USA - Vari-Lite has hired Todd Kessler to oversee additional growth and development of its product training program. Expansion of the program will help ensure that the market is staffed with qualified technicians and will allow authorized Vari*Lite dealers to provide greater product support for end users. The company says the position was created due to the large increase in demand for Vari*Lite fixtures following the recent introduction of four new Vari*Lite Series 3000 and Series 2000 luminaires.

Kessler, who is fully trained on all Series 1000, Series 2000 and Series 3000 luminaires, has nearly a decade of experience with Vari*Lite products. He joins Vari-Lite from PRG, where he was shop manager for the Orlando rental office. At PRG, and previously VLPS Lighting Services, Kessler trained all incoming employees on the use and maintenance of the rental inventory. He also superv

UK - Stage Electrics has announced two new additions to its team serving the London scene - Matt Townsend and Darren Beckley. Townsend, who joined the company in September and is working with West End theatre and touring clients, is well known in the industry and most recently was the technical manager for Gilded Balloon. Prior to this, he toured with Saturday Night Fever and Forbidden Planet. "Working closely with Stage Electrics in the past allows me to bring a different perspective and insight to make sure our customers receive the best possible service," says Townsend.

Darren Beckley has recently been promoted to business development manager for London, taking on the responsibility for securing new and growing existing business by satisfying local customer requirements. Beckley has worked for the company for three years, starting in the Bristol ware

USA - In tandem with the announcement that L-Acoustics of France is now the sole owner of L-Acoustics US, three promotions of North American-based personnel have been announced by Dr. Christian Heil, president of L-Acoustics.

Paul Freudenberg, formerly the director of sales for L-Acoustics US, now assumes additional responsibilities as vice-president of sales and marketing for L-Acoustics US. In this role, he will continue to spearhead all North American sales activities in addition to now directing the distributor's marketing initiatives and overseeing daily operations for the company.

Diane Monet also takes on more responsibility as she moves into the capacity of vice-president of finance and administration, while Bernie Broderick remains the office's primary technical contact under his new title, head of technical support.

"Each of these three individuals has been

UK - Continued growth and company expansion have led to a new faces joining ELP. Martin Brennan has been appointed as Project Manager at ELP and brings 18 years' experience as a freelance LD, touring with acts including Iron Maiden and Jethro Tull. Martin believes that his diverse experience of lighting rock and roll productions, pop promos, conferences and other live events will benefit ELP by bringing a fresh 'client side' perspective to the projects they handle.

"I have a hands-on approach and like to see jobs through form concept to completion. ELP already has a fantastic reputation for looking after their clients but I want to raise the bar even higher. I expect to be frequently out on location making sure that the LD's we service are getting exactly what they need."

ELP is well-known for their work in lighting televised live music performances and Martin feel

USA / UK - Digidesign has appointed Ken DeLoria as worldwide director of live sound sales and Mike Case as European live sound sales manager. Together, they will introduce Digidesign's new Venue live sound product line to the world. Venue is an innovative, state-of-the-art, modular live sound reinforcement mixing and processing environment offering the quality and functionality of high-end live sound mixing systems at an affordable price.

Ken DeLoria brings nearly 30 years of experience to Digidesign's entry into the live sound market. He will be responsible for putting together a global sales team, setting up world-wide distribution, and helping to guide marketing in the development of materials and programs. DeLoria founded and sold Apogee Sound Inc, a worldwide manufacturer of loudspeakers and amplifiers. His previous experience also includes eight years at McCune Sound prov

France - Digigram, the digital audio network solutions specialist, has appointed Joe Tan to the position of regional sales manager for the Asia/Pacific region. Based in the offices of Digigram's sales subsidiary in Singapore, Digigram Asia Pte Ltd, Joe's mission is to further develop Digigram's sales throughout the region.

Tan has over 10 years' experience in the broadcast sector, having spent the last three years as regional sales manager for Asia Pacific with UK-based intercom manufacturer, Drake Electronics. Prior to that he occupied different sales and engineering positions with Transmarco H. Warte, Panasonic, and Techmen Communications. He also has a degree in Electronics and Communications.

