For more than 30 years, Advanced Staging Productions and Main Light have worked together to support events of all sizes across the country. That relationship has continued to play an important role in 2026 as Advanced has relied on Main Light to help support the lighting needs for several of its largest productions of the year.

From a major industry event in Philadelphia to corporate meetings on the West Coast, each production presented a different set of challenges. Tight schedules, large lighting packages, cross-country logistics and last-minute client requests all required more than access to additional equipment. They required a partner that understood how Advanced operates and could adapt to the needs of each production.

For Advanced Staging Productions’ Lighting Director Jon Futty, that consistency is what has made the relationship work.

“There’s a level of trust that comes from working with a partner for this long. We know the gear is going to arrive clean, reliable and prepared the way we need it. When our inventory is stretched across multiple shows around the country, having that confidence in a partner makes a huge difference.”

Starting the Year on a Tight Timeline

Advanced kicked off 2026 supporting the Main Stage at PCMA Convening Leaders in Philadelphia. As one of the first major events of the year for the meetings and events industry, the production required a large lighting package on an extremely compressed schedule.

The team essentially had one true set day to get the lighting system installed, tested and ready for the show. Main Light provided approximately 95% of the lighting package, including all of the moving lights.

Before the equipment ever arrived onsite, Main Light worked with Advanced to pre-address and label the fixtures based on the team's specifications. These are tasks the Advanced lighting team would typically complete in its own shop or during the onsite setup. Having that work completed ahead of time saved valuable hours once the equipment arrived at the venue.

The use of moving fixtures throughout the design also helped Advanced make efficient use of available labor hours while balancing the overall production budget.

“On a show with a schedule that tight, the work done before the truck arrives can be just as important as what happens onsite,” said Futty. “Main Light went beyond simply providing the fixtures. They prepped everything around the way our team needed to work, which allowed us to get right into the build and stay on schedule.”

The preparation paid off. Load-in ran smoothly with no equipment issues, and the lighting team remained on schedule and within budget. The finished Main Stage also earned praise from the end client for its professional look and execution.

Main Light East supplied the package from its Wilmington, Delaware facility. The order was built around Robe i-Forte IP65 and Ayrton Rivale IP65 moving lights, Clay Paky Ultimo Sharpy beam fixtures, Martin Mac Aura PXL and Mac Aura XIP washes, Chroma-Q Color Force 48 II battens and grandMA3 Full Size and grandMA3 light consoles from MA Lighting. A Robe RoboSpot remote followspot system was included for the Main Stage, and spare units were carried on every fixture type.

Ahead of delivery, Main Light’s shop crew completed fixture addressing, gobo loading and networking rack preparation to the Advanced team’s specifications. The full order moved as 72 cases on a dedicated trailer, leaving the Wilmington shop at 8 a.m. and arriving at the venue two hours later, ready to go straight into the air.

Travis McDonnell, Account Executive at Main Light East, managed the order.

“Advanced Staging has been a long-time partner for us, and when we have the opportunity to support their events and productions we make sure to provide the service and quality they have come to rely on us for. For PCMA, Main Light supplied a versatile package built around some of the major workhorses in our inventory, from manufacturers we trust. That translates into our clients being able to trust our equipment.

We were also happy to take some of the stress out of the job by providing addressing and labeling services, which helps keep onsite confusion to a minimum and lets our clients work quickly. Our goal is, and continues to be, providing the highest quality equipment and the best support services as a dry-hire provider. Doing the little things helps our clients focus on what matters: the best possible experience for their end users.”

Taking the Same Partnership Across the Country

Just a few months later, Advanced again turned to Main Light for a large corporate event in San Diego. This time, the production extended well beyond a single stage, with a large General Session, several smaller meeting spaces and an attendee activation area requiring lighting support.

The scale of the main space alone required more than one mile of multi, driven by the size of the room, the lighting rig and the amount of truss throughout the design. The General Session and attendee activation were also built within one large open environment. Scenic elements toward the back of the room helped transition the space from the main stage into the activation area without separating the two experiences with walls.

