What information should be prepared before the first contact?

For the first inquiry, complete documentation is not needed. A set of information that allows understanding is sufficient, what is supposed to happen, where, when, and for how many people.

The most useful are:

• date of the event,
• location and name of the venue,
• type of event,
• expected number of participants,
• event hours,
• tentative program,
• scope of required technology,
• information about performances or speakers,
• available schedule for setup and teardown.

If you already know the rehearsal times, participant entry, and start of the official part, it is also worth providing them.

An example of a first inquiry can be very simple: "We are organizing a corporate gala for about 400 people in Warsaw. The event will take place on November 15, the program includes speeches, a panel, an award ceremony, and a concert. We need sound, lighting, a screen, and technical support."

Such a message provides significantly more information than a question about "sound for 400 people." 

What can be established, even if the event is not yet finalized?

An inquiry can also be sent when some decisions have not been made yet. The technical company should not expect the organizer to design the system themselves.

If you do not yet know a specific venue, you can specify the city and type of space. If the program is not finalized, you can describe its expected structure. If the musical performer has not been confirmed, it is enough to indicate that a concert is planned and the rider will be sent later.

It is important to distinguish between confirmed and working.

For example:

"A panel for 4–6 people is planned, the exact number will be confirmed a month before the event."

Thanks to this, the company can anticipate the appropriate infrastructure, but it also knows which elements of the project may change.

At an early stage, it is particularly useful to define certain elements and variants. This helps avoid a situation where every change in the program requires designing the entire implementation from scratch. 

How to describe the type and scale of the event?

The type of event tells the technical company more than just the number of participants. A conference for 500 people, a concert for 500 people, and a gala for 500 people require different systems and different ways of organizing production.

In the inquiry, it is therefore worth indicating whether it will be:

• a conference or a congress,
• a corporate event,
• a gala,
• a concert,
• an outdoor event,
• a product launch,
• a panel discussion,
• a hybrid event,
• a broadcast,
• an event combining several formats.

The scale is determined not only by the number of guests. The geometry of the space, the size of the stage, the distance of the audience from the stage, the number of rooms, and the number of concurrently operating zones also matter.

A conference for 300 people in one room is a different project than an event for the same number of participants with a main room, three breakout rooms, and streaming.

If you want to prepare the data for the first inquiry more accurately, a separate document on what information is needed by the sound company to prepare a quote will be helpful.jakie informacje są potrzebne firmie nagłośnieniowej do przygotowania wyceny.

How to determine the necessary technical scope?

You do not need to specify device models yourself. It is enough to describe the functions that the technology must provide.

The scope may include, among other things:

• sound and audio production,
• microphones wired and wireless,
• stage monitoring,
• stage and decorative lighting,
• the stage and platforms,
• structures and rigging,
• screens LED or projection,
• presentation support,
• camera operation,
• recording,
• streaming,
• network and signal infrastructure,
• technical staff.

If you do not know whether you need an LED screen or a projector, you do not have to make that decision before contacting. It is better to write: "presentations and videos must be clearly visible to 500 people".

Similarly, instead of specifying the number of columns, you can describe the space and nature of the event. The design of the PA system is the contractor's task.

In the case of events covering several such areas, it is worth considering comprehensive technical support for the event, because audio, lighting, multimedia, and the stage can then be designed as one system.

How to convey the script, rider, and plans?

It is best to send the documents together with the inquiry or as soon as possible after the first contact. They allow for a transition from a general concept to a specific project.

Particularly useful are:

• the script of the event,
• the agenda,
• the artist's technical rider,
• stage plan,
• input list,
• room layout,
• stage plan,
• technical documentation of the venue,
• schedule,
• materials related to presentations and multimedia.

Not all documents need to be available from the start.

If a band is to perform during the event, but the rider appears later, it should simply be noted in the inquiry. The preliminary offer can then include assumptions that will be verified after receiving the documentation.

In concerts, the later analysis of the band's technical rider, is particularly important, as it may change the requirements for PA, FOH, monitoring, microphones, RF, backline, or stage infrastructure.

What happens after sending the inquiry?

After receiving the inquiry, the technical company should first analyze the event and identify the information needed to prepare a solution.

In practice, the process may look as follows:

1. analysis of the submitted information,
2. gathering missing data,
3. defining the scope of responsibility,
4. analysis of the venue,
5. preparation of the technical concept,
6. selection of equipment and personnel,
7. planning logistics,
8. preparation of the offer,
9. agreement on details,
10. confirmation of execution.

For a simple event, some of these stages can take place during one conversation. For a large production, the process will be more elaborate and may involve several rounds of arrangements.

