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Common Mistakes In Event Planning

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The Sound & Light Hire Company Logo

Event Planning Tips & Tricks To Help Your Event Run Smoothly

Being in the events industry is cut-throat and demanding. And as an event creator, you have to think smart and execute fast when it comes to just about every detail from the event planning down to the actual day of the event. It is also with the greatest significance to keep up with the latest trends and emerging technology to get you ahead in the business.

And while you have everything ironed out during the process of your planning, the odds are there will still be unforeseen hiccups along the way no matter how prepared you and your team are. It could be something as minor as the balloons being delivered late or perhaps something much bigger and worse like a technical issue with your lighting setup. We never know. These incidents are sometimes inevitable but when you work with people that are well-experienced and efficient in what they do, any hurdle can be rectified no matter how small or big.  

The Sound & Light Hire Company has been in the events industry for more than two decades and counting and have worked with top-tiered event organisers producing astounding events of all types across Surrey, Guildford and Berkshire. Our company is acknowledged in the industry for supplying a complete range of event equipment hire and not to mention our competitive rate of every package we offer that will surely be worth every penny.

If you are an event organiser yourself or someone who works in an events production team, keep reading and let us know if some of the things we will discuss are familiar or relatable. In this blog post, we have consolidated some common elements event planners tend to miss out on and how to utilise them to their full capacity in the future. 

Putting on duplicate and redundant event themes

One of the main responsibilities of an event creator is to come up with a creative theme that will match their client’s taste and style. Producing identical, repeated events is a common mistake most event organisers tend to commit without even realising it. While it may be convenient and safe to run recurring themes and set designs, your reputation as a creator will be at risk. You don’t want to be labelled as boring and monotonous, right? Every event you want your clients and their guests or attendees to have a unique experience. And this is a constant challenge for event organisers to add a touch of distinctive element that will set it apart from the rest of the events ever produced.

Believe it or not, there are actually a lot of ways to make every event exciting and special. You can change-up and mix different elements that will make each of it remarkable. You may opt for a convenient child care section for a wedding event, you may also have a celebrity appearance for a gala night, or work with an event production company that will take care of every aspect of the event space and utilise new technology to bring the event to life. 

That’s when The Sound & Light Hire Company comes in. Having us in your team can take off a huge burden on your end as we will bring in premium event equipment that will complete your entire setup. We have a wide array of lighting fixtures from LED uplighters, disco lighting effects, high-end intelligent DMX moving head fixtures among others https://www.truesoundhire.co.uk/lighting-hire/. Keep in mind that lighting is an important element to create a certain mood and bring your theme to life. You may also entrust your PA System to us as we can gauge the type of sound system needed for your event taking into consideration the number of attendees and the size and shape of the venue location. We offer a complete range of party equipment and have highly-experienced sound and light engineers working for us. To get to know more about our credentials, check out https://www.truesoundhire.co.uk/ for more details. 

Having a good set of AV Equipment are undervalued

Most event organizers who are not well-versed in the emerging technology may think that all types of AV equipment produce the same high-end quality they require for the event.  But good event organizers are well aware that they can never achieve their desired outcome if they resort to DIY or trust it in the venue’s in-house sound and visual system. A good quality AV system ensures your client that they deliver the message across their attendees and at the same time too, effectively stimulate the  attendees in any event whether in a birthday celebration, a wedding or a conference . The Sound & Light Hire Company offers a wide array of AV equipment from backline equipment hire packages, live mixing desks down to the basic microphones and amplifiers. 

Event production companies that specialize in AV equipment and services are extremely helpful on hybrid or live streaming events & The London based production company On Tour Events can provide the technical audio visual services required for your conference or streaming event.. 

Post-event meeting 

And lastly, following up on your clients and attendees after the event has taken place. Many event organizers usually discontinue communicating with their clients after the event has ended. They must realize that following up on their clients and holding a post-event meeting is essential in  the improvement of their services and knowing which part of it needs to be improved. This will serve as your survey. Ask questions that will help your company grow and improve on the future events. More so, this will keep a good working relationship with your clients and will potentially allow you to be rehired in the future. 

