Taking place last month at Earls Court Conference Centre, alongside PLASA 2010, the event brought together over 200 delegates from as far afield as South Africa, North America and Australasia to discuss a range of issues and to share experiences.
The two full-on days of discussion were opened by Unusual Rigging's Alan Jacobi LVO, an industry icon who engaged delegates with a fascinating history of the rigging industry across the past five decades. The back-to-back programme of sessions and interactive debates which followed were well received by the capacity audience.
Bill Sapsis of Sapsis Rigging, part of the international line-up of speakers at the event, summed up the view of many: "The PLASA International Rigging Conference certainly lived up to my expectations. The speakers and panellists were indeed the leaders in their field and they, as well as the attendees, came prepared to discuss the issues that riggers face on a day-to-day basis. I'm thrilled to have been a part of the inaugural conference and I'm very much looking forward to the next one."
One of the key aims of the Conference was to provide a forum in which to discuss some of the controversial topics surrounding temporary event rigging requirements and to dispel some commonly held myths.
Conference Consultant, Chris Higgs of Total Solutions Group, comments: "The PLASA International Rigging Conference far exceeded my expectations. The support from the rigging community was fantastic and the time and effort put into each presentation was a testament to the enthusiasm and dedication of the industry. We probably asked more questions than we answered and already have a packed programme of ideas to warrant the next conference taking place in 2011."
From the universally positive response during the closing session, it was clear that the event had provided a much needed 'live' forum for the international rigging community and that there was a genuine desire to work together to benefit the industry.
Director of Events for PLASA, Nicola Rowland added: "We're delighted to have received such a positive endorsement from the events and entertainment rigging community to the idea of sitting down and debating key issues. With over 60% of the delegates attending from overseas, it was, from the offset, the international forum we wanted it to be."
The PLASA International Rigging Conference is the latest industry-specific forum to the presented by PLASA Events and reflects the PLASA organisation's stated intent to reinvest in the event, entertainment and installation technology industries and deliver bespoke events for the unique market sectors it serves.
Consultation with the international rigging community is currently underway to agree the timing and location for the next PLASA International Rigging Conference and details will be announced shortly.
To view the full 2010 Conference Programme of subjects, speakers and panellists - please visit www.plasariggingconference.com
(Jim Evans)
