Industry Appointments

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

SIXTY82 appoints Audiosales as Italian distributor; EAW’s Jeremy Forsythe; Audiologic’s Andy Lewis.

Audio Acustica has been recruited by TMB as Distribution Partner for Mexico, on its 40th anniversary.

TMB Sales Manager, Stephanie Kilburg recalled: “Our relationship with Audio Acustica goes back 20 years. Audio Acustica is now working closely with TMB, building our brands in Mexico and helping increase public awareness of the quality and reliability of our products.”

Audio Acustica Subdirector, José Roberto Ono, added: “We look forward to taking our relationship with TMB to the next level. Their product line-up complements our other lines very handsomely, and the quality is of course first-rate. We and TMB have a great working relationship, and our customers will appreciate increased access to TMB’s many new and exciting, innovative products.”

Audiosales will offer guidance on a wide range of possibilities, advising customers in Italy on the best Sixty82 solution for its particular needs.

Date Jonkman, Sixty82’s executive account manager said: “We are delighted to be working with Audiosales. They have a well-established position in the market, and a strong team of experienced people. So we are very pleased they joined the Sixty82 family.”

“Sixty82 is a team composed of professionals that have contributed in a significant way to the development of the staging and trussing market in the recent decades,” commented Stefano Rocchi, Owner of Audiosales. “Their payoff, ‘The New Original’ describes in the best way who the people behind Sixty82 are. They are furthermore providing versatility, knowledge,

and innovation, like the new Sixty82 RFIDtag.” Audiologic has promoted Andy Lewis to the position of Managing Director. “I’m naturally very excited to be taking on the role of MD at this very special company. The work we’ve done growing the business has its roots firmly in the dedication and attitude of the staff in every area of Audiologic,” Lewis said.

This month, the company also confirmed its parnership as a UK distributor for USA-based AV connectivity specialists Attero Tech of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Adding Attero Tech to its portfolio complements Audiologic’s distribution of QSC Systems.

Managing Director Andy Lewis commented: “Attero Tech’s AES67 products have been specifically designed to be compatible with QSC solutions and thus constitute a valuable addition to the Audiologic range, enabling customers to obtain everything they require for complete DSP solutions from under one roof.”

Eastern Acoustic Works has promoted Jeremy Forsythe to the position of Director of Product Management. Forsythe joined EAW in March 2017 as Business Development Manager.

“This is a great opportunity for me, and it comes at just the right time,” commented Forsythe. “We have a superb engineering staff, and our business is strong and growing. We’ve developed ground-breaking technology that is making a big difference for our customers. And what you see now is just the beginning. We’re developing amazing new products,

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INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

Solotech’s Aaron Beck; Thomas Kachnik; Paul Owen.

and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) has been appointed as the exclusive UK distributor for PureLink’s IPAV Pro series of 10Gb AV over IP transmission, switching and signal processing solutions, which are specifically designed for the touring and rental market. Sister company, A.C. Entertainment Technologies Ireland Ltd. will handle distribution in the Republic of Ireland.

The IPAV Pro series combines revolutionary 10Gb Ethernet over IP switching technology with a toughened chassis custom made for the rigours of rental and staging. Utilising the SDVoE protocol, it provides reliable distribution of uncompressed 4K video in real time, with zero frame latency and pixel perfect image quality in even the most demanding of conditions.

Solotech has welcomed Thomas Kachnik as Business Development Sales Representative for the company’s Las Vegas Office. With over 20 years of experience in the technology and entertainment industries, Kachnik has previously worked as an executive sales leader and manager at Ultrasound, Music Tribe, Ford AV and Audix-Mostert Marketing.

“Tom’s experience from all aspects of the industry including integration, manufacturing, distribution, rental touring, and managed services make him an excellent choice to contribute to Solotech’s growth in North America,” said Mike Poirier, General Manager.

Paul Owen has also been appointed as General Manager of the company’s Nashville office. Drawing on over 40 years of experience in the audiovisual and entertainment industry, he is recognised for this work in the world’s biggest stages and stadiums.

“Owen managed the Nashville office operations with brio since it’s opening, that’s why his appointment was the perfect decision to pursue our business opportunities in this area”, said Martin Tremblay, President and CEO of Solotech.

While Aaron Beck has been announced as Business Development Sales Representative at its Las Vegas Office.

Beck has previously worked as a Sound Designer on major projects such as Criss Angel MINDFREAK, The Buddy Holly Story National Tour and Assistant Sound Designer on The Lion King National Tour. “With his Cirque du Soleil background and a vast

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Renkus Heinz Matt Czysewski; SSE Audio Group’s David Kinna; Meyer Sound’s Marc Chutczer; PT Yamaha Musik Indonesia.

expertise coupled with learning the ropes at his father’s church, Aaron is an incredible addition to the Vegas team, he’s a perfect match for his position,” said Poirier.

2B Heard has been joined by Mark Morley as UK Pro Audio Distributor in a business development capacity, in a move intended to coincide with the move to new premises, which includes warehouse, demonstration facilities and a newly developed immersive recording studio.

