UK - Audio consultancy and networking expert RH Consulting (RHC) has been counting networked audio products and licensees since 2013 to chart the adoption of audio networking in the pro audio, AV and broadcast markets. RHC has compiled the 11th edition of this report that provides insights into the current state of the industry.
It covers all the major protocols including Dante, Ravenna, AES67, AVB, Milan and others. Following the addition of video and control protocols in last year’s report, RHC have added IPMX and NDI and will further broaden the scope in the future.
The statistics show that the number of networked AV products on the market continues to grow, with the total number of products being shipped being charted at 5,219, from 552 different brands. This increase of over 1,000 from last year’s report seems to indicate that the industry is successfully rebounding from a rough spell of years caused by the pandemic. Dante once again cements its dominance in the Audio over IP (AoIP) sector, adding more products to the market than all other protocols combined and Ravenna continue their steady progress in second place, as the protocol of choice in the broadcast industry.
“Video adoption over IP has been slower than audio due to bandwidth limitations allowing only a few video channels to pass, increasing bandwidth demands for improving video quality, and unsustainable single-manufacturer solutions,” comments Roland Hemming, from RHC, on the Video over IP data. “We observed that many of the products are simply video encoders/decoders,

Norway - Ayrton has announced the appointment of Rubicon AS as its new exclusive distributor for Norway. The new agreement takes effect from 15 March 2023.
“The date coincides with the start of the LLB trade show in Oslo which will be a perfect occasion for us to present Ayrton fixtures to the Norwegian market and mark the start of our new distributorship,” says Rubicon CEO and founder, Petter Norby.
Established in 1994, Rubicon began life as a rental company and quickly grew to include a sales division. “Like Caesar crossing the Rubicon, there was no turning back,” says Norby. In 2017 Rubicon decided to focus entirely on sales and is now among the most well-respected mid-sized companies in Norway. Rubicon will be responsible for the sales and installation of the full range of Ayrton fixtures.
“We have always focused on quality as our trademark, which is what makes Ayrton the perfect match for us. We enjoyed a phenomenal growth last year and are aiming high, so we are very happy that Ayrton chose us as their Norwegian distributor. We are looking forward to the new world and partnership.”
“Appointing Rubicon as our exclusive distributor for Norway was an easy decision,” says Ayrton’s European sales director, Matt Hallard. “From the first meeting with Petter and his team it was clear our understanding of the opportunities for Ayrton were in alignment. There is great excitement in both our camps to see what we can achieve together, and with Rubicon’s pedigree I am confident it won’t take long to take effect.
“I’

France/USA - L-Acoustics has announced that it has been named for the second time to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.
This year’s list highlights the businesses at the forefront of their respective industries, paving the way for the innovations of tomorrow.
“Being recognised by Fast Company for the second time in three years as a top innovator is a great honour and a testimony to L-Acoustics’ heritage of innovation and passion for connecting artists to their audiences,” says L-Acoustics CEO Laurent Vaissié.
Notable innovations highlighted by Fast Company include the release of L-ISA Studio that facilitates access to spatial audio creation and listening, as well as Ambiance, L-Acoustics’ award-wining active acoustics solution that turns any studio acoustics into a real live concert environment.
Additionally, the nomination also honours L-Acoustics' ongoing efforts towards inclusion with its monthly Women in Pro Audio editorial series, which puts the spotlight on women in live sound, a predominantly male industry. Through the series, the company has supported careers and provided a platform for amplifying the voices of dozens of professional women over the past two years.
“What a strange and thrilling year it has been to honour this year’s Most Innovative Companies. This year’s list compiles some of the most cutting-edge ground-breakers who are changing our world every single day, from legacy organisations like McDonald’s to upstarts like MrBeast and institutions such as N

