Robe - LEADERBOARD - Feb 2025
Doughty - Banner - from 6 June 2025

People

Details
Industry veteran Fred Bentham died on Thursday 10 May at the age of 90. Though his career was long and distinguished, he will probably be remembered most for his ground-breaking work on the Strand Light Console which he designed to run a light show at the 1932 Ideal Home Exhibition. Unlike the control desks of today, the desk was designed to be 'played' like a piano. The funeral will take place on Thursday 24th May.

Details
Steve Terry, president of the Fourth Phase Systems Group, will leave the company on May 25th. Terry, one of the original owners of Production Arts, which was acquired by PRG in June 1998, is departing to assume the role of vice-president of professional services at Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC). In that role, he will be able to utilize his skills and experience on a much more diverse range of projects and will work closely with Bill McGivern, director of systems, and Sarah Spencer, director of technical services, to further strengthen ETC's industry-leading position in those areas.

Industry veteran Bill Groener will become the Northeast Regional VP for the PRG companies and will assume responsibility for lighting and audio rentals, large format projection (rentals and sales) and all permanent installation projects. Groener has been with PRG since 1998 and brings extensive experien

PLASA Show 2025 - Banner - June-Aug 2025

Details
Al Ridella has joined automated lighting manufacturer High End Systems in the role of Northeast Region Sales Manager, and is now based in High End's New York City office. The industry veteran's resume includes years of experience at a number of familiar companies. Most recently he was production coordinator at Fourth Phase New Jersey. His career began straight out of college with Strand. From there he moved to Vanco as head of electronics, then to Bash Theatrical where he handled systems sales. That led to a rental coordinatorjob at Production Arts, then finally to PRG (whose name changed to Fourth Phase while he was there). "High End Systems is a good company," Ridella says. "They take care of their people and customers, and they make good products. I look forward to working with High End's authorized resellers in the Northeast territory."

Details
Bandit Lites Inc has promoted Ben Dickmann to the role of director of marketing. Dickmann joined Bandit Lites in June 2000 as a marketing associate and quickly developed the company’s marketing efforts. He is a graduate of Valparaiso University with a BSBA in Marketing.

Details
ETC Europe has announced today that Mike Lowe will be retiring from the position of managing director at the end of May. Lowe has been instrumental in the continuing expansion of ETC Europe and has been intimately involved in developing the European markets for ETC. As part of the ongoing international expansion of ETC, improvements to operations are taking place to further leverage the extensive resources available in its network of offices worldwide. Bill Gallinghouse, vice-president of business development, assumes responsibility for European sales, and Dick Titus, chief operating officer, assumes responsibility for leading ETC Europe operations. ETC's European offices will remain in London and the company will continue serving its clients with the support of its dealer and distributor network.

Details
Following the news of the recent death of Fred Bentham, we have been advised that his funeral will take place on Thursday 24 May at 2pm at Mortlake Crematorium, Mortlake Road, Richmond on Thames (nearest station Kew Gardens). All are welcome to attend the funeral, which was devised by Fred and has no religious content. A celebration of Fred's life and work is being planned for late June at a West End Theatre. Further details to follow.

Details
Technical theatre consultant Graham Walne has launched a new website this month. Designed by Lisa Stannard it contains a newsletter, experience-at-a-glance page, full projects list and photographs. Since migrating to Perth, Western Australia (WA) in 1998, Walne has enjoyed some notable achievements in his new home - lead consultant to the state government’s venues strategy; consultant to several local authority venues; lead consultant on the implementation in WA of vocational qualifications for the backstage occupations; co-founder and chairman of the Institute of Independent Arts Consultants (WA); author of a regular column in the Australasian publication Connections and lighting designer of several notable productions for Perth Theatre Company.

Details
iLight Ltd, a specialist in lighting control systems, continues to expand its team with the appointment of Crispin Rock as project engineer. Rock joins iLight from an entertainment lighting background, latterly working as a freelance lighting engineer with the television industry and on the London Eye attraction. Prior to this he spent 10 years in Australia developing his technical skills on a varied range of projects. As project engineer, Rock will be responsible for ensuring the smooth management of installations on site, liaising with electrical contractors and lighting designers. He will also use his electrical engineering skills and 'keep his hand in' by undertaking the role of commissioning engineer on certain projects. And he has already 'hit the ground running' working on two iLight projects in London - commissioning the O² Centre, a cinema and shopping complex and Atlantic Hous

Details
The LeMark Group has announced that Neil Baldock has been promoted to process manager within the Group's custom gobo making facility, Hot Metal. To maintain and reinforce the growth of the venture, Mark Gibbons returns on a full-time basis and joins Hot metal as sales co-ordinator after completing his final year studying Marketing & Business Studies. Both Mark and Neil's faces may well be familiar, both having "served time" with LeMark at Trade Shows within the UK and the USA. Hot Metal produces custom gobos here in the UK and allows LeMark''s clients the ability to ensure fast turn around on custom designs, or select from the extensive ex-stock choice of GAM Gobo's. At the same time, the company has announced that general manager Jeremy Bramley is moving on to further his career within the lighting industry, having accepted a senior management position at CCT Lighting.