If you are a thriving event organizer, The Sound & Light Hire Company is your perfect partner in making your upcoming events a success! We are a full-service event production company that provides customizable and flexible packages that will suit every client’s requirements. Our in-house inventory is coming from different trusted brands in the industry that will surely deliver premium quality events. 

Feel free to contact us through The Sound & Light Hire Company and let’s make that dream event possible!

The Sound & Light Hire Company

https://www.google.com/maps?cid=177697462353676083 

+44 800 861 1136 

10 Hillspur Close

Guildford

Surrey AV

GU2 8HF

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Choosing The Best Wedding Lighting Production Company & Why It Matters

The Sound & Light Hire Company Logo

The Sound & Light Hire Company Logo

There are tons of ways to light up your special day, from setting the mood, ambiance, tone, and telling your story towards the end. These varieties are essential elements in achieving that picture perfect moment and flattering event. There are a lot of wedding lighting advantages that you should know and why you should choose the best lighting production company that suits your taste and style. No matter what type of wedding you decide on, whether this is at the beach, a backyard setting, or indoors, your chosen event production company should be able to adjust and supply your desired theme and make sure they have years of experience in the business.  

The Sound & Light Hire Company is London, Surrey and Guildford’s most trusted sound and lighting hire company offering a full range of event equipment services that will surely meet your wedding requirements. 

We have listed down some reasons as to why a dependable and perfect lighting that will match your theme is essential and why you should choose a top-quality service lighting production company:

Lighting helps in setting the mood

Given that documenting your most special day is top priority, getting that vital touch for your wedding theme should also be written on top of your list! If you want a dramatic wedding scene, warmer tones may be used. If you want a bright yet cinematic mood, you can adjust up your lighting to your desired liking. But natural light alone won’t help you achieve and set up that ambiance. Adjusting these settings on the spot would still be possible with the help of a reliable team of technical lighting engineers.

 Note that some people may think that event lighting only matters on finished productions such as digital photos and videos. However, sometimes weddings get emotional or really bright and people’s emotions connect with what surrounds them and lighting surely brings out the desired mood and help touch people’s emotions. It makes a huge difference on the overall ambiance of your wedding. 

Lighting as a great story teller

Same-day-edits for wedding videos are common today. Your photographers and videographers would absolutely prefer on point lighting to capture the best moments. Lighting is a very crucial detail in taking good photos and videos. When you want your shot to speak and story-tell, lighting plays a subtle yet powerful role. Poor lighting can easily distract your audience by missing some important points and angles throughout your shots.

We take pride in the events we have produced over the years, not just on weddings  but on any type of event such as company conferences, music festivals, live streaming events and many more. Being in the business for more than 10 years now, The Sound & Light Hire Company is a trusted event equipment supplier with an in-house inventory of not just sound and lighting but acquires the latest white LED dance floor, AV projectors and even special effects equipment. Here are the detailed services we offer that will definitely add life to your next event https://www.truesoundhire.co.uk/event-production-services/

Technicalities with Lighting

Different terms have been going around within the lighting industry which you may or may not have heard of. Terms for LED lights such as beam lights and wash lights are common in wedding lighting production. Both types have different stroke emissions which give off a whole different vibe separately. A beam light will be more like a straight column of light that might appear sharper, while a wash will have more spread and is more subtle. Even these tiniest details have major impact in setting the tone of the outcome. There may be no rule as to which is best to use because it all depends on the setting you wish to achieve. Another technical aspect worth considering is water proof lighting. This is really important for outdoor settings. Don’t hire a company that can’t provide you with waterproof lighting. Sudden weather changes cannot be avoided that is why it is best to be prepared rather than scrambling down to gather the equipment to avoid possible disaster during your event. 

Lastly, you may also consider your hired event production company’s RGB LED. LEDs use red, blue and green in order to mix to millions of different colors. RGB LEDs work fine to mix too many colors, but do not have a lot of control over hue. Today, RGBW works better compared to RGB LEDs. With the addition of white LEDs, it gives far more color control, and makes achieving brilliant pastels a viable option. The white LEDs also help to bridge the spectrum gap between colors, making a far larger variety of colors possible. 

Furthermore, if you wish to make your wedding a little extra than usual, The Sound & Light Hire Company also offers not just LED uplighting but laser lights as well. And to top it all off, we also stock top of the line DJ equipment for DJ’s from Pioneer CDJ’s, Allen & Heath Mixers to Mackie monitors that will definitely make your wedding more memorable.

