Career Advice from Live Events Professionals

TLDR:

• We asked the production community for advice they'd give someone looking to break into live events. Over 770 people answered across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
• The single most popular response? "Don't." (They're kidding. Mostly.)
• The real advice boiled down to: ask questions, protect your body, invest in good boots, learn to coil a cable, and accept that sleep is now a suggestion.
• The love for this industry came through loud and clear, even from the people telling you to run.

What's a Piece of Advice You'd Give to Someone Who Wants to Work in Live Events?

We threw this question out to the production community and got absolutely buried. 771 comments. 2,300+ likes. Three platforms. The responses ranged from sincere insights to one person who simply wrote "Start drinking."

This industry attracts a very specific breed, and when you ask them for advice, you get the full spectrum: philosophical musings, dark humor, and the occasional confession that reads like a therapy session.

To those who dream of working in the world of live events, start taking notes.

Here's what the online mentors had to say.

Top 10 Responses by Likes

🏆 Top 10: The People's Choice

These ten comments collected the most likes across all three platforms, and they tell you a lot about what this industry values: humility, humor, and a healthy respect for your skeleton.

"If you don't know how to do something, don't be afraid to ask for help. Be prepared to never have a normal sleep schedule ever again lol"
- @trivium_engage (204 likes)

Communication is always key. The fact that it got more than double the likes of the next comment tells you everything about where this industry's head is at: stay humble, ask questions, and prepare to live on coffee. 

"Don't! 😂" - @fitzgeraldaudio (180 likes)

...Lots to unpack here. (More on this phenomenon below. It earned its own section.)

"Don't be an 'Ironman.' Accept assistance whenever possible. Your body will thank you when you are NOT so young any more." - @Gerry Piergalski (139 likes)

Ironman: a person who hero-carries something that should be a two-person lift. Unfortunately, load-in isn't a bodybuilding competition. Gerry's comment had people tagging their entire crew.

"It's not so much about what you know, it's more about who you know." - @Mitchell DeGroot (121 likes)

Bringing in good vibes with the people you meet goes a lot further than what you'd expect. @Paul Haines (19 likes) fired back with: "It's about who knows YOU." Both correct.

"It's a trap." - @Alfredo Granado (113 likes)

Shoutout to Admiral Ackbar.

🎓 Best Advice: The Stuff That Actually Matters

Plenty of comments went beyond the jokes and shared real wisdom.

"Work hard, be easy to work with, pay attention and pick up as much info as you can about your craft. Completely strike the phrase 'not my department' from your vocabulary."
- @Ron Suir (54 likes)

All hands on deck.

"Answer every call on your phone. Be the person that fills the last minute dropout. Show your employer you are the best choice. You will fly up the ranks!" - @stagetechproductions (63 likes)

Take your phone off of Do Not Disturb mode! In an industry where gigs are won by reputation, availability is a superpower. 

"If you are uncomfortable with a task, even if it isn't yours, vocalise it. It's better to overcommunicate than wish you'd have said something whilst someone gets wheeled to hospital." - @patrick_thetechnician_ (38 likes)

This is arguably the most important comment in the entire thread. Safety culture isn't just about your own tasks. If you see something, say something. 

"Be the first to show up, last to leave and never say no. Doing that will put you miles ahead of most in your market. Everything else will come with enough repetition." - @Clint Tone (21 likes)

People remember when you show up. You'll remember when others show up.

"Know your worth. Idc if it's your first day. Don't let yourself get exploited or hurt." - @Jamilyn Draconia Psaros (20 likes)

The flip side of "say yes to everything" and just as important. Respecting your boundaries and taking care of yourself are two things that should never be overlooked. 

"It takes what it takes. There are no shortcuts." - @chad._.dove (17 likes)

Read this one in Yoda's voice. 

🚫 "Don't." (And Other One-Word Warnings)

This deserves its own section because it became a whole movement. Across all three platforms, 28 people gave some variation of the same answer: Don't. Run. It's a trap.

The three highest-liked comments in this category:

"Don't! 😂" - @fitzgeraldaudio (180 likes)

"It's a trap." - @Alfredo Granado (113 likes)

"Don't." - @johnbbsdad on TikTok (41 likes)

For the record, @fitzgeraldaudio did follow up later: "I'm kidding. It's the best roller coaster I've ever been on." (12 likes). Definitely a ride we'll never get off of.

Some highlights from the chorus: @Louie Calabro kept it to "RUN!!," @Zoran Žiger famously said "Run, Forest run!," and @Andrea E. Ster threw in a "Don't 🤣" for good measure. The only place we're running to is whatever aisle at the store has energy drinks. 

But maybe @docld512 said it best. Their comment started with "RUN!!!!!" and then continued for an entire paragraph about their 35-year career, owning a production company, working on groundbreaking projects, and wishing they'd spent more time with family. The events world is as exhilirating as it is exhausting, and there isn't a better feeling than coming home to your loved ones. 

🧪 IYKYK: The Stuff Only This Industry Would Say

Every thread has its wildcards. These comments might not be in any career guide, but they're honest in a way that only someone who's lived it could write.

