USA - Lightolier Controls and Entertainment Technology have announced the hiring of Charlie Hulme as national sales manager. Based out of the Genlyte Controls home office in Dallas, Texas, Hulme will oversee all sales staff and initiatives for both Lightolier Controls and Entertainment Technology.

"Charlie possesses two powerful characteristics that we were searching for in a National Sales Manager," said Julie Smith, Lightolier Controls and Entertainment Technology general manager. "The first is a tremendous aptitude to effectively lead a team of sales managers, and the second is his success building strong and lasting relationships with current and potential clients. We are very excited to have Charlie on board, and are optimistic that his hiring will have a positive effect on our bottom line."

"I am thrilled to be stepping into my new role with Ligh

USA - Martin Professional has announced the hiring of Paul Teague who joins the Martin team as a regional sales manager (Southeast) for the company's public spaces segment. Teague, based in the Dallas area, began in his new position in early December.

Teague's responsibilities involve the cultivation of business and professional relationships with lighting solutions company Holophane, which Martin has recently formed a commercial cooperation with in the United States. The cooperation enables Holophane to offer Martin Professional's complete architectural range of colour-changing luminaires countrywide. Teague will also manage sales targets, marketing plans and strategies, as well as develop and manage specifications for business within Martin's Southeast regional territory.

Teague comes to Martin from The Lighting Alliance, a manufacturer's representative in Dallas, where he w

UK - Dialight Lumidrives, the UK based LED technology provider, has appointed PatrickVan Der Meulen as European OEM technical sales manager.

Van Der Meulen, 37, joins Dialight Lumidrives with over 12 years experience in thelighting industry. He joins having spent the previous six years with LEDmanufacturer Lumileds, initially as a mechanical engineer and latterly astechnical support manager for Europe with responsibility to train and educatecustomers on how to use high-power LEDs. Before joining Lumileds he worked atPhilips Lighting Development Laboratories.

Van Der Meulen will be based near Eindoven in The Netherlands. He will be responsiblefor focusing on Dialight Lumidrives OEM customers across northern Europe andproviding them with sales and technical support.

Gordon Routledge, managing director at Dialight Lumidrives says: "Patrick'sappointment is part of the conti

UK - The New Year sees a change in company structure for UK digital console manufacturer, DiGiCo. This heralds a period of intense development for the company, as it gets set to continue its growth in the digital audio sector, and puts Bob Doyle, one of the best-known figures of the audio industry, back at the sharp end of the business.

Currently managing director, Doyle will become chief executive, DiGiCo (UK) Ltd, whilst senior sales director James Gordon will assume the role of managing director, DiGiCo (UK) Ltd. The remainder of the management team comprises marketing director David Webster and technical director John Stadius.

Doyle's new position will utilize his 40 years of experience, as well as his skills for maintaining and raising company profile, to its maximum potential thus helping to increase top line revenue generation. "I've enjoyed my time as managing dir

UK - A.C. Lighting has announced a new staff appointment at the company's Northern Sales office in Leeds. Paul Hadfield joins the company's Sales department as rigging and trussing sales executive, providing office and in-the-field support for the company's expanding range of leading rigging & trussing brands.

A well-known face in the industry, Hadfield brings many years of technical experience and industry knowledge to the new role, having previously worked in a variety of entertainment industry sales roles.

Previous roles include working in the Sales department of Tomcat UK supplying CM Lodestars and trussing equipment to a Global network of dealers and working in the rental hire departments of Lifting Gear Hire. Hadfield also gained a knowledge of rigging and various other lifting equipment whilst working in the Sales department at PCM.

Phill Capstick, A.C. Lighting's UK

USA - Group One Ltd, a distributor of professional audio equipment, has appointed John Sanchez as sales associate. Sanchez now provides internal customer support on all product lines that Group One distributes, including UK-based brands MC2 Audio and XTA Electronics, while offering an emphasis on the renowned Celestion line. He covers such key topics as product specs, application and operation, along with pricing, availability and follow-up on orders.

