How Brighter Boston Is Building the Next Generation of Live Event Professionals
How one non-profit is providing a career path for underserved youth and shaping a new generation of live event professionals All photos included in this article are courtesy of Brighter Boston What were...
10 Live Event Statistics You Need to Know for 2022
As we round out 2021 and look ahead to the future of events in 2022, we’re preparing for a big year ahead with the latest live event statistics. If we learned anything from 2020,...
The 3 Most Important Event Trends for 2022
In the future, crewing/staffing events will be faster than ever and open lines of communication will make events easier for everyone. How is staffing done for an event today? It’s not efficient - or pretty....
Exercises You Can Do On the Road
One of the most challenging aspects of life in the events industry is the constant travel. How do you stay healthy when you’re working? What kind of exercises can you do in a tiny hotel...
3 Strategies for Superior Live Event Crew Management
How do you make sure your event crew has the kind of experience with your company that makes them want to work with you again - and again? The live events industry is small....
3 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Event Staffing Plan
Wondering how staffing is done for an event? The best producers prioritize their crew and embrace new ways of doing things. Event production is a hard game to play. The best planned budgets are...
The Opportunities and Struggles of Hybrid Event Production
Why event production companies and labor coordinators need to cultivate and support a whole new generation of AV crew talent The LASSO team is chock-full of industry veterans, and one thing we love about this...
Live Event Staffing Will Never Be the Same. Are You Prepared?
How event production, event staffing companies, and event crew are being tasked to do more with less than ever The LASSO team is chock-full of industry veterans, and one thing we love about this...
LASSO Crew Marketplace Frequently Asked Questions
Who is LASSO? Why should I join the LASSO Marketplace? Does it cost money to be in the LASSO Marketplace? What types of companies can I expect work from? Can I still work for other...
Salaries for Live Event Crew Jobs in 2021
LASSO’s annual Crew Pay Rate Report is now out for 2020-2021. You can hop directly to the report to see all the details, or read on for a preview of what to expect from this year’s national results. ...
Super Bowl LV: How Event Companies Behind the Scenes are Tackling New Challenges with Innovation
Every year, families, friends, and football fanatics gather around to watch a championship like no other. Filled with spectacular halftime shows and performances, remarkable commercials, and of course — football. After facing the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it was up to some incredibly dedicated, innovative companies (and a few dozen LASSO Customers) to craft this year’s Super Bowl LV experience.
Incredible Event Companies Giving Back & Doing Good: Part 10
How A&M Agency, GigRent, e=mc2, Quest AV, & IES Productions are Assisting their Communities & the Industry We’re so excited to say that we are back with the 10th edition of our Give Back Series!...
Incredible Event Companies Giving Back & Doing Good: Part 9
How Gatsby Entertainment, Scene Ideas, 84 West Events, Humdinger Productions, & Flock Platform are Safely Bringing Communities Together At the beginning of May, we wrote a blog post on how three industry leaders were helping...
Incredible Event Companies Giving Back & Doing Good: Part 8
How Geniecast, Show Imaging, Zero Waste Event Productions, Select Event Group, & Se7ven Sounds Music are Rising up to Support Others We’re so excited to say that we are back with the 8th edition of...
Incredible Event Companies Giving Back & Doing Good: Part 7
How Vilar Performing Arts Center, Nordest Studio, Spartan Crew, Blue Ridge AVL, & Total Lighting Support are Staying Strong & Lending a Hand It is hard to believe that what started as an idea for...
Incredible Event Companies Giving Back & Doing Good: Part 6
How JPO Concepts, PRG, Heroic Productions, Interactive Entertainment Group, & Awe Events ATX are Providing a Cause for Celebration We’re happy to announce that we are back with article 6 in our Give Back series....
Incredible Event Companies Giving Back & Doing Good: Part 5
How CLEMCO.AV, Gallagher Staging, Stage Ops, & Reel Impact are Making the World a Little Brighter It is hard to believe that we are already in our third week of our “Give Back” initiative! Thank...
Incredible Event Companies Giving Back & Doing Good (NEW Series, Part 4)
How Chemistry Creative, PSI, SenovvA, Pike Productions, & Digital Surgeons are Raising Awareness & Spreading Kindness to Their Communities First, thank you all for continuing to read and support our Give Back Campaign! It’s been...
