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09 October 2024

Germany - Sommer cable has announced changes to its management team, effective from 1 October. Maximilian Blanck and Marie-Kathrin Huber have joined the management of the Straubenhardt-based company. They will succeed Friedhelm Sommer, the co-founder and long-standing managing director, who is taking his retirement.

As the children of Rainer Blanck, the co-founder and CEO of Sommer cable, both have had a direct relation to the company since their childhood. Among other things, Maximilian developed the SYSBOXX configurator in the course of his studies. Since October 2023, he has been supporting Sommer cable's entrepreneurship, sales and product management as well as the IT management and was co-responsible for the new website of the company's online shop.

Marie-Kathrin Huber (née Blanck) also joined the company in August 2023. Following her years of

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08 October 2024

UK - Obsidian Control Systems has announced the hiring of Edward Smith as the company’s new product support and development specialist. Smith is an authority in entertainment lighting control systems and a valued professional that Obsidian has been eager to bring on board for some time.

“Like many say, patience is a virtue, and finding the right individual for this role was all about patience,” stated Koy Neminathan, business development director at Obsidian. “The Obsidian team and I have been monitoring Edward for some time and we are delighted to welcome him on board.”

Smith brings solid experience to the position from his previous role as a control product specialist at Zero 88 / Vari-Lite, where he worked providing technical support, software testing, product development, training, and demonstrations for lighting consoles and data distr

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04 October 2024

UK - LSi is sad to report the passing of software and media server pioneer, Richard Bleasdale (1965-2024) at the end of September.

Rob Halliday writes: “Richard Bleasdale was one of those backstage artists whose work was never recognised in itself by the show-going public, but which enabled remarkable work by others that was, in some cases becoming era-defining. Some of these ‘secret’ backstage artists work in wood, some in metal, some in fabric. Richard’s medium was software: software which enabled shows to happen in entirely new ways.

Like a fair number of others in this industry, Richard studied at Imperial College in London, theatre a distraction from the actual course that would go on to shape his working life. Working at Vari-Lite at a time where you’d have one lighting console for the conventional lights and another for the moving li

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27 September 2024

UAE - Audio-Technica has announced the appointment of Akhil Raphael as technical sales manager for the Middle East region. Raphael brings a decade of extensive audio industry experience to the company.

In his new role, Raphael will play a pivotal role in strengthening the company’s direct presence in the GCC. He will be instrumental in collaborating with key end-users, design consultants, system integrators and rental houses. His expertise will support Audio-Technica’s regional distribution partner, GSL Professional, ensuring that customers across the GCC receive exceptional service and support.

“I am thrilled to join Audio-Technica and contribute to the company’s continued success in the Middle East,” said Raphael. “I look forward to leveraging my experience to build strong partnerships and deliver outstanding solutions that meet the div

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25 September 2024

USA - Bandit Lites continues its transformation in its Gen8 leadership with the promotion of Sophie Phillips to technical services manager.

Phillips earned her BFA in Lighting Design and Technology from Kent State University. While in school, she worked at Cedar Point, Porthouse Theatre, and was the president of the technical theatre group for two years. She joined Bandit Lites in 2021 as a moving light technician. Now as the technical services manager, Phillips will oversee the entirety of Bandit’s Technical Service Department, a move that she says makes her feel “empowered”.

“I have grown a lot over the last three years and am ready and willing to start a new generation of Bandits,” said Phillips. “Michael T. Strickland is at his core a leader, and his ability to trust people and move forward is a skill. He has taught me that being a ma

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23 September 2024

UK - Following the appointment of Tom Anstey and Aurora Harrington in June this year, Spotlight Sound is expanding once again with a new hire. It means the team has increased by 50% this year as demand for their services grows.

The event production and AV installation company has welcomed Chloe Richardson as marketing executive this month. Chloe has considerable experience in marketing, having joined from Acclaim Handling after three years.

Director of Spotlight Sound, Sam Dimond, says: “Chloe has joined us after a thorough search for a top marketing executive. It was Chloe’s experience and skills that really stood out as she has worked in all areas of digital marketing and across many sectors. Chloe will work on steering our marketing strategy to reach our target audience and has already settled into the team really well.

