Whatever plans you have in mind for your event can easily be altered by the production company you hire. Knowing what to ask before taking any team on to produce for you is the best way to ensure your plans can be executed as you want them without the need for unexpected changes. Ask these questions during the hiring process to make certain you’ll be working with a team that fits your needs.
How do you structure pricing?
Knowing what you’ll be charged and how you’ll be billed can change your budget significantly. Transparent pricing will make it clear what you’ll be charged for and when. That may sound obvious, but it’s not uncommon for companies who promote total transparency to still obscure some of their pricing. You need to be your own advocate and push for as much information as possible.
Can I see your portfolio?
How you gauge a company’s experience is important. Anyone can state how long they’ve been in business, but that’s hardly an indicator of their success or reputation. Asking to see a portfolio of past work serves two purposes: it gives you an indication of the type and the scale of events they’ve worked on, plus it gives you an opening to ask for references on the events they show you. Getting options directly from past clients can give you deeper insight.
What services does your company provide?
Event production covers a broad scope of services, including event management and coordination, audio production, visual production, and hosting, to name just a few. What you’ll need depends on your experience, but from the perspective of logistics and organization, it’s best to hire as few companies as possible to meet your needs. Inquire about what their staff specializes in.
Do you own your equipment, or do you rent?
Either answer impacts customer cost, but it can be difficult to discern which option costs more. Renting leaves the company paying whatever the vendor charges, but owning the equipment outright could mean more money spent on maintaining when parts become outdated, as well as purchasing new items. Instead of looking at this as a matter of cost, we recommend seeing it this way: a crew that owns its equipment is likely to have more experience using it than if they had to rent it on demand. It’s also more likely that the equipment is up-to-date with industry trends, which is just as important.
Do you have any venue limitations or preferences?
Not all Orlando event production companies can scale to fit any venue size. While everyone can reasonably scale down, things like larger staging areas can pose a challenge for some. Another issue that may arise is the cost of insurance for your event, which can change from venue to venue. Event production companies that have built strong reputations in their communities may have developed working relationships with popular venues that could benefit you as well.
Orlando event production companies like American Audio Visual cater to the needs of their customers and will do everything they can to bring your vision to life. Visit www.americanaudiovisual.com to learn more about their work and what you should expect from an event production company.
