Two Highlands businessmen are shining a spotlight on a positive to come out of the current COVID-19 restrictions.
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Michael Stosic and Josh Vozzo of Luminous Entertainment have had to stop work due to the restrictions that have prevented large gatherings such as weddings, live events and performances from happening.
But this restriction has not halted their ability to think outside the box and they are making the most of the extra time on their hands to become better at what you do.
Michael said the business had been booked solid until the social distancing restrictions were introduced.
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"We lost our business overnight with the cancellation of everything on our books for the next six months, with this proposition continuing further unless restrictions are eased," he said.
Michael added that "the core of the business is seasonal, and we were right in the middle of our busiest part of the year."
"We rely on this busy time to set us up for the winter break when things start to slow down and we focus on maintenance," he said.
In fact, Michael and Josh have been integral to many local events such as FireAid 2020 held at Bong Bong Picnic Racecourse in late January, where they were responsible for providing the production stage, sound and lighting system for the concert.
It is not an ideal situation, but the two men have opted to use their spare time for good.
And they encourage others to also take positives from the current circumstances, including their casual staff who have had to be stood down during the COVID-19 restrictions.
Michael said he had been busy developing his skills set as he now had time to do so.
"I've been learning IT networking and pixel mapping," he said.
"This will let me deliver a more efficient service once we can get back to business and using Pixel mapping enables us to make screens for displays out of theatre fixtures. These can be used as backdrops for entertainment."
Meanwhile, Josh has been catching up on business development strategy, so collectively they can make a strong come back once the government bans are lifted and they can start shining a light on people's dreams once more.
In the meantime, they are also finding new ways to encourage young people to take an interest in Technical Production and pursuing other ways to generate an income to cover the costs of the business.
Casual staff member Sarah Tomlinson has made the most of the business hiatus.
She has been dropping into Luminous Entertainment's Mittagong base to work on some new skills associated with lighting.
Michael said the opportunity to learn more was offered to all staff and Sarah had embraced it.
"She has been volunteering her down time to watch tutorials and develop her skills in various aspects of lighting," he said.
"Sarah is learning to operate the lighting console from scratch, which includes how to connect and undertake basic programming and patching.
"The self-development will help her grow in the industry. It is going to put her in a better position for work once business can get back to normal.
"The self-development will help her grow in the industry. It is going to put her in a better position for work once business can get back to normal."
Michael said his message to others was "don't waste this down time."
"Use the time to upskill and improve knowledge so that you can be better at what you do," he said.
Learn more about Luminous Entertainment at www.luminousentertainment.com.au
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