USA - Ushio, parent company to Christie, has announced the appointment of Takabumi Asahi as chief executive officer of Christie Digital Systems USA. Effective 1 April 2024, Asahi will assume his new role, succeeding Koji Naito. Asahi previously held the role of managing executive officer and chief financial officer, Ushio. He has held positions of increasing responsibility since joining Ushio in 2017 as deputy general manager.
Previous to Ushio, Asahi worked for Oki Electric Industry, a Japanese information and communications services company, where he acquired global business management experience in various cutting-edge technology fields, including semiconductor, information and telecommunication technology, as well as office automation.
Asahi brings over 30 years of experience to the role, with a commitment to moving forward Ushio’s mission to promote the use of

USA - The American Society of Theatre Consultants (ASTC) has announced that Keith Friedlander, Kascey Haslanger and Paul Whitaker have been approved for membership in the organisation. The Board of Directors admitted the new members at the ASTC annual meeting which occurred during the 2024 USITT Conference in Seattle. In addition, new directors of the board have been elected and new officers have been selected.
The three new members are experienced theatre consultants and meet the qualifications for membership.
Before joining Schuler Shook Theatre Planners in 2015, Keith Friedlander spent 15 years working as a lighting/video supervisor and master electrician at major regional theatres in addition to technical direction at the college level. As a theatre consultant, he has planned and developed theatre systems for venues ranging from significant major performing arts c

Australia - Andy Ciddor’s passionate and committed career in technology, production and live performance of over five decades came to an end on 30 March after taking advantage of Tasmania’s Voluntary Assisted Dying programme to end his struggle with stage-four bile duct cancer.
Starting in high school, out of frustration at the state of a school production his career spanned theatre, broadcast, production, teaching, consulting writing and editing – sharing his passion and mentoring the next generation of designers and technicians. He was followed into the industry by his brothers Jonathan and Braham and most recently, his daughter Rivka.
From working at GTV9 on productions like Hey Hey It’s Saturday and various tonight shows, he moved to Perth to join STW9 where he earned the title ‘Captain Kilowatt’. Andy’s teaching career began at the WA Academy

UK - Event technology and production services company Encore has named Stefica Divkovic as managing director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
Divkovic has extensive experience driving business growth, managing operations, and transforming corporate cultures in highly competitive environments. Additionally, she has a strong focus on delivering excellent customer experiences. She previously served as the senior vice president of the EMEA region at Everbridge Inc., focusing on scaling customer and partner relationships across the region. Prior to that, she led Verizon's DACH and EMEA businesses and held senior leadership positions at other large global organisations, such as T-Systems.
“Stefica exhibits the best leadership characteristics for the managing director role in EMEA,” said Dustin Worley, SVP of international at Encore. “Her experience acros

Europe - Absen has announced the retirement of Ross Burling, its European industry development director OOH & sports and the appointment of James Cook as industry development director, Europe
Having worked for Absen Europe for a number of years, Ross has headed up the OOH & sports division, growing its team and securing a range of projects throughout Europe. He has devoted over 34 years to the AV industry, working for a range of leading AV manufacturers, specialising specifically in DOOH and sports for the last 25 years.
“I would like to thank all of the great friends, colleagues, and mentors who have guided and supported me during my time in the industry, and made it such a fantastic, educational, enjoyable and fun filled experience. I’m delighted that James Cook is replacing me at Absen to further strengthen and grow the Absen relationships and presence

Germany - Yasmine Riechers is to become the new CEO of Georg Neumann a subsidiary of the Sennheiser Group. In her new position, she takes over from Ralf Oehl and will be responsible for further expanding Georg Neumann's global business and driving forward the company's strategic direction.
Yasmine Riechers was previously head of the corporate development office of the Sennheiser Group.
"We are very pleased that Yasmine is taking over the management of Georg Neumann with immediate effect. Together with the Neumann management team, Yasmine will be responsible for the focus and further strategic direction of Neumann," says Andreas Sennheiser, co-CEO of Sennheiser. "Yasmine brings a strong combination of strategic thinking and international experience that will help Neumann continue to grow and strengthen the global footprint of the world-renowned brand," adds Daniel Senn

