Making the right decision on what technical equipment to buy can be a daunting task. Kevin Roach suggests some strategies for avoiding costly mistakes.
Whether you are thinking about buying sound, lighting or stage equipment, the first decision that must be made is whether an item needs to be an integral part of your technical delivery. If not, then the item should start paying for itself within a given period of time and become an income stream to the venue. So the first task is to compile a list of the equipment needed within each category.
The only sensible way to approach this task is from the outset to involve the technicians who will actually use the equipment. In the first instance ask them to write up a feasibility report as what and why you should buy, comparing and contrasting the options. This will encourage a joint decision and ensure that all options are explored. Each proposed purchase will need to be justified, which will help to avoid Toys For The Boys syndrome the nice-to-haves, usually purchased at a cost but delivering little or no real value.
A good example of the value of this exercise was when I had to write a feasibility study on purchasing new follow spots for a venue. One brand of follow spot used a new type of lamp, which meant that the units had a significantly longer lamp life. Although the follow spots were not the cheapest on the market, the saving that would be realised on the reduced cost needed for lamp replacement would mean that the follow spots would pay for themselves over a three-year period. The units were bought and ten years later are still going strong.
Items like moving lights and radio microphones are good examples where a return on investment can be made. These items should not generally be included on your technical specification list; this enables you to recharge the item to the incoming company. When considering which items to buy in this category, look over what you have needed to hire in the past, either for your own productions or for incoming companies, how often you needed them and what you were charged. With this information to hand you will be able to draw up a priority list for purchase, based on your in-house needs and the future opportunities to recharge the item. When setting the recharge cost, bear in mind, wear and tear, servicing, and the cost of replacement, as well as the cost of capital.
When you have an agreed list of what equipment is needed the next stage is to decide on which manufacturers to use, especially for generic items. Avoid the temptation to secure higher discounts by taking substitutes: you will have gone through all the hard work of comparing and contrasting and deciding which equipment is right for your venue so dont be swayed into taking anything less. The item you end up buying should be at least the same as or more favorable than the one considered in your specification process. Being swayed by the sales man is the main reason theatre storerooms throughout the world are full of less reliable equipment. The only person to gain is the one who makes the sale through commission: the one left to operate the piece of kit not only has a white elephant on his hands, but also feels pretty put out that his views were not taken into account in the final purchase!
Once, when we were asked to install a hanging structure for a lighting rig in a new arts centre, an electrical contractor asked us in to install a structure that was a completely impractical and a total waste of money. We advised the contractor of several alternatives but were instructed to install what had been specified. Several months later we had a call from the venue asking the reasons why this structure was installed. We gave them a copy of our brief, only to be told that the contractor had charged them six times the amount of our charges for a structure that was completely unusable. The price that they had been charged would have purchased a system that would easily have met all their needs; instead they ended up with a white elephant and additional costs to put it right.
The main challenge is that the marketplace is full of equipment of various price and quality, claiming everything amazing. My main piece of advise is speak to people that have experience with a particular piece of equipment someone who knows if the item is reliable, easy to operate, easily serviced and has obtainable parts. Having had years of experience spending someone elses money on equipment I make sure I have all the information I need before considering spending my own!
Kevin Roach is Managing Director of Stage Right Productions.
e: kevin@stage-right.co.uk