Choosing the best lighting production company

A list of considerable facts should be put into mind in choosing the best lighting production company for your wedding. Choose a company that is flexible and can meet any client’s request. Make sure they offer a variety of high-operating equipment and up-to-date technology. Convenience should be considered as well. You would want to hire those who can pick up, deliver and set up for you in no time. Ensure that they offer a reasonable and satisfactory rate. With the above given technicalities, be mindful of the specifics included and be ready to choose the production team that would willingly adjust to your taste!

You can find all these top-tier lighting production qualities from London and Surrey’s most trusted sound and lighting hire company. Here, we provide complete lighting and sound packages best for weddings and any other occasion. All you need to do is put your worries aside because we got you covered! Call us today and let’s make your dream wedding come to life.

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The Sound & Light Hire Company Become Audio Visual Supplier for Guildford Borough Council Moving into 2021 for Local Events & Outdoor Cinemas in Surrey

The Sound & Light Hire Company Logo

The Sound & Light Hire Company Logo

Moving into 2021 for Local Events & Outdoor Cinemas in Surrey….

Well, we’ve certainly started the new year with a bang! First, we told you about the slightly unexpected but very welcome boom in demand for our outdoor stages this summer, and now we’ve won a council contract for several events planned for the spring and summer of 2021! 

Of course, we have worked with Guildford Borough Council before on numerous occasions over the years, and we have a great relationship with all of the fantastic team over there. Still, it’s really nice to win another contract when the world is more than a little topsy-turvy at the moment!

So without wasting any more of your time, let’s tell you all about it! 

The Sound & Light Hire Company Win a Contract to Supply Audio Visual and Event Production Services for 2021 Outdoor Events 

As mentioned, we’ve worked with Guildford Borough Council on numerous events over the last decade. However, this contract represents a change of tack, with many events that traditionally take place indoors now moving outdoors for fairly obvious reasons! What that means is that, for the first time ever, we will be supplying outdoor cinema hire services to this Surrey council.

So what are the events in question we hear you ask? Well, they are a range of family fun days (eight in total) that will have all kinds of attractions put on for kids and big kids (sorry, adults) to enjoy alike. The main attraction will be the enormous outdoor cinema, which will screen a family-friendly movie to bring the proceedings to a close.

Of course, as any of you that will have attended an outdoor cinema screening (which might be quite a lot of you since they’ve made quite the comeback in the 2020s) will know, we’ll be supplying far more than just the LED screen hire. We’ll also provide the Guildford Borough Council team with outdoor stage hire and a full range of audio visual (AV) services. 

So let’s take a look at those services in a little more detail.  

Outdoor Stage Hire for Surrey Council 

Of course, an outdoor cinema needs staging. There are a few ways you can use truss and staging structures to support an outdoor LED screen installation. You can choose to “fly” (suspend) an LED screen from a purpose-built truss structure. Or, instead, you can have the LED screen ground supported by the staging equipment.

In this instance, we will be supporting the LED screens from “the ground up,” as it were. The reason is that it gives the council event planners the option to have a versatile stage area for the day in addition to the outdoor cinema. So they, should they wish, could use the stage for live performances from children’s entertainers, or even a live band, should they want to. 

As is the case with all events at the moment, these fun days are all pending, so the finer details are yet to be worked out. Still, we’re at least 90% sure that we’ll provide this kind of set up from the point of view of versatility as much as anything else. 

So with the staging covered, let’s take a closer look at the LED video panels themselves. 

Surrey Outdoor Cinema Screen Hire for Local Authority Events  

Of course, an outdoor cinema experience wouldn’t amount to much with the screen! So let’s talk about the specifications of the LED screens we’ll be supplying in a little more detail. 

Perhaps the first thing to note about our screens is that they are 3.9mm pixel pitch, which is about as sharp as it gets in this industry. What that means in the real world is that those in attendance can be as little as a few metres away and still enjoy crystal-clear, stunning HD footage without seeing those tiny black spaces in between the LED nodes.

