USA - Renkus-Heinz has announced the appointment of Felicia Lopez, Derryl Webb and Marisa Lainson as trade show & personnel coordinator, customer service manager and marketing manager, respectively.
“As we continue to strengthen our team, we are excited to have the opportunity to work with these dynamic individuals,” said Monika Smetona, president, Renkus-Heinz. “As a 40+ year old company, we are aware of the necessity to bring on board passionate people with new and diverse ideas.”
Felicia Lopez joins the company as trade show & personnel coordinator with an extensive background in customer service, client management and sales & logistics coordination. Lopez most recently worked as a transportation specialist for Adesa Auction Operations.
“I’ve always been passionate about music and live events. After attending my first NAMM in 2018, I was enchanted, and I’m thrilled to now help coordinate Renkus-Heinz’s presence at industry shows,” said Lopez. “I can’t wait to get started, and I’m looking forward to making the company proud.”
Webb joins Renkus-Heinz as customer service manager, withover 30 years of management experience and an additional 20+ years as a technology business owner servicing the hospitality industry. “I have always believed I am in the people business, so every day is a new opportunity to make a positive impact in someone’s life,” noted Webb.
Coming to Renkus-Heinz with nearly ten years of experience in communications, Marisa Lainson joins as marketing manager with a backgroun

Europe - Nearly 45 years after founding Belgian event staging pioneer Stageco, Hedwig De Meyer is stepping down from his leadership role, and has named Hans Willems as Stageco Belgium’s new executive CEO, effective 1 January 2023.
The move, says De Meyer, 68, was intended to take place two years ago but was delayed due to the pandemic lockdown. “Now that our business has begun to stabilise after a very busy summer, the time feels right to pass the baton to Hans, who gave us every confidence that he was the most logical choice of successor,” he explains.
Formerly head of R&D at Stageco, Willems, 51, established his own business, Wicreations nearly 18 years ago. As CEO, he has driven his company to become one of the global live industry’s leading creative players in motion technology. Together, Stageco and Wicreations have collaborated on many of the world’s leading concert tours by the likes of U2, The Rolling Stones, Beyoncé and Rammstein among many other premier acts.
“Hans knows the industry inside out, and possesses exemplary leadership skills,” comments De Meyer. “The manner in which he has grown Wicreations is extraordinary and while our two companies will remain independent of each other, there is now greater potential for partnership and creative collaboration.”
Until the end of 2022, Willems will divide his time between the two companies, working with his teams to align their cultures and shape a new ecosystem that further exploits their already existing organic synergies.
Says Willems: “I have always h

USA - The seventh Paky Award will be presented to Tony Award-winning lighting designer Donald Holder by Claypaky CEO Marcus Graser at LDI 2022 on Saturday, 19 November in Las Vegas. Sponsored by Claypaky, the award honours an individual who has made a major contribution to the lighting industry, in terms of design or technology.
The Paky Award was created in 2014 and named for Pasquale ‘Paky’ Quadri, founder and former president of Claypaky, who passed away that year. Previous winners include ETC Lighting’s Fred Foster, High End Systems’ Richard Belliveau, Barbizon’s Jonathan Resnick (in memoriam), LDI founder Pat MacKay and projection designer Wendall K. Harrington.
“We are proud to sponsor this award in honor of Paky, who always believed in innovation and who made many contributions to the industry,” says Alberico D’Amato, Claypaky’s sales director. “We’re certain that Paky would be pleased to see fellow innovator Donald Holder take home the award this year in celebration of his inspiring career.”
Donald Holder has worked extensively in theatre, opera, dance, architectural and television lighting worldwide for more than 30 years. He has designed 59 Broadway productions and has been nominated for fourteen Tony awards, winning for The Lion King in 1998 – now in its 25th year on Broadway. He has also designed more than 100 Off-Broadway productions, projects for The Metropolitan Opera and numerous television series and films, including Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and this year’s new musical version of