Denmark - Ayrton has announced the appointment of Vigsø Sales ApS as its new exclusive distributor for Denmark, with immediate effect.
VIGSØ is one of Denmark’s leading suppliers of technical equipment for the event, production, theatre and concert industry. Vigsø Sales is a part of Vigsø Rental which had grown into an important player in the dry-hire industry before opening a sales and distribution division in 2021. Since 2022, this has been run by Kenneth Jakobsen who brings many years of industry experience to his role. The company has already taken a significant stock of Ayrton Cobra, Eurus and Domino LT fixtures into its inventory.
“The advantage of having a dry-hire and sales company under the same roof is proving to be very effective for our customers, especially when delivery times are under pressure when it has proven helpful to have a rental division for additional support,” says Jakobsen. “Our clients can also be confident we can supply their one-off production needs from our rental division.”
Vigsø will be responsible for the supply and support of the full range of Ayrton products across the Danish market. “We’re very glad and excited to add Ayrton to the small and carefully selected range of brands that we focus on within our sales division,” confirms Jakobsen. “The market has been talking about Ayrton for a long time, so when the opportunity came, it was really a no brainer. There are a very limited number of brands that are capable of driving development and new technologies in the way in which Ayrton does.

UK - Peerless-AV has announced the dates for this year’s AV Showcase at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Back with earlier dates in the AV calendar – 16-17 May 2023
“Now in its third year, we’re pleased to announce our return to Lord’s and new May dates,” said Keith Dutch, managing director – EMEA, Peerless-AV. “Our event attracts professionals and decision-makers not only from the UK AV community but all across Europe; recognising the value of Peerless-AV’s strong partner relations and industry connections and ability to bring all the leading players from the audio, workplace technology, wireless, UC/VC, digital signage, interactive touch and signal management markets together, under one roof. This year we have over 30 leading brands, returning and new, to the exhibition floor and we will have some new features to reveal soon over the two-day schedule.”
New for 2023 will be Tech Talks and workshops; educational and informative technical sessions in which multiple vendors will team up to present full solutions with ‘forward-looking market insights, product competencies and real-life examples of successful installations’. In addition, Peerless-AV’s ‘mix and mingle’ evening drinks reception will return on Tuesday 16. Registration is now open.

USA - EAW has announced Techrep Marketing as its new representatives in the Ohio Valley region.
Techrep Marketing, founded by Ted Bahas and Jeff Mcpherson in 1998, has been serving the Ohio Valley for over 22 years. “We saw the opportunity and value of having a technically oriented sales force serving the AV marketplace,” says Bahas, president, Techrep. “We have always envisioned ourselves as solution specialists for the products we represent. Our goal is to act as a multiplier for our vendor’s sales and technical teams.”
Bahas expanded on this idea, building out a team of almost 20 professionals. Now working with commercial installs, live sound and music retail customers, Techrep represents various manufacturers such as EAW in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. The company also has reach in Michigan and Indiana for some of its clients.
“EAW has been a respected name in the audio business for a long time,” says Bahas. “When the opportunity for representation came to us, it was very appealing. EAW fits very nicely with our Blue-Chip brand strategy. We are thrilled with the opportunity.”
“In our territory, live sound production and commercial install for performance venues, arenas and stadiums are a staple of our business,” adds Chris Bednar, VP of Sales, Techrep. “The EAW brand has some truly innovative products in those areas, so it’s a nice fit with the echelon of brands that we represent. Techrep tends to excel at the things that are a little more complex – our team and their technical abili

