In early December, in Lititz, PA, THE Conference: Live at Lititz brought together a diverse cross-section of the production side of the touring industry. More than 600 people convened at the Rock Lititz campus for two days of session to discuss the future of the industry in regard to safety, mentoring, mental health, diversity, inclusion and equity, touring logistics, labor, finance, and sustainability. The event was designed to, and succeeded at, offering numerous opportunities for in-depth conversations, networking, socializing, and impromptu mentoring.
THE Conference was conceived by Production Managers Charlie Hernandez and Jake Berry, and Tour Managers Stuart Ross and Marty Hom, with four main goals in mind:
Remain aligned with the theme of “Leave It Better than We Found It” by focusing on topics that aid in supporting and developing a healthier industry.
Create engaging and actionable content, offering relevant and interactive sessions with tangible takeaways that can be easily applied in attendee’s daily professional (and personal) lives.
Showcase diverse voices and experiences through the selection of speakers, panelists, and presenters to intentionally incorporate many industry perspectives.
Support their words with actions by doing their best to be intentional about collaboration, culture, mentorship, diversity, sustainability, and other elements reflected in the session themes and event planning.
Provide personalized, inclusive, and accessible social opportunities for everyone, including lots of time for connection, mentorship, educational opportunities, and a lot of fun for the live production industry.
A Different Vibe
Besides the fact that there was no tradeshow floor, an element that truly set THE Conference apart was the altruistic approach among everyone there which contributed to easy sharing of ideas between young and veteran production managers, tour managers, and industry colleagues. As Hernandez noted, “Everyone that walked in showed up to work, to really discuss things, and start the work needed to change things, move stuff forward, and help each other, take care of each other. That is what really matters. You know, the ethic, the loyalty, the relationships, the idea that you may not see someone for three years, four years, and you can pick up the conversation that you had, like you were just in the next room. It is an industry of those kinds of relationships. All the people that were there at the conference really cared. Cared about our industry and what we can share with younger people and each other and how we can make things better. Do the work to leave it better than we found it.”
Stuart Ross, who had said at the opening session “We’re blown away that all of you trusted us. I want this to be at the intersection of meaningful and fun,” stated afterward, “We set out to reinvent the live concert production conference. The goal was to have a great, professional, and fun event. What we didn’t plan for was how meaningful it became both to the attendees and to the partners, which was completely organic. It exceeded all of our expectations and really was a dream realized. We discussed this for 11 years and started actually planning it just over a year ago. The partnership with Rock Lititz has been wonderful, as their goals are completely aligned with ours.”
“This was truly a team effort,” explains Emily Cassidy, Conference Director. “Every single member of the Rock Lititz team got involved and played important roles in both planning and executing the conference. We also had support from the many vendors on campus. Whether it was the gear to support the production, use of space throughout the campus, or volunteers pitching in, everyone was excited about helping to bring this to life.” She adds, “We are very proud of the inaugural conference, and have been excited to hear really positive feedback from everyone who attended. Our team worked really hard to make sure that everyone who came here, from speakers to sponsors to guests, were treated with respect and welcome. We also felt like our speakers delivered in a way that was real and impactful. No one shied away from hard topics or challenging conversations, and we think that is necessary to move the industry forward.”
Moving the Needle
Conference panelist, Tour Manager David Norman, who was on the Creating Space/A Place for all Voices in Live Events panel, feels the conversation did help move things forward. He wrote in an email after the conference “We’re slowly moving the needle [on diversity], but like racism and sexism, change moves at a very slow pace. I made it a point to invite as many women and people of color as possible and it was nice to see how many there were in attendance. The conference definitely had real-world benefits and was very organized, structured, and welcoming as well as offering an abundance of networking and learning experiences.”
“This was really about sharing lessons with so many of the younger people there, getting to talk to them,” Hernandez comments. “I told the story about when I was starting out and I was loading a truck at some gig in Atlanta and Mr. Cooley [Alex Cooley, a legendary promoter in Atlanta] was standing there, and I said to him, ‘I really don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know why I’m here, but I know this is where I belong.’ That’s when he gave me the three rules of the industry—keep your word, work hard, and protect each other. That set me straight and that’s all I want these new kids to know and learn and take with them. Because on anything that they do those three things will get them to where they want to go.”
Hom, who led one of the final sessions of the conference, Leaving It Better: Building Shows for Tomorrow, with a panel of the emerging next generation of tour managers, is excited by the exchange of ideas and the discussions of the evolving industry. He shares that one of the most meaningful events of the conference had been the night before when a spontaneous meet up of young tour managers led to a group of 40 tour managers young and old getting together and sharing lessons and experiences. “THE Conference far exceeded my highest expectations,” says Hom. “I’m so happy that everyone who attended had a great experience. I can’t wait until next year.”
Hernandez afterwards reflected, “Look, we can open doors. We’re fortunate people—me, Jake, Marty, and Stuart—we can open doors for people and give people opportunities; introduce people. But the truth of the matter is they have to walk through the door and do the work, and then their biggest responsibility, from that moment, is to go back to that door and open it for somebody else.”
A Legacy Honored
Following through on their goal of putting action to Leaving It Better, the four hosts of THE Conference announced the launch of the Lori Tierney/John Campion Memorial Education Grant with the Just a Bunch of Roadies Foundation. The funds will be used to support the nonprofit chairs and the entertainment arts chairs at various universities so that they can distribute the money to the students that need it. You can donate to the grant fund at https://plsn.me/TierneyCampionEducationalGrant.
Following is a note from Charlie Hernandez about Lori Tierney and John Campion:
Lori was the Template and John was our Guardian Angel…
No good story starts with a salad or ends early with a good night’s sleep… But all my good stories always start with “So me and Lori were…” or “so, one time I called Campion and…” and every story had a happy ending.
John Campion was my friend. A life well lived is defined by man’s reach, his open hand to a stranger, his loyalty to his friends, his impossible humor in the face of insurmountable sadness that at times life puts at our feet… he always said, “a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what is heaven for…?”
It was Lori’s idea that started Just a Bunch of Roadies. A few years ago, she said to me, “what if WE do something meaningful and there are no pop stars, no show, just us roadies making things happen for people…” it was Lori’s idea… and just like that, with her sparkling grin everything changed… the world shifted and all of us were better for it.”
Her heart, her kindness, and passion is, and will continue to be, the template for all our lives. John’s courage will always set the bar for what we will continue to do. All of us, every one of us, can take that spark of stardust, make it part of our hearts and lives. The greatest lessons I learned from Lori; “Better to lose a gig than to lose a friend” and “Do something every day against the bastards, but never forget the love bit.”
They were the best of us all… The work continues.
In the coming months PLSN will continue to bring coverage of the different topics from THE Conference and we look forward to being part of continuing the conversations.