UK - The Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) has hired Royal Albert Hall executive Ollie Jeffery as director of event operations and technology. Jeffery spent over 18 years with the Royal Albert Hall, most recently as head of production and technical.
Jeffery’s experience at the Royal Albert Hall included developing the venue’s lighting and audio services, establishing an apprentice scheme, and supporting the delivery of around 400 events a year.
EICC CEO Marshall Dallas comments: “As we aim to further establish the EICC as a globally-recognised conference venue, getting someone of Ollie’s international experience and know-how on board is a major coup and signposts our ambitions for the years ahead. We look forward to Ollie helping to drive continuing success during our next phase of growth.”
Jeffery adds: “I am extremely pleased to be joining the EICC at such an exciting time in its development. The EICC is an incredible venue with fantastic technology and great flexibility to host a multitude of different events. I am also really excited to join such a dedicated team, and I look forward to building on the relationships I have built up within the industry to help the EICC move forward into both the new hotel and overall venue development.”
In June, Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced that it has entered a franchise agreement with the EICC for a 349-bedroom hotel in the Haymarket area of the city. The hotel, set to open in 2025, will be Hyatt’s first hotel in Scotland, and will address the delegate demand issues th

Germany - After industry expert Dirk Möhlenbrock joined the HOF sales team at the beginning of the year, the HOF team has now gained another event technology expert in Dominik Rieskamp.
Dominik has been working in the industry for over 13 years and is already very familiar with HOF's portfolio. As key account manager, he will look after HOF's major customers in the German-speaking countries.

Finland - Genelec has appointed Kati Pajukallio as AV business manager and Sami Mäkinen as AV sales manager for Finland. These new appointments will bring Genelec even closer to its key customers and help drive continued growth in both international and domestic AV markets, says the company.
Pajukallio joined Genelec last year, bringing with her a wealth of AV industry experience, having previously worked in marketing communications roles for Electrosonic and Audico Systems, both highly regarded integrators. As AV business manager, she will now lead Genelec’s global AV Installation business, helping to develop the company’s international presence by developing its AV portfolio and partner network. As well as strengthening Genelec’s reach and relationships with customers, Pajukallio’s strong marketing background will be fundamental in helping to shape the company’s profile in this key market segment.
Sami Mäkinen has been a key part of the Genelec sales management team since 2007, and he has concentrated exclusively on the AV market for the last seven years. As Finnish AV sales manager, Mäkinen will handle pre-sales and sales pipeline management, account management and local marketing co-operations, and will look to build on Genelec’s very strong presence in the premium AV Installation market in Finland, increasing the levels of cooperation with local AV integrators and installers.
Mäkinen will work closely with sales engineer Henri Ulmanen, who will continue his role in the Finnish AV team by focussing on sales channel education, te

Germany - d&b audiotechnik has announced the appointment of Jan Biermann, head of research and development at d&b, to the Board of Directors of the Open Control Architecture (OCA) Alliance. The OCA Alliance is a non-profit corporation formed to promote and support the AES70 standard for Open Control Architecture as a system control standard for professional applications.
The Alliance, which was founded in 2011, supports the development and evolution of the AES70 standard and promotes its adoption through marketing, education and training. In addition, the Alliance develops new AES70 revisions and related materials to increase the value and usability of AES70 as an interoperability tool for the media systems industry.
“d&b has been a supporter of the Alliance since its founding. Hence I am very excited for the opportunity to join the OCA Board of Directors and reaffirm d&b’s commitment to OCA and the open public standard for media network control,” commented Biermann. “AV systems often work within complex networked environments. As AV media networking expands, Open Control Architecture assures compatibility with existing and future transport protocols.”
“d&b is a founding member and long-time contributor to the OCA Alliance, and on behalf of the organisation, we are pleased to welcome Jan to the board of directors,” comments Bill Scott, OCA Alliance president. “We look forward to bringing Jan’s insights and experience to the organization to continue to drive the AES70 standard and OCA ecosystem.”
Biermann

USA - Following long careers of service to the entertainment technology industry, two of Elation Professional’s sales partners have announced their retirement effective at the end of the year. Jim Harrington of JLH Marketing and Richard Wilson of R.L. Wilson & Associates, both independent sales representative firms based in Southern California, will be retiring effective 31 December.
The choice to call it a career after so many years in the industry was naturally not an easy one to make for either professional. “The decision took a lot of soul searching,” said Jim Harrington, who has worked in the entertainment technology industry for some 50 years, “but I believe it’s time.” Jim first met ADJ Group founder and chairman Chuck Davies in the early ´70s when both worked in retail audio, and he has been working with and for him ever since. In 2008, he started his own rep firm, JLH Marketing, to represent Elation Professional. “We were all brought together by Chuck Davies - ADJ Group president Toby Velazquez, Elation director of Sales Eric Loader, myself, and many others. All I can say is how lucky I am to have spent my entire life working with the best people you can imagine.”
Richard Wilson has headed R.L. Wilson & Associates based in Temecula, California, since 1988 and has represented several lighting, audio and video companies in that time. He has served as an independent sales rep for Elation since 2017. “I’ve represented several companies over the past 35 years of being a road warrior and I can honestly say Elation has been

