Event Planning Guide - High Value Production Without High Costs.
As an event planner you are feeling the full pressure of the fall rush. A massive friction point right now are client budgets, a main priority especially while inflation and other outside forces continue to impact the event and hospitality industry.
As a planner you're tasked with managing that budget and finding this best solution with the best price. While it might seem like an unrealistic goal to get all of your wants and needs within that budget - there is always a solution. Today we want to share several tips and tricks on where to invest and where to withdraw to ensure you get the highest value production without breaking the bank.
Can you hear me now
Line arrays are fantastic tools for a specific job but if we are dealing with budgets, scaling back rarely means losing quality. Opting into a ground stacked or modular sound system can significantly decrease cost without losing audio quality. Modular systems are incredibly scalable and give you the opportunity to expand and contract that size of the audio system based on attendance, room layout and more. Working closely with your production partner can help ease the tension of finding the right audio solution for your event.
Don’t be basic…
Nobody likes basic, especially when it comes to graphics. Taking time to hire a design firm or production company that has a design branch can create a cohesive event experience while enhancing the guest experience. A simple and cost effective investment to keep your event budget low without making the experience feel cheap.
Give me a light
While it might seem like the only logical function for event lighting at an event is to highlight the stage, its truest purpose is to set the tone for an event. Utilizing dynamic lighting during an event can create emotion and shift the mood on a deeper level. Shifting from a high energy moment to more intimate engaging presentations. Lightning is the pathway to ensuring your audience feels the experience.
Pushing pixels
LED walls are a hot commodity at the moment. While LED is a flexible option that can be used to display content in a plethora of different ways it does come with a premium price tag. Our recommendation is if you want to add the wow factor, holding back budget and utilizing LED video technology is the way to go. If there isn’t a ton of budget left and or your client isn’t interested a HD projector and screen system still goes a long ways and looks amazing.
Pre-Recording > Live Stream
Live streaming has been the go to option for the last three years. It’s understood that we have to engage with people where they are most comfortable. While we don’t disagree, live streaming is a complex process that requires specialty equipment and more technical talent. Instead of investing in livestreaming on a lean budget we recommend considering pre-recording specific content to ensure it’s delivery is still there without adding a large amount of expense ultimately giving you the same outcome.
Behind The Scenes Tip:
Make sure to budget for early set up and a rehearsal. We see so many clients that have tight budgets make this their first cut then become frustrated when the presenters seem to be off or something doesn’t go exactly as planned. Making this a priority will ensure you know if an issue will arise before it’s truly an issue. Plan well and plan early.
At the end of the day just because a client might have a small budget doesn’t mean they have to sacrifice on quality. With the tips above and some solid industry knowledge we know you are armed with the best information to make any event amazing.
Looking for advice specific to your next event or maybe you just have questions about how to optimize your AV for a conference or convention. We’d love to have a conversation with you to learn more about your problems and how we can help.