When working with an AV company for the first time

Walking into an initial meeting with an AV company can be intimidating, however, as technical jargon is thrown around and everyone assumes you know what a line array is or how important signal routing can be. Hiring an AV company for the first time is not as confusing as it seems. In fact, as long as you know what to expect at each step of the process, it’s pretty simple.

That’s all for the initial meeting

The initial meeting is critical. This meeting sets the tone for everything else. The AV team needs to understand the size of the event, audience types and engagement levels, will there be live music? Presentations? Play video? A group will also have a checklist, but in a positive direction, asking how the rooms are filled during an event, if certain aspects create challenging acoustics or lighting at certain times of the day.

For anyone looking to hire a professional Hawaii Audio Visual Company for the first time, it is suggested that you ask every question during this meeting, no matter how basic they may seem. What is the setup time? How many technicians will be on site? What happens if something goes wrong during the event? All reasonable and required questions that a professional team should welcome.

Understanding the offer and what is covered

After this initial consultation, an offer should come your way soon after. For first timers, keep in mind that AV company offerings can be deceptively simple or extremely complex based on the specific event, so taking the time to understand what’s covered is worth it.

For most offers, equipment hire is billed along with manpower/manpower requirements, set-up and pack-up time and any travel arrangements or logistics. Sometimes a technical rehearsal is included. other times it is an additional charge. It is important to ask about anything that is not openly mentioned. A reputable AV company will let you know the likely costs and won’t leave customers guessing as to what they’re getting for the quoted price.

It’s also worth noting any specific considerations, for example live streaming or if there are accessible needs for listening loops or subtitles. The sooner this information is on the table, the more likely the actual offer will reflect the actual scope of work so no one is surprised.

Site visits and Technical Planning

Before the contract is signed for larger events or events with complex venues, a site visit may take place before anything is restored. For example, during a site visit, the AV team takes relevant measurements to determine where speakers can go, where screens can be located, lighting fixtures can be placed, and the most appropriate mixing equipment.

While this doesn’t have an air of technical formality like other elements of this process, it still instills confidence in both the AV company and the customer. There is usually a technical drawing generated from here or a current document.

This document points out some elements of timing in relation to AV needs, when the microphones will be activated, when the video should be released, when the house lights should be changed. For first timers to see this level of attention it can be really comforting that no one just shows up and gives it away.

What to expect on the day of the event

Setup day usually happens long before guests enter a room. The technicians come in and set everything up equipmentset things up, run wires, check every sound and light before anyone else is even settled. It’s a busy, focused state and, depending on how complex an event is planned, can take several hours to organize.

Most of the time, there will also be a tour with the event planner before the doors open. This section allows for cue confirmations, presenter mic checks, and making sure everyone is on the same page about how things are going to go. While it’s one more task on a long checklist of things to complete to get an event off the ground on time, paying attention to this walkthrough makes things exponentially more successful once things get going.

What happens after events

After everything is done and good sound/light/etc. is experienced by all, pack down usually happens with much more efficiency than setup. The equipment is removed, the cables re-wrapped in boxes and out the same doors they came in in no time.

Additionally, if you hire a professional AV company, they will likely do a follow-up after this point to see how everything went and how things could have gone better for future events, if this ever becomes a consistent working relationship.

This feedback is useful if something was great but something else wasn’t good (audio quality in one area wasn’t loud enough and the screen brightness was too much), it’s good to share good news and constructive criticism so that relationships can be strengthened in the future.

Working with an AV company for the first time doesn’t have to feel like a trial by fire. It is a collaborative process. They are all professionals who want the best result as much as you do. Therefore, keeping the lines of communication open from day one makes sense and benefits everyone involved in the long run.