UK - Britannia Row Productions has announced that one of its longest-serving employees, Mike Lowe, is celebrating 35 years with the company.
Lowe joined Brit Row in 1987, originally handling accounts for household names such as Culture Club; Kool & the Gang; Jethro Tull; Soft Cell; Joni Mitchell; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Frank Sinatra; and Iron Maiden to name but a few.
“I’d known of Brit Row since it was formed in 1975 and had come together with Bryan Grant on a number of projects since the early 70s,” says Lowe. “When he found out I was handing in my notice at my previous company, he invited me to discuss joining Brit Row with his then business partner, Robbie Williams. It seemed an easy decision for us all to make, and I came on board.”
Lowe has been involved in some of Brit Row’s biggest and most prestigious events over the last three and a half decades, such as The Wall – Live in Berlin in 1990 and the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. He also worked on the massive Knebworth gigs for Oasis and Robbie Williams, having seen both acts grow from their early days on the UK’s club circuit.
“For me, it is all about the people – our people, the people we work for and the audiences who ultimately pay us all. It’s about the music. It’s about great live audio. I have been blessed throughout my career by being surrounded by some of the very best people. I have worked with a lot of great artists and musicians.
“I have had hundreds, if not thousands, of spine tingling audio experiences. Miles Davis, on-the-fly, s

Canada - 64 Audio has announced the promotion of Stewart Millager to senior executive officer. Millager has been with 64 Audio since 2017, most recently as chief operating officer, and prior to that he led the company’s R&D team.
“Since its founding in 2010, 64 Audio has become the leader in the custom and universal fit in-ear monitor market, and that’s due to both our people and our product,” said Millager. “Our founder and chief sound designer Vitaliy Belonozhko is the real creative force behind the company and its products. As I take on the senior executive officer role, it will allow him to have more opportunity to work on new products, patents, and inventions while I take on more responsibility for the day-to-day and overall operations.”
“As a results-driven professional with an impressive resume in the consumer and Pro A/V markets, Stewart has proven himself in our COO role the past few years and through the pandemic,” said Belonozhko. “As 64 Audio continues to grow, shifting and adding responsibilities his way was the natural course of action with today’s challenging business environment in order to keep us on track and on the path to even greater success.”

EMEA - Martin Professional continues their expansion with the appointment of Chris Munn as account manager for UK & Ireland. With almost twenty years of experience in the industry, he brings extensive knowledge and in-depth experience to the team. His passion for Martin products evident, particularly in his lighting design work, Munn joins Martin from working as an energy zone manager on the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, leaving early to grasp this opportunity.
Munn previously worked across many roles in various venues, including technical manager of various producing and receiving regional venues. Also, a qualified electrician, he brings with him a wide range of skills gained from working on events, festivals and tours in every discipline; along with his already proven can-do attitude and hands-on approach!
Munn comments, “I am excited to be part of the Martin team. This role will give me the ability to utilise and leverage the skills and knowledge I’ve gained in my career so far. With my hands-on experience and knowledge, I can help to add value and further improve the support Martin offer to the UK and Ireland.
Ben Payne, director of lighting for EMEA adds: “Chris has already proven himself to be a huge part of the Martin Professional team. His hands-on skills and on-the-job knowledge really lend themselves to being able to offer the best support and service and we are delighted to have him on board!”

UK - Cliff Eldridge has been named as the new chief financial officer of online platform Second Warehouse.
Eldridge is best known for his tenure as CFO at Meyer Sound. He spent more than two decades with the company, supporting the growth of the American manufacturer before deciding to step back from the role in early 2022.
“Cliff’s appointment is a serious statement of intent from Second Warehouse,” said CEO Phil Van Peborgh. “We have worked carefully to ensure we have all the right foundations in place to position Second Warehouse as the trusted platform for pro AV cross rental, and Cliff is a vital part of that strategy. His depth of experience and the respect he commands across the industry make him a valuable addition to our leadership team.”
“It is a real honour to join the leadership team of Second Warehouse at such an exciting moment for the company,” added Eldridge. “The industry needs this platform to ensure that time and money aren’t wasted when rental companies look to meet increasing demands. My role will be to provide the financial oversight that will help Second Warehouse to keep pace with these needs as we provide this essential service.”
“I’m delighted to have Cliff on board as we continue to grow Second Warehouse,” concludes Van Peborgh. “His knowledge and expertise will help to drive the company forward while we strive to meet the demands of our expanding user group.”

