DON'T BE UPSTAGED MAKE YOUR NEXT SPECIAL EVENT A SUCCESS.

For special events programming, the proper staging is fundamental to success. Staging improves visibility and sound projection, and creates a visual, aesthetic impression that adds impact to any event. Although audiences may not notice it, parks and recreation professionals must pay attention to ensure that staging meets their programming needs. Whether a department is purchasing its first stage, or expanding inventory, three important factors must be considered: flexibility, labor savings, and funding.

Meeting Changing Needs

Staging must be flexible because programming needs are always changing. "Five years ago, our department was asked to take over the fall festival and add more entertainment," says Ron Jewell, director of parks and recreation for Bartlett, Tenn. The goal was to stimulate community interest for a new performing arts center opening in 1998.

In Guilford, Conn., growing use of the community center made obvious the need for a stage. "Audience members couldn't see very well because performers had to use the floor," says Rick Maynard, director of parks and recreation, who notes that more than 160 groups use the facility.

Staging should easily adapt to different events, ranging from a simple indoor ceremony to a large outdoor concert with sound and lighting -- and everything in between.

"We needed flexible staging that could create a variety of performing sites in our parks," notes Jewell. "We could no longer get by with our handmade plywood platforms and borrowing or renting equipment."

Be Flexible

Both Bartlett and Guilford chose a Versalite[R] staging system, which features interchangeable legs and requires no tools to assemble. "It's used as an instructor platform for a senior-citizen exercise class, a DJ stand for teen dances, and even bleacher seating for dance performances," adds Maynard. "The stage is very popular."

To handle larger outdoor events, such as concerts and ceremonies, on the town's 7-acre public green, Guilford also purchased a Wenger Showmobile[R]. "It's even used on the beach," says Maynard. "What's the beauty of a mobile stage -- it can be moved anywhere on short notice."

Another aspect of flexibility is compatibility, or the ability of a stage's ingredients to perform individually or as components of a larger, more complex system. For this reason, it is often advantageous to select equipment from a single manufacturer.

"Our mobile stage and platforms work together very well and are easy, versatile tools for taking events almost anywhere in our community," says Ron Reinke, superintendent of parks and recreation in Livonia, Mich. Livonia purchased its current mobile stage in 1994, along with 16 additional 4-by-8-feet platforms.

"We can combine the platforms with our mobile stage, enlarging its size up to 24 by 40 feet, or we can use them separately to create several satellite stages that complement the main stage," says Reinke.

Minimizing Crew Time

Whatever the configuration, a stage's flexibility will be greatly affected by the skill of the crew working with it. The associated labor and handling costs of staging will prove influential in long-term affordability and value of the equipment.

"Our previous stage took forever to assemble and break down," says Joseph Crook, director of recreation for East Providence, R.I. "It consisted of plywood decks and metal scaffolding. The job was very difficult unless we had trained personnel. Our new platforms just snap together; it's relatively effortless and foolproof to make a number of different configurations."

For fast, flexible set up, consider platforms that offer several different leg heights by employing either interchangeable or telescoping legs. "Telescoping legs are a must outdoors," says Jewell. "The ground may look flat, but adjustments are always needed." To help prevent the stage from sinking into the ground, Jewell also recommends using shims under each leg to distribute the weight.

If departments produce larger events, mobile stages are often appealing for their labor savings. "Reducing the necessary crew size was a key reason we bought our mobile stage," says Robert George, director of purchasing for Fort Myers, Fla. "The whole idea of a mobile stage is being easy to use. A two-man crew can set up our unit with extra decks in around three hours."

To further streamline setup, wireless remote controls are available that automatically level the mobile stage with the push of a button, deploying the canopy and stage.

"Everything sets up quickly, without any hand-cranking," says Jerry Woods, recreation coordinator for Henderson, Nev. "With the remote I can get the unit down, leveled, and wired for sound in 30 minutes. That's a crew of three, with one person doing sound."

For planning outdoor events in public spaces, a mobile stage offers portability and security, and may help reduce the time managers might otherwise spend worrying about last-minute details. "Our old wooden stage stayed up all summer, and we were concerned about liability," says Maynard. "Kids would play and skateboard on it, and it was starting to rot. Now we pull our mobile stage onto the green, and one padlock keeps it secure and weatherproof until we need it."

Beyond basic setups, mobile-stage manufacturers offer optional lighting and sound accessory packages to save additional time. Make sure that you first consider the unit's "natural" acoustics, because most sound systems cannot adequately compensate for poor acoustics.

"Musicians have raved about the excellent sound projection of our unit," says Maynard. "They really dislike a `sardine-can' environment where sound just rattles around inside."

Finding Solutions

Even the most flexible, labor-saving equipment comes at a price, and departments often rely on creative solutions to purchase staging.

"A volunteer committee headed by a prominent local citizen raised all but $10,000 of the mobile stage's cost in two years," says Maynard. "We held a benefit concert, and service groups and businesses also contributed. Most of the money came from individuals, and mailings were sent to every household in town," he adds, noting Guilford's relatively small population of 20,000. "When we needed more staging platforms later, they were also funded mostly from donations."

Cost and availability issues finally prompted the town of Henderson to buy its own mobile stage. "We had been renting a mobile stage from nearby communities, but we kept running into conflicts on popular dates," says Woods.

To update existing inventory, manufacturers offer equipment trade-in programs. When the town of Livonia traded in its mobile stage in 1994, after 21 years of use, it was resold to a nearby community that is still using it.

Rental Income Helpful

Once departments have the equipment, many find that rental income can help offset equipment costs or cover payments completely. "Our mobile stage is rented out approximately five times a year -- one nearby community has rented it every Fourth of July the last five years," says Reinke, who adds that rental fees average $1,300 per day for the unit and a two-person crew. "Our stage is an assigned piece of equipment, and it doesn't go out without our own crew. They help keep it in top shape."

Don Musa, supervisor of the parks and recreation department in Fort Myers, says the equipment rental fee for their mobile stage is often waived for local nonprofit groups, which are only charged labor costs.

In most situations, staging is invisible to the public, whose attention is focused on the event itself. With creative funding strategies and flexible, labor-saving equipment, parks and recreation professionals are working behind the scenes to guarantee that special events will be staged successfully for years to come.

Bill Beck, a sales manager for Owatonna, Minn.-based Wenger Corp., which supplies staging and performing arts equipment to parks and recreation departments, says that when arranging special events programming, the proper staging is crucial. Whether a department is purchasing its first stage, or expanding inventory, three factors should be considered: flexibility, labor savings, and funding (p. 89).