Explore Alternatives to In-House AV with Tallen

There’s a reason why people are attracted to marketing terms like “all-inclusive” and “one-stop-shop.” Monikers like these suggest a breezy, convenient experience, unburdened by endless decisions and strategy. One need only show-up and enjoy the fruits of someone else’s unseen labor. 

No one understands the appeal of these labels better than the hotels that repackaged them as “in-house” services. “In-house” elicits the same emotional response in busy event planners considering a hotel or venue for a large industry conference or annual corporate affair. 

A hotel’s in-house services help them check elemental items off their to-do lists. Not only do hotels provide comfortable spaces and occupant capacity, but their in-house services can be genuinely helpful. And their in-house AV is like the cherry on top. While the prospect of eliminating AV equipment and technicians from your list is tempting, consider investigating alternatives that offer the same ease with superior capabilities. Here are the major benefits of 3rd party AV event production you should consider before signing on the dotted line.

3rd Party Pros: Passion Counts

A hotel doesn’t necessarily need your event to shine or make its bottom line. Their primary focus is booking and providing a great stay for their guests and visitors. With us, your event is our event, and we take that honor seriously. Our entire ethos is centered around creating and executing live, hybrid, and virtual events that are impactful and seamless. We started as an AV equipment rental company helmed by two audio-visual professionals, so we really get to flex our expertise and technical prowess when producing events for our clients. 

Hotels have unique qualities like atmosphere, catering, decor, and staff, which all play a major role in the success of an event. While there are exceptions to the rule, in-house AV teams don’t often approach the audio-visual element of events with the same passion or advanced capabilities and equipment that we do.

3rd Party Pro: Transparent Quality Control

You wouldn’t ask a car mechanic to fix a spaceship or an arborist to cut your hair. The same is true for the technicians handling the audio-visuals for your event. They should be knowledgeable about the equipment so nothing is left to chance.

That’s why we’re staffed with AV technicians who have an average of ten years of experience under their belt, so there’s no gear they haven’t encountered and mastered and no event so complex that their skills fall short. We’re also able to procure the best equipment because we have resources all over the country. That means we’re able to deliver consistent quality and performance no matter the venue. 

That’s an important distinction when determining who will handle your event’s AV needs because, generally speaking, a hotel’s in-house AV has a small onsite footprint due to space being a premium. So, when hosting multiple events at once, resources can be stretched thin, and they may have to outsource equipment and AV techs to supplement their capabilities. And there’s no guarantee that their freelancers will be familiar with the venue or with the microphones, mixer boards, cameras, etc.

For transparent quality control, it’s wise to go with a company like Tallen. We recruit the best of the best and treat them well, so turnover is low, and morale is high. That positivity leads to the kind of professionalism required to produce high-caliber events with spectacular audiovisuals.

3rd Party Pro: Clear Communication 

Did you ever play a game of telephone as a kid? You sit in a circle, and the first person whispers a statement to the kid on their right. They whisper it to the next until it finally reaches the last participant, who announces a version so disparate from the original sentence that the meaning is lost. 

Communication is one of the most important aspects of any partnership. When it’s well-managed, workflow is more efficient, and people are empowered to deliver quality performances. To maintain that integrity, we provide one point of contact for our clients so that they receive streamlined, individual attention.

It’s difficult to find this at hotels where there are multiple employees that you have to meet with to organize the event, and their mutual communication may not be synced up. Initially, a large organization may inspire confidence. After all, more staff implies more help. Right? Not exactly. There are more channels for information to travel through and different communication dynamics from property to property. So each time you move venues, even if they’re under the same ownership, you’ll find yourself having to reinvent the communication wheel to pull off the same event in a new location.

Avoid a grown-up game of telephone by hiring a 3rd party AV company with a nationwide dedicated account team. Our communication strategy is more agile and circumvents correspondence mishaps.

3rd Party Pro: Straightforward Estimates & Billing

Corporate event planners have a lot on their plate, so detailed estimates and billing are appreciated. We get it. We produce everything from massive live events to international virtual broadcasts, and comprehensive accounting is a Tallen priority.

Our estimates are comprehensive and specific so that you know exactly which each line item is for in an easy-to-understand format. Plus, we’re able to maintain consistent pricing across venues. These practices help our clients plan and maintain their annual budgets and cost projections. And we don’t have to build the hotel’s compensation into our costs, which equates to further savings for our clientele.

This isn’t the case for a hotel’s in-house AV services, whose labor and equipment rates are impacted by venue contracts. Tallen, on the other hand, is able to maintain consistent pricing regardless of the venue or location.

When you do settle on a venue, make sure the contract allows for 3rd party AV. It stipulates that doing so will not incur penalty fees or excessive charges for basic amenities like internet access.

Remarkable Events Require Remarkable Audio Visuals

Tallen’s expert technical team has been on-site for thousands of events and yielded outstanding results, no matter the venue. Our seasoned pros are adept at working in concert with venues and staff to make your dream event a reality. Select a hotel for its aesthetics, vibe, and hosting facilities. And select Tallen for our world-class event production and superior AV performance.