AV Quotes Essential Reading

Let’s face it; Audio Visual (AV) quotes can be confusing. It’s easy to be overwhelmed. Why? Because you don’t know much about it.

What is the ‘norm’ for number of crew needed? What is an average price of a projector? Do you really need all those line items in that category? So much information and so many questions. (For those wondering, the answer to all the above questions it’s that it’s “dependant on your requirements”).

You might say to yourself, “Why am I asking these questions? Isn’t it the AV company’s job to worry about this?”. Well, you are right. But, look at it like this – your spending thousands of pounds on your AV hire, so isn’t it your job to understand what you’re spending your money on?

When it comes to AV, asking questions and having basic knowledge are two of the best things you can do.

I can promise you, it really isn’t as hard as you think it is. At least not when you dedicate the time to reading the quote comprehensively rather than giving up after a quick overview and panicking. I imagine you read through word for word your venue contract, so shouldn’t you do the same for your AV quote(s) too? They both deserve the same level of attention.

Taking the time to sit and read through the quote(s) will provide the much-needed clarity you desire. I cannot understate the ease of Googling a term, and within seconds you can find a website which states what it is and what its purpose is. You don’t need to go into any more detail than that – just a basic understand of why it’s there.

Take a “DI Box” as an example. “What is a DI Box, why do I need it and why is it in my quote?” is the instinctive thought. It’s taken me all of 15 seconds to find out that a DI box is “a direct box is a great idea when you need to plug a passive instrument into a mixer or microphone preamp. It will shield your signal from unwanted noise.” Unwanted noise? I definitely don’t want that, so now I know why it’s in the quote.

Despite the differences in the formatting of quotes, every quote will contain similar major sections. The sections break down into various topics:
• Set & Stage – things that constitute your set; panels, screen, staging, steps, lectern etc.
• Audio – all information related to sound; mics, PA systems, DI Boxes etc.
• Video – information related to data and vision; projection, sources, switching, cameras etc.
• Lighting – includes power distribution, truss rigging, and lights (naturally) etc.
• Miscellaneous – materials you may need to plan for such as pipe and drape etc.
• Services / Labour – the individuals who will operate each portion of your event.
• Expenses – additional expenses could include travel, rooms, per diem, and shipping.
• Insurance – some include as standard and others say you need to have this yourself.

A good AV quote will provide an overview of the equipment’s specifications. For example, if a projector system is listed, it should say the type of projector, size and number of lumens. Google “what are projector lumens?” if you don’t know what it means.

Once you have analysed your quote, you can then pick up the phone to discuss. You’re now entering the conversation with a basic understanding of the quote, which can lead to comprehensive questions – for example, “I see you’ve quoted for a 7000 lumen projector. Is this sufficient? Why have you gone for a 7000 lumens projector? Can we reduce cost without much compromise by going down to a 5000 lumen projector?”

Remember, you would have this conversation with a venue if you were analysing your DDR inclusions and rate.

When it comes to briefing the AV company, I would highly recommend stating your budget, or at the very least give an indication. As with any service provider, they can spend as much or as little as you want. They can design a £1m set or they could do you a £10k set as they adapt to any budget. Be fair to them and give them a budget they can work towards.

If receiving more than one quote, this’ll also negate any debate over “why are you so much more expensive than the other company?” Chances are that the more expensive company have just interpreted your requirements differently, assuming you wanted more than you do, rather than actually being more expensive on a unit-by-unit basis.

Undoubtedly, incorporating AV into your event can get expensive quickly. Policies on discounts vary between AV companies – some may offer a “hire for 5 days at the cost of 4” as an example. Discounts are typically on equipment, not usually on labour.

So, with the above in mind, I thought I’d also jot down a couple of key elements to look out for when discussing AV:

Venue AV Fees – Some venues charge for you to bring in your AV company if you do not use their preferred AV supplier. Remember to add this into your event budget if that is the case. Also some venues charge for elements such as Riggings, 3-phase power etc. AV quotes won’t include these venue costs as that’s between you and the venue. It’s up to you to chat through with the venue first and find out if there are any hidden costs.

Ask about upgrades/additional extras – You always want your AV company to get your quote exactly within budget, right? Well, sometimes, this relentless desire to stay in budget means an AV company may have to leave out some optional but very helpful pieces of equipment. Would you be willing to spend an extra £200 on a countdown monitor for your presenter? Chances are you would.

Payment method and terms – As with most companies, if you want to pay via Credit Card chances are they’ll charge a fee. Check first.

Insurance – Some AV companies charge an “insurance” fee – one of our AV partners calls it a “Loss Damage Waiver” for example. They assume you don’t have specific event insurance that would cover the costs if their equipment get’s damaged. If you do have it, then ask for this cost to be removed (you’ll need to provide proof of insurance), but if not then it must stay in there.

Number of crew – This can be a huge discrepancy between quotes sometimes. Ask the company what their game plan is for the staff and how they will service your event. For example, if you have 10 breakout rooms, will 2 technicians roam and cover those 10 rooms? Or do you want to have 1 person in each room watching the AV needs like a hawk? Also, will your presenters want to go through their slides and edit them with a Crew member prior to their session? If so, check your AV quote (or ask them) see if they have made a provision for this – it’ll take an extra person on-site.

Subsistence / Crew accommodation – is this included? If not, how many rooms do you need? Will they twin up? Do they need to be on-site? Add to your budget as necessary.

Think about your presenters needs – For example, does the speaker you have use a lot of hand gestures? And would they benefit from a lapel microphone versus a handheld? Ask your presenters if there is anything they need and then relay that to the AV team.

Visuals aren’t free – Sometimes it depends how much you spend, but visuals of your proposed set take a huge amount of time to create using CGI. If a free visual was provided for every quote a company does, then they’d be out of business. If you can’t afford it, ask for an image of a similar set they’ve done in the past.

Laptops – Who is providing the laptops to run the presentations? Have this conversation and it may save you a huge headache on-site. If you are having people bring their own laptops, is the AV company including all of the necessary video adapters?

Content – An additional question to ask is who is providing the content. For instance, do you need to have a sponsor slideshow with logos? Are you making that or is the AV company? Ensure it is noted on your quote so there is no question of who is providing the content. Asking if there is anything you need to provide is very important.

Aspect Ratio – Knowing whether your presentations and content are going to be 16×9 (widescreen) or 4×3 can make the difference between your presentations looking great, and looking, well, awful. If your set is 16×9 screens and all of your presentations are 4×3, you’ll have awkward blank spots on the sides of your presentation.

And so, we’ve reached the end of the AV Quotes Essential Reading! I hope you found this Blog helpful and you’ll think about it next time you need AV. Hippo Events can assist with AV at your next event as we are an Corporate Event Management agency who offer End to End Event Project Management and Global Venue Finding, covering all aspects from AV and Delegate Management to Design & Print and Transportation.

Hippo offer Event Project Management and Global Venue Finding services. Please feel free to contact us today on 01372 460 100 or email on enquiries@hippoevents.co.uk