UK - RCF has announced a significant expansion of its UK operation, which will "add new efficiencies and impetus to the company's sales drive, as it continues to penetrate new market segments".

Central to the change is the appointment of industry stalwart Miles Brooke - who brings 20 years of experience in pro, commercial and consumer audio within the D&M Group.

Taking up the newly created position of regional sales manager (south) he will focus on installed sound/commercial audio and rental & touring customers, while Mick Butler will continue to represent RCF in the North of England and Scotland.

After a career dedicated to brand building Denon and Marantz - latterly as national sales and marketing manager with D&M Group's professional division - Miles Brooke previously worked with Denon distributors Hayden Laboratories, a company he joined in 1994. "RCF's di

Germany - ASC has expanded its maritime projects business area with the arrival of Dirk Schmerschneider to cover the yachting/residential sectors.

Dirk Schmerschneider has been responsible for the newly created yachting/residential business area since December 2014 as key account manager at ASC. He reports in this position directly to ASC's management. With his experience as a project manager for entertainment systems on luxury mega-yachts, he has added to the Hamburg-based system integrator's expertise in the field of Maritime Projects and has extended it strategically to encompass a target group made up of exclusive private clients.

Leif Witte of ASC management, comments, "Dirk Schmerschneider represents the next logical step in the expansion of our maritime projects business area. We have had repeated enquiries from private ship owners during our activities as a system

USA / EMEA - NanoLumens, a leading manufacturer and marketer of visualisation solutions, has appointed Simon Deary as regional sales director EMEA, reporting directly to David DaCosta, NanoLumens' managing director EMEA. Deary will be absed in the company's Bath, UK, office.

"As NanoLumens continues to expand throughout the EMEA region, we need to have someone of Simon's experience join our team," DaCosta said today. "Through his unique background in lighting design and LED engineering, Simon has a well-versed understanding of the industry, and will be able to show a variety of businesses how our solutions can help them to achieve their customer engagement goals and objectives."

Before joining NanoLumens, Deary founded Son Et Lumiere, an LED design firm specialising in high-end events. Deary worked on projects such as the Expendables 3 premier in Cannes and

UK - Shannon Harvey has joined Backstage Academy as course leader on the BA (Hons) Visual Production degree. Harvey previously worked as account manager at d3 Technologies - one of the course's core supporters - and will now be responsible for running the degree and ensuring it delivers against the industry's current skills requirements and technology.

Harvey's experience covers the architectural, theatrical and entertainment industries, working with lighting, video, projection and special effects projects on a wide range of applications.

Said Backstage Academy's Sara Gleadhall, "Shannon Harvey is a huge asset to the course and brings with him a wealth of knowledge on video and lighting system design as well as a unique creative vision which means he is an all-round inspiration for the students.

"Entertainment technology is evolving so rapidly that we need to draw

UK - Blackburn-based lighting and visuals rental specialist HSL has appointed Mick Seddon as group financial director and strategist.

Working closely HSL's MD Simon Stuart, he will play a key role in HSL's active expansion over the next five years, and is one of a number of high level appointments to be announced by the company in the coming months.

HSL and Mick's accountancy practice have already been collaborating for several years. During that time, Mick has been instrumental for the management and co-ordination of several acquisitions by the HSL Group, including the purchase of Playlight, The Lighthouse and Production Services Ireland.

Simon Stuart states, "We welcome Mick to his new role at HSL. His combination of foresight, financial savvy and imagination will help shape our future and ensure that HSL remains a major force, as well as an adaptable and efficient bu

France - Matthias Larrieu, a leading member of the Nexo design team has died in a road accident. He was just 30 years old.

The Nexo family is mourning the loss of one of its sons, the talented young loudspeaker designer Matthias Larrieu, who lost his life in a car accident in June, writes Ginny Goudy. In his six years at Nexo, Matthias left a truly impressive mark. A core member of the design team that brought the company's flagship STM Series modular line array into existence, he was also instrumental in the development of other ground-breaking Nexo products, notably the 45°N-12 inline stage monitor and the hugely popular RS subbass cabinets.

His last project for Nexo was the STM M28 compact line array, which, in its first year on the market, is already set to become one of the company's best-selling PA systems.