These screens also score very highly in terms of nits (a measure of brightness), so even if these events are blessed with copious amounts of sunshine, our LED video panels won’t struggle. They have a brightness output of over 4,000 nits, more than enough to deal with even the most dazzling of sunny days. 

Given that these screening will take place in the evening, the sun shouldn’t really be a factor, but it’s always good to let you know just how impressive our equipment is anyway 😉 These video panels are also IP 65-rated, meaning they’ll withstand the rain should the weather do it’s best to put a dampener on proceedings.   

Finally, in terms of the size of the screen we build, we’ve still yet to receive confirmation from the council, but we imagine it will be 5m x 3m as this size is one of the best configurations for 16:9 aspect ratio (HD) video content.

Staging and LED screen aside, there’s still plenty of our event equipment hire services that we’ll be supplying to these fun days, so let’s take a look at them. 

Event Lighting Hire for Local Surrey Borough Council  

Of course, any stage production needs accompanying event lighting equipment to bring it to life. In this case, we will be providing a relatively all-encompassing set of lighting fixtures to draw in attention to the stage and keep it focused there. 

We will have all of the usual suspects such as spotlights and moving head stage washes, but we will also install a few showstoppers to really create an immersive experience for audience members. We’ve already got a few OPSL laser systems lined up, along with a fog machine, but we’ll keep the rest close to our chest so as not to ruin the surprises in store!

More broadly speaking, we have also been tasked with providing atmospheric lighting for in and around the outdoor cinema area. For these purposes, we are going to be using our wireless LED uplighters. 

Since they are battery powered, there’s no need to worry about those attending the event tripping over cables. Better yet, the performance figures on these lights are just staggering. Thanks to their energy-efficient LEDs, these lights can run for around 20 hours off a full charge. Yes, that’s right, 20 hours! We could come back in the morning to pack everything away, and they would still be going! 

But enough about lighting, let’s tell you all about the sound options we’ve got in store for these events. 

Sound Equipment Hire Services For Surrey Council Funday Events 

Unless you’re in the business of showing screening silent films, then you’re going to need a sound system fit for totally immersing the audience in what they are watching. Whether it’s the Avengers or a Pixar movie, soundtracks carry the film every bit as much as the visuals do, which is why we are going to be supplying the best outdoor PA speaker system in the business. 

For those of you unfamiliar, there is one stand-out brand when it comes to outdoor (and indoor for that matter) PA speaker systems, and that’s d&b audiotechnik. This German company has been streets ahead in terms of audio quality and sheer power for quite some time now, which is obviously why we stock so much of their kit! 

We’re not 100% sure on the exact arrangement the council will opt for, but we know it’ll be d&b, as there’s no other solution that comes close. In terms of the equipment, we’ll be supplying line array speakers and accompanying subs. Depending on how the stage will be used for the rest of the day, we may provide additional sound equipment such as stage monitors and amps.

Surrey Audio Visual (AV) and Event Production Services Handled By The Sound & Light Hire Company Team

Of course, we couldn’t go without mentioning that none of these services can be provided without the help of our excellent team. Upon the award of the contract, the Guildford Borough Council noted the previous performance of our on-site staff members being a factor in securing the work. 

In case you’re wondering, we don’t just supply all of the equipment from our in-hour inventory. We have a team made up of some of the most experienced and highly-skilled technicians and engineers in the business. From the moment our stage crews arrive, to the final minutes of loading up the last van full of equipment to head back to the warehouse, our team members are friendly, polite, and the ultimate professionals. We couldn’t be any prouder of them!

In terms of these events specifically, our team will be taking care of stage and truss structure construction, the rigging of the lighting fixtures, the assembly and set up of the screen, and the installation and positioning all of the associated sound equipment. We’ll then keep a few engineers and technicians around for the duration to ensure that everything runs as planned. 

It’s another reason why The Sound & Light Hire is such a good fit for these types of events. Because we have the experienced team on hand, we can provide a turnkey solution whereby we handle all of the AV and associated technical aspects for you. All you (or in this case, the council) have to do is specify their requirements, and we’ll handle the rest. Yes; it really can be that simple! 

Choose the Sound & Light Hire Company for Your Outdoor Events This Summer 

If you’ve been smart and reading between the lines, you’ll have noticed that’s potentially eight dates whereby a decent chunk of our premium equipment is already reserved to go out on hire. While we are a large scale operation that serves multiple events every day, there is a limit to how much we equipment we can hire out (although we do have some pretty big warehouses!).