Incredible Event Companies Giving Back & Doing Good (NEW Series, Part 3)
How Alliance Nationwide Expositions, Music Matters, Sole Power, KLANCE Unlimited, & Renegade Racing are Coming Together & Contributing to their Communities We’re so excited that this series has picked up so much support across the...
Incredible Event Companies Giving Back & Doing Good (NEW Series, Part 2)
How EN Events, Varvid, Eventage, Course Hero, & The Georgia Ballet are Getting Resourceful to Help Their Own & Others Since our first article in this series, we’ve received a huge outpouring of support from...
Lesser Known Problems With How You’re Being Billed for Labor
Have you ever looked at your outsourced labor invoices and been surprised or even frustrated? You’ve likely dealt with things like daily overtime, rounding up to the next hour, steep mark-ups – the list goes...
Incredible Event Companies Giving Back & Doing Good (NEW Series, Part 1)
How TOURtech, Michael Gaster + Associates, CTD, 3rd Rock Events, & Unbridled Have Gotten Creative To Show They Care As the effects of COVID-19 drag on and our industry continues to struggle, there are so...
How 3 Event & Entertainment Industry Leaders are Helping During the COVID Pandemic
The past few months have been unprecedented, not only for our industry, but for the entire country. But amid the COVID chaos, we’ve also seen unity, strength, and resilience. And, we’ve seen an abundance of...
What does the CARES Act mean for your small or medium sized event & entertainment business?
On March 27th, 2020, President Trump signed a legislation called The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). In response to this, our partners over at Insperity have created a brief information sheet...
How can you prevent crew burnout?
Did you know that 1 in every 3 event professionals are suffering from mental health concerns and/or experiencing crew burnout? While news outlets are quick to report on the surprising rates of addiction and mental...
Warning: you’re losing money by not using videos. These 4 video production companies can help.
Video has been a part of our lives since the world’s first legal television commercial aired on July 1, 1941 Random fact: the commercial was for Bulova watches and it was only 10 seconds long....
Super Bowl LIV: How Event and Entertainment companies work behind the scenes to create over-the-top experiences
The Super Bowl is the most watched sporting event on television every year in the United States. Lots of hype before, during, and after the big game like viewing parties, concerts, brand activations, and experiential...
6 Entertainment Industry companies that are rocking out in 2020
The entertainment industry spans a wide array of media from musicians and performers to DJs and dancers. Entertainment provides amusement and enjoyment and sometimes it’s the most memorable happening at an event. Whether it’s winning...
Here are the top event & entertainment trends for 2020. How is the event industry changing?
As we journey into another new year, it’s important to ask yourself some critical questions. Are you aligned with the latest technology and labor trends? Does your business have strong processes in place to scale...
Do you have the right payroll software and process in place? 4 signs the answer is no.
That time of year is fast approaching…payroll filings, W2 issuance, and making sure you have the right payroll software provider in place to best serve you and your employees. Let's face it, although no one...
How to turn on cost saving initiatives without turning off your customers
The main function of any business is to make money. Businesses that make money can serve their customers and industry better, whereas businesses that lose money typically aren’t in business for much longer. That’s why...
How does the passing of AB 5 impact event & entertainment companies?
With the recent passing of California’s Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), news on the subject and its impact on the state of California, the Nation, and the gig economy is everywhere. However, we know that...
What’s new in employee misclassification and why event & entertainment companies need to pay attention
If you haven’t yet heard, there is some BIG employee misclassification news in the state of California. If you have events that you are producing in the state or have people that work in California,...
Are you selling on value or price? Ask yourself these 4 questions.
Why are some event companies better at selling their value than others? And how can event management software help? Sure, successful event and entertainment companies deliver great experiences, products and services, but they are ultimately...
3 ways to leverage technology to put a personal touch in your event crewing process
Technology does a lot, but it can’t do everything. This is most evident when it comes to event crewing or staffing for live events. Yes, as an event company, your crew expects to connect with...
How to use a crew app to fill open shifts and make better business decisions
A well-produced event can transform a simple day into a memorable lifelong experience. However, producing events that amaze is frankly, challenging. From concept design to execution, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of moving parts...
3 employee scheduling basics you should be reviewing constantly
We often hear this – event companies are using excel spreadsheets, Google docs, and multiple calendars for their employee scheduling processes as well as the overall tracking of their freelance staff or crew. Crew cannot...
What’s the #1 frustration in an event company’s workforce scheduling process? Determining crew availability.
