In 2022, so many tours reported load-ins and -outs that were considerably short the requested number of stagehands. Now, in 2023, as it seems almost every recording artist plans to again go out on the road, the lack of properly trained crews and stagehands is sure to become even more exacerbated. While some shops and venues have stepped up recruitment for new hires, getting those new hires up to speed takes time. Only time can yield the depth of experience that has been lost from the industry. You can’t just hire 20 years of experience in a new to the industry recruit. And yes, everyone has to start, everyone has to be the newbie that needs training and patience as they learn the ropes (hey kid, don’t pull that!), but everyone isn’t usually new all at the same time; on the same tour. 2023 may well go down as the year of the managers—tour and production managers. Incredible problem-solvers who this year will have a real doozy to tackle. So, the mantra of patience and perseverance might be an industry motto in 2023.
Many in the industry are working on both immediate and long-term solutions trying to tackle the qualified labor shortage issue. It was a prominent conversation during THE Conference: Live at Lititz in early-December. A number of the production houses discussed how they were stepping up their game in terms of educating their early-career employees. Everyone agreed that both time and financial resources were long overdue in the area of formal training programs for the live entertainment industry. Having always been proud of how, as a community, on the job mentoring has been a major part of our industry’s DNA, we must understand that when you lose 30% of your labor force, a fair number of potential ‘put the newbie with Jim’ on the road mentors are now gone. Mentoring will continue to be an essential, important, and certainly much needed part of our industry, but it should not be confused as being a training plan. So, it is reassuring to hear discussions of new educational opportunities, sharing of successful established training programs and real attention being paid to how new hires are brought into the industry. In the coming months, PLSN will bring coverage of what is happening in terms of training initiatives. In fact, we start this month with an in-depth look at the CoiL program of Entertainment Technology Partners (ETP), in concert with their brand, LMG. [pg.42].
I think it is also worth noting that while the problems created by this shortage of labor are numerous, it is also a rare opportunity to address another equally important issue in our industry’s labor pool—Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. This is the chance to put action to words, to really recruit, train, promote and mentor the many people and groups who have been underrepresented and unable to open the door into the industry. It is heartening to know that many within the industry see this opportunity and are already tying together the training and hiring initiatives with outreach to those underrepresented communities. The industry will only be better for welcoming new voices, new perspectives, and new talent to join us. One of the things I am often told when interviewing people in live entertainment is how rewarding it is to be part of a show that you look out at the audience and see how the show has brought people together. We can do that for ourselves now as we address our labor needs and hiring practices throughout the industry.
Michael S. Eddy
Editor, PLSN
