Built Backstage.
Built for This.
Our Story
The Flex story really begins with CEO Chris Stein’s very first show in 8th grade. Seeing Elvis Costello sparked a flame that led to 50+ Grateful Dead shows and he even planned his honeymoon around the Womad festival where he and his new bride took in Peter Gabriel, Sinead O’Connor, Ziggy Marley, and more.
It was this passion that led him to a career in the live events industry. Chris began his career setting up and mixing smaller concerts, where he learned the importance of doing whatever it takes to make an event successful. Year after year, show after show, Chris developed expertise in intelligent light programming, rigging, and controlling and maintaining rental assets. He built his reputation on planning and executing flawless events throughout the US and abroad.
Chris Stein
Chief Executive Officer
“What I loved most about live events is helping connect an artist or presenter with their audiences,” explained Chris. “Doing our job well, meant an audience was able to get lost in the messages, feelings, and emotions conveyed from the stage–no matter the size of the venue.” Chris took this responsibility seriously, and obsessed over every detail–large or small–to reduce potential issues before he ever set foot in a venue, “It was in the details that the standard of excellence was set. I’ve always lived by the saying, ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
“None of the solutions were built for our industry from the ground up."
As Chris moved into managing inventory across multiple shows, he hit the wall every operator eventually hits: the tools that worked for five jobs stop working at fifty. He researched and tested nearly every solution on the market. None of them were built for this industry. They were built for other things and adapted — badly.
“They didn’t speak our industry’s language and nothing solved for getting the focus where it mattered most, creating great experiences.”
Born out of necessity
In 2009, Chris founded Flex as the tool he wished had existed. The goal was simple: build what the industry actually needs, not what’s easiest to sell. Fifteen years later, Flex customers have scanned more than 250 million assets in and out of their warehouses, across productions that include the Super Bowl halftime show, the Grammys, and the world’s biggest concert tours.
Flex has been first-to-market on barcode scanning, free scan in/out, and RFID. But the real proof is in the companies it’s built. Customers have grown from single warehouses to multi-country operations without switching platforms. 50% stay with Flex for 10 years or more because the system grows with them.
“I used to get a huge rush from the part I played in helping create a memorable show. I still get that rush when our clients succeed.”
The power of Flex
Flex serves production companies, staging houses, AV rental operations, lighting and sound companies, and any organization managing significant inventory across multiple jobs and locations.
Our customers share one thing: they’ve hit the ceiling on what simpler tools can do. They’re managing more gear, more crew, more locations, and more complexity than their current system was built for.
We’re not for everyone. If you’re managing a handful of assets with one or two people, there are better starting points. Flex is where you go when you’re serious about scale.
Built for Operators
Who Are Outgrowing What Got Them Here
