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France - Audio equipment manufacturer Digigram has announced the appointment of a new management team, effective this month. Three company senior executives step up as directors.
Florence Marchal is appointed as director of finance, human resources, and legal affairs. A senior Digigram staff member, Florence has gained a 360° expertise since she joined Digigram in 2000 and became the company’s CFO.
Nancy Diaz Curiel is appointed as director of sales, marketing and communications. Since 2010, Singapore-based Nancy has overseen Asian & Pacific operations including products distribution. While remaining in Singapore, Nancy’s new role will include the supervision of teams and projects worldwide, always injecting her legendary energy to create new momentums for Digigram.
Xavier Allanic, Digigram’s current VP sales EMEA & Americas since 2018, steps up as

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UK - Video specialist Observatory has expanded its senior team with the addition of Kelly Faller as director of marketing. Kelly, originally from New York, will ‘leverage her extensive events experience and fan engagement expertise to expand the global footprint of the business’.
“Kelly brings a skill set that will strengthen and drive expansion for the business,” says Observatory founder and creative director, Ben Sheppee. “We have been looking to develop our portfolio in fashion and lifestyle, where she has extensive experience. Our existing clients can look forward to an industry expert bringing her knowledge and understanding to the vision of engaging audiences, so we are thrilled to have Kelly add to and grow Observatory, building on our award-winning conceptual visual offering.”
Kelly has worked in New York for both digital media and creative producti

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UK - Creative business development agency Collaborative Creations has appointed David March as associate director. March brings over three decades of experience across manufacturers, rental production houses and big-name brands in the world of technical entertainment to the Collaborative Creations team. These include: AED, VER, Phillips Entertainment, PRG and most recently, Green Hippo.
Collaborative Creations offers a range of plug-in services to events companies, which include business development and sales support, social media planning, website content, case studies, coaching and more. As the pandemic forced many businesses to look at cutting costs, Collaborative Creations provided a cost-effective alternative to full-time marketing and business development professionals.
Collaborative Creations director Tom Wilkes comments: “We’ve known and respected David f

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France - Digital Projection has hired Jérôme Cadilhac as its business development manager for the South of France, effective immediately.
Cadilhac will report to Digital Projection’s EMEA sales and marketing manager Dirk Siedle, as well as working closely with Stéphane Bourdon, Digital Projection’s historical sales manager for France, Spain, Portugal, and North Africa.
“I have been working in the audio-visual world since 2006,” says Cadilhac. “After five years at French AV wholesaler, IXAM, I spent nine years at Christie Digital Systems, where I was first in charge of projector, LED, and media server distribution in the South of France, then across the country for the company’s new ‘Enterprise’ vertical.
“These 14 years of experience in the field mean that I have an excellent grasp of the various distribution networks in France and have buil

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Middle East - L-Acoustics has announced the appointment of two regional industry experts to support existing partners and grow the company’s presence in key vertical markets. Over the last decade, the region has been supported by L-Acoustics sales manager, Peter Owen, who will now concentrate on developing key territories in Russia and Eastern Europe.
The appointment of a new, dedicated and locally based team will allow the company to nurture new and closer relationships in the Middle East, India and East Africa. Chris Mead, sales manager for the Middle East, India, and East Africa will build relationships and develop business in the region while Rahul Samuel, application engineer for the Middle East and India, will provide technical support, design assistance and training to partners and projects throughout the area.
“The Middle East and India regions are very div

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UK - Stuart Gibbons, managing director at Le Mark Group Ltd, was awarded with an OBE for services to International Trade in the Queens New Year’s Honours List 2021.
Since Le Mark’s founding in 1982, Gibbons has always had a passion for exporting and expanding the company into international markets. The company has a reputation within the arts and entertainment industry for product excellence and award-winning British design and innovation. Now, in the additional role of a Department for International Trade Export Champion, Gibbons continues to encourage and advise British regional companies to embark on the path of exporting.
Gibbons’ voluntary career has encompassed the position of vice-chairman of the Global Trade Network; founding chairman of the Huntingdonshire Manufacturing Association and the GCGP Business Advisory Panel; and he is currently chairman of the

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UK - Anthony Morgan has been appointed as technical director of Baldwin Boxall, with Dave Boxall still very much involved in the business and with his new title of founding director.
Morgan has been with the company for over six years and leads a strong R&D team, alongside Boxall. “I thoroughly enjoy coming to work every single day,” says Morgan. “It is the people at Baldwin Boxall that make it so great, we truly have a fantastic, friendly and professional team.”
As an active member of many board committees in the industry, Morgan is well-versed in the multitude of aspects of life safety and is well-placed to continue Dave Boxall’s hard work, the company says.
Sales and marketing director, Nick Baldwin, comments: “We are very pleased to welcome Anthony to the board of directors and we know he is the perfect fit for this role”.

