EVANSTON, IL — ESTA’s Midwest Rigging Intensive (MRI) returns August 14-16, 2025, offering an unmatched hands-on training experience for rigging professionals in the entertainment industry. Registration is now open for the event, which will take place at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, just outside Chicago, and will once again bring together some of the most respected rigging trainers in the field, this time with an emphasis on touring rigging.“The Midwest Rigging Intensive is a one-of-a-kind training event that exposes participants to real world challenges in an environment that allows them to workshop various solutions while not being under the pressure of an actual production schedule,” said MRI instructor Tracy Nunnally of Vertigo. “Time is so often a critical resource when working through solutions on a show tour, and MRI 2025 will allow the time to work through a variety of solutions for complex problems encountered by many touring productions.”
“The importance of MRI is that it brings together an entire community of rigging trainers in a way that few other training opportunities can match,” said Ed Leahy of Chicago Flyhouse, who is also an instructor for the event. “Attendees get the perspectives of many different experts in the field and then get to combine conceptual knowledge with practical application of those concepts in a single event.”
Touring Rigging Focus
This year’s MRI will focus on touring rigging, training content that has never been presented at a national level. “Touring is a huge part of our business, but few people have access to learn about the process unless they sign on to do it,” Leahy explained. “This event will give folks a chance to see what good touring looks like and practice skills that are useful for touring technicians or those who host touring events.”
MRI continues to set the standard for rigging education by providing real-world scenarios, hands-on training, and direct access to industry leaders, and the event will carry ETCP education renewal credits. ETCP Program Manager Christina Smith encouraged ETCP technicians to attend: “To have so many ETCP Recognized Trainers work together to develop new curriculum each year, much of which is hands-on, creates a meaningful training experience. The attendees are often ETCP certified riggers or riggers pursuing certification, and their insightful questions and experience add to the value of the intensive. An ETCP certified rigger would be well-served to attend MRI.”
Special thanks to our Chain Level sponsor, DeLong Rigging Solutions, and Cable Level sponsor, ETC. Sponsorship opportunities are still available; contact [email protected]. To find out more and register for MRI, visit esta.org/mri.
