It was a big week for the company formerly known as AVI Systems. At its Global Sales Summit in Dallas, the company ushered in a new era by rebranding to FORTÉ. We had the first interview with CEO Jeff Stoebner on what was behind the name and new logo. If you missed that, you can get caught up here.
Shortly after the official change, the company announced strategic investments in System Video, based in Dublin, Ireland, and GMS, located near Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The acquisition of these two audiovisual integration businesses, strengthens FORTÉ’s global presence and advances the company’s effort in transforming the modern workplace.
System Video, a provider of audiovisual and unified communication solutions, has built its reputation delivering workplace technology for multinational organizations. GMS specializes in AV integration, managed services, and smart workspace solutions, supporting some of the world’s largest corporations.
FORTÉ didn't make all the headlines though. Let's get you caught up with everything else you may have missed.
People News
AC Americas Announces Natasha Royal as Vice President of Finance
A.C. Americas welcomed Natasha Royal as VP of finance, bringing extensive experience in driving profitable growth, leading strategic initiatives, and building FP&A processes.
Royal will oversee financial planning, reporting, and risk management, ensuring the organization's long-term fiscal health and financial performance. Her responsibilities include developing and analyzing statistical and accounting information, establishing major economic objectives and policies, and directing financial and budget activities to maximize investments and increase efficiency. She also plays a crucial role in evaluating and developing her team, fostering strong partnerships with other departments.
B-Tech AV Mounts Appoint Nam Le as General Manager North America
B-Tech AV Mounts has added Nam Le to its team as the new general manager for North America. Based in Los Angeles, CA, Le oversees operations across the U.S., supporting both the internal sales team as well as B-Tech’s new and existing customers.
Le brings with him many years of experience in the AV industry, having held national and regional sales manager positions at leading companies such as ZeeVee, QSC, Crestron, and Extron. His extensive AV background makes him well-equipped to drive sales growth and lead a passionate, knowledgeable team to expand B-Tech’s presence in the market.
Nam now guides and supports the current sales team in broadening relationships and seizing new opportunities to fuel growth in the U.S. market.
Daktronics Announces Jeremy Johnson as VP of Commercial, High School, Parks and Recreation
Daktronics has appointed Jeremy Johnson as VP of commercial, and high school, parks and recreation markets.
Johnson brings deep expertise to his new role, based on his 30 years of experience at Daktronics across multiple sales and marketing responsibilities. In his most recent position as business development manager, Johnson was responsible for market management oversight for commercial, including out of home and on-premise, as well as high school, parks and recreation.
Disguise Appoints Jake Stone as New SVP of Commercial
Disguise has appointed Jake Stone as its SVP of commercial. In this role, Stone leads the global sales and business development teams as they meet increased demand for Disguise’s offering, which drives location-based experiences like Top of the Rock in New York City and live concert visuals for artists like Adele, as well as providing virtual production services for films like “A Minecraft Movie.”
A Forbes '30 Under 30' honoree, Stone most recently served as co-founder and chief revenue officer at CHEQ, where he led the company to 10 times year-over-year revenue growth before its acquisition by Cantaloupe. Prior to that, he was chief revenue officer at Independent Sports & Entertainment, where he launched the Properties division and secured over $35 million in new business. Stone has also held leadership roles at Disney and ESPN Media Networks, as well as Infront Sports & Media and has negotiated over $2 billion in partnerships across enterprise technology and content licensing.
Stone’s experience enables Disguise to push the envelope even further in the spheres of live events and shows, virtual production and broadcast, as well as location-based experiences and themed entertainment.
Yvonne Ho becomes President of PAMA Board of Directors
Yvonne Ho has become president of The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA)’s Board of Directors for a two-year term. Ho succeeds Chris Regan (RF Venue) in the role, while Regan remains on the board as a director.
Ho is the co-founder and chief marketing officer of Point Source Audio, a manufacturer of innovative professional miniature microphones and audio headsets that have been used on premier stages across the globe, including on Broadway and in other top-tier theatrical and live sound productions. Its commitment to quality and innovation has earned the company a reputation as a trusted partner for sound engineers and professionals in the entertainment industry.
Earlier in her career, she worked for an assistive hearing device manufacturer, Phonic Ear, where she uncovered a passion for both helping those coping with hearing impairment, and participating in advocacy and outreach on the topic of hearing loss. This era planted a seed of interest that she now nurtures at Point Source Audio, where she is able to merge the business of audio and her desire to help people.
VTG Announces Greg Yarrington as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Technology
Virtual Technologies Group appointed Greg Yarrington as chief operating officer and EVP of technology. Yarrington oversees day-to-day operations and scales the firm’s technology and operational capabilities on a national level.
Yarrington brings over a decade of experience in operations and technical innovation within the managed IT services, cloud, cybersecurity, and technology sectors. He recently served as COO at ECI, where he led a team of more than 550 people to stabilize the firm’s workforce and expand its operations into global markets.
