John Meyer is one of the original pioneers of the modern sound reinforcement industry. He began his career in 1967 by building a customised system for the Steve Miller Band, and from there he went on to develop loudspeaker systems for the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Grateful Dead. Since founding Meyer Sound Laboratories in 1979 with his wife Helen, Meyer has continued to research, experiment and develop sound technology ever since - building Meyer Sound into an iconic brand and a consistent world leader in the pro audio market. Meyer is a more than worthy winner of this highly prized accolade.
This prestigious award is named in honour of the late Tony Gottelier who was one of the industry's most renowned designers, innovators and commentators The award aims to recognise an individual or team judged to have made a significant and sustained contribution to the development of the equipment and tools that enable our entertainment technology practitioners to continually push the boundaries of event production, presentation and installation.
PLASA congratulates each one of the nominees for 2012, all of whom have been instrumental in the development of entertainment and installation technologies over the last 30 years. This year's candidates were Nick Archdale, a founder of Flying Pig Systems, developer of the Wholehog product line and then cofounder of Carallon that is home to the award winning Pharos brand.
Chris Cronin, founder of Total Solutions Group, who has been in the vanguard of the development of stage engineering for over 35 years.
Also from the world of pro audio was Dr. Christian Heil, whose company L-Acoustics began the modern line array revolution in the mid-1990s, and who has continued to research and develop ground-breaking loudspeaker technology.
Also among this select group was Wayne Howell, who left Avolites in 1988 to found Artistic Licence, the specialist lighting control company that has continued to design innovative and original products in what is perhaps, the industry's most rapidly evolving sector.
Also representing the world of lighting was Pasquale Quadri, better known as 'Paky' and founder of Clay Paky, the phenomenally successful manufacturer of lighting units that has continually pushed the boundaries of luminaire development.
The Gottelier Award is voted for by industry professionals and seeks to recognise and celebrate the 'People behind the Products' that make the entertainment and installation industry such a dynamic and vibrant profession.
(Jim Evans)
