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You’ve locked in the venue, confirmed the date and started planning the run sheet. But when should you actually book your AV?
The short answer is: as early as you can, particularly for larger events or events with specific technical requirements.
There’s no universal deadline for booking event AV. A small meeting with a standard screen and microphone might be organised relatively close to the event date, while a large conference, gala, product launch or expo with LED, staging, multiple screens and complex production can require months of planning.
Booking early isn’t just about securing equipment. It gives your AV partner time to understand what you are trying to achieve, work with the venue, develop the technical plan and make sure everything fits your budget.
As a general guide, consider the following:
Small meetings and simple events: 2 to 4 weeks ahead can often be enough for straightforward AV requirements, depending on availability.
Corporate events and conferences: 1 to 3 months is a good starting point, particularly if you need multiple screens, presentation management, staging, audio or technical crew.
Large conferences, expos and launches: 3 to 6 months or more gives your production team time to properly plan the event, particularly when there are multiple rooms, complex staging, LED or specialist technology involved.
Major events or highly customised productions: 6 to 12 months can be worthwhile when the event involves large-scale LED, custom builds, complex content, multiple production teams, unusual venue requirements or significant technical coordination.
These aren't hard-and-fast rules. AV companies can sometimes accommodate events at much shorter notice, but your options may become more limited as the event date gets closer.
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Some AV equipment is in particularly high demand during busy event periods.
Large LED walls, specialist screens, touchscreens, staging and other high-demand equipment may already be committed to other events. The earlier you enquire, the more choice you have.
This is especially important if your event needs something specific rather than a standard screen and projector setup.
At Connected Event Group, our range includes LED solutions from P1.5 through to P4, flexible LED, LED columns, digital banners, OLED screens and other specialist display technology.
If you have seen a particular type of technology that you want to incorporate into your event, it is worth discussing it early.
One of the biggest advantages of bringing your AV partner into the conversation early is that technology doesn't have to be an afterthought.
The size and position of your screens can influence room layouts. Stage dimensions can affect sightlines. LED can change the look and feel of a set. Camera positions need to be considered if the event is being livestreamed. Speaker presentations need to work with the screen configuration.
Getting the technical plan sorted early means you can make these decisions before everything else is locked in.
It can also help avoid the classic event planning scenario of discovering that the beautiful stage design doesn't quite work with the screen, camera or venue configuration you've already committed to.
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Booking early doesn't necessarily mean spending more.
In fact, early technical planning can help you identify where your budget will have the greatest impact.
For example, you might initially think you need multiple large screens throughout a venue, when a strategically positioned LED wall could deliver a better result. Or perhaps your event would benefit more from investing in lighting and production than adding another display.
An experienced AV partner can help you look at the whole production rather than simply quoting individual pieces of equipment.
This is particularly important when you have a fixed event budget and need to balance the audience experience with practical requirements.
The more moving parts your event has, the earlier you should involve your AV team.
A simple presentation might only require a screen, laptop connection and microphone.
A conference could involve multiple rooms, stage screens, LED, confidence monitors, presentation management, lighting, audio, recording and a team of technicians.
A hybrid event adds livestreaming, cameras, virtual audience management and additional production requirements.
And a large expo might involve dozens of screens, LED features, touchscreens, content playback and multiple exhibitors operating across the same venue.
The technical production plan needs to account for all of these elements, which takes time.
Your AV setup doesn't happen in isolation.
Venues have their own technical rules, loading dock requirements, access times, rigging restrictions, power considerations and preferred suppliers or processes.
Your AV team may also need to work with the venue's in-house AV team, event organiser, exhibition company, staging supplier or other production partners.
The earlier everyone is involved, the easier it is to identify potential issues before event week.
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Don't panic.
While earlier is generally better, last-minute AV requirements can sometimes be accommodated depending on the event date, equipment availability and production requirements.
The best thing you can do is provide as much information as possible when you enquire.
Your event date, venue, estimated guest numbers, room details, event type, timings and an outline of what you think you need will give your AV provider a useful starting point.
Even if you don't know exactly what equipment you need yet, that's okay. That's part of what your AV partner is there to help with.
One of the biggest misconceptions about AV is that you simply send the final run sheet to your supplier a few days before the event.
For straightforward events, this may be possible. For larger productions, it can create unnecessary pressure.
Your AV team should ideally be involved while the event is still being shaped.
That gives you the opportunity to discuss screen sizes, staging, LED, room layouts, lighting, audio, presentation requirements, livestreaming and technical crew before decisions become difficult or expensive to change.
There's no magic number of weeks that applies to every event.
The right time to book AV depends on the size and complexity of your event, the venue, the technology you need and how customised you want the production to be.
But as a general rule, the earlier you involve your AV partner, the more options you'll have.
At Connected Event Group, we work with event organisers, agencies, venues and businesses to plan and deliver the technical side of events, from straightforward corporate meetings through to large conferences, expos, launches and hybrid productions.
Whether you already know exactly what you need or you're still working out what is possible, getting the technical conversation started early can help you create a better event, manage your budget and avoid last-minute surprises.
Planning an event? Talk to Connected Event Group about your AV requirements and let's start planning early.
