You’ve booked the venue, confirmed the speakers, sorted the agenda and sent out the invitations.
Everything’s coming together nicely.
Then someone asks if there are enough microphones for the panel discussion.
Or whether the delegates at the back of the room will actually be able to see the presentation.
And who’s sorting the screens for the breakout sessions?
Suddenly, the AV requirements are looking a little different from what was originally planned.
Sound familiar?
It’s a fairly common situation in event planning, and it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem. Events evolve, requirements change, and sometimes the smaller technical details only become apparent as everything else falls into place.
The good news is that not every event needs a complete AV production package. Sometimes, a few additional pieces of equipment are all that’s needed.
It’s often the little things that get overlooked
When planning an event, the big decisions tend to get the most attention.
The venue, the speakers, the agenda, the catering and the overall delegate experience. AV is usually somewhere on that list too, but it’s often not until the finer details are being worked through that the full requirements become clear.
A panel discussion that originally had three speakers now has five, so more microphones are needed.
The main conference room is fully equipped, but nobody has arranged displays for the smaller breakout sessions.
The venue has a perfectly good PA system, although it turns out the audience will be spread across a much larger space than anticipated.
Or the presenters realise they’d quite like to see their own slides without constantly turning around to look at the screen behind them.
None of these are particularly unusual requests.
In fact, they’re exactly the sort of things we come across regularly. And often, the solution is relatively straightforward.
You don’t always need to start from scratch
One of the biggest misconceptions about event AV is that everything needs to come from the same supplier or form part of a complete production package.
That isn’t necessarily the case.
Many venues already have good AV systems in place, and plenty of event organisers work with their own production teams or technicians. Sometimes all that’s missing is an additional screen, a few microphones, some lighting or specialist equipment that isn’t available in-house.
This is where AV equipment hire comes in.
Rather than replacing perfectly good equipment or paying for services you don’t need, you can simply hire what’s missing.
At PSA, we provide professional audio, video and lighting equipment for everything from smaller corporate meetings through to major conferences and live events.
For some clients, that means hiring a single piece of equipment. For others, it might mean supplying several items to supplement an existing setup.
”The aim isn’t to make the setup bigger or more complicated than it needs to be. It’s to make sure it works for the event you’re delivering.”
But will it work with what’s already there?
This is probably one of the most important questions when bringing additional AV equipment into an existing setup.
Because although hiring another microphone or screen might sound simple, there’s a little more to consider than whether it’s available.
- Will the additional microphones work with the existing sound system?
- Are there enough inputs on the mixing desk?
- Can the presentation feed be sent to another screen?
- Is the venue’s equipment compatible with the additional kit?
- And perhaps most importantly, has anyone actually checked?
These aren’t necessarily things an event organiser should be expected to know.
But they are the sort of details that can make a difference on the day.
Our team works with different venue systems, equipment configurations and event requirements throughout the year, so understanding how everything connects is very much part of what we do.
Even when we’re only supplying additional equipment, that experience helps us ask the right questions before the event rather than discovering an issue during setup.
Sometimes you just need the equipment. Nothing more.
Not everyone hiring AV equipment needs someone to install or operate it.
If you’re a production company, venue technician or experienced event organiser with your own technical team, you may already know exactly what equipment you need.
In that situation, dry hire is often the most practical option.
You hire the equipment, manage the setup yourself and return it when you’re finished. No unnecessary extras.
For other clients, having someone deliver, install and test the equipment makes more sense.
And for events with multiple presenters, live video, complex audio requirements or a busy programme, having technical support on site can be particularly useful.
PSA offers both dry hire and equipment hire with technical support, depending on what’s needed.
It’s about providing the right level of support rather than assuming every event requires the same approach.
The best time to check your AV requirements? Before the final week.
Of course, last-minute changes are sometimes unavoidable.
Delegate numbers increase, the programme changes or another room gets added to the schedule.
That’s part of working in live events.
But there are a few things worth checking while plans are still taking shape.
For example, can everyone in the room clearly see the presentations? Have you accounted for every speaker who needs a microphone? Are breakout rooms properly equipped? And does the venue’s existing AV system cover everything you’re planning to do?
It’s also worth establishing who is responsible for providing, installing and operating each piece of equipment.
These might sound like fairly basic questions, but they’re easy to overlook when you’re managing dozens of other event arrangements.
And they’re considerably easier to address before everyone arrives on site.
Need a few extras? Or something a little more involved?
We’ve supported everything from straightforward equipment hire through to large-scale international conferences, so we’re familiar with both ends of the spectrum.
Sometimes a client comes to us with a detailed equipment list and knows exactly what they’re after. Other times, it’s a case of explaining what they’re planning and asking what might be needed to make it work.
Both are absolutely fine.
Whether it’s additional microphones, displays, projection, cameras, lighting or a more substantial AV setup, we can help identify a practical solution.
Already know what you need? Send us your equipment list.
Not quite sure? Tell us what you’re planning, and we’ll help you work through it.
Find out more about PSA’s AV Equipment Hire service or get in touch with the team to discuss your requirements.
