Hive, a leading manufacturer of media playback solutions, has announced the appointment of Nigel Sadler to the role of Sales Director. Nigel’s background in the world of live entertainment and show business, along with his extensive career, positions him to drive Hive’s vision of democratizing the media engine market forward.
Sadler has dedicated more than two decades to the lighting and event industry. After working as a teacher at Mountview Theatre School and the prestigious BRIT School, Sadler began his industry career as a Sales Manager at M&M Lighting in 1992, before later taking on influential roles at ETC Europe and DHA. Throughout his career, Sadler has worked on high-profile projects including the Super Bowl, the Academy Awards and worldwide stadium tours of renowned bands and artists.
Nigel’s innovative spirit led him to experiment with unconventional lighting methods, including early work with video projectors, eventually resulting in the creation of the renowned Green Hippo product, Hippotizer. In the early 2000s, Nigel officially joined the team at Green Hippo, further developing his expertise and reputation in the media server field in his roles as Special Projects and Strategic Product Director and Chief Technology Officer. It was during Sadler’s time at Green Hippo that he first met Dave Green, who would later go on to co-found Hive.
“Hive aspires to give storytellers, designers, architects and the wider creative industry the best tools possible to display their ideas, whilst providing a noticeable saving on physical space, energy consumption and capital investment,” explains Mark Calvert, Co-Founder at Hive. “Nigel’s appointment puts him in the driving seat for our own story to be told, giving our customers the confidence they deserve with a trusted industry legend at the helm of our Sales Department.”
“Media control for bigger and better applications can only go so far. Whilst a handful of use cases require complex capabilities, I’m really interested in simplifying the technology,” explains Sadler. “Hive takes all the must-have technology and functions and applies them to a product that is easy to use and suitable for a wide range of applications. While it doesn’t replace every product for every project, Hive’s vision simplifies the approach, making it more sustainable and cost-effective.” This vision resonated with Nigel, who was drawn to Hive at the perfect moment in his career.
In his role as Sales Director, Nigel Sadler is responsible for setting up worldwide distribution channels and routes to market for Hive’s growing portfolio of media playback solutions. He will act as a global ambassador for Hive, offering his extensive industry knowledge, guidance on projects, and leveraging his well-established industry relationships. Furthermore, Nigel will serve as the crucial bridge between Hive’s Research and Development, Support and Sales teams.
“Hive represents a revolutionary, disruptive product and I am excited to come onboard during these early stages,” confirms Sadler. “It’s already been a dynamic beginning, and I’m thrilled to be a part of something that has the potential to transform the industry.”
Indeed, 2023 saw the release of Hive’s range of SDM-compatible products, including the Beeblade Minima, Beeblade Ozmia, Beeblade Pluto and the Bee Hive. Since their release, Hive’s solutions have been incorporated into several high-profile projects such as the BBC Earth Experience and the premier of 007: Road to a Million.
“I’ve known Nigel for a long time and this collaboration marks a full-circle moment in our professional relationship,” expresses Dave Green, Co-Founder at Hive. “His enthusiasm for our solutions and industry expertise makes him a perfect fit for the Hive team and we’re excited to see where this collaboration takes us.”
Visitors to ISE 2024 can meet Nigel at the Hive booth in Hall 5, stand D200. Nigel will also be chairing a conference on the future of video solutions at the TPi Magazine Live Events Summit on February 1st at 13:20 in room CC5.2 at ISE.
Further information from Hive: hive.run