That’s why you need to act fast if you want to book in some equipment hire with us. Even if you only want to reserve a PA speaker hire package for a weekend in June to use with your phone or laptop, we’re anticipating one of the busiest summers on record. 

Most (if not all) of us are ready to celebrate the end of COVID-19’s grip on our lives, and so even the smaller equipment hire packages are going to even more popular this year. That’s without mentioning the sheer amount of cancelled, postponed, and brand new events lined up right across Surrey for this summer! 

Even if you just THINK you might need something from us or just want some friendly advice about putting together an outdoor event such as a garden party, give us a call on 0800 8611136 today. 

We are open seven days a week, and we can’t wait to hear about what you’ve got planned!

https://www.google.com/maps?cid=177697462353676083

10 Hillspur Close, Guildford GU2 8HF, United Kingdom

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The Sound & Light Hire Company reflects over the past 12 years of serving as a production company in Surrey, Hampshire & London areas.

The Sound & Light Hire Company Logo

The Sound & Light Hire Company Logo

Well where do we being! I suppose from the start is a good place….

The last 12 years have gone past so quickly, and we have grown as a company in so many ways since we first started. Things have changed hugely within the events industry, the most significant change being the current pandemic situation we are all experiencing.

It all began back in 2008 when we decided to make a go of offering some sound services to club promoters and event organisers within the Berkshire and Hampshire areas. Reading was a popular town for us as we knew several up and comping promoters who were keen to start their career in the same industry. As young people we grew up around music and have a great passion for it and the acoustic spectrum, so we were keen to delve into this as a career.

The first few events we offered our services free of charge to just get our name out there as a starting point for the business venture. The events we were involved with back then were late night raves so the hours we worked were extremely long for not much profit! It didn’t matter too much though as we were so keen to make it work we kept pushing through. We used too supply an Opus sound system (Opus CS750 & CS1200 with SB218 & HB415 & even the Opus Audio SB221) which was extremely heavy to load in /out of the van and get into venues. At the time this sound system was just what the promoters had asked for, a lot of bottom end and a lot of noise came out!

Once we had conquered Reading’s busy nightlife, we found we were getting a lot of requests for London areas as well, so we were slowly branching out. The hours were the same, long and tiresome at unsociable times of the evening/morning dealing with a lot of inebriated individuals!

Whilst we maintained supplying club/ bar and pub venues, we also wanted to expand being able to offer some form of lighting as well. It took a while to save up enough funding to then stock some basic disco lighting to accompany the sound, but we got there eventually, and it worked well for what it was intended for.

In order for us to try and break into the wedding and private party sector we decided,

It would be a good idea to offer a DJ mobile disco service for Hampshire, Surrey and London areas. After a couple of gigs, we utilized our small car to transport the equipment, obviously the current bulky Opus system did not. This meant we had to re-invest in a different PA system.

In fact, the very first mobile disco gig we got we had to use a van to transport the top speakers and subs to a pub in Surrey. Arriving there we were greeted with a steep staircase into the venue which held about 100 people! The PA system we had brought would have done a mini festival; it was quite funny looking back.

Needless to say, the client was absolutely gobsmacked and over the moon by the undercharged PA system we rocked up with. Luckily it just managed to fit, and I say luckily as it took 3 of us to get it up the stairs! We didn’t have that long to set it up either but the guys were pros at this by now after the club events so that wasn’t too much of an issue.

I believe we supplied them with some sound to light activated disco lighting effects on a lighting t bar stand. A more appropriate set up for the room it was being held in.

Going back to our choice of PA for this type of service, we knew then we had to invest in a more suitable system for smaller parties so we had a pair of Mackie SRM speakers on stands which seemed a more sensible option for mobile discos. Back then there was no downloadable music to your phone / laptop we had to supply a mixing console and download music in advance of each party onto a CD using different software applications around at the time which took absolutely ages! We would spend hours and hours just waiting for songs to download onto CDs.

We used to advertise our services in the local paper and Yellow Pages, social media was extremely new at that point, it sounds very old fashioned now, but this is how businesses put themselves out there back then. I think we only just managed to land a considerably basic mobile disco website on the internet.

