Audiovisual equipment is becoming mandatory for every event, and there’s no exception. In 2024, the recorded market size of AV systems was £220.08 billion, and it’s growing at the rate of 5.08% CAGR. The constant engagement of the audiovisual equipment in the events cannot be ignored. The visuals, music, and lighting can all significantly impact whether or not an event is successful. However, when you have an option between choosing the in-house AV and outsourced AV for the event, there’s a whole debate going on in the light of multiple pros and cons.
Convenience is the primary advantage of having an in-house AV team. It spares you the effort and time required to locate a vendor. This is perfect when you’re busy trying to arrange other parts of the event. The venue staff is also acquainted with the location and all of its details. Don’t undervalue an outsourced AV team. As they are professionals, they are more likely to understand various things about the venue better. Additionally, the advantages of working with an external team might outweigh the time savings. This blog will discuss all the significant aspects of in-house and outsourced AV.
In-house AV has multiple pros and cons, so let’s discuss some major ones.
| In-house AV Pros | In-house AV Cons |
| In-house AV provides on-the-spot availability. You can get really flexible with the scheduling. You can get multiple things for free, e.g., internet and electricity. Usually, the venue dont charge for it. Technicians’ familiarity with the property. | It can be really pricey sometimes. The AV technicians are not as professional and have little experience. In-house AV equipment isn’t very diverse or available in variety. |
| Outsourced AV Pros | Outsourced AV Cons |
| Always comes up with unique and creative setups. Can be very flexible when it comes to providing various equipment.Professional team of technicians. Multiple pricing options. Provide multiple pricing options so you can choose packages and companies accordingly. | Not much familiarity with the existing property. It is very hectic and tricky to align the schedule with the AV productions as there might be bookings already. There must be extra charges for every add-on. |
Uniqueness and creativity
Usually, the perfect venues we choose for our event are holding at least one event on a daily basis. However, similar AV equipment is used for all the events being organised on a daily basis, and almost every day, they have a similar event layout. If you are looking forward to organising an event that is unique and appealing, it is essential to outsource the AV production house to manage a diverse and unique event. People specialising in this field are more likely to generate better and more creative events than any in-house AV.
Flexibility and reliability
The in-house AV services lack flexibility as they might have a minimal stock of AV equipment to utilise in an emergency. However, in any such case, they might have a small backup system for which they don’t acquire the technical support. The production house itself sets everything up and provides essential support, which isn’t always enough.
Additionally, if any malfunction occurs, AV production always has this backup plan and settles with extra sets of equipment. This will ensure the continuity of your event without any disaster or interruption.
Price options
Why stick to expensive in-house AV equipment when you can hire better? Usually, in-house AV equipment is pretty pricey. Since people prioritise it to avoid any inconvenience, venue owners do not really appreciate negotiating the budget.
However, if you look forward to outsourcing AV equipment, you might find a vast range of AV production houses on a reliable and attainable budget. You can simply find the most suitable AV production that understands your vision of the event and takes the initiative to improve it.
Availability of options for AV equipment
Sometimes, we consider in-house AV the most feasible and reliable option. However, it’s not always right. You must understand that if they are providing a suitable venue, it’s basically their speciality; however, providing AV equipment is not. If planning an event to make it exceptional, you must always hire domain experts. The major drawback of in-house AV is that the equipment isn’t really new or doesn’t have the latest models.
However, for success, it is essential to follow new trends and cope with the competition in the market. Additionally, to achieve this success, make sure to choose outsourced AV with high-quality trending equipment. Don’t really fall for the apparent ease of critically evaluating all the aspects. Make sure you are choosing the most suitable AV equipment for your event, which is highly result-driven. This will allow you to create an event that is highly impactable on the audience and will leave a long-lasting impression on their minds. If you hire an outsourced AV team, it is also worth seeing what other services they offer.
In-house AV team vs Outhouse AV team
Multiple risks are associated with in-house AV vendors as they are non-professionals and clearly lack technical information. Moreover, if there is any glitch or malfunction of equipment right on the spot, the in-house AV is not capable enough to cope with the situation.
However, if we look forward to outhouse AV, vendors are practically more trained and fully prepared to deal with any situation. Additionally, it increases the success rate of the event tremendously.
Conclusion
There are benefits to outsourcing vendors as well as in-house AV equipment. There are several advantages to outsourcing AV productions, such as the capacity to concentrate on core competencies, access to state-of-the-art technology, specialised knowledge, and cost-effectiveness. Ensure an in-house AV production company has the experience and track record to make your event successful before hiring them, or you can outsource AV productions to get the best AV services for the event.
Which One is Right for You?
When you choose an outside audio-visual firm, they can typically accompany you wherever your event takes place. This will allow a focus on pre-production to work alongside you at every pace, aimed at a better knowledge of your demands through a crew of on-site specialists devoted to your task. Every time the conference venue changes, you do not have to modify the wheel, saving everybody’s cash and planning meeting time. In terms of money, outer firms have greater pricing freedom and access to a wide range of equipment and technology as they don’t have to share income with the hotel.
When everything narrows down to the pricing options, outsourced AV productions can be flexible as there are multiple options available in the market. Moreover, the availability of services and equipment makes a big difference. However, choosing between the outsourced AV productions and the in-house productions can still be tricky. Multiple things can really bring change in the consideration procedure.
Multiple people prefer in-house convenience as they prefer to stay close to the setup while it’s in the process. On the other hand, the in-house AV is exceptionally convenient if you choose the outsourced AV production house. You might be required to put in the effort as outsourcing is not easy. Additionally, you must be good at negotiating to seal the deal at an excellent price.
Everything concludes with one thing:
Hotel or venue owners run a business providing venues, and they are likely to keep up with the newly introduced trends. On the one hand, in-house AV equipment needs to be updated and advanced, and on top of it, they don’t focus on producing unique events or keeping up with the market. On the other hand, outsourced AV productions have this business as their priority, and they focus more on the quality of the event.
However, it is a matter of finding the proper ends here, as there are multiple pros and cons explained from both sides; the rest is all about what you prefer is better for you.
