Rental and Staging Network's Top Six Live Event Staging Trends

Members of the Rental and Staging Network (RSN), a network of 22 geographically-diverse live event and staging companies with a passion for providing outstanding event experiences, have offered their expertise on future trends in the industry.

"Coming off of another insightful National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in April, we are seeing some interesting trends that not only RSN members should be aware of and ready to embrace, but the entire live event staging industry should know how these may enhance their businesses," said Donald Guzauckas, president of RSN and general manager of Connecticut-based HB Group.

1. More sophisticated software available -- RSN members were impressed with non-linear, 2D, 3D, realtime editing, playback, and control software showcased at NAB this year. They found it user-friendly, creative, and flexible with the ability to use 3D in real-time a major plus.

2. Digital signage for meetings -- Digital signage is common in airports and retail, but they may soon be seen more in meetings and breakout rooms, allowing for conveniences such as wireless minute by minute updates.

3. The migration to digital signal flow -- RSN sees Fiber, Cat5, HD-SDI, HDMI, and DVI increasingly being used over analog. There are now more production products on the market with few or no analog video inputs.

4. More 4K resolution video being introduced and developed -- RSN members see 4K resolution video becoming a required premium product within the next 18 months and a standard offering within three years.

5. Cross-over to new product lines -- Vendors you previously associated with one type of product are going to be branching out into new territory, including cinema cameras and direct view monitors.

RSN members are veterans of their field and apply their creativity and vision to providing expert, personalized service on a nationwide scale. Since its inception in 2007, RSN has aimed to bring the industry's best audio/visual rental and staging companies together to share best practices and provide nationwide service with the benefit of local contacts, according to the network, eliminating the need for clients to spend valuable time verifying the competence and capabilities of multiple companies.