The majority of enquiries we used to get through were for weddings, and with this the requirements were becoming slightly more variable than just a couple of disco lights and couple of speakers.

We then invested in some more speakers and subs for additional bass sound,

As well as a professional wired microphone to attach to our compact CD mix unit for speeches and announcements. As mentioned before we couldn’t use a laptop with downloaded music already on there, so we would transport cases of CDs all labelled with a variety of genres of music to adhere to all ages of party goers for each event.

We decided to try and get our own speakers made for the larger events as we weren’t completely satisfied with the current speaker’s sound they produced. The project took a few months but eventually when they were ready, we took them on a few club events which turned out to be highly successful! We still had our large PA system for the club events but the demand for the mobile DJ service was becoming more and more so we really needed some more smaller speakers with subs to suit that type of function. EV ZLX active speakers were suggested to us, and we were impressed with the sound quality as well as them being robust units we decided to invest in these.

Suddenly our inventory was growing and we could now cater for club events for 400-500 people as well as run mobile disco parties for 70-200 people. I should mention at this point that all the equipment was stored inside our house which was fun and games when mixing this with everyday family life.

Once we had done a few mobile disco events word got around that we were a company to rely on so more and more enquiries came in for private functions, birthdays, Christening celebrations and corporate functions. We had never not turned up for an event and the equipment we used to supply for the parties was of a very reasonable quality which made a huge impact to how the night would go, the sound and lighting had to be adequate enough to create a real party atmosphere, which I believe it did.

Now we had smaller PA systems, lighting and the larger PA, we wanted some other type of product to offer people, so we started to supply smoke machines and lasers as extras. These became really popular especially for younger people- birthday parties or Halloween events.

The club / bar events we supplied PA for also requested lasers and laser shows became a popular option for certain promoters we worked with. We thought about just becoming a laser hire company but decided against that as our passion was more for the sound then special effects.

New Years Eve parties were a big thing, we would have large PA systems out for club hires and smaller sound & lighting packages out for mobile discos but this would be our limit for supplying any services as we didn’t have a huge hire stock inventory just enough to cover 2 different scaled events at the same time.

The time had come to change up the PA again as more time passed,

We became friendly with different people within the industry who demonstrated other brands of speakers to us such as OHM and RCF. We have stocked both brands and during that time we had to make a very big decision on whether we continue to store equipment at our home premises or try and rent a unit nearby. Not only did we have to make this decision we also were becoming inundated with enquires for disco services, so we then had another conversation about the direction we saw the business going. With this in mind we decided to take the plunge and rent a warehouse unit and with that start offering a hire service where not only can we deliver and setup the equipment but people were able to hire the equipment from us to take away.

It started small we only had a few sets of speakers and lighting effects. In time the club/ bar events we used to supply equipment for had subsided and the hire enquiries had become more and more.

We started to slow down offering mobile disco services and concentrate on the hire/ rental side of the business.

It was a good thing we did as our stock grew to multiple sets of speakers, subs, sound to light disco lighting effects, smoke machines, moving head lighting effects, wireless battery powered up lighters and LED tourcans. All these items were and still are easy to set up once taken home, so the essential party pack was something people loved and love to hire from us.

Being set up in Guildford we were in a prime location between Surrey, Hampshire and London,

And people were happy to travel to us. For those slightly further away or limited to transporting the equipment back for their party, we offered a delivery service at a very reasonable rate, just charging fuel at cost. A couple of unit changes over the years, we are still located in Guildford and happy to still offer the same hire service for dry hire or delivery.

To appeal to other types of events and those after a supplier who will deliver and setup for birthday, corporate and wedding functions we went on to stock white LED dance floors, backdrops, LED furniture, AV equipment and more. This broadening out allowed us to cover all party & events.

Finally, we moved over to the popular and versatile brand of d&b Audiotechnik sound which until this day remains our favourite, reliable PA system. We use this for all our outdoor events, as well as indoor events for events/ parties where a very slick coherent sound is required.

