3G Productions was founded in 2004 as an audio production company based in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Over the past decade, the company expanded into Miami while adding lighting and video products to its rental inventory. Then the pandemic hit, and all production in the live event market shut down. In the summer of 2021, 3G Productions completed a recapitalization with the financial support of a well-backed investment group comprised of industry veterans and restructuring experts. As a result, the company is currently investing millions of dollars in bolstering its audio, lighting, video, and rigging equipment inventories. Today, 3G Productions’ singular focus is being the best full-service event production and equipment rental provider that serves a wide range of market segments within the live entertainment and event industry. In addition to AVL equipment and support, they also have expanded their offerings of design services and production management. As 3G’s new ownership group took the helm in 2021 they named 3G’s longtime company executive Keith Conrad as the CEO. We caught up with Conrad to discusses the success and direction of 3G Productions.
Who are 3G’s clients and the markets you serve?
Our customers include festival producers, tour managers, major corporations, sporting organizations, hotels/casinos, and live entertainment venues. Geographically, we do concentrate on our two local markets of Los Angeles and Las Vegas, but also support domestic tours and out of town projects for key clients.
Tell us more about the direction that 3G Productions has taken during your time with the company, both before the shutdown and since reopening.
I joined in 2012 and at that time it was primarily a Las Vegas-based audio production and rental company with a small full-time staff. Throughout the last 10 years the company expanded its presence to include Los Angeles and Miami, though we have shuttered the Miami operation now with the new direction. 3G, known for audio, also grew its production offerings to include lighting and video over the years. The pandemic obviously disrupted our business, bringing it to a grinding halt. We acted fast during this time, unfortunately needing to reduce staff, and focused on conserving cash, while hitting the investor community looking to make a deal.
We felt strongly about two things coming out of the pandemic: first, that the companies that were going to thrive were those that were well capitalized. We believed the demand would be strong for equipment and the need to reinvest would be paramount. Second, we felt the market would desire one-stop shopping from rental and production companies, so we focused on expanding our offerings while concentrating our operations on the West Coast. We were fortunate to strike a deal with a strong investor group and restructured the company in the summer of 2021. At that time, I was named the CEO of the new entity and most of the key 3G management stayed in place, including our CFO, Andrew Ross, and Executive VP, Jay Curiel. Today we are headquartered in Las Vegas, with full operations in Los Angeles also. We moved into our new headquarters just off the Strip in January of this year. We have 50,000 sq. ft. of shop space in Vegas and 20,000 sq. ft. of space in Los Angeles. We have now realized our original goal of moving beyond audio-only to being a full-service production and equipment rental firm, with an expansive inventory in lighting, video, rigging, automation, audio, and comm/RF. Additionally, we have an experienced in-house design team that lets us be that one-stop partner with producers and show organizers needing design services. This allows us to get involved in projects earlier and have more influence on the look and feel of shows.
I understand that 3G has been focused on building a strong expert team.
Yes, absolutely. While our investment strategy has been centered around bringing in the best-in-class equipment, we believe that equipment is only as good as the people operating it. We have bolstered the team from our scaled down staff of 10 during the pandemic to currently having around 50 employees. The aim is to recruit great people, who are resilient, adaptable, and understand the value of reputation; both their own and our company’s. The culture of this organization is really important to me, and I always tell my team it’s paramount we are rowing all in the same direction. This allows us to be nimble and pivot quickly when necessary. We have recruited key people from all over the country that have the technical competence and expertise, but also fit with our company’s values. Our focus is on our clients and our dedication to the job that needs to be done.
It is no small task to take on a fresh direction for the company and do it so quickly. With new ownership, leadership, and warehouses, all in a relatively short time frame, the team has been nothing short of exceptional in working together to set this company on the right trajectory. We have collectively transformed the company and I feel fortunate to lead such an amazing team. I also believe strongly in training and education to develop new talent. This industry has seen a lot of qualified people leave during the pandemic so we have focused on growing the pool of qualified engineers and operational staff. Making that commitment to development builds a sense of pride in the company and long term loyalty which translates to better service for our clients.
What can clients expect when they hire 3G Productions?
Our value proposition for customers is having best-in-class equipment, full production and design expertise, and being relationship focused. We offer the best equipment across all disciplines, and we pride ourselves on providing a very high level of customer service. Our customers rely on our expert knowledge and ability to work through any challenge to ensure the production if the show is flawless. As such, clients can focus on other aspects of the event while we take ownership of every step from advancing the show with artists and venues through loadout. Many of our clients are long-standing and we value those deep relationships. We take the motto—’We are only as good as our last one’—into each and every show. Lastly, we never take for granted the great customers we have the pleasure of working with every day.
Are there some projects that reflect 3G’s range of work?
We have many but some projects we are certainly proud of that we have recently completed include The Super Bowl Music Festival in Los Angeles, which we did full production and provided design services. Also, we did full production for The Shaq Fun House Super Bowl Event this year. In concert touring we did a lighting and video package for the 311 Tour; full production for the Mana Residency at the Forum, full production and design services for the Grupo Firme Stadium and Arena Tour. We also supported numerous bands at Coachella, including Anitta, Danny Elfman, Slander, Grupo Firme, and Karol G. Additionally, there are numerous festival projects including audio and lighting for EDC in Las Vegas, full production for Calibash in L.A., Las Vegas, Miami, and New York. Those are just some that come to mind from the last few months. We really have fun with our job and recognize we have the pleasure of supporting a wide range of amazing projects.
Any final thoughts you would like to share?
The pandemic was a humbling time for 3G, as it was for many others in the industry, but we persevered and evolved as an organization. By eliminating some of our ancillary business lines and focusing on West Coast full production and equipment rental we are laser-focused on supporting our clients with best-in-class equipment and unmatched service. We have invested heavily in our inventory with our version of name dropping being some of the very best manufacturers in the industry. Among them are d&b audiotechnik, L-Acoustics, Robe, Elation, Chauvet, MA Lighting, ROE Visual, Tour Rig, Kinesys, Tyler Truss, Shure, and Sennheiser. In closing, I am excited to lead this talented, hardworking team into the post pandemic world and believe the sky is our limit for what we can achieve.
For more about 3G Productions: www.3glp.com