Whether you’re an experienced event planner or just trying to put your first event together, finding the right vendors to bring your vision to life can be difficult. That goes doubly so for getting a trustworthy vendor for your AV and production needs.
Picking the wrong production company can mean disaster: screeching feedback, failing screens, and exorbitant costs for unreliable and poor-quality service. Worst of all, it can mean your overall message is not delivered memorably to your audience.
But this disaster can be avoided, if you follow these guidelines on what red flags to beware of when you’re sending out RFP’s.
The technical production community is very tight knit. Often production firms and AV Vendors will collaborate, renting out their own warehouse offerings to one another or just working closely together on major events.
There exist several major events networks and organizations connecting these firms to build a global network of resources and hold each other to a high standard of quality. These organizations include the Event Production Network (EPN), the International Live Events Association (ILEA), Meeting Planners International (MPI), and for international audiovisual providers there is the AV Alliance.
Membership in any of these networks benefits the companies within them, but those benefits mean a great deal to event planners as well. Having a network of partners like the EPN provides its members means that your vendor of choice can source equipment from members near your event, cutting down significantly on delivery costs and offering a solid contingency plan for the unexpected.
Along with this, the high standards of these organizations ensure your vendor of choice is experienced and skilled.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, so they say. There are few industries where proof of good service is more important than in events- be they live, hybrid or remote.
Any company can vaguely allude to past work. They can even say the names of some of their clients, give a few figures on registered attendees or cost reductions, but you won’t be able to properly see how they can elevate YOUR event unless they give you concrete and detailed examples.
A good case study has information on the scope of the event, how they brought the event to life, and what challenges they overcame to make it all happen. When talking to a potential production partner, ask them to provide several case studies on past events.
A good production partner does more than plug and play. They should be with you every step of the way, helping you manage costs, wrangle regulations and troubleshoot issues that arise in making your event vision come to life.
Being communicative is a basic requirement of a halfway decent vendor. One who’s proactive and attentive is what you truly want. It prevents a great deal of major issues from ever arising, making your event go smoothly.
When sending out RFP’s, look for proposals that offer a go-to contact at their company. Having one steady, ever-present point of communication prevents details getting lost to miscommunication and makes solving problems that much easier.
In short, your ideal AV partner or production firm should be collaborative, competent, and communicative. Beware of firms not part of any vetted organizations, unwilling or unable to present concrete examples of their work, and who aren’t willing to give you attentive service throughout your events planning process.
Looking for someone free of these red flags? Look to Colortone for your events production and audiovisual needs. We’d love to connect with you!
