You know the scenario. When a business sources a product or service, they get three quotes. Depending on the experience of the event manager and the detail provided by suppliers, the quotes may not even be directly comparable. Yet all too often, customers choose on price and nothing else.

That means companies offering budget AV services may get jobs which SmoothAV misses out on.

So why would I like those budget AV companies?

The simple answer is, they make it so easy for us to look good!

I can’t count the number of times we’ve run a straightforward audiovisual job for an event, only to have the event manager impressed that everything went smoothly. Those are the event managers who’ve experienced budget AV which goes wrong.

So, what kind of issues are we talking about? And what are the shortcuts budget AV companies take which cause them?

Using budget AV equipment options

Most audiovisual equipment comes in a range of quality options at different prices. The budget option may be all you need – or it may not.

Let’s start with laptops. The cheapest laptops will run simple Powerpoint presentations simply, but sometimes they struggle if a speaker wants to play video or anything interactive.

Also the clicker available at Officeworks for $70 will work fine, right up to the moment it doesn’t. That happens when it’s too far away from the receiver or there are too many other bluetooth devices in the area. There are budget AV companies out there who consider this acceptable, but it doesn’t really work in a large scale professionally produced event.

Then there’s the vision switcher – that’s the device used to control what displays on the various screens at the event. Budget models don’t offer presenter view capability – so if your speakers expect to see their notes, they won’t be happy.

Microphones and related equipment can have a huge impact on the volume and quality of audio. Microphones come with antennas, and switching to more powerful antennas can make a huge difference. We always use high end directional antennas, which give better range and fewer dropouts.

It’s hard to guarantee 100% that equipment will work, but the higher end equipment we use at SmoothAV works 99% of the time. Budget AV services, on the other hand, tend to use lower quality equipment which might only work 90% of the time.

Remember too, more equipment means more points of failure. If your AV setup is complex, reliable equipment becomes even more important.

Budget AV services may have different staffing standards

AV providers looking to keep costs low can save on staff in three main ways:

  • Use people with less experience
  • Use fewer people
  • Use them for fewer hours

Experience isn’t that important for loading and unloading the truck. Most AV services will use casual hands for this work, especially if the time to set up and remove equipment is limited. But who’s overseeing the preparation, and who’s there during the show?

Good preparation includes running through all the presentations on the actual equipment we’re going to use; checking internet connections; downloading any videos so they’re locally available, and multiple other small touches depending on your set-up.

At SmoothAV, we always use experienced technicians to run the event – people who have or want a career in the field. Our experience shows they’re more committed to getting the detail right than students who are simply looking for extra cash. We also like to have ‘headroom’ for every event. What that means is that in addition to the experienced operator, we have a capable technician booked to assist with setup. If by any chance an operator is sick at the last minute, it’s easy to get that technician to stay on and cover the operator for the entire event.

Please note, budget AV won’t always create issues. Your event might still run smoothly, but:

  • There’s a higher risk of issues if you use a budget AV provider.
  • There’s also a higher risk that any issues will take longer to resolve, or not get resolved at all.

As Seth Redlus of Barron’s Advisor says:

‘What separates a good company from a bad company, or a good tech from a bad tech, is not whether or not a problem happens. What separates them is how well they handle it.’

Should you use budget AV services?

Every event is different, but it’s fair to say that most represent a major investment of money and time. Problems with audio visual equipment can put the real basics at risk – what people can see on the screen and whether they can hear what your speakers are saying.

If you’ve always used budget AV, you’re not alone. We know plenty of people who’ve done that in the past. We recognise them by how impressed they are when an event runs to plan.

You could almost say that budget AV services are like camping in the wild, whereas using a professional company like SmoothAV gives you the glamping experience. You don’t have to worry, second-guess, or monitor everything. You just know there’s backup – someone who’ll fix things for you – which leaves you free to focus on speakers and attendees.

In the end, it’s your choice what kind of AV service you engage. I’ll leave you with two points to consider though:

  • A negative experience at your business event can be more lasting and more serious than a leaky tent or other camping issues.
  • Unlike glamping, hiring a professional AV company doesn’t cost ten times as much as the budget alternative.

Ready to consider shifting from budget AV services to a less stressful and risky experience? Get in touch to find out how easy it can be.