Event Audio-Video is vital and can make or break even the best of shows. But who is setting up all the AV components? You probably don’t want to do it yourself, as many audio-video components are very complicated.

According to Endless Entertainment, this is where Event AV Labor comes in handy. The company claims that labor can represent between 10% and 50% of your AV budget, and may include some additional “items” on your bill. You might want to take a moment to familiarize yourself with some of these concepts.

Day-Rate
AV companies price their labor in many different ways: Hourly, a flat fee, and the less typical day rate. A day rate is usually the cost of 10 hours of labor, and whether they end up working 12 hours or 8 hours, the price will stay the same.

Minimums & Overtime
If you hire an AV company by the hour, may be charged for a minimum number of hours. Even if a project only takes four hours you may be required to pay for five hours. Meanwhile, if you need AV laborers to work more than 40 hours in a week, and you’ll have to pay them overtime – that’s time and a half, and it adds up.

Travel rate
Hiring an AV company from outside your local market? You might get hit with a travel rate. Simply put, this means you’ll have to pay for the time it takes them to get to and from the venue.

Per Diem
This is also a standard fee for out-of-market AV suppliers. Per Diem can be an extra charge for everything from travel expenses and lodging to meals and entertainment.

Downtime
You might budget for 10 hours of labor, but many companies require their AV workers to take breaks after so many hours. If a business’s policy prevents a laborer from working more than four hours without taking a break, a task that was initially supposed to take 10 hours will be closer to 11 or 12 hours.

Need some extra help navigating the costs associated with AV companies? We’re here to help! Give us a call.