Jeff MacKay Joins PLSN as Associate Editor

LONDON — PLASA, noting ongoing merger activities and the end-of-year departure of European executive director Ruth Rossington, announced additional restructuring. Starting Oct. 1,  CEO Matthew Griffiths will temporarily oversee the U.K. and North America Events divisions. Finance Director Shane McGreevy becomes COO with responsibilities expanding into operational administration and personnel.

NEW YORK — PLASA announces the launch of the Entertainment Industry Safety Initiative website, now live at www.safetyinentertainment.org. The site is designed to raise awareness of safety in the live event production industry among companies and individuals by providing information and resources regarding safe work practices, record keeping, accident reporting, and more. The site currently focuses on codes and regulations in the United States, but will be expanded to cover other countries in the future.

NEW YORK — Although its top sustained winds were less than feared, Hurricane Irene’s size, voluminous rainfall and inland flooding forced the cancellation of outdoor and indoor music events over a wide swath of the U.S. eastern seaboard, canceling events from the Identity Festival in Miami to the American Folk Music Festival in Bangor, ME. For event organizers, it was pretty clear that their shows simply could not “go on.” Some venues, including Atlantic City casinos, were evacuated as the storm approached. All permits for outdoor events in New York City were revoked. And with mass transit shutdowns, even indoor shows like Broadway’s The Lion King and Mary Poppins and the Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana at Radio City Music Hall had to be canceled.