Building on the success of previous years, the programme, which is again curated by Chris Higgs of Total Solutions, will comprise seven sessions in one day, as opposed to eight over two days. The first session details to be announced are that of keynote speaker, Bill Sapsis, who will share his experiences and insights from a 40-year career in the entertainment rigging industry.
Sapsis is a USITT Fellow and a past member of the USITT Board of Directors. He is currently a member of the ETCP Council and Chair of the Rigging Working Group for PLASA NA. Sapsis is the recipient of the 2012 EVA Swan Award - ESTA's highest honour - and sits on the advisory board of the New York City Technical College. He also co-produces the highly acclaimed North American Theatre and Engineering Conference in New York and is no stranger to addressing entertainment industry professionals. As a rigger and author, Bill's seminars have garnered worldwide recognition.
Commenting on the announcement, PLASA's Director of Events, Christopher Toulmin, explains, "We're always looking at ways of delivering both quality and value for our delegates. With the new one-day format and a keynote speaker of Bill Sapsis's calibre, we believe we've taken very positive steps towards those aims. Delegates will be able to enjoy an inviting schedule that is less demanding on their time and on their pocket, which doesn't compromise on quality. You only need to look at Bill's experience and standing in the industry to get an idea of how engaging his keynote speech will be."
The PLASA Rigging Conference has become an important annual meeting for the rigging community, typically attracting over 150 delegates, from more than 20 different countries. They include rigging practitioners, managers, engineers, safety professionals and policy makers who are keen to exchange information, challenge thinking and inspire new research. It is unique as the only event to focus specifically on rigging for the entertainment industry.
Programme curator, Chris Higgs, is training manager and group safety advisor at Total Solutions. He is known in the rigging industry as one of its most experienced and valued members - characteristics that are augmented by his friendly and approachable nature. Further details of the schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
Registration is open and up until 15 August 2014 delegates can take advantage of a special early bird booking rate of £150 plus VAT. The delegate rate includes refreshments throughout the day, lunch and networking drinks at the close of the conference. For more information and to book your place, visit plasariggingconference.com"
(Jim Evans)
