Event Planning Pitfalls

Posted on 2011-07-03 (UTC) by under Business Services.

What is the most common mistake that people make when they are planning an event? They try to do everything themselves. Yes that's right, so many people try to take, what they believe is, the cheaper avenue and do it themselves. While this is quite logical, the avenue comes with its fair share of bumps and holes in the road, which can take you off course if you are not a specialist in that area.

If there is one area of event planning that you should leave to trusted professionals, it is audio visual production. AV companies with the appropriate credentials and experience have the expertise to organize and put to use all the equipment you might need for your event. They know what you do and don't need for inside, outside and digital broadcasts, product launches, awards nights, gala dinners, conferences, exhibitions, seminars and workshops, webcasting, media launches, press conferences and general corporate audio visual. At their grasp are hundreds of different options of lights, graphics, cameras, projectors, screens, lecturns, microphones, speakers and even mixing desks.

So, why do we think we can do their job? And why would we want to when they have the experience to do it far better and the resources to get the right equipment?

A lot of people find out the hard way that this is job is much harder than it looks. Some don't realise until the event is actually taking place, while others realise, at the last minute that they just can't do it themselves. This leads into another mistake that a lot of event organizers make. That is, hiring the company to facilitate their AV requirements at the last minute. Most AV companies have a ‘client-first' attitude and specialise in end-to-end event production. What this means is that any AV company worth their weight in gold will want much more than just a simple brief. Willing to go that extra mile to make sure they have covered all bases to ensure the AV at your event doesn't miss a beat, AV companies prefer to be involved at the event planning phase with consultations, kept up to breast with new developments and eventually, have a site tour of the venue.

A lot of amateur event planners will give AV companies a list of equipment – a list that they, with their limited level of knowledge and experience, have put together. This is hugely problematic as, quite often, they don't know how to operate the equipment properly or if it's the best piece of technology to do the job. Asking your AV Company to do all of this for you is not a favour, it is their job so take full advantage of their expertise. AV companies love it when you hand them the reins and leave them to select the right equipment, source it and put it to use at the event. This is what they are trained to do and they love nothing more than being a part of well-organized event. In the long run, this could save you money. With an AV company covering all the risk of the equipment, you won't have to worry about damage, loss or simply selecting the wrong one.

So next time you are organizing an event leave the AV to a specialist.



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