Nexo's gentle giant, Matthias balanced his genius w

UK - Scrub, a division of HHB specialising in post production, is announcing the appointment of Stephen Jones to the newly created position of sales administrator.

The UK's leading supplier of Avid Pro Tools, Scrub has expanded the team to meet the demands of significant growth in the sales of Pro Tools and the S6 control surface. Leading audio post facilities like Envy, The Farm Group, Encore, LipSync, Angell Sound and many others have chosen Scrub to upgrade to the S6.

Stephen will support Ben Scully and Devin Workman from Scrub's office and demo facilities on Berwick Street in the heart of Soho's post community. He began working with HHB in 2012 after graduating from Coventry University with a degree in Music Composition and has been promoted to help in providing first-line support for Avid Pro Tools as well as other MAC and PC-based DAWs.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Jigsaw24 has hired Andy Brooks as head of business development for pro audio and Ian Duncan as senior pro audio consultant as part of efforts to boost its share of the pro audio market sector.

Jigsaw24 chief executive Martin Balaam said, "Following on from our recent major investment in our flagship premises in Golden Square, Jigsaw24 has ambitious plan to expand its capabilities within the media and entertainment sectors.

"Andy and Ian's remit, following Jigsaw24's accreditation as an Avid Elite S6 partner, is to drive the Pro Audio business within the traditional Soho sector and within the wider media and entertainment market."

(Jim Evans)

USA - Outline North America has announced the appointment of Joseph 'Joe' Fustolo as senior sales engineer/product support specialist.

"We are pleased to make this announcement at InfoComm 2015 as yet another facet of the continued growth and development of Outline in the US", said Tom Bensen, Outline North America's Sr. V.P. and managing director. "Joe is a great addition to the team with his experience and talents. We are confident that his impact will be immediate, and that he will hit the ground running."

Joe joins Outline with over 20 years experience in the audio industry. "It is truly an honour to be working for such a passionate company. With the best in Italian quality, along with a very innovative approach to their product design and engineering, I am ready to do my part in taking Outline to the next level here in the US Market. I look forwar

UK - Event technical delivery expert FIX8Group has appointed Helen Marenghi as project coordinator.

Helen's role will be predominantly to support FIX8's existing project managers across all current and future events/projects and other company related work. It will also involve implementing and managing various operational processes and software that will help the company manage its time and equipment more efficiently as the company continues its rapid growth.

Helen brings a wealth of experience to FIX8. Her recent roles have included senior events manager at Cuffe and Taylor Ltd and working on prestigious shows such as the Rod Stewart Tour 2014 and Lytham Proms Festival. She has also worked as assistant video and graphics producer for WorldWide Shows (WWS) on the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Closing and Paralympic Opening Ceremonies and lighting and content viewing room assistant

UK - Since its launch in 2010, Rigging Team has gone from strength to strength. To continue to build on this they have appointed Claire Gilligan in the role of operations manager.

Claire has many years technical and administrative experience in the entertainment world and brings a wealth of knowledge to the role. She'll soon have the opportunity to put her logistics skills to good use as the company will shortly move to larger premises.

Director Adam Searle says, "I knew that we needed to expand our team and when the opportunity to work with Claire arose, I took it. She had been recommended to me and her skill set coupled with a friendly personality fitted perfectly with our needs for an operations manager. I am delighted she is joining Rigging Team."

Claire comments, "I'm thrilled and excited to be involved in the next chapter of Rigging Team. Our new premise

UK - This year's ABTT Exhibition saw Lift Turn Move Ltd (LTM) introduce its new Entertainment Sales Manager, Alex Cowan to its Entertainment customers.

Alex has worked in the industry for 15-plus years, he previously worked for City Theatrical as European Sales Manager and James Thomas amongst others. He brings his considerable knowledge in this specialist area to LTM as well as a new outlook and plenty of enthusiasm.

Alex comments: "Having known John Jones and David King for a long time I was aware of the respect that they and LTM have in the industry, l didn't have to think twice when the opportunity arose to come and work with LTM. The first day everybody made me feel so welcome, and immediately made to feel part of the team. I am excited to work for a company where their customers are treated so well."

