SSE Audio, part of the Solotech UK Group, has appointed James Baker to the role of Live Sound Specialist to benefit the UK Sales team.
In this new position, Baker will support SSE Audio and Manchester-based Wigwam’s live sound Sales customers. Working alongside their industry-leading team of technical experts and service providers, he will develop marketing strategies that promote the groups’ unique services for the live sound market.
The Live Sound Specialist role has been created to ensure SSE Audio and Wigwam continue to deliver outstanding customer service. He will also help identify new routes to market while solidifying the company’s position as the go-to professional audio sales outlet offering value for money and unrivalled expertise, which is backed by industry-leading support and the availability of multiple brands and stock.
He joins during the return of the UK live events industry post-pandemic, which is seeing an extremely busy summer festival season. Wigwam and SSE are part of the Solotech UK Group with Capital Sound and BCS Audio, which together forms the largest pro audio hire, sales and systems integration company in the UK and a significant global player in the AV and live entertainment markets.
Baker has become well-known and respected in the pro audio industry during his twenty five-year career as a freelance Sound Engineer while working with Nile Rogers and Chic, Chase and Status, Girls Aloud, Kim Wilde and Gilbert O’Sullivan. This is in addition to his role as a Live Sound Sales Manager for Avid Technology, where he was instrumental in bringing the S6L range of consoles to the marketplace. With the global pandemic bringing about a restructure at Avid, the time was right for a new challenge at SSE Audio.
SSE and Wigwam are supplying the UK’s major festivals this summer, including Reading & Leeds, Parklife and Isle of Wight. Due to the high demand of pro audio equipment and services needed, many of the companies’ staff have returned from furlough to support the events.
UK Group Sales Manager Ryan Thomas commented, “We know that our core market for sales is the live production market, and we are looking to improve the service we give to our customers. James has hands-on experience using much of the kit in the live environment. This knowledge will be invaluable when advising customers on product selection.”
James Baker is looking forward to his new role: “I’ve worked as freelancer with SSE in the past, so I know the culture and their core values. I’m really looking forward to playing my role in the company’s post-pandemic recovery and sharing some of my experience to help our customers.”
SSE has taken its biggest booth ever at this year’s PLASA show on stand G11 in London’s Olympia Exhibition Centre from 5-7 September.
