AV hire is not just hiring speakers and a projector. It’s paying for peace of mind that your message will be seen and heard. The cost will generally include equipment hire, delivery and collection, technical support during your event, and sometimes a site visit before-hand.
The cost will vary enormously depending on what you need. The cost of a basic system for a seminar of up to 50 people might be £500 to £800. On the other hand, a full production system for a conference of up to 500 people could easily cost £15,000 or more. The cost of av hire london will also be approximately 15 to 20 percent more than in other parts of the country, due to transport and labour costs.
The Technical Bits That Actually Matter
Now, you don’t have to become an audio engineer yourself, but it’s crucial that you have some basic knowledge of the technical requirements of the event. This will help you immensely when you are talking to the suppliers.
For the audio system, you need to consider what you are going to do to make the audience hear the speakers. For example, a lapel mic will work well for a panel discussion, a handheld mic will work well for a presentation, and a radio mic will work well if the speakers need to move around. However, you also need to consider what you are going to do to let the audience ask questions. Unless you are happy with the audience shouting their questions from their seats, you will need to have a radio mic that the presenter of the Q&A session can carry around.
For the screen and the projection system, the distance of the viewers from the screen is much more crucial than the screen’s size. A good rule of thumb to remember is that the distance of the furthest viewer from the screen should not be more than six times the height of the screen. This means that if the back row of the audience is 12 metres away from the screen, you need a screen that is at least 2 metres high. This is a mistake that many venues make.
The lighting of the venue is also often overlooked. However, it’s crucial that you have some form of lighting because it makes a huge difference to the ambiance of the place. Even a simple form of lighting, such as uplighting, will make a dull and depressing conference room look half decent.
Questions Worth Asking Suppliers
Once you have a few suppliers lined up and are ready to ask them about the costs of the equipment and the services that they are going to provide, you need to ask them a few questions. First and foremost, you need to ask them about their backup equipment.
Find out who will be on site during your event. Will they be an experienced technician or a newbie on their first job? This could be important if things need adjusting on the fly. Also, check out their cancellation terms. Events get postponed or cancelled, and you need to know where you stand financially.
Making the Final Decision
Make sure you get at least three quotes. Don’t just look at the price; the cheapest quote is not always the best value. Look at what is included: site visit, technical support hours, backup equipment, insurance.
Your initial gut feeling is important. If the person you are talking to talks down to you, makes you feel stupid for asking questions, then avoid that company. You need someone who explains things clearly and is obviously interested in helping you get the best out of the event.
The technical side of the event does not have to be complicated or stressful. If you get the right company, it just works behind the scenes like it should.