Held on the first day of the PLASA Show (London Olympia, 18-20 September), this unique conference looks at the issues that are specific to rigging for the entertainment industry and regularly attracts over 150 practitioners, managers, engineers, safety professionals and policy makers from around the globe. "With 30% of its delegates attending from 20 different overseas countries, it has a truly international flavour," say organisers PLASA Events.
During Rocky's keynote presentation, he will talk about his career as a rigger and the influences from his early life that shaped it. "I feel very lucky indeed to have been invited to speak at this year's conference," he says. "I'm very much looking forward to being there, not least to renew old acquaintances and make new ones."
Pulling in some of the heavyweights of the industry, Chris Higgs has focused attention on this year's hot topics, securing sessions which include Chain of Command, a session exploring the employment relationships that exist in staging a show; news and updates from PLASA on the NELC, NRC and trainee rigger scheme; a report from Ron Bonner on the progress of making CWA 15902 into an EN; a look at the world of flying PA systems from Britannia Row Productions; and Onward and Upward, a look at the complex discipline of performer flying.
"The conference is now firmly established as an annual event in the rigging industry calendar," says Higgs. "It's always a difficult call, but I hope that this year's subjects are as well received as in previous years and that everyone attending gets plenty from it and from the networking opportunity the conference also presents."
"PLASA's Rigging Conference is the only event in the world that concentrates solely on rigging for the entertainment industry," adds PLASA's Director of Events, Chris Toulmin. "This is the seventh time we have run the conference and its popularity increases year-on-year. We're delighted that Chris Higgs continues to be curator and we're looking forward to an exciting and successful event."
The Rigging Conference runs alongside PLASA 2016 on Monday 19th September in the Apex Room at Olympia. An early bird rate of £165 + VAT is available. For more details, please visit www.plasashow.com/prc.
(LSi Online)
