A busy 2024 in Pro AV hasn't slowed down. This week, take a look at a more than a dozen of people on the move as well as company partnerships and announcements you may have missed last week.
People News
Atlona's Christina Cruzeiro Appointed AVIXA Women’s Council Co-Chair
Atlona's Canadian regional sales manager Christina Cruzeiro was appointed to the AVIXA Women’s Council. As co-chair, Cruzeiro will lead the council alongside Tammy Fuqua of QSC to establish core goals and expand networking opportunities for the organization and its members.
[AVIXA Report: Pro AV Ball Is Rolling in 2024]
The AVIXA Women’s Council represents a global community of AVIXA members and other professionals who support and empower women in the AV industry, with more than 1000 members worldwide. Cruzeiro was previously co-leader of the Toronto AVIXA Women’s Council, a position she held for five years. That experience, along with her love and knowledge of the AV industry through her work with Atlona and other organizations, positioned her as an ideal choice for co-chair.
[Pro AV Welcomes Women Back to the Workforce]
Cruzeiro and Fuqua have specific events in the coming months to help build those numbers. The council will partner with similar organizations for International Women’s Day next month to bring stronger recognition to the women that make a difference in the AV industry. They are also planning this year’s AVIXA Women’s Council breakfast at InfoComm, which typically attracts more than 300 attendees. And in addition to actively recruiting new members, they are working hard to prepare incoming leaders for their increased responsibilities in promoting the council.
Planar Bolsters U.S. Sales Team
Planar recently promoted Michael O’Halloran to director of sales for Metro New York and Pennsylvania and welcomed Andrea Lannin as the new director of sales for Canada.
O’Halloran brings more than 20 years of experience in the AV industry in both technical and sales roles, continuously showcasing his remarkable versatility in engineering and management. His proficiency in market development strategy, competitive analysis and sales training helped him thrive in his previous role as Planar’s regional account manager for Metro Philadelphia. His vast experience will drive him as he directs sales growth efforts in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and West Virginia with regional account managers Jenna Silberfeld (NYC), Will Amos (NYC), Barry Belsky (NY and PA) and a yet-to-be-hired backfill for Metro Philadelphia, as well as sales development representative Nick Barber (Philly) and application engineers Rich Kondas (NYC) and Eric Kuhns (NY and PA).
An Ontario-based AV industry veteran, Lannin joins Planar as the new director of sales for Canada. She brings 24 years of invaluable insights and a proven track record of sales growth and developing long-term client relationships, along with an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities present in the Canadian marketplace. She recently held sales management positions with Canadian AV distributor DataVisual Marketing Inc. where she played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s sales strategy and driving revenue growth. She will help drive Planar’s growth and expansion throughout Canada with Ontario-based application engineer Marty Dursken.
Adam Hall Group Expands Integrated Systems Team
The Adam Hall Group is further expanding its Adam Hall Integrated Systems division. Christian Latzelsberger has been appointed as head of sales–Adam Hall Integrated Systems. In this capacity he is responsible for shaping the strategic direction and overseeing the sales division of Adam Hall Integrated Systems. Supporting him in the DACH region is Uli Golka, who serves as technical support engineer integrated systems. Product management is handled by senior product manager, Gabriel Alonso Calvillo while Jens Werner assumes the role of junior product manager. Last but not least, the rapidly growing AV business segment of the Adam Hall Group will be led by Christine Gerhardt as its marketing manager.
Latzelsberger brings over 30 years of experience in the AV, broadcast and pro audio industry, most recently serving as global intercom senior product manager for Bosch Security and Safety Systems. His focus will be on prioritizing the expansion of the AV integrator network and fostering extended cooperation with technology partners with the aim of gradually expanding into the hospitality, leisure, corporate, retail and event venue sectors.