Moreley said: “Joining a dynamic distributor like 2B Heard is an incredible opportunity,” said Morley. “As a well-established, industryleading brand, it’s easy to admire what the company has accomplished and its future potential. I’m excited to be part of the team that will write 2B Heard’s next chapter.”

Renkus-Heinz has appointed Matt Czyzewski as President, effective May 2019.

Czyzewski joins following his 22-year tenure at Biamp, where he started as a Product Manager and worked his way up to Vice President, executive VP, Chief Operating Officer, and finally Chief Executive Officer. “Matt Czyzewski’s combination of engineering, business development, and progressive management experience makes him a great choice to lead Renkus-Heinz into the future,” asserted Harro Heinz, Renkus-Heinz founder and CEO.

SSE Audio Group has created the new role of Director of Finance. Based in Redditch, David Kinna will oversee the financial operations of the Group’s UK and European operations.“My background is with companies of a similar size to SSE Audio Group, albeit in very different fields to Pro Audio.

The world of rock ‘n’ roll is a niche market, so finding a finance director with experience in this sector for a company the size of SSE would have been a tall order. However, the world of finance gives you experience that is very much transferable and I look forward to bringing my skill set to this industry,” said Kinna.

SSE MD John Penn said: “As SSE has grown over recent years it was something we had been looking at for a while. Then with the acquisition by Solotech they were keen to have somebody solely focussed on the financial aspect of the business. This was the obvious time to make the appointment and provides a conduit between the Solotech board and the SSE management team.”

Meyer Sound confirmed that Silicon Valley veteran executive Marc Chutczer will adopt the newly created position of Vice President of Digital Program Management. In his new role, Chutczer will take charge of one of the most significant refocusing efforts in the 40-year history of the company.

“Digital signal processing and networking technologies have become inseparable from today’s leading-edge loudspeaker and acoustic systems,” said Executive Vice President Helen Meyer. “The appointment of Marc Chutczer and the concurrent formation of a new cross-functional management team will enable Meyer Sound to maintain its lead in developing and bringing to market the world’s most advanced, fully integrated solutions.”

NEXO has confirmed an all-new line-up in Indonesia from April, appointing a new distributor for its sound reinforcement products. PT

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INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

Riedel Communications’ Nacho Lee; Maestra Group’s Adrian Powell, Alex Hardie, Michaela, Katherine Fung and Matt Appleby.

Yamaha Musik Indonesia (Distributor) will take on the prestigious French line, cementing sales and support for NEXO and Yamaha brands at its Jakarta offices.

The Yamaha Indonesia team, led by Chihaya Hirai, will be working closely with newly appointed NEXO Business Development Manager Joe White, who has responsibility for South East Asia markets. Together they are preparing to put NEXO in the spotlight this year.

“We are ready for the imminent arrival of NEXO’s new GEO M12 mid-size line array,” said Hirai. “We have already planned launch events for this system in Jakarta and Surabaya.”

Cymatic Audio has assigned RAD Distribution as the sole distributor for all Cymatic Audio products throughout the US and Canada. Jon Haber, President of RAD Distribution, said: “Cymatic Audio is known as one of the leaders and pioneers in audio recording and playback for live performance,” he said. “Their rock solid hardware and software have made them common items seen on live riders. We’re proud to be distributing Cymatic Audio products which are a completely natural fit for us.”

Riedel Communications has appointed Nacho Lee as Riedel’s UK

Sales Manager for Theatre and Industry. Lee joins Riedel with 15 years of experience in the pro AV and electronics industries.

“Throughout his career, Nacho has demonstrated his ability to build meaningful relationships and his skill in translating new opportunities into business growth,” said Paul Rivens, General Manager at Riedel UK. “He will be an invaluable resource as we continue to expand the Riedel footprint in markets across the UK.”

Maestra Group has added several new staff to the London team. The new staff joining the team include two project managers, two production designers and another technical manager.

Michaela Welford and Matt Appleby have both been appointed as Senior Project Manager. Michaela worked in Dubai’s vibrant and a high-pressure events bubble for five years, so Maestra London was keen to capitalise on her expertise. “Their events are diverse and constantly striving for perfection in every area, from designs and set to new technologies,” she stated. Appleby saw the company as a “bright and exciting future”, adding that the events and projects on which Maestra work are varied and exciting with great latitude for creativity.

AUDIO LIGHTING RIGGING VIDEO AUCTIONS

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4Wall Entertainment completes the asset purchase of UK-based HSL Group Holdings.

Alex Hardie has been appointed as the new Technical Manager. Hardie brings the lighting element of technical design to the fore with a career that started as a theatre ASM working his way up through being a technician, an operator and then an LD. He then switched his huge enthusiasm for the job and passion for lighting to events and experiential. Adrian Powell has been made the Production Designer. He said “I live for work and we do it for the majority of our lives, so I want to be somewhere that’s fun, challenging and stimulating and Maestra London seemed like the perfect fit!” Finally, Kat Fung is the Assistant Production Designer. She enthused: “It’s fun, fast-paced and the outcome is extremely rewarding, especially with the opportunity of working with some dedicated and hardworking people who have been in the game for a while”.

