Book a ballroom for a conference or a gala and the hotel will almost always offer you its own AV. Sometimes that is the right call. Often it is not. Knowing the difference, and knowing what to ask, can be the gap between a clean event and a surprise bill. This guide explains how hotel AV works, when to bring in an outside audio visual company, and how to compare hotel audio visual companies fairly.
Prime AV works in hotels across Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland, both alongside the venue teams and as the outside production company of record. Here is what we tell clients planning an event in a hotel.
What hotel AV usually covers
The hotel AV team is the audio visual provider the property keeps under contract for its event space. They know the building, the power, the rigging points, and the house rules, and they can turn around a simple setup quickly. For a boardroom meeting with a screen and a couple of microphones, the hotel team is often fast and fine.
Where it gets expensive is the larger program. Venue pricing on projectors, screens, and labor can run well above rental market rates, and some hotels add a fee when you bring your own gear. For a general session with cameras, staging, and video walls, those numbers add up quickly.
When to bring an outside AV company
- The program is ambitious. Multiple rooms, a produced general session, live cameras, or live streaming are where an outside company earns its keep.
- You want one team across venues. If your event moves between a hotel and another space, one production company keeps the look and the crew consistent.
- The budget is tight. An itemized outside quote often comes in below the venue rate for the same scope, even after any hotel fee.
- You need a specific look. Custom staging, scenic, and LED video walls are easier to deliver with a company that owns and designs around that gear.
Questions to ask any hotel audio visual company
Whether you go with the venue team or an outside company, ask the same questions so you can compare on equal terms:
- Is the quote itemized? A line by line quote shows what you are paying for and makes bids easy to compare.
- Who runs the show? Ask about the crew and the person calling the event, not just the salesperson.
- What are the venue fees? Ask the hotel directly about power, rigging, and any charge for outside gear so there are no surprises.
- What is the backup plan? For anything that cannot fail, ask what the redundancy is, such as a spare mixer or a second projector path.
To make this easy, we built a free RFP template you can send to any AV company, the venue team or an outside crew, so every bid comes back on the same terms.
Working alongside the hotel
Bringing an outside company does not mean fighting with the hotel. A good production company coordinates with the venue on load in, power, and timing, and handles the certificates of insurance most hotels require. That coordination is part of the job. You can see how we approach the wider event on our meetings and conferences and audio visual services pages.
The hotel AV team is convenient. An outside company is often better value and more capable. The only way to know is an itemized quote from both.
Planning an event in a hotel?
Tell us the hotel, the date, and what happens on stage, and we will put together an itemized quote and coordinate with the venue for you.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use the hotel AV team?+
No. You can bring an outside AV company, and for a larger program it is often better value and more capable. See meetings and conferences.
Is an outside AV company cheaper than the hotel rate?+
Often, yes. An itemized outside quote frequently comes in below the venue rate for the same scope, even after any hotel fee. Request a quote to compare.
Can an outside AV company work inside the hotel?+
Yes. A good production company coordinates with the venue on load in, power, and timing, and handles the certificates of insurance most hotels require.
Get a hotel AV quote
Send us your venue and date and we will price your event line by line.