UK - Jamie Gomez has been appointed to the position of global marketing manager for Martin Audio and Optimal Audio. Jamie moves to his new position from within the wider Focusrite Group, where he was GMM for Focusrite Pro. A marketing professional with a strong audio background who specialises in brand development and digital marketing, Jamie spent time with Pioneer Pro Audio, before his move into the world of networked audio, recording and post-production at Focusrite PRO.
Jamie Gomez comments: “The opportunity to return to the world of sound reinforcement and loudspeakers with not one, but two exceptional brands, is a unique and irresistible challenge, and one which I’m very excited to take on. With Optimal Audio, the chance to work on what is effectively an exciting start-up brand with an innovative edge in the commercial sector, dovetails brilliantly with the Martin Audio side of the role. An established market-leader like Martin Audio demands a different approach, but I’m looking forward to sharing my ideas and helping to maintain the brand’s position at the top of the professional audio sector.”
James King, marketing director for Optimal Audio and Martin Audio adds: “One of the many advantages of being part of the wider Focusrite Group is that we have been able to present opportunities across the brands for its employees to progress. Jamie is another great example of that, and I couldn’t be happier that he has joined the team. He has a bold outlook towards marketing that I know will go a long way to accelerating the rise of the fledgl

UK - Applications are open again for Lighthouse Young Technicians, a training course for 12 young people aged 16-19 eager to get to grips with lighting, sound and stage management in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings.
Guided by industry specialists, young people navigate all elements of technical theatre to gain the experience that may set them on course for a future career.
“As a young person making your way in technical theatre, it is very important to do what is right for you,” says Poole-based international lighting designer and course tutor James Smith.
"There is no right way to start a career in technical theatre - for some the answer is university, for others it could be an apprenticeship, or a job at their local theatre where they can build their skills. All roads will end in the same place where the aim should be to produce good quality collaborative entertainment.”
The course costs £150, although bursaries are available, and provides a foundation that will enable young technicians to specialise.
“There are few, if any, courses like this available in this country,” adds James. “The students get lots of hands-on experience and crucially it’s real-world training in a working multi-venue arts facility working on shows and events indoors and outdoors.”
James has more than 15 years of professional experience lighting musical theatre, plays, pantomimes, live music and events all over the world. His enthusiasm for teaching young technicians is clear, as is his rapport with the group, and in designing the c

UK Specialist consultancy 3LR Lighting has appointed Stuart West as business development manager for lighting, control and software. West brings more than 25 years of entertainment production experience to the role, having enjoyed a varied career in technical theatre production, venue management and building operations.
Founded in 2019 by Matt Lloyd, 3LR is an architectural and broadcast lighting consultancy which works closely with ETC, Rosco and other leading professional lighting brands and provides expert advice on lighting in TV and film studios, auditoriums, cruise ships and public spaces. Lloyd says: “I’ve known Stuart for a very long time, and he has such a varied and unique skillset that the chance to bring him into 3LR was simply too good to miss. He has so much to offer our clients.”
West’s interest in lighting began in a childhood surrounded by entertainment production, thanks to his father’s work for the Scouts Association’s Gang Shows - work which often took him in and out of Northampton’s Derngate Theatre. On leaving school, West completed a two-year apprenticeship at the Derngate, working closely alongside Chief Electrician and Lighting Designer, Kevin Roach. “He became my mentor,” he says. “I learned my lighting design skills through him, eventually programming and lighting his shows with him.”
After completing his apprenticeship, he worked as deputy chief electrician at ATG’s then brand-new Milton Keynes Theatre, followed by a spell as head of lighting for the Chinese State Circus, touring its major big-to

UK - Andy Bell, former operations director at KB Event, has joined Truckingby as events operations director.
Andy has over 23 years' experience in live event trucking, working with bands and artists such as Ed Sheeran, Rod Stewart, the Stereophonics and many more.
“I’m looking forward to bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge into Truckingbyand being a valuable part of their team in expanding their live events division,” says Andy.
Kevin Hopper, Truckingby managing director said Andy’s appointment to the company adds additional strength and knowledge to our live events logistics operation, we are all looking forward to working with him, and wish him all the best for the future with Truckingby.”