How long does it take to track down potential crew members in order to confirm if they are available (or not) to work your event? Between making multiple phone calls, sending emails and texts, and...
Three things every event company must understand about employee misclassification
If you’re in the event industry, you’ve most likely heard about employee misclassification and the very serious ramifications that can occur if your temporary crew is improperly classified. So, the question is - should you...
Are you making these 3 event staff management mistakes?
LASSO helps event companies employ the power of technology for event staff scheduling and avoid these top 3 staff management mistakes.
The next big thing in crew management
LASSO Workforce Management Software allows businesses to pull together all of their labor processes in order to build a talent pool, schedule crew, track time and more.
2019 tips for crew scheduling, time tracking, and managing live event crews
How many Americans will rely on temporary work, freelancing, and on-demand apps to make a living by the year 2020? The answer is… a lot. By 2020, there will be 64 million people working in...
Crew scheduling: explained in fewer than 140 characters
In order to simplify crew management, use event workforce management software to automate scheduling, enhance mobile communication, and improve time tracking.
Searching for a few stunning event production pages to follow on Facebook? Well, look no further.
We all look for information and inspiration when it comes to our Facebook feeds. This month, make sure to discover these stunning event production pages, which are sure to motivate, inform, and inspire you every...
3 things every event company needs to know
Knowing better means doing better. Maya Angelou once said, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." This is especially true for event companies when crew scheduling...
5 Twitter accounts you should start your 2019 with
Companies like the ones below show us that creating life-changing experiences is an undying art form that will only continue grow in the years to come. This year, let’s make it a priority to keep...
5 Event Production Companies That Will Keep Your Facebook Newsfeed Merry This Holiday Season
Tis the season to be merry and jolly! To maintain our high spirits this holiday season, we wanted to introduce you to 5 event production companies that do amazing things for their clients and audiences...
Are you still using excel spreadsheets to crew your events?
Are you still using excel spreadsheets and manual processes to crew your events? If so, you must be getting really tired of the lack of collaboration, lack of real-time visibility into project statuses and costs,...
5 Instagram influencers that we are thankful for this month
As you make your own list of all the things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, we wanted to share with you 5 Instagram accounts that we ourselves are thankful for. Not only do these...
5 companies whose Twitter pages inspire their audiences
Experiential marketing, event production, and exhibit design companies all desire to capture their audiences’ attention. Those most successful in this industry are able to do just that by not only producing amazing event experiences, but...
Up and away: the changing path of travel management for live event crews
Traveling an event crew can be incredibly time-consuming and expensive. Many companies lose out on easy opportunities to keep costs down when they still book, communicate, and manage their crews’ travel itineraries through systems that...
5 event production companies that will change the hues on your Facebook timeline this month
October is here and as the leaves start to change into their autumn hues, we thought that it’s about time that your Facebook timeline gets an update as well. This month, we’ve got 5 fantastic...
5 great event production companies to snuggle up with on Instagram this fall
On September 22nd, 2018, we had our next official season change of the year – from the sizzling heat of summer to the more moderate-temperatures of the fall. It’s now also almost officially “Pumpkin Spice”...
What you need to know about California’s new employee misclassification rules
On April 30, 2018, the Supreme Court of California established new rules for determining whether a worker is an independent contractor (1099) or an employee (W-2). This decision greatly impacts many wage-related requirements for businesses...
5 Experiential Event & Creative Companies to Follow on Twitter this Month
One thing we know about the event industry is that it’s not just about putting dynamic events together. Rather, it’s about creating powerful experiences that have a positive, lasting impact on audiences of all sizes....
5 Cool Canadian Event Production Companies to Like on Facebook this Month
Over the past few months we’ve shared with you some best US-based event production companies to follow on social media. But, let’s not forget about our friendly northern neighbors from “O Canada”! Did you know...
How do event production companies employ labor agencies?
We all know that in order to produce a flawless event, an array of moving parts must come together. However, while everyone is doing their part in creating unique event experiences, we can sometimes forget...
Five Event Production Instagram Pages to Follow to Make Happiness Happen for You
Fun Fact: Did you know that August is “National Happiness Happens Month”? This is very relevant for the event industry, because it is what they do all year round – they work tirelessly to create...
Are you managing your event company through your email inbox?
Do you remember when that little "ding" and the automated voice saying, "You've got mail!" had you dashing to your computer to see what new messages you had received? Well, things have changed. Today, our...
