Planning Stages
So you go through the painstaking process of choosing the venue, making sure it has the character your event deserves. You carefully select the food, evaluating quality. You plan site visits and have many phone calls, all to make sure everything is covered. Now for the audio visual portion... Ugh! There's no demos up to see, there's no testing, there's just hoping that what you spec out is going to be interpreted correctly by the AV manager and that the technicians will be up to the task. If you're lucky, there will be a meeting happening during one of your site visits that you can peek in and take a look at the AV. If not, hopefully some pictures will be sent to give you an idea of the previous quality of work. It's no wonder why event planners have the fifth most stressful job.
Choosing an AV Company
Audio visual is an important part of your event. Sometimes "THE" most important part of your event. This is why choosing the right audio visual company is such a critical step in having a successful event. But what separates one AV company from the next? In New York City, we have all types of companies, from the absolute largest AV companies that have a global presence to companies that are local only to NYC. We have companies that focus solely on one aspect of AV, such as lighting, or sound, though most companies have the benefit of being a one stop shop, meaning you can find practically everything needed for events. So what makes any one company better than the next? Good question! All audio visual companies have access to the same equipment. We can all pick from the same catalogs of gear and choose this piece or that piece of equipment. We all have the opportunity to invest in the latest and greatest. So if all AV companies can have the same gear, what should you look for??? Answer: The experts behind the gear. The emphasis should be on those operating the equipment, the techs. It's the technicians that will be your greatest asset in the success of your event. Yes, technology is important, but it can only go as far as those operating it. So when talking with a AV team make sure to talk about their techs.
Traveling AV Team
Ok, so now you checked on the commitment of the audio visual company to hire and train quality team members. Great! Do you really want to have to do this every time you go to a new venue/city? If you're planning multiple events then finding an audio visual company that can travel with you will save you a lot of time and stress. You'll have the benefit of getting to know your team and not have to repeat the process of educating them on your event every time you go to a new venue. Also, go ahead and let your prospective AV team know if you have multiple events. This can help with negotiating cost. You'll probably have to give some sort of guarantee to get a multi-event discount but even if you don't want to commit the entire year, guaranteeing some events can be a useful bargaining tool.
Alright, we're making some progress here! Let's make some bullet points!
choose your AV team carefully - you and your event deserve it
talk to potential companies on their commitment to team members and their training
let them know your vision and what you're looking for from the technology
if you have multiple events, mention it and ask if they offer discounts
you already have the fifth most stressful job, working with one audio visual company for your events can help lessen your stress level
In your initial talks, evaluate how focused your potentials are to you. Quick answers to your emails and phone calls should be expected. If it's taking a day or more to answer you back, they may not give you the attention to detail you're looking for.
Ok, now it's up to you. Go talk with some AV companies and see which one works best for you.
Don't know where to start??? Start here! We'd love to talk to you about your events.
JC