There were some big moves in a few C-suites and among board members, as well as some expanded and new distribution partnerships. Buckle up, here is your weekly Pro AV rundown.
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People News
Mark Towler Joins 22Miles as Product Marketing Director
22Miles has appointed Mark Towler as product marketing director. In this role, he will spearhead the company’s go-to-market strategy, channel enablement efforts, and accelerate growth across key Pro AV and digital signage markets. He is responsible for launching new initiatives that support partner growth, refining product narratives across categories, and driving adoption across transportation, hospitality, healthcare, retail, higher-education, and enterprise markets.
Towler brings a proven ability to translate complex technologies into compelling, actionable messaging for both partners and end users. With extensive experience in product marketing, channel development, and B2B storytelling, he will play a key role in strengthening the company’s presence in the AV industry.
PPDS Strengthen European Leadership Team
PPDS has appointed experienced indoor and outdoor dvLED integration specialist, Jeroen Feldman, to its European technical sales team. Assuming the role of solution manager dvLED, Feldman brings more than more than 19 years of knowledge and experience, specializing in indoor and outdoor installations for a broad range of settings including music festivals, football stadiums, shopping malls, boardrooms, large conference centers, and more.
Based at PPDS’ Amsterdam head office, and reporting to Jan Van Tieghem, director of technical sales support EMEA, Feldman will play an integral role in supporting and ensuring seamless installations of PPDS’ growing range of Philips LED solutions across Northern Europe.
Sonos Appoints Tom Conrad as Chief Executive Officer
The Sonos Board of Directors has appointed Tom Conrad as chief executive officer. Conrad, who has served as Interim CEO since January of this year, will remain on the Board of Directors.
Sonos has achieved notable progress under Conrad’s leadership as interim CEO. This includes setting a new standard for the quality of Sonos’ software and product experience, clearing the path for a robust new product pipeline, and launching innovative new software enhancements to flagship products Sonos Ace and Arc Ultra.
Wisycom Embarks on a New Chapter of Leadership
Wisycom SRL transitioned in its corporate management, appointing Davide Morsiani as chief executive officer (CEO) and Gerrit Buhe as chief technology officer (CTO), while Andrea Bulfon will continue as chief operating officer (COO) and Marika Stangherlin has been promoted to chief sales officer (CSO). These changes mark a natural step in a business development plan that began in 2022 to streamline operations and prepare Wisycom for future growth in an evolving global market.
Morsiani now leads as CEO, having worked with Wisycom since June 2023. With extensive experience across multiple operational roles in a variety of sectors, including manufacturing and supply-chain operations, Morsiani has the visionary leadership and organizational insight necessary to bring Wisycom to the next level.
As CTO, Buhe’s RF and wireless technology knowledge spans over three decades, including 20 years of professional audio research and product development. This background aligns perfectly with Wisycom’s identity as a highly professional partner in the pro audio industry and his capabilities will directly benefit the expansion of the brand’s product portfolio. Confirmed as COO in February 2021, Bulfon’s 35 years of expertise extends across printed circuit board production, electronic engineering and medical devices. Lastly, a dedicated sales professional, Wisycom’s new CSO, Stangherlin first joined the company in January 2017 and most recently served as the company’s global sales manager.
IABM Confirms New Members’ Board for 2025
IABM, the International Trade Association for Broadcast and Media Technology, has confirmed the appointment of its Members’ Board for 2025, following the conclusion of this year’s election.
The Members’ Board for 2025 is as follows:
Continuing IABM Board Members:
Josh Arensberg–Verizon (Chair)
Andreas Hilmer–Lawo (Immediate Past Chair)
Jade Kurian–latakoo
David Phillips–Multicast
Peter Sykes–Sony
Saleha Williams–CEO, IABM
Lucinda Meek–CFOO, IABM
Newly Elected IABM Board Directors:
Steph Lone–AWS
Alison Pavitt–Blue Lucy
Oscar Teran–EVS
Adam Marshall–Grass Valley
Glodina Lostanlen–Imagine Communications
Hasan R. Sayed Hasan–MasterMedia
Ajey Anand–Norigin
Tom Wootton–Red Bee Media
Chris Lennon–Ross Video
Anna Lockwood–Telstra
Chairs of IABM Member Councils:
Paul Stechley–Applied Electronics
Thomas Gunkel–Skyline Communications
Sumit Suri–U-TO
SMPTE Announces 2025 Honorees
SMPTE will honor some of the industry’s top minds and organizations at its annual Awards Gala, Thursday, Oct. 16, at the conclusion of the 2025 SMPTE Media Technology Summit. The Gala will take place in the Pasadena Convention Center.