Portugal - Auditiv - Audiovisuais Lda. has more than 25 years of experience in the audio rental market. Under the direction of João Escada and Daniel Bekerman, both experienced broadcast engineers, it maintains a strong position in both broadcast and live sound, suppling audio systems for major national and international productions. A long-standing DiGiCo user, the company has recently invested in a Quantum 338 console, ensuring it has the latest technology in its inventory.
“Working on national awards ceremonies such as the Golden Globes, well known musical TV shows including Got Talent, Ídolos and The Voice, and with bands such as Xutos & Pontapés are some of the highlights in our portfolio,” says Auditiv’s João Escada. Internationally, Auditiv has participated in spectacular events including the Eurovision Song Contest, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games and in major Spanish TV formats.
“For all this, our equipment options have to guarantee all the reliability and operability compatible with the events, and so DiGiCo is our choice,” he continues. “We started our association with DiGiCo in 2007 with the original D series, and that naturally evolved to the SD Series. Our choice is mainly because of the great I/O capacity of the system, flexibility, reliability and operability. Now, we have started our entry into the Quantum range with the acquisition of a Quantum 338.”
Auditiv took delivery of its Quantum 338 at the end of last year, immediately deploying at front of house for television show, Gala Do

USA - LightenUp, a Los Angeles-based professional lighting company that supplies the full range of lighting equipment and power distribution for all types of events, has added a large complement of Ayrton Zonda 9 FX and Zonda 3 FX fixtures to its inventory. The new luminaires join Ayrton Khamsin, Perseo Profile, Diablo-S in white and black housings, and MagicDot fixtures available for projects and rental. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America.
“We’re always looking at new equipment. We do our due diligence and have biweekly meetings with lighting designers about new gear and keeping our inventory up to date,” says lighting designer Nathan Megaw, president of LightenUp. “A lot of new equipment is always coming out, and there’s always the risk of, ‘Will you pick right? Will the gear be hot in the market? Can we cross-rent it?’ We were the second company in LA with Diablos, so we picked correctly, but there’s a lot of homework involved.”
ACT provided demo units of the Zonda 9 FX, which LightenUp quickly felt would fit well in the company’s inventory for a broad roster of projects and to serve a smaller rental market. “The Zonda 9 FX’s features are a step above any competitive wash fixtures in that weight class,” says Megaw. “The effects capabilities are a bonus and offer effects no other units have. We not only like what the Zonda 9 FX can do, but how the instrument looks with its clean and simplified shape, quality and craftsmanship.”
To the Zonda 9 FXs, which have just been de

Botswana - Having last year launched Headstock Group’s HH Electronics brand in South Africa, distributor ApexPro recently introduced the company’s range of audio products to professionals and end-users at an AV Expo in Botswana. Staged at the Town Lodge Convention Centre in Gaborone with partner SixDots, the well-attended showcase allowed visitors to experience close-up the quality and flexibility of HH products, giving insights into the wide range of applications they can address.
Demand in sub-Saharan Africa for robust, cost-competitive, high quality professional audio for live sound and installation is growing, with HH Electronics ideally placed to take advantage, according to its global sales director Ian Wright:
“In the relatively short time we’ve been working with ApexPro, they’ve demonstrated a very strong commitment to delivering the HH message to the region. They have a long and successful history in the African pro audio market, with a strong tradition of offering the very highest levels of support and training to their customers. Events like this one in Botswana are invaluable, enabling the very knowledgeable ApexPro staff to really highlight the benefits of our systems in a close-up and personal environment.”
Justin Acres, director at ApexPro adds: “With an emphasis on line array and portable systems for small to medium sized live applications, and a wide variety of scalable installation products, we have every confidence in HH Electronics’ range to provide just the right balance of quality, durability, and affordability

USA - The DALI Alliance has reached two new milestones that demonstrate broad global support for the organisation and its certification programmes. The number of certified DALI-2 products now exceeds 3,000 devices, and at the same time DALI Alliance’s membership has grown to 350 members.
The 3,000th DALI-2 product is the EUM-150S150ET LED driver from Inventronics. This product includes luminaire, energy and diagnostics data (Parts 251-3), which means that it can store luminaire information (typically encoded by the luminaire manufacturer) in one of the driver's DALI memory banks, and can report operational diagnostic and energy usage data.
DALI-2 certification requires the product to successfully pass a rigorous and comprehensive set of tests based on the international standard IEC 62386. The DALI Alliance independently verifies the test results, and then lists each certified product in its online product database, providing public traceability. The database contains all certified DALI-2 and D4i components.
The 350th member is Leap Info Systems Pvt, a lighting controls and automation technology company based in Pune, India, which has joined as an associate member (view the full member list). Associate membership enables companies to participate in the DALI-2 certification program, and to use the DALI trademarks. To date, membership of the alliance consists of 35 Regular members, 267 Associate members and 51 Community members.
“We are grateful to all our members who support our certification programs, and we’re excited to continue driving

