Last-minute audio-visual requests are a trend that aren’t going anywhere any time soon. Of course, that doesn’t make planning an event with little lead time any less stressful. If you find yourself in the position of contacting an AV provider at the last-minute, here are five things you should know:
The more information you have, the smoother the process will go.
While many AV companies pride themselves on coming up with creative recommendations and sharing new ideas with clients, a shortened timeframe doesn’t give nearly as much leeway to go back and forth while creating a plan. The more information a planner provides, the faster the AV team will be able to start confirming gear and talent, which will streamline the entire process.
Be straightforward with your expectations.
If you have something specific in mind – whether it be a certain set up, type of equipment, or budget – let your production partner know! Their job is to work with you to provide the best experience possible, but it’s much harder to bring the event vision to life, not to mention stay inside a certain budget, if they don’t know what it is.
Don’t get overwhelmed – your AV partner is there to help you.
Your AV partner is just that – a partner. They want to help you have the best event and planning experience possible, regardless of the timeframe, so if you start to get overwhelmed, just remember, your AV team is on your side.
Communicate, communicate, communicate.
Fast, effective communication is the key to any successful partnership regardless of the industry, timeframe, or amount of experience working together. However, when there are only a few weeks to produce a large-scale event, frequent, thorough communication becomes even more important. Make sure to answer any communications as soon as possible, even if it’s just to say that you’re confirming details, and share any relevant changes that may occur as soon as you know about them.
A high-quality event is still possible.
Last-minute events may be more stressful and specific gear or onsite talent may not be available when a request comes in late in the game. However, that doesn’t mean the event can’t still be professional, polished, and well-executed. With the right AV partner, clear expectations, and thorough communication, an event that is well planned and runs smoothly is always possible.