Ethan Gilson
Entertainment Rigging Services
Owner
Bio:
Ethan Gilson, a graduate of Emerson College(1998, BFA, Design Technology – Lighting),has 25+ years of experience working in theentertainment rigging and lightingindustry. He began his career as anequipment specialist/technician, and, uponcompleting his degree, took on the role oflighting designer at Advanced Lighting andProduction Services, Inc. (ALPS). As hiscareer developed, Gilson distinguishedhimself as a rigging specialist—designingrigging systems for portable and permanent installations. Today, he isthe owner of Entertainment Rigging Services LLC, a company thatspecializes in entertainment rigging inspections, training, design, &installation. Gilson has worked in venues of diverse size and functionincluding, but not limited to hotel ballrooms, Las Vegas conventioncenters and arenas, New York theatres, and outdoor festivals.
Gilson has been inspecting theaters and arenas of all sizes throughoutthe United States since 2006. In 2005, he received one of the firstcertificates granted by the ETCP in Arena and Theatre Rigging (Cert. #0048). Gilson has established himself as an authority in the field, andsince 2014, has served as an ETCP Rigging Certification Subject MatterExpert, a position which includes designing questions for certificationexams. Gilson’s national reputation has led him to serve as chair toseveral ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association)Technical Standards Program task groups, whose goal is to establishANSI standards for safety in the industry in the areas of fall arrest andsuspended rigging. In 2020 he was a recipient of the ESTA TSP “Aboveand Beyond Award” which celebrates those volunteers that have madesignificant contributions or effort that advances the Technical Standards Program. In 2021 Gilson was elected to the ESTA Board ofDirectors as the Professional Services Director.Gilson is OSHA 10/30 certified (Cert. # 002371128/21-602016902), anOSHA competent Person for Scaffolding, an OSHA competent personfor Fall Arrest & Rescue, & is ANSI A92 complaint MEWP trainer. Hecontinues his own education through trainings such as: ETC factorytrained installation/technician of Prodigy Hoists, Tomcat U, MountainProductions Hoist School.
In 2012, Gilson became an ETCP Recognized Trainer and launchedEntertainment Rigging Sessions to prepare today’s riggers for theindustry’s explosive growth and to promote safety standardsthroughout it. These sessions are recognized by the ETCP as qualifyinginstruction for certification/re-certification. Gilson is a member of theEvent Safety Alliance and its Safety Summit Core DevelopmentCommittee, whose goal is to coordinate with the ETCP to promotesafety, training, and certification throughout the industry. Gilson haspartnered with manufacturers such as Total Structures, the annual LDItrade show, the Event Safety Alliance, various colleges/universities,unions, and local manufacturers to provide educational riggingsessions, tailoring sessions to meet the needs of each class. Gilsoncontinues to stay abreast of the latest technology and advances in theindustry, sharing this knowledge with his students. Recently,Vectorworks has requested Gilson’s services to speak, as a user, withdistributors about their Braceworks software.Gilson is the host of Shackles, Burlap, & Lies, an industry podcast aboutthe Entertainment Rigging industry and the people who work in it.
Gilson has been inspecting theaters and arenas of all sizes throughoutthe United States since 2006. In 2005, he received one of the firstcertificates granted by the ETCP in Arena and Theatre Rigging (Cert. #0048). Gilson has established himself as an authority in the field, andsince 2014, has served as an ETCP Rigging Certification Subject MatterExpert, a position which includes designing questions for certificationexams. Gilson’s national reputation has led him to serve as chair toseveral ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association)Technical Standards Program task groups, whose goal is to establishANSI standards for safety in the industry in the areas of fall arrest andsuspended rigging. In 2020 he was a recipient of the ESTA TSP “Aboveand Beyond Award” which celebrates those volunteers that have madesignificant contributions or effort that advances the Technical Standards Program. In 2021 Gilson was elected to the ESTA Board ofDirectors as the Professional Services Director.Gilson is OSHA 10/30 certified (Cert. # 002371128/21-602016902), anOSHA competent Person for Scaffolding, an OSHA competent personfor Fall Arrest & Rescue, & is ANSI A92 complaint MEWP trainer. Hecontinues his own education through trainings such as: ETC factorytrained installation/technician of Prodigy Hoists, Tomcat U, MountainProductions Hoist School.
In 2012, Gilson became an ETCP Recognized Trainer and launchedEntertainment Rigging Sessions to prepare today’s riggers for theindustry’s explosive growth and to promote safety standardsthroughout it. These sessions are recognized by the ETCP as qualifyinginstruction for certification/re-certification. Gilson is a member of theEvent Safety Alliance and its Safety Summit Core DevelopmentCommittee, whose goal is to coordinate with the ETCP to promotesafety, training, and certification throughout the industry. Gilson haspartnered with manufacturers such as Total Structures, the annual LDItrade show, the Event Safety Alliance, various colleges/universities,unions, and local manufacturers to provide educational riggingsessions, tailoring sessions to meet the needs of each class. Gilsoncontinues to stay abreast of the latest technology and advances in theindustry, sharing this knowledge with his students. Recently,Vectorworks has requested Gilson’s services to speak, as a user, withdistributors about their Braceworks software.Gilson is the host of Shackles, Burlap, & Lies, an industry podcast aboutthe Entertainment Rigging industry and the people who work in it.