Sanchez brings specialised experience and a comprehensive skill set to his new role at Group One. A former sales associate for prominent retailers Manny's Music and Alto Music, he is also an affirmed music lover who has toured nationally with metal outfit Blood Has Been Shed. Sanchez is technically proficient in critical areas including instrument repair and PA installation as well, and counts years of experience as a guitar teache

UK - Pulsar has announced the appointment of Enrico Tamaro as architectural sales manager. A qualified architect, Tamaro has a strong background in architectural lighting, and will be responsible for building business relationships with architects worldwide, as well as being available to assist customers with developing their architectural projects.

Simon Cox has been promoted to the position of field sales manager, supporting the company's sales network. He has been with Pulsar for many years and offers a wealth of support and product knowledge, the company says.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - Theatre sound specialist Orbital has appointed Keith Hutchinson to its busy operation, in the role of project manager. Based at the company's recently expanded south London HQ, he will work closely with end clients' and help realise their high production values, the company says.

He brings a wealth of experience to the company having commenced his career some 28 years ago at Darlington Civic Theatre where he started a technical career in theatre. Following this Hutchinson has worked on numerous musical productions in the UK and across the world, including Fosse, Miss Saigon, Jerry Springer, Blue Man Group, Mamma Mia! and Phantom of the Opera, as well as "over 10,000" pantomines.

Hutchinson commented: "I've always been very impressed with the ethos of Orbital and the way the company has expanded into the organisation it is today - so I'm very p

USA - Lightolier Controls and Entertainment Technology have announced the hiring of Heinz Roy and Matthew Burstein. Based in Dallas, Texas, Roy has been named product development manager. Based in New York City, New York, Burstein has been appointed Northeast regional sales manager, overseeing New York City and New Jersey.

"Heinz and Matthew are two excellent additions to the Entertainment Technology and Lightolier Controls team," says Julie Smith, Lightolier Controls and Entertainment Technology general manager. "In his new role, Heinz will manage our staff of product managers while working closely with our engineers to facilitate new and current product development. Matthew, who already has a strong relationship with many of our clients and dealers, will no doubt continue to excel as a significant attribute to our sales organisation."

"Architectural

UK - SPS, one of the UK's largest live event companies, is adding to its team with the appointment of Lee Rennie to the role of creative producer for its solutions division. Rennie joins from George P. Johnson Company, where he worked across a variety of projects creating inspiring experiences for events. Preceding this, Rennie spent seven years working at Project Worldwide.

In his new role, Rennie will be working alongside SPS event producers and production managers to administer creative solutions that work flawlessly with technical solutions, in order to communicate the client's needs.

The solutions division of SPS provides creative services for events through the latest computer graphics, digital video and other innovative technologies. It concentrates on delivering client's messages effectively with bespoke solutions which look vibrant and appealing to the audience, rathe

UK - Entertainment lighting supplier White Light welcomed two new members of staff at the beginning of 2007 - though both are familiar to those already working at White Light, having been customers of the company for many years.

Joining White Light's increasingly successful sales team is industry veteran Jack Exell. Most recently at The Lighting Technology Group and Action Lighting, Exell recalls that his association with White Light goes back more than thirty years, to his time as "a young sales rep at Valiant in Fulham, delivering lamps to The Rocky Horror Show on the Kings Road where I first met White Light's founders. The association has become very close and many of my new colleagues here are in fact old friends. I have always admired White Light's integrity and position in the industry, and look forward to being a useful member of the sales team."

Exell

USA - Stage Technologies has announced that Jack Suesse will be assisting them in worldwide projects as special projects advisor. After working with entertainment technology company J.R. Clancy for many years, Suesse moved on to form J Suesse & Associates LLC in 2005.

With over 30 years' experience designing and coordinating a wide variety of projects, Suesse specialises in stage rigging and motorised stage equipment. In 1993 he was elected to be a Fellow of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) and is a committee member of ESTA (The Entertainment Services and Technology Association). In 2004 and 2005 he was appointed as a Rigging Subject Matter Expert for the Entertainment Technician Certification Program Council (ETCP). For the past several years he has been an instructor at the IAAM Backstage Boot Camp, instructing facility managers about the operation an

Australia - Australian lighting control manufacturer LSC Lighting Systems has appointed Greg Hughes as sales consultant. The company says this appointment is another strategic step in LSC's plan for growth, enabling increased levels of service for the growing customer base in Northern Australia and Queensland.

