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New staff for CCT Lighting

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - CCT Lighting has announced the appointment of Brian Henshall to its sales team. Henshall has a depth of product knowledge gained while working for Kelco, Lightfactor Sales and Powerhouse Distribution, and will be great asset to the growing business of CCT, the company says. He will be responsible for sales of CCT's own brand products, including the new Freedom followspot and the Freedom discharge units. He will also be involved in the sales of other brands from Europe including Futurelight, Eurolite, Anytronics and all consumables.

(Lee Baldock)

Stephen Santomenna joins massAV

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Event production company massAV has appointed Stephen Santomenna as director of production. In his new position he will lead massAV's growth in large event staging, live events and production. Santomenna has over 20 years' experience in the industry, having worked on Broadway and staged events on five continents. Prior to massAV, Santomenna served as an executive producer and director of technical services for Preston Productions, facilitating the management of events for EMC, API, IBM and PTC-User. His background also includes various positions with Image Engineering, Trinity Repertory Company and as a contract designer, technician and project manager.

(Lee Baldock)

JTE appoints new Pixel Range sales manager

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - James Thomas Engineering has appointed Blaine Engle as its Pixel-Range sales manager. Mike Garl, president of James Thomas Engineering said: "With the Pixel-Range now really taking off, we needed someone solely dedicated to expanding the sales, distribution and marketing of the product line."

Engle has 17 years experience in the professional entertainment lighting industry, dealing with lighting designers, architects, specifiers and consultants. Blaine joins James Thomas after two years as U.S. and Canadian sales manager at Hubbell Entertainment.

Blaine explained: "James Thomas Engineering has a great reputation for manufacturing quality, affordable products and exceptional customer service. I am very excited to be part of the JTE team, and look forward to working with everyone in servicing the growing entertainment and architectural LED markets. The Pixel

New Technical Sales Support from PROEL

Details: 14 March 2016

Italy - Proel S.p.A. export department has recently been expanded with the arrival of Stephen Smith as technical sales support for the Sound Reinforcement and Lighting product divisions. UK born but living in Italy for the past seven years, Steve has a degree in Psychology at BSc level. In Italy he has gained a wide range of experience working with P.A. and lighting rental companies, participating in several European and World tours as well as many local live and television productions.

His jobs have included collaborations with: MTV Italia 'Supersonic'- (a live program which has hosted important international artists such as REM, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mana, Alanis Morrissette and The Cranberries) and numerous other festivals.

His work has mainly involved mixing sound both on stage and FOH and as backline/ stage technician although he also has experience as a production elect

Peavey appoints Iain Elder

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Peavey Electronics has appointed Iain Elder as the company's new production manager. Formerly production director at Celestion for 12 years, Elder left the loudspeaker manufacturer to form an OEM manufacturing facility serving the musical instrument industry. After a brief stint working as MD for a medical device manufacturer, Elder returned to the music business when he joined Peavey earlier this year. Having already demonstrated he can produce impressive results by doubling production output within six weeks of joining the company, Elder expects to see it grow again significantly during 2004. In order to empower Elder and enable this to happen, Peavey is planning to make a major investment in the manufacturing facility at its Corby site during the coming year.

(Lee Baldock)

L-R: James Brace, Emma Jervis, Simon Baker, Jayney Bell, Ross Mc Givern, Alex Keighley and Paul Armstrong.

New team at Stage Electrics

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - After the move from Waterloo Road, the Stage Electrics London team have settled into their new unit at 175 Long Lane SE1. Jayney Bell has joined the team as branch coordinator after working in the West End and being on tour for the last 12 years. Bell has an impressive resume with appointments such as chief LX for such shows as The Play What I Wrote - UK Tour, Godspell - UK Tour , deputy chief for Fosse European and Japanese tour and deputy chief, Lion King- West End. Alex has joined the London branch as hire manager after five years working in Cambridge in a similar role. Keighley felt the challenge to take the London branches hire forward was exciting and has made big differences already. Simon Baker has been promoted to assistant project manager, working closely with the production department based in Bristol. Baker has been with the London bran

Vari*Lite expands sales team

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - VLPS Lighting Services has announced a further addition to its expanding sales team with the arrival of Mark de Gruyter. Taking on the role of regional sales manager he will be joining Simon Roose, Colin Brooker and Philip Norfolk, and will be managing the Southern European, Middle East and African territories.

