Contractor's Channel

We knew that supporting the best freelance technicians in the live events industry meant getting it just right. And we did. The Mertzcrew App is officially live and available for download on iOS and Android!

When you’re crewing an upcoming project, your go-to AV techs may not always be available. That means contracting someone new and taking a chance on them without knowing their equipment experience, personality, and abilities.

Technician Profile Cards in Mertzcrew offer an overview of the technician along with other pertinent information to help you book exactly the right tech for your project needs. You can search by roles, certifications, skills, and view star ratings and notes to help you decide which qualified AV technicians are perfect for your next project. 

Any Live Event company that works in the state of California knows that AB5, a California labor law that was enacted in 2020, has impacted AV companies that work with skilled freelancers. In fact, it’s made it nearly impossible to work with independent AV technicians in California due to the strict rules placed on payroll compliance.

Every event you produce comes with the risk that something won’t go according to plan. Even if you plan meticulously, anything from a printing mistake to a power outage could cause a problem that could leave you holding the bag for something that went wrong. What can you do to protect yourself?

At Mertzcrew, we have worked hard to create a crew management solution that helps to mitigate risks and streamline event production. One issue that we can handle for you is AV freelancer liability, which is covered by production insurance. Since we understand how essential insurance is to a smooth production, here’s our guide to why production insurance is something you can’t afford to overlook.

Event production companies often contract AV freelancers to help them with specialized work before, during, and after events. One element of contracting freelancers that can be particularly time-consuming is tracking their workers’ compensation coverage, something that’s required to protect both the freelancers themselves and your company.

When an AV company contracts an AV Freelancer for a project, a question the scheduling team is often asked is "Do they have Workers Comp insurance?" and "Is it the right kind of Workers Comp insurance?" Both questions are extremely important and if they are not answered correctly, could place the AV company at considerable risk. Below are 3 key factors to consider when answering this question.

If you have an upcoming project in Las Vegas, be sure to complete the newly required OSHA 10-Hour or 30-Hour General Industry course.

Mertzcrew is proud to announce that we are partnering with Evolve Academy, a leader in Training & Education within the AV industry! This partnership is focused on helping freelance AV technicians develop their craft, provide a higher level of skilled service, and to increase the earning potential of technicians! As part of our partnership, Evolve Academy is offering a 10% discount on training classes to technicians that are registered with Mertzcrew. 

Full Sail University recently hosted the Rental & Staging Road Show in Orlando, FL with industry speakers covering topics from pre-production to the integration of new technologies in show production.

The highlight of the event was a roundtable of industry leaders entitled “Are You Ready For A New Staging Industry Landscape?”  The speakers (pictured above) were: Matthew Carson (PRG), Colin Murphy (Bungalow Scenic Studios), Les Goldberg (LMG), and Tom Kervitsky (TEK Productions).