Company News
New ADI | Snap One Store in Omaha Hosted Grand Opening Celebration
ADI | Snap One celebrated the grand opening of its new store in Omaha, NE by showcasing product offerings from the combined business for the first time under one roof. Sponsored by Episode and Samsung, the event took place on Thursday, April 10 and gave attendees an exclusive chance to meet the store team, explore the new store design concept, spend time with suppliers, and take advantage of the expanded inventory and combined assortment of ADI and Snap One exclusive brands.
ADI and Snap One teams worked together to develop the new, modern store design, which blends a retail storefront with its warehouse, featuring products across key categories including security, networking, AV, smart home, fire safety, and more. The Omaha location replaces the previous ADI store, offering Snap One customers a convenient shopping option that wasn’t available before.
Additional store highlights include a 15,000+ square foot space, 2.5 times larger than the previous Omaha location, an expanded product assortment featuring 500+ Snap One SKUs, increased inventory and new brands introduced to legacy ADI and Snap One customers, including more than 100 consumer TVs from top brands, a 24-hour pick up room, customer reward benefits, a dedicated training space for in-store and virtual sessions, as well as a customer coffee and comfort hub.
DMF Lighting Expands Partnership with VITAL
DMF Lighting expanded its partnership with business advisory firm VITAL, reinforcing its commitment to dealer success through a robust offering of complimentary resources and training in 2025.
Building on the success of its VITAL Affiliate Membership program, DMF Lighting is introducing a new suite of exclusive benefits designed to elevate dealer performance, sharpen sales strategies, and drive business growth. The 2025 program includes access to workshops, a one-on-one business advisory session, and a comprehensive, downloadable Sales Mastery Tool-Kit—all offered at no cost to DMF dealers.
LG Teams Up with Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Joining forces to enhance and extend in-stadium fan experiences in exciting new ways, LG Electronics USA and Mercedes-Benz Stadium announced a multi-year partnership.
[Boston Red Sox Get Monster Display Upgrade with LG]
As part of this new relationship, LG is providing hundreds of new LG DVLED and LCD displays for installation throughout the venue, led by a robust 98-screen pitch LED ribbon-board, that provides a vivid, field level backdrop for all Atlanta United Home matches, LG’s first such implementation in the United States.
As part of an ongoing stadium-wide display technology refresh ahead of the 2025 Club World Cup and 2026 FIFA World Cup, LG LED displays are now being installed across multiple areas of the venue, including the Gallagher Club and Lounge at Molly B’s, concourse areas, clubs and the most unique being the field level pitch boards used for soccer matches.
NETGEAR Revalidates Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Certification
NETGEAR has successfully revalidated its Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) certification by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (DHS-CBP). This voluntary certification, which is granted to less than 5% of importers, is renewed every four years. Earning it again is a testament to NETGEAR’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding its supply chain and meeting the highest security standards.
The revalidation process involves an exhaustive inspection of the company’s entire supply chain network, requiring NETGEAR to demonstrate compliance with rigorous security protocols. NETGEAR’s recertification shows the company has successfully addressed a wide range of security concerns and implemented security measures that align with global best practices. This achievement underscores the company's dedication to collaborating with DHS-CBP to reduce vulnerabilities and improve security within its operations.
tvONE Adds Plug-In Integration for Q-SYS
tvONE unveiled its new Q-SYS plug-in integration for CALICO PRO video processors. As a contributor to the Q-SYS Ecosystem, tvONE collaborated with Q-SYS to create a market-ready control solution that integrates seamlessly into Q-SYS, a cloud-manageable audio, video, and control Platform.
tvONE specializes in video, audio, and multimedia processing equipment. tvONE's CALICO PRO guarantees delivery of the highest quality 4K60, 10-bit and HDR video no matter the aspect ratio, resolution or color space.
Lawo, developer of the RAVENNA audio-over-IP technology, welcomed Sound on Digital as the latest partner to the RAVENNA community. Headquartered in The Netherlands, Sound on Digital specializes in the development of software solutions for the professional audio market.
Sound on Digital’s most recent product is RAVENNAKIT— a cross-platform SDK designed to simplify and accelerate the integration of RAVENNA audio networking into third-party software products. RAVENNAKIT delivers a complete solution for OEMs and developers, offering low-latency audio transport, precise synchronization, and broad platform compatibility — including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Pro AV Around the World
1 SOUND has partnered with 7Hertz to bring 1 SOUND to the GCC, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Lebanon.
Lawo, developer of the RAVENNA audio-over-IP technology, welcomed Sound on Digital as the latest partner to the RAVENNA community. Headquartered in The Netherlands, Sound on Digital specializes in the development of software solutions for the professional audio market.Sound on Digital’s most recent product is RAVENNAKIT— a cross-platform SDK designed to simplify and accelerate the integration of RAVENNA audio networking into third-party software products