“2025 is look

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18 September 2024

UK - Backup Tech has announced the latest Backup Ambassadors. Backup trustee, Koy Neminathan, has overseen the ambassador programme and is delighted to introduce Chris West, Lee House, Luke Edwards, Paul Jones and Amber Etra.

Ambassadors spread the word about what Backup does to the wider industry, encouraging companies to become Backup partners and helping individuals raise money for Backup through fundraising initiatives. Ambassadors also attend live activities, meetings and events, including the annual Backup Village Fete.

It is a great way to get involved with the charity and help get others involved, too. Chris, Lee, Luke and Amber explain why they decided to get involved with Backup and what they hope to achieve for the charity.

Chris West runs West Training Services and decided to become an ambassador to help ensure the future of the c

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18 September 2024

UK - Karoliina Helin has joined 3LR Lighting as in-house architectural lighting designer.

A native of Finland, Helin’s lighting career started after she graduated from UWE with a degree in Interior Architecture. Realising the power that lighting could have within a space, one she describes as “artistic, creative and technical all at the same time”, she joined re:Light in Bristol where she worked as senior lighting designer. She has since worked for Satore Studio in Cardiff as well as being a freelance lighting designer, during which time she collaborated with 3LR on hundreds of projects.

Helin comments: “I am thrilled to officially become a part of 3LR Lighting. Over the past three years, I’ve worked with Matt and the team on countless occasions, and we share the same passion of bringing spaces to life through lighting; particularly driven

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18 September 2024

Germany - Diversified, a leading global technology solutions provider, has announced the appointment of Johannes Stehr as vice-president of Enterprise EMEA. This strategic hire underscores Diversified's commitment to developing world-class enterprise offerings and addressing the growing demand for consistent global technology standards with robust local support.

In this newly created role, Stehr will lead Diversified's expansion of Workplace and Media operational capabilities across Europe, with an initial focus on Germany. His appointment marks a significant step in Diversified's global strategy to enhance its ability to serve multinational enterprises with a harmonised approach to technology deployment and support.

"As organisations increasingly seek standardised technology experiences across their global footprint, they also require deep local exp

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17 September 2024

USA - Avid has appointed Alex Hofstrand as product manager for live sound after an extensive selection process. Hofstrand brings to the role a decade of experience with Avid’s live sound product line, having started in quality assurance for the launch of Avid Venue | S6L. He then moved into a product design role for Venue in 2022, managing new features and hardware updates to meet the demands of the touring and installed sound markets. 

“I’m excited and grateful for this opportunity to keep making Venue the best system an engineer can ask for,” says Hofstrand. “I’ve spent years on Venue systems because they just make sense. The Avid live sound team is a passionate group of people, always pushing to that next big thing to change the industry, and I look forward to delivering continued value for Venue customers.”

Rich Nevens, Sr. directo

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11 September 2024

France - Brompton Technology has announced the appointment of Laurent Theurin as technical sales manager for France. Theurin brings over two decades of experience in the audiovisual industry, with more than 10 years specialising in image processing.

Starting his career in the late 90s, Theurin held various positions, ranging from technical support to software workflow creation and UX design, as well as project management and customer training. His past experience includes working with prestigious companies such as INSEAD, UTRAM, and Barco.

“Image quality, reliability, and innovation are what I love about my job,” says Theurin. “For these reasons, I’m thrilled to join the motivated and professional team at Brompton Technology. I know their LED processors reach all my expectations, and I’m proud to present and support their products for profe

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11 September 2024

Europe - The HOF team has welcomed a new colleague to its sales team and has gained another experienced industry expert in Milan Ostendorf.

Ostendorf is a trained event technician and has 10 years of experience in the industry. He has worked both in technical sales and as a project manager. Ostendorf will be working as a technical sales representative in the back office with immediate effect.

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10 September 2024

Europe - Follow-Me has announced the appointment of Thijs Bruins as global sales manager. Bruins will oversee the Follow-Me global sales network, aligning existing partners, expanding the network to improve customer experience and providing a strong base for the company’s future growth.

