A quiet week in Pro AV? As if! Let's get the week started with 10 moves you may have missed last week. Sony goes back to school, ADI has a new Support Center, Diversified gets Disney-fied, and more people on the move and partnerships to get caught up on below.
[WATCH: An Alien Invasion Engulfs Times Square... Thanks to This 3D Billboard]
People News
Diversified Expands Hospitality and Lifestyle Market with Former Disney Executive
Diversified is expanding its hospitality and lifestyle solutions within its advisory services practice, a strategic move aimed at transforming guest experiences in resorts, cruise ships, casinos, theme parks, and luxury destinations worldwide. To lead this practice, Diversified has appointed Zach Toback, a 30-year media veteran and former VP of production and studio operations at The Walt Disney Company, as vice president of business development, Hospitality and Lifestyle within advisory services.
[Flame On! Disney's Space Mountain Becomes Canvas for Fantastic Projection Mapping]
Toback brings deep operational expertise and a proven record of managing complex, large-scale technology ecosystems. At Diversified, he spearheads the company’s global hospitality strategy within the advisory services team and partner with clients to deliver scalable, reliable solutions that merge creative vision with technology execution.
FOR-A America Appoints Jo Aun to Lead U.S. Product Development
FOR-A America named Jo Aun as senior manager of product management and engineering. In this new position, Aun guides the planning, development, and rollout of FOR-A’s broadcast and video technology across the United States.
A key part of Aun’s new role is serving as a liaison between U.S. operations and FOR-A Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo. He is the key connection between U.S. customers and FOR-A’s engineering teams in Japan, ensuring that customer feedback directly informs product strategy. He also leads engineering activities, manage system integrations, and support training for U.S. staff on FOR-A’s proprietary IP technologies.
Aun rejoins FOR-A after serving as a system consultant, specializing in IP and cloud solutions, at Riedel Communications. Earlier in his career, he was deputy sales engineering manager at FOR-A Corporation in Tokyo, where he supervised international system integrations, including projects for the New World Symphony in Miami and large-scale U.S. houses of worship.
Mike Case Joins PK Sound
PK Sound has welcomed pro audio industry veteran Mike Case to its team in the role of director of global network and partnerships. Based in the U.K., Case brings a strong history of establishing disruptive new technologies and advancing brands to the Calgary-based manufacturer.
In his new role, Case leads the company’s growing international network in further expanding the brand’s profile and reach. Case played a pivotal role in the analog-to-digital transformation of the live sound industry, helping to redefine how modern touring and event audio systems are deployed and managed. He worked with Yamaha Commercial Audio to introduce the world’s first large format digital mixing console, the PM1D, and later joined Digidesign (now Avid), to launch the Venue console series before moving to d&b audiotechnik. There, he held a series of senior leadership roles—opening the company’s APAC hub in Singapore, growing the brand’s footprint in multiple regions and supporting the launch of key technologies including Soundscape.
tvONE Strengthens NCSA Sales Team
tvONE has expanded its North, Central, and South America (NCSA) sales team with the appointment of two new regional sales managers. Steve Payne joins as Midwest regional sales manager, and Mike Dailey takes on the role of Northeast regional sales manager,
Based in Chicago, Payne brings 20 years of AV industry experience. His career spans sales with AV manufacturer Analog Way, along with extensive hands-on expertise in live events, rental and staging as a video engineer, and integration work as both a field engineer and onsite collaboration engineer.
Based in Northern New Jersey, Dailey offers three decades of AV sales experience across manufacturers, distribution, and representative firms. Earlier in his career, he also spent five years as a morning radio host in Las Vegas and Connecticut.
Company News
ADI Celebrates Grand Opening of New Support Center in Charlotte
ADI Global Distribution celebrated the grand opening of its new Support Center in Charlotte, located at the Panorama Tower in Ballantyne, NC. Spanning 41,000 square feet across two floors, the new facility is home to more than 180 team members representing marketing, accounting, product development, education, training, and other key departments.
The new Charlotte Support Center marks the relocation of the former Snap One headquarters. Following the acquisition of Snap One in 2024 and the integration into ADI, this site was selected to continue supporting the experienced team based in the area, while creating a modern, sustainable, and collaborative workspace that aligns with ADI’s brand and values.
The location was strategically selected to have minimal impact on employee commutes, with comparable travel times for the majority of the team. It also offers convenient access to major highways, public transportation, along with nearby restaurants, services, and green spaces to contribute to a positive day-to-day experience for employees and visitors alike.
Roland Announces Strategic Distribution Partnership with Techni+Contact
Roland Professional A/V has a new distribution partnership with Techni+Contact, a Canadian distributor of audiovisual and unified communications technologies. As an official distributor of Roland Professional A/V’s full suite of products, Techni+Contact now offers the Roland V-series video switchers and streaming solutions designed for live events, corporate presentations, education, and worship environments.
With this new alliance, Roland is expanding customer sales and support with a team spanning across the Canadian market and working in full step with Techi+Contact to offer complete AV solutions in Canada. The partnership commences in Toronto on September 15 during the first stop of the Techni+Contact’s Let’s Connect 2025 Roadshow.
Sharp Relaunches dvLED Portfolio with Expanded Options
Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America has relaunched its dvLED display solutions, designed to meet the evolving needs of commercial, educational and public environments under the Sharp name. The portfolio continues to offer a full spectrum of fine-pitch dvLED products, from premium to budget-conscious options, all backed by Sharp's trusted brand and service excellence.
The FA Series and FE Series deliver premium and mainstream imaging performance, respectively, with fine-pitch options ranging from 0.9mm to 3.8mm. These displays feature front-serviceable cabinets, hot-swappable pixel cards, and optional built-in redundancy for power and data - ideal for command and control centers, corporate environments, transportation hubs, and higher education institutions.
Sony Partners with Syracuse University to Bring Tech to Newhouse School
Sony Electronics is partnering with the Newhouse School at Syracuse University to provide innovative equipment, hands-on training, and industry expertise as part of a collaboration that will prepare students for careers in media, entertainment and visual communications.
Sony leaders will take part in workshops, seminars, and other events, providing mentorship, thought leadership, and experiential learning opportunities for students, both in Syracuse and beyond campus.
Sony and the University celebrated the collaboration Sept. 17 during Sony Signature Innovation Day at Newhouse, featuring demonstrations of Sony’s latest imaging and broadcast technology with students, faculty and staff. The day culminated with a conversation between Sony Imaging Products and Solutions Americas president Theresa Alesso, and Newhouse Dean Mark J. Lodato.
Pro AV Around the World
AVPro Edge appointed CHANNELRIVER GmbH as a new exclusive distribution partner in the DACH region (Germany, Switzerland, and Austria) for the AVPro Edge and Bullet Train brands, and will also (non-exclusively) represent the Murideo brand to commercial integrators across the territory. This partnership marks a significant step in the ongoing global expansion for AVPro brands, bringing award-winning AV signal distribution solutions to this critical market.
Follow-Me has agreed to a strategic sales partnership with P.S. TEATR, a provider of lighting and stage systems in Poland. The new partnership positions P.S. TEATR as the exclusive sales partner for Follow-Me in this important growing territory, expanding access to performer tracking systems for theatres, concert venues, music festivals, and corporate events across Poland, while influencing Central Europe.