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USA - Loudspeaker manufacturer KV2 Audio has announced the appointment of Paul Freudenberg to the position of business development director, US, effective immediately. Freudenberg’s career spans over 25 years with a number of leading pro audio manufacturers including L-Acoustics, AKG, BSS Audio and Aphex Systems.
Freudenberg will be immediately charged with the task of setting up direct distribution offices in Los Angeles, CA. The aim is to further enhance user and reseller relations as well as complement the existing market development activities being conducted by Plusmusic US, which continues to function on behalf of KV2 Audio as an official Value-added Reseller in the US market and independent sales representative (North-east region).
“Our new distribution facility on the west coast complements the existing activities of the eastern US and Canada regions,” sa

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UK - Lancashire-based LED lighting manufacturer CFE Lighting has taken on its first apprentice as it looks to accelerate growth and build on its strongest ever trading performance over the last 12 months.
16 year-old Jack Davies has started an 18-month long LEAN Engineering apprenticeship with the company, with the aim of becoming a qualified engineer and securing a permanent role within the rapidly growing business.
Over the course of his apprenticeship, Jack, who lives in nearby Nelson, will be working across a variety of different areas within the company, which specialises in bespoke LED luminaires and lighting solutions for commercial, industrial, and public sectors.
His role will see him work with the manufacturing team to learn how to assemble a vast range of light fittings and controls, as well as being involved with both the sales and customer services te

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UK - Creative video specialist Observatory has expanded its senior team with the addition of Simon Harris.
A well-known figure in the visual production world having previously worked for Bryte Design, Green Hippo and Avolites, Simon brings extensive technical video project management and production experience to his new role. Working closely with Observatory founder and principal designer Ben Sheppee, he will be responsible for expanding the global footprint of the business.
“Simon brings a skill set that will strengthen and drive expansion for the business,” says Sheppee. “We have been looking to provide our clients with better technical consultation and end-to-end solutions for our productions, as we continue to innovate with emerging technologies. New and existing clients can look forward to benefiting from Simon’s in-depth knowledge and vision of engaging

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USA - Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has announced the appointment of pro audio veteran Michael Palmer as its director of US sales.
In his new role at EAW, Palmer is overseeing all aspects of sales throughout the US, working closely with manufacturer’s sales reps and regional sales managers. He will liaise with EAW’s installation and touring applications teams as well as consultants, contractors and concert/event production companies.
“We reached a point where it was crucial to strengthen our sales leadership to guide our talented sales team to the next level,” says Marco Breda, chief executive officer of EAW. “Palmer’s stellar reputation, knowledge and relationships with key decision makers in our industry make him the ideal candidate to catapult us to the next level.”
With over 30 years of experience in the audio industry, Palmer comes to EAW from

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UK - Audiologic has announced that Rob Davies has joined the team as national account manager.
Davis joins Audiologic with a career background in audio which spans multiple sectors, including high-end car audio, hi-fi, home cinema, home automation and, for the last six years, pro audio. His experience covers retailers and installation companies but mainly account management for UK distributors, which is where he feels most at home. He has been involved with projects as diverse as theatres, town halls, sports halls, night clubs and cruise ships.
Andy Lewis, managing director, Audiologic, comments: “We are proud to welcome Rob Davies into a role that we have been keen to develop for some time. Due to an increase in larger and more demanding projects, we are keen to ensure that every one of our customers has access to the full suite of services we can provide. Rob will

