After more than 30 years in the live events industry, one thing is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: the skilled talent pool is shrinking.

Whether it's audio engineers, lighting technicians, video operators, rigging crews, or technical planners, we’re seeing the same problem across the board. Fewer people entering. More people are retiring. The workload isn't going away, but the teams to deliver it are getting smaller.

This isn’t a one-off or a short-term dip. It’s a structural shortage. And it’s getting harder to ignore.

It’s not just us, our work is different

The events industry shares this problem with many other technical fields. Engineering, construction, IT, and trades all report the same trend: an ageing workforce, fewer new entrants, and increased pressure on existing teams.

But what makes events different is the nature of the work.

This is not a 9-to-5 job. It’s evenings, weekends, and holidays. It’s 4 a.m. load-ins, 2 a.m. load-outs, and days where the plan changes by the hour.

It's a high-pressure environment where things must work the first time. It’s working when others are celebrating.

There’s no pretending that’s for everyone. And in today’s world, where work-life balance is rightly a priority, it’s becoming harder to attract people into roles that demand this level of flexibility and stamina.

Has the narrative shifted too far?

We spend a lot of time now talking about what work should give us—but very little about what we’re willing to give to it. It’s understandable. People are tired. Boundaries matter. But it does raise a question:

Where are the people who want to build something—when everyone else is off?

Events don’t run on good vibes and laptops. They run on gear that needs lifting, signal paths that need troubleshooting, and lighting plans that only work because someone was on-site two days earlier measuring rigging points in 40°C heat.

The Problem Is Visibility and Pathways

We’re not losing people to other industries. We’re losing them to not knowing this industry exists. Most young people don’t grow up dreaming of being a dimmer tech or a systems engineer, because no one tells them it’s even a career path.

And when they do stumble into it, there are often no clear entry points. No structured apprenticeships. No hands-on training beyond “figure it out under pressure.”

So What Needs to Happen?

This isn’t just about getting more people on a call sheet. It’s about keeping the industry viable long-term.

Here’s what we need:

• Vocational Awareness

  • We need to start younger. Events need visibility in technical schools, universities, and career fairs, especially through live demos and site visits.

• Structured Mentorship

  • Learning on the job is normal in events. But it can’t be the only method. Let’s invest in mentorship that’s intentional, consistent, and tied to growth.

• Skills-Based Hiring

  • Not everyone needs a degree to be an excellent technician. We should be assessing talent through problem-solving, reliability, and adaptability—not just certifications.

• Respect for the Technical Foundation

  • The spotlight is often on creative concepts and final execution—but none of it happens without the people behind the scenes. We need to raise the profile of these roles and give them the credit they deserve.
    
    

Final Thought

Every flawless event you’ve ever attended—concert, gala, opening ceremony, summit—ran because someone was thinking three steps ahead, hours before the doors opened.

If we don’t protect and grow that level of competence, we won’t need to worry about lights not being on time.

There won’t be anyone left to hang them.

It’s time we focus less on what’s flashy and more on what keeps the show standing.