Church Sound Article Tue, December 02, 2008

In November 1987, a group of 25 theatrical dealers walked into a meeting room in Las Vegas, Nevada and emerged eight hours later with the formation of a fledgling association called the Theatrical Dealers Association. The name of the organization has changed, but volunteerism and idealism have grown over the years. Two decades later the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) represents all facets of the entertainment technology industry.

Originally founded to assist dealer members with the daily problems of running a business, ESTA soon began to address the issues and concerns of the industry as a whole. This led the association to open its membership to the wider industry and to become the catalyst for effective communication between industry businesses.

Concerns about the lack of technical standards in the industry and the potential for governmental regulations led ESTA to establish the Technical Standards Program (TSP). Accredited by the American National Standards Institute, the TSP enjoys worldwide recognition and participation.