Understanding How a Basic PA System Works

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Important Questions to Ask Your AV Provider
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Event Planning Tips
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Event Planning with an AV Provider

• In many cases, AV is the staple of an event for
  speeches, music, slideshows, videos and more.
• We believe that a reliable AV company should
  always make sure that you are fully prepared.
• Unfortunately, that is not always the case, so we
  have compiled a short list of questions you
  should be sure to ask your AV company prior to
  your event.

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• 5 Important Questions to Ask

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Question 1 Can you work with my budget?

• Right off the bat, let the AV company know
• Exactly what you need
• Speakers
• Microphones
• Projectors
• Live Mixing
• Streaming, etc.
• How much you are willing to spend
• A lack of transparency here could lead to getting
  all of the AV planned only to realize they cannot
  do it within your budget, or perhaps they can be
  within budget but cant provide a crucial service
  you need.

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Can you work with my budget?

• If you don't know the AV space very well, theres
  no need to worry.
• It is perfectly fine to let the AV company know
• Where the event is
• How many people are attending
• What you will need the equipment for
• Speeches
• Live Music
• Projecting a Sporting Event
• Corporate Conference, etc.
• They will be able to tell you the specific
  equipment that it would require and if they can
  do that within your budget.

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Question 2 Are there any issues with the venue?

• Be sure to go over your venue contract thoroughly
• It is better to be aware of any limits during the
  planning phase
• Your AV provider will want to know what they are
  working with
• Notice- Some venues
• Penalize clients who hire an outside AV provider
• Dont supply power
• Many additional rules and restrictions that an AV
  provider would need to know beforehand
• An AV issue on event day is the last thing you
  need while making sure everything goes smoothly.

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Question 3 What additional information do you
need?

• Some questions to answer up front for them are
• What content will be presented using their
  equipment?
• How many people will be attending the event?
• How many microphones are needed? Wired or
  Wireless?
• What is and isnt provided by you or the venue?
• How much space will they have?
• Will they have access to wifi or ethernet (if
  needed)?
• Will you require an on-site technician for
  troubleshooting or more complicated equipment
  operations?
• Some questions to ask them are
• What are their needs for bandwidth, power, and
  space?
• How much time is needed for setup and strike
  (teardown)?
• How many site passes will they need for their
  staff?
• What kinds of microphones/speakers/projectors
  will be best?

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Question 4 Can you do a walkthrough?

• Having your AV provider tag along for a
  walkthrough can be a significant way to prevent
  any misunderstandings ahead of time.
• They will be able to plan
• Load-in and Setup
• Locate Power
• Take Measurements
• Snap Photos
• Address numerous potential obstacles that too
  often need to be figured out on the day of the
  event.
• Walkthroughs allow them to work much more
  effectively and efficiently.

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Question 5 What team will you be bringing?

• Depending on the size and technical specifics of
  your event, it is always good to know
• How many production crew members will be staying
  for the event
• What they will be operating
• The most important detail to figure out is who
  the point person is going to be.
• You will communicate your needs with this person,
  and they will know who on their team to talk to
  and how to properly address your needs.

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Conclusion

• Dealing with an AV company on such an important
  piece of your event may seem daunting, but it
  really comes down to communication.
• You are sure to be covered if
• You are upfront about your budget and your needs
• Ask the right questions
• Put as much effort as possible into preparation
  for both you and your AV company
• Once these are all addressed, chances are you
  will find a company that you work well with to
  service your future eventswhich can end the
  stress of searching, allowing you to spend more
  time overseeing your event on all other ends.