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As an event producer you are constantly reviewing proposals and quotes from vendors and subcontractors when you begin to build your team for your special event. In today’s highly competitive market, your technical production needs to be astounding! From staging and sound to video and stage lighting rental, putting together the technology to drive your event can be challenging.
Teaming up with a full-service technical event production company can be a smart choice. Stage lighting is a major component of every event and a technical event production company can handle every aspect of your stage lighting rental.
There are many elements that can affect the final cost of a stage lighting rental. Some venues have existing systems that simply need supplementation in order to provide the means to achieve your creative vision, while other venues may be a completely blank slate, requiring an extensive build in order to hang lights. All of these factors will be taken into account and will affect your quote! Let’s take a look at the four main areas of consideration your technical event production company will consider when preparing a stage lighting rental quote for your event.
How much gear do you need?
When you first engage a technical event production company, their first task is generally to ask a series of questions to get a better understanding of your event, needs and goals. Every event is unique and, as such, presents it’s own set of challenges. Event lighting is a major factor when it comes to creating the personality, environment and creative vision for an event. The primary element of any stage lighting rental quote comes down to the question, “Exactly how much gear will you need?”
Your technical event production company will work with you to execute on all of the components necessary for your stage lighting rental. First, they will tour the venue to gain an understanding of the space and create a design based on your event’s unique needs. Often, they will have experience working in the venue where your event will be held and will already know the idiosyncrasies of the space.
They will then create a lighting plan, taking into account everything they’ve learned about your event, the venue and of course your budget. Your proposal and quote will outline each piece of equipment, including any costs for rigging or operating the lights on the night of your event.
How big of a crew do you need?
Your technical event production company will have a staff of dedicated professionals who will specialize in each facet of event lighting production. From lighting designers, to riggers, to technicians, your technical event production company will work to build a team to handle every aspect of your event depending on your specific needs.
When you’re in the planning stages of your event, many factors will influence the size of the crew. For example, the size of the production, schedule and complexity of the build are all major factors which affect the final quote. In addition, the location of the event, the power requirements and the logistics of load-in and load-out will all also factor into your final quote.
If your creative vision needs further development, your technical event production company will collaborate with production and lighting designers. These designers can work closely with you to design lighting that will beautifully and efficiently light your event and create maximum impact with the audience. Every element of your event, from stage lighting for performers, to the dance floor, to silent auction tables, needs lighting and the creative staff at your technical event production company is on call to help you create magic, all within your budget!
How long is your event?
As with any other service-based industry; technical event production technicians and crew are paid based on an allotted time, with overtime added if your event goes beyond the set minimum. Most technical event production companies will work with a base minimum of 8 to 10 hours, with time and a half starting after the time minimum is reached. If your event is operating over multiple days or requires a separate day for set-up, labor may be based upon a day-rate charge.
The length the equipment is out of the warehouse and unavailable for rental will also factor into your stage lighting rental cost. Whether your event is a single-night affair or a long-term rental, for example a traveling theatrical production, will also factor into your overall costs.
Other factors, such as if load-in time is brief and additional crew are needed to meet the deadline, can also affect the final quote. A professional technical event production company will properly prepare your lighting in the warehouse before loading the trucks. For example, working off of your designer’s stage plot, they will fully prep the gear to facilitate a faster set-up on the event site. This helps ensure a faster and smoother load in.
Where Is Your Event?
The final major component your technical event production company will consider when preparing your stage lighting rental quote is the physical location of your event. Trucking charges are often an overlooked element when planning an event. You may ask, “Why do I have to pay a trucking charge?” The fact is, it’s costly for companies to ship gear and truck it to a remote site. As an event producer, it is a line item you should be aware of and include when initially planning your event.
Some logistical factors that will go into the trucking line item of your quote include:
- If a show or event is large and requires more than one truck, additional charges will apply.
- If load-in is staggered to allow time for other vendor load-ins, such as a business conference or trade show, additional charges may apply if multiple trips are required.
- Some venues have logistical challenges that prevent large trucks from servicing their site. For example, if the dock space is too small, multiple smaller trucks may be required.
Along with these four main concerns, there are dozens of other factors that may affect your final quote. When planning your event, accounting for equipment, labor, logistics and scheduling can help you to avoid surprises when you receive your quote. Because of the unique characteristics of every event, there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to preparing a stage lighting rental price quote.
Each quote is prepared specifically for your event and a qualified technical event production company will work closely with you when preparing your quote, taking your budget and needs into account and exploring the options available to you. Their only concern is providing the best service possible within your budget to help you create an event that will leave your guests awestruck and talking about it long after it’s over!