"It is a pleasure offering the range of hoist's that L

Canada - The AES has announced Meyer Sound's director of system optimization, Bob McCarthy, as the keynote speaker for the 59th International AES Conference at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, taking place July 15-17, 2015, with an emphasis on sound reinforcement engineering and technology.

Known as an international authority on sound system design and optimization, McCarthy is also an educator and published author. His keynote speech, Sound Systems Tuning and Optimization Made Simple and Affordable, will take place on the first day of the Conference, Wednesday, 15 July at 2:00 PM.

McCarthy has been a pivotal figure in the development of all three generations of Meyer's Source Independent Measurement system (SIM) and a leading educator in sound system measurement and tuning. McCarthy's book, Sound Systems: Design and Optimization (Focal Press), is considere

The Netherlands - Integrated Systems Events, the organisers of the Integrated Systems Europe trade exhibition, has announced the appointment of two new members to its board. Ollie French, from Future Automation and Tobias Lang from Lang AG will join the nine-person ISE board of directors as of 1 July.

French works as the commercial director for Future Automation, a manufacturer of motorised and non-motorised mounting and concealing solutions for televisions and projectors with its primary market in the residential sector. Lang joins the ISE board of directors as CEO of Lang AG, the German-based AV sales, rental and solution provider of visual presentation technology.

As manufacturers, both French and Lang will join the board on a fixed term basis. "It's extremely important that we get a fresh point of view and input into our strategic development," stated ISE managin

Germany - The supervisory board of Messe Berlin has appointed 45 year-old Dirk Hoffmann, a business studies graduate, as the chief financial officer of Messe Berlin. He will take up his post on 15 September 2015 and oversee finances, IT and human resources.

Dirk Hoffmann studied business management in Germany, the US and Canada and after working for Booz Allen & Hamilton and Fox Mobile (formerly Jamba) his last post was as managing director of ImmobilienScout24 in Berlin.

Peter Zühlsdorff, chairman of the supervisory board, comments, "Dirk Hoffmann is a highly competent business manager. I am confident that we have secured the services of a management team member who together with Dr. Christian Göke as CEO will continue to build on the successes of Messe Berlin."

Dirk Hoffmann adds, "I look forward to the many challenges and operational responsibilities that

Europe - One of the industry's brightest lights dimmed on Thursday, when Fulvio Cotogni, ETC's regional manager for Southern Europe and the Middle East, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.

A funeral for Cotogni was held on Saturday, where friends and family had the opportunity to share memories of him. ETC CEO Fred Foster gave a eulogy in which he noted, "I am incredibly honoured to have known Fulvio for a couple of decades, and to have been his colleague for much of that time. My wife, Susan, refers to Fulvio as an 'ancient soul', not because he was old, but because he had the wisdom and patience of the ages. It was in his eyes, it was in his rich voice and in his wry smile. Fulvio has taught us all more than we even realise."

Cotogni was known for his immense personality, sense of humour and infectious laugh. He began his career in lighting when he w

Germany - German loudspeaker manufacturer Kling & Freitag has announced the death of its co-founder Martin Kling following long-term health problems. The company statement says:

"We are mourning the passing of Martin Kling. Last weekend, the former partner, namesake and chief developer of Kling & Freitag GmbH passed away unexpectedly at the age of 54.

"Already in the early 1980s, Martin and Jürgen [Freitag] were developing speaker systems which have also had worldwide recognition since 2000 and enjoy an excellent reputation. The two founders had the greatest successes with the CA 106 compact speaker, which became a type of industry standard in sound technology. Many other speaker systems which were developed by Martin, such as the ACCESS, CA and Line 212 series and the SEQUENZA 10, are still setting standards in industry today. Over the years, we were thus also able

USA - Bandit Lites has promoted Steve Powell to rentals manager and Mark Steinwachs to general manager.

Steve Powell, who recently celebrated more than 15 years with Bandit Lites, steps into a new role as rentals manager. Now in charge of asset allocation for tours and shows, Powell will also step up efforts to rent gear to other production houses.

"I am always excited to be part of the great team at Bandit Lites and look forward to this new opportunity," said Powell.

