Resources for Navigating the New Better:
Leverage your assets. Outsource when necessary. Build a safe future for your employees and events.
Insights, Ideas & Strategies
In uncharted territory, this industry has, and is, demonstrating a relentless commitment to building community, strengthening communication, and loving one another. We appreciate and are thinking of you all daily.
As we talk to our customers, partners and industry leaders, it only makes sense for us to share the wisdom that runs deep among our industry peers. We are all navigating this path at the same time with the same level of uncertainty. Utilize these resources to guide you in this journey.

The Event Safety Alliance Reopening Guide
With states slowly reopening and easing guidelines on group gatherings, there is a need for guidance on how small events and venues can reopen as safely as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response, LASSO, the Event Safety Alliance, and other live event industry professionals collaborated to put together this comprehensive guide.

Podcast: How Live Event AV Companies Should Navigate Through the COVID-19 Crisis
In this podcast, Wallace Johnson from AV Matters and our Founder and CEO, Clay Sifford, discuss what the live event AV industry can do to navigate through the current crisis, how the industry might change after, and how customer expectations might change in a post C-19 world.

Webinar Series: The Show Will Go On
COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed our industry forever. However, the situation is far from hopeless. The Show WILL Go On. Each Wednesday, industry leader Tom Stimson discusses how we can adapt to this new normal and strategically redesign our businesses for the post-pandemic era. Register for the series, or watch previous episodes below.
Responding to COVID-19
The first webinar of the Business Survival Series by Tom Stimson answers questions on the crisis and how you can deal with the fallout of this pandemic. It’s time for a reality check.
Retooling for Your Restart
In this webinar, Tom outlines 3 models for getting paid on upcoming projects without the risk of having to pay anything back in the case of a canceled event. You and the client each enjoy reduced risk!
Operations – Be Urgently Scalable
Are all of the operational things you do unique? That needs to become your new normal. Being unique without franchise-able processes is expensive. Standardize your operations and let marketing worry about what makes your company special.
Marketing & Sales – The Final Step in Your Make-Ready Phase
All the skill in the world won’t win jobs if you don’t have credibility. In order to establish credibility, we need to talk to our audience, even if they can’t buy anything.
Cash Flow in an Extended Crisis
A discussion on how to make your cash last as long as possible and resources to help you with that mission including a cash flow modeling spreadsheet and a summary of the CARES Act.
Time to Rethink Pricing
You have a do-over so it’s time to rethink pricing and that means start from cost. In this week’s webinar Tom explains the origins of pricing models and job costing systems and how they need to change.
Strategy in the Next Normal
The number one reason strategies fail is poor communication which leads to inconsistent or conflicting follow-through. Helping folks with answers to certain questions will go a long way of towards aligning minds.
Business REBOOT – What NOT to do this time!
Our businesses can’t survive on their own in a crisis. And we tend to spend ahead of ourselves. In this webinar, Tom outlines 5 things to avoid in your business moving forward.
Think like a Startup Again
In this episode, learn about the CARES Act and what it could mean for employers, as well as 3 levels of strategic response for small businesses that are trying to figure out what to do next.
From Marketing to Sales
In this week’s webinar, Tom discusses the elements of marketing and sales that will be critical in building a new book of business with ideal customers as you rebuild and re-open our businesses.
Your Next Normal May Not Be So Normal
The work we want may be in short supply, the work we need may not be the work we want. How can we better understand our decisions? In this episode, Tom outlines how to assess risk versus reward and the 4 phases of live event re-opening.
Crisis Management is Over – Time to move FORWARD
“A strategic inflection point is a time in the life of a business when its fundamentals are about to change.” – Andy Grove

FREE Training Resources
The industry has come together during these tough times offering free training during this industry hibernation:
- Powersoft offers free training.
- Vectorworks is offering free Spotlight Essentials Seminars. Use the code TRAINMENOW for a 100% discount.
- Strand console online training.
- ETC is offering their LearningStage classes FREE
- ChamSys runs a series of free live webinars on programming for their MagicQ console
- ACT Lighting has free online courses through June 1. Use promo code act4me to register for ACT Academy classes for grandMA and dot2 consoles.
- Use The Virtual Theatre program for free for the next three months. Just log on and select the ‘FREE ONLINE’ product and purchase.