For this production, Main Light's Las Vegas operation provided the equipment directly to San Diego. Utilizing inventory already on the West Coast reduced the need for Advanced to transport its own lighting equipment across the country, helping control trucking and transportation costs.

It also gave the Advanced team the same confidence in the delivery schedule that it would expect when coordinating its own equipment.

“We produce events throughout the country, so having a partner with that reach is extremely valuable,” said Futty. “Even when the equipment is coming from another Main Light location, we know what to expect. We can trust the delivery schedule, the condition of the gear and the preparation behind it.”

That preparation again extended beyond the fixtures themselves. Equipment arrived pre-addressed and labeled, and Main Light even taped its road cases to match Advanced's color-coding system. During load-in, that made it easier to deploy equipment to the correct areas. During load-out, crews could quickly identify Main Light equipment and route cases to the appropriate staging area and truck.

With a tight production schedule, those seemingly small details helped keep a large amount of equipment moving efficiently. The result was another smooth load-in that kept the production on schedule.

Main Light West supplied the equipment from its Las Vegas inventory. The package included Robe i-Forte IP65 moving lights, Ayrton Rivale IP65 fixtures, Martin Mac Aura XIP washes, Clay Paky Ultimo Sharpy beams, Chauvet Professional Colorado PXL Bar 16 IP battens and Ultratec Radiance hazers, controlled from a grandMA3 light console. A complement of battery-powered Astera QuikSpots supported the areas of the room where running power was impractical.

The full order shipped as 71 cases in a single delivery covering the General Session, the smaller meeting spaces and the activation area, with spares carried on every major fixture type so the crew was never waiting on a replacement.

Steve Nancarrow, Rental Account Executive at Main Light West, coordinated the order.

“Jon sends us his gear requirements and our shop crew preps and addresses the fixtures ahead of time, so when the equipment arrives on site it is ready to hang. That saves him hours he would otherwise spend on the floor, and he trusts us to do it properly.

He and his team are some of my favorite professionals to work with. Highly organized, great communication, clear direction, and willing to work with the gear we have available.”

Creating a More Theatrical Corporate Experience

In May, the partnership returned to Las Vegas for a corporate General Session that called for a very different lighting approach.

The client wanted the opening of the event to capture the energy of a Las Vegas show. The program incorporated dancers, gymnastic performers, and presenters appearing within a series of movie-inspired moments.

The lighting needed to support that same theatrical direction.

Rather than concentrating the design solely on the stage, the lighting extended farther into the audience to create a more immersive environment. Heavier cueing throughout the opening helped support the entertainment, while a marquee-inspired stage design added another dramatic element to the room.

Futty worked with Main Light during pre-production to identify equipment that would support the overall creative direction. That ability to start with the desired result instead of simply submitting an equipment list is another part of what Futty values about the relationship.

“They aren't just order takers,” said Futty. “We can talk to them about the look we're trying to achieve or what the production needs to do, and their team can recommend the right equipment to get us there. They understand the end result we're working toward.”

Main Light's local presence also proved valuable when the client's needs extended beyond the General Session.

With equipment already onsite, the client asked Advanced if several fixtures could be repurposed for an off-site event. Main Light coordinated a truck to return to the venue, pick up the equipment and transport it to the new location. The driver even brought the Advanced technician supporting the off-site along for the trip, helping ensure the equipment reached the correct location while saving an additional transportation step.

It was a small request compared with the overall scale of the production, but one that reflected how both companies approach client service.

The client was ultimately impressed with the transformation of the room and the theatrical look created for the opening experience.

For this production, Main Light West provided an almost entirely Ayrton hard-edge rental package, pairing Ayrton Rivale IP65 fixtures with Ayrton Huracan and Ayrton Diablo-S units, supported by Martin Mac Aura XIP washes and a grandMA3 Full Size console. It was a different fixture selection from the other productions of the year, chosen during pre-production to serve the theatrical direction of the opening.