Transforming Manual Work Fails into Automated Workflows with Event Scheduling Software
John is a labor coordinator. He was just told that their client now wants all of the crew to park in lot B instead of lot C for the event the very next day. John...
5 Event Production Facebook Pages to Add to Your News Feed This Month
Without great determination and strive for perfection, the event industry would not be what it is today. The following five event production companies vary in location, services provided, and even size, but the one thing...
How Event Companies Waste Time & Money
Benjamin Franklin once said, “lost time is never found again.” In this industry, lost time is a concern due to the fact that it can negatively impact the success and profitability of every event. Most...
5 Retweetable Event Production Companies to Keep an Eye on This Month
Finally! We’ve made it to the time of year where we get to enjoy the summer sun and the summer fun. For many, this season means more beach or pool time, and of course, more...
Brighten Up Your Instagram Feed with These 5 Event Production Influencers
April showers have brought us May flowers so it’s time to brighten up your Instagram feed with these 5 Event Production Instagram influencers. "The world's favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in...
5 Common Characteristics of the Best Event Labor Coordinators
In event production, there is a group of people that work to ensure an event is crewed appropriately so that it is both successful and profitable. These key players are Labor Coordinators and their focus...
5 Event Production Influencers You Need to “Like” on Facebook this Month
In recent weeks, we’ve talked a lot about some of the “movers and shakers” on social platforms like Instagram and Twitter. However, we cannot forget about Facebook and the impact it has on the event...
How Can You Get Rid Of Excel Spreadsheets For Crew Scheduling? With Powerful Crew Scheduling Software.
There’s no question - the event production industry is demanding. And, while excel spreadsheets certainly have their place in business, they sure don’t make the crew scheduling process any easier or less time consuming. It’s...
What’s a Good Profit Margin When Billing for Your Live Event Crew?
While money isn’t everything… for live event companies, profitability is certainly a top priority according to recent survey results. One item that companies absolutely must take into account when examining their business and determining how...
Here’s a List of Production Companies and Influencers to Follow on Twitter this Month
Fun Fact: April is the month of the diamond! Did you know that diamonds not only represent love, but in other cultures are said to represent abundance, strength, and creativity? Very few industries express creativity...
March into Spring with These Five Blossoming Event Production Instagram Pages
Although it may not feel like it in some parts of the country, spring is well on its way! For many of us, this means Easter egg hunts are approaching, winter coats are being put...
Ready to Boost Your Twitter Feed? We’ve Got More Event Production Companies to Follow.
If you’re looking for a way to boost your event production themed twitter feed, we have a few recommendations for you. The beauty of a tweet is that it’s “micro-blog” format (280 characters to be...
Five Great Event Production Influencers to Follow
Want to Spruce Up Your Instagram Feed? We've Got You Covered with these Five Great Event Production Influencers to Follow. One of the main reasons we love the event industry is because it’s widely geared...
Five Things Event Professionals Need to Know NOW About OSHA’s Safety Training Requirements in Vegas
To keep you in the “know” about Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training, here are five frequently asked questions that might help you navigate this new wave.
How do event production companies charge their clients for labor?
How do event production companies charge their clients for labor? Determining this is a hot topic to say the least. This question led to one of our highest respondent surveys yet! Today we’d like to...
Do You Instagram? Here are 5 Event Production Influencers You Need to Follow on Instagram This Month
Much like Twitter, Instagram is another fantastic way for event production companies to reach their audience through dynamic images, fun captions (with no character limits!), and of course, with relevant industry “hashtags” which you can...
5 Event Production Influencers to Follow on Twitter in January
“Social media is the equalizer. It gives a platform to anyone willing to engage.”- Amy Jo Martin Social media outlets like Twitter are great ways for event production professionals to discuss hot topics and see...
How Do Event Staffing Companies Bill for Overtime?
In a previous event industry survey, we asked the question – “how do you pay your employees & freelancers overtime”? In our most recent survey, we wanted to better understand the other side of the...
As 2018 Approaches, What Keeps Event Execs Awake at Night?
In our recent 2018 Event Production Predictions infographic, “pace of growth” took the lead as the #1 item that keeps event executives awake at night. Improving productivity came in as #2 and managing cash flow...
Event Staff Management: What’s the #1 Metric Used for Rating Crew Performance?