Before joining the Adam Hall Integrated Systems division, Golka worked for the Adam Hall Group for more than 10 years as sales representative for Northern Germany. Calvillo leads the product management team of the Adam Hall Integrated Systems division and works together with Werner, whose primarily responsible for the installation area of the Adam Hall Group brand, LD Systems. Previously serving as senior event marketing manager, Gerhardt spearheaded the strategic planning and execution of the Adam Hall Group's global trade fair appearances as well as the development of new event formats for various customer groups.
Blaze Audio Appoints Hayden Shamburger Director of Strategic Partnerships
Blaze Audio has appointed Hayden Shamburger to the newly created position of director of strategic partnerships. In his new position, Shamburger will be tasked with introducing Blaze Audio and its products to more of the marketplace throughout North America and globally, while also helping strategic partners achieve growth. This will include developing strategic relationships within the industry to drive product embracement and market share.
With over 18 years of professional audio experience as an end user, integrator, and manufacturer, Shamburger brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new position with Blaze Audio. Prior to his joining Blaze Audio, he spent numerous years driving strategic partnerships for audio manufacturers Bose and Harman/JBL. Further, he served over 10 years as VP/general manager and VP of North American sales for the global integrator MOOD Media. He also served four years as consultant for Retail Radio until their acquisition.
Daktronics Expands Aviation Team
Daktronics is expanding its aviation sales team to meet growing needs of enhanced traveler experience through automation and technology.
Jay Bouton joins Daktronics to focus on aviation business development, bringing more than 40 years of experience in aviation technology to Daktronics. Chris Van Liew returns to Daktronics—where he started his sales career—as the aviation sales manager. Both serve on the aviation sales team within the transportation market at Daktronics. Derek Dorow, who has been with Daktronics since 2014 and brings experience in managing projects, also joins the team to provide pre-sales technical expertise for highly complex projects.
The aviation team is supported by the regional sales team and Pro AV team as well as the engineering team at Daktronics. As the effective use of large-format LED video display technology to enhance the traveler experience grows, the team is eager to provide solutions to the airport industry, showcasing how LED display technology can be used throughout facilities.
EAW Promotes James Bamlett to Senior Director of APAC and EMEA Sales
Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) recently promoted James Bamlett to senior director of APAC and EMEA sales. In his previous role as director of APAC Sales, Bamlett managed EAW’s current distributors and helped increase sales throughout the Asia Pacific region from his base in Southeast Asia. In his new role, Bamlett is responsible for adding new distributors and managing the existing sales channel in the APAC (Asia Pacific) and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) regions.
Bamlett has many years of experience in the pro audio industry, including working as a technical support consultant and touring system engineer. He joined EAW almost 25 years ago, starting in a product specialist role before transitioning to sales. His technical background together with his sales skills have enabled him to expand EAW’s presence in the APAC market.
Grass Valley Welcomes New VP of Sales for EMEA
Grass Valley has appointed Mark Gardner as VP of sales for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. With a career spanning over 25 years in the media industry, Gardner brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of managing high performance teams regionally and globally and implementing new direct and indirect sales initiatives across an array of technology solutions and market segments.
In his new role, Gardner will drive growth across the EMEA region, working closely with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and helping clients navigate their way through the current industry challenges, harnessing the benefits of agile hardware and software solutions to increase their revenues and drive significant operational efficiencies.
Throughout his career, Gardner has held various roles, from engineering positions to product management and sales leadership, working with notable companies such as Vistek, Pro-Bel, Snell, SAM, Grass Valley, and more recently Ross Video. His experience managing global and EMEA teams, along with his expertise in delivering growth through both direct and indirect business models, positions him well to lead Grass Valley's sales efforts in EMEA.
Company News
AlarMax Announces Distribution Partnership with TRENDnet
AlarMax has partnered with TRENDnet to enable dealers access to an extensive cost-to-performance portfolio of more than 300 revolving products to meet the varying needs of different projects, from the network core to the periphery. TRENDnet's diverse product portfolio includes power-over-ethernet (PoE), switches, industrial networking solutions, IP cameras, network video recorders (NVRs), fiber solutions, wireless, USB and more. TRENDnet maintains strict manufacturing standards to ensure optimal product quality and low defect rates, adhering to ISO certifications and developing UL, FCC, and CE-sealed products.