Bandit Chair, Michael T. Strickland says of Powell, "Steve has been the rock of Nashville production, sitting in the centre of the board for 12 years. Steve is a large part of our success. This move to rentals manager will allow Bandit to become more efficient in that area. This was a part of Steve's prior role, but it has grown into a full time job. Steve is an absolute A player and an industry

France / China - Nexo is reinforcing its sales team with the addition of industry sales heavyweight Michel Brouard.

To be based in Hong Kong in the newly-created position of Greater China business development manager, Michel will play a critical role in increasing the presence and success of Nexo in the Asia Pacific area.

A well-known name in sound reinforcement circles, Michel is an industry veteran. Beginning his career in project management in his native France, he has been most prominent in the role of international sales manager for L'Acoustics, where he worked for 16 years. Most recently, he has been part of the sales team for Italian company K-Array.

Michel says: "I am really pleased to join Nexo, one of the most innovative and respected French pro-audio companies. Although I'll be working in a territory I know very well, this will be an interesting new challenge

Germany - d&b audiotechnik is enhancing its senior management team by appointing Hans-Peter Nüdling as chief sales officer. From 20 July 2015, Nüdling will be responsible for global sales and services, bringing over 25 years of sales, business development, electronics and technology experience to the team.

As a member of the managing board, Nüdling will be responsible for global sales and global services including education, application support and services. He has direct and channel sales, and business development expertise, and will help to establish solid, best-practice processes to further expand the business. In addition, Nüdling has worked in Europe, the Americas and Asia, which means he has an in-depth understanding of the international markets in which d&b does business.

"Based on Hans-Peter Nüdling's international experience, excellent sales capabilities and

UK - Audient has appointed Daniel Mills as technical support agent to assist with questions from Audient owners new and old, and brings with him youth, a passion for sound synthesis, programming and in particular, an appreciation for great sounding recording.

"I love Audient after using the ASP8024 desk hooked up to a pair of Genelec monitors during a concert at the Birmingham Conservatoire. I'd never heard audio sound that good before," he says, adding: "I also love how that same sound can be squeezed into a box as small as the iD14 and ever since I've gotten my hands on one here at Audient, I've been playing as much music through it as I possibly can."

(Jim Evans)

The Netherlands - Albert Deltour has been appointed commercial director at Creative Technology Holland.

Deltour's career has included senior roles at De Hallen Studios in Amsterdam, Backbone International, Natura Artis Magistra in Amsterdam and as founder and owner of the Amsterdam Convention Factory and the events communications agency; Deltour & Waerts.

"Throughout his impressive career Albert has proved to be an experienced practitioner and manager who fits in an organisation like Creative Technology," said Christ Elsten, managing director CT's Holland operation. "We are very excited that Albert is joining our company."

Albert Deltour added, "I am looking forward to working with Creative Technology. The company produces fantastic audiovisual projects around the globe many delivered from its Dutch base. The challenge for me - along with the CT coll

UK - The Theatres Trust, the National Advisory Public Body for Theatres has announced the appointment of Claire Appleby as the Trust's new architecture adviser to provide expert advice on the architecture, design and heritage conservation of theatre buildings.

Claire will deliver high quality theatre building architecture, design and heritage conservation advice to theatre owners, operators and developers, members of the public, and local authorities. Her role involves advising on theatre-related capital redevelopments, refurbishments, restoration and rebuilding projects, providing one-to-one advice, and delivery of the Trust's Advisory Review with the advisory team.

As architecture adviser, Claire will also have a lead role in co-ordinating and advising on work to secure theatres at risk, in association with our Theatres Adviser.

Director Mhora Samuel, said, "I am deli

UK - The UK's entertainment technology industry is mourning the tragic loss of Dave Cartwright, who passed away in July after suffering a stroke in late June. He was just 46 years old.

Dave's employer, Stuart Gibbons of Le Mark, issued the following statement on behalf of the company:

"It is with the greatest of sadness that Le Mark announce the death of a respected colleague and friend. Not only within the company but also the UK entertainment industry. David Cartwright passed away on Sunday 12 July 2015 at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge. Dave suffered a severe stroke on the evening of Thursday 25 June, having spent a 'usual day' with friends and colleagues at the ABTT trade show. He had returned home that evening to his partner Kirsty Fisher, in St Ives, Cambridgeshire where he was taken ill. To say that Dave will be sorely missed by many would be an understatement.

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