Roose, European sales manager, commented: "With such incredible growth in the sales of Vari*Lite products in Europe, I am really pleased that Mark has joined the sales team. With his industry and territory experience he is a very valued addition to the VLPS team."

De Gruyter commented: "I am excited about the prospect of being involved with the dedicated group of professionals at VLPS and representing a company and array of products including the full Vari*Lite automated luminaire range. In addition, the timing could not be better with the imminent r

Management changes at L-Acoustics US

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - After over 10 years of dedicated service, Jeffrey Cox is no longer the general manager of L-Acoustics US. All sales inquiries should be directed to Paul Freudenberg, director of sales and marketing. "Although we are certainly sad to see Jeffery leave, we wish him the very best," says Freudenberg. "Everyone else in the company, however, has remained onboard, including Bernie Broderick, our director of technical services, and production manager Alan Vachon, so things are very much business as usual around here. With the continued support of L-Acoustics founder Dr. Christian Heil and the rest of the team in France, L-Acoustics US continues on its strong track and we look forward to carrying on the vision and Partner concept that Jeffrey helped begin 10 years ago."

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

Meyer bolsters UK Sales

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Meyer Sound Laboratories, in recognition of the growing importance of its UK business, has appointed Roger Harpum as UK sales manager. Harpum brings with him years of experience from his long tenure at London's Autograph Sales and will manage Meyer Sound's expanded UK dealer network.

"We are seeing increased demand for Meyer Sound products in the UK, and no one knows more about the market for us there than Roger," says Helen Meyer, executive vice-president at Meyer Sound. "His presence will help us build the kind of relationships with all of our dealers in the region that we still enjoy with Autograph after all these years."

Autograph's history of working with Meyer Sound dates back 22 years, and encompasses a lengthy list of notable theatre, live sound, studio and fixed installation projects. Today, as the market in the UK grows and changes, the compa

Opus appoints new UK sales man

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Opus Audio Developments, designer and manufacturer of high-end PA systems based in Plymouth, UK, has announced the appointment of pro audio sales specialist, Alan Lochhead, to handle its sales throughout the UK and Eire.

Andy Fox, managing director of Opus, explained: "During the past three years Opus has embarked on an intensive research and development programme to complete a line-up of systems that we believe are unequalled for audio quality and reliability. Design of the full range of controllers, amplifiers and loudspeakers is now complete and all of the products are in production. It is now time to focus on sales and marketing and we are very pleased that we will be working with Alan, whose considerable experience in our key market sectors, including nightclub and theatre, will be a great asset to the company."

Lochhead has 20 years' experience in pro audi

Brad Schiller returns to High End

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Brad Schiller has returned to High End Systems in a new role as director of control systems development. Schiller left the company a year and a half ago to pursue freelance lighting programming. He says: "This new opportunity will allow me to share my knowledge and experience directly with developers. By guiding the development process for all control products, including the Wholehog line, I hope to bring a more user-led approach to systems development. High End's focus on digital lighting, and the return of Richard Belliveau, demonstrates the company's commitment to advancing the technology of automated lighting control. A great new team of control product developers has been created and I look forward to working with the team."

Robbie Bruce, director of software development, says: "Brad will be a great complement to our new team. He has a wealth of knowle

Mike Wood forms consulting company

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Mike Wood, former chief technology officer at High End Systems Inc, has founded a consulting company, Mike Wood Consulting LLC, based in Austin, Texas. The company's main focus is to work with clients on new technology implementation and R&D strategy, new product definition and evaluation, and intellectual property (IP) specifically as it applies to the entertainment technology industry.

Wood, an industry veteran, has led technology development and has been responsible for the technology strategy, R&D, standards and IP in many different companies. His career spans more than 25 years with firms varying in size from 10 to 25,000 employees and for the past 20 of those years he has been at the senior or executive management level. During his career he has worked for both start-up and established companies and has been a member of executive teams responsible for acquisitions a

New sales exec at Allen & Heath

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Allen & Heath has appointed a new sales executive to manage UK sales activity at the company's headquarters in Cornwall. James Langridge, who has previously worked for BT and Natwest, will be responsible for liaising with Allen & Heath's network of dealers,providing them with product advice and support.

