MultiDyne is turning 50. Nanolumens is celebrating two decades with a new headquarters. Advanced Systems Group, Planar, Renkus-Heinz, and Chryon made strategic personnel moves. It was another hectic week on the Pro AV news wire.
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Ampetronic | Listen Technologies Names Vice President of Human Resources
Listen Technologies and Ampetronic have named Chris Linford VP of human resources (HR). Linford has been a consultant to Ampetronic | Listen Technologies for the past 11 months as the two brands have aligned leadership, resources, and over 65 years of combined experience under Allvida, a group of accessibility-focused companies. Linford continues to work with Maile Keone, president and CEO of Ampetronic | Listen Technologies, and the executive team in this new role.
In her role, Linford helps shape the culture at Ampetronic | Listen Technologies as she oversees talent acquisition, employee experience, performance management, compliance, learning and development, and total rewards. She ensures HR practices are scalable, compliant, and aligned with the organization’s mission.
Linford is an experienced senior HR executive and people leader. She has expertise in HR operations, succession planning, organizational development, and diversity and inclusion. Previously, Linford held senior HR and chief people officer roles at organizations across the financial services industry. She holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification and the SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) designation.
ASG Names Kevin Poole Senior Project and Support Manager
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) has appointed Kevin Poole as senior project and support manager within the ASG Workflow and Tools practice. Poole’s role is a newly created position designed to strengthen project execution and post-sale client support within the group. Poole reports to Joe Marchitto, CTO, Workflow and Tools.
The bulk of his responsibilities involves managing the team’s project coordination and supporting its Southern California client base. In this role, he serves as a central point of contact for its customers once a project moves forward, helping ensure deployments run smoothly and issues are resolved quickly.
Eric Wolff Joins Chyron as Director of Venues Sales, North America
Chyron announced today the appointment of Eric Wolff as director of venues sales, North America. Wolff comes to Chyron with a wealth of relevant experience having served previously as director, broadcast operations and media production for T-Mobile Arena, with prior stints in lead production roles with the Arizona Cardinals, Van Wagner (NCAA Championships), and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Initially, Wolff’s role focuses on growth in the collegiate and minor league space.
"I’m incredibly proud and excited to join such a world‑class organization as Chyron," Wolff said. "In my 35 years in this industry, Chyron has always stood out as a true leader, and it’s an honor to now be part of the team. I can’t wait to contribute to the work of the best in the business."
Planar Expands U.S. Sales Force with West Coast Additions
Planar has expanded its U.S. sales force with the addition of two West Coast team members. The company recently welcomed a new regional sales director as well as business development manager for the company’s Consultants, Architect and Design (CAD) Group.
Antonio Dias leads Planar’s sales initiatives across the Western U.S. as regional sales director. He brings nearly 20 years of Pro AV industry experience, joining from Crestron Electronics where he held senior leadership roles supporting consultants, resellers, industry partners and end users. Recognized for his collaborative leadership style and strategic approach, Dias is well-positioned to strengthen relationships and deliver value for Planar’s reseller partners and customers throughout the region. He will report to Tani Klein, VP of North America Sales, and be supported by a seasoned team of regional account managers and applications engineers across the Western U.S.
Planar also welcomed Douglas Schoenherr as the company’s CAD Group business development manager for the Western U.S. He joins with nearly 30 years of experience in the Pro AV industry with a strong focus on consultant engagement and specification development. He previously served as consultant liaison at Biamp, where he cultivated strong relationships with AV/IT and MEP design consultants across the Southwest U.S. His experience working with the consultant community will help strengthen Planar’s engagement with architects, designers and technical consultants, supporting the specification of Planar displays across a wide range of applications. He is based in the Denver area and will report to Lainie Mataras, general manager of the CAD Group, and work closely with Applications Engineers Orlando Helena and Dusty Masanz.
Renkus-Heinz Welcomes Tony Jacques
Renkus-Heinz is continuing to expand its Tech Support operations with the latest addition of Tony Jacques as applications engineer. He serves as a key technical resource for integrators, consultants, and end users, providing hands-on guidance and supporting the deployment of Renkus-Heinz solutions across a wide range of applications.
Jacques’ audio background has taken him all over the world, working in a range of fields that have provided him with the expertise to strengthen the customer support of one of the world’s leading loudspeaker manufacturers. His career spans live sound, touring, installation, broadcast, and event production, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the challenges audio professionals face every day.
Events
TOLA Expo 2026 Set for Its Largest Gathering Yet in Dallas
The 6th Annual TOLA Expo returns to Dallas on May 6–7, 2026, at the Dallas Trade Mart (Atrium), bringing together custom integration professionals from across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas—and beyond for the region’s largest residential technology trade show and education event.
Building on the success of the 2025 Expo—which welcomed nearly 200 integration companies and more than 500 attendees—TOLA Expo 2026 will deliver an expanded show floor, new technologies, and increased participation from across the custom integration channel.
Hosted in the Grand Pavilion Atrium at the Dallas Trade Mart, the four-story, glass-ceiling venue creates an engaging environment for hands-on interaction with factory experts from leading brands including Lutron, Nice, DMF, Samsung, Kaleidescape, Sonance, Proluxe, eero, Josh.ai, Epson, and more.
Partnerships, Anniversaries, and More
Bogen Communications Announces Technology Partnership With 911Cellular
Bogen Communications has announced a technology partnership with 911Cellular, a developer of critical communication technology, including silent panic buttons, mass communication software, and an incident management platform for K-12 schools nationwide. The integration connects 911Cellular panic buttons with Bogen Communications’ Nyquist IP-based paging platform to enhance emergency notification and response coordination.