Details
Glen Beckley has joined Stage Electrics heading up the Audio Design Services department. Beckley recently returned from two months touring the arenas of the USA with southern gospel group the Gaither Vocal Band, following this with designs for pantomimes in Bath, Blackpool, Stoke and Sheffield last Christmas. 2001 will also see him designing systems for national tours of Anything Goes and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, as well as contributing to various installation projects in the UK and Europe. Last year also saw him design a groundbreaking digital audio system for the national tour of ‘Carousel’ starring Darren Day and Sam Kane, the first of its kind seen in the UK, which impressed audiences and critics alike all over the country, as well as a system for the national tour of 42nd Street starring Ruth Madoc.

Stage Electrics has also announced that P

Details
ETC has announced the appointment of Jeremy Roberts to the new role of field project manager. Jeremy will be working from Nottingham, concentrating on promoting ETC's range of products to end users, consultants and dealers in the north of England. A familiar industry figure, Jeremy has been with ETC for the past two years. Throughout this period he has been responsible for a wide variety of installations including the Millenium Dome, Barbican and the Royal Danish Theatre. Prior to joining ETC, Jeremy spent 15 years in professional theatre, working first as a lighting and sound designer and later as head of lighting and sound at the Nottingham Playhouse.

Details
Lighting Technology Group announced today that due to a serious family illness Managing Director Alan Hewitt has chosen to take early retirement. Lighting Technology's Founder David Morgan will resume the role of MD, supported by the well-established Executive Team of Garry Nelsson, Bruce Kirk, and Steve Pembury as Sales, Operations and Finance Directors respectively. David Morgan commented: "Alan came on board to bring in new systems and facilities for LTG including Group-Wide Management Information Systems and the new 22,000 square foot National Distribution Centre in Corby. It is regrettable he has had to depart without being able to manage these exciting projects through to completion. Nevertheless, the structure and management he has put in place leaves the company in a very strong position to capitalise on the opportunities our market has to offer in the future."

Details
Following the recent appointment of Tone Ferne, Dobson Sound continues to expand its team of project co-ordinators to keep pace with the company's increasing workload. Richard Mortimer is the newest recruit to take his place. He will be working closely with David Lewis looking after the museum and conference market. A graduate in Music and Technology from Kingston University, Mortimer has spent the last three-and-a-half years working for Dobson Sound on a freelance basis so he is already very familiar with the client base. "As project co-ordinator it is my job to attend meetings with the client, ascertain their needs, specify the system, organise the crew and basically make sure the whole thing runs smoothly from start to finish."

Details
Communication Technology Ltd has announced the death of its founder, Ron Glaisher, aged 80. His funeral took place on Thursday 25th May at Croydon, Surrey. Ron had been a well-known amateur radio enthusiast since the 1950s and even before starting his own specialist business played an important part in the development of microphones and handsets for transportation and radio communication applications. Ron sold his Company in 1999 to Scarecrow Bio-Acoustic Systems, a company owned by Tony Walker. Walker commented: "I had known Ron for more years than we would both have cared to admit; until very recently he was involved in our new product development and will be sadly missed as a good friend. I am sure everyone who knows his wife Prue will wish to offer their condolences to her."

Details
The Production Services Association has made two announcements: the first is that John Jones of PCM has filled the remaining seat on the 2001 PSA Council. John is a long-time supporter of the PSA and through his company PCM has donated £10,000 to the PSA Welfare & Benevolent Fund since the Fund’s inception. PCM has also gained a reputation for being among the industry’s leaders in promoting training, with the PCM Motor Schools now well established. In a separate announcement, Keith Owen will now oversee the PSA’s new series of BTEC courses. The courses, which commence in June in Birmingham with the Production Technician Intermediate BTEC, will be expanded during the year to cover other disciplines. Owen spent 20 years at Light & Sound Design before spending 18 months at Loughborough College as the PSA’s representative for training. He is working for two days a we

Details
DPA Microphones has appointed Craig A. Parrish (pictured, left) as sales and marketing manager and Henrik Bronner (pictured, right) as area manager (Americas). Both Parrish and Bonner join DPA with strong backgrounds in international sales and marketing and come from most recent positions as marketing manager and business development manager, respectively, for a Danish manufacturer of large-format scanners for the reprographics industry. Craig Parrish, who is an American that has resided in Denmark for many years, has an MBA degree in International Business and has 18 years’ experience in export sales and international marketing. Henrik Bronner has been hired to strengthen the company’s sales and marketing efforts in North and South America. Bronner has lived in the United States for more than seven years.

