Industry Expert FAQs
At Thern Stage, we work with several reputable dealer installation professionals and theater facility planners to provide our clients with the best experience possible. To gain some insight into our ever-changing industry, we asked our partners to expand on some of the challenges and trends they face in their fields.
Dealer Installation Professionals
Dan, President, Beck Studios
Coordination with other trades and making sure we are on-site at the right time as the construction progresses. Also, as we bid projects that are often a year or two out, we have to make sure we have the manpower needed for the work and that we do not over commit.
Kevin, VP & Sales Manager, Stagecraft Industries Inc.
Having to compete with people who are lowballing or are new to the contracting part of life. Also knee-jerk reactions and sloppy quotes. Thern is a very good company because of their quality. U.S. made translates to quality.
Tyler, Managing Director, Visional Productions
Timeline and schedule. Budgets can be a challenge, but production work has to happen frequently in an effort to be profitable. It also has to work within the client’s schedule. Their venue availability is critical. Mitigating down time is key.
Dan, President, Beck Studios
Churches who want to add rigging and lighting for productions as there is not typically any structure in place for mounting equipment.
Kevin, VP & Sales Manager, Stagecraft Industries Inc.
The renovation of historic theaters. You uncover problems as you peel back the layers.
Tyler, Managing Director, Visional Productions
Every venue has its own challenges. The challenge is dependent on the situation. Older venues were built like it would last forever — and that is simply not the case.
Mark, Owner/CEO, Batts AVL
A general movement to require large portions of equipment prepaid. It is making it nearly impossible for us to run more than $2–3M worth of projects at a time. This is across all of our installation disciplines.
Dan, President, Beck Studios
It seems finding people who want to work in our industry is becoming more challenging than it was in the past.
Tyler, Managing Director, Visional Productions
More stage automation and motion control. Thern is helping lead the way.
Mark, Owner/CEO, Batts AVL
COVID did not impact our workload in any way. As we are coming out of it the demand seems to be growing at a very fast rate.
Dan, President, Beck Studios
Other than material cost and availability, we seem to be moving past COVID.
Kevin, VP & Sales Manager, Stagecraft Industries Inc.
Restrictions on the job site but they are temporary. Material shortages have impacted us.
Tyler, Managing Director, Visional Productions
Not really other than lack of materials. Our workload has not slowed. As venues had closed and now being open, they want the upgrades done now. In fact, everyone is wanting stuff done now.
Mark, Owner/CEO, Batts AVL
I see variable-speed, all-motorized systems in high schools taking a back seat to hybrid systems again. Failure and service issues are upsetting schools, and they are regretting decisions in these areas.
Dan, President, Beck Studios
There seems to be a trend with consultants to place shells, pit filler, and lighting all in one package which can present some challenges for smaller companies.
Tyler, Managing Director, Visional Productions
More accessibility to motion control and automation of systems. Emerging technology has manufacturer adapting —Thern is good at that.
Theater Facility Planning
Tony, Nextstage Design
Structural accommodation for theater rigging and equipment.
Michael, Theatre Projects
The floor construction generally has the greatest demand on it from theater use and needs special attention. Overhead loads sometimes are much larger than the original building, which translates into modification to the foundation of the building if deemed necessary. Also, access from street level to stage level.
Stanley, AVL Designs, Inc.
The structural ramifications of rigging system equipment on the building and trying to get the project structural engineer up to speed on the complexity of the loads involved in moving rigging systems.
Tony, Nextstage Design
Yes, most design work is now online and moving faster and faster in Revit. New criteria for HVAC. Proper emphasis on safety in all respects is improving facilities and working conditions. More outdoor venues too.
Stanley, AVL Designs, Inc.
We have been busy all along. We did not see any significant downturn in design and planning. A little dip but nothing substantial or lasting. And at this point, things are pretty much back to where they were for us pre-COVID.
Tony, Nextstage Design
Network control systems and load-cell monitoring.
Michael, Theatre Projects
Web-based design meetings. All shop drawings submitted as pdfs and reviewed in BlueBeamRevu. Accelerated design and construction schedules on private and developer projects, not as much for university and municipal PACs.
Tony, Nextstage Design
Theater equipment being employed in non-traditional places. Need for flexible, simple systems on stages, lobbies, outdoors, etc.
Michael, Theatre Projects
More environmentally friendly practices in construction and the life of a building. Facilities that can do more types of events with simple changeovers such as transforming auditoriums to flat floors for seminars, meetings, and social events.
