subject: What To Know About Sound And Staging For Events [print this page] All sorts of events may require sound, staging and lighting. This includes festivals, tours, corporate events, fashion shows, concerts and film premieres, amongst many others. Some companies also provide the delivery of the equipment at an extra cost. You may need to get insurance too, but the company should have insurance for their own products as well. Be sure to check all of this and whether the equipment is fully approved by safety standards. It is best to get recommendations from others who have hired lighting, staging and sound, but if not, then at least look into their past clients and ask for references.
Sound production hire and stage lighting hire are two things you need to consider when putting on an event in a venue that does not already have these available. It can be costly, so finding the right company that will not overcharge you, but will provide a high quality and professional service and equipment that you expect, is very important.
Sound production hire will include a PA system suitable for the size of the space in mind, as well as a mixing desk and monitors, and perhaps microphones and other elements. Wired mics or radio mics can be selected as part of a sound hire package. Radio mics tend to be much more expensive than wired ones. You will need to also check the brand of the PA system and equipment, as some are lower quality than others. Companies may also provide you with staff to help set up the equipment, unless you already have trained staff working for you that can do this instead. A sound engineer will also need to be hired in order to operate the equipment throughout the event.
Stage lighting hire is an important aspect to many events in order to create the right atmosphere. Especially at festivals or concerts when the main performance take place at night when it is dark, lighting is very important. It is also ideal for daytime events though, as it helps create some great photographs and video footage. A lighting technician will be required to set up and operate the lights. They must be skilled in this as it may involve heavy lifting and knowledge of how to operate the lights without damaging them.
When looking for quotes from sound and lighting companies, you may see the use of the phrase dry hire. Dry hire is simply just hire of the equipment without any staff being booked through the supplier. Wet hire is where the supplier also provides staff to help you set up or operate the equipment. You need to work out which is the best option for you. Providing your own staff may be cheaper, but they need to be reliable and fully trained in using the equipment, therefore it is sometimes easier to ask the company to provide staff so that if anyone drops out last minute, they should easily be able to find replacements.
