Event planners have to stay on the cutting edge of audio-visual technology. The astute client will have a clear picture in their mind of how they want their event to feel and function; a good planner has to be able to bring that picture into reality through excellent technology and seamless integration of various media.
When it comes to AV equipment, the world has come a long way from slide projectors and stereo speakers of a couple of decades ago. It’s vital to provide a mesmerizing experience to all attendees, so everything from LED walls for excellent video quality to cutting-edge speakers and even silent disco headphones can be used to either promote a shared musical experience or allow multiple artists to be played at the same time.
Audio-visual equipment choices are getting more varied and exciting by the day, so choose an audio-visual equipment rental company that stays right at the cutting edge of new tech and artistic possibilities.
Useful AV Equipment Tips
To choose the right audio-visual equipment, you need to know your crowd and your venue. Audio visual equipment can be easily categorized as visual equipment and audio equipment, so let’s tackle each part of the integral package that is the audiovisual checklist.
Visual Equipment: Turn On the Lights
From an intimate wedding to a massive concert, every event needs lighting. At the very least people need to be able to see where they are going, and good lighting equipment can set the whole vibe.
In addition to lighting, video cameras, and projectors or LED video walls can make the event more accessible by allowing distant attendees to get a good view of performers or speakers.
Event Lighting: Not Just For Safety
While a bare minimum of lighting is needed at many events just to keep people from stepping on each other, renting audio-visual equipment provides an amazing opportunity to create a mood with illumination.
Attendees will remember how the event made them feel more than they remember the things that happened there, so renting lights that create ambiance and a visual spectacle is an excellent investment of money that you will have to pay anyway. If you are renting AV equipment, don’t skimp on the lighting equipment.
Look into color washes, moving heads, uplights, and even blacklight/ glow lights if your clients like more of a scene vibe. And don’t forget that presenters may need some task lighting themselves, to navigate presentation slides and keep track of an electronic device.
Video Equipment: Let the People See
Whether the event requires you to show presentation slides or project what occurs on stage to a big screen, your client is likely to want some form of video equipment for their event planning.
Depending on budget, many audio-visual equipment rental companies still offer projectors and screens as an inexpensive solution. However, the effectiveness of this strategy can be limited, especially in an outdoor venue during daylight. A projector can’t compete with the sun, it’s that simple.
Enter the LED wall.
When it comes to audio-visual equipment for a large audience, the LED video wall is the gold standard for your audio-visual needs. It is highly visible no matter the lighting. Also, it’s easier to position than a projector since there is no need to worry about obstructions or hanging an expensive piece of equipment from the ceiling.
For smaller venues or supplemental seating needs, smaller LED TVs are also available to rent.
Lighting and video equipment are both essential parts of the audio-visual equipment picture. But with such stunning options in the visual equipment category, how can your audio equipment possibly match the quality of your visual equipment?
Audio Equipment: Turn On the Music
To create a memorable experience for all attendees, audio quality is absolutely nonnegotiable. No one wants to attend a conference where the speakers can’t be understood or where the music can’t be distinguished. If you want your clients satisfied, you need to have top-quality AV equipment, and the audio is at least as vital as the visual equipment.
There are many components to a solid audio-visual equipment plan, and it starts with high-quality av equipment. You want quality microphones, monitors to help speakers and performers hear themselves, and top-notch speakers to make sure that all sound waves are audible and crystal clear for audience members.
Microphones
Unless there will only be one microphone in use you may wish you had a quality microphone mixer to ensure that the mics are all properly balanced with each other and can be adjusted according to the context of the performance.
Performers may have preferences as to whether they would prefer wireless microphones or wired microphones, and managing cables is a much larger problem than many people suppose when they first try planning in a large venue size.
You will also want to arrange for plenty of time for testing to avoid feedback and find the perfect arrangement for all audio-visual equipment. The best equipment in the world will not make up for poor planning so start working out the kinks as soon as possible.
Speakers
Unfortunately, there are many very poor-quality speakers available on the market. A speaker with a poorly designed speaker cone–or one that is cracked–can create a terrible buzzing sound and other unpleasant side effects that can ruin the vibe and make speeches difficult to understand.
Rent sound equipment from a reputable local dealer and make sure to test them at the volume that you will need for your venue size before you commit to taking them. Replacing a speaker cone, if needed, is a pretty simple process, but having to make the rental company come out to do it in the middle of an event is not a great look.
Speaker Sizing And Arrangement
High-powered speakers are vital in a large venue especially outdoors, to provide audio coverage to a large number of people. This is especially true if there will be competing sounds such as traffic, airplanes, or wind.
But even a smaller and more intimate gathering will want excellent sound quality to provide audio for everyone comfortably and understandably, so try to get good advice from the venue manager on the best arrangement of speakers for the space.
Alternatives to Speakers
If there will be multiple artists performing or diverse listeners of varying tastes, renting silent disco headphones and hiring more than one DJ could be of interest to the attendees. Silent disco headphones are on the cutting edge of AV equipment and provide a unique audio experience.
Rent Karaoke Equipment For Even More Fun
If your event is intended to be fun and interactive, add some karaoke equipment to let attendees become the stars of the show. The opportunity to sing at a beautifully appointed and perfectly lit event venue is a memorable experience, so creating that opportunity will ensure the event will not be forgotten–and won’t take much extra audio-visual equipment beyond what you are already renting.
Other Considerations
Even once you have chosen your ideal AV equipment you may have to think about other potential problems. Will the venue be able to accommodate the demands of your equipment, or will you need a generator for supplemental electricity? Does the venue provide a computer or any gear to connect the audio-visual equipment to power sources and a central control?
If you want to use wireless microphones, is there any kind of radio noise that might make the microphone mixer unable to receive signals? This is an important question for the venue manager.
Your audio-visual equipment can be of awesome quality, but something as simple as a faulty cable can create a very embarrassing debacle. Triple-check everything and always ask for extras of all vital components of your audio-visual equipment scheme.
Planning the perfect event involves a lot of creativity, good listening skills, and loads of networking. But the wrong AV equipment can ruin even the most amazing event, so make sure your audio-visual equipment is on point to create the perfect ambiance and provide ultimate value to your customers.
