AV rental for events: choosing your AV partner

Today, events communicate emotions and moods. Visual effects, coupled with amazingly photogenic venues, often count more than grandiose speeches and presentations. 

Renting high-quality audiovisual equipment is a must for the successful organization of an event. Event production, lighting, sound, video, etc. is what enables you to strengthen your message, and achieve greater impact with it.

Organizing an event, and need some tips on AV rental? This article discusses how you can manage the selection of a reliable AV partner, and what you should consider when using audiovisual equipment at your event. Let’s get started!

Make a list of all the audiovisual equipment necessary to put on your events

Before beginning your search for an AV rental company, you should have a clear idea of your needs and requirements. That’s why we recommend you make a list of everything you’ll need for your event.

Having an audiovisual checklist is very useful in such cases, as it will help you plan, check tasks, stay within your budget and above all, enjoy the peace of mind that comes with having everything planned and under control.

Usually, the basic AV rental package used for most events features:

Sound system

When it comes to sound system rental for events, the components usually included are mixing consoles, microphones, speakers, and amplifiers, to name just a few. 

In this video we tell you about some common sound mistakes to avoid:

If you’re going to have music at your event, you should include sub-woofers in the AV rental package. Sub-woofers are designed and fine-tuned to generate effective bass sounds, using much bigger speakers to reach even lower bass sounds.

Don’t forget to consider the position of the individuals who will be speaking at your event, for the best placement of the audio control units. It’s much more complicated when the main speakers are right in front of the audience. The speaker can hear reflected sound, and the atmosphere instead of their own voice, which can hinder their presentation. This is why stage controls are of crucial importance. 

For more detail on the different components that make up sound equipment rental, we recommend this article on how to choose the right sound system for your event.

Lighting equipment

In this area, the different types of basic lighting used at events are LED’s, moving lights, gobos, lighting desks, video mapping and special effects.

Lighting plays a very important role in AV rental at events, because as an organizer, it empowers you to create different atmospheres based on what you want to communicate. For example, you’ll use light-coloured and white lights for formal events, because they can generate a cooler atmosphere. However, warmer lights can be used to create more welcoming atmospheres that encourage networking, or intense, colourful lighting if it’s a fashion event, and you want to dazzle the crowd with more upbeat ambiance. Lighting is the part of event equipment rental that empowers you to completely change a space.

If you’d like to know more about key lighting techniques, we recommend this article: The importance of lighting at events: ideas and techniques.

Video equipment

Video equipment usually needed at events includes LED screens, projectors and monitors. Successful use of these elements requires a well-planned, solid pre-production process.

Often, when you think about a video AV rental, you might consider LED and Projection screens. In that case, you may have doubts as to the type of format and model you’ll need at your event. 

There is a broad variety of projection screens, but you should remember details such as the size of the room, distance from your audience, aspect ratio of the content, compatibility, etc.

Define the type of event you want to produce

To choose the best AV rental option, you should remember the type of event you are trying to put on. Make sure to remember aspects such as:

• Event type: Is it a fashion event , or a sport event? Is it a presentation for a new product launch?
• Size: Approximately how many people do you expect to attend? Will you need elements like giant screens?
• The venue where it will be held: is it an indoor or outdoor space?
• Language of the attendees: Is your audience international? Will you require simultaneous translation booths?

The answers to all of these questions, and some others you should also ask, can affect the amount and type of equipment you’ll need.

Trusting a solid AV partner for AV rental

Once you have a list of all your requisites, and you’ve defined the type of event you want to organize, you can start the search for your AV partner. 

There are many ways to do it, such as an on-line search, asking around for references, or consulting an event agency. Research a number of companies and compare their services and prices to make sure you are getting the best deal.

Having an AV partner when it’s time to rent audiovisual equipment will give you the peace of mind that comes with making essential decisions involving professional teams with industry experience. 

The process of choosing an AV partner that fits with the needs of your company can be discouraging, as there are many different companies that offer a broad array of services and prices. 

However, to generate an appealing space that is aligned with your brand, you should make sure that you and your AV partner are on the same page from the get-go.

6 key tips when choosing a partner for AV rental

We now offer you 6 key tips to bear in mind when considering different AV rental companies for events:

• Experience: Make sure you choose a company that has the capability and knowledge necessary to provide top-tier service, and help ensure the success of your event.
• Reputation: Look into the reputation of the companies you’re considering. Do they have good reviews from previous customers? Have they worked with high-profile customers at relevant events? If they have a good reputation, it is a sign that you can trust that company to provide high-quality service.
• Customer service: Offering excellent customer service is essential for a company. Make sure they can answer your technical questions and quickly and efficiently solve any issue that may arise. Go a step further: search for an audiovisual company that is willing to work with you to make sure your needs are fully met.
• Price: Although price should not be the determining factor in your decision, it is important to make sure you’re getting a good deal. Compare prices among different companies and make sure you’re getting good value for money.
  

If you want to view your events before setting them up to optimize prices, we recommend this article: Optimizing your budget with renders and virtual reality 

• Flexibility: Find an audiovisual partner who is flexible and capable of adapting to your specific needs and requirements. They should be able to offer you personalized options and solutions to ensure you have the audiovisual equipment you need for your event.
• Warranty: Make sure the AV rental company you choose offers guaranteed quality and maintenance and support service during the event. This will assure that the equipment works right and that any technical issues are quickly worked out. 

Summing up, having a clear idea of your needs and characteristics of your event, in addition to being backed by a good audiovisual partner for AV rental is what will lead you to success.

We hope you’ve found these tips helpful. If you have any questions that still need answering or require support for your next event, the Dushow team is ready to help!

This article was first published in Dushow Spain, you can read the original Spanish version here.