Wednesday marked the launch of a new organization, the Live Show Producers Guild of America (L.S.P.G.A.), for members of the live-show and event production community. Based in Orlando, the association was founded by a group of industry professionals, including Chris Homsley, producer of five races for the Red Bull Air Race series; former Super Bowl and Nascar producer Tony Allen; and Steve Jaffe, the designer behind the infrastructure package for Bonnaroo 2004 through 2009.
"One of our goals is to provide our members with a set of standards by which to produce live shows," said Greg Fox, president and C.E.O. of the guild. "Anybody familiar with live events can tell you that anything that can go wrong, will."
In addition to providing its members with group-discounted health benefits, insurance, education, recognition, and support, the L.S.P.G.A. also offers an online event resource database on its Web site, with access to emergency contacts to aid in live-production needs or issues, or to source elements for future productions. To protect its members, the organization will ensure that all professionals are vetted, qualified, and experienced in their fields, in part through its education program.