Whether it's an event for 50 or 5,000, quality sound, staging, video and lighting can make a huge impact and add to the success of your event. But where do you start? How do you know what equipment you'll need? Brian Lackritz, director of business development for Hughie's Audio Visual & Staging, says creating a budget should always be one of the first steps in planning your event.
"Often clients will have a concept in mind they may have seen at another convention, display booth or someone's wedding, and are interested in duplicating it for their own event, but they don't realize that it may take $20,000 not $2,000 to make that concept work," he says.
Hiring a production consultant to produce your event can keep your budget in check and help you manage the details so you have peace of mind once it's show time.
Before meeting with a consultant, Lackritz advises having a theme and budget in mind. "Ideally, I like to start working with a client before they choose a date or venue so I can find out the scope of the event they are interested in having," he says. "Often, we can suggest venues that would work well with their concept, decorative ideas and the expected attendance of the event."
When reserving your space, allow ample time for you and your event coordinators to set up all aspects of the production and equipment decor. "If it's a breakfast meeting, we may need a day or so to set things up, so you may need to work out an extra day into your reservation," Lackritz says. "That extra time may eat into your budget so it's an important thing to consider when planning your event."
Once your concept and budget are in place, meet with your consultant at the venue, if possible. That gives the consultant the opportunity to get the "lay of the land," so to speak. "I like to walk around the venue and draw out a map of where things should go — the stage, projectors and screens, cameras and platforms, lighting, equipment control station, etc. — so the client can see what will work and what won't," Lackritz says.
When the concept is finalized, your consultant may give you an outline or drawing of the venue as it may look the day of the event, a timeline that may include completion of setup and a rehearsal, as well as an updated proposal with all associated costs.
Many production companies like Hughie's Audio Visual provide full-service event production with experienced consultants who can help design, stage and produce an event from conception to conclusion. Lackritz, who is also a production consultant, has extensive knowledge of all aspects of production, as well as many venues around Northeast Ohio and surrounding states, which allows him to give invaluable insight to clients.
Sometimes, no matter how much planning has been done, things don't always go as planned. Lackritz says the best thing to do in that situation is not to worry, and try to stick to the schedule as much as possible. "Most of the time, your attendees aren't going to notice that your speaker started speaking too early or the lights weren't right. They don't have a schedule," he says. "They're usually too busy enjoying themselves to notice any glitches. That's why we're the professionals in these scenarios."