Live production is under unprecedented strain. Tours are getting bigger, faster, and more complex at the exact moment the industry is facing a generational labor gap, fragmented communication, and runaway production expectations.
This panel brings together leaders from venue operations, large-scale festivals, and touring production to unpack what is actually breaking on the ground—and what needs to change next. From the disappearance of experienced mid-career crew after COVID to the inflation of production scale driven by democratized design tools and social media influence, the panel explores how misaligned expectations are colliding with real-world labor, venue, and budget constraints.
Panelists will share firsthand perspectives on why advancing has become harder than ever, how unreliable information creates downstream chaos, and why traditional “old school” production workflows no longer scale. The conversation will also examine emerging approaches to standardization, data-driven advancing, and shared systems that reduce cognitive load for venues, tours, and festivals alike.
With students and early-career professionals entering the industry alongside veterans navigating a rapidly changing landscape, this session offers a candid look at where live production is headed—and what it will take to build sustainable, professional workflows for the next generation.
