Color Kinetics Incorporated announced that Bill Groener has resigned from his post with the company. The resignation is based solely on personal reasons. Groener will join PRG as vice president and general manager of their permanent installation group and be based in the metro-New York area. In other Color Kinetics news, the company announced that James Thomas Engineering will license Color Kinetics' intellectual property in connection with the marketing of James Thomas' Pixel Range line of LED-based products in North America. (www.colorkinetics.com, www.prg.com)
ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.) has named Mark Veldey as vice president of finance. Veldey will direct the financial strategy of the multimillion-dollar international corporation. Veldey, as an outside investment banker, advised ETC on its successful acquisition of Transtechnik Lichtsysteme, Holzkirchen, Germany, in 2002. After joining ETC as general counsel, he directed ETC's acquisitions of Avab Paris, France; and IES and Penko Engineering, Veenendaal, the Nether-lands. (www.etcconnect.com)
AC Lighting Inc. has appointed Fred Mikeska as US sales and marketing manager, responsible for all product lines sold exclusively in the US as well as general distribution products. Mikeska has formerly held senior management positions with Creative Stage Lighting and Leprecon and is currently a director of the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA). (www.aclighting.com/northamerica)
AV Concepts has appointed Matt Farmelant to the position of director of hotel services. In this position, Farmelant will supervise the development of AV Concepts' in-house audio-visual related sales efforts in markets throughout the Southwest and West Coast. He will also take an active role in the American Hotel Association as well as local chambers of commerce and convention and visitor bureaus. (www.avconcepts.com)
Sennheiser Electronic Corporation continues to expand its sales division with the addition of Nathan Armstrong and Thom Salisbury, two new sales managers in its Western region. Armstrong will be based in Phoenix, and Salisbury will be based in the California office. (www.sennheiserusa.com)
Robe Show Lighting has established a new company in Singapore, Robe (SEA), which will operate as a sales and support office to integrate and coordinate business in South East Asia. The new enterprise is registered in Singapore and is located at 160, Paya Lebar Road #07-05, Orion Industrial Building, Singapore 409 022. Regional sales manager Louis Teo will head the office. (www.robe.cz)
I. Weiss announced the following staff additions and changes: Jennifer Tankleff has been promoted to director of operations; Kate Mitchell assumes the position of drapery shop manager; Brandon Harmon joins the drapery department as Mitchell's assistant; and Jarid Sumner will now manage the installation shop. (www.iweiss.com)
Barry Grzebik, previously the director of engineering with Apogee Sound International, announced the establishment of his new audio systems design and integration consultancy, The Grzebik Design Group. (www.gdgpro.com)
Robyn Baker, Cody Ward, and Scott Weyerauch have all joined LMG. Baker has been appointed marketing manager in the Orlando office. Ward will serve as an account executive in Las Vegas handling sales, project management, and account management. Weyrauch will be an account executive, working from the Phoenix office. (www.lmg.net)
Gopher Stage Lighting has added Jim Barrett to its sales force. Barrett, who was formerly with Luma Sales Associates, will be working with Dave Johnson on project management and inside sales. (www.gopherstagelighting.com)
Vista Systems has hired Bob Enright as general manager. In this new role, he will oversee the day-to-day administrative operations of the company as well as create new growth opportunities. (www.vistasystems.net)
The Lighting Technology Projects sales team has expanded with the addition of Tilly Howarth, who joins the existing team in the new Birmingham office. (www.ltprojects.com)
KTRP, Inc. of Los Angeles, CA and BITCC Trade Development Group of Beijing, China announced a formal cooperation agreement between the two firms that includes an agreement to create a joint-venture company to develop and market lighting and entertainment venue products for marketing and sale in multiple world markets. (www.ktrp.com, www.bitcc-orientsun.com)
Cast Software has announced the first release of Vivien, a new software application for event and meeting professionals servicing corporate and special functions, incentive meetings, trade-shows, expositions, weddings, and parties alike. (www.cast-soft.com)
QSC Audio Products, Inc. announced that Mark Engebretson has joined its ranks as vice president of R&D, chief systems architect. (www.qscaudio.com)
Erik Ehn has been appointed dean of CalArts School of Theatre. He will begin his position in July. Currently, Ehn serves as director of CalArts Writing for Performance Program. He began teaching at the Institute in the 2002-03 academic year. (www.calarts.edu)
Infinite Audio, Inc., provider of nightclub lighting, video, and audio design and installation, has opened a West Coast facility with a nightclub showroom: 3935 W. Reno Avenue, Suite E, Las Vegas, NV 89118. (www.goinfinite.com)
ArKaos recently began an alliance with Spotlight for the distribution of ArKaos VJ DMX and the integration of ArKaos real-time video processing technology in Spotlight's Videp Performer XT Digital Media Server. (www.arkaos.net, www.spotlight.it)