“We are really happy Thijs is joining Follow-Me,” Marc van der Wel, managing director says. “He brings lots of technical and commercial knowledge, industry experience and enthusiasm to our growing company.”

Bruins has a wealth of technical expertise. Starting out at a young age as a lighting technician and continuing to juggle this freelance work and training, his early experience underpins his deep understanding of the live events, theatrical and AV industries.

After years of freelancing, Bruins moved on to the role of manager of special projects at

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06 September 2024

France - L-Acoustics, experiencing record-breaking growth, has announced a strategic restructuring and significant expansion of its Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) sales team. This move, led by recently appointed director of sales EMEA, Tim Völker, introduces a new 'head of sales' management position and key hires designed to meet the increasing sophistication and scale of projects in the region.

This restructuring reflects L-Acoustics' commitment to meeting evolving market needs. The company's increased investment in personnel over the past two years has been strategically directed towards enhancing client support, improving service quality, and providing closer account management. This client-centric approach has been well received across all market sectors, as evidenced by strong sales performance and growing market acceptance of L-Acoustics solut

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04 September 2024

UK - Rigging pioneer Robin Elias was the proud recipient of the 2024 Gottelier Award. Nominated and voted for by his industry peers, Elias collected the award from PLASA MD, Peter Heath and chair, Adam Blaxill at this year’s PLASA Show, which took place 1-3 September at Olympia London.

Named in memory of the renowned industry innovator and commentator, Tony Gottelier, the award celebrates those who have made significant, long-term contributions to the advancement of entertainment, presentation or installation technology.

Elias began his career in rock ‘n’ roll, touring with iconic bands such as The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Queen and Genesis. He went on to become technical director of Unusual Rigging, where he delivered often complex and challenging rigging solutions across diverse sectors, including film and TV, live events, museums and ar

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04 September 2024

USA - When Kelly Feild returned to Bandit Lites as the director of personnel, she referred to it as “coming home”, working alongside Bandit Lites vice-president of business and innovation, Jake Tickle.

Feild now serves as the second in command at the Bandit International Facility in Nashville. This continues the Bandit move into what the firm calls Gen8 at Bandit. “A new generation of young, talented people are taking the leadership positions to guide Bandit through the next 30 years,” said Bandit Lites chair and founder Michael T. Strickland. “Kelly and several other younger people are now in the critical roles at Bandit. They both follow the established Bandit Standards, but with a point of view and outlook for how to improve every day. The one constant is change, and Kelly is a big part of the Gen8 change at Bandit.”

“I started at Ba

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03 September 2024

UK - The winners of the 2024 PLASA Awards for Innovation were announced last night at PLASA Show, currently running at Olympia London. The awards, run in association with LSi, are respected industry-wide for celebrating future-focussed technology that improves safety, efficiency and performance through new methods and materials.

44 products were entered this year, with the judges ultimately awarding eight products. And, for the first time in a number of years, the judges were delighted to also award the sustainability award. This year’s judging team comprised 13 independent technical specialists from a wide array of backgrounds, chaired once again by chartered engineer and LSi columnist, James Eade.

The winning products and judges’ comments are listed below:
Glensound for GTM Mobile  
The judges felt that this f

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03 September 2024

Singapore - LEA Professional has announced the appointment of Jon Han as business development manager for the APAC region.

Han brings over 18 years of experience in Pro AV solution sales to LEA. Throughout his career, he has enhanced sales through strategic strategies and brand-building for numerous companies. To effectively represent the company in the APAC region, Han will collaborate closely with Generation AV, LEA’s authorised sales partner.

“I’m thrilled to join the LEA team. It’s always a pleasure to represent a company with outstanding technology and company values,” said Han. “I’m ready to hit the ground running and work closely with the whole team at LEA and Generation AV to bring LEA to more APAC customers.”

“Our goal is to bring only the best technology to our customers, and the addition of Jon to the LEA team wil

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29 August 2024

UK - ETC Ltd has announced the newest addition to its growing sales force with Joe McDonald joining as field project coordinator for the UK and Ireland. In his new role, Joe will be managing sales projects and building customer and end user relationships across the country. He will support regional sales manager Jeremy Roberts and associate regional sales manager Matt Cowles in working with ETC’s dealers, distributors, and customers.

