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Rocky Paulson will become the third recipient of the ESTA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award on March 20th in Louisville, Kentucky. The award will be presented at the conclusion of the New World Rigging Symposium at the Hyatt Regency Louisville at 5:15pm, and attendance is open to all.

The ESTA Board of Directors and Technical Standards Council created this award in 2017 to recognize individuals whose technical contributions have had a significant impact on our industry. The criteria include significant and sustained technical contributions to the entertainment industry over at least 25 years.

After being discharged from the Navy and while in college, Rocky worked for the stagehands' union, rigging at the Cow Palace arena in San Francisco and other locations. In 1973, Rocky took a job with the NBC network as a production rigger for Peter Pan and toured the world with them for several years. After returning to the Bay Area, he founded Stage Rigging in 1977. Stage Rigging, with Rocky at the helm, has become one of the preeminent rigging companies in the world, providing services to such shows and events as the Super Bowl, the RNC Convention, Pink Floyd, and The Who, among many others. Along the way, in an effort to standardize and normalize rigging techniques, Rocky became an extraordinarily generous teacher. He has trained thousands of entertainment riggers making the industry safer. 

Rocky was one of the co-chairs of the original ETCP Rigging Certification Subject Matter Experts. In addition, he was a founding member of ESTA’s Technical Standards Program, and authored its first ANSI Standard, E1.1, on the construction and use of wire rope ladders in the industry.

In 2000, Rocky sold Stage Rigging to Freeman Decorating staying on to help run the company until he retired from full-time work as a rigger. He continued to teach and do an occasional gig for many years after retirement. These days he mostly pursues adventures around the world.

ESTA and the TSP are pleased to recognize Rocky for his many contributions to the industry.

 For more information on this award please visit ESTA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award.

ESTA, the Entertainment Services and Technology Association, is a non-profit trade association based in North America with members around the world. ESTA's members are responsible for creating some of the most important programs in our industry including the Technical Standards Program, Entertainment Technician Certification Program and Rental Guard.