Rigging symposium exceeds expectations

USA - The inaugural New Word Rigging Symposium, held 13-14 March in Fort Lauderdale, brought professionals from around the world together for two days of presentations, Q&As and networking. While most attendees were from the US, there were also visitors from Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, and China. Joining riggers were engineers, health and safety professionals, venue managers, educators and manufacturers.
The panels covered topics such as cruise ships, automation, engineering, risk assessment, standards, and ground support rigs. Highlights included Scott Fisher’s keynote address describing his early days in the industry and how the Navigator System was developed and Tony Galuppi’s impassioned plea for “safety first” who described conducting a risk assessment for hanging Criss Angel over a lake in Florida teeming with alligators.
The Hot Button Issues session included some lively debate focused on gear, about how to get employers to say “yes” to safety, and particularly pointed remarks from women about wanting to be treated as fellow professionals.
When attendees were asked during the closing session if there should be another Symposium, there was a near universal raising of hands. Eddie Raymond, Bill Sapsis, ESTA and USITT are already discussing next year’s event, 19-20 March in Louisville, KY.
The event sponsors were: Platinum – Stage Rigging; Gold – ETC and J.R. Clancy; Silver – Kish Rigging; Bronze – H & H Specialties, The Light Source, Motion Labs and Sapsis Rigging, and AV – PSAV.
(Jim Evans)

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