McDonald previously worked as assistant head of lighting at Curve Theatre in Leicester where he gained in-depth knowledge and insight on ETC’s equipment and how best to use the products to meet the needs of the shows. Over a number of years his experience led him to work as a production electrician for the theatre’s own shows such as A Chorus Line (UK tour) and Evita. McDonald has also worked on musical p

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28 August 2024

Europe - Riku Kauppinen, director of business development for MA Lighting, died on 16 August. He was 52 and had been battling cancer. MA Lighting paid tribute:

“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of Riku Mikael Kauppinen, who died peacefully on Friday, 16 August 2024, at the age of 52, after a courageous battle with cancer. Riku was surrounded by his family and friends at the time of his passing.

Riku was a highly respected and beloved figure in the lighting industry, known for his innovative approach, technical expertise, and unwavering passion for his work. Riku held a Master of Arts in Theatre and Drama with a specialisation in Lighting Design from the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. His education and early experiences shaped him into a leader who was not only skilled but deeply connected to the art a

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23 August 2024

USA - Following its strategic US collaboration with Wisycom, DPA Microphones is expanding its team with the addition of several wireless systems professionals to facilitate the growth trajectory of these pro audio companies.

Included among its latest appointments are industry veterans Adinaldo ‘Adi’ Neves as director of business development, wireless, and Marcos Nieves as area sales manager, D.C. Metro. Geoff Baynard also joins the team as business development manager, wireless.

“As a renowned leader in the professional audio industry, we are thrilled to welcome Adi, Marcos and Geoff to our team to help expand our wireless systems business,” says Christopher Spahr, vice-president, sales and marketing, DPA Microphones and Wisycom USA.

“This trio of professionals bring decades of sales, support and business development experience that

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23 August 2024

Europe - Kyle Evans has joined Robe’s creative team, which is led by Nathan Wan. Evans will be working as junior lighting and media programmer alongside Wan and the current team of Jordan Tinniswood and Andy Webb. He will generally be assisting wherever needed, including console configuration, programming, creating Capture previsualisation models, and many other tasks including as in-house AI wrangler.

Evans will also be working worldwide with Robe’s Theatre Workshop as a systems tech, as well as sharing support duties at Robe HQ’s showroom in the Czech Republic.

His first live events experience was at Coleg Cambria’s Yale site where he studied backstage theatre production, after which he went to university at The Academy of Live Technology in Production Park, Wakefield, studying live event production and specialising in lighting design and p

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21 August 2024

South Africa - Stage Audio Works has expanded its sales team with the appointment of Gary Furman. Furman brings over two decades of expertise in the distribution of products to the pro AV and events markets, in addition to recent experience in the systems integration sector.

Stage Audio Works general manager, Gustav Barnard, comments, “We’re confident that Gary is going to be a great fit for us. His extensive industry knowledge and established network of contacts make him an asset to the company, and his solution-oriented approach to business aligns with our own. I’m sure he’ll hit the ground running.”

Furman adds, “I am excited to reconnect with old acquaintances and forge new relationships in an industry that I have come to love. Joining Stage Audio Works after a three-year hiatus from distribution feels like coming home.”

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19 August 2024

UK - The broad skillset developed by Alfie King, during his time in the pro audio industry, will stand him in good stead for the diverse role he will now be undertaking in his new position at RCF UK.

Joining a small team, and reporting to head of RCF UK, Dean Davoile, his duties will vary from behind-the-scenes admin, accounts and marketing, to front-line sales and customer support in the south of England.

Alfie King has already enjoyed a long career in music and production. Starting out playing guitar and harmonica in local bands around Aylesbury in his teens he soon graduated to helping out behind the sound desk at a local arts centre. He has worked previously at Leisuretec Distribution and Amber Sound.

Welcoming Alfie to the company, Dean Davoile said, “Alfie will be a great addition to the team and I look forward to introducing him to o