Musgrave's Musings

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As the 2025 live event season begins to gather momentum, it's evident that the landscape of event production is shifting rapidly, driven by an insatiable demand for innovative solutions. Having signed my fair share of NDAs last year, I had the privilege of previewing some of the technologies on the horizon, and in many cases, the developments were promising. However, challenges surrounding labor and logistics/freight remain at the forefront of industry conversations. The hunger for strategies that reduce production footprints continues to grow, and with good reason: a smaller footprint translates to less labor, lower freight costs, and streamlined logistics a trifecta of cost savings and efficiency that every production dreams of achieving. But the question remains: Are we truly there yet? Can technological innovations live up to their bold promises? Can we, for example, shrink 60 wireless channels reliably into a single rack space? Can we engineer significantly lighter video walls without compromising durability and increasing attrition rates?

Behind these questions lies a broader tension between innovation and readiness. While productions are pushing the boundaries of technology, seeking ever more functionality from smaller, smarter solutions, venues are also stepping up. Many venues are recognizing the shift and are eager to capitalize on it, offering their own production assets for rent as a way to ease the burden on incoming shows—at a cost, of course. However, despite these attempts, a significant portion of productions still feel 'safer' building, testing, and fine-tuning their own gear during pre-production rather than relying on the promise of externally maintained systems. After all, trust is earned over time, and while advancements in technology are exciting, they always come with a period of growing pains before widespread adoption and confidence follow.

One of the biggest struggles for new tech to gain traction often lies in exposure and hands on engagement. While trade shows and conferences remain essential gathering points for showcasing innovations, their scale can overwhelm, making it challenging for attendees to truly assess a product's potential. Many large trade shows are still bogged down by outdated strategies of badge scanning and lead collection, where quantity often takes priority over meaningful, in-depth interactions. In contrast, we're witnessing a rise in smaller, more focused industry events with curated audiences designed to foster deeper connections and practical product demonstrations. These intimate settings allow professionals to truly interact with the technology, helping to alleviate the skepticism that naturally accompanies anything billed as 'groundbreaking' or 'game changing.'

?In today’s hyper-connected world of trade shows and expos, the obligatory follow up email has become almost a parody of itself. You know the one—the overly polite 'Thank you for stopping by our booth; let’s sync up to explore possible synergies!' followed a few months later by the predictable, 'We know your schedule is busy, so you may have missed our earlier email…' It’s like clockwork, a templated cycle that most of us have seen countless times. Paired with the ten page data grab registration forms required just to attend many shows, the whole process can often feel more like an administrative hurdle than an exciting entry into innovation. Once you’re through and onboarded, many demo rooms turn out to be lackluster, serving as three dimensional replicas of the same advertisements you’ve probably already sifted through online. There’s rarely anything new to glean, much less something that sparks genuine curiosity.

Of course, not all booth experiences fall into this trap. On the brighter side, some companies (see handful) are genuinely eager to gather feedback, field questions, and use face to face engagement as an opportunity to refine and improve their offerings. These are the moments that redeem the expo experience, showcasing innovation and sincerity rather than the old time share pitch approach or the county fair drink ticket marketing. As someone who, like a 'Toys 'R' Us kid,' (yes, I am old) thrives on the excitement of new tech, I often find myself impatient, yearning for technology to progress even faster. What always strikes me, however, is the vast gap between potential and execution in this arena.

It’s safe to say that while change feels more critical than ever, the pathway to widespread adoption is still complex. A combination of innovative solutions, industry trust, and practical application will define which technologies rise to the top and which fizzle out under the weight of their own ambition. For now, the conversations around labor, logistics, and production footprints remain central, and those who crack the code to deliver reliable, cost-effective, and lightweight solutions in a rapidly moving industry will undoubtedly lead the way into the next chapter of live event production.

?If you’ve read this far, I’d like to ask: what are your hopes for innovation to help curb the current industry concerns? With rapid advancements in technology and a growing awareness of the challenges faced by many industries, there’s a collective need for transformative solutions. From climate change to labor shortages and supply chain disruptions, these concerns require more than incremental improvements; they demand bold, revolutionary approaches.