Events Industry Worker Shortage

With the events industry worker shortage, your choice of audio visual event production partner is now more important than ever.

The Events Industry Worker Shortage Is Causing Big Problems

In-person conventions, conferences, and trade shows are finally returning in 2022. However, in many cases, there aren’t enough staff to support the large number of shows being planned and the anticipated number of attendees.

While staffing is a problem in many industries, the leisure and hospitality industry is at the very center of the worker crunch. According to Statista, almost 1 in 10 positions in the industry remained vacant as of the end of September 2021 (when data was last compiled). That means a whopping 1.59 million positions remained unfilled.

Hospitality and events industry labor shortages across the U.S. are impacting staff support for trade shows and conferences. Competition for top labor means some venues will have trouble staffing shows. Staff shortages are also impacting the level of training, skill, and experience of the staff who end up supporting those events. In the world of AV and event production, many roles require AVIXA training and substantial technical knowledge. These days AV production companies are competing for scarce talent.

Most TST Employees Returned

Everybody says their staff is best. Our staff actually is the best. And they’re back.

Most of our staff returned when business resumed after initial pandemic shutdowns. In fact, our average employee tenure is 8 years, which is unheard of at most audio visual production companies.

We’ve often been asked how we manage to maintain such low turnover in an industry known for its high turnover. Now we’re asked how we enticed our highly trained and skilled employees to return.

The answer is simple. We hire only the very best AV technicians. Once hired, they grow in their jobs and gain opportunities they wouldn’t have anywhere else. They stick around because they know we have their best interests at heart.

Our AV technician hiring process is serious business. We use questionnaires and DISC profiles to identify strengths and weaknesses and to match candidates with jobs where they can thrive. Multi-stage interviews ensure that candidates have a service mentality and that they’re a fit for TST and that TST is a fit for them. Once hired, AV technicians begin a cross-functional training program. Training then continues throughout their career at TST.

Our many incentives for AV technicians include online and in-person courses (such as industry-leading AVIXA/CTS training), on-call and triage bonuses, and premium pay.

At TST, we believe that if our staff are happy, engaged, and challenged each and every day, the stage is set for collaboration, growth, and long-term loyalty.

Let’s Make Your Next Show Amazing

TST is the total show production solution for anyone who hosts, plans, manages, or produces trade shows, conferences, and nightclub live events. Our services include video, audio, lighting, staging, labor, laptop rentals, and gear rentals.

In the events industry, what you know and who you know are everything. We know the Pacific Southwest, Las Vegas, and all the venues inside and out. In an industry where almost anything can go wrong, we make sure everything goes right.

Reach out. Let’s start planning your next conference or trade show booth today.