AV production for events in Utrecht

What does an AV company actually do?

AV stands for audiovisual. An AV company supplies and operates the equipment a gathering needs: lighting, sound, video and livestream. In practice that means the equipment is brought to the venue, set up, operated during the programme and taken down afterwards. The client takes care of the content, the AV company makes sure everyone can hear and see it.

Providers differ mainly in whether they only supply the equipment or also operate it. You can hire an installation and run it yourself, or have an AV company stay on site to work the mixing desk during the programme and step in when a microphone fails or the running order changes. Both are normal ways of working, and we do both. Which one you need depends on your programme.

Beyond that, companies differ in what they run in house and what goes through partners. That says little on its own, but it is worth asking about. Useful questions when comparing quotes: is someone with the equipment during the programme, and do you speak to that person beforehand? Is the equipment owned in house, and is it tested beforehand? And do you get the recording, and when?

At Arunas Studio the sound and video equipment is our own and modular, so nothing has to be hired in and everything is tested before it goes into the van. The technician you speak to on the phone is the one who is there on the day.

What equipment does my event need?

At almost every gathering the audiovisual production starts with sound: if people cannot understand each other, the rest hardly matters. Which microphone suits depends on the speaker and on how the stage is set up. At a lectern you can use a lectern microphone, a handheld on a stand or a headset, and some speakers simply prefer to hold the microphone. Moving around a stage, a headset or a small clip-on microphone is easiest, because it keeps the hands free. That clip-on is known in the trade as a lavalier. For questions from the floor a wireless microphone goes round, or microphones stand on stands where people queue up.

When a large group speaks in turn, as at a member meeting, conference microphones are the usual answer, one per table or per two people. Such a set is known in the trade as a DCN system. The chair can give the floor and switch off any microphone, which saves a lot of discussion about whose turn it is.

What is needed in loudspeakers depends on the room: from a single compact speaker in a meeting room to a full sound system with extra cabinets for the low end and small speakers covering the front rows. Such a complete rig is called a PA system, and those low-end cabinets are subwoofers. Everything runs through a digital mixing desk, and that is where the recording comes from. You get it afterwards on a USB stick, as mp3 or wav.

And what about video, lighting and livestream?

With video production it all comes down to readability on the back row. The built-in projector of a room is often just too small, so projection or an LED screen is added. Speakers need a confidence monitor, because anyone who cannot see their own slides loses the thread. Live switching between camera, slides and other sources runs through a video switcher.

Lighting matters more than people think. A speaker who is not lit directly disappears into shadow on the recording, and standard venue lighting stays flat. With spots lighting the speakers from the front, moving coloured lamps for atmosphere and floor lamps washing the walls upward, a room changes character completely. In the trade those are called front spots, moving heads and uplighters. With lighting, almost every euro translates directly into what you see. We handle the lighting as part of the production, so it is operated in step with the rest.

A livestream runs via Teams, YouTube or another platform. The camera feed goes in as a webcam and the sound as a separate mix from the desk. That last part is the main difference from a laptop halfway down the room: people at home then hear the same as the room, instead of a hollow echo with shuffling around it.

Why does the venue matter so much?

Because the same gathering calls for different audiovisual production in a different space. In a hotel or conference room, where we work most often, there is usually a built-in projector, but rarely one that stays readable on the back row. And many of these rooms have reverb: at the front you catch everything, at the back it turns muddy.

In a deep or elongated room, one set of loudspeakers at the front no longer covers it. Then we bring in a row of stacked loudspeakers that spreads sound more evenly across the room, known in the trade as a line array. Halfway down we add delay speakers that play a fraction later, so the back row hears a word at the same moment as the front.

In a canteen or company space it is the other way round: hard floors, a lot of glass and rarely any facility you can use. If there are no screens, we bring them. If the best spot for your party is a car park, we will put equipment there.

Outdoors nothing bounces back. The sound has to come from more directions and the loudspeakers stand further apart, across an area far larger than a room. We cover them against rain and place everything under shelter where possible. Three-phase power is nearly always needed outdoors, and indoors too with a large LED screen or a heavy system.

And sometimes the answer is that little is needed. With a small group in one room the acoustics do most of the work. A handheld microphone and a compact loudspeaker are enough. We will say so even if you ask for more.

What changes per type of gathering?

Mainly the build time, the number of technicians and the way microphones are handled. For conference production we build the day before, so nothing has to be rushed on show day. For two show days there are three technicians: one for sound, one for lighting and one for video and overall direction. Every speaker gets their own microphone, because swapping headsets during a break always runs over in practice.

At an AGM or member meeting it is all about intelligibility and procedure. The chair has to be able to give the floor and cut it off, members have to be heard from the floor, and the meeting is recorded so the minute taker can go back to it.

A staff gathering or town hall is often hybrid, and the separate sound balance for people at home is where it usually goes wrong. At a sports event or outdoor programme the room disappears entirely: the sound has to reach from the start and finish to the stage, the announcer moves around with a wireless microphone, and the weather has a say in how it is built.

More on conference production More on AGM production More on staff gatherings See productions in detail

How many technicians will be at my event?

Usually one AV technician, and three at a large conference. A meeting or a one-day programme in a single room can be handled by one experienced technician operating sound and video at once. On a multi-day conference we divide the roles, and on large productions we bring in a dedicated technician who only manages the microphones.

We also supply equipment and crew for several rooms at once, with no limit on the number. If you need ten breakout rooms, we will arrange it. Do let us know in good time, because it involves both equipment and people who have to be available on the same day.

For a programme with speakers, someone stays with the equipment throughout. If a microphone drops out or the programme takes a different turn, it gets solved while the programme carries on.

But not every job calls for that. Sometimes the answer is that we set up, explain how it works and leave the system with you, without a technician on site. In the trade that is called turn-key. We did exactly that for a film screening. Built and handed over a week in advance, the system ran all day, and we collected it the next day. When they briefly forgot how something worked, we sorted it out over the phone.

Tell us what you have in mind and we will say whether it can be done with or without a technician. For a gathering with speakers, microphones being passed around or a livestream, we recommend operation on site. For a fixed setup that does the same thing all day, that is often unnecessary.

What does audiovisual production for an event cost?

For a gathering with speakers and a presentation, budget around 1,650 euro excluding travel. That covers four loudspeakers, five headsets, two handheld microphones, the accompanying equipment and a technician on site. Add screens and it rises by roughly 1,000 euro. For lighting there is no guide price, because the budget directly determines how large the show becomes. Treat these figures as an indication and not as a rate: two gatherings of the same size can call for entirely different production.

Call or message us and tell us what you have in mind. Usually we can give you a direction over the phone, so you know whether you are in the right order of magnitude. That estimate is not binding; it is meant to help you along quickly.

The actual price is in the quote: in writing and built around your venue and programme, so you can see exactly what you get and why. If a wish does not fit the budget or the venue, you hear it up front and we propose an alternative. We only send a quote once we know we can deliver it.

What do I need to arrange myself?

Your own content, to start with. We do not create presentations or videos unless you specifically ask us to. The audiovisual production is ours to arrange. Beyond that we need a few practical things from you on site, and the sooner those are settled, the calmer the build-up goes.

Permits and music licences you arrange yourself. If your event is outdoors, the permit is yours. If you want music played, we need a licence from you: without one we can only play royalty-free music. Arrange it in advance with the Dutch collecting society Buma/Stemra.

Which region do you work in?

We are based in Nieuwegein and work most often in IJsselstein, Vianen, Utrecht, Amsterdam, The Hague, Schiphol and Eindhoven. Beyond that we deliver throughout the Netherlands. From Nieuwegein almost everything is within reasonable reach, so the location is rarely an obstacle.

We have worked for groups of 20 people up to 10,000 visitors at an outdoor sports event. Most of the gatherings we handle sit between 50 and 400 people.

What clients also ask us

Do you work with your own equipment or is it hired in?

Our sound and video equipment is our own and modular, so it can be deployed for a wide range of jobs. That means we never have to hire anything in and we know what every component does and that it works. Everything is tested before it goes into the van.

How far in advance should I book?

That varies by season. If you are a month or more ahead, there is usually room to arrange everything properly. Shorter notice gets harder, but not impossible: we have taken on jobs where the call came 48 hours beforehand. In that case give us a ring and you will know straight away where you stand.

What happens if something fails during the programme?

There is always someone next to the equipment. We stay on site for the whole programme, so if something fails or the running order changes, it is dealt with straight away.

Can speakers use their own laptop?

They can. Beforehand we agree which setup it will be: everything runs from the control position and speakers get a clicker, or they plug in on stage themselves. Both at once is possible too. Particularly with presentations involving a live demo, speakers prefer their own laptop. Let us know in advance and the right connection will be ready.

Do I get the recording of the gathering?

Yes. You get a rough recording for your minute taker straight afterwards on a USB stick, as mp3 or wav. If that is not possible on site, we email it the next day at the latest. Video takes longer because the files are large, and if editing is needed we agree in advance when you will get the material.

Can you supply the equipment only, without a technician?

Yes. We set up, explain how everything works and collect the system afterwards. In the trade that is called turn-key. We did this for a film screening: built a week in advance, ran all day, collected the next day. For questions in between we are reachable by phone. Whether it is wise depends on your programme: with speakers, microphones changing hands or a livestream, we recommend operation on site.

Do you also handle weddings and parties?

Yes. Most of our work consists of corporate gatherings, but we handle weddings, outdoor parties and club celebrations too. Tell us what you have in mind and we will tell you what it takes.

Audiovisual production for your event