Ghana - Van Damme cables has announced that it has partnered with a new distributor in Ghana to supply its portfolio of products to a strong and varied customer base in West Africa.
Audiovisual Systems is a well-established professional sales and integration company that designs, supplies, installs and maintains professional audio visual equipment. Its approach is simple and innovative, with the business providing a variety of training programmes and maintenance to support every installation.
The new distribution relationship marks a significant step forward for Van Damme as it starts to ‘reach out to new geographies’.
Adam Jafrabadi, export director at VDC comments, “We are really excited about this new collaboration. Van Damme is recognised globally for its innovation and reliability and has a broad range of products to meet customers’ every need and Audiovisual Systems’ expertise perfectly complements the emerging growth sectors for Van Damme. I believe this relationship is an important step in continuing our business growth with a long-term strategic partnership.”
Caleb N. A. Ashong-Katai, manager, Audiovisual Systems – Ghana, adds, "Our goal has always been to provide the best possible service to our customers and Van Damme has offered us the opportunity to take on a wide-ranging portfolio of products suited to our customer base, which are not only market leading, but also fits into our long-term vision. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for both parties as a result of this association.”

UK - In response to significantly different market conditions in the UK following Brexit, ADJ has announced the moving of distribution of the brand’s products to a new UK-based company. Audio Visual Security Limited – AVS – will be led by two familiar faces to ADJ customers in the region and provide vastly improved delivery times – next day in most cases – as well as local service, support, and repairs.
Kris Dawber and Andy Howarth are the directors of AVS. Kris has been a part of the ADJ family for 15 years, was instrumental in first bringing the brand to the UK and has previously served as UK & Ireland sales manager as well as European sales manager for ADJ Europe. He has an extensive knowledge of the UK and Irish markets as well as a vast network of industry contacts. Andy has worked with Kris within ADJ’s UK-based business for over 10 years and has an in-depth technical understanding of the company’s extensive product range.
“Recently, due to situations beyond our control, we haven’t been able to offer our usual high level of ADJ service to customers here in the UK,” explains Kris Dawber. “Through AVS we’ll be able to change that immediately. By holding stock here in the UK, we can dispatch orders to customers for the next working day. Andy and I have worked together for a long time and are excited to move into this new chapter together, serving our existing customer base and growing ADJ’s market share across all facets of the industry, including production, rental, integration, and retail.”
“Kris and I both be

UK - Elation Professional and Obsidian Control Systems are partnering with Backstage Academy. Both Elation and Obsidian are providing the latest in cutting-edge products to Backstage Academy for use in educational courses and training purposes.
Backstage Academy is located in the heart of Production Park, a live events and entertainment technology campus near Leeds that combines industry, education and innovation. It features production studios, businesses and educational facilities, where creatives, technicians, designers, and engineers collaborate to advance the live events industry.
Backstage Academy offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, short courses and bespoke training programs that involve getting hands on with cutting-edge equipment and technology used by the entertainment industry. 4Wall Entertainment, TAIT and ROE Visual are onsite and entrenched in the fabric of Production Park as well as other industry leading companies.
Backstage Academy students will have access to Elation lighting and Obsidian lighting control products for their studies for both on-campus and off-campus projects. The gear will also be utilised in training courses with industry professionals. The package includes Proteus and KL series luminaires from Elation, Magmatic atmospheric effects, as well as NX control solutions and Netron data distribution devices from Obsidian.
Rachel Nicholson, head of institution at Backstage Academy, said, “We pride ourselves on being a place where we equip the next generation of live industry professionals with all the

