What is a site visit and when is it needed?

A site visit is a technical inspection of the event location conducted before the final preparation of the execution. Its purpose is not just to "view the room," but to gather information that cannot be reliably determined based on an email, promotional photo of the venue, or an incomplete layout.

It is most valuable when it is necessary to verify:

• the geometry of the venue,
• the possibilities of rigging,
• transport routes,
• power supply,
• the routing of cables,
• the actual setup of the stage and audience,
• infrastructure limitations.

Not every small conference requires a site visit. If the company knows the venue or has detailed technical documentation, a room plan, photos, and information from the venue, it is often possible to prepare the project remotely.

The site visit becomes particularly valuable when the event involves several interdependent systems or uses the space in an unusual way. In such cases, it is one of the stages of collaboration with the technical company in organizing the event, rather than a formality performed for the sake of conducting the visit. 

What documents are worth having before the site visit?

It is best to arrive for the site visit already with a basic understanding of the event. This way, one can check a specific project instead of wondering on-site what will actually be needed.

The following are useful:

• technical brief,
• script or agenda,
• room layout,
• site plan,
• technical documentation of the venue,
• stage plan,
• rider of the artist,
• preliminary stage plan,
• information about multimedia.

If the organizer prepared earlier technical brief event for the production company, it should be the primary document during the site visit.

It is also good to mark on the plan the elements that have already been confirmed and are in progress.

For example:

• stage – confirmed,
• LED wall – planned,
• FOH – location to be determined,
• camera – working position.

Then during the visit, specific decisions can be made and corrections can be immediately applied to the plan. 

Dimensions and geometry of the venue

During the site visit, it is necessary to confirm the actual dimensions of the space, as the venue plans do not always show everything that is important for the technical setup. It is necessary to consider not only the length and width of the room, but also the height, recesses, balconies, pillars, beams, and other obstacles.

The following are significant:

• length of the audience,
• width of the space,
• height of the ceiling,
• floor levels,
• positions of the pillars,
• elements of the venue's scenery.

For sound, geometry affects:

• coverage,
• directionality,
• the need for frontfills or delays.

For lighting, it determines the possible positions of the devices.

For screens, it affects the size of the image area and visibility.

It is not enough to measure the "room 20 × 30 m". You need to see how it will actually be used.

Where will the stage, audience, and FOH be?

The location of the stage, audience, and FOH position should be verified as one layout. Moving any of these elements can affect the entire project.

FOH, or Front of House, is the production position from which the mix for the audience is conducted and often houses part of the remaining technical infrastructure.

During the site visit, it is worth checking:

• if FOH is located in a representative listening position,
• if it does not block pathways,
• if it does not obstruct visibility,
• if there is space for consoles and operators,
• how signals and power will be routed.

The positioning of the stage is equally important.

You need to check:

• its actual dimensions,
• access from backstage,
• artist entrances,
• monitor world location,
• access to stage boxes,
• communication pathways.

Shifting the stage by a few meters may necessitate changing the location of the PA, screens, cameras, and lighting. Therefore, all these elements should be considered together.

Available rigging points and construction limitations

The mere presence of an element in the ceiling does not mean that it is safe to hang PA, trusses, or LED screens from it. Rigging points should have specified purposes, allowable loads, and documentation, and the hanging design must take into account actual loads and how they are applied.

ICOPER published by PLASA and ESTA indicates that temporary rigging installations should be planned in advance by a competent person, and the documentation should specify, among other things, the location and load capacities of the points. The PLASA/NRAG guidelines further emphasize the necessity of using authorized points and verifying them according to the venue's documentation.

During the site visit, it is necessary to determine:

• where the approved points are,
• what their allowable loads are,
• in which directions they can be loaded,
• who manages the rigging in the venue,
• whether a house rigger is required,
• what documents need to be provided before installation.

One should not assume that since during the previous event "something was hanging there," the same point can be used in the new project.

For suspended structures the rigging design and responsibility for its execution should be established before load-in, and not only during installation.

How to check the power supply?