USA - This month, the American Society of Theatre Consultants (ASTC) welcomed Michael Nishball as its newest full member. Membership into the ASTC, follows a highly selective process that considers a candidate’s range of capability and experience, their past industry achievements, and the quality of service they provide to clients.
“I can think of no person more deserving of full membership,” offered Scott Crossfield, Theatre Projects principal and fellow with the ASTC. “Michael’s experience in equipment and systems design is unparalleled, and he is the type of person we want in the ASTC: committed to the industry, dogged about the appropriate use of technology in the design of performance spaces, and invested in safety for audience and performer as his number one priority.”
Michael is Theatre Projects’ principal theatre equipment designer and one of the industry’s leading voices on structural systems, rigging equipment, and specialty stage machinery. He makes the eighth Theatre Projects employee currently on the ASTC membership roster and brings over 40 years of experience to the elite organisation.
Theatre Projects has been Michael’s professional home since 1995. Prior to Theatre Projects, he worked with Pook Diemont & Ohl, Inc. as a rigging contractor, and earlier on, he was a stagehand, production designer, and rigger with a variety of theatre companies. He supervised lighting and rigging for the Wooster Group all over the world and worked with the Boston Shakespeare Company, the American Repertory Theater, and several mode

UK - Audio-Technica has announced the appointment of Jack Spenn to the role of business development manager for the south of England. Based in Bristol, Spenn’s portfolio comprises Audio-Technica and its distributed brands (Allen & Heath, Optimal Audio, Audio Pro Business and Artnovion) in the UK.
Spenn brings considerable experience within the audio installation industry to the position, having studied acoustics at Salford University before working for Masons Sound, GVAV and most recently Enlightened in Bristol. His hands-on knowledge of AV and sound system design, installation and optimisation in live music venues, hospitlity, education and HOW means Spenn is well-positioned to service and support customers across market segments.
“I’m really looking forward to continuing to build the great brands under the Audio-Technica umbrella in the UK,” says Spenn. “The fact that Audio-Technica provides the full signal chain from microphone through mixing technology to speaker puts us in a great position to offer comprehensive, integrated solutions. I’ve loved being involved in such a creative, dynamic industry on the “other side” as a designer and engineer and I’m excited to be able to work with customers on projects in the coming months.”
Gary Maguire, commercial director, Audio-Technica EMEA added, “for many years we have worked with Jack on projects with our brand solutions. We are very pleased to now have him on board with Audio-Technica and look forward to developing business with our southern based integrators.”

Europe - Two key individuals who have been integral to Robe lighting s.r.o’s international sales team for many years will be taking on new roles in the company.
At 70 years young, Harry von den Stemmen, announces that he will be taking life slightly easier in the immediate future as he steps back from his post as international sales director to continue working as a global key account manager as well as taking an ambassadorial role within the company.
Says Harry, “I celebrated my 70th birthday last month and after 50 hard-working years in this amazing industry, the last nearly 20 as a public face of Robe, I felt it was the right time to adjust my work-life balance, turn in a few less hours and air-miles every month, and spend more time with my grandchildren and the many other hobbies and activities I enjoy in addition to work.”
Since 2003, Harry has been at the forefront of Robe’s growth. Josef Valchar, Robe s.r.o.’s CEO stated, “Harry has been absolutely pivotal to building our brand on a global scale. His massive fund of experience, insights, attention to detail and unparalleled diplomatic skills have been among our greatest strengths, so we were all delighted when Harry indicated that he would like to continue being a valued part of our Robe team in an adjusted role.”
This will see Harry continue to travel, although not at quite such a furious pace, and spend time working on Robe special projects in selected regions. He will still manage specific global territories and will be engaging with some key communication and promoti

UK - Michael Grandage has announced that he will stand down as president of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama after 12 years in post. The multi award-winning director and producer graduated from Central in 1984 and was appointed its president during the 2009-2010 academic year.
During his tenure, he oversaw numerous achievements at Central including the acquisition of Royal Title and the opening of the School’s new North Block building.
He established the President’s Circle to raise financial support for Central’s work and to help ensure the availability of scholarships and bursaries for all who wish to train at the School. And through the Michael Grandage Scholarship, which he initiated, he provided Central students with financial support as well as career guidance and advice.
Michael Grandage also supported and mentored Central students through his role as president and his work with the Donmar Warehouse and, more recently, the Michael Grandage Company. This mentorship was particularly meaningful throughout COVID-19, when his direct guidance and encouragement of Central cohorts who were impacted by the pandemic was invaluable.
Reflecting on his time as Central’s President, Michael Grandage said: “It has been an incredible honour serving as president of Central for the last 12 years. The most life affirming part of the job has unquestionably been the connection with the students, and I am enormously proud of all they continue to achieve.”
John Willis, chair of Central’s governing body, said: “Michael’s p

