22live, a new audio rental company, has officially launched today (January 11).
Founded by industry veteran Paul Timmins in early 2022, 22live is a new pro audio service provider focused on the touring production market. And joining Timmins in senior management positions are former SSE (now Solotech) stalwarts Alex Penn and Spencer Beard, serving as commercial director and managing director respectively.
In mid 2022 Stefan Phillips and Simon Gladstone joined the company as directors, to establish operations, based in the Midlands.
“When establishing a new business like 22live, I needed the right people,” said Timmins. “I had conversations with Stefan and Simon, as they too were starting out on new paths. Fortunately for me they were keen to join, bringing all the knowledge and experience we need to deliver the services of 22live. Working with Stefan and Simon meant that the Midlands was the obvious choice for our operational base.”
From this point the audio rental company started to take shape.
“There was much for us to decide quickly; where to operate from, what kit to use, how to sort packaging and infrastructure, and what management software to use. We also wanted to start generating revenue at the earliest opportunity,” operations director Phillips added. “22live is a fresh start so it was great to go back to the drawing board. Without the legacy of older connectors to integrate, or a mountain of flight cases from different decades, we’ve had complete freedom to start afresh with how we do things and improve operational practices.”
Gladstone, 22live’s technical director, commented: “Since my start date in June 2022 my efforts so far have largely gone into supporting the design, development and manufacturing process of building our new infrastructure and line system. We have worked to produce as much infrastructure as we could, so we’d have spare capacity. Now in 2023 we are adding more equipment to the inventory, and we are able to get more control packages out on the road to meet demand as our services develop. As well as supporting new hire opportunities my focus now turns to delivering our bespoke software and management systems in order to operate as efficiently as possible.”
Recognising that the potential for 22live could quickly outstrip the existing management resource, Timmins explained that he was keen to add to the team. Having worked closely with Beard and Penn previously, he approached them to see whether they would be keen to join the 22live project.
“I knew that there was scope for Alex and Spencer to be potentially available, and I knew to achieve my ambition for 22live we were going to need more help on the commercial side,” Timmins explained. “I was delighted after having reached out to them that they were keen to return to the industry in a new and innovative project. We all had similar views of how the marketplace was evolving and what we’d need to deliver to be successful in developing a new home for us all. It was an exciting meeting as we saw our futures rolling out before us, it couldn’t have been an easier decision to work together again.”