Stages perform several diverse functions. At corporate or industry events, they can put your team members at the center of the action as they showcase your business. At conferences and trade shows, they can serve as your product display and demonstration site. Stages can also serve as the site of award shows and even fashion shows. Entertainment stages allow you to host musical and live events for your business.

When looking for stages, always consider function first. It's easy to make a stage more attractive with skirts and lights, but safety can't be glossed over. Outdoor stages must have a non-slip surface and must be durable enough to function in various weather conditions. Indoor stages don't need to be as weather-proof but they should be sturdy enough to prevent any accidents. Luckily, when it comes to stages, your company has the following options:

1. Finding a stages provider offering portable stages for events on the road.

2. Looking for musical stages for bands and other live events.

3. Seeking out tiered stages for special shows and multiple presentations.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look for a portable stage if your company's team often travels to events

Versatile portable stages are ideal if you frequently travel to conferences or events, or want to host outdoor events in a variety of locations. A portable stage is fully collapsible, but can easily be assembled into a sturdy stage for your event. Look for stages that you either rent and have set up for you or stages that are very easy to set up, even during a hectic event.

I recommend: ALulite sells portable stages with either midnight black carpet or black textured non-skid finishes. The portable stages are rugged enough for indoor and outdoor events. Midwest Folding Products sells TransFold portable stages, which come in four-foot square segments that allow you to create the size and shape of stage you need. In addition to the standard square segments, arc and triangular segments are also available.

Buy or rent a musician stage for outdoor entertainment events

A musical stage is sturdy enough for live entertainment, meaning it's durable enough to hold groups of people jumping around as well as all their sound and lighting equipment. You can even rent or buy an entertainment stage that includes sound wings and lighting hook up outlets, features that can make hosting your event much simpler. When renting this type of stage, look for a no-slip surface that will allow your entertainers to work safely.

I recommend: Bil-Jax offers a versatile Multi-Stage system that companies frequently use as a band stage. The system, which is ideal for outdoor concerts, boasts features like tent flooring, runways and sound wings. Bestek Lighting & Staging has been providing permanent and temporary staging solutions since 1974. They offer rentals and custom build services as well as delivery. Their stages are rugged enough for any concert or musical event and can be customized to meet audio needs.

Look for a tiered or elevated stage for multi-faceted presentations

Sometimes, one stage is not enough. If you have a live band, for example, you might want to have a separate stage area for a fashion show or backup singers. Tiered or elevated stages offer several levels, or tiers, each of which can serve a different purpose.

I recommend: Encore Party Rentals offers custom-sized and shaped tiered stages built from four-foot square sections. They company can use the sections to build any size stage you like--with the number of tiers you need. Fortytwo≈inc offers indoor and outdoor tiered staging solutions. All stages are ADA-compliant, height adjustable and come with optional risers, so you're get the stage you need.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When browsing stages information provided by retailers and stage distributors, you may notice that many stages consist of several separate segments or pieces. These stages can be an economical solution if you're trying to build a larger stage or if you'll need several stages of different sizes for various events. However, if you decide on this type of staging solution, do invest in skirts to hide the multiple legs. Also, make sure to confirm the total weight the stage can hold.