Iatse 205

What Iatse 205 does

IATSE Local 205 is a chartered labor union local representing theatrical stage employees working in live events across the Greater Austin Metropolitan Area, with jurisdiction spanning Georgetown to San Marcos and Bastrop to Blanco. Founded in 1911 as Local 205 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the organization represents technicians, artisans, and crafts persons across roles including stagehands, scenic carpenters, riggers, lighting and audio/visual technicians, wardrobe and makeup specialists, projectionists, camera operators, decorators, and certified forklift/MEWP operators. The local operates a Referral Hiring Hall as its primary matching mechanism, maintaining A/B/C/Extra skill-ranked rosters that connect members and non-member Permit Workers with employers requiring stage crew for theatre, festivals, concerts, conventions, and trade shows.

The union's revenue model is built on three streams: recurring membership dues (amounts undisclosed publicly), one-time application ($100) and initiation ($200) fees for new members, and a $50 annual Referral List Fee paid by non-member Permit Workers. It is operated by an all-volunteer-elected officer structure (President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Business Agent, Sergeant-At-Arms) with a headcount of 1-10 staff, and runs on the UnionActive web platform for member-facing communication and website operations. There is no proprietary software product, no public API, and no app.

The local serves a clearly bifurcated two-sided market: on the labor supply side, stage employees seeking union-negotiated wages, benefits, OSHA/ETCP training pathways, and collective bargaining protection; on the labor demand side, performing arts venues (Austin Opera, Ballet Austin, Long Center, Austin Symphony, Austin Theatre Alliance) and major event producers (SXSW, ACL Music Festival, Moontower Comedy Festival, James Thomas Productions, Freeman AV, GES) requiring certified, experienced crews. Film and television work referrals are formally routed to IATSE Local 484, which holds that jurisdiction. The local pursues incremental membership growth through workplace organizing at non-union venues, free quarterly Unionism Classes, and the open Permit Worker registration pathway.

Name

Iatse 205

Legal name

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 205

Website

https://iatse205.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IATSE Local 205 is a labor union founded in 1911 that represents theatrical stage employees in live events across the Greater Austin Metropolitan Area, operating a Referral Hiring Hall to match union and Permit Worker stagehands with signatory employers including festivals, performing arts venues, and event production companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entertainment Industry Labor Union

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Stagehands & Production Support Crew (HSACAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crew & Labor Services (Production Staff, Unions, Payroll) (MPADAFAA), Event Technical Production Management & Crew (MPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Stage labor services
• Union referral hall
• Live event staffing
• Entertainment industry union
• Theatrical stage employees

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Members pay recurring dues for union membership. Specific amounts are not publicly disclosed on the website.
2. Application and Initiation Fees: Non-refundable $100 application fee paid to IATSE International, plus $200 initiation fee paid to Local 205 upon membership acceptance.
3. Referral Hall Registration Fee: Non-members (Permit Workers) pay a $50 Referral List Fee to be eligible for work referrals through the union's hiring hall.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IATSE Local 205 represents theatrical stage employees in the Greater Austin Metropolitan Area, providing union membership, collective bargaining, and a Referral Hiring Hall that dispatches qualified stagehands and technicians (riggers, carpenters, electricians, audio/visual operators, wardrobe, and makeup personnel) to event employers including theatres, festivals, concerts, conventions, and trade shows.

Product overview

IATSE Local 205 is a labor union, not a technology product company. It does not offer a platform, software product, or technology modules. The organization provides union membership services including worker representation, a referral/hiring hall for matching workers with employers in the live events industry, educational resources (books, videos, and training materials on stagecraft topics), and workplace organizing services. The union is powered by the UnionActive website platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Referral Hiring Hall
• Union Membership (Junior and Journeyman Tiers)
• Workplace Organizing Services
• Permit Worker Referral Hall Registration

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IATSE Local 484coreOthersFor film and television work within the Austin area, referrals are made to IATSE Local 484, which handles that jurisdiction. Local 205 covers live events while Local 484 covers film and television.
• Freeman AVminorOthersMajor audio-visual and event production company that employs union labor from Local 205 for conventions and events.
• GESminorOthersGlobal event production company that is a signatory employer with Local 205.
• Production Support ServicesminorOthersProduction support company that is a signatory employer with Local 205.
• Stage Alliance Inc.minorOthersStage labor provider that is a signatory employer with Local 205.
• Stage Tech IncminorOthersStage technology company that is a signatory employer with Local 205.
• Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal 205 is a recognized Certified ETCP labor provider. Many of their workers hold ETCP certifications, demonstrating industry-recognized competency in entertainment technology disciplines.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GES (Global Experience Specialists): Global event production and exhibition services company that is a signatory employer of Local 205. Provides labor for trade shows and conventions, overlapping directly with Local 205's core referral-hall services.
• Stage Alliance Inc. Stage labor provider and signatory employer of Local 205. Provides stage crews for live events using union labor, competing directly with Local 205's hiring hall for crew dispatch on Austin productions.
• Freeman: Major audio-visual and event production company that is a signatory employer of Local 205, drawing union crew for conventions and events in Austin. Operates a comparable crew-dispatch and event-staffing business across the U.S.
• Stage Tech Inc: Stage technology provider and signatory employer of Local 205. Sources union stage technicians for Austin live events and competes in the same crew-provision market that Local 205's hiring hall serves.
• IATSE Local 484: Sister IATSE local covering film and television production in the Austin area. Same parent federation (IATSE), overlapping geographic territory, but a different craft jurisdiction — making it the most structurally comparable peer for Local 205.
• Production Support Services: Production support company that is a signatory employer of Local 205. Supplies crew and production support for live events in Austin, operating in the same labor-provision market as Local 205's hiring hall.
• IATSE Local 1 (New York): The flagship IATSE theatrical stage employees local, covering Broadway and major NYC venues. Operates the same union model — referral hiring hall, collective bargaining, certified crew provision — at much larger scale, making it the archetypal peer for Local 205.
• IATSE Local 2 (Chicago): IATSE local representing stage and studio employees in the Chicago metropolitan area. Operates a referral hall for theatrical, convention, and live-event work under the same union governance structure as Local 205.

Broad incumbents

• IATSE International: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the parent federation of Local 205. Sets collective bargaining standards, jurisdiction rules, and training/certification frameworks that Local 205 operates within; not a direct competitor but the structural incumbent governing Local 205's operating model.
• Teamsters (Entertainment and Convention Division): International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents drivers, loaders, and some production crew in live events, conventions, and touring shows. Competes with IATSE for jurisdiction over portions of the live-event labor market, making it a broader incumbent peer in entertainment labor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/iatse205
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iatse-local-205

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iatse 205