Germany – Event production company, gruppe20, has invested in a Unitour power supply system from Australian manufacturer LSC Control Systems, in order to provide maximum control over its power management capabilities.
The Augsburg-based company, which purchased the systems through LSC’s exclusive distributor for Germany, LMP Lichttechnik, will be using them to power audio, video and lighting systems across the German market, in all types of production, including events, touring, film and television.
LSC’s Unitour is their premium portable power solution for the broad range of equipment - LED walls, audio, moving lights and AV hardware - used in entertainment production. The 24 or 48-channel modular system can be fitted with power switching modules for audio and video, or with dual-mode TruPower dim/switch modules for lighting. As well as the module flexibility, each channel can also be separately configured as a power supply, switch pack or dimmer. Not only can a broad range of equipment be powered, but both LED fixtures and conventional lighting can be dimmed from the same system.
gruppe20 first encountered the Unitour system on the stand of LMP Lichttechnik at the Prolight + Sound exhibition in Frankfurt last year. After a shootout, the company made the decision to invest in a 48-channel Unitour system with individual RCBOs per channel, a hot patch field and the flexible option to switch between power supply and dimmer.
Klaus Mayer, managing director of gruppe20, says, “The system will help us to be even more secure in dealing with o

USA - Renkus-Heinz has announced a newfound partnership with Mountain AV Marketing in the Rocky Mountain region.
Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Mountain AV Marketing is a manufacturers’ representative in the commercial AV and pro sound & lighting market channels. Owner and founder Chris Henley has over 30 years of experience as an end user, AV integrator and independent representative.
“I'm honoured to represent a leader like Renkus-Heinz throughout the region, and look forward to bringing dynamic, cutting-edge audio solutions to our dealers and consultants,” Henley said. “Always at the forefront of research and development, Renkus-Heinz brings the type of forward-thinking technology and solutions our customers are looking for along with the right team and end-user support to truly have an impact in this region.”
“We’re proud to partner with Mountain AV Marketing. Chris is extremely well-established, experienced and respected in this industry,” said Garrison Parkin, western regional sales manager for Renkus-Heinz. “We are excited to be joining forces to bring the best sound solutions imaginable to this important region of the US.”

UK - Unusual Rigging will join in the 2023 Olivier Awards with Mastercard at the Royal Albert Hall this year as an official sponsor of an award.
The event, which takes place on the 2 April and acknowledges the best of British theatre, will see Unusual sponsoring the Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre category. This award, introduced in 2004, recognises work produced at affiliate members of the Society of London Theatre, recognising excellence beyond the West End theatres eligible in the main theatre categories.
This is the first time that Unusual Rigging has been involved with the Olivier Awards in a sponsorship capacity. However, the event rigging has been supplied by the Unusual team in previous years.
Speaking ahead of the event, Tom Harper MD commented: “In an era of increased pressure on the UK theatre industry, Unusual recognises the importance of celebrating the continued strive for creative and technical excellence fostered within our industry; and we are proud to support the Olivier Awards with Mastercard as the ultimate platform than honours such excellence.”

UK - Following the successful formula first introduced at the recent ISE 2023 show in Barcelona - whereby non-attendees could share, remotely, the same product launch experience as those who made the trip to Barcelona, Martin Audio has laid out its stall for a similar online experience in advance of its biannual open days. These will take place at their High Wycombe HQ, the difference this time being that the visitor experience will take place within the company’s newly refurbished facility.
“The international launch of our new Torus 8 in Barcelona was very much an experiment in the way we presented new products to both the market and the media,” said director of marketing, James King. “Fortunately both the real-world attendance at our booth and our demo room, alongside the number of logins and catch-up replays to the two streamed events fully vindicated our decision and far exceeded expectations.
“It therefore makes perfect sense to repeat the successful formula to combine our celebrated UK Open Days with a curtain raiser online Special Launch Event, a week before.”
The online event is scheduled for 12 April, when, as previously, separate sessions are scheduled for 8am and 4pm (GMT). The Open Days then take place on 18-19 April where visitors can experience the entire suite of new products previewed a week earlier at the online event.
In addition to the Torus 8, along with its matched flown cardioid SXCF115 subwoofer, products from Focusrite Group partners, Linea Research, Focusrite Pro and Optimal Audio will be on view. The prese

