When looking for an audio visual provider for your event, it’s important that you have multiple quotes from various AV equipment companies. Doing this allows you to compare the services offered by each provider and choose the one with the most cost-effective service and equipment deal. For this reason, we rounded up some important questions that you should ask as soon as your prospective PA system rental company gives you their quote. Asking these questions will surely help in clarifying everything that’s written in their quotation.
1. Does your quote include all the costs and fees for your equipment and services?
Not all AV companies in Singapore include all the expenses in their quote, which is why it’s important that you ask this and see what situations would cause you additional costs. For instance, your independent audio visual provider might not include the possible power and rigging costs for your event and you will just be surprised that your venue has already charged you for it.
To avoid such surprise charges, have your prospective AV equipment rental company include all of the costs in their quote so you get to see the total expenses of your event.
2. Do you have any recommendations that can make the event run smoothly?
Although getting a quote that perfectly fits your budget will help you save extra bucks, it might also leave out some options that can actually be useful for your event. Even if the quote provided by your equipment rental company already fits your budget, wouldn’t you be willing to spend an extra hundred bucks to have a professional PA system rental setup in Singapore to make your event flow smoothly? Well, chances are you would.
Many event planners opt to stick with quotes that fit their budget, not thinking that they might be missing out on an equipment (e.g. microphone mixers and portable PA system) that could greatly improve the audio and visual experience of their event. So instead of immediately agreeing with their first quote, ask your supplier first for other equipment or service recommendations that they can provide but have not included in their quote.
3. Can you provide a summary for certain parts of your contract?
As soon as you receive your quote, ask your AV equipment provider to summarize some of the main points of the contract – especially the ones that you didn’t understand. Inquire about things like insurance requirements and payments through credit card. Clarifying these things from your AV equipment rental company will help you better understand their terms, especially on service cancellations, confidentiality and mode of payments.
4. What are the differences between the equipment on your quote and those of the other companies?
Have your audio visual provider explain the differences between certain pieces of equipment that they listed on their quote with those the other PA system rental company chose. Be sure that they explain it in terms that you can understand.
Apart from knowing the differences between each equipment, you also get to test your provider’s honesty by asking this question. Your AV rental company should be able to admit when the other provider suggested a more effective sound system or other piece of equipment than the one they chose.
5. Are the number of technicians you provided enough to satisfy my service expectations?
Aside from the portable PA system and other event equipment, this aspect also causes a huge discrepancy between different quotes. You might look at one quotation and wonder why they only listed one technician while the other provider gave you three. But before settling for a particular quote, ask both companies what there game plans are for the staff, as well as how they will service your event.
If you have 10 breakout rooms, for instance, will two technicians be enough to cover all the rooms, or do you prefer assigning one person in each room? Although the first option is a cost-effective choice, your technicians might have some trouble providing service for every room. Nevertheless, don’t hesitate to ask your provider to explain their plan and see if it matches what you need for your event.
6. How much power will all these equipment need?
Another important question to ask is how much power will their equipment need to make your event flow smoothly. For small-sized events, the AV provider might just tap into the outlets available in your venue; medium to larger events, on the other hand, might need additional power to run the sound system and other equipment.
In addition to the amount of power you will need, it’s also important to ask about what type of power is needed. It would also be a good idea to ask your provider whether or not they will handle the cost of the electricity that will be used. Some AV companies in Singapore include paying such costs in their services, so consider choosing a provider from those companies if you are on budget.
Just like how you get several quotes from different venues, it is also crucial that you have multiple quotations from various audio visual providers. Get a better understanding of each quote by asking questions about the equipment, the services, fees and other important details indicated on it. This way, you will know which audio visual company will provide you with better AV equipment and services at a reasonable cost.
