Technical support for an event is all the equipment and people that make guests hear, see and have light: sound, lighting, screens, stage, power, internet. Guests only notice the tech when it fails. So good technical support is invisible, and bad support is remembered for years.
Types of technical support
- Sound. PA speakers, stage monitors, microphones, a mixing desk, a sound engineer
- Light. Stage wash, moving heads, room uplighting, follow spots for the host, a lighting desk and designer
- Video. LED screens, projectors, cameras and relay to the room screens
- Stage and structures. A riser, trusses for rigging, a backdrop
- Power. Connection to the venue supply, generators outdoors, backup
- Special effects. Haze, cold sparklers, confetti
- Comms and IT. Internet for streaming and registration, radios for the crew
How to organise technical support
- Find out what the venue has. Ask for the venue’s technical rider: what sound, light and screens are installed and included
- Write a brief for the contractor. Guest count, room size, programme, where microphones are needed, what to show on screen
- Check power. Supply capacity and socket locations. Outdoors, a generator is needed
- Agree setup time. Large lighting rigs and screens take hours, sometimes the day before
- Do a run-through. Sound, microphones, videos, lighting cues per the script
Equipment rental: when you need it
For a 50–100 guest banquet at a restaurant, the venue’s equipment plus a DJ with their own gear is often enough. Rental is needed for a live band, a conference with streaming, a large hall with no equipment or an outdoor site. Compare contractors by itemised estimate, not the total. How to read an estimate, in budget and risks.
Lighting for a wedding or corporate party
- A warm room wash and wall uplighting in the decor colour
- Dedicated light on the couple’s or top table so they show up in photos
- A follow spot or narrow beam for the first dance and the couple’s entrance
- Dynamic lighting for the dance block
- The ability to dim the house lights for show numbers
Which light effects are chosen for a wedding finale, in lights and fireworks for a wedding.
A show that needs no rental
Most light numbers add lines to the technical rider. Our show runs on what is already there: the venue sound and guests’ phones. A QR code on the screen or in print, guests open the page, and every flashlight in the room flashes to the music. Commands travel via ultrasound through ordinary speakers, and the sound engineer just plays a track.
For the tech crew it is one track and a soundcheck. The show works in a 30-person room and at a stadium. More on the technology in how the light show works. Technical contractors and agencies get partner terms: hosts and agencies.
FAQ
Who is responsible for the tech on the day? The contractor’s technical director or senior sound engineer. The coordinator and host should have their contact.
Does the light show need internet? No. Guests’ phones receive commands through sound, so the show works even where signal is jammed, as in the planetarium.
Preparation steps in the article on event organisation.