UK - Midwich and its specialist LED division, PSCo, have announced they have been appointed as LG’s authorised service and repair centre for LED products, delivered through its service department, MiSupport.
The enhanced partnership will see Midwich become the official service partner for in- and out-of-warranty repairs in the UK and Ireland, acting on behalf of LG Business Solutions.
PSCo, part of the Midwich Group, is already the official distributor and accredited technical and service delivery partner for LG LED across the UK & Ireland.
Michael Mclewee, UK & Ireland LED Sales Manager at LG, said, “We partnered with Midwich’s MiSupport because it has enabled us to widen our support coverage and will provide resellers with a clear process for LED product repairs.
“As our authorised service centre, channel partners will receive the best possible support services for complete peace of mind when purchasing LG LED.”
Jon Dew-Stanley, director of technical, services and support at Midwich added: “We are pleased to have been selected by LG to become their official UK LED service and repair centre. This enhanced partnership will give customers access to the full aftercare package from MiSupport, which includes our enhanced warranty, technical assistance, helpdesk support and LED pixel repair service. We have you covered every step of the way.”

Europe - Ayrton has announced the appointment of BT.innotec as its new, exclusive distributor for Germany with effect from 1 March 2023.
A new company, yet with 44 years of professional industry experience, BT.innotec was established in 2021 by Michael Timmer and Raphael Berndzen to focus on the distribution of carefully selected professional lighting, trussing and control technology for the entertainment lighting market.
The company will be responsible for the distribution and support of the entire range of Ayrton products.
“Ayrton is a well-recognised A-brand in our industry and we are honoured to be chosen as a partner in the worldwide Ayrton sales network,” says BT.innotec managing director, Michael Timmer. “It is a great opportunity and challenge at the same time, and we are convinced that, due to Ayrton’s technological leadership and stable product offering, there are exciting times ahead.
“Ayrton products are state-of-the-art in their development and engineering. The combination of light output and quality of light, along with the features each product offers, is top level. Especially important is the comprehensive IP65/66 offering which will become more and more relevant for our industry because they cut down service and maintenance time and costs in these times when we are experiencing a shortage of skilled workers.”
“Passion, knowledge and focus – combined with trustworthiness and continuity - these are the key ingredients that make an ideal distributor for Ayrton,” comments Michael Althaus, Ayrton’s global

UK - TSL Lighting in has expanded their product offerings by adding Elation Professional’s KL Fresnel 6 FC to inventory.
According to TSL managing director Sam Tamplin, the company had been searching for an LED Fresnel light to add to their inventory for several years but they had not found one that met their high standards until now. “They were either too bulky, or the output wasn’t bright enough,” he said. “The KL Fresnel 6 FC gives us a unit which is compact, punchy and with a high-quality full colour engine, bright enough to satisfy even the most demanding lighting designers.”
Designed for any application requiring high output soft light with precise color reproduction and adjustable color temperature, the KL Fresnel 6 FC excels at projecting a uniform wash of soft field light while matching the white balance for camera. It houses a 220W RGBMA LED engine with CRI of 92 and can produce up to 8,000 field lumens.
TSL arranged a demo of the KL Fresnel 6 FC through Entedi, Elation's exclusive UK distributor, and thereafter decided to add it to their stock. The investment adds to other Elation fixtures in TSL inventory, including over 700 outdoor-rated Paladin Cube LED floodlights. “We have been impressed with the build quality, reliability, output and price point of the Elation products we have in our inventory,” Tamplin remarked.
TSL commended Entedi for their excellent support and quick delivery, and also recognised Marcel Wijnberger, technical manager at Entedi, for his technical assistance across the Elation range. “Ente

