The rallying cry went out from the volunteer leadership of ESTA and members of the Technical Standards Program, "Everyone in the industry benefits from the TSP and everyone needs to step forward and fund this critical program to keep it alive." The standards created under the TSP are used directly or indirectly every day by almost every manufacturer, dealer, installer, production company and end user. These standards prevent accidents, protect lives and property, save time and money, solve problems, and enhance creativity.
The industry is being asked to step up with five-year pledges to ensure the important work of the TSP can continue uninterrupted while ESTA strives to put other sources of funding in place. To date, 51 companies and individuals have stepped forward with pledges totaling roughly $200,000 per year, putting ESTA over halfway towards its goal. The list of companies making the pledge can be seen at tsp.esta.org/pledged_donors. To join them, visit tsp.esta.org/donate or email savethetsp@esta.org.
The TSP provides the vehicle to create safety and interoperability standards which are free from anti-trust concerns in a decidedly regulatory-compliant environment. The current technology climate is accelerating at a faster rate than ever before yet, without the TSP, the industry would revert to a standards-free environment, or worse, an environment where standards for our industry would be set by people from outside our industry. This would be particularly disastrous in areas such as rigging where accidents would prompt individual cities and states to try and write their own standards which would result in a compliance and touring nightmare.
In addition, maintaining existing ANSI standards requires review on a regular five-year cycle. Without the TSP, even maintaining current ANSI standards as they evolve would not be possible and they would cease to exist.
The TSP has authored over 50 American National Standards with more currently in development by the hundreds of volunteers who participate in the program. Please support the work they do on behalf of the entire entertainment technology industry by becoming a TSP Investor in Innovation today.
(Jim Evans)
