ACT Lighting & RHC Holdings Merge as ACT Entertainment ; Hire
David Johnson as SVP of Sales ACT Lighting has launched ACT Entertainment , a new corporate entity formed by bringing together the brands of the ACT Lighting and RHC Holdings family of companies . In addition , the newly-formed entity has announced the appointment of David Johnson to the new post of senior vice president of sales . Johnson previously managed the Live Design International ( LDI ) franchise .
The ACT Entertainment brands include MA Lighting , Ayrton , Robert Juliat , Luxibel , ProCo , Rapco-
ACT ’ s DAVID JOHNSON
Horizon , Lava Cable , RAT , AC Power Distribution ,
Zactrack , MDG , and ChainMaster . Headquartered in Jackson , MO , ACT Entertainment has a facility in Toronto , in addition to New York , Los Angeles , Texas , and Massachusetts .
Markets served by ACT Entertainment customers and their clients / end users include concert touring and live experiences ; music retail and ecommerce ; pro AV , installation , and broadcast ; house of worship ; film and television ; and industrial wire and OEM .
Johnson spent almost six years as associate publisher / editorial director with Prism Business Media , where he launched the Live Design franchise in December 2005 . He was subsequently a publisher and managing director at Penton , where he became responsible for all aspects of the Live Design franchise , including the LDI trade show . He later became managing director of Informa , managing multiple event / digital brands in the entertainment technology market , including the LDI , XLive and WFX trade shows . Earlier in his career , Johnson was editor of Entertainment Design magazine at Primedia .
For more information , contact A . C . T . Entertainment Canada : 416-907-6770 , www . actentertainment . com .
On Second Anniversary , Gibson Gives Says It Raised Over $ 2.5 Million In July 2019 , Gibson re-launched its philanthropic arm , Gibson Gives , and upon its twoyear anniversary , it has announced it has raised over $ 2.5 million dollars worldwide through its mission of creating , developing , and supporting non-profit organizations in their efforts to advance musicians , as well as youth-focused education and wellness initiatives .
Leveraging the success of Gibson Gives , the brand followed with KRK Kares , and has announced the launch of Epiphone Empowered , Kramer Kares , and Mesa Mission . Under the umbrella of Gibson Gives , the other programs will follow the same path and bring awareness to the charitable spirit of all the brands of Gibson . All donations to and from Gibson Gives go towards giving the gift of music , according to the company .
Gibson Gives also recently announced the launch of TEMPO ( Training and Empowering Musicians to Prevent Overdose ), a collaborative program with MusiCares , Harbor Path , and seven non-profits to save musicians ’ lives in response to continued and elevated opioid overdoses . TEMPO empowers participating non-profits and venues by providing the life-saving training necessary for using the drug naloxone to prevent opioid overdose .
For more information , go to www . gibsonfoundation . org .
Ontario Government Announces $ 49 Million Investment in Festival & Event Industry The Ontario government is investing nearly $ 50 million to help festival and event organizers deliver innovative and safe experiences that allow people to safely reconnect with their communities . This one-time funding increase – more than double the annual funding provided to the festival and event sector in the past – will ensure the long-term success of the festival and event sector .
Lisa MacLeod , minister of heritage , sport , tourism , and culture industries , was joined by Michael Thompson , chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee , City of Toronto , to provide details about the announcement August 4 th at the Grand Bizarre in Toronto .
“ For more than a year , the pandemic has disproportionately impacted tourism and culture – two major industries that bring people together and our communities to life ,” says Minister Mac- Leod . “ Increasing our annual support for festival and events will give the sector a much-needed boost as we continue to deal with the effects of COVID-19 . Our government is supporting organizations that are finding new ways to safely engage and reconnect Ontarians with their local communities while creating local jobs .”
The government is providing $ 43 million to support 439 festivals and events through the Reconnect Festival and Event Program , representing a record number of supported events in the program ’ s 14-year history .
The Reconnect program ( known as Celebrate Ontario prior to the COVID-19 pandemic ) was developed to help festival and event organizers adapt to new public health measures with virtual , drive-through , and other safe offerings . This ensures support is directed to community-based events with safe , innovative experiences , while creating opportunities that encourage Ontarians to reconnect with the beauty and diversity of their community in new ways .
This investment also includes $ 6 million to Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster events . The Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster program supports municipalities and organizations in Ontario to host large-scale , high-impact signature events that draw significant tourist attendance and increase tourist spending , increase Ontario ’ s profile through media and broadcast exposure and provide significant economic impact and legacy development for the province .
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic , every $ 1 of provincial funding invested through Celebrate Ontario ( the model for the Reconnect program ) resulted in almost $ 21 of visitor spending . The impact of the 2021 / 22 Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster and Reconnect Festival and Event Program investment is estimated to generate over $ 1 billion in economic benefit across the province .
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