UK - CP Electronics – part of Legrand UK & Ireland – has appointed Gilles Silva as its new director of product development.
Having gained almost 20 years’ experience – 14 of which spent in Legrand Brazil’s R&D team – Gilles’ new role will see him take a lead on product innovation at CP Electronics. Focusing on energy efficiency, in line with Legrand’s latest CSR roadmap, Gilles will lead a team of 14 people in the UK, as well as closely working with R&D centres in France, the USA and China.
As part of his new role, Gilles will develop and deliver new products as well as analyse technology trends.
Gilles said: “This is an exciting time to join the CP Electronics team. We have a clear plan to deliver products that help drive energy efficiency, all while developing them sustainably. Our goal is to develop solutions that make installers and other professionals’ lives easier without compromising on quality. By nurturing innovation and constant learning, we can make great strides towards accomplishing our mission.”

UK - Technical business development specialist Neutral Human (NH) has appointed Christian Dickens as co-director of the business.
Dickens first established a solid working relationship with NH founder, Sarah Cox, while working at media server manufacturer disguise as head of support and sales director EMEA, respectively.
“At disguise, Christian and I laid out many successful strategies for onboarding and managing client adoption of complex software and hardware tech as the company grew,” says Cox. “We both understand what each other does and where our strengths lie. Between us, we seem to create the perfect hand-off in the client journey, from discovery to purchase, and then to onboarding.”
Dickens has been in the entertainment technology industry for 26 years, specialising in video tech across a variety of verticals from concert touring to theatre, film and TV.
“Working in a number of different fields has helped me develop an understanding of what people want and need to help drive the technology forward,” he says. “I think mine and Sarah’s skillsets really complement each other and will therefore allow NH to expand its services and solutions to companies that wish to grow within the entertainment community.”
He continues: “Sarah and I share the same vision so the opportunity to create and expand together was an easy decision for me to make.”
“We are attracted to, and seem to attract, powerful and complex software and hardware solutions for media and real-time technologies. These are not easy brands to sel

UK - Ambersphere Solutions Ltd has announced the promotion of Lee House to the position of Operations Director. Lee joined the Ambersphere sales department in 2013, following a successful career in technical sales and product management. His commitment and ability to understand all things technical has been a significant factor in Ambersphere’s growth. Lee’s new role will involve him taking on some additional responsibilities and is also recognition of the wide-ranging role he already has.
Ambersphere’s Managing Director Glyn O’Donoghue says: “Lee and I have worked together for more than 15 years, and I am so pleased that he is joining Philip, Ken and myself to help steer and manage Ambersphere Solutions’ future. Lee’s organisational skills and vast industry experience have been invaluable as the industry recovered post Covid, and his commitment to Ambersphere’s suppliers and customers is unrivalled”.
Lee House comments: “It is a real pleasure to join the board of Ambersphere Solutions. The whole team here is really top of their game and I am pleased to be able to contribute fully to the future of the company. As we look ahead it’s a very exciting time for Ambersphere Solutions and I am extremely proud to be a part of that.”
Ambersphere Solutions is the UK exclusive sales, support, service and training centre for Astera, Ayrton, MA lighting, Robert Juliat and Zactrack.

USA - SMPTE, the international society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has awarded the 2022 Samuel L. Warner Memorial Medal to John Meyer, the co-founder, president, and CEO of Meyer Sound.
According to a SMPTE statement, the honour was bestowed “in recognition of his contributions to the design, measurement, and analysis of cinema speaker electronics for cinema mixing, review, and exhibition facilities.” Formal presentation of the award will take place at the SMPTE Awards Gala, to be held on 27 October at the Loews Hollywood Hotel.
“I am deeply grateful for the industry recognition that comes with this medal,” says John Meyer. “Certainly, it acknowledges my personal commitment to excellence in film sound, which is a passion that goes back to my childhood. I always enjoyed the experience of good movie sound – and I was annoyed when it was bad, which was too often the case. I always thought it could be better, and making that happen has been a major focus of my life’s work.”
When Meyer and his wife Helen launched Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc. in 1979, the young company’s reputation for innovation quickly caught the attention of Francis Ford Coppola’s audio engineers.
“One of our first products was a custom subwoofer for a limited showing of Apocalypse Now,” recalls Meyer, “and that was the beginning of our still-continuing relationship with Francis and American Zoetrope. However, we only started making a full line of dedicated cinema loudspeakers much later, when we could leverage mature