics Ltd, manufacturer of Torque amplification, which Martin had been selling on the world market since 1985. Carlsbro has appointed Dave Martin International as the exclusive sales agency for its complete product range on the international market, excluding China.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - Nagra has announced the death of Derek Jones, aged 66, who died peacefully in hospital surrounded by his family on Monday 14 July 2003.

Derek enjoyed a long and successful career in audio sales - his extensive product knowledge was paralleled by an enduring personal interest in computing and a garage full of everything you would ever need to fix anything. His years in audio included positions with beyerdynamic, Hayden Labs, ASC (with his famous Skoda company car) and Alice (Soundtech). In 1998, he joined Nagra (GB), where he approached the role of sales and marketing manager with typical self-effacing humour - often adding that he had only himself to manage, which was quite enough!

As a long-standing and active member of the Institute of Broadcast Sound, Derek accepted honorary membership in December 2002 'in recognition of his contribution to broadcast sound over many y

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USA - Kurt Doemelt recently joined Nautilus Entertainment Design as an associate lighting designer, AutoCAD specialist and project manager for both the live production and facility design divisions of the company. He is a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and was most recently assistant lighting director for The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California.

Doemelt has a lot of experience having served as a lighting programmer for Princess Cruise Lines, a staff master electrician at The San Diego Repertory Theatre, a shipboard lighting technician and programmer for Carnival Cruise Lines, and a lighting designer for several San Diego theatres, including Asian American Repertory Theatre, New Village Arts, the Fritz Theatre, Euro Trash Productions, and McCaleb Dance.

NED principal consultant Jim Tetlow commented: "This year we are on track to design a

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UK / Australia - Rory Dempster, the distinguished British lighting designer, has been diagnosed as having mesothelioma - a lung cancer disease associated with exposure to asbestos fibres. Since 1992 he has lived in Australia - a country which is leading the research into asbestos-related diseases - and his case is being investigated by the New South Wales Dust Diseases Board. The Board has confirmed that, since the disease takes an average of 30 years to produce symptoms, he is certain not to have contracted it in Australia.

The Board's enquiries suggest that the cause of his contracting mesothelioma was his close contact with asbestos curtains and borders - commonly used to provide heat separation between lanterns and scenery in British theatres during the fifties, sixties and early seventies. "As an assistant electrician in various London theatres at that time, I remember

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UK - Max King and Jane Potts have joined the team at Leisuretec Distribution, in the newly created roles of accounts and administration managers. In addition to becoming the 'friendly faces' within the accounts department at the company, their roles will see them developing the administration processes to accommodate increasing levels of business growth - both in the short-term and in the future. Both King and Potts have over 30 years of accounts and customer service experience between them in various sectors, including logistics and manufacturing.

(Ruth Rossington)

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UK - Robe UK, the UK distributor for the Czech Republic-based moving light manufacturer, has appointed Stuart Fenwick as business development manager. Fenwick brings a wealth of experience in the moving light world to the Robe UK team, having previously worked at Martin Professional for six years and, say the company, his lively management style is ideally suited to the pace and energy of the Robe UK team, headed by Ian Brown.

Fenwick has spent many years specializing in the nightclub and bar areas of the professional entertainment industry. At Robe UK, he will be working across all disciplines, including dealing with hire companies, corporate event producers and the retail industry. Ian Brown says: "It's great to have Stuart onboard, bringing more positive energy into the Robe UK equation, specially in time for PLASA!"

(Lee Baldock)

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USA - High End Systems (HES) has announced that John Wiseman has been promoted to the role of executive vice-president of business development. Formerly VP of worldwide sales, Wiseman will continue on at the company's Van Nuys, California office, with responsibilities for worldwide sales. HES CEO Frank Gordon comments: "This is a well-deserved promotion for John and an acknowledgment of his immeasurable contributions over the last few years to High End and Flying Pig Systems . . . we look to John to lead us into new markets as well as better servicing our existing designer and specifier base."

Meanwhile, at the company's HQ in Austin, Texas, returning HES veteran Grif Palmer has accepted the role of vice-president of Americas sales. Palmer reports to Wiseman and also manages sales operations. "There couldn't be a better time to return to High End," says Palme

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USA - Gear-Source, the Florida-based lighting supply company set up by Marcel Fairbairn last autumn, has welcomed Cynthia Viteri to the position of Latin American business development. In this new role, Viteri is responsible for growth in Mexico and South America for both Gear-Source and AVR products.

At the same time, Gear-Source and AVR have announced that they have relocated to a new facility in Weston, Florida. The new contact address for the companies is: 1930-1 North Commerce Parkway, Weston, FL 33326, USA. Telephone: +1 (954) 389 8866, Fax: +1 (954) 389 5747. The toll-free number will remain the same: +1 (866) 669 GEAR.

(Lee Baldock)

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UK - A busy 2003 sees Fourth Phase expanding its project management team with the addition of Alistair Smyth as project manager, who joins from High End/Flying Pig, where for the past nine months he had been sales account manager for Central and Eastern Europe.

Previously a technical support engineer for the company for over two years, Alistair had also fulfilled the same role for two years at Vari-Lite. His technical knowledge and overseas experience will prove invaluable to Fourth Phase, as the company adds the Madrid production of We Will Rock You to its portfolio. Smyth will join the existing project management team of James Hall and Simon Harborow.

(Ruth Rossington)

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UK - Former Martin Professional employee Simon Allan has rejoined the company as product manager for the stage, studio and event segment, which includes Martin's popular MAC range of moving heads. Allan's responsibilities will also cover Martin's growing range of lighting controllers, including the newly-released Maxxyz lighting console.

Simon has 10 years of experience in the lighting industry and returns to Martin UK after three years as technical manager at moving light rental company Set Lighting & Sound. Prior to that he was employed at Martin UK as a technical support engineer, working on various on-site projects, as well as conducting training courses and helping to run the Martin University.

(Ruth Rossington)

  1. Matthias Hinrichs is new control product specialist at Martin US
  2. Adrian Mulcahy joins Leisuretec Distribution
  3. William Arthur Lampkin - 1910-2003
  4. Wybron appoints VP of sales and marketing
  5. Masek appointed to Vari-Lite technical support team
  6. Fons de Vreede joins HES as Central European sales manager
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