Jim Digby on Event Safety

The entertainment business has always been my life. At 11 years old, theater and television arts became both an inspiration and a passion that helped me find "my place" in school. There have been very few moments since that have not included the arts as a central theme and usually from behind the curtain.

In my first professional job, I controlled a special effects lighting fixture that fell from the ceiling killing a patron. It was a catastrophic accident resulting from a construction oversight, and while I was not at fault, it was a traumatic event that scarred me as a nineteen-year-old. This scar tissue was ripped open when the stage collapsed at the Indiana State Fair, killing 7 people and wounding 55 others. I wasn’t involved in the Indiana incident, but it struck me that the same thing could have happened to me, leaving me motivated to learn everything I could about the chain of causation from that disaster.

Shortly after the State Fair tragedy, a rapidly expanding group of concerned industry professionals began routine phone meetings strategizing ways to address the accident and assemble recommended practices for our industry to help not repeat the tragedy. It became clear that a formal organization would benefit the industry in necessary ways. This dedicated group from across live events shared a common goal of prioritizing safety and creating guidance to help avoid similar tragedies became the nonprofit Event Safety Alliance.

ESA's early successes included completing North America's first comprehensive collection of safety practices, "The Event Safety Guide." The Alliance is now a multinational organization with international affiliates in 6 countries; the guide has now been translated into 4 languages. In May, the ESA published free comprehensive reopening guidance for event professionals in response to COVID; this has been downloaded more than 30,000 times. The organization produces an annual safety conference attracting thought leaders and practitioners, creating the relationships and pathways for the industry's continued safety advancement.

While the Event Safety Alliance's boundaries are constrained specifically to safety, there are many other education and advocacy needs within the entertainment sector. This is where Show Makers spreads its wings. Its principal mission to produce educational events and assist other 501(c)(3)s supporting the live events sector gives the organization broad reach to lead the way evolving the industry to the culture of today.

Working directly with professional educators and a visionary group of event professionals, Show Makers has begun identifying the gaps in education currently plaguing our live events industry and creating content to fill these gaps to support and uplift the workforce both personally and professionally.

Show Makers is aggregating a reference glossary of organizations within live events whose missions assist those most in need due to either job stressors or job loss caused by the pandemic and supporting those organizations who have a credible cause in need of resources.

Both of these organizations are missions driven by passion and an overwhelming desire to give back to an industry that has given me life and purpose. I’m thrilled to bring ESA and Show Makers sessions to NAMM. Not only do I Believe in Music, but I believe in everyone behind the music, and am grateful for everyone in our community of show makers banding together during this time to return a stronger and more resilient industry.

About the author:

Jim Digby has spent three decades bringing celebrated talent to stages across the globe. Longtime Director of Touring for multi-platinum recording artists Linkin Park, he has shepherded productions for diverse and high-profile clients including Enrique Iglesias, Backstreet Boys, Marilyn Manson, The Bolshoi Ballet, Phil Collins, and Bon Jovi. He is a 4-time Tour Link Production Manager of the Year, and the 2012 Parnelli’s “Production Manager of the Year” award and is a board member of the Behind The Scenes Foundation, in addition to founding the non-profits Event Safety Alliance and Show Makers.