Tallen’s Event Audio-Visual Services Understanding Your Needs and Delivering On Your Vision

The true value that your event audio-visual production partner can bring is understanding your needs and engineering solutions to provide you and your audience with an exceptional experience. Event planners should provide all the information they can during pre-production to make that possible. Here are a few ways sharing your budget, agenda, schedule, venue, and labor requirements helps AV companies like Tallen align with your vision efficiently.

Get More Event Audio-Visual Bang for Your Buck

Anyone who has ever created a daily budget based on their monthly net income and expenses will admit that realistic planning and transparent costs are the keys to managing spending. For event planners, budgeting funds is a thousand times more intense.

Any AV partner worth their salt will encourage their client to share their budget because it gives them an understanding of what you’re working with. When Tallen is afforded this opportunity, we can keep that budget at the forefront as we design the solution. 

Scheduling Strategies 

Understanding your needs extends to supplying your event audio-visual team with the meeting’s agenda and schedule. When we have a solid grasp of the event’s itinerary, we can map out strategies. For example, knowing how many speakers are scheduled to be on the stage and at what times allows us to discern mic requirements and use only what is necessary. We can also suggest adjustments to the pacing. For example, recommend quick coffee breaks between presenters so we can re-use mics and sound-prep presenters. 

It seems simple, but the best solutions often work smarter, not harder. 

Managing Labor Costs 

Access to your budget and scheduling details empowers AV professionals to analyze and develop your event’s most efficient labor grid. Details such as room availability, set, rehearsal, run, and strike times are critical to fine-tuning your labor budget. As an illustration, we may recommend booking a room for set-up the day before an event. The room rental cost can be less than paying the crew for late-night overtime wages.

Considerations like this are especially relevant at unionized venues. Once, a client needed a last-minute change requiring more equipment and labor. Union rules stipulate that on-site union labor is required to install and operate all AV equipment.

In this circumstance, the facility had qualified union employees who had been working all day. It would have been easy for us to delegate the task to them, but not only were they exhausted, the client would have paid exorbitant double-time pay. But, as an industry veteran, Tallen is very familiar with union regulations. Our team lead called the local union, which sent four workers to complete the job at regular hourly wages.

Not only did this save the client many thousands of dollars, but it also avoided burdening tired, overworked employees. The same applies to Tallen’s on-site staff. If we identify opportunities to reduce techs or experts while still delivering our superior standard of excellence, then everyone benefits.

Space Mapping for Maximizing Experience

Analyzing your pre-planned agenda and show flow enables production partners like Tallen to get creative with the facility’s layout. For example, identifying certain rooms that can be used for multiple tracks where we can pre-install equipment and cabling or open and close air walls to better use the space. 

Your production partner should not only be concerned with audience size but also with the venue layout and seating arrangements as it informs how many of our AV experts we’ll need on-site and what kind of equipment to use. Ultimately, we consider and choose these things based on how they support your event, maximizing space for more attendees and choosing equipment and tech to deliver your message impactfully, regardless of the scope. 

Clever Event Audio-Visual Cost-Cutting Techniques

During the pre-production phase, budgets begin to stretch. It takes an experienced production partner to zone in on chances to execute the client’s objectives without excessive spending. At Tallen, we have some logistical tricks regarding AV tech and design that achieve our client’s vision.

Agile Equipment and Creative Rigging 

Depending on your event’s scope in terms of size and programming, your AV partner should be agile about equipment needs and rigging methods—otherwise, you can lose out on critical savings. For example, we may utilize robotic cameras, which a single technician remotely operates. Using this robotic AV system, they can smoothly pan, tilt, zoom, and capture high-quality footage from different angles while reducing the overall cost of camera labor.

Another AV tech tool that solves multiple issues is Ultra Short Throw Projectors, which can project large, high-resolution images onto projection screens when real estate for projection throw is limited. This equipment allows us to fit more people in a ballroom and accommodate rear-throw projection, which can eliminate the cost of rigging and provide a more polished solution than front-throw projection.

Rigging can be one of the most expensive elements of an event or venue. To avoid incurring charges associated with a facility’s existing rigging, Tallen incorporates ground-supported solutions when possible to help eliminate this cost. Tallen works closely with the venue when rigging is required, providing detailed plots to ensure efficiency and value. Additionally, we require the venue to share a detailed rigging estimate so our clients understand costs before the event. 

Your AV production partner should always be agile and prepared enough to be flexible, even with last-minute changes or issues. However, if you see your provider as an extension of your team, you can work together to enhance the audience’s experience.

Elevate Events Affordably with Tallen: Your Event Audio-Visual Partner

Many of us have been taught to keep our cards close to the vest regarding contracts and internal budgets. But, in event planning, you’ll get a lot further when there’s transparency and a spirit of partnership from an event’s inception. At Tallen, this teamwork mindset has created a positive relationship between us and our clients for over 21 years. Contact Tallen to learn what we can do for your next event.