Hughes comes to LSC with an extensive background. In his early days he played piano and guitar in several bands whilst also working at the AMP in Sydney. In 1976 he "realised his musical talents were less than ordinary", so he moved on to successfully road-manage bands, often working as their front-of-house sound technician.

After moving to Queensland in the late 70s, Hughes worked with Wickety Wak, DSA Concert Systems and at Her Majesty's Theatre. In 1982, Greg Hughes Concert Lighting came into play and in 1984 (with the addition of partners) East Coast Lighti

Asia - Klotz Digital has appointed Thomas Marcher as the new sales director of Klotz Digital Asia Asia. "Thomas brings with him a wealth of experience in the Broadcast and PA industries and has been in this region for a long time. Thomas's track record in managing sales and distribution organizations and his in-depth market knowledge are valuable assets for Klotz Digital and a perfect match for our regional strategies," says Andre Sauer, managing director of Klotz Digital Asia.

Thomas comes to the company from DIS Thailand where he was the area sales manager responsible for the Asia-Pacific markets. Prior to DIS, he worked for TC Electronics, and was elementary in setting up their China office. "I look forward to working with Klotz Digital," says Marcher. "I watched this company grow over the years and it is now one of the best known brands in the broadc

UK - Simon Battersby and Mark Logan have been appointed as operational directors of Showsec. Both have both worked with Showsec for over a decade, and started their crowd management careers working as stewards whilst attending university and worked their way up to become Showsec's Regional Managers.

Both were among the first in the UK to be awarded the foundation degree in Crowd Management at Buckingham and Chilterns University, in line with Showsec's ongoing training and development programme for all staff.

Showsec managing director Mark Harding comments, "Over many years of dedicated service to Showsec, Mark and Simon have proved themselves to be both great leaders and team players, with unrivalled passion for their work. The loyalty and commitment they have shown, combined with their continuous influence on the progression the company, has left no doubt in my mind that

UK - Audio-Technica has announced the resignation of UK sales director Tony Cooper. Appointed to the board of directors in 2004, Cooper leaves the company after more than seven years service with the microphone and headphone manufacturer.

Commenting on his resignation, Cooper stated: "I have very much enjoyed my time at Audio-Technica and feel the time is now right for me to pursue other interests. I am confident the strong sales team I have grown and developed in the UK will continue to be successful and I wish them all the very best."

Managing director Adrian Rooke said, "We are extremely sorry to be losing Tony. He has been a key member of the management team here, and of the board of directors, during a prolonged period of growth for the company. His talents will be greatly missed and we wish him every success for the future."

(Jim Evans)

UK - Danny Clarke has been appointed sales and Purchasing Director of UK distributor Proel (International). Clarke, who joined the company at the age of 19, began making special order cables and custom order audio systems in Proel's South Norwood technical workshop and later underwent an intensive course at Proel's Italian HQ, studying audio wiring and multiway connections.

Moving on to handle technical and sales queries and quotations, as well as running the workshop, he also became involved in organising Proel's exhibition activities.

In his new role, Clarke will be responsible for overseeing the sales department and keeping in close contact with Proel's on-the-road sales team. He will also oversee the company's purchasing and supplier liaison.

(Jim Evans)

USA - Wybron has announced several management team additions and promotions as part of its aim to actively expand customer support solutions. The management team already has launched Wybron's award-winning InfoTrace control and management system, which allows users to remotely manage, monitor and predict failures.

Led by CEO Larry Turner, the team also includes Miles Dudgeon, director of marketing; Ken Fasen, director of technical support; Brian Grover, VP of manufacturing; Chae Knotts, comptroller; and Lee Schlais, VP of engineering.