Atmospherics were part of that conversation as well, with Ultratec Radiance hazers and Antari fog machines supplied alongside the rig. Cable ramp and base plates were added to the 54-case order to support the floor positions that carried the design out into the audience.

“When Jon comes to us with the look he is after rather than a finished equipment list, that is when this works best. We know what is on our shelves and what it can do, so we can point him toward the right fixtures, and he can stay focused on the design.” said Nancarrow.

Ready When the Client Asks for More

That responsiveness became even more apparent during another large corporate General Session in July.

Main Light once again supplied approximately 95% of the lighting package from its Las Vegas operation, giving Advanced access to local inventory without the need to transport the full package across the country. For a client that was conscious of the environmental impact of its event, sourcing equipment closer to the venue also provided an added benefit by reducing some of the long-distance transportation required for the production.

The real test, however, came once the team was onsite.

The client identified several areas where it wanted to add supplemental lighting. Advanced reached out to Main Light, and the additional fixtures were sourced and delivered directly to the venue within a matter of hours.

For Futty, having that resource nearby meant the conversation could remain focused on fulfilling the client's request rather than whether the equipment could be found in time.

“When something changes onsite, we want to be able to focus on finding a solution for our client,” said Futty. “Knowing Main Light is nearby and that whatever they send us is going to meet the same standard gives us the confidence to respond quickly.”

The client was familiar with the network of partners Advanced works with across the country and saw that network as another advantage of the relationship. The additional fixtures were incorporated into the production, the show ran seamlessly and the client was impressed with how the finished lighting helped the stage and scenic elements stand out throughout the room.

Main Light West again supplied the primary package from Las Vegas. Three grandMA3 light consoles anchored a rig of Ayrton Rivale IP65 fixtures, Clay Paky Ultimo Sharpy beams, Martin Mac Aura PXL and Mac Aura XIP washes and GLP X4 Bar 20 battens, with Obsidian Control Systems Netron nodes handling data distribution across the room.

The order moved as 61 cases on a 53-foot trailer, pulling out of the Las Vegas shop at 1:30 a.m. to meet an overnight dock time at the venue. When the additional fixtures were requested onsite, they came out of the same local inventory and reached the venue the same day.

“Advanced has come to us more than 455 times over the years for quotes and orders. When you have built that many gear lists for one team, you know how they work and what they are going to need. Being close to the venue just means we can act on it quickly.

They are not only a highly valued repeat customer, but a skilled team and genuinely good people to work with. I cannot recommend Advanced Staging enough.”

More Than an Equipment Order

Across four very different productions, the value of the Advanced and Main Light relationship has extended beyond the amount of equipment supplied.

It can be seen in fixtures arriving pre-addressed and ready for deployment. It is evident when road cases are marked to fit another company's workflow. It shows up when pickup dates are adjusted so equipment can travel on an already scheduled truck instead of requiring an additional driver. And sometimes, it is as simple as getting a few extra fixtures to a venue within hours because a client sees an opportunity to make the room even better.

That flexibility matters whether Advanced is placing a major order for one of its largest productions of the year or calling about a much smaller need.

“We know Main Light works with a lot of large partners, and not every order we place is going to be a huge one,” said Futty. “But the size of the request never changes the attention to detail or professionalism we receive. They treat every request like it matters.”

It is an approach that Futty sees as closely aligned with Advanced's own philosophy toward its clients.

“At Advanced, we say ‘Every Event is the Big Event.’ That means we don't change our level of commitment based on the size of an event or a request. We always want to find a solution for our client. That's one of the reasons the partnership with Main Light works so well. They treat us the same way we want to treat our clients.”

After more than 30 years of working together, that shared approach continues to make Main Light more than an equipment provider for Advanced. Whether supporting a tight load-in in Philadelphia, supplying a multi-room production in San Diego or responding to a last-minute need in Las Vegas, Main Light has become an extension of the team that Advanced knows it can rely on when the next big event arrives.