It is good practice to explain in the offer not only what equipment will be provided, but above all what scope of implementation the price covers..

When is a production meeting or site visit needed?

A production meeting is needed when the event has many dependent elements or the email alone is not sufficient to clearly establish the course of implementation.

It may concern, among other things:

• the script,
• changes on stage,
• the order of performances,
• presentations,
• technical cues,
• rehearsals,
• the responsibilities of individual teams,
• the schedule for load-in and load-out.

A site visit makes sense when the conditions of the venue affect the project and cannot be adequately assessed based on documentation.

On-site, one can check, among other things, the possibilities of setting up or hanging systems, access to the stage, transport routes, the FOH location, the location of screens, the possibilities for running cables, and available connections.

A site visit is not a mandatory stage of every event. If the venue is well documented and the project is relatively simple, the necessary information can often be gathered remotely.

How is the technical concept and offer created?

The technical concept should arise from the program, space, and expected effect, rather than from a ready-made equipment package.

Based on it, the system of sound reinforcement, the number and type of microphones, lighting, multimedia, necessary production positions, stage infrastructure, and crew composition are determined.

In addition, there are elements less visible to the participant, but necessary for production: cabling, signal distribution, power supply, networks, transport, assembly, and disassembly.

The offer should allow for an understanding, of what exactly is being implemented..

If it includes several technical departments, it is worth separating them into logical parts, e.g., audio, lighting, video, stage, personnel, and transport. This way, later changes to the program can be more easily translated into an update of the scope.

What needs to be approved before the production starts?

Before the actual preparation of the event begins, both parties should have a clearly defined scope.

The following may need to be confirmed:

• date and location,
• scope of services,
• technical configuration,
• scope provided by the venue,
• scope provided by the organizer,
• number and functions of the staff,
• assembly schedule,
• rehearsal times,
• event hours,
• disassembly,
• transport,
• financial conditions.

For more complex productions, the current version of the script is also important.

If there are artists with riders, any potential substitutes and deviations should be agreed upon before the event. It is not advisable to leave such decisions until the arrival of the team.

The more precisely the scope of responsibility is defined, the less risk there is that on the day of execution it will turn out that some element was to be provided by "someone else".

How are later changes handled?

Changes are a normal part of event production, but they should be communicated as early as possible. Their impact depends on what they concern.

Shifting one item in the agenda may not change the technical project. Adding a concert, another stage, several wireless microphones or a broadcast may require additional equipment, personnel, and setup time.

Therefore, when changes occur, their impact should be checked on:

• equipment,
• personnel,
• schedule,
• logistics,
• rehearsals,
• budget.

A well-managed production should also have one current version of the script and documentation. Working simultaneously on several different versions of the agenda is a straightforward path to mistakes.

If the scope undergoes significant changes, the offer should also be appropriately updated.

Checklist: data needed to order technical services

Before sending a request, gather as much of the below information as is already available:

• Date: when is the event taking place?
• Location: where exactly will the event take place?
• Venue: room, hall, club, outdoor space, or another area?
• Type of event: concert, conference, gala, corporate event, premiere?
• Number of participants: how many guests are expected?
• Program: what will happen on stage?
• Stage: is it already secured and what are its dimensions?
• Audio: speech, concert, DJ, panel, playback?
• Microphones: how many hosts, speakers, or performers?
• Light: only the stage or also the space?
• Multimedia: presentations, films, LED, projection?
• Video: cameras, recording, IMAG?
• Streaming: will the event be broadcasted?
• Artists: are technical riders available?
• Documentation: is there a floor plan or site plan?
• Schedule: when is setup, rehearsals, and teardown possible?
• Scope of the venue: what does the venue provide?
• Unconfirmed elements: which parts of the program may still change?

You do not need to know the answers to all the questions. If you have the date, location, general scenario, and scale of the event, you can start the conversation and jointly determine the remaining requirements.

If you are preparing a specific request for execution, you can send this information to Art-Live – technical support for events. Based on this, missing data can be identified and a technical scope can be prepared that corresponds to the actual event.

Summary

Ordering technical support for the event is best started by describing the event itself, rather than by selecting equipment. The date, location, number of participants, program, planned stage, artists, presentations, streaming, and schedule provide the contractor with a basis for preparing the appropriate solution.

It is not necessary to have all the information during the first contact. However, it is important to indicate which elements are confirmed and which remain tentative. As the project develops, the scenario, riders, venue plans, and production details can be supplemented.

For more complex implementations, the process also includes a production meeting, sometimes a site visit, technical design, and further documentation updates. The most important principle is simple: the technical company should tailor the solution to the event, and the organizer should not be forced to design the system themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions