Planning an event? Want to hire sound and lighting equipment for your venue? Were are three things you should pay attention to.
#1) Statement of the Terms of Hire
Make sure that you have a specific and clear statement of the terms of hire from your PA systems vendor of choice.
It is important to clarify that everything you want in terms of sound hire, lighting hire, choice of staging and décor, special effects or any other factor that you want to see as part of your event or experience are included.
You want to ensure that timing for having those items under hire is also agreed upon.
Payment terms on all equipment and services hired should also be a part of this statement of the terms of hire so that there are no surprises or misunderstanding in case anything must be changed at the last minute. This means that all costs and cost scenarios need to be seen in writing.
It is important to have any potential liabilities or burdens should something go wrong in writing so that it covers both you and the company you have hired. That way, responsibilities on both sides are known in advance. After all, you do not want any costly surprises on top of anything else that could go wrong during your event.
#2) Public Liability Insurance Proof
The PA systems for hire company must prove that they have public liability insurance to ensure that you can get properly compensated if there are any injuries or damage in relation to your event.
It will protect you but it will also ensure that your event can proceed. This is because there are certain types of venues where they need to know that all equipment and services being performed within their venue is insured; otherwise, they will not permit the event. That is the last thing you want to find out just before your event or concert is set to begin.
#3) Health and Safety
When it comes to lighting hire and sound hire, there is bound to be electricity involved. There may also be staging and special effects too. Whatever you are planning on using, you want to make sure that the company you work with has health and safety as their priority.
Make sure the vendor has a Portable Appliance Test Certificate because this lets you know that the equipment that is being used is tested and inspected for safety. Many venues will also want the vendor to produce this certificate before allowing you to hold your event at their facility.
Ask the vendor about how they carry out a regular risk assessment process to ensure that all their staff and services adhere to health and safety guidelines. When asking questions, be sure to also see what type of qualifications the vendor’s set-up team has with sound hire equipment and lighting hire systems.
Lastly, it does not hurt to check on what resources they have to ensure that all work is performed safely for those involved in the event as well as those in the audience.
