Gary Hinston, founder and current operator of X Talent, a premier organization specializing in concert promotion, talent buying, promoter consulting and event production joined the Program Productions Board of Managers Advisory Committee this past January. Rhino Staging is a member of the Program Productions’ family of companies.
In February, Gary was kind enough to take some time out of his schedule to answer some questions from us, including what might be his advice to someone just getting started in the live event business.
How the Journey Began
How did you get your start in this business? I started as a drummer in a local rock band until I entered college. When I got to college in the 70’s I became the concert chairman booking and producing shows including Billy Joel, Kansas, Hall and Oates, and Twisted Sister.
How did it evolve from there? I wanted to stay in Pittsburgh after college. It wasn’t a hub of the entertainment business, but I stayed and booked and produced local and regional bands up until the late ’80s when I went to work for the local promoter DiCesare Engler. I remained there through the early ’90s and produced stadium shows for them including Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Metallica/Guns N’ Roses, and NSYNC. I went on to the Pace Amphitheater in Pittsburgh and the Star Lake Amphitheater, just outside of Pittsburgh, in the late 90’s as a Production Manager and Event Manager. I left those in the early 2000’s as the SFX, Clear Channel, Live Nation transition happened and went on my own. It was about this time that the NFL stadiums started buying shows as a promoter – specifically Kenny Chesney shows. I was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers as a consultant to assist in doing the offers, settlements, event operations, and production coordination with the touring production managers. Over the next several years I was contracted by other NFL franchises including the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, and Houston Texans. It turned out I had found a niche that I had no competition within. During this time I negotiated numerous union labor contracts for the stadiums and also Ticketmaster deals. In some of these stadiums they were using Rhino as the crew to build the stages and that is how I got to know Jeff (Rhino founder and CEO Jeff Giek) and actually negotiated a stagehand deal with him for the theater in the Seattle Seahawks’ stadium. Over the 15 years that I have been consulting for stadiums I have assisted and been involved in over 240 stadium shows including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, U2, Elton John, and Beyoncé, to name just a few.
Mentors and Memories
At what point did you feel you’d definitely make your career in the live events business, that it was really the path for you? I was hooked from the beginning.
Did you have a mentor(s) or someone(s) who gave you advice that helped you along your way? What did they convey to you? My grandmother, no question. She taught me my values from the day I was born and she taught me my work ethic. When I was 5 years old, I removed the mailbox from the front porch with a screwdriver and put it back on. She asked me why I did that I said I wanted to see how it was attached. She said why don’t you do it again that way you’ll know for sure how it’s done.
What role or position that you’ve held gave you the most enjoyment/satisfaction and why or how did it do so? I just love working in this business. Everyday is a new challenge, a new problem, or a new solution. There is nothing boring about it.
Do you have a favorite memory or anecdote from your career to tell? It’s weird, but the things you remember the most are the things that went wrong, not the glamorous things that went right.
Where It Goes From Here
What will you be doing in your position as a member of Program Productions’ board of managers advisory committee? Based on my experience thus far, I am excited to work with these folks and add my experience and network to the decision making process whether it be as a promoter, talent buyer, production manager, contract negotiator.
What are the big challenges or opportunities you see ahead for the live event production business? I think the challenge is going to be the economy. Will the economy hold up to the number of shows and the escalating ticket prices.
Where lies the greatest growth potential for a company like Rhino Staging in your opinion? Stay the path! The future is unlimited, especially now with Team PPI and the ProCrewz app. This ProCrewz app brings rock ‘n roll staffing and payroll into the 21st century. I can’t say enough about it.
Parting Words of Advice
What would be your advice today for someone in the early stages of their own live events career? Just get in the business, find what you want to do, and then work harder than your peers to get what you want. Networking is important, but a tireless approach will result in success.
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