When you’re in the business of live events, your operations move fast. You’re quoting shows, managing gear across warehouses, scheduling crews, and invoicing clients—often all at once.
That means your rental management software needs to work just as hard as you do. But with so many tools on the market, how do you know which one will actually deliver when the pressure’s on?
If you’re evaluating event rental software, here’s what to look for and what to steer clear of.
Must-Have Features (And Why They Matter)
1. Real-Time Inventory Availability
Live events don’t wait. You shouldn’t have to wait on your software.
You need real-time visibility into what’s available and options for solving unavailable items. See what is still waiting to be prepped and what’s been pulled. With Flex barcode and RFID scanning, we don’t change industry best warehouse practices; we add speed and precision to your workflow.
Picture this: Your team is prepping for a back-to-back weekend of corporate shows and festivals. Flex shows you instantly what’s available and where it is, so you can avoid double-booking gear or scrambling for last-minute rentals.
Bonus, if that gear never returns to the warehouse, easily virtually return gear from show 1 and prep gear to show 2 with a single push of a button.
2. Fast, Customizable Quoting
If quoting takes too long, you’re losing business. If invoicing is clunky, you’re losing time and probably money.
Flex makes quoting fast and professional, with custom templates, drag-and-drop line items, and digital approvals that cut hours off your admin time.
3. Integrated Crew Scheduling
Managing gear is only half the battle. The other half? Getting the right people to the right place at the right time.
Flex StaffingPlus lets you schedule crews, check availability, and communicate changes in real time without requiring you to juggle yet another platform.
“With Flex Staffing Plus, I was able to inquire about four roles on one show and six on another, receive responses, and confirm the jobs within ten minutes. With just a few button clicks.”
– Cody Volk, FM Systems
4. Built-In Invoicing & Payments
Toggling between software platforms leads to mistakes and missed payments.
With Flex Payments, QuickBooks integration, and DocuSign built right in, you can manage payments, approvals, and cash flow directly from your rental software.
“Switching to an integrated solution for payments is a big time saver. With one click, it does it all!”
– Jason Weldon, Synergetic
5. Scalability & Customization
What works today won’t always work next year. You need a platform that scales as you grow.
Flex adapts to your workflow, not the other way around. Whether you’re running a warehouse or managing national tours, Flex grows with you.
“We’ve used Flex for over six years. It’s the most flexible and open inventory system on the market.”
– Jordan Goodfellow, Gigrent
What to Avoid in Rental Management Software
1. Limited Feature Sets That Look Flashy but Don’t Scale
Some tools may look sleek on the surface, but fall short when it comes to managing complex logistics, large inventories, or multiple team roles. Don’t choose a platform you’ll outgrow in a year.
2. Lack of Real Support
If support means a ticket that goes unanswered for days, you’re on your own when things go wrong. Flex offers real humans, fast onboarding, and responsive support teams who know the live events industry inside and out.
3. Software that Doesn’t Adapt
You shouldn’t have to adjust your workflow to fit your software. With Flex, the configurations, custom workflows, and reports make how you work and present your brand unique. We repeatedly hear, “It is invaluable that Flex provides the tools to configure the software to work the way we want it to and not the other way around. The Bottom Line: Choose Software That Works the Way You Do
Live event rental businesses need reliability, flexibility, and speed. Whether handling a local show or a stadium tour, your software should make your job easier, not harder.
Flex Rental Solutions gives you one platform to quote, schedule, track, invoice, and get paid—all with real-time visibility and real support when you need it.
Ready to See Flex in Action?
Start your free trial or schedule a demo today and find out why the best in the business trust Flex to keep their operations moving.