During the site visit, it is necessary to determine not only where the outlets are located, but what power supply is actually available for the individual systems. The information "power is in the room" is not sufficient for preparing the technology.

It is necessary to determine:

• available connections,
• their location,
• method of distribution,
• scope of venue responsibility,
• requirements for additional distribution boards.

Separate needs may include:

• audio,
• lighting,
• LED,
• video,
• backline,
• streaming.

One should not design a large system based on the assumption that "we'll somehow connect it."

It is also important to run power to positions that are far from the main technical points. If FOH is on the other side of the room, power and signal paths need to be included in the design of the space.

Cable routes and AV infrastructure

Cable routes should be planned so that signals and power can connect all systems without blocking the flow of the audience and crews. During the site visit, one can often immediately spot areas that look good on the plan but are actually entrances, passages, or service corridors.

It is worth checking:

• routes stage–FOH,
• stage–video,
• FOH–streaming,
• access to screens,
• passages between zones,
• existing cable ducts.

Some venues have a permanent AV infrastructure:

• patchbays,
• network,
• fiber optics,
• connections between rooms.

If it can be utilized, it can significantly simplify the design. However, one must know its actual configuration and efficiency.

One should not assume that every RJ45 socket in the wall means access to the appropriate technical network or that every existing cable can be used for any signal.

Venue acoustics

A site visit allows for a preliminary assessment of how the space behaves acoustically and what problems it may create for speech or music. It does not replace full acoustic measurements, but provides important context for the PA project.

It is worth paying attention to:

• large glass surfaces,
• concrete,
• stone,
• high ceilings,
• parallel walls,
• strong reflections,
• long reverberation.

In a reverberant room, a stronger system is not automatically the solution. Directionality matters, as well as how much energy reaches the audience versus how much hits the walls and ceiling.

It is also good to determine how the space will change after the participants enter.

An empty conference room may behave differently after arranging:

• chairs,
• tables,
• curtains,
• scenery,
• a full audience.

If acoustics is one of the main issues of the project, it is worth moving on to a more detailed analysis of the impact of the venue's acoustics on the choice of sound system..

LED screens, projectors, and sightlines

With multimedia, it is necessary to check not only where the screen will physically fit, but whether it will be visible to the entire audience. This is two different problems.

During the site visit, it is worth standing in:

• the first row,
• the last row,
• the extreme sectors,
• partially obstructed places.

It is necessary to assess:

• the sightline,
• height of the lower edge of the image,
• possible obstacles,
• position of the speakers,
• positions of the cameras.

For projectors, the following are important:

• projection distance,
• ability to set up the device,
• ambient light,
• obstacles in the projection path.

For LED screens, the construction and method of installation are also significant.

It may turn out that a screen with planned dimensions physically fits in the room, but after setting up the stage, its lower part is not visible from the back rows.

Therefore, in multimedia design the readability of the image for the audience is more important than simply finding a free section of the wall.

Loading dock, gates, elevators, and transport routes

Logistics should be checked from the perspective of the largest equipment elements, not the person entering through the main entrance. Cases, structures, screens, and racks must physically get to the execution site.

You need to check:

• loading dock,
• ability to drive a car up,
• width of the gates,
• height of the passage,
• doors,
• freight elevators,
• load capacity of the elevators,
• stairs,
• distance from unloading to the stage.

If a large case does not fit in the elevator, it may be necessary:

• to unpack the equipment,
• to use a different route,
• more technicians,
• more time for load-in.

Access at specific hours is also important.

The venue may allow heavy transport only before the public area opens or through a specific gate.

Such information directly affects the schedule and costs of implementation.

Load capacity and technical access

Not only the suspension points have load capacity limitations. Floors, platforms, elevators, ramps, or existing stages may also have specific operational parameters that need to be considered for heavy equipment.

During the inspection, it is necessary to check whether appropriate information is available for the planned elements regarding:

• the structure of the stage,
• platforms,
• balconies,
• elevators,
• technical surfaces.

One should not assume load capacity based on the appearance of the element.

