Everyone working the show knew the set piece had to be in place for the show to go on. Even though it wasn’t their job, they came to help for the good of the show. It is moments like this that I am proud to be a part of this business. Sure, we give other departments grief and heckle each other from time to time, but in the end, we are family. The show must go on.
At LDI 2011 in Orlando, something happened that made me proud once again to be a part of this industry. On Thursday, the day before the show opened, a fire sprinkler malfunctioned and sent thousands gallons pouring into the south hall meeting rooms on the third floor. Below, on the second floor, where Philips Strand/Selecon/Vari-Lite, PRG and grandMA had set up lots of gear for hands-on training sessions, water began to trickle through the ceiling. Then it started gushing and breaking through the ceiling tiles.
A quick-thinking tech had killed the main power feed to the Philips meeting room, which had been powering more than 30 lights, dimmers and controllers. Immediately, everyone in the room began to rush equipment out of the room to save it. Show attendees passing by the room even came to the rescue to save equipment.
The outpouring of support didn’t stop there. After the water stopped, and the equipment was accounted for, the rush of support continued. Throughout the afternoon, I followed the progress and details of what happened and what was going on via Twitter. Philips was moved to the next meeting room over, which was just on the other side of the air wall. The ground-supported truss rig was lowered onto road cases that PRG brought over, and the entire rig was wheeled into the next room.
Throughout the afternoon and into the evening, attendees and other exhibitors began to show up. Some exhibitors cancelled dinner plans and left their own booth setup to help dry equipment and move the rig. All evening, the Philips meeting room was filled with the sound of hair driers going, drying out equipment, and calls from Philips employees directing everyone what to do. There were a few gear casualties, but the equipment loss was minimal, considering the circumstances. Events like this remind us why we carry spares! As midnight approached, the Philips meeting room was back up and running, with only programming left to touch up.
It is this kind of support and dedication to making sure that the show goes on that makes me most proud of being a part of such a group. We forget about competition, put aside our differences, and work together to help out friends in need. I was proud of our industry that day and still am, it’s in moments like this that the saying, “There’s no business like show business” means more.
There’s a saying that goes, “It could always be worse.” It certainly could have been that day, had it not been for some quick thinking techs and generous attendees and exhibitors. I cannot say it enough, I am so proud of our family — not only the work everyone does, but also the outpouring of support when things don’t go as planned, making sure the show goes on.