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UK - IPS has announced the appointment of experienced staging specialist Phil Addyman as a project manager.
The company has added "some exciting new outdoor structures" and following extensive infrastructure investment in this area, Addyman will be helping to lead the deployment of Outdoor Roof Systems and Staging projects across the broad IPS customer base.
He has extensive experience, having spent many years working for Star Live (known previously as Star Events) and been involved with many different projects all over the UK and further afield. IPS has completed a range of Staging & Structure projects over the last few months, and IPS MD James Mason is excited to welcome the new recruit to the team, saying "the structures side of our business has helped keep everything running through what has been a very tricky 2020, and with our product range expandi

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UK - Production Park has announced four senior hires to lead its £7m research and development (R&D) project in Wakefield.
The project, XPLOR, will be used to deliver a support programme to facilitate growth for SMEs across the live events industry, and will be headed up by Jim Farmery, former partnerships lead at Creative England.
Farmery has been announced as XPLOR’s development director and will oversee the day-to-day running of the facility. Upon completion in spring 2022, the site will become one of the UK’s first specialist innovation centres in the live events industry, with sector comparisons being made with the world-leading film and television institution, Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire.
Engaging with organisations and researching opportunities for the facility, Farmery’s role will see him build awareness of the centre, not only with

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Europe - It is with great sadness that Nexo has announced the death of Sergio Caprara, sales manager in Italy and a long-time employee of the company.
Sergio started working as the exclusive distributor for Nexo in Italy in 1982, just three years after the company was founded, and he quickly became a key player in the young loudspeaker manufacturing business. A former front-of-house engineer who discovered he preferred the commercial environment of equipment sales, he was able to bring real-world influence to his collaborations with Nexo’s charismatic technical director Eric Vincenot.
In 2002, he moved into a full-time role managing sales in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Albania. One of his first dealership appointments for Nexo Italy was Audio Rent, the rental and sales company run by his great friend Gianni Fantini. “I’ve known Sergio for 40 years, and he never

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The Netherlands - PPDS has announced the appointment of marketing specialist, Marion Chaignon, as its new marketing campaign manager, EMEA.
Part of PPDS’ continued recruitment and team strengthening across the European business, Marion brings a wealth of marketing experience to this important role, having executed major campaigns for some of the world’s most recognised technology brands, including Samsung Electronics, Asus, Nikon, HP, Lenovo and Logitech during her flourishing 12-year career.
Bilingual in French and English, and university-educated in business and business marketing, Marion joins PPDS from Red Pimiento, where she spent almost six years under various EMEA roles, including account director, project director and team manager.
Her roles have providing extensive marketing experience in promoting a wide range of specific industries, including reta

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USA - Elation Professional and the ADJ Group of Companies have announced the sudden passing of friend and colleague Joe Adams on Saturday, 14 November.
One of Joe’s most deeply held beliefs was that he was better because of the people he served. Joe’s family shares: “It doesn’t matter if you are the owner, stagehand, or the repair technician in the back, each of you had a lasting impact on Joe. You were never his dealers, his clients, or his work. You were friends and family; never a chore, obligation, or dollar sign.”
Adams, 53, worked as a regional sales rep for Elation Professional from 2017. He began in the lighting industry in 1998 with his own company as an American DJ dealer and came to the Elation family from manufacturers rep firm PSLP. Most recently, he operated his own firm Epic Pro Sales. In total, he represented the ADJ Group of Companies’ prod

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UK - Lancashire-based LED lighting manufacturer CFE Lighting has made two senior appointments to its team, as it looks to build on a strong trading performance over the last 12 months.
The company, which specialises in bespoke LED luminaires and lighting solutions for the commercial, industrial, and public sectors, has appointed Amanda Speight to the newly created role of national business development manager. David Clews has joined the business in the split role of general manager and North West area sales manager, with both recruits based at the company’s manufacturing facilities in Barrowford.
Both Amanda and David are industry veterans, with more than 60 years’ experience between them operating within the lighting sector.
In her new role, Amanda manages a four-strong sales team and is responsible for generating and securing new business, managing key acco

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USA - Elections for the ESTA board of directors concluded at midnight on Saturday, 31 October. An outstanding number of ballots were submitted this year, the organisation reports.
There were four positions up for election to the board. Tracey Cosgrove will fill the office of vice president; Elmer Veith of Reliable Design Services will serve as secretary; Evan Williams of Riverview Systems Group is the new production services director, and Mark Wofford of PC&E was elected to serve as rental company director. All will begin their three-year term of office on 1 January 2021.
ESTA and its members wish to thank outgoing board members Orestes Mihaly (PRG) and John Cini (High Output) for their dedicated service.

