The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show is one of the largest trade events in our extended industry. The final attendance count for the 2012 show in Las Vegas was 92,112, up from 91,932 in 2011. Some 1,600 exhibitors occupied 815,000 net square feet of exhibit space, up from 1,550 exhibitors and 745,000 square feet the year before.
Spring is in full swing. The cherry blossoms have come and gone. The blistering heat of the summer is right around the corner. Just like the heat index, this summer tour season is going to be on fire. Production companies from around the country are preparing their tours as we speak. Here’s just a sampling of what production companies have in store for the Summer of 2012.
South Philly Vikings Win “Super Bowl of Parades”
In July 2010, the hit TV show, America’s Got Talent hosted the entertainment troupe, The South Philly Vikings, who donned four-eyed E.T., pale-skinned predator, and mutant cyber-maniac costumes to perform their choreographed dance sequence, “Alien Encounter.”
Situated in a quiet area in the San Fernando valley is a very busy company that handles some of the biggest feature films, special events, Broadcast events, and television series, including NFL Super Bowl, The X Games, ABC’s Bachelor/Bachelorette series and NBC’s The Voice.
ST. LOUIS, MO — When Elvis leaves this building an especially roomy vehicle is needed as there are four Elvises (Elvi?) in this production.
“This show has thrown some people off, because it’s not strictly a Broadway show, not strictly a rock ‘n’ roll show, but a perfect hybrid of both,” declares Elvis Lives! tour manager Stephen Gudis.
What happens when three separate tradeshows (Event Live Expo with Club + Venue Design, AEG Expo, and Pollstar Live!) are co-located in one spot? The answer is simple: a larger Event Live Expo! Billed as “The Trade Show for Live Event Production & Management,” this relatively new expo showcases all of the aspects of live events ranging from lighting, audio, video, and staging, to labor, trucking, and ticket agents. Held in downtown Los Angeles, CA, this is year number two for the show, which is supported by AEG and Pollstar Live! I wanted to see for myself what the buzz was all about.
In the rental and production industry, you never know what you’re going to get when equipment is returned. If all goes to plan, rentals are returned on time, in one piece, and fully operational. However, reality has a way of messing with best-laid plans, and many things can wreak havoc when it comes to inventory management. But in the face of such uncertainty, a rental and production company still has to be able to schedule rentals based on real-time availability of equipment.
By the time Ed Wannebo took the stage at the end of the evening to accept the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award, it was already an entertaining evening filled with surprises. Then Kenny Chesney walked out on stage. A true man crush ensued. Chesney has had Wannebo working as production manager on his tours for a decade, and a tradition of his shows includes Wannebo running out halfway through to hand him a special hand-crafted margarita. On a Saturday night at the end of October, Chesney returned the favor. A surprised Ed got a big hug, the drink, and then Chesney addressed the Parnelli audience.