Through the integration, when a 911Cellular panic button is activated, an alert is transmitted to the Nyquist system. The Nyquist platform can then broadcast emergency messages across multiple audio and visual channels, helping ensure that staff and other designated stakeholders are promptly informed of the situation and provided with response instructions. The integration is designed to reduce response times and limit incident severity by ensuring that key details surrounding an event are communicated quickly and clearly. By linking 911Cellular’s blend of software and hardware-based alerting tools with Bogen Communications’ infrastructure, schools can align notification workflows with established safety protocols.
Green Hippo Debuts Hands-On Hippotizer Media Server Training at Pixel Academy
Green Hippo launched its new Hippotizer Media Server training courses at Pixel Academy, a purpose‑built AV learning hub combining hands-on creativity, real‑world technology, and expert‑led instruction. Green Hippo and sister brand tvONE, both part of ACT Entertainment, have created Pixel Academy to equip the next generation of live events and AV professionals with the skills to deliver immersive and interactive visual experiences.
Based inside Green Hippo’s R&D Innovation Centre in Maidenhead, just 20 minutes from London Heathrow, the Academy gives direct access to the latest high‑performance tools, including the Hippotizer MX Series Media Servers, CALICO PRO creative video processors, and a full suite of high-resolution LED displays that create a truly immersive space.
MultiDyne Celebrates 50 Years of Innovation
MultiDyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems is celebrating its 50th anniversary as NAB Show 2026 approaches, marking five decades of innovation, customer-focused engineering, and sustained growth across the broadcast and live production industries.
Founded in 1976 by Vincent Jachetta, an Italian immigrant and NBC engineer, MultiDyne’s story began with a single breakthrough product developed in the family basement: the TS-1, the broadcast industry’s first portable test signal generator. That invention not only launched the company, but also earned MultiDyne its first Emmy Award and established a guiding philosophy that continues today: identify real-world challenges and engineer precise solutions.
MultiDyne has since evolved from a small family-run operation into a globally recognized provider of fiber-optic transport, signal processing and live production solutions. Along the way, the company has achieved major milestones including two Emmy Awards for technological innovation, strategic business acquisitions, and significant international growth with the 2023 opening of its European office.
In recent years, MultiDyne has experienced its strongest period of growth, achieving record performance while expanding its operational infrastructure, engineering resources and product portfolio. This momentum has been fueled by increasing demand across live production environments spanning broadcast, digital cinema, and professional AV markets.
Nanolumens Marks 20th Anniversary With New Headquarters
Nanolumens is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026 with the opening of a new headquarters in Duluth, GA. The milestone marks two decades of growth for the privately-owned and operated U.S. company, founded in 2006 and based in the greater Atlanta area since its inception.
The new headquarters is nearly 45,000 square feet and consolidates the company’s offices and warehouse operations into a single location. The building includes dedicated warehouse space and increased vertical storage capacity designed to support logistics, product fulfillment and spare product and module management. The move allows Nanolumens to scale operations more efficiently as demand for LED visualization technologies continues to grow.
A major feature of the new headquarters is a 2,500-square-foot demonstration showroom that showcases Nanolumens’ display technologies in real-world environments. The showroom includes application-focused zones highlighting use cases such as control room environments, immersive installations and architectural display systems. The showroom integrates technologies from ecosystem partners, including NovaStar, Barco, Megapixel, 7thSense, Pixera, and Smart Monkeys, and content from studios such as Gentilhomme, Render Impact, and Float4, highlighting how display technology, processing platforms, and digital content work together in deployed visual environments. The integrated setup reflects Nanolumens’ approach to supporting complete visualization systems rather than standalone display hardware.
Transformation Entertainment Group to Distribute MuxLab Products in the U.S. Market
Transformation Entertainment Group (TEG) has entered into a new distribution partnership with MuxLab, a global manufacturer of professional AV signal distribution solutions. The agreement expands TEG’s portfolio with MuxLab’s extensive line of AV over IP, matrix switching, signal extension, and connectivity products.
TEG will immediately begin offering MuxLab’s full line of products, including AV over IP systems, HDMI/USB extenders, matrix switchers, and broadcast‑grade connectivity solutions.
Pro AV around the Globe
Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has a new distribution partnership with Clean Sound & Light SRL, a Romania-based provider of professional audio, lighting and staging solutions. Through the agreement, Clean Sound & Light will serve as the official distributor of EAW products throughout Romania. The partnership marks an important step in strengthening EAW’s presence in Eastern Europe while reintroducing the brand to the Romanian market. With extensive experience supporting AV and staging projects of all sizes, Clean Sound & Light brings strong market knowledge and a project-focused approach that aligns with EAW’s commitment to delivering high-performance, reliable sound solutions.
LEA Professional is expanding its European reach through a newfound partnership with Copenhagen, Denmark-based distributor Matrix Sales. As a premier AV distributor in Denmark, the Matrix Sales team has proven its expertise as it delivers quality AV technology to its customers. Through this partnership, Matrix Sales will represent LEA Professional’s Network Connect series of professional amplifiers and companion Dante Connect series featuring Dante and AES67 connectivity.
Pliant Technologies announced a new distribution partnership with Audio Tecnologias based in Barcelona, Spain. The agreement expands Pliant’s presence in the Spanish market and strengthens Audio Tecnologias’ portfolio of advanced communication systems for broadcast, live events, education, industrial, and corporate applications. Founded in 2008, Audio Tecnologias specializes in the sale of professional audio products and the design and implementation of integrated communication solutions. Over the years, the company has delivered a range of high-profile projects across Spain.
Roland Professional A/V has announced the appointment of DWR Distribution as the official distributor for its product range in South Africa. This partnership represents an important step in Roland’s strategy to expand its presence across the African Pro AV market and strengthen support for integrators, production companies, houses of worship, corporate AV teams, and content creators across the region.