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UK - Former BBC lighting director and STLD chair (1993 - 1995) Mike Jefferies passed away last month aged 86. Jefferies’ work in broadcast lighting spanned the 1970s and 1990s on shows such as EastEnders, Doctor Who, Citizen Smith, Ever Decreasing Circles, Rings on Their Fingers, Top of the Pops, and many others.
Tom Warden of IPS, a friend and former neighbour of Jefferies, said of the late LD: “Mike was a real gentleman, and always fascinating to talk to, full of stories of the productions he had worked on over the years and the places he’d been. I’m sure there will be lots of people who’ll remember some of the many productions he was involved in with the BBC, and it would have been great to have worked alongside him.
He continues: “Mike had a very happy retirement travelling round the world with his wife Monnie, and never lost his fascination w

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UK - 10K Used Gear has announced the passing of co-founder Keith Dale who lost his battle with cancer on 29 October. He was 61.
Dale began his career as a lighting designer in the early 1980s working for bands such as Haircut 100, Culture Club and mostly for Joe Jackson with whom he kept in touch with until the end. Keith then joined forces with Tim Bridle, Andy Reed, and Matt Deakin to form Celco, a leading force in lighting control in the 1980s.
“I guess it must have been late 1980 or early ‘81 when Keith first came to our shop in Surbiton to show us his new lighting console,” said John Lethbridge whose company Cerebrum Lighting was Celco’s distributor back in the day. “I cannot remember if it was the prototype Gamma 300D or an earlier desk with a pin matrix, but I do know that the first time we showed the Gamma 300D was at Showlight ‘81 at The Barbican,

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USA - Point Source Audio has named Mac Johnson as its market development manager. Previously, Johnson toured as a production sound engineer on a variety of Broadway productions, as well as working as a sound designer for theatrical productions, music festivals and corporate events.
With 30 years of experience in the professional audio industry, Johnson understands where the sound starts and how to capture it. As well as being a mixer and designer, he is also a performer and knows how microphones are an extension of an artist’s instrument. Prior to joining Point Source Audio, Johnson was the managing partner of an event production company in Charleston, SC and became an integral part of Meyer Sound’s team in 2007, where he spent 13 years working in various roles across multiple departments, markets segments and all sales regions.
Having championed Point Source Aud

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USA - DAS Audio of America has announced the appointment of Scott Pizzo to the position of vice-president of sales - professional audio, North America. Pizzo started with DAS Audio in September and is stationed in Peabody, MA.
Pizzo brings considerable experience to his position at DAS Audio. Most recently, he was with Harman Professional Solutions, where he served as national sales manager, production audio. Prior to this, Pizzo was a regional sales manager for L-Acoustics US of Westlake Village, California. He has also worked at EAW and Renkus-Heinz.
“Throughout my career in pro audio, I have been keenly aware of DAS Audio and its reputation as a manufacturer of innovative solutions for performers, installers, and audio technicians, says Pizzo. “The company has a solid reputation for its well-designed, sonically superior, and reliable loudspeaker systems that enh

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UK - ETC representative organisation 3LR Lighting has added broadcast, film and TV lighting and control to its portfolio as the exclusive ‘rep agency’ for ETC in the UK and Ireland.
Jeremy Roberts, regional sales manager for the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa comments, “It is great to have 3LR supporting the broadcast sector for ETC and especially well-timed as we have recently released our innovative new studio line of fixtures – fos/4. The new Fresnel and Panel lights are designed specifically for the broadcast market with their unique eight-colour LED mix and intense brightness.”
The addition of broadcast lighting and control complements 3LR’s work in the growth of ETC’s architectural product lines. 3LR acts as an additional resource to ETC’s dealer network, bringing its expertise in the field to progress the company’s studio and architectural products
  1. TIG appoints UC European sales director
  2. All change at Baldwin Boxall accounts
  3. Management changes at Creative Technology UK
  4. 7thSense promotes Dowd to Delta role
  5. RZI Lighting appoints operations manager
  6. Expanded role for David Shamir at Atlona
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