How AV Rental Companies Can Help The Events Industry Adapt to Changing Needs?
Flexibility is everything in the events industry right now. Having shifted to almost fully remote delivery at the start of the global pandemic, organizers are gradually bringing in-person events back. Yet, amidst this new landscape, participants continue to expect virtual access and/or livestreaming of event content. This offers great new opportunities for AV rental companies as they help their clients adapt and respond to new demands.
It’s important to seize these opportunities after such a tough time for the industry. Revenues have been hit by postponements and cancellations, but with live events slowly coming back again, now is the time for AV rental companies to invest in the future and expand their technical capabilities. In a new development, following more than a year of largely virtual formats, events are increasingly accommodating various hybrid setups catering to a combination of (socially distanced) live and virtual participation.
What’s the ROI?
Understandably, there are a lot of questions being asked about investments at this time. Do we have the financial capacity to buy new gear after such a difficult trading period? What type of technical capability will we need? How easy will it be to rent out equipment if the events industry continues to struggle? And, crucially, what is the potential return on investment, both for existing inventory and new tech?
So, as rental companies evaluate the opportunities arising from these industry-wide changes, what do they need to consider for the future?
Here’s what the experts at Shure believe is required:
Managing Complexity
The provision of options for both online and offline events enables organizers to ensure their attendees can choose the best way to participate, while feeling safe and comfortable doing so. With this in mind, AV rental companies offering solutions capable of scaling between virtual, hybrid and live experiences with good quality audio will outperform the competition. If you are looking for a future-proof wireless solution that can effortlessly meet continuously changing event audio requirements, the Shure Microflex® Complete Wireless (MXCW) professional conferencing system provides the necessary flexibility.
As more organizers try to bring together remote attendees with in-person participants, they will expect their professional partners to have the right knowledge and technology to achieve their vision. Fortunately, MXCW offers AV equipment firms a way to manage the increasing complexity.
Audio Clarity for Better Events
The clarity and reliability of audio for event livestreaming are of particular importance. That’s because audio directly contributes to the success of virtual and hybrid events. For example, good audio keeps remote attendees better engaged because they feel part of the conversation. Offering audio-only streaming to people joining from remote locations can also increase attendance by making content available to those with limited broadband.
Accommodating Venues
With social distancing remaining a requirement, bigger rooms are needed for fewer people, and this demands better audio to ensure everyone can hear and be heard. But that’s not all. Different venue types and locations — from community halls to school gymnasiums — are being used to house events needing this extra space. AV rental companies can drive revenue from the provision of audio in those spaces that flexibly accommodate changing setups and seating arrangements.
Wireless conferencing solutions provide the flexibility needed to make these spaces work. With MXCW, Shure has given AV firms a reliable wireless audio system that can be effortlessly set up, scaled, networked, and integrated into a variety of technical setups. It opens up more venue options by taking away the hassle of laying and hiding cables, as well as minimizing the impact of temporary AV setups. Furthermore, the wireless conferencing solution will help event organizers efficiently adapt when the social distancing requirements change once again.
Critical Events and Meetings
While the risk of postponement or cancellation remains, for many organizers the "show must go on" no matter what. This is especially so in government and the public sector where the democratic process has had to continue throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
A recent example of this involved a district council in Germany seeking an audio solution for a meeting in a converted gym in order to comply with social distancing measures. A local rental firm provided a Shure Microflex® Complete Wireless conference system. Excellent speech intelligibility even in such an acoustically difficult space enabled the 60 council members to conduct their business while being spread out across the gym.
This is just one example of how the flexibility of the Shure MXCW enables AV rental companies to be agile.
Time to Act
The ability to respond quickly to changing circumstances and customer demands will be vital as the events industry adapts various combinations of virtual, physical, socially distanced, and livestreaming formats.
To bounce back after a period of significant disruption, professional AV rental companies should seize the opportunity to expand their solution offerings and technical capabilities to meet these evolving needs. By engineering the audio technology needed to make different easy and events extraordinary, Shure provides AV firms with the capability to act now.
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