Music & Lights have appointed LightNeq as distributor in Czech Republic. Prague based LightNeq have become the latest addition to the Music & Lights distribution network in becoming exclusive distributors of PROLIGHTS, TRIBE, ArchWork, DAD, ProAudio, PROTRUSS and GDE.

Managing Director of LightNeq, Pavel Lenoch explained: “Each of the Music & Lights brands have been gaining a great deal of interest globally, and we know from having previously worked with the team and visiting the HQ, the support is in place for us to grow our relationship substantially by adding their brands to our portfolio. PROLIGHTS especially is making its mark on the industry and we can’t wait for what is to come next!”

Prolyte Group has continued expansion in the North American market, announcing Keith Bohn as General Sales Manager North America. Keith Bohn has over 25 years experience in design, manufacturing, and use of structural rigging solutions, ranging from simple span truss applications to complex permanently installed structures worldwide.

“I am very excited about joining the Prolyte team,” stated Keith. “The attention given to user training and safety is impressive, not to mention the breadth of the product line covering very light applications to clear truss spans over 180ft in length. I am eager to introduce more of the US market to Prolyte’s solutions, especially the innovative tool-free Verto line of truss.”

PK Sound has named Paul Freudenberg as Vice President of Global

Business Development for PK Sound. He will be responsible for managing global sales and marketing as part of PK’s executive management team.

“It seems clear that the road forward will include innovation that will make complex tasks easier and more efficient, while providing measurable improvement to the state-of-the-art. PK is poised for growth and has the engineering resources to bring new solutions to existing and future challenges,” Freudenberg said. “When executed successfully, this track will propel our company forward.”

Clair Brothers has expanded its global reach with Bary AS. As one of Norway’s largest and fastest growing suppliers of technical solutions and equipment for concerts, festivals, events and other productions, Bary AS is also the largest, fully-Norwegian-owned company in the business. Explained Morten Bakke, Director of Business Development: “We love a real challenge and we want Bary AS to be the best at what we do.”

From the moment Bary began its communication with the Clair Brothers team, they were already excited about the possibilities. In fact, when asked where and when they first became aware of Clair Brothers, Bakke smiled: “Since we were walking around with diapers as babies!” he enthused.

“Clair Brothers has always been there, touring early on with some of the biggest musical acts on the planet. And today, as a top loudspeaker innovator, they’re more than a highly-respected name in our line of business.

“To be honest, when we first thought of the idea of joining forces with Clair Brothers, we didn’t think we were being realistic. I mean, do we really believe we can get Clair Brothers in Norway? Huh? Are you nuts? This is what we asked ourselves. But, like I said, we like a challenge, so we had to try!”

PRG will integrate its global research and development efforts into a new operating group, PRG Innovation, encompassing its efforts in Belgium, China and the United States which include facilities in Dallas, New Windsor, New York and Los Angeles.

“PRG Innovation brings all of our talent focused on product

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Bary AS Director of Business Development, Terje Hvam.

Music, Film & TV

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development into a single, global team, allowing us to anticipate market trends, move with agility and align product development with our larger strategic objectives,” said Jere Harris, Chairman and CEO of PRG. “I believe that our investment and performance in marketdriven innovation is one of the most powerful points of difference separating our brands from the competition. Now, that advantage will become even more significant.”

4Wall Entertainment, a US-based provider of lighting and video rentals, sales and services, has completed the asset purchase of HSL Group Holdings of Blackburn, UK. Since the initial announcement, 4Wall worked diligently to complete its first international acquisition and is now proceeding with the integration process. The facility and location is being rebranded as 4Wall UK, creating the first international presence for 4Wall.

4Wall UK will be comprised of the former HSL sales team and staff, with former HSL Managing Director Simon Stuart leading the sales team and assuming the role of VP of Business Development. “With the deal completed, we are officially part of the 4Wall family, ensuring long-term stability of our location,” said Stuart. “We couldn’t be happier to join this amazing organization and thank our friends from across the pond for the opportunity.”

4Wall and HSL have previously worked together on concert touring acts traveling between the two countries, creating a natural partnership between key employees and even customers that will be strengthened moving forward. Having a true 4Wall location overseas will allow the company to better serve tours and events scheduled to make US and UK stops.

4Wall COO Wes Bailey spoke on completing the acquisition: “The 4Wall UK team hasn’t skipped a beat since the announcement was made two weeks ago which perfectly exemplifies why this was the right time for 4Wall to expand into the international market. There is a strong group in place that will help us introduce the 4Wall brand to the UK in a positive way.”

4Wall UK offers a 165,000sq ft. building, which includes large prep areas, training facilities, WYSIWIG suites, and more. To inquire for more information from the UK sales team about future events. TPi www.tpimagazine.com/category/industry-jobs

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