Another cycle of Pro AV news has passed, and with it, yet another new acquisition. Last week, it was Lectrosonics that was acquired.
The Freedman Group made the move last week. With complementary technologies and shared values at their core, the addition of Lectrosonics to The Freedman Group strengthens its global portfolio, offering new opportunities for growth, innovation, and manufacturing diversity across its Australian headquarters and U.S. operations. Read all about it here.
Tariff Talk
Last week, both AV Technology and SCN polled their readers to find out how budgets are being affected by the tariffs. AV Technology's readers were bullish with 39% of readers saying their budgets are unchanged. You can read Cindy Davis's full report here.
It was a bit different for the SCN readership. It appears more readers have seen their budgets cut back, landing a majority of the votes at 35%, with 24% reporting that their budgets have been frozen until some of the smoke clears and there is some more clarity. On a positive note, 24% agreed with AV Technology readers and reported no change in their budgets.
Stay up to date with AV Network's tariff coverage here.
People News
Diversified Expands Live Performance Venue Capabilities
Diversified is expanding its specialty offerings for live performance venues. Diversified now brings its full-service capabilities to theaters, performing arts centers, live music venues, and immersive entertainment spaces. To lead this initiative, Diversified has appointed industry leader Aaron Beck as director of live performance venues. Beck brings more than 25 years of experience in live audio, production design and systems integration for brands such as Disney Theatrical Productions, Cirque du Soleil, and Solotech, contributing to some of the most renowned performance venues around the globe.
Carlo DiMarco Joins USSI Global as VP of Strategic Marketing and Growth
Carlo DiMarco joined USSI Global as VP of strategic marketing and growth. He is responsible for strategic business development in new and existing markets, leveraging the array of capabilities in the company’s ecosystem.
“I am excited to be part of a team that is delivering cutting-edge solutions and services to a wide range of partners throughout the media, entertainment, and digital signage industries,” DiMarco said. “At USSI Global, I’ll be able to leverage my background in strategic growth and technology at Paramount/Viacom, Cheddar News, and most recently DOOH startups in the point of care space.”
VuWall Appoints Leo Bull as CRO of VuWall USA and G&D North America
VuWall promoted Leo Bull to chief revenue officer of VuWall and Guntermann & Drunck (G&D) North America. As part of this expanded leadership role, Bull serves as managing director of G&D North America, headquartered in Houston, TX. Previously serving as EVP at VuWall, in his new role, he is responsible for leading all revenue-generating functions across both organizations in Canada and the US, including sales and business development. As managing director of G&D North America, Bull oversees sales operations, drives strategic alignment between VuWall and G&D, and leads efforts to deliver comprehensive, integrated solutions to customers across critical infrastructure and control rooms environments.
Company News
New Owners Take the Helm at Custom Channels
Custom Channels, a business music streaming service founded in 2000, has been sold by co-founders John Bradley and Dave Rahn to tech entrepreneur Joe Comer and current VP of operations Kurt Oleson. This comes ahead of InfoComm 2025, where the new owners will introduce a custom-designed business music solution for digital signage integrators and content management platform providers to bundle with their solutions.
At InfoComm 2025, Custom Channels will launch something new for digital signage providers and technology partners. Custom Channels head of partnerships Mark Willett found strong interest among several pre-launch digital signage and CMS partners. “We will debut a no-code business music solution that empowers digital signage integrators and content management providers to offer licensed background music—with zero hardware and no development work required,” said Willett. “It will be what this industry has been waiting for—an easy way to add music, generate new revenue, and stay fully compliant."
Extron Opens Anaheim Event Center
Designed to showcase the innovation and versatility of Extron technologies in action, the company's new Event Center at its global headquarters in Anaheim, CA, provides immersive experiences for customers, industry professionals, and end users.
The venue is equipped with a full NAV AV over IP system with more than 175 endpoints, advanced audio solutions featuring Extron amplifiers and speakers, seamless control via TouchLink Pro touchpanels, robust streaming with SMP technology, and dynamic content switching using the ISS 608. A pair of video walls in the main presentation room feature Daktronics direct-view Chip on Board (COB) LED displays that are enabled by the Extron Quantum Ultra II 8K videowall processor.