"Don't put your hand where you wouldn't put your d'- @Timothy Poneleit (74 likes)

 Okay. ❤️ 

"You ever been to jail? You do drugs? You been divorced? You like not sleeping? If you answered 'yes' to these questions... you'll do great! 👍" - @Timothy Talpai

The world's worst (or best?) job screening questionnaire.

"Blast music from a Bluetooth speaker and walk far away from it." - @ryandouglasjones (8 likes)

Hate it when music interrupts the non-stop crackling coming from someone's speaker.

"ALWAYS know where the show bacon is, but don't get greedy. It isn't 'Nam, there are rules." - @JAimes DAncer (27 likes)

The crispiness of the bacon makes being in the trenches worth it. 

"Start drinking." - @China China

"Go get therapy." - @Joshua Everyman

Are they not the same thing?

"Take as much gaff tape and Sharpies home as you can." - @Jaymz Mooravich

Meanwhile, @Angela Crash Schieber had the rebuttal: "Hold on to your gaff tape. They will take it." We're sensing that something happened here.

🧹 The Stagehand Starter Pack

The community has very strong opinions about what you should own, wear, and never forget at home. Based on the list below, we already know that TSA agents hate to see us coming.

"Steel tip shoes. Good work gloves. No personal life." - @Richard Martinez (70 likes)

You can keep the last item, thanks. 

"Bring earplugs." - @stealth_sequence (81 likes)

Health is wealth. And they weren't done. In a follow-up, @stealth_sequence added: "Wasn't even the loud music that did me in, it was me forgetting my plugs knowing I'd be hammering truss all day." Tinnitus doesn't discriminate.

"Learn how to properly coil a cable!" - @Jay Miller (51 likes)

If there's one piece of advice that gets repeated in every single industry thread, it's this. @mydudethedj backed it up (9 likes), and @Frank OBrien added: "Never use your elbow to wrap a cable." Over/under or go home.

"Always have your crescent wrench." - @Marc Tartaglia (10 likes)

Also echoed by @Byron N James, @Jeremiah Castillo, @Ron Masters, and @Tammy Riddle. Who are we without our emotional support C-wrenches?

"Buy comfortable boots that you can keep on for 16 hours and buy the best tools you can afford." - @Kenneth Balazovich (4 likes)

And @organizdchaos put it more bluntly: "Don't be cheap with your shoes."

"Always have a second pair of socks and underwear and don't forget your sharpie." - @Dan Korn

Grateful that cashiers mind their business. 

❤️ It's Not a Career. It's a Lifestyle.

Underneath all the jokes and the gear lists, there was a thread of something deeper running through the comments. A lot of people talked about the realities of what this line work does to your life, your relationships, and your identity. 

"It is the best industry to work in! But... if you are married or in a serious relationship it takes a very understanding person to be alongside you through this work lifestyle. I was fortunate that my husband, me and my family all work in this industry so it is all we know! It is a lot of hard work but very rewarding!"
- @joybacagutierrez (90 likes)

It's not often that the quiet part is said out loud. To those who stick with us through the chaos, thank you. 

"It's not a career, it's a lifestyle." - @Trav Mashine Remy (24 likes)

"Don't do it expecting fame or fortune. Expect a lot of hard work and not much sleep. It gets in your blood and becomes your life. I retired when I was 30. Then when I was 45. Then when I was 60. Not sure when the next time I 'retire' will be..." - @John Dziel (9 likes)

And @Eric Brands replied: "I too retired at 30, and 40 and will retire again next month at 50. Hell, I wake up retired every day." Did we choose the event industry life, or did it choose us?

"Best job I've ever had in my life. That being said, stay in school kid." - @Trenton Holbert (25 likes)

That comma's doing a lot of work.

"If there is anything else you can do that will make you happy, do that instead. This is not an industry for those who jealously guard their weekends and off days. It's a lifestyle that you must fully embrace." - @swim_bike_theater (9 likes)

This one sat with us. It's the kindest possible way to say: if you can walk away, you probably should. And if you can't, welcome home.

Theme Breakdown by Total Likes

🌟 Honorable Mentions

These were too good to leave out. 

"Tradeshows are the 9-5 of the industry. Boring and miserable, but better pay and you get to see some daylight." - @tj_hursh_ (24 likes)

"LISTEN. To everything. The sounds around you can save, or kill, you. The way motors sound going up or down. The sounds around you are just as important as the things you see." - @JAimes DAncer (27 likes)

"Start in a warehouse first. Learn the gear!" - @Ralph Durka (16 likes)

"Sleep becomes optional." - @bnjaav.stge (31 likes)

"Learn to do things overnight." - @jon__warner (20 likes)

"If you're early you're on time. If you're on time, you're late." - @Stan Kellam (19 likes)

771 people answered one question, and what came back was basically an oral history of what it means to do this for a living. The jokes are funny because they're true. The advice is good because it was earned. And the fact that people who've been doing this for 30+ years still showed up to tell the new generation what they wish they'd known? That says more about this industry than any one comment could.

Protect your body. Invest in your boots. Learn to coil a cable. Answer the phone. And if you can't imagine doing anything else, you're already one of us.

Got your own piece of advice we missed? Tag us @4wall and keep the conversation going.