Miles Dudgeon started at Wybron in May 2006 as a regional sales manager, responsible for sales efforts to Broadway productions and customers across the north-eastern US. In January 2007, he was promoted to director of marketing, heading product management and marketing. Prior to joining Wybron, he was a product manager at Rosco Laboratories, wher

USA - At Color Kinetics, Keith Gillum has been promoted to director of entertainment sales. Previously serving as the manager of sales for the Los Angeles region, Gillum will now drive national sales programs for entertainment dealer and rental companies, and continue to foster Color Kinetics' reach in key development areas such as television, video, theatrical design and theme operations. Gillum joined Color Kinetics in 2004 and has worked on many high-profile projects in his tenure, including the Hollywood Bowl, the set of Deal or No Deal, the LAX Pylons and Super Bowl XLI. His extensive industry background includes senior sales roles at Osram, Lee Colortran and Hollywood Rentals, among others.

Succeeding Gillum is Richard Lund, who joined the company in February. Lund has broad experience in the lighting industry, bringing over 20 years of expertise to the Color Kineti

UK - In a move that has been seen as succession planning by its two founding directors, Cloud Electronics has appointed the experienced Simon Curtis as its new sales and marketing director with immediate effect.

A delighted Curtis has left a similar post at Sennheiser UK to take up the position, and says: "Although I was perfectly happy at Sennheiser this was too good an opportunity to miss. Given the heritage of the company and strength of the brand, it presents a unique and exciting opportunity to grow the business as a shareholder."

Sheffield-based Cloud Electronics was formed more than 30 years ago by Roy Millington and Andrew Colley, just as disco was exploding in the UK and across the world. After capturing volume business in the twin-deck market the company slowly began to exploit niches in the professional audio industry, producing a series of industry-refere

UK - Fleetwood Mobiles has announced the appointment of Ian Davidson as its new commercial director, with immediate effect. For more than 30 years, Davidson has been a key player in the professional audio industry and has managed many facilities including Townhouse and Olympic Studios and Manor Mobiles. Davidson has also worked as operations director at Abbey Road Studios and, more recently, De Lane Lea Studios.

Commenting on his appointment, Fleetwood Mobiles founding director Tim Summerhayes says: "We are really pleased to have Ian as part of our team. His extensive contacts within the industry, along with his experience in audio post production for film and TV, will be an invaluable asset to Fleetwood's new post facility in Denham."

Davidson takes over from Ian Dyckhoff who left the company in February to pursue new opportunities within the Pro Audio industry.

(

USA - Aviom has announced the promotion of Craig Sibley to the position of House of Worship marketing manager. Since joining Aviom in 2005, Sibley has been one of the driving forces behind the company's success in bringing its signature personal mixing system to churches.

"Whether he's being an astute audio professional, a musician or a worship leader, Craig exudes passion in what he does," explained Aviom marketing director Jason Frenchman. "He loves Aviom and he loves the church, so he's at his best teaching and helping them understand what a huge benefit our technology brings to worship and the joy of music. That's why he's a great resource for churches and an ideal spokesman for us."

Sibley will continue his seminar and conference instruction schedule, but his role will expand to include providing key input into all aspects of Aviom's house of worship m

UK - Barco UK managing director Jonathan Cooper has committed to an exciting Trek to Peru in May this year in support of Vision and the Unicorn Children's Theatre. This charity raises funds to help support the audio described facility for children who have great difficulty in seeing what is happening on the stage.

"If you are able to support the trek it would be wonderful, full details can be found on the website www.unicorntheatre.com," says Cooper. "A group of around 15 of us will be trekking up to 10 hours a day for five days - reaching a height of 4,600m - and camping overnight along the way."

Donations can be made via www.justgiving.com/jonathancoopertrek.

"Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It i

USA - Biamp has announced the hiring of four new engineers. Larry Copley, Jeff Jones, Dominic Perez and Angela Van Osdol have joined the Biamp Systems team under the direction of Matt Czyzewski, VP technical operations, Biamp Systems.

Regarding the announcement, Czyzewski stated: "Larry, Jeff, Dominic and Angela each bring knowledge and experience that we feel will greatly benefit our manufacturing and production processes. We are very fortunate to add these new members who have a proven record for innovative thinking and efficiency and we look forward to the great results we know these engineers can enable Biamp to provide."

Larry Copley's career includes having worked as a compliance engineer with RadiSys Corporation, and a number of different positions with Underwriters Laboratories. Test Engineer Jeff Jones most recently worked as a senior systems electrical vali

Latest Issue. . .