Details
After a career spanning 15 years in publishing (latterly as advertisement manager of AV Magazine) Lucy Donovan has joined FrameSet as sales manager. The Hampshire-based conference staging specialists - whose expansion programme will be accompanied by a major rebranding exercise - sees the recruitment of Lucy as an integral part of their new marketing thrust. Lucy arrives following a short stint with Quantum Publishing’s Exhibitions Division. "I love the AV industry and this feels like coming home - it’s a challenge that I am relishing immensely." Lucy Donovan has a nationwide remit and will be reporting to managing director, Chris Lillywhite.

Details
Albert Wong has been named High End Systems' new regional sales manager for Singapore. He takes over the duties of Jimmy "JR" Chai, who recently left to pursue other interests. Wong will handle all matters pertaining to High End's automated lighting and controller sales in North and Southeast Asia, and will manage operations at HES Singapore. Wong has 12 years of experience in the industry. He recently was sales manager at a pro audio and lighting company, where he worked for the past nine years. "I am really excited being on the High End team," says Wong. "I am going to enjoy working here, especially with the growing potential in the Southeast and Far East Asia markets."

Details
Recently arrived at industry specialist PR agency JGP, Noelle Lane brings a background in IT - with some media experience tucked away. With a keen interest in music and songwriting, Noelle will work as PR assistant alongside Jerry Gilbert. She says she is relishing the challenges ahead. "I’m really excited about entering an industry where my personal interests overlap those of business. I feel I’m finally embarking on a career worth getting out of bed for."

Details
JBL has announced that veteran Guy Hawley has assumed the additional role of sales director, Asia. Based in London, Hawley will add the Asian territory to his current responsibilities as sales director - Middle East and Africa. Hawley has a long history with JBL: prior to his working as director of sales, Europe, Hawley held several sales positions for Harman UK, the company-owned European distributor. "I welcome this challenge and opportunity in the Asian markets," stated Hawley. "JBL has many longstanding relationships with our Asian distributors. These markets offer growth and stability and their strength in the contracting and cinema markets makes them even more important for us. I look forward to working with these customers to get them to the next level with JBL."

JBL has also announced the promotion of Rick Kamlet to the position of senior director, installed

Details
Adam hall has announced that export sales manager Sue Mistry will be leaving the company in order to move to Austin, Texas, where she will join her husband Manoj and take up a new role which is yet to be announced, although it is understood she will be remaining within the entertainment technology industry. Mistry had been with Adam Hall for 11 years, and has been a familiar face at international trade shows during that time.

Details
Mass Audio Visual, of Burlington, Massachusetts, has appointed Skip Bensley as a new account executive. ‘Skip’ brings over 15 years of audio-visual industry sales experience to massAV. His background includes positions with COMSYS, Harvard University, MatchPoint Systems, and Projection Presentation Technology, where he managed numerous national AV accounts during his tenure. He has experience with a large corporate client base, including Key3 Media, Staples, Computer Associates, and DCI Incorporated. His knowledge of managing large-scale production events and general sessions will extend to current and future massAV clients.

Details
The arrival of the new WORKS line at Fuzion (see today’s Product News) coincides entirely by design with the appointment of Linton Smeeton, former sales director of RCF. Smeeton was specifically recruited to take on the position of brand manager for the WORKS line and will be responsible for specifying the new brand into jobs. Smeeton commented: "I am delighted to be working in an area of the market I know very well, although the WORKS brand is new to me. However, I'm pleased to say that as well as the listening tests conducted here, Fuzion took the precaution of testing the products extensively in real world sites and found that the range acquitted itself extremely well. The range looks good and sounds good, so I'm looking forward to getting out there and selling it."

Fuzion director Paul Ward commented: "Linton will be doing what he does best, and that is getting

Details
Expotus continues its current expansion programme with the appointment of Luke Baldry in the role of sales manager. With his first experience with the company at the AES in Amsterdam, Luke has hit the ground running. He brings to the company a wealth of experience to complement the current Expotus Team, ranging from running his own recording studio, to more recently representing Apogee in the UK and selected European markets.
  1. Sennheiser Appoints Winkler Director of Marketing
  2. Jones Heads to Cloud One
  3. Travis Joins SNP
  4. Celestion Confirms New Sales and Marketing Director
  5. International Sales Expansion at AC
  6. Jon Stanley Joins beyerdynamic Team
Page 79 of 191
Astera - Large MPU - June 2025
Sennheiser - MPU - June 2025

Latest Issue. . .