Equipment Rental: The Production Manager’s Not-So-Secret Weapon

The right rental company can help a church with the gear they need, with operating that gear to their best advantage, and with doing it all on-budget. It's a win-win-win.

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To say that supporting the vision of church leadership isn’t always easy is probably an understatement. When that support involves rapidly evolving technology and understanding the pros and cons of capital expenditures, things can get complex pretty quickly. Put those decisions on the tight timelines frequently associated with church productions and you get a feel for the complexity professional production companies face every day. Be it a Broadway opening, entertainment awards shows, or arena sports championships, production houses are experts at clearing the myriad of technical and financial hurdles associated with a production–and they have a “secret weapon”: When the situation is right, they rent!

Where you rent is key

Steve Constantino, media ministry technical director at Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie, Texas, worked for a rental company before coming on board at the church, so he has seen firsthand the benefits of renting. “There are many good reasons to rent,” he says. “We don’t always have all the answers or gear for everything our ministries want to do, and often we just need to supplement what we already have. Either way, the technical and budgetary challenges we face are issues that rental companies solve for their clients every day.”

“They can put together anything from a single microphone to a full-blown tour package. The point is: they cater to what we need, and that helps us both with the gear, as well as to meet our budget.”

- Steve Constantino, Media Ministry Technical Director, Crossroads Christian Church, Grand Prairie, TX

Costantino was fortunate to work for one of the most comprehensive and respected rental companies in the industry, PRG Gear. With locations worldwide, an expansive inventory, and expertise in all aspects of production, working with PRG Gear provided Constantino an education in gear rental for every type of production imaginable. It may come as a surprise, but some of the most important features of the company are what make it an ideal fit for church rentals. “It’s one of the only places I can go as a client for full service,” he says. “They can put together anything from a single microphone to a full-blown tour package. The point is: they cater to what we need, and that helps us both with the gear, as well as to meet our budget.”

“There’s no limit to what we’ll do to help our clients,” offers Chance Stahlhut, PRG Gear’s vice president. “We know that having a local contact is important to churches, and there are some fantastic local rental companies, but their resources typically stop there.” Stahlhut explains that it is PRG Gear’s goal to meet clients at the local level, but that same local PRG contact can reach out to the company’s vast network for whatever expertise the church needs. In this way, church teams can connect with the same experts that plan major tours, work the Grammys or the Super Bowl, to talk about any aspect of production, be it audio, video, lighting, LED walls, cameras, rigging, media servers, or fiber connectivity.

PRG Gear is also committed to helping churches find the right answer for their equipment needs. “We understand that not every purchase or rental is straightforward,” says Stahlhut, “so we’re open to different approaches.” As an example, he offers that because PRG sells used gear, renting can provide a critical “try-before-you-buy” opportunity. “Clients can maintain both paths, do their research, then choose the path that best fits their needs,” he says.

Knowing when and what to rent

If you are new to gear rental, knowing when and what to rent can be challenging. Costantino determines his rental needs mostly on a case-by-case basis. “If I am confident that I will use the same gear three or four times, that might signal that it’s smart to buy,” he says, “especially with smaller rentals. But if it’s a one-time thing to maybe expand our wireless capacity by a few channels for an event, then renting is the way to go.”

“If you have to get a video feed from 3,000 feet away or have an issue with switchers or cameras, a good rental company will put someone on it and solve the issue in a reliable and safe way.”

Steve Constantino, Media Ministry Technical Director, Crossroads Christian Church, Grand Prairie, TX

In cases where the church has a vision, but the path for the technology teams is not clear, a good relationship with a rental company can provide the answers that can save the church from either an unneeded expense or being unprepared for an event. With a company like PRG Gear that is focused on the client, you can say, "I don’t know exactly what I need to accomplish XYZ" and they’ll say, "Okay then, let’s work it out."

Costantino also reminds churches that a rental company can not only supplement the gear on a project but also help fill the gaps when the church might not have the right resources to get the job done. “If you have to get a video feed from 3,000 feet away or have an issue with switchers or cameras,” he says, “a good rental company will put someone on it and solve the issue in a reliable and safe way.”

Some situations are more clearly suitable for gear rental, such as events that happen infrequently or that may require specialized gear. Costantino says that if the stage, full touring sound and lighting systems, and four-camera flypacks needed for the Crossroad Christian’s popular outdoor Easter services were owned, it would represent a huge capital expense that would only be pressed into service one weekend a year. “The rest of the year,” he says, “it would all sit in storage depreciating. That is a clear choice for a rental.”

With any rental equipment, there is always a chance of something going wrong. When that happens, your choice of rental company and their ability to react can make all the difference. “Because manufacturer-trained PRG technicians are available 24/7 and parts are systematically stocked to quickly address issues with the company’s many professional clients,” says Stalhut, “all of our clients benefit."

Blessings of a good working relationship

“Churches can benefit from a good working relationship with the right rental company,” offers Stahlhut. He reminds his church clients that one of the advantages of working with a company large enough to have a global reach is that their stock of equipment is researched heavily before it’s purchased and put into service. “PRG’s investment in equipment is key to their success. Because the buyers are always forward-looking, rental clients are guaranteed of getting the best choices in gear manufacturers and models,” he says.

Something that has helped Crossroads Christian Church’s relationship with PRG Gear is the rental company’s ability to help them across all their production needs. “By being a ‘one-stop shop,’” says Stahlhut, “we can provide any gear the church needs at any time. No order is too small for us to work on. That means that the church doesn’t have to have one relationship with an audio company and then have to go somewhere else for their video rental needs.” As a single stop for rentals across the board, there are more opportunities to offer better pricing, as well as to approach productions with system-wide solutions. There are other advantages, too, including the not insignificant benefit of having all equipment for a production expertly packed and shipped to arrive on-site at the same time.

“Budget is always a key factor for churches,” says Constantino, “and smart rentals can help to keep budgets in line.” He notes that although he is occasionally asked to bid out some rentals for comparisons, he is most comfortable working with PRG because they are reliable and know how important staying within budget is for the church. The lesson, he says, is that when churches look at long-term partnering with a responsible rental company–rather than placing a series of one-off rentals–they both benefit.