This year, 14 honors will be bestowed upon 31 individuals and organizations. The David Sarnoff Medal is being awarded to Darryl Jefferson of NBC Olympics and Sports in recognition of his visionary engineering leadership and transformative innovations in large-scale broadcast systems.
The Progress Medal award is bestowed upon founder of Animation Research, Sir Ian Taylor, in recognition of his decades-long leadership and technological innovation in animation and sports production. The Excellence in Education Medal recognizes Polly Hickling for her outstanding contributions to developing inclusive and accessible learning pathways in the dynamic field of media engineering.
SMPTE will honor Michelle Munson, co-founder and CEO of Aspera, with the Workflow Systems Medal. The Camera Origination and Imaging Medal will honor Dr. Peter Centen for pioneering innovations in image sensor technology that transformed electronic cinematography and broadcast imaging. The James A. Lindner Archival Technology Medal is awarded to Reto Kromer in recognition of his pioneering contributions to audiovisual preservation through practical, accessible, and forward-looking technologies.
The Natalie M. and Herbert T. Kalmus Award honors Scott Miller for his pivotal contributions to the invention, development, advocacy, and standardization of the Perceptual Quantizer (PQ) transfer function. The Samuel L. Warner Memorial Medal Award recipient is Ben Burtt in recognition of his transformative contributions to the art and science of motion picture sound. The Excellence in Standards Award recognizes Steve LLamb in recognition of his exemplary leadership and enduring contributions to the SMPTE Standards Community.
The Louis F. Wolf Jr. Memorial Scholarship recipient is Anthony Guarino from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Four individuals will be honored with the Citation for Outstanding Service to the Society: Zandra Clarke, Bill Hogan, Jim DeFilippis, and Ujwal Nirgudkar.
The Journal Award for the best paper originally published in the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal during 2024 will be presented to Alejandro Arango, Simon Therriault, and Andriy Yamashev for their paper, “Enhancements to Media Transport in ICVFX Using SMPTE 2110,” by A. Arango, S. Therriault and A. Yamashev, published in the October 2024 issue of the Motion Imaging Journal–Volume 133, Issue 6.”
Thirteen new SMPTE Fellows will be recognized at this year’s Gala: John Abt, Francois Bourdua, Carolyn Giardina, Eric Gsell, Carys Hughes, Russell Trafford-Jones, Phillip Graham Layton, François Legrand, Nick Mitchell, Paritosh Saha, Florian Schleich, James Toten, and Ron Williams.
Company News
AtlasIED Announces Integration Partnership with Sittig Technologies’ PAXGuide Platform
AtlasIED announced a strategic integration partnership with Sittig Technologies, the developers of PAXGuide—a modular, intelligent software platform for managing automated airport announcements. Already in use at major airports worldwide, PAXGuide is designed to meet the evolving demands of modern aviation environments. It delivers multilingual, real-time, and fully automated passenger announcements, triggered by live operational data and tailored to meet the dynamic needs of airports.
Through this collaboration, PAXGuide now integrates seamlessly with AtlasIED’s GLOBALCOM systems. For airports currently operating GLOBALCOM or planning an installation, the integration allows for enhanced automation and intelligent public address functionality, without requiring changes to the existing infrastructure.
FOR-A America Partners with TecNec for U.S. Distribution
FOR-A America and TecNec Distributing have entered into a distribution partnership, making TecNec FOR-A America’s first-U.S.-based distributor. TecNec will carry FOR-A America’s systems for broadcast, professional video and the house of worship market, with a focus on the HVS-190 1 M/E video switcher series. TecNec, a subsidiary of Tower Products, is also well established as a premier reseller and distributor. The company has been a trusted reseller of FOR-A America for over 25 years.
