Surprisingly, a week has passed in Pro AV 2025 without a major acquisition to report. That isn't to say there wasn't plenty of personnel moves and partnerships that went down last week.
Here is your weekly rewind of some of Pro AV's biggest newsmakers.
[Products, Sessions, Insights: InfoComm 2025 on AV Network]
People News
Bees Buzz Adds Experienced AV Editor Dan Brown
AV PR firm, Bees Buzz, welcomed former AV industry editor, Daniel Brown. Brown joins the U.K.-based team after relocating from his native Michigan homeland, courtesy of his dual US / UK citizenship. Brown brings a wealth of industry experience to the role, having edited Digital Signage Today for the past two-and-a-half years.
“We could not be happier to welcome Daniel to Bees Buzz as he begins his relocation here in the U.K.," said managing director, Stuart Hillis. "Brown is a fantastic guy, with a high calibre of industry knowledge, a broad network and he is a brilliant storyteller. As we celebrate 10 years of Bees Buzz, Dan will be an important part of our continued growth. Our established client base will benefit from his considerable skillset and support, and we look forward to great things together.”
Brompton Technology Appoints Steve Leyland as New Chairman
Brompton Technology welcomed Steve Leyland as its new chairman of the board. Leyland’s appointment follows the resignation of Brompton’s previous chairman, Neil Gaydon.
A seasoned executive and voice in the AV industry, Leyland brings with him decades of international leadership experience, including senior roles at Barco, Polycom, and Intel, and a proven track record of driving growth and strategic transformation across global markets. Leyland currently runs a consulting practice advising technology companies and investors on growth, international expansion, and go-to-market strategies. He also acts as the chairman of Cambrionix Group, a UK-based manufacturer serving the mobile device management market. During his corporate career, Leyland served as President of the Control Rooms & Simulation Division at Barco, where he successfully turned the global business from a loss-making unit to profitability, before becoming the company’s chief commercial officer. Earlier in his career, he was president of Polycom EMEA, where he tripled revenue and transformed the region into a highly profitable business. Leyland also held leadership roles at Intel Corporation and Dialogic Corporation, where he was general manager of its largest division before its acquisition by Intel.
Planar Announces Expansion of US Sales Force
Planar welcomed two new regional account managers for Florida and the Caribbean as well as Metro New York. Peter McKenzie joins Planar with more than 20 years of experience in the Pro AV industry. McKenzie previously served as a regional sales manager for Florida at HARMAN International in the Pro AV division for two years. His deep expertise in AV solutions combined with his extensive industry background will be a valuable asset to Planar reseller partners and customers in the region. He will be responsible for sales initiatives across Florida and the Caribbean, and will report to Megan Riddle, director of Southeast United States sales. He will be supported by applications engineer Regis Cardoso.
Justin Spingler is based in New York and joins Planar’s experienced Metro NY team which is committed to advancing the company’s growth as well as strengthening its presence in the local area. With more than a decade of experience in Pro AV and control systems, including seven years at Crestron as a regional sales manager specializing in education, Spingler brings strong expertise in AV solutions and integrated technologies. His background will be instrumental in further strengthening support for Planar partners and customers across the Metro NY region.
Company News
Absen Expands Global Presence With 20 New Showrooms
Absen has expanded its international footprint with the launch of 20 new showrooms across key global markets. These advanced showrooms are located in China (Shenzhen, Huizhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Hong Kong), the United States (New York, Orlando, and Los Angeles), the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
With a total of 78 showrooms now in operation worldwide, including those managed by channel partners, Absen continues to fulfill its mission of delivering high-quality LED solutions and responsive, localized support across five continents. Details on the showrooms can be found here.
Avid Appoints ACT Entertainment as U.S. Distributor for its Live Sound Portfolio
ACT Entertainment has been selected as a U.S. distributor for the live sound portfolio from Avid, a provider of audio and video technology for media organizations and independent professionals. ACT and Avid will officially debut this partnership at InfoComm 2025 (ACT Entertainment booth 3943), where the companies will celebrate with a press event on Wednesday, June 11, at 3 p.m.
This new partnership represents a significant expansion in Avid’s U.S. strategy and underscores its commitment to serving the professional live sound community with exceptional service and support.
Pro AV around the Globe
Bolin Technology announced a new distribution partnership with DigiBox in the U.K. and Ireland. DigiBox is a distributor of technologies for the broadcast, video, and Pro AV industries.
British manufacturer of professional audio solutions, EM Acoustics, has announced its partnership with 7Hertz, a supplier of audio technology across the Middle East. This partnership will strengthen EM Acoustics’ reach into new markets and bring the brand’s high-quality portfolio of loudspeakers, including point sources, line arrays, subwoofers and related electronics, to new audiences.
Symetrix pppoints Omikron Electronics as exclusive distributor in Greece. Through this collaboration, Omikron Electronics becomes the sole distributor of Symetrix in the Greek market, bringing innovation, performance, and reliability to every AV project. Symetrix’s solutions for signal processing, audio endpoints, and controls—trusted worldwide for their quality and versatility—are now available in Greece through Omikron Electronics’ proven expertise, service, and deep market understanding. Symetrix also appointed Republik Pro AVL as exclusive distributor in Turkey. The mission at Republik is to democratize the Turkish AV market operating strictly as a distributor. This allows Republik to focus fully on supporting their partners with the services they expect and deserve.
