Live events employees continue to struggle without work in Las Vegas valley

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Slowly but surely, the lights of the Las Vegas Strip are turning back on.

But it isn't happening fast enough for a group that plays a major role in the local economy.

When people think of live events, performers come to mind.

But there are so many more who are part of the process: those behind lighting and sound, set designers, vendors, you name it.

The industry, which boasts 12 million employees across the country, is a major economic driver in the Silver State, and when these workers hurt, so does everyone else.

"I've had to take advantage of the rental assistance programs to stay in my house," said Bryan Henry, owner of Event Engineering Solutions that provides audio and visual services for meetings and events. "I've had to take advantage of the food banks to keep food on the table."

"I've been paying the remainder of my bills that wasn't covered by PUA with my savings," said Marianne Leblanc, owner of Magic Trunk Creative. "And so at some point, there's no more savings."

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Live events employees in the Las Vegas valley have been hit hard over the last several months as news reports of closures and cancellations came one after the other.

The most recent came on Tuesday with the announcement that Cirque du Soleil's "Zumanity" will close permanently.

There have been a few sporting events and small conferences after Gov. Steve Sisolak increased gathering sizes in late September, but some say it's not enough to have an impact.

"Just the volume of business is so far down that there really is no demand for services," said Henry.

Leblanc, who is a consultant, creative director and experiential designer for live events, says her industry is being completely overlooked throughout the pandemic.

"That's the biggest problem, is getting our story understood and out there so people really know what it is we're going through," she said.

Now she's working on a documentary called "Millions Forgotten," gathering testimonials from people all over the country who are left lost with nowhere to go from here.

"When people get back to work, we're the ones still left struggling," said Casey Goshen in one of the videos.

In another, Deshia Bowman is seen describing her experience.

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"Not only did I lose one job, I lost two jobs within a matter of months," she said in the interview done by the Center for Popular Democracy/Unemployed Action.

After bringing together unions in the live events world for a virtual roundtable, Leblanc started reaching out to lawmakers saying the live events world needs their help.

"Extending those benefits so those workers are ready to work when the work comes back," she said. "And the second part is, is that again reinforcing the businesses that are dependent on the industry being up and running."

When it comes to Sisolak's Stay at Home 2.0 plea, those in the live events industry say they're worried as we continue to see numbers climb.

They believe that will push the state further behind, and also keep outsiders from coming to Nevada for their events.