HARMAN Expands U.K. Partnership with Live Technology
HARMAN Professional Solutions expanded its partnership with Live Technology, a Midwich Company. In addition to its current distribution responsibilities for HARMAN Professional’s audio brands (JBL Professional, BSS, Crown, Soundcraft, Lexicon, and dbx) Live Technology will now also oversee sales and support for the AMX video and control brand in the United Kingdom.
Based in Letchworth Garden City, Live Technology is well-positioned to deliver service and technical expertise to U.K. customers and integrators across the expanded HARMAN Professional Solutions portfolio. This strategic move reinforces HARMAN’s commitment to providing audio, video, and control solutions throughout Europe.
Boulevard Carroll Entertainment Group Opens Manhattan’s First L-Acoustics L-ISA Demo Space
L-Acoustics Certified Provider integrator and distributor Boulevard Carroll Entertainment Group has opened Manhattan’s first-ever L-Acoustics L-ISA demo space. Located at the company’s sixth-floor rehearsal suite at 625 West 55th Street, just blocks from Times Square and the city’s theater district, Boulevard Carroll’s new L-ISA-equipped Studio One is one of seven professional workspaces available, allowing engineers to experience L-ISA while they’re rehearsing in one of the other spaces or build an L-ISA show file during their rehearsal.
Featuring a design based on input from L-Acoustics technicians and utilizing Soundvision design software, Studio One has a complete 7.1.10 immersive sound system in place. The space, built out and equipped by Boulevard Carroll’s own AJ Nittoli, Daryl Moore, Jake Hertzog, and Joe Smith, is ideal for sound designers, audio mixers, and other technicians who are rapidly making L-ISA the premier immersive sound platform for the theater market.
PureLink Ends Partnership with EU Distributor PureLink GMBH
PureLink today announced it has ended its longtime partnership with its EU distributor, PureLink GMBH, and has begun carving out new distribution channels, via new sales and logistics partners, products, and services. PureLink had represented the ultra-high-end, professional series of products in PureLink GMBH’s lineup. PureLink now intends to fully leverage that pedigree to reach a greater audience throughout Europe.
Quince Imaging Joins the Stage Precision Service Partner Program
Quince Imaging has joined the Stage Precision Service Partner Program as an Authorized Service Partner (ASP). This partnership is a testament to Quince Imaging’s expertise and proven use of Stage Precision’s SP software for delivering large‑scale projection mapping and immersive visual experiences.
The Stage Precision Service Partner Program was created in 2023 to elevate standards across live‑event, virtual‑production, and AV sectors, while expanding SP’s reach into new creative markets. To qualify as an ASP, partners must operate a publicly accessible studio, volume or R&D facility, with Stage Precision integrated into their workflows, have team members who have completed an in‑person SP training, and they must have delivered at least one project where SP tools played a core role in the project workflow.
Learning and Shared Insights
Amadeus Acoustics announces consultant seminar
Amadeus Acoustics invites consultants, acousticians, system designers, and AV professionals to join the company in Vienna for a two-day seminar exploring the future of active acoustics and immersive audio.
Taking place on December 1-2, 2025, the seminar offers an opportunity to engage directly with the Amadeus team, experience our technologies in action, and connect with peers from across the industry. With live demonstrations, expert talks, hands-on workshops, and exclusive venue visits, the program is designed to inspire, inform, and foster collaboration.
Aurora, NETGEAR Partner for Two-Day Live Class for Designing
Join Aurora and NETGEAR for a two-day live class that dives into the intricacies of designing AV over IP systems using multiple switches and Dante audio technology. This comprehensive workshop is ideal for AV professionals, system integrators, and IT specialists who are eager to elevate their expertise and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving world of audiovisual technology.
The dates are August 19th and 20th, 2025, 8:30 a.m. ET-5:30 p.m. ET. Attendees will learn from industry leaders, including Chuck Espinoza, global director of education at Aurora Multimedia, and Alex Pendelton, senior system engineer from the PRO AV Design Team at NETGEAR. With extensive credentials and experience, they will guide you through the complexities of AV over IP design.