Denmark - The lighting department of Danish rental and technical production specialist, European Touring Productions (ETP), based just outside Copenhagen, has started investing in Astera wireless LED lighting products.
The first purchase of 32 x Titan Tubes – four sets of eight – was recommend by project manager John Askwith, who came on board last summer and swiftly made a list of ‘must have’ products to service ETP clients, shows and events, especially in the corporate and television sectors. Titans were part of this list.
Previously, ETP had rented assorted Astera fixtures as and when needed. However, the increasingly frequent requests together with John joining the company energised the decision to start amassing their own stock of Astera fixtures.
“It was the way to go,” commented Emil Finsen who runs the lighting department with Sune Verdier. General manger Mikael Windfeldt also endorsed the purchase which was delivered by Astera’s Danish distributor, Light Partner,
Emil joined ETP as a student in 2010, and Sune, also a well-known lighting designer in his own right, joined the lighting team full time in 2019, and both are big fans of the brand.
Sune designs most of ETP’s in-house lighting projects plus his own independent design projects and will frequently specify Astera for this work. Recent projects include Astera Titan Tubes and AX3 LightDrops which he deployed as practical and imaginative tools as part of a striking lighting scheme for Danish musical, Elsk Mig i Nat (Love Me Tonight).
Emil a

Germany - POOLgroup has geared up for a healthy post-pandemic environment by having made a substantial investment in new Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers… including nearly 200 of Meyer Sound’s new flagship, the Panther large-format linear line array loudspeakers.
The new purchase encompassed 192 Panther loudspeakers, 166 1100‑LFC low-frequency control elements, 82 Leopard compact linear line array loudspeakers, and 20 Galileo Galaxy Network Platforms.
“We certainly have an impressive amount of high-quality loudspeaker technology,” says Carl Cordier, one of POOLgroup’s two managing partners. “We believe, much like a craftsman, that the quality of the materials affects the outcome, but must be coupled with expertise and quality service.”
POOLgroup, under its original name of Westfalen Sound, has been using Meyer Sound systems since 2005. “We have a very high level of trust in Meyer Sound,” Cordier continues. “Meyer Sound’s expertise extends from basic research to the fine details of manufacturing. But in the end, it’s a commercial consideration. We have always produced a solid return on our investments in their products.”
As for the rationale behind the major investment in Panther, Cordier cites the exceptional power-to-weight ratio, the compact size, and the inherent advantages of self-powered systems in audio performance. “These are not just sonic advantages but also clear advantages in event logistics,” he says.
POOLgroup is a wide-ranging event production company with a diverse client base in the e

UK - Crew network and entertainment industry research and insights company Entourage Pro has published a report based on members’ feelings and predictions for the year ahead.
In conjunction with technical industry measurement, and with input from the global freelance crew community, manufacturers, rental houses and key industry stakeholders from the live entertainment sector, The Industry Report 2023 has sought to provide some context around members hopes, fears and considerations on topics such as the cost-of-living crisis, mental health, diversity, prediction, industry sentiment and pay.
Over 1000 respondents took part in the survey, providing a comprehensive and detailed sample range for the purpose of the report.
“We’ve spent a lot of time speaking to industry bodies, crew members, suppliers, manufacturers and the wider music industry,” says Entourage Pro director, Joel Perry. “Whilst there are some concerns for the year ahead, there is also a feeling of optimism. Areas such as education, people value, exploring new ways to build relationships and to undergo training, etc., are being brought to the forefront of attention and from this, as an industry, we are ready and able to react.”
“We’ve published results as they’ve come into us and remain impartial,” adds Entourage Pro co-director, James Stanbridge. “As we measure the industry in more detail moving forward, in terms of kit, market share, venues, and trend, we hope that this direct approach is helpf