LOS ANGELES – Lighting distributor A.C.T Lighting has announced that Chris Patton has joined the company’s sales team, and will concentrate in permanent installations and system sales. Most recently, Patton worked at Global Design Solutions (GDS). He was also a lead follow spot operator for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games in London.
More details from A.C.T Lighting (www.actlighting.com):
“We forged a strong partnership with Chris in his role as international sales manager for GDS,” says A.C.T President Ben Saltzman. “We look forward to all of our partners benefiting from Chris’s boundless energy, enthusiasm and 14-plus years in the entertainment technology industry.”
“Having worked very closely with A.C.T Lighting for almost two years, I have first-hand experience of how the company has consistently exceeded customer expectations by providing and supporting the finest products in the industry,” says Patton. “I am looking forward to applying my knowledge of the GDS range to the rest of the A.C.T Lighting product portfolio and being a part of the great team of people here.”
Prior to joining GDS in 2011, Patton had a 12-year career with Stage Electrics, a UK systems integrator, rental house and production services company, where he was actively involved at the management level. In his last position there he was responsible for the development and implementation of a strategic international development plan to expand the company by taking an already successful business model into new territories. He also oversaw the company’s theatrical productions rental division, dealing with the development and project management of equipment and crew to large format theater shows in the UK and overseas.
Patton has worked on many major international projects throughout his career, including supplying moving lights for a number of the FIFA fan parks at the 2010 soccer World Cup finals in South Africa; provision and logistical project management of the production lighting system for the Royal Opera House in Muscat (Oman); and the project management of Stage Electrics’ Edinburgh Festival operations during which the company supplied equipment, crew and a 24/7 support service to more than 50 individual venues at the International and Fringe festivals, one of the largest arts festivals in the world.
