What is Audio Visual (AV) Hire?

On Tour Events Explains What Audio Visual AV Hire Is

If you’ve been in the events industry for any length of time, you’ll already be aware of the role that audio visual (or AV for short) equipment plays in ensuring everything looks and sounds incredible for your occasion.

However, if you’re new to the industry, or are unfamiliar with the term “audio visual,” it’s worth running over what this equipment hire service is, the role it plays in your event, and why you should enlist the help of an AV hire company.

So without further ado, let’s tell you everything you need to know about AV hire.

What is AV Hire?

AV hire refers to the practice of hiring equipment that process audio or visual elements, usually for specific events. Popular AV hire items include PA speakers, microphones, projectors, lighting fixtures, and LED screens. Events that rely on AV hire include conferences, award ceremonies, exhibitions, concerts, and weddings.

As you can imagine, the term AV hire can be applied to quite a broad spectrum of equipment, and what needs to be hired for your event will largely depend on the nature of your event. So with that in mind, let’s dig a little deeper into what AV equipment is, and what you might need for your event.

What is Audio Visual (AV) Equipment?

Traditionally, AV equipment referred to any device that processes sound or visual components of an event, such as multimedia.

While that remains the case, today many event production companies look at the broader picture of what is required in order to set up an event in the manner the organizer would prefer. This is often referred to as an AV installation. So while an AV installation will always require plenty of pieces of traditional AV equipment, companies will also incorporate other elements such as stages and truss structures into their hire packages.

With that in mind, it’s useful to think of AV equipment as everything you might need to hire for your event that relates in some way to your presentation (in the case of conference) or stage production.

Conference AV Installation Hire Example

As conferences are most commonly associated with AV hire when it comes to events, it’s useful to give you an idea of what you might expect to hire for the occasion. Below is an example list you might draw up for your AV installation as the organiser of a conference, including some of the different options available:

Microphones – Wired, wireless, table/floor-mounted, mic stands
Event lighting – Stage lighting, moving head lights, spotlights, venue uplighters
PA system – Main speakers, subwoofers, stage monitors, power amps, speaker stands, line arrays
Mixing desk(s)
Video recording and/or live streaming equipment – Cameras, tripods, video encoders, streaming software
Computers – Laptops, MacBooks, desktops, tablets
Lectern/Podium
Projector(s)
Data cabling – XLR, RCA, jack connector, Speakon, HDMI, VGA, S-Video, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, DVI etc.
Screens – Standard projection screens, large TV screens, professional LED screens, video walls
Truss structure(s) and rigging - To affix lighting, sound, and other supplementary equipment too
Stage or conference set - Custom design, modular design
Technicians and engineers – To oversee delivery, installation, and operation of AV equipment during the event if necessary

As you can see, while the vast majority of the items mentioned above fits the traditional AV equipment description, you’ll need to hire plenty of auxiliary equipment to ensure that it can perform as intended.

Why Use AV Hire Services?

There are numerous reasons why hiring AV equipment, and related services is an excellent idea. Gain Access to the Latest AV Technology:

AV technology is constantly changing and evolving. Even if you bought some AV equipment as little as five years ago, the chances are it’s already out of date.

Laptops, TV screens, LED video walls, projectors, and lighting fixtures, are just a few examples of tech that has come on leaps and bounds in a very short period. By utilising AV hire services, you gain access to the latest and greatest AV technology for a fraction of the price of purchasing it yourself.

Even if you are offered AV equipment hire from your event venue, rarely is it even close to the same quality standards offered by professional AV hire companies. We realise at On Tour Events that our reputation rests heavily on the quality of the equipment we provide to our clients, which is why we only invest in the most reputable brands in the industry and rotate our stock every three years.

By contrast, most venues haven’t updated their AV equipment for a decade, or in some cases, even longer!

AV Hire is More Cost-Effective

Another essential factor to consider is that AV equipment is expensive. A complete AV installation for a conference would cost tens of thousands of pounds to purchase, with some setups topping six figures.

By contrast, hiring the same equipment could cost as little as hundreds per day of use. Even if you hold events on a fairly regular basis, you would still struggle to recoup the costs, and you wouldn’t be able to upgrade your equipment anywhere near as much as a professional AV hire company does.

AV Hire Takes the Stress Out of Running Your Event

When you enlist the services of an AV hire company, once they have the specification, they handle everything for you – from the supply and installation of the equipment on-site, to the de-rigging and disassembly after the event has concluded.

Better still, with full-service AV hire companies such as On Tour Events, you can also hire experienced and highly skilled technicians and engineers to oversee the operation of the AV equipment during the event.

You can then focus on project managing other vital elements of your event and not have to worry about who will operate the crucial elements of AV equipment that are going to make or break your event.

Receive Expert Advice and Planning Support from Experienced AV Hire Suppliers

Lastly, by partnering with an AV hire company, you gain access to expertise in all aspects of event production. We can help you plan, design, and install all kinds of technical aspects of your occasion. We know that most event planners have only a basic understanding of planning, designing, and executing a successful AV installation.

That’s why working with a company such as On Tour Events is such a good idea. We have taken care of over 1,000 AV installations, so we have an unrivalled understanding of what you will need, what will work and what won’t, and how to maximise your budget.

Choose On Tour Events for Your AV Hire Needs

Hopefully, you now understand what AV hire is, what pieces of equipment are involved, and why it makes sense to partner with a professional contractor such as On Tour Events for your event’s AV requirements.

As mentioned, we’ve been supplying AV equipment to events all over the UK for well over two decades. Our industry-leading knowledge, combined with an unrivalled inventory of the latest and greatest AV technology, makes us the perfect candidate to handle your event.

We can offer you a full-service AV hire experience, including the supply, installation, operation (if required), and disassembly of equipment after your event has concluded. Once we have the information we need, you can focus on other elements of your event while we are hard at work creating an AV installation that exceeds your expectations.

So, no matter the specific nature of the event, if you need AV hire services, then please don’t hesitate to contact us on 020 8058 0093 or email us at [email protected] to discuss your requirements.

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