When considering which venue to book for your live or in-person event, it’s imperative to establish what the AV infrastructure is and any applicable costs, ideally before you sign the contract, so you have a full understanding and can avoid hidden costs and problems down the line. Some venues include AV in their rental price, others don’t. They may insist you use their AV partner or in house equipment, which may be a good solution; or conversely it may be restrictive and may cause problems for your event. Our top tip is to carry out a technical site visit with your production partner before you sign the contract and again during the planning stages of the event. The key things to ask any potential venues to get a good understanding are:

1. Do you include any AV equipment or crew in the rental?
2. If not, what are the additional costs? Ask to see a full rate card. 
3. Can we use our preferred A/V supplier? 
4. How much time will we have to set up and test A/V equipment before the event goes live? Can you give us access to the space for a day (or more depending on the size of your event) before the event? 

When discussing AV needs with a venue, it’s essential to ensure that their AV equipment and capabilities align with your event requirements. You’ll need to know about equipment and setup, technical specifications, connectivity, logistics and more. In truth, there’s so much to consider that you’re best placed working with an audio visual company like Virtual Approval for total peace of mind. If you hire us as your AV experts, we can handle every stage of the planning process, discussing all the aspects of your event with your chosen venue to reduce your stress levels!

While it may not be a strict doubling of AV equipment, hybrid events definitely require additional resources and careful coordination to ensure that both in-person and virtual participants have a great experience. For example, you’ll need cameras at the venue to capture the action from multiple angles, as well as additional microphones and screens displaying the live faces of the virtual participants to make the event as interconnected and inclusive as possible, so it’s enjoyable for all involved. We’d definitely recommend hiring an audio visual company with experience in hybrid events to help manage the complexity and ensure a smooth experience for both audiences. We have particular expertise in planning and producing hybrid events, so will guide you across all aspects including helping you remain within your desired budget. 

Sure, we might be sitting on the fence here, but every aspect of advanced audio visual services plays an important role in your event running smoothly. Sound is critical for clear communication. Without good sound, even the best visuals and lighting won’t be impactful. Vision is vital for visual presentations, and enhancing engagement. It complements sound by providing visual context and support. Lighting enhances the overall atmosphere and visibility. It sets the mood and ensures that both speakers and visuals are properly illuminated. In our experience, sound is typically the most important component because it directly affects communication and comprehension. Vision comes next in importance, especially for events involving presentations or remote participants. Lighting enhances the overall experience but is often more about complementing the sound and visual elements than being the primary focus. Bottom line? Balancing all three elements effectively will provide a more polished and professional event experience.

However, more important than any equipment is the production crew operating. A well trained and professional team of production technicians, technical designers, show callers and directors will make a noticeable difference to the success of your event and the experience of every speaker, attendee, performer and host. Our A/V crew are the musicians making up the technical orchestra that is the beating heart of your event. This is why we only work with the best crew in the business and hand pick every person for every role, we guarantee your event is in the best hands. 

Yes, it’s highly advisable to book extra time before your event for AV setup and testing. Typically, booking an additional half day or evening before the event starts is a minimal requirement. A full day is good practice for a typical event with up to 1,000 attendees. More complex and larger events will require several days or even weeks to set up. If you’re able, conduct a dry run or rehearsal with all equipment and participants to ensure everything runs smoothly on the event day then this is advisable too. Of course, audio visual services specialists like Virtual Approval will be able to help with all of that.