When talking with meeting planners or organizations hosting an event, it’s not uncommon for them to ask, “why does AV cost what it costs?”
Polite phrasing aside, we know what they’re really asking: why is AV so expensive?
We totally understand the question and why different groups are asking it. The AV budget is typically a huge portion of your event’s overall spend. Afterall, AV is key to making sure your message is heard – literally (there’s a reason why quality microphones are so important), visually, and in the overall tone you set. You want to make sure every component of your event shines, and that requires great AV equipment and an amazing team to run it.
But to get into the details, here are some of the reasons behind your AV costs.
The Cost of Quality Equipment
The simplest part of the answer is also the most obvious part: quality equipment isn’t cheap.
The cost of buying and maintaining enough quality gear for a large-scale event is high. If it wasn’t, everybody would own the equipment. Not to mention, there’s more gear onsite than you likely realize. A sound system consists of more than microphones and speakers. There are audio mixers, control panels, cables, and other accessories needed for the equipment to operate.
Of course, you can choose to cut corners with the quality of your equipment, but there will be a (usually noticeable) difference in quality and performance, as well as reliability.
The Cost of Quality Labor
An A1 who’s working on their third event ever is going to cost you a lot less than an A1 who’s done 1,000s of events, is well-versed with the equipment, knows how to work effectively with other technicians, and acts professionally onsite. The same goes for lighting designers, video operators, camera operators, project managers, and every other person on the event team.
There are some onsite positions where an inexperienced, but eager to learn and highly professional, technician will suffice. But for most roles, especially ones controlling your lighting, audio, or visual displays, you want to be sure that the person in the driver’s seat can get you to the finish line as smoothly as possible.
Naturally, there is a cost associated with top tier event talent. Experienced, specialized technicians are in high demand for a reason. They have repeat customers who love working with them. They’re calm and collected onsite. They’re able to address challenges efficiently and without causing stress. They bring a level of professionalism and quality to their events. Because of their reputations, they often have their pick of customers and venues, and their rates match their talent and skill level.
What Takes Place Behind the Scenes
There’s a lot that goes into running an AV company that many people don’t realize – and those costs have to be accounted for somewhere.
We mentioned the cost of buying and maintaining quality gear, but here’s another aspect that needs to be considered: storage. All of the AV equipment has to live somewhere, and that somewhere needs to have enough space to safely house the equipment, and meet conditions that will keep the gear safe and in prime condition.
There are also members of the AV team you may not know about. Many AV teams, especially ones with a huge inventory of equipment like One Way Event Productions, has people responsible for managing the warehouse, prepping gear for events, maintaining and repairing equipment, and performing quality control checks. There are other people on the team responsible for making sure the administrative side of the business runs smoothly so that technicians and project managers are able to focus solely on your event.
At One Way Event Productions, we have a team behind the scenes that is fully focused on pre-production. This means staffing logistics, building the showbook, ensuring the onsite team is prepared as possible, and the overall planning of the event.
We try to limit overhead costs as much as possible, but it’s unrealistic to expect an AV company to own and operate a large amount of gear without the space and team members needed to manage it.
It Comes Down to What You Value
All of this being said, AV doesn’t have to be expensive – it just comes down to what matters most to you and the needs of your event.
When approaching your AV spend, what is your goal? Would you consider yourself a value buyer or a cost basis buyer? Your priority may be to find the least expensive quote possible. Alternatively, you may care about getting the best quality regardless of the cost.
Realistically, most meeting planners and organizations fall somewhere in the middle. You want quality AV that you can rely on, experienced event technicians, and a reliable, incredible experience for your attendees, but you also need to be cost effective.
If your goal is to fit within a specific budget, communicate that to your preferred AV team. They may not be able to reduce their prices, but it’s possible that they’ll be able to make adjustments to your plan to help you get closer to your goal.
If you’re looking for an AV partner for your upcoming event, contact us today to learn more about our team and get a proposal!