TRENDnet also brings value to AlarMax dealers with its exceptional technical, marketing, sales and customer support. As value-added partners, AlarMax dealers are invited to join the upTREND Partner Program to receive product discounts, participate in the TRENDnet demo program, view and download the latest product trainings, access sales and marketing collateral, and more.
LG Collaborates With SVT Robotics to Accelerate the Deployment of Autonomous Mobile Robots
LG Business Solutions USA is collaborating with SVT Robotics to deploy LG’s new CLOi CarryBot autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in U.S. warehouse environments. By leveraging the SOFTBOT Platform from SVT Robotics, prebuilt integrations easily enable the LG CLOi CarryBot AMRs to connect to virtually any warehouse management solution.
[Warehouse Droids? Meet the New LG CLOi CarryBot]
According to Tom Bingham, senior director at LG Business Solutions USA, the SOFTBOT Platform enables LG CLOi CarryBot customers to quickly deploy new robots without the need for custom code, reducing risk and minimizing IT burden.
The SOFTBOT Platform from SVT Robotics streamlines integration between hardware and software partners including Warehouse Management Systems, Warehouse Execution Systems, Material Control Systems, vertical lifts, packaging automation and more. This enables organizations to easily scale and adapt to changing business requirements, all while driving innovation and lowering the total cost of ownership. IT teams also get access to system health across multiple technologies and facilities from a dashboard, empowering them to easily monitor and troubleshoot to maximize uptime.
The MAXHUB Partner Ecosystem, What to Know
With its partner ecosystem, MAXHUB ensures easy integration of different systems. The MAXHUB partner ecosystem comprises 16 partners from eight key areas, including UC platforms, control systems, workplace design, professional sound systems, collaboration, AV-over-IP, and wireless BYOD environments. This broad network enables MAXHUB to improve the integration and compatibility of conferencing solutions and enable the seamless use of hybrid conferencing devices.
MAXHUB has formed strategic alliances with global vendors such as Microsoft, Zoom and Intel, to provide world class software and hardware support for conferencing solutions.
On the platform side, the collaboration between MAXHUB and Microsoft has led to the development of the MAXHUB XT series for Microsoft Teams Rooms. This product includes a touch console, a Windows computer, a 4K USB camera, a speakerphone and a video soundbar to ensure a perfect meeting experience.
In addition, MAXHUB has collaborated with Zoom, a leading provider of cloud video conferencing, to develop an all-in-one interactive display for Zoom Rooms, enabling customers to hold meetings and experience virtual face-to-face interactions anywhere, anytime.
VITAL’s Matt Bernath to Present at Nine CEDIA Tech + Business Summits
VITAL will present at nine CEDIA Tech + Business Summits in 2024. At each summit, VITAL President Matt Bernath will present two business seminars.
The CEDIA Tech + Business Summits are one-day events showcasing upcoming technology and future trends in the smart home industry. Each event features product displays from top manufacturers highlighting their latest and most exciting products, as well as free informative seminars covering educational and informative technology topics.
VITAL’s Seminar locations and dates:
- Orange County, CA – March 19, 2024
- Los Angeles, CA – March 21, 2024
- Atlanta, GA – May 14, 2024
- Charlotte, NC – May 16, 2024
- Toronto, ON – September 25, 2024
- Ft. Lauderdale, FL – October 8, 2024
- Tampa, FL – October 10, 2024
- Dallas, TX – December 3, 2024
- Houston, TX – December 5, 2024
Bernath will present two CI integration business seminars. The first session is Financial Fitness: The Integrator’s Guide to Business Health. This session engages owners and executives who want to optimize their business, regardless of market conditions. The second session, Strategic Sales Success: Sell More Without Working Harder, provides the strategies needed to effectively track opportunities, elevate your close ratio, and increase job sizes—all while learning to forecast with confidence.