Technical access after installation is equally important.

The device may be installed correctly, but if it is later completely covered by scenery, servicing it during the event may be impossible.

Therefore, when designing, access must be left to:

• racks,
• stage boxes,
• distribution boards,
• video devices,
• control elements.

Emergency exits and areas that must not be blocked

The technical design cannot restrict emergency exits or other spaces that the venue must keep accessible. During the inspection, it is necessary to know the boundaries of the areas that may be occupied by equipment.

The following may be problematic:

• cases,
• FOH,
• tripods,
• cables,
• cameras,
• structures,
• additional seating.

In an empty room, placing the FOH in a specific location may seem logical, but after marking audience pathways, it may turn out to be impossible.

Therefore, it is worth working on a plan that shows not only the technical setup but also the functional layout of the venue.

If there are areas that cannot be obstructed, they should be marked in the project documentation so that the next person does not later treat them as free space for equipment.

Time and noise restrictions

A site visit is a good time to establish restrictions that may change not only the equipment design but the entire production schedule.

It is worth checking:

• from what time assembly can begin,
• when loud tests are possible,
• until what time the event can last,
• when disassembly must be completed,
• if there are SPL restrictions or other noise rules.

The venue may, for example, allow the crew to enter in the morning but prohibit PA tests during the operation of adjacent spaces.

Then the soundcheck needs to be scheduled in a specific window.

Similarly, at a conference center, several events may occur simultaneously. Even if the PA system is technically sufficient, its configuration should consider the impact on adjacent rooms.

Such restrictions need to be entered into the schedule, not left as a verbal agreement from the site visit.

What needs to be photographed and measured?

The documentation from the site visit should allow you to return to key information later without having to come back to the venue. The photos should document technical details, not just the general appearance of the room.

It is worth photographing:

• the entire space from several directions,
• the stage,
• the ceiling,
• rigging points,
• distribution boards,
• connections,
• cable paths,
• FOH,
• technical entrances,
• gates,
• elevators,
• loading dock.

Measurements may include:

• the width and length of the room,
• the height,
• the distance from stage to audience,
• the width of the doors,
• the dimensions of the elevator,
• the distance from unloading,
• the height available for the screen or structure.

It is good practice to describe the photos immediately.

A photo of a random outlet taken with a phone may say little after a week. A photo labeled as "stage right connection – back wall of the room" becomes part of useful documentation.

How does the site visit affect the design and pricing?

The site visit can confirm initial assumptions or completely change part of the project. Its greatest value is the ability to detect limitations before ordering equipment and starting installation.

After the visit, the following may change:

• the location of the PA,
• the size of the LED,
• the method of rigging,
• the position of FOH,
• number of additional systems,
• method of cable management,
• schedule,
• number of technicians.

Example: the initial offer assumes a quick load-in through loading dock. During the site visit, it turns out that the truck cannot approach there, and the equipment has to be transported through a long corridor and by elevator.

The technical system itself has not changed, but the following has changed:

• number of people,
• installation time,
• logistics,
• cost.

Similarly, the lack of planned rigging points may force a change in the setup of the PA, lights, or screens.

Therefore, the site visit can be an important element of finalizing the technical project of the event. If the implementation is more complex, it is worth carrying it out before the scope is finally closed.

In the case of a project prepared with Art-Live, the site visit can be a stage preceding the final technical project, if the nature of the venue and the scope of the event truly require it.

Summary

The site visit before the event serves to convert the assumptions from the brief and the venue plan into data that can be safely used in the actual project. It checks the geometry, stage, FOH, rigging, power, cable paths, acoustics, multimedia, logistics, and venue limitations.

The greatest value lies not in merely viewing the place, but in proper documentation: measurements, photos, agreements, and information about responsibility for individual elements of the infrastructure.

For simple events, a site visit may not be necessary, if there is complete documentation. However, for large, atypical, or multi-system implementations, it allows for identifying problems even at the project stage. A problem detected during a site visit is usually a project issue. The same problem detected during load-in becomes a production issue.

Frequently Asked Questions