USA - Video processor, signal distribution technology and media server developer tvONE has welcomed Jim Reinhardt and Mitch Klein to its regional sales managers team. Their appointment augments tvONE’s activities in the United States’ Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, as the company unveils significant advancements for its video processing technology and plans for 2024.
Both join tvONE with extensive backgrounds in UC/IT Channel management, kernel knowledge of video processing, and end-to-end system design and integration.
Jim Reinhardt will serve as Northeast regional sales manager (RSM), based in the New York City area, covering an extensive territory including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Northern New Jersey, New York, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Mitch Klein will assume the role of Mid-Atlantic RSM, stationed in the Washington DC -

Germany - The Adam Hall Group is further expanding its Adam Hall Integrated Systems division. Christian Latzelsberger has been appointed as head of sales - Adam Hall Integrated Systems. In this capacity he is responsible for shaping the strategic direction and overseeing the sales division of Adam Hall Integrated Systems.
Supporting him in the DACH region is Uli Golka, who serves as technical support engineer integrated systems. Product management is handled by senior product manager, Gabriel Alonso Calvillo while Jens Werner assumes the role of junior product manager. The rapidly-growing AV business segment of the Adam Hall Group will be led by Christine Gerhardt as its marketing manager.
Christian Latzelsberger brings over 30 years of experience in the AV, broadcast and pro audio industry, most recently serving as global intercom senior product manager for Bosch Secu

USA - EAW has announced the promotion of James Bamlett to sr. director of APAC and EMEA sales. In his previous role as director of APAC sales, Bamlett managed EAW’s current distributors and helped increase sales throughout the Asia Pacific region from his base in Southeast Asia.
In his new role, Bamlett is responsible for adding new distributors and managing the existing sales channel in the APAC (Asia Pacific) and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) regions.
“James has a proven track record of managing existing distributors and expanding sales, and we are confident that he will continue to excel in this new position,” says T.J. Smith, president of Eastern Acoustic Works.
Bamlett has many years of experience in the pro audio industry, including working as a technical support consultant and touring system engineer. He joined EAW almost 25 years ago, st

USA - Bandit Lites has announced the hiring of Steven Harman as integration support coordinator, bringing along his valuable expertise and enthusiasm. Harman will provide support to new and past clients as well as Bandit’s own integrators and project managers.
Harman has a background in training, education, and performance lighting. He began working in performance and event lighting in Nashville where spent the next two decades providing lighting and rigging. The last five years saw Harman managing warehouse operations for an entertainment pyrotechnic company.
“We are very pleased to welcome aboard Steven,” said Chris Barbee, Bandit Lites vice president of integration. “His qualifications and expertise are exactly what we were looking for in this position. His proven track record of successfully bridging sales processes with client’s needs will allow our tea

UK - Specialist manufacturer representative 3LR Lighting has announced Simon Needle as its newly appointed director of special projects. Simon, well-known throughout the global lighting industry from his varied career including his former role as international projects director for White Light, begins his new role at 3LR Lighting with immediate effect.
Founded in 2019 by Matt Lloyd, 3LR is an architectural manufacturer representative working closely with ETC, Studio Due and Schnick Schnack Systems and in film & broadcast lighting with Sumolight, offering expert advice on lighting and control for auditoriums, cruise ships, concert halls, theatres and themed environments plus television and film.
Lloyd comments: “Being able to welcome Simon to 3LR is a huge deal for me personally and for the company as a whole. I’ve known him for a long time and admired his con

UK - Richard Cuthbert has assumed an associate role working solely with specialist installation contractor and systems integrator, Push The Button, bringing with him three decades of experience in lighting and engineering within the entertainment industry.
Cuthbert comments: “I am keen to focus on what I enjoy doing the most, delivering innovative solutions and immediately thought of Push The Button. I worked with Nick (Ewins, Push The Button managing director) when I was starting out in the industry, and I have the utmost respect for his client-focused approach. I’m really looking forward to making an impact at PTB.”
Nick Ewins comments: “I first met Richard as a trainee engineer, and he later became a key member of my team for many years before we both went our separate ways. He has made a tremendous contribution to the industry both in terms of designing a