"I've been interested in music all my life and have been DJ'ing for the past five years. I bought a Xone:62 last year and play at a few club nights locally. Now, I'm proud to be working for the company that designed and made my mixer!"

(Lee Baldock)

New sales manager at Midas & KT

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - In a move that both brings the brands of Midas and Klark Teknik closer together in addition to providing a more effective way of working, Midas and Klark Teknik have announced that David Wiggins, previously responsible for international sales of Klark Teknik, is to assume equal responsibility in his role as international sales manager for both brands.

"In terms of the way we have been restructuring the company in recent months, this is a move that makes complete sense," affirmed Wiggins. "As technology continues to develop apace, so the interaction between the two brands becomes increasingly important. We are already seeing this at a product and therefore R&D level; for example the ability to link any Heritage or Legend console to Helix via the auto-solo function to name but one example. It therefore follows that the same strategy should be reflected in sales

New MD of CRS

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Experienced industry executive, Garry Broadbent, has been confirmed as the new MD of CRS Ltd and Powerent. Broadbent will take the reigns at two of the Longville Group's specialist equipment rental companies after a complete restructure by the new board which was appointed at the end of last year. CRS is one of the country's leading climate control hire specialists and Powerent provides power and generator solutions.

Broadbent was one of the original founders of CRS in 1995 and moved with the company, becoming sales director, when the Longville Group acquired it in 1999. Broadbent not only has a background in sales but also mechanical engineering, which is crucial in what is a technical, installation and solution driven market.

Broadbent said: "The restructure at Longville has created a great opportunity for our businesses to focus on their own unique strengths and c

HES NY increases tech support & relocates

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - High End Systems (HES) New York has relocated its office to a new suite number within the same building, and with the move, has increased its technical support. Joe Haller joins the automated lighting manufacturer as a fixture specialist for HES legacy products and the new digital product line of Catalyst and DL1. Haller worked for the past five years at High Output in Boston, where he was the electronics department manager.

Haller comments: "While at High Output, I became knowledgeable about High End Systems products for a range of projects from the in-house production rentals to theatrical tours. I wanted to get out of the rental game and always wanted to get into the manufacturing side. High End Systems lights are the first I ever worked on and programmed. I'm happy to be here and excited about the direction of the company. It's also good to see an air of excitemen

Studer strengthens US sales

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Studer - the US manufacturer of digital and analogue mixing consoles, tape recorders, and other high-end products for broadcast and recording applications - has appointed Clayton Blick as national sales manager, reporting to Kim Templeman-Holmes, Harman Pro North America (HPNA) general manager and vice president.

Based just outside of New York City, Blick is now overseeing all aspects of Studer's domestic sales efforts on a daily operations basis, and HPNA is actively recruiting further members for the Studer USA sales team. Blick will initially focus his main sales activities on the eastern half of the country, with a western region sales manager to be appointed shortly.

Blick comes to Studer from Sony Electronics Inc, where he spent 17 years in various sales and marketing capacities including, most notably, a seven-year stint as national sales manager for the company'

Nock joins Blackout Team

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Drapes and rigging specialist Blackout has appointed Ken Nock as senior project manager, to work closely with managing director Steve Tuck and existing project managers, Chris Brain and Kevin Monks to deliver creative solutions to Blackout's expanding global client base.

With over 30 years' experience handling complex large-scale rigging projects across corporate and entertainment sectors, he brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the Blackout team. Well known for his work with Unusual Rigging in the nineties, Nock was before that Head of Rigging at the NEC and has a prestigious history in project safety management. His most significant and lasting impact has been felt in the area of rigging safety at large venues, not least getting a proper, movable rigging grid into Wembley Arena.

In his new position he will lead Blackout's growth in exhibitions and corporate events

ETC: new VP roles for Terry and Downs

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - ETC is making changes to its executive staff, announcing new titles and roles for two of the current-vice presidents. Well-known industry veteran Steve Terry will now assume the leadership of the company's global R&D department. Terry's current executive title and role within ETC's service operations will be expanded to vice-president of research and development and professional services.

