How to Make Sure That Your AV Matches the Scale of Your Event

If you are planning a major outdoor event and have not been down this road before, then you certainly have a lot of work ahead. You've got to make sure that the event is well promoted ahead of the date to get maximum attendance, that the artists or entertainers are of the highest quality and that you have all of the infrastructures in place. At the top of the list when it comes to that infrastructure is undoubtedly your AV system. Without it, your event won't be as successful as you hope. As the configuration of the system is so important, where should you start?

Equal Measure

First, you will need to break your AV requirements into two separate areas. Each area is as important as the other. You have to make sure that your visuals are stunning, that you have the right lighting set in place as well as high-quality video screens and that your sound is top-notch.

Sound Requirements

To begin with, focus on delivering sound to the attendees and make sure it is of the highest quality, no matter where they are within the venue. You need to make sure that those who are standing at the back of your venue can hear the music or speaker as clearly as those at the front, without any latency or distortion.

To achieve this, you will have to choose a speaker system that is configured for the size of the venue and the style of the presentation. This will be particularly important if you are staging a musical event and you will need amplifiers, freestanding speakers and subwoofers that have to be strategically placed according to the needs of the sound engineer. This is a very technical area and you will certainly need to defer to the experts to help you to get it right.

Remember that there are many different types of speakers and they need to be matched with the amplifiers and adjusted according to the system's power rating. This is especially important in an outdoor setting or an indoor auditorium that may have high ceilings or difficult acoustics.

Lighting and Special Effects

Dance music or another similar type of entertainment event will need to rely on visual effects and especially if the event takes place at night. These days, LED technology can be combined with lasers and other special effects to create an outstanding effect which can be matched to the music by a competent sound engineer. Your attendees may also expect large video screens and you will need to get high-resolution monitors and place them strategically throughout the venue so that everybody can enjoy the show.

Expert Input

The bigger the event, the more you will need to rely on full AV hire experts, and you should bring them into your planning at the earliest stage.