UK - TAIT is expanding its producing offer with the appointment of Martin Green as vice-president of global live events.
Martin brings over 20 years of experience to TAIT, with large-scale live broadcast events and festivals across the globe. Most recently he served as managing director of Eurovision, Liverpool 2023 on Behalf of Ukraine where he oversaw the delivery of the publicly acclaimed event. His portfolio also includes chief creative officer for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, director of Hull UK City of Culture 2017, and head of ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He has also acted as an advisor to Dubai Expo and the Tokyo Olympics.
Based in TAIT’s recently announced Kings Cross office, Martin will play an integral part in the company’s development and expansion of event production globally. He will oversee executive-level p

USA - EAW has welcomed Robert Scovill to the position of senior live sound market manager.
Scovill’s new role will be to work tightly with existing teams on product definition and positioning, in-person demos and trainings, as well as providing thought leadership. This will include refining and shaping all public-facing communication. These duties will include assisting with written product descriptions, as well as the listening and voicing of new and existing production-level audio systems. Scovill will drive the creation of educational how-to pieces on industry topics such as tuning and deploying large-scale ADAPTive systems, passive and active articulated systems and subwoofer arrays.
“We are excited to welcome Robert to the team - he brings decades of pro audio and live sound expertise to EAW and further demonstrates our commitment to being a leading loudspeak

USA - After nearly 45 years of landmark project deliveries and designs, Michael Nishball, principal equipment designer at Theatre Projects, is retiring at the end of this month. As a company emeritus, Michael will continue to offer his expertise as an international leader in stage machinery and will act as a sounding board on major projects and the continued expansion of Theatre Projects.
“‘Departing,’ ‘leaving,’ ‘ceasing,’ ‘re-careering,’ ‘transitioning,’ ‘bowing out’... anything but ‘retiring,’” shares Michael. “My confidence in being a stage equipment designer and theatre technical planner emerged directly from my youth spent as a rigging installer and contractor.
“I often say that we are in the construction industry and the skills required to make a contribution to the project should be informed as much from how it gets built as

China - Genelec has expanded its team in China with the appointment of Jimmy Liang as sales manager, with special responsibility for developing Genelec’s presence in both the Studio and AV Install segments in South China.
This new appointment is part of Genelec China’s continued commitment to elevating the customer experience - and has also seen the establishment of a new office and listening room in Guangzhou, with plans to further strengthen technical support and services for customers in the south of the country.
Liang has previously held positions as technical sales director at Sound Works & Supplies (SWS) and at Digital Media Technology (DMT). With over a decade of experience in professional audio, Liang has been responsible for the system integration of projects for many broadcast and institutional clients across the region.
“Jimmy brings exten

UK - Ayrton has announced that David Stewart has joined the Ayrton team as UK designer relationship manager. The appointment takes place with immediate effect.
Stewart’s role will be to support new and existing lighting designers and production staff, and to work closely with Ambersphere Solutions, Ayrton’s exclusive UK distributor, in promoting the Ayrton brand and product range.
Stewart comes with more than 30 years of experience within every facet of the entertainment industry, having worked as a freelance LD, operator and technician, and as a business owner, through to full-time sales and business development with key manufacturers and distributors.
Stewart comments: "I'm really excited to join Ayrton at a time of incredible innovation and growth, to strengthen relationships and take on the challenge of pushing such cutting edge products and services f

UK - Jim Hallington, founder and managing director of Clockaudio has died, aged 92. The specialist UK-based microphone specialist was established in 1994 by Hallington and a team of audio specialists with many years of experience in the design and manufacture of innovative pro audio products. The company’s success has been established on sound principles: its dedication to quality, service and innovation.
On the company’s success, Hallington said: "It is all about being responsive to your clients. If you don't respond then you won't be successful. It's as simple as that.
“When Tina and I started Clockaudio, we never envisioned it becoming such a success. Manufacturing always comes with challenges, but we have a great team that always comes up with a solution. It is an exciting and interesting business, and we look forward every day to facing the challenges and e

