Managing your budget effectively is a crucial part of successful event planning. You need to think about renting a venue, paying vendors, hiring entertainers, and creating marketing materials. You can sometimes help cover costs by getting event sponsors, but it’s still important to allocate your budget carefully.
Venue rental is usually the biggest part of an event budget, followed by audio-visual equipment and support. These elements tend to cost more because they directly impact the audience experience, and therefore your overall success.
When planning an AV budget for your next event, you should stick to two key principles:
It’s a good idea to make a list categorizing your needs and wants before you begin developing your budget. Make sure you have the funds to cover everything in your “needs” bracket before moving on to your wants.
A branded light gobo or interactive projection mapping display might take your event to the next level. But it’s not a good idea to invest in these features unless you’ve already covered the essentials like screens and monitors, microphones and speakers, staging equipment, and lighting.
Venue costs vary substantially based on factors like size, amenities, customization, and popularity. The venue you choose can also have a big impact on your AV systems and their cost.
Event venues may have exclusive contracts with specific AV companies. But these in-house teams are almost always less cost-effective than hiring out, so be sure to negotiate with your venue beforehand to make sure you aren’t paying a surplus and going over budget.
While an expo center typically has the infrastructure to accommodate high-tech equipment and complex setups, venues that are older, outdoors, or otherwise unconventional may require additional customizations. These may include specialized gear, more AV equipment, and possibly additional crew members.
Information is power when it comes to developing a realistic budget and sticking to it. It’s always a good idea to seek quotes from multiple AV companies and compare them side-by-side along with the services they provide.
Look for companies that specialize in corporate events, rather than just installations or management. It’s also important to ask the right questions so you aren’t subjected to lackluster results or an unfortunate surprise when you get the bill. A reliable company will be honest, professional, detailed, and willing to work with you to stay within your budget.
It’s much harder to budget accurately if you’re dealing with multiple AV companies for a single event. Some people assume they’ll need one provider for equipment rentals, another for stage design, and another support and monitoring services.
But this can all be handled more simply (and affordably) by hiring a full-service AV production company that covers all of it. Full-service providers like Catalyst have multidisciplinary teams and a full catalogue of upgraded equipment. You can also check with your company to see if they have discount opportunities when you bundle services.
If you have experience with AV planning for events or you have an ongoing relationship with your AV provider, you may be able to itemize your budget early in the planning process. But generally, the best way to finalize a detailed budget is to give your AV company a list of your wants and needs and ask for a transparent, estimated breakdown of the following:
This isn’t the end point. You can use this estimate to look for areas to make cuts or add features to accommodate your budget. Just make sure you do this well ahead of time to give you and your provider plenty of space to plan.
Always keep a spreadsheet or list that you can refer to on a regular basis throughout the process.
Last-minute changes and miscommunications can increase AV event costs significantly. Give your AV provider and your own team information about your event agenda, venue floor layout, goals, and expectations as early as possible.
While you should always plan for contingencies, it’s better to prevent problems than to deal with them after the fact. Set an example for your entire team by communicating early, making yourself available, and clearly defining roles and responsibilities.
Using prerecorded content at your event simplifies your on-set AV requirements and minimizes the need for complex switches at your live event. This can help reduce the risk of tech glitches and make planning your budget simpler, because some of the cost can be handled separately in a more controlled environment.
While live, on-stage action and live broadcasting is always fun and immersive for audiences, you can use prerecorded content strategically, such as for:
Extra microphones tend to add cost and technical complexity, especially wireless ones. Avoid headsets and lavalier mics (also called lapel or body mics) whenever you’re trying to save money on tech. They require receiver channels as well as extra batteries and backups, so more can go wrong.
Fewer microphones means lower equipment and labor costs. By sharing handheld mics between speakers, you can save money and simplify your sound setup. Just make sure you choose the right types of microphones to meet your sound needs and plan transitions carefully, so your talent knows how to pass microphones with ease.
You can put on a fantastic show without going over budget. Knowing where to start and what to prioritize is the first step. Knowing who to trust is equally important.
By choosing a reliable, full-service AV company, you can consolidate your AV budget to one partner. At Catalyst, we work tirelessly to design and execute show-stopping corporate events that impress your guests and fit your budget requirements.
Contact us now to set up a free consultation and get a comprehensive quote.
Managing your budget effectively is a crucial part of successful event planning. You need to think about renting a venue, paying vendors, hiring entertainers, and creating marketing materials. You can sometimes help cover costs by getting event sponsors, but it’s still important to allocate your budget carefully.
