LAS VEGAS — Group One, the exclusive U.S. distributor of DiGiCo and Avolites, among other brands, has stepped up be the sole Platinum Sponsor of the 2015 Parnelli Awards, the live event industry’s most prestigious show that honors the very best of all those who work behind the scenes.
“The Parnelli Awards are clearly a great success, and everybody involved in putting it on does a very professional job,” says Group One’s president and founder, Jack Kelly. “Our industry should have its own event where we recognize those who have contributed to the wonderful work that happens day in and day out.” He adds that while he’s attended shows, and even picked up an Indispensible Technology “IT” Award for the DiGiCo SD7 in 2009, this is the first year they have signed on as a Parnelli Awards show sponsor.
“I have known Jack for decades, going back to when I worked at Mix Magazine,” Parnelli Awards executive producer and PLSN/FOH publisher Terry Lowe says. “He’s always been an industry leader and done amazing things with any brand he’s worked with, so we’re thrilled to have his support. It really says a lot that he’s stepped up to be the Platinum sponsor, and we look forward to having him and his team at the show.”
Kelly’s Group One has origins going back to 1980, when he established the U.S. office for Klark-Teknik Electronics. In 1984, he helped establish and manage Celco lighting control consoles. Today the company has 20 professionals working in their Farmingdale, NY HQ with sales and support staff in Minneapolis, Knoxville, Nashville, Orlando, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Other products the company distributes include Blue Sky monitoring systems, MC2 Audio, ElektraLite, and Pulsar LED lighting and lighting control solutions.
“We’re a distributor in the European definition in that we work with a small number of brands and represent them exclusively developing marketing strategies as if we worked for the companies,” Kelly explains. They have represented DiGiCo since 2008 and Avolites since 2013, and he says this is a good time for those brands to be front and center of the Parnelli Awards. They’ve just released DiGiCo’s enhanced SD Series new software suite, and Avolites is building on it’s name and reputation and “on an upward track in terms of success and having more products on the market,” he says.
He adds that this decision to be a Platinum Sponsors was not his alone to make, and represents the support and commitment of the people at DiGiCo and Avolites who believe in the mission of the Parnelli Awards as well.
Since 2001, the live event industry’s highest achievers and most admired innovators have been awarded the Parnelli. The awards recognizes pioneering, influential professionals and their contributions, honoring both individuals and companies. It is considered “the Grammys” of the live event industry. This year it will be held at the Rio in Las Vegas on Oct. 24.
For more information go to www.parnelliawards.com.
