[SML] Folding chair rental questions--

[gbierly at dejazzd.com]

> I’m curious what other venues do in this situation? 
> Do you own your own chairs? 
> Where do you rent from? 
> Do you budget for the cost of the nicer chairs or go with the cheap ones?

We are a high school and rented metal tube/plastic chairs for our graduation for years.  We did two set ups, 1 for indoors and 1 for outdoors.  We rented @700 for each location.  About 15 years ago the district bought 700 black all metal folding chairs and racks to set up the indoor set-up and still rented for outdoors.  After graduation the 700 and racks were distributed between the 10 schools in the district for special events.  All were to be brought back together at the end of May each year to set up graduation.  We now hold graduation at a local college field house and they provide 3000 metal tube/plastic chairs (800 they own and then rent the rest). 

Typically college graduations are a couple of weeks prior to high schools.  Look at working out a deal with the local high school(s) (or churches), you each buy a percentage of the total number needed of the nicer chairs and then lend them back and forth for large events such as graduations.  My college owned around 40 Wenger Showmaster decks.  Armstrong corporate bought around 40 for their trade shows/business meetings back in the 80’s.  They would lend decks and accessories back and forth for years until the corporate meeting market dropped off in the 90’s and Armstrong sold off that division.  Their decks stayed local and still get merged with the colleges on occasion.


Greg Bierly
Performing Arts Center Manager
Hempfield High School