Flyspace : Redefining Event Production with Stageline

Client : Flyspace Productions

Industry : Event Planning & Production

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Stageline Products : SL50, SL75, SL100, SP100

Website: https://www.flyspaceproductions.com/

From Theater to Fleet Leaders

Since 2012, Flyspace has grown from a fledgling event management company into a regional powerhouse, now operating an impressive fleet of 13 Stageline mobile stages. We recently asked their team to talk about their decade-long journey, the strategic decisions behind their massive fleet of mid-sized units, and how the transition to owning their own equipment fundamentally transformed their business model. From the unexpected “tipping point” that led to their first SL50 to their recent expansion into dedicated LED trailers, they share how Stageline’s durability and efficiency have become the bedrock of their “one-stop-shop” approach.

Here is what they had to say:

Q1: Where does the name “Flyspace” come from? Talk to us about how the company started.
Cory (Flyspace Principal): In a theater, the “flyspace” is the area just above the stage where much of the unseen action takes place. When done right, the audience never realizes how much happens in the flyspace, just out of sight. Jen and I both got our start in live theater before transitioning to live events. While in school at Carnegie Mellon, I began working on one of Pittsburgh’s largest events, the Three Rivers Arts Festival. I fell in love with live events; we’ve been working on that festival for 27 years now, and along the way, we began managing more festivals throughout the city. In 2006, we decided there was enough work to turn this passion into a full-time business. We started the company with just the two of us and have since grown to 50 full-time employees and 250 seasonal part-time staff each year.

Q2: Looking back to 2012, what was the “tipping point” that made you decide to invest in your very first Stageline unit?
C: We tell this story often. Up to that point, we were strictly an event management company. We didn’t own any of our own equipment. There was a local stage vendor we had worked with for years who provided the staging for all our recurring events. One year, we called to confirm details for a festival, and they told us they had decided to take a different job that paid better that year. There were no other stages available in our area. I went online to see what our options were and, fortuitously, the SL50 had just launched. It was a stage that was actually obtainable for our small, fledgling company. We found a slightly used one in the US and, after stressing for days over buying our first piece of equipment, we decided to take the plunge.

We hoped we could book it for six dates in the first year. We ended 2012 with 23 bookings; by 2013, we had 40; and by 2014, we had to add another unit to cover 60 bookings.

Q3: You’ve grown to 13 units in just over a decade. How do you determine when it’s time to add a new unit to the fleet?
C: Well, I like to joke that I need to buy one every year just to keep my streak going! But in reality, we listen to the market. When we reach a point where we are subbing in an outside stage too many times a year, we decide it’s time to purchase another one of that size. Every time we hit saturation with a certain model, we consider investing in the next model up.

Q4: With a fleet comprised almost exclusively of SL50, SL75, and SL100 units, you’ve clearly found a “sweet spot.” What is it about these specific models that makes them the workhorses of Flyspace?
C: Pittsburgh is a “middle market” city. We aren’t doing gigantic music festivals every weekend, but in such a diverse city, there are local and regional events happening all the time. Previously, there were almost no mobile stages in our region, so we were competing with tent companies that provided decks with tent roofs. The SL50 allowed us to compete on price with those setups. We were able to increase the production value for lower-budget events with the SL50, and we made the business model work through high volume.

Q5: What is one thing about your production approach that people might not realize is enabled by using mobile staging?
C: Since buying that first mobile stage, our company has shifted to owning nearly everything we need to produce an event. Our approach is “one-stop-shop”: safe, fast, and efficient. The mobile stages are the epitome of those values. In a city with relatively few open public spaces, many of our events take place on closed-off streets.

We absolutely need to be fast in and fast out to make street events feasible. Without mobile stages, this simply wouldn’t be possible.

Q6: Most companies try to go bigger and bigger, but Flyspace has built a massive footprint almost exclusively with smaller units like the SL50, SL75, and SL100. What’s the strategic advantage of “owning” that small-to-midsize stage market?
C: I think our differentiator is that we could afford the financing costs on one small stage, then two, then three, and so on. By starting small, we didn’t have to come out of the gate with a $1 million loan. We’ve been able to build slowly, prove our model, and grow only when it makes sense to do so. Although we have many smaller units, we do also operate two SL260s, an SL320, and an SL450. However, for our region, prioritizing volume over a few “gigantic” show weekends has made the most sense.

Q7: You’ve been running Stageline units since 2012. In an industry where gear can take a beating, how has the durability of these products influenced your ability to scale? When you look at a 10-year-old unit versus a brand-new one in your fleet, how do they hold up side-by-side in terms of performance and safety?
C: We take great pride in the condition of our stages. We have them regularly inspected and certified, stay on top of repairs, and perform consistent maintenance. We have yet to sell off a stage to buy a newer replacement because they are still as good as new.

We keep discussing an eventual upgrade, but every year it just doesn’t make financial sense yet because the existing units perform so well.

Q8: You’ve recently added two SP100 screen platforms to the mix. How has adding dedicated LED trailers changed your service offering or the way you approach your clients?
C: Again, building on the “one-stop-shop” concept, we wanted to add LED trailers to offer even more comprehensive production services to our clients.

Q9: Did Flyspace already own screen trailers, or were the SP100s your first acquisition of this product type? What made you decide to go with the SP100?
C: We did not own any screen trailers at the time. We had been renting them from a local production partner for years, always with the intention of eventually adding them to our own fleet. When we heard Stageline was launching its own version, we decided to wait until they were on the market.

We chose the SP100 based on Stageline’s reputation for safety, speed, and durability.

Additionally, we use our LED panels indoors and hang them on our other Stageline units, so the SP100—with its non-permanent screen—made perfect sense for our entry into that market.

Q10: Managing the Fleet: With 13 units, you’re managing a lot of moving parts. How has Stageline’s consistency helped you maintain a “Flyspace Standard” across multiple simultaneous events?
C: It comes down to repeatability.

Renting a Stageline is a known quantity.

We spend a significant amount of time and money training our technicians. Beyond following Stageline’s own standards, we have set our own “Flyspace Standards” on top of them. This includes how we pack the stage every time, the “look” of the soft goods when we walk away, and how the underside of the stage is maintained overnight. This ensures that our clients receive the exact same high-quality product every single time.

Q11: What’s Next? What is the next frontier for Flyspace, and what are your plans for the coming years?
C: We will continue to grow based on what we’ve built so far—refining our offerings and maintaining our quality of work. We plan to add more Stageline units as the market allows. We have been operating further outside of Pittsburgh lately, and we expect that expansion to continue. We also hope the SP100s will open doors to new clients and new types of projects.

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