Digigram managing director Philippe Delacroix is pleased to welcome Joe on board. "Joe has already proven himself capable of handling both project engineering and sales respons

UK - Loud Technologies Inc. recently announced the appointment Steve Badham to the position of UK sales manager for the EAW and EAW Commercial brands. Badham has a long history in the professional audio industry, and in particular with EAW, and is also an associate member of the Institute of Acoustics.

Badham's association with EAW began in the late '90s when he held the position of European technical sales engineer for EAW International, as they were known then, and formed part of the commissioning team for Barcelona Camp Nou Stadium. After that he went to EAW's UK distributor, Sound Department, where he commissioned EAW's first UK multiplex cinemas in Epsom and Bradford. More recently he has been running his own audio/acoustics company before rejoining EAW in October.

Loud Technologies' Martin Warr commented: "We are delighted to welcome Steve to the UK sales team. He i

Europe - Audio-Technica Ltd (UK and Europe Division) has announced the promotion to its Board of Directors of Tony Cooper as UK sales director and Adrian Rooke, as European finance director. The company reports that this expansion of the Board of Directors comes towards the end of a year that has seen considerable growth of the company's structure. Other appointments to the Board of Directors of Audio-Technica UK Ltd include Toshiyuki Hatakenaka and Shigeru Uzawa, representing two manufacturing divisions of the Corporation in Japan.

On 1 April 2004, Audio-Technica UK assumed responsibility for all European distribution and completed a refurbishment and expansion of its Leeds-based office and warehouse facilities in June. To support this major expansion of European operations, new appointments during this year began in April, with that of Richard Garrido as European marketing and

Canada - Adamson Systems Engineering has announced that effective January, 2005, Andreas Weingärtner will join DV2 (Adamson Support Europe) as the company's European sales manager. The appointment was made by Guy Vignet, managing director of Paris-based DV2.

"With Andy we won an extremely competent and enthusiastic salesman for this new position," said Vignet. "His experience and specifically, his expertize is relevant to loudspeaker technique and will certainly be beneficial to Adamson."

Weingärtner is well known to many in the pro audio business. Since the mid-'80s, he has worked with a number of established manufacturers and has built and extended his national and international connections within the field.

"I am very excited to be able to fulfill this position, particularly with regard to the Adamson brand," said Mr. Weingärtner. "Lo

USA - LOUD Technologies introduced the addition of Carolyn Hommer as director of customer fulfilment and Paul Roberts as domestic sales administration manager. Hommer brings ten plus years of management experience from Trendwest Resorts in a variety of departments including Financial Services and IT. During her time at Trendwest, she was recognized for her contribution as recipient of Manager of the Year for three successive years and IT Employee of the Year. In her new role, Hommer will manage the sales administration department, with a primary focus on processing new sales orders and working closely with the sales, finance and operations departments.

Paul Roberts was inside sales coordinator at Symetrix for the past seven years and worked in all aspects of international and domestic sales administration. At LOUD Roberts will focus solely on domestic sales administration, and l

UK - A.C. Lighting announced a new staff appointment at the company's Southern sales office in High Wycombe. Peter Nesbitt joins the company's UK Sales department as lighting sales executive, providing office and in the field support for the company's expanding range of leading lighting brands.

Nesbitt brings over 30 years entertainment lighting knowledge and experience to the role. After beginning his career working in repertory and college theatres for ten years, he then became a partner in established theatre lighting business, Ancient Lights, working in both hire and sales. Nesbitt went on to become the company's managing director, before leaving in 1995 to work as a freelance technical consultant on projects, which included large lottery bids. In 1998, whilst contracting for Elstree Light & Power, Nesbitt became a permanent employee and covered a variety of roles in his tim

USA - Shure Incorporated has announced the appointment of Jose A. Rivas as regional sales manager for its International Americas Business Unit. In his new role, Rivas will be responsible for sales in Mexico, Canada, and South America. He will be stationed at Shure's corporate headquarters facility in Niles, Illinois. Most recently, Rivas was Latin America and Caribbean Sales Manager for all brands owned by Telex Communications, Inc. Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, he is fully bilingual (Spanish-English), having lived in the United States for the past 12 years.