UK - Event production and audio-visual Installation company, Spotlight Sound has announced that Ashton Gold will join the team as account manager.
Ashton comes to Spotlight Sound from The Lion Inn in Boreham where she was the event planner.
“I will be fundamental in liaising between the client and technicians from the planning to execution of their event,” says Ashton. “My role means that the technicians can fully concentrate on the production of the event and I can make sure everything else runs smoothly.”
Sam Dimond, director of Spotlight Sound adds: “We’re really pleased to welcome Ashton onto the team. Her experience in planning and running events will be fundamental to the ongoing success and growth of Spotlight Sound.”
Spotlight Sound produces a spread of events including the Willow Ball and London Football Awards. Last year they prov

The Netherlands - Rogier Trok is joining the Avolites international team as sales and technical key account manager for mainland Europe, where he will be based in the Netherlands, and overseeing and co-ordinating with the pan-European distribution network there.
His work will include assisting distributors with sales and demonstrations as well as console and media server training.
Rogier brings onboard 20 years of rental company experience as a lighting technician, lighting designer and project manager. He also worked at Avolites’ Dutch distributor, Fairlight, providing console and media server training, garnering valuable experience related to the needs and demands of a distributor.
Rogier has also taught theatre technicals - programming, focussing, technical drawing, networking, etc - at Deltion College in Zwolle, Netherlands. He has also always been an Av

USA - Ayrton has announced the appointment of Scott Kinnebrew to the role of global install manager as part of Ayrton’s Global Installs team, with immediate effect. Kinnebrew, who is based in the US, has extensive experience, working with industry-leading brands.
“In my new role I’ll be helping others find the right products for environments such as amusement parks, arenas, cruise ships, theatres, stadiums, and other locations and venues,” says Kinnebrew. “Illuminating such locations brings a different challenge from the rental and staging world. Shows can run 24 hours a day, have very limited time for support, and be a challenge from a design standpoint, be it fixture access or placement. Ayrton brings a level of product offering second to none which meets those challenges, and I'm proud to represent the company and the innovation that the brand brings to the glob

UK - Area Four Industries UK has appointed Theresa Gibson to the newly created role of head of marketing.
After four years as head of marketing for Robe Lighting UK, she brings extensive experience across the sector.
This new appointment represents ‘a strategic pillar’ for the business as Area Four Industries approaches its 30-year anniversary, providing a pivotal support function to the UK sales team, working closely with HQ in Czech Republic, and its major global manufacturing divisions, international colleagues and extensive brand portfolio.
Area Four Industries UK’s managing director, Glen Brown says: “I am excited to welcome Theresa Gibson to the A4iUK team. Her wealth of marketing experience and passion for exceptional service levels, synergies and connections within our core industries will help steer the business into its next chapter. Theresa wil

Germany - The Liftket Group has announced the appointment of Benjamin Göldner as vice-president of stage, with effect from 1 March 2024.
Göldner, who joined Liftket as head of purchasing in 2017 and took over the management of Chainmaster GmbH in 2021, brings extensive experience and expertise to the new role. Together with Jürgen Dlugi and Thomas Birke, Benjamin Göldner will form the management team of the Liftket Group.
The purpose of creating this position is to improve communication and efficiency in the stage area and to drive strategic growth. The focus will be on the global requirements for the group, strengthening the Moveket and Chainmaster brands, supporting the subsidiaries and developing new and improved products.
"It is an exciting time for the Liftket Group, and I am looking forward to contributing to the successful growth and development of

Europe - Absen has strategically bolstered its European team with the addition of four individuals. Joining the team are:
Darren Jackson, UK business development manager, AbsenLive: Bringing 14 years of management and business development experience, Jackson will spearhead AbsenLive, a dedicated brand category catering to the high-end rental & staging and virtual production/XR stage segments. His expertise will be instrumental in shaping Absen's strategy and capitalising on the evolving LED display market.
River Harper-Boyce, marketing specialist: River's proven marketing and event expertise, honed during her successful tenure with Absen's long-standing partner PSCO, aligns with Absen's commitment to enhancing brand visibility through effective communication strategies.
Max Hedayat, strategic business development manager, DACH region: A seasoned sales and

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