Terry, who has been with ETC since the summer of 2001, has been a highly respected authority in the industry for over 25 years, and a major visionary force behind some of most significant technical advances in the field, including the development of industry-wide control protocols. In addition to driving the development of DMX512, he helped start the ESTA Technical Standards program and is the current co-chair of the Control-Protocols Working Group that is developing ACN and RDM.

A tire

Strand appoints Burnham as president

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Strand Lighting has appointed Tim Burnham as president of the Strand Lighting Group, to be based in the company's North American offices in Cypress, California. Burnham recently left French multi national Legrand, where he was marketing vice-president and director of strategic planning for Legrand, North America. Prior to that, he had spent 30 years in the entertainment lighting business in the UK and USA, starting work backstage in the West End, followed by years of touring, lighting design and running his own rental company. He managed Arri's lighting control division in London before moving to the US in 1994.

"I'm truly excited to be back in the lighting industry," Burnham commented. "I have so many friends in this business, and to be honest, I missed them while I was away. Now I'm getting to know a great new group of people, and I think we have a great p

Kurt Kern leaves TMB for Vincent Lighting

Details: 14 March 2016

USA - Kurt Kern, long-time TMB sales representative, has relocated to Cleveland to join Vincent Lighting Systems. TMB's East Coast sales manager, Brian Dowd, said: "Kurt has been a great asset and friend to us all. We respect the devotion to his family that prompted this move. The growth of our New York office over the past few years would not have been possible without Kurt's knowledge, talent and hard work. Paul Vincent and everyone at Vincent Lighting are very fortunate. Meanwhile, we now have to deal with our worst nightmare: a customer who knows our deepest, darkest secrets!"

"Who can blame Kurt for moving to a town with such an awesome football team?" said TMB's sales manager, Tommy Stephenson, famous follower of lost causes, adding: "Paul, did you get a chance to look at my resumé yet?"

"These have been great years," comments Ke

Dimes & Sillitoe appoints Liversidge

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Public relations agency Dimes & Sillitoe has appointed Anne Liversidge, who joins the company at its Kingston, Surrey office. Having left the position of marketing manager at pro audio manufacturer Audient in March to move back to London, Liversidge is now splitting her time between her vocation as a holistic therapist, and working closely with the PR team.

Taking responsibility for press release distribution and follow-up, database management and client administrative services she is looking forward to reacquainting herself with some familiar industry names.

Managing director Nick Dimes is delighted with the new addition to the company, he says: "With her six years experience at both Audient and Expotus, Anne's knowledge of the industry will be invaluable to us." He continues: "Her German language skills and ability to liaise with clients and journalists

Andy Mace joins Supporting Role

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Supporting Role, the small business support consultancy for the event and entertainment industry headed by Marco van Beek, has appointed Andy Mace as a web and database programmer and IT support specialist. Coming from Star 106.6 FM, the local radio station for Maidenhead, Windsor and Slough, Mace's presence increases the company's ability to support small businesses in the event and entertainment industry by bringing in experience of a different sector of the industry, they say.

Mace also brings his specific knowledge of radio station-specific IT solutions, including TXTMaster, a SMS to website tool which allows presenters to read text messages from mobile phones from a centralized database which includes an address book lookup for frequent callers, and talkshow surveys.

Supporting Role was started over five years ago by Marco van Beek, who says he was frustrated by the

Paul Brooks takes over at Synelec UK

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Paul Brooks has taken over as general manager at Synelec UK - replacing the departing Steve Murphy. A subsidiary of French company Synelec Telecom Multimedia SA, leaders in the large-scale display/integrated solutions industry, Synelec UK say they will benefit both from Brooks' experience of the marketplace, and his knowledge of the company's systems.

As sales manager of his previous company, CCC Network Solutions, Brooks was responsible for selling and delivering most of the company's command and control room solutions - and high among their third party supply was Synelec's videowall displays. Prior to that, Brooks worked for Barco, helping them to set up their UK control room displays division and becoming one of their lead salesman in Europe. "After CCC I had been looking to get back into the control room environment when I heard that Steve Murphy was leaving Synele

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