One of our customers recently asked us, “How do others in the event industry rate the performance of their people?” Well, we wanted to hear what the industry had to say, so we sent out...
Why Staff Scheduling Solutions are Just Not Enough [Video]
In our latest video blog, LASSO's Angela Alea talks about staff scheduling and why automating just the scheduling part of the staffing workflow is just not enough. Check it out below. Transcript: For staffing companies...
Show Profitability Tops the List of Metrics Most Important to Event Production Companies [Survey Results]
If you could track quality business metrics on an ongoing basis, what would be the most important data points for measuring success? While gross margin and customer satisfaction are essential for most companies in this...
What Metrics do Staffing Companies Track Monthly? [Survey Results]
What do event staffing firms track to measure the state of their business? How do they evaluate overall business health? Sure, we all know gross margin and customer satisfaction are critical, but there are a...
How Efficient is the Event Staffing Industry? Survey Results
We recently surveyed event staffing companies from across the US in order to examine the operational strategies and workforce best practices in the industry tied to hiring, managing, and retaining both a shift and project-based...
What’s the #1 Reason Event Companies are Paying Less for Crew This Year?
One of the most interesting things that came out of this year’s crew pay rate report was that event companies are paying less in 2017 for their crew than they did in 2016. We were...
The Value of Data in Your Workforce Management Process [Video]
As your business grows, your costs rise significantly. Unfortunately, if you are still using manual workforce management processes to schedule and manage your crew, it's difficult – practically impossible actually - to get to the...
What’s the Secret to Contesting Unemployment Claims in Your Workforce Management Process?
As you might have already seen, we recently launched the results of our first annual event industry workforce management compliance survey. As part of this survey, one of the questions we asked but have not...
Event Industry News, Weekly Roundup: July 14, 2017
It turns out that according to the highly authoritative National Day Calendar website, this week’s celebrations included National 7-Eleven Day. Originating in 1989, this day was set aside to celebrate the convenient store's customers by...
3 Compliance “Misses” When Labor Management is a Manual Process
CONTINGENT WORKFORCE REQUIREMENTS: HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU? LASSO’s recent compliance survey results highlighted that 58% of respondents are very confident their business is completely compliant with all contingent workforce requirements. Of this group, 64% manually...
Is Obtaining Immediate Insight into Crew Availability a Constant Struggle? [Video]
In this industry, things change quickly. Events are added and removed or labor needs to shift on the fly and you need the ability to respond quickly. Today, just figuring out who is available and...
Is Anyone in the Gig Economy Following the Rules?
Shhh…this is really about compliance but hold up before you go…there are powerful survey results to make it less painful, so take a quick look: What is boring, unpleasant, and never-ending, but good for you?...
Event Industry News, Weekly Roundup: June 30, 2017
How did the Fourth of July become a national holiday? For the first 15 or 20 years after the Declaration was written, people didn’t celebrate it much, most say because too much else was happening...
Getting Caught Up from InfoComm 2017…Finally!
If you were at InfoComm last week, you’re probably still trying to catch your breath from activity-packed days (and nights) and roaming the massive exhibit hall in search of the latest gadgets and technology for...
Event Industry News, Weekly Roundup: May 26, 2017
At LASSO, we want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the men and women who have bravely served the red, white and blue. While we are thankful every single day, this...
Event Industry News, Weekly Roundup: May 19, 2017
In case you missed it, we’ve put together this week’s epic (and not so epic – but nonetheless intriguing) “what’s happening” in the Event Industry list of good reads. Happy reading! Maybe we should call...
Event Industry News, Weekly Roundup: May 15, 2017
You love to keep up with the latest hype in the event world but c’mon, who has time to comb Facebook pages and read industry news when the height of event season is in full...
Top Labor Management Challenge: Increasing Your Talent Pool
Increasing your pool of qualified crew or what we call “having a deep bench” of talented labor at your fingertips was seen as the #1 industry challenge according to our recent survey. This was followed...
More Event Companies are Automating Their Time Tracking Processes Than Ever Before
The number of event companies using automated time tracking systems grew, from 13% in 2015 to 40% in 2016 according to our recent survey. Companies are being forced to automate, in an effort to protect...
Biggest Concern for Event Companies: Remaining Competitive with Their Workforce
In LASSO’s 2nd annual event industry survey, the highest ranked concern uncovered among leaders was remaining competitive with their workforce. Check out the results below and click here to view the full survey analysis as...