5 common mistakes people make when working with an AV hire company

HIRING AN AV COMPANY TOO LATE IN THE PROCESS

Contacting an AV hire company should be one of the very first things on your list when you’re planning an event.

Starting this process too late means you’ll miss out on invaluable advice and guidance a good AV solutions company can provide.

As a general timeline, we recommend locking in an AV hire company at least three months before your event, but the earlier you hire, the better.

Don’t worry too much if this timeline has already lapsed, we’ve put together some great productions with just 24 hours notice before!

Remember to keep stock and team members in mind too, as the later you leave it, the greater the chance is of certain items of equipment being unavailable.

DISMISSING MULTIPLE SUPPLIER OPTIONS

You have three options;

• Hiring in-house equipment via your chosen venue
• Hiring a preferred external AV company of the venue
• Hiring an external supplier of your choice

A good AV hire company will have your best interests at heart, but it’s always worth comparing quotes and expertise.

Some venues will allow you to hire internal equipment, however it’s not always up to the task in hand spec-wise and can be a bit of a gamble in terms of regular maintenance and service.

Don’t sell your event short, ask an external AV hire company to assess your requirements.

Getting a quote doesn’t cost anything but time, and it’s more than worth it.

Multiple quotes from various suppliers to get an overview of your options and find the best match for you.

You want the best possible AV options for your event—the venue’s preferred AV company or in-house kit might not be able to provide you with your desired outcome, so we advise you speak to several AV solution companies.

TRADING OFF AUDIO FOR VISUAL (AND VICE VERSA)

Contrary to the popular saying, you can (and should) have it all.

Imagine a visually stunning event, where the video featured heavily, but you can barely hear a thing at the back, and feedback is a constant nuisance. Balance is key , and both elements should be considered equally.

Spending loads on visuals but being tight on audio won’t go unnoticed by guests and your boss, so make sure that you’re covered on both fronts.

POOR COMMUNICATION

Good communication is the key to pulling off an outstanding event with minor disruption.

Keep your AV company consistently in the loop, providing details about your event goals and any questions you may have along the way, if they’re worth their salt, they’ll be more than happy to offer advice and guidance.

Keep in touch throughout the planning process and relay any schedule changes as soon as they occur, and your AV company will be able to offer the best service possible.

Transparency will improve the outcome of your event, and your relationship with the AV company, and building these client/company relationships is always a positive.

FAILING TO PREPARE

There are bound to be some hiccups on the day, but make sure you allow enough time for things to go awry. Set-up and teardown of equipment are when most problems occur, so ensure you factor this into timescales in case things take longer than expected.

It’s usually the small things that go wrong—bringing the wrong laptop adapter, or links in your presentation being broken. Prior to the big day, rack your brains for absolutely anything that could possibly go wrong and check your inventory.

Try not to panic, with the right amount of preparation and the right AV hire company, it will all go off without a hitch and hopefully exceed your expectations.

Planning and executing an event should be a fun experience! Of course, it can be extremely stressful, but that’s where your AV hire supplier comes in. As your new planning partner, it’s important to see yourselves as a team with the same goal in mind – creating a truly magical event experience.

Keep in mind, this isn’t an exhaustive list—but simply a bit of guidance. However, if you take into account the above tips, you’ll be on the right track to a successful event in no time.