"Historically, the International Americas is a strong area for Shure sales, but there is a lot of potential for growth. With his strong background in international sales and pro audio, we're confident that Jose Rivas is the perfect candidate to help maximize our sales in the region," said Jane Wilke, gen

UK - Shuttlesound, the UK distributor of Midas and Klark-Teknik audio processing equipment, has appointed Jason Kelly as its new sales consultant. Kelly, who will be responsible for all UK sales of both product portfolios to end-users and to resellers, comments: "2005 will be an exciting year for Shuttlesound, supporting and developing the Midas and Klark Teknik brands in the pro audio market."

For many years, Kelly has been working in Turkey, first as the technical manager for Turkey's largest sound rental company, and then setting up his own consultancy company. He worked extensively with audio equipment distributors in the region, developing and promoting Midas and Klark Teknik products in the Turkish market.

(Lee Baldock)

USA - Meyer Sound Laboratories has announced the appointment of Gary Parks as technical writer in the Customer Service Department. Parks will be responsible for developing and writing a variety of technical documents, including manuals, instructions, data sheets, and white papers.

"Choosing a technical writer is a very important decision for Meyer Sound and we are pleased to have found Gary Parks," says Meyer Sound customer service manager Pablo Espinosa: "We place strong emphasis on documentation, as it should be a key resource for users. We are rigorous in producing our documentation and need someone who can fully understand our products and communicate data on them clearly, accurately and comprehensively. Gary's background is quite deep as far as grasping and documenting technical products, which convinced me he was the right person to uphold Meyer Sound's hig

Italy - Proel S.p.A., the leading Italian manufacturer for the musical equipment industry, is aiming to strengthen its brand with the appointment of Mauro Goia as marketing manager. Besides his wide market knowledge, Goia has gained extensive international experience working for several years with Roland, the Japanese trademark leader in the field of electronic musical instruments. He has been involved in all activities concerning the launching of new products as well as in the development of creative marketing projects.

Mauro Goia comments on his new appointment: "I am very enthusiastic of this interesting and demanding challenge. I am thinking of an integrated marketing, as a kind of connection among the corporate activities, with the main purpose of giving Proel the right consideration and international echo."

"In the last few years," says Goia, "

USA - Loud Technologies recently announced the appointment of Jim Shaw to the position of director of operations. Jim brings an extensive management background with a long work history from Alerton & Novar, PLC, Microsoft, Index Sensors and Controls, and Carver Corporation. His wide-ranging manufacturing and quality expertise will be beneficial for his new role at Loud Technologies. As director of operations, Jim is responsible for coordinating the entire phase of product development, from conception to launch. Working directly with the project managers, Jim will focus on creating solid teams and developing a strong product and supply chain. Jim holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Washington and ASQC certifications for Quality Engineering and Quality Auditing.

"I am confident that Jim will be successful in his new position as director of operations

UK - Since the appointment of Tony Dickson as UK sales manager of Tomcat UK in May 2004, two further new additions have been made to the Tomcat UK staff, namely Patrick Lockwood and Paul Jordan.

The company say that the impact of this new team will be that Tomcat UK will be able to offer a much wider range of services to its customers including technical appraisal, site surveys, theatrical installations and also the supply of industrial lifting and mechanical handling equipment and structures, which will be dealt with through its Lifting and Handling Solutions division based at Bromborough, utilizing the skills of Dickson, Jordan and Lockwood.

Lockwood, who joins Tomcat UK as a sales engineer, first started in the industry as a welder for James Thomas Engineering in 1990. Working his way through the company, Lockwood ran the welding shop for approximately two years. With his k

UK - John Lethbridge, who has been handling sales in the Middle East for Pulsar for the past three years, will be expanding his role within the Pulsar sales team with immediate effect. Lethbridge will be supporting technical sales manager Snowy Johnson and sales manger Jon Petts in the UK, and head of sales and marketing Andy Graves in certain overseas territories, say the company.

Lethbridge, as former managing director of Cerebrum Lighting, became a Pulsar distributor soon after both companies first began trading in 1970, and was also founding president of Celco Inc in Farmingdale, NY. He brings with him a wealth of experience, gained both in the UK and overseas.

