A production company sends a lighting plot and asks for your rigging points and their load limits. If the answer is "we have some beams, they look strong," the conversation should stop there. What hangs over guests' heads is a structural and safety question, and the people who answer it need the right qualifications and documents.
This guide explains rigging in general terms so you can ask the right questions and set sensible rules. It is not engineering advice. A licensed structural engineer should determine what your building can support.
What Are Venue Rigging Points?
Venue rigging points are designated attachment locations in a building's structure, such as beams, trusses or installed anchors, that have been assessed to safely support suspended loads like lights, speakers, video screens, truss and decor. Each point, and the structure as a whole, has a load rating set by a structural engineer, usually stated as a working load limit. Productions may hang equipment only from approved points, within those limits, and only through qualified riggers.
Load Ratings and Why They Matter
A load rating tells you how much weight a point or structure can safely carry. Ratings may be given per point, per beam or for an area, and the total load across the roof structure matters as much as each individual point.
Dynamic loads change the math. A hoist starting or stopping, a performer on an aerial rig or a moving light all create forces greater than their static weight. Riggers account for these with safety factors, but they need accurate building information to start from.
If your building has no rigging documentation, assume that nothing is approved for rigging until an engineer has assessed it. Water pipes, sprinkler lines, ducts, conduit and light fixtures are never rigging points.
Who Is Qualified to Rig
Rigging should be done by trained, experienced riggers using rated equipment. In the United States, the Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) certifies arena and theatre riggers, and many productions and venues look for that certification.
Your venue should approve who rigs in the building. Some venues require their own house rigger or an approved rigging company for all overhead work. Others allow a production's rigger if they provide qualifications and insurance. Either way, the venue decides.
Documents to Request
For any production that wants to hang equipment, ask for documents in advance. Review them with your rigger or engineer well before load-in.
- A rigging plot showing every point, load and hanging position
- Equipment weights, including truss, motors, cables and fixtures
- Load calculations from the production's rigger or engineer
- Certificates of insurance naming the venue as additional insured
- Inspection records for hoists, slings and hardware
For complex rigs, such as large truss grids or aerial performance equipment, ask for an engineer's review of the full design. Aerial acts may need additional points, backup safety lines and specific rescue plans.
What to Put in Your Rigging Rules
Write rigging rules that every production receives with its contract. Clear rules prevent arguments during load-in.
State that rigging is permitted only from approved points within published limits. Name who may rig, such as the house rigger or approved companies, and the qualifications required.
Require submission of the rigging plot and calculations by a set date before the event. Prohibit rigging from pipes, ducts, sprinklers and non-structural elements. Require rated equipment and inspection records, and state who inspects the rig before guests enter.
Set rules for working at height too. Lifts and ladders need trained operators, the area below must be cleared during rigging, and hard hats may be required. Load-in and load-out schedules should include enough time to rig and de-rig safely.
Floor-Supported Alternatives
When a building has limited or no rigging capacity, ground-supported structures are often the answer. Ground-supported truss systems, stage roofs, speaker stands and lighting towers carry the load to the floor.
These still need care. The floor must support the weight, the structure must be stable and secured, and it must not block exits or sight lines. Many productions use a mix of ground support and approved rigging points.
Plan Rigging Into Your Schedule
Rigging takes time, and it often needs the room empty. Build rigging and de-rigging time into the load-in and load-out schedule, and price it into the rental if it extends the hours the room is blocked.
Coordinate with other work in the room. Floor work, such as setting tables, should not happen directly below active rigging. A clear sequence (rig first, then set the floor) keeps everyone safe.
Get Your Building Assessed
If your venue hosts productions and has no rigging documentation, hire a structural engineer to assess the building and publish approved points and limits. Then write rigging rules, choose an approved rigging company and add the requirements to your production contracts. The assessment costs money once and answers the same question for every event afterward.
What hangs over your guests should be the most carefully documented thing in your building.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out the rigging capacity of my venue?
Hire a licensed structural engineer to assess the building and document approved rigging points and their load limits. Original building drawings help, but an engineer must confirm what the structure can carry. Keep the assessment on file and share a summary with productions.
Can lights be hung from a venue's ceiling beams?
Only if an engineer has approved those beams as rigging points with stated load limits, and a qualified rigger does the work. Never hang equipment from pipes, ducts, sprinkler lines or light fixtures. When in doubt, use ground-supported structures.
What is ETCP certification?
ETCP is the Entertainment Technician Certification Program in the United States, which certifies riggers and entertainment electricians. Many venues and productions look for ETCP-certified riggers for overhead work. It is one way to verify a rigger's qualifications.
Who is liable if rigged equipment falls at an event?
Liability depends on the facts, contracts and local law, and it can involve the venue, the production and the rigging company. Clear rigging rules, approved riggers, insurance with the venue as additional insured and good documentation help protect the venue. Ask counsel to review your production contract.
