Top 10 PA and AV considerations when planning your conference event.
Keywords: audio,visual,AV,conference,event,hire,rental,PA,system,microphone
28 June 2010
There are many considerations that must be taken into account when choosing the most suitable hire PA system for your conference event. This article details some of the primary considerations that should be taken into account when discussing your event requirements with your audio visual hire specialist.
There are many considerations that must be taken into account when choosing the most suitable hire PA system for your conference event. Your conference audio visual hire professional will more than likely suggest the best system for the job but as an event organiser it is your job to provide important details of the event venue to your AV supplier. Below is a list of considerations that you should be aware of when contacting AV rental specialists so with their expertise you can decide on the most appropriate audio hire equipment for your conference event.
The size and shape of the event room
This one of the primary considerations when deciding on the most appropriate PA system hire equipment for your event and when contacting audio visual hire specialists you should always have approximate measurements of the event venue available including the height and general shape of the room.
The larger the room the larger the sound system will have to be to ensure that there is effective sound coverage across the venue. The shape of the room can also affect the performance of the PA system. A room with high ceilings and hard surfaces may increase the likelihood of feedback or unwanted reverb. Also a room that is an irregular shape (L shaped for instance) may need additional speakers to ensure all areas of the room have sufficient sound coverage.
For larger events it is likely that your chosen audio visual hire professional will make a site visit to familiarise themselves with the size and layout of the event venue, therefore allowing them to design the most appropriate system from first hand experience.
The size and positioning of the audience
As with the size of the venue, the bigger the assembled audience the larger the PA system will need to be to ensure everybody is sufficiently catered for. As well as the number of people attending how they are positioned in the room must be considered. 500 people standing will take up much less space than if those same 500 people are seated around tables and therefore can affect the size of the PA system.
Ensure you are fully aware of the potential number of people attending your event and if you do not have exact numbers when contacting your audio visual professional always overestimate. A PA system can always be turned down if it is too large but a system that is too small can only go so loud.
What is running through the system?
The best PA system for your event will differ depending on what it is being used for. If you require a system that is going to be used purely for projecting speech to the assembled audience then that is going to be very different than if it were to be used for live music.
Inform your audio visual hire company of all aspects of what the system will be expected to cater for. This includes speech, live music, background or pre-recorded music, music via a laptop or if you require a recording of the event. All of these aspects will affect what equipment is required to effectively cater for your event.
Microphones
There are hundreds of different microphones available on the hire market all of which cater for different requirements and situations. Radio (wireless) microphones including lapel or headset mounted units are popular for speech but may not be ideal for live music. If you are using a lectern then static condenser microphones are most appropriate as well as for events where a number of people are situated behind a head table. Inform your AV hire professional of all the potential situations that require a microphone so they can supply the most appropriate unit for use.
Power Supply
When making your preliminary visit to your conference event venue, be sure to take note of the location, number and type of plug sockets available to the audio visual hire supplier. Particularly with PA systems the potential power usage can be very high and may require numerous, heavy duty plug sockets. Over loading a plug socket can potentially damage equipment and worse still be a safety hazard. Many professional conference venues will have heavy duty power supply such as 16 and 32 amp connectors which are designed for high usage appliances such as PA systems or stage lighting but if only a limited number of 13 amp (standard household) plug sockets are present be sure to discuss this with your AV hire specialist to decide how it may affect your technical requirements. Consider as well any other power requirements that may be present at your conference event such as catering equipment. Design the layout of the venue to ensure that there is not a shortage of or conflict for power supply.
Access
Hire PA, staging and AV display equipment such as plasma screens can be very heavy and difficult to manoeuvre into position even when access into the venue is excellent. If access into the venue is hindered by stairs, parking restrictions or tight corridors this can not only make loading the equipment into the venue very difficult but also significantly slow the process down therefore reducing the amount of time available for installation and sound check of the equipment. Inform your audio visual hire professional of any potential issues with access into the venue to ensure they can cater for these by increasing the number of staff and time available. Be aware that if extra staff are required to facilitate the installation of the equipment then this will incur additional man-power charges and should be taken into account in your budget.
Load In Times
Loading in and installing PA and AV hire equipment can be time consuming irrespective of how experienced your audio visual hire specialist is. As such you must be aware of any time constraints that are in place at the venue and allow the AV company with as much time as possible to install the equipment. Plan the set up of your event in terms of hours rather than minutes and then add some. You should always have a time safety net in case of any problems that need to be ironed out and just to allow your audio visual hire specialist to work under as little pressure as possible.
On-Site Technicians
If you or other company associates have experience of installing and operating professional PA system then you may consider dry hiring the required equipment but it is recommended for large or high profile events or if you have limited experience of PA equipment to budget for an on-site engineer. The additional cost of having an experienced engineer on site prior to and during your event pales into insignificance to the calming and highly professional influence they can have on proceedings not only with operating the equipment but also with directing and informing performers on how best to use the gear. It allow you as the event organiser to concentrate on other aspects of the conference event safe in the knowledge that a major aspect of your event is being taken care of by experienced professionals.
Event room layout
When planning the layout of the event room make allowances for the positioning of speaker stacks, cabling, mixing consoles, processing equipment, lighting rigs and staging. This equipment should be thought of a first consideration before planning the layout of tables and chairs. You do not want people to seated directly in front of speakers or positioned with the potential for trip hazards from speaker stands or cabling. If insufficient space is allotted to the audio visual equipment then adjustments will have to be made to the layout of the tables which will have a knock on effect to the comfort of your guests.
Budget
As with most things in life you cannot get something for nothing and this is just as true when hiring AV equipment. To get the very best equipment and service you have to budget a sufficient amount of money to pay for it and this includes not only hiring the equipment but also delivery, installation and engineering costs. The AV equipment at your event should not be an afterthought when planning your event. It is one of the most vital aspects of a successful event and should be budgeted accordingly.
Gathering quotes can be a time consuming and tedious process, making countless phonecalls or sending e-mails to hundreds of audio visual hire companies. As a remedy to this process websites such as http://www.audiorent.co.uk/ AV hire quote service have been devised. Audiorent.co.uk allows AV hire companies to complete one on-line quote form which is then sent to AV companies who cater for your location and can provide suitable equipment and service. The AV companies will then contact you with quotes or to request further information regarding your event.
http://www.audiorent.co.uk/ is the UK's leading quote finding service for PA hire, AV hire, lighting hire, plasma screen hire, DJ equipment hire and staging hire. We have a comprehensive list of some of the largest and most experienced PA hire, AV hire, lighting hire, plasma screen hire, DJ equipment hire and staging hire companies from across the UK.
Keywords: audio,visual,AV,conference,event,hire,rental,PA,system,microphone
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