Venue rental is usually the biggest part of an event budget, followed by audio-visual equipment and support. These elements tend to cost more because they directly impact the audience experience, and therefore your overall success.
When planning an AV budget for your next event, you should stick to two key principles:
It’s a good idea to make a list categorizing your needs and wants before you begin developing your budget. Make sure you have the funds to cover everything in your “needs” bracket before moving on to your wants.
A branded light gobo or interactive projection mapping display might take your event to the next level. But it’s not a good idea to invest in these features unless you’ve already covered the essentials like screens and monitors, microphones and speakers, staging equipment, and lighting.
Venue costs vary substantially based on factors like size, amenities, customization, and popularity. The venue you choose can also have a big impact on your AV systems and their cost.
Event venues may have exclusive contracts with specific AV companies. But these in-house teams are almost always less cost-effective than hiring out, so be sure to negotiate with your venue beforehand to make sure you aren’t paying a surplus and going over budget.
While an expo center typically has the infrastructure to accommodate high-tech equipment and complex setups, venues that are older, outdoors, or otherwise unconventional may require additional customizations. These may include specialized gear, more AV equipment, and possibly additional crew members.
Information is power when it comes to developing a realistic budget and sticking to it. It’s always a good idea to seek quotes from multiple AV companies and compare them side-by-side along with the services they provide.
Look for companies that specialize in corporate events, rather than just installations or management. It’s also important to ask the right questions so you aren’t subjected to lackluster results or an unfortunate surprise when you get the bill. A reliable company will be honest, professional, detailed, and willing to work with you to stay within your budget.
It’s much harder to budget accurately if you’re dealing with multiple AV companies for a single event. Some people assume they’ll need one provider for equipment rentals, another for stage design, and another support and monitoring services.
But this can all be handled more simply (and affordably) by hiring a full-service AV production company that covers all of it. Full-service providers like Catalyst have multidisciplinary teams and a full catalogue of upgraded equipment. You can also check with your company to see if they have discount opportunities when you bundle services.
If you have experience with AV planning for events or you have an ongoing relationship with your AV provider, you may be able to itemize your budget early in the planning process. But generally, the best way to finalize a detailed budget is to give your AV company a list of your wants and needs and ask for a transparent, estimated breakdown of the following:
This isn’t the end point. You can use this estimate to look for areas to make cuts or add features to accommodate your budget. Just make sure you do this well ahead of time to give you and your provider plenty of space to plan.
Always keep a spreadsheet or list that you can refer to on a regular basis throughout the process.
Last-minute changes and miscommunications can increase AV event costs significantly. Give your AV provider and your own team information about your event agenda, venue floor layout, goals, and expectations as early as possible.
While you should always plan for contingencies, it’s better to prevent problems than to deal with them after the fact. Set an example for your entire team by communicating early, making yourself available, and clearly defining roles and responsibilities.
Using prerecorded content at your event simplifies your on-set AV requirements and minimizes the need for complex switches at your live event. This can help reduce the risk of tech glitches and make planning your budget simpler, because some of the cost can be handled separately in a more controlled environment.
While live, on-stage action and live broadcasting is always fun and immersive for audiences, you can use prerecorded content strategically, such as for:
Extra microphones tend to add cost and technical complexity, especially wireless ones. Avoid headsets and lavalier mics (also called lapel or body mics) whenever you’re trying to save money on tech. They require receiver channels as well as extra batteries and backups, so more can go wrong.
Fewer microphones means lower equipment and labor costs. By sharing handheld mics between speakers, you can save money and simplify your sound setup. Just make sure you choose the right types of microphones to meet your sound needs and plan transitions carefully, so your talent knows how to pass microphones with ease.
You can put on a fantastic show without going over budget. Knowing where to start and what to prioritize is the first step. Knowing who to trust is equally important.
By choosing a reliable, full-service AV company, you can consolidate your AV budget to one partner. At Catalyst, we work tirelessly to design and execute show-stopping corporate events that impress your guests and fit your budget requirements.
Contact us now to set up a free consultation and get a comprehensive quote.
Are you planning a shareholder meeting, conference, product launch, trade show, or other type of major event? You need to make sure the production value matches the quality of your event’s content. Working with a reliable, proven leader in audio visual event production like Catalyst ensures your event runs smoothly, exceeds the expectations of your audience, and has the impact you want.
Get in touch today to schedule a free consultation, learn more about our services, and tell us about your event.
We work events both nationally and internationally. No matter where you are, Catalyst can come to you.
(818) 818-6117
info@thecatalystcompanies.com