Also featured are two application-specific demonstration spaces. The C2 Theatre simulates a command-and-control environment with a video wall that can be used to present content from dual-display workstations, video servers, and NTP-synchronized virtual clocks with multiple time zones. The Esports Suite features five gaming stations with player cameras that can be presented on the room display or at the shoutcaster desk for annotated, play-by-play commentary.
There's also a dedicated New Product Showcase, where guests can explore the latest Extron products through hands-on demonstrations. With intelligent theatrical lighting and multiple PTZ cameras, the Event Center is engineered to provide seamless AV experiences for any event or demonstration. Plus, its versatile room layouts, interactive product demo spaces, and integrated streaming capabilities make it ready to host all kinds of industry events.
Korbyt Collaborates with Amazon on Digital Signage
Korbyt has collaborated with Amazon to introduce a cost-effective digital signage solution that simplifies content management and deployment at scale. The integration of the Korbyt Anywhere cloud-based content management system (CMS) with the Amazon Signage Stick gives organizations an affordable and easy-to-deploy signage solution that enhances digital communication in retail, manufacturing, corporate and educational environments.
The collaboration between Korbyt and Amazon tackles key challenges in digital signage, including high hardware costs, complex sourcing and lengthy deployment times. This collaboration delivers a plug-and-play experience that enables businesses to scale their signage networks quickly and efficiently. With the Amazon Signage Stick available for purchase through Amazon and Amazon Business—offering fast nationwide shipping and competitive business pricing—procurement is seamless. The intuitive Korbyt Anywhere platform centralizes and simplifies content creation and scheduling for non-technical users, real-time updates and targeted content distribution. Together, Korbyt and Amazon deliver a robust digital signage solution at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems.
Nanolumens and AUO Display Plus Announce Strategic Partnership
Nanolumens and AUO Display Plus announced a strategic partnership to co-develop and deliver the next generation of display experiences for global markets.
The collaboration brings together Nanolumens’ proven expertise in engineering and integrating creative LED displays with AUO Display Plus’ capabilities in microLED and commercial display manufacturing for design-forward environments. Together, the companies will deliver advanced solutions tailored to the evolving demands of sectors such as transportation, enterprise, retail, public art and cultural institutions.
Shure IntelliMix Room Kits Certified for Microsoft Teams
Shure announced its new IntelliMix Room Kits for Microsoft Teams Rooms are Certified for Microsoft Teams and now shipping in Americas (excluding Brazil). The complete, scalable meeting room systems feature high-quality audio and video performance. They are designed for effortless deployment in small, medium, and large collaboration spaces, ensuring seamless integration and compatibility within Teams environments.
The IntelliMix Room Kits underwent rigorous testing in both lab and real-world meeting environments to achieve certification for Microsoft Teams. This accreditation demonstrates Shure’s commitment to delivering innovative solutions for an AI-powered future. When using AI tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot, IntelliMix Room Kits provide exceptional audio quality to accurately capture and transcribe every word, thereby enhancing participants’ efficiency, productivity, communication, and interaction.
Pro AV Around the Globe
Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) appointed industry veteran David Budge and Blue5 Technology as an independent sales rep for Europe. Budge and Blue5 work with EAW’s sales team to support existing partners in Europe as well as identify and bring on new partners in countries that do not currently have local EAW representation.
Genelec appointed Perry Swain as regional business development manager, focusing on the U.K. market alongside Genelec colleague Andy Bensley. Located in the London area, Swain mirrors Bensley’s role in supporting Genelec’s local distribution partners and bringing the company even closer to its major UK customers. With Bensley located in the north of England, Swain’s appointment in the south significantly strengthens Genelec’s presence across the entirety of the U.K.
LEA Professional appointed Gopi Ethirajan, technical sales manager at HL Group, to the LEA Pre-Sales Support team. In this role, Ethirajan supports LEA's pre-sales efforts, working closely with the team to expand the company’s presence and build strategic customer relationships throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Ethirajan has 18 years of experience in the AV industry, specializing in consulting, integration, distribution, and project management.