(Lee Baldock)

UK - Strand Lighting announced two new appointments At Strand UK. Peter Sherrington returns after an 18-month leave when he worked on a charity funded project for disadvantaged children. David Catterall European sales said: "I am delighted to announce that Peter has returned to Strand Lighting as sales representative for the East side of the UK. Peter comes back to us with a wealth of experience on Strand products, some great relationships and joins us at a very exciting time."

In Germany Walter Thomsen is also returning to Strand to manage sales in Southern Germany. He will also be responsible for Austria and Switzerland. "Walter has recently worked as a lighting consultant and brings a great deal of lighting knowledge and practice to his new position. Both of these appointments follow on a year of growth for Strand and the whole team looks forward to working wit

USA - Andrew Nikel has joined the City Theatrical sales staff, the company reports. A well-known and well liked lighting industry veteran, Nikel most recently was an account manager at PRG Lighting in North Bergen, New Jersey, and prior to that was an account manager with VLPS in Moonachie, New Jersey. Earlier, he worked as a senior project coordinator with the Fourth Phase Systems Integration Group in North Bergen, and as a rental accounts representative for Production Arts for many years.

Nikel has worked professionally in lighting as a Master Electrician and Technical Director and holds a B.A. from Connecticut College. He will be working closely with the extensive City Theatrical network of lighting distributors as well as with consultants, designers and other lighting professionals to increase awareness and sales of the WDS Wireless Data System, CTI's accessories for Color

Canada - MDG, the Canada-based manufacturer of high quality fog generators, has appointed Andre Girard to the position of international product advisor responsible for sales and marketing. MDG president Martin Michaud says: "Andre's wealth of experience and philosophy of professionalism is consistent with our own ideals and modus operandi here at MDG. We welcome his input and creativity and it shall be a pleasure working with him to better serve our clientele worldwide."

Andre began his career in the lighting and sound industry in 1986 as a lighting designer for Montreal-based Solotech before progressing into professional lighting distribution across Canada representing such names as MA Lighting and Clay Paky. In 1997 Andre accepted an invitation to move to Germany to work directly with MA Lighting. Responsible for international training and technical support on the g

USA - Meyer Sound has appointed veteran system tech/audio engineer Steve Bush as a senior technical support representative. Bush will provide problem-solving and consulting services to Meyer Sound's customers from the company's Berkeley headquarters. Bush, who has years of high-level experience in touring sound reinforcement, was most recently system technician on the last three Norah Jones tours, and has also mixed FOH for artists as diverse as Three Dog Night and Keiko Matsui.

"Steve brings with him a strong combination of technical and management skills, in addition to his extensive experience doing shows," says technical support manager John Monitto. "This is exactly what we like to find, because we believe our customers are best supported by people who fully understand their needs from first-hand experience. We're happy we could get Steve to join us and I kn

UK - Northern Light announced the appointment of Simon Thomas-Colquhoun as its new regional sales manager. Previously chief electrician at The Criterion Theatre in London's West End, Thomas-Colquhoun joins the company with over 20 years experience in the theatre industry, he has a wide range of experience covering lighting, sound and production for opera, dance, drama and events.

Simon said: ''I am looking forward to what the future brings with Northern Light. I strongly believe that the knowledge I have gained in the past will be a real asset to the company. Whether it's dealing with architects and designers or the poor guy stuck in mid-air on the end of his mobile, my aim is to provide the best possible service at the right price.''

Colin Cuthbert, operations director at Northern Light, added: '' We feel very confident that with Simon's wealth of knowledge and experience he

UK - Total Fabrications announced that, as of the 1st of January 2005, Neil Darracott stepped down from his position as the company's technical director. Darracott has worked within TFL for over 5 years, during which time he's played a vital role in maintaining Total Fabrications reputation as one of the industry's most innovative and safety conscious truss manufacturer. In addition, his personal contributions to the PLASA committee and other industry forums serve as typical examples of his enduring commitment to the cause.

Darracott will be heading up a new business, called "Xolve", which is dedicated to providing manufacturing companies with specialist technical and management resources. Although it is not restricting itself to the entertainment market, Xolve is certain to provide our industry with valuable and much needed support.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)

Latest Issue. . .