The next thing on the ever-growing list was staging…

It became apparent that a lot of people enquiring for outdoor productions required some sort of staging as well as sound and lighting. We wanted to be the company people could rely on as supplying everything in house without adding on hidden charges for hiring in equipment from 3rd parties. So that is what we did, started to supply outdoor covered stages.

We were thrilled with our 10m x 8m covered outdoor stage so shortly after this we invested in a 6m x 4m covered stage. The smaller stage is incredibly popular for all types of events such as Christmas light switch ons, school fetes/ productions, small festivals and weddings.

Lastly and the most recent addition to our hire stock just before the horrendous pandemic hit our industry, we are able to supply outdoor and indoor LED video screens. The cinema experience is currently one of the more popular choices for event organisers at this moment in time so we are very lucky to be stockists of LED video screen offering this to customers looking to put on a socially distanced functions.

Now we are a production company, going from small supplier of PA hire for clubs, mobile DJ services, dry hire party equipment rental to a production hire company. All this being run as a small family business after all these years. We are proud to still be running and are trying to press on forward through this difficult time for the events industry but are confident summer of 2021 will be one to remember. Here is to another 12 years!

Contact The Sound & Light Hire Company on the details below:

https://www.truesoundhire.co.uk/

https://www.google.com/maps?cid=177697462353676083

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The Sound & Light Hire Company Gear Up for “COVID” Halloween

The Sound & Light Hire Company Logo

The Sound & Light Hire Company Logo

Like many events this year, Halloween is going to be very different. Traditional trick-or-treating might be off the menu, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a ghoulish celebration to add a bit of cheer to – let’s face it – one of the most miserable years in recent memory.

No matter how you decide to set up your party, since it’ll be so different from previous versions, it’s fair to say that it’ll live long in the memory. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what you’ll need to host a Halloween party this year with the twist of COVID-19 thrown in there.

How to Construct Your Halloween Party?

Given current restrictions, it goes without saying that the party might be a bit different this year, but that doesn’t mean it has to be any less fun. There are absolutely LOADS of ways you can have a great party without having large crowds gathering at your home. If you’re wondering how, we’re glad you asked, as we’ve got more than a few ideas for you.

Firstly, it’s more than likely that you’re going to need the help of video conferencing software so you can call up your friends. Most of us have gotten pretty used to Zoom or Microsoft Teams these days, whether it’s for a weekly quiz night or work purposes. So it makes sense to incorporate it into your party.

You could do awards for best-dressed and pump up the music for your virtual attendees to bop along to. If you really want to get into the spirit, you could take it in turns to tell virtual ghost stories to each other!

If you’re taking your party out into the back garden, you could decorate your lawn or garden area with tombstones and other spooky props for your little ones to navigate and collect prizes and treats along the way. Creating this setup would be an excellent alternative way to celebrate Halloween as a family if you happen to live in a location that is currently severely affected by the virus, and face-to-face events are not a possibility.

If you’re more chilled as a family about Halloween this year, why not get stuck into a Halloween movie marathon? It’s not like there aren’t many spooky films to choose from. Of course, there are the synonymous Halloween movies to make your way through (there are soon to be 13 to choose from!), or you could go for something a little more child-friendly with Goosebumps or the dozens of Simpsons Halloween specials.

Whichever idea you choose; you’re probably going to need to hire some equipment to help these celebrations go as smoothly as possible. Fortunately, here at the Sound & Light Hire Company, we’ve got you more than covered!

Halloween Party Equipment Hire Hampshire 

We have an enormous range of sound and lighting hire services that will help you turn your home and garden into a dark and chilling location for the night. Let’s start with speaker hire.

Speaker Hire Berkshire

We have a wide range of hire packages that will suit your home. If you’re planning on hosting a part or fully-virtual Halloween, why not soundtrack it with the best tunes for everyone to sing along at their respective homes? We have several PA speaker hire packages that will give you ample power for your guests. All you have to do is plug in your phone, and away you go!

Alternatively, if you want to take the music outside into your garden to soundtrack your spooky activities, you may be better suited to hiring one of our battery-powered speakers. Even though they run on batteries, they’ll outlast your party, with up to eight hours of playback on 75% volume.

Hire Special FX Equipment London

Speaking of which, whether you are going to town on decorating your home or you do indeed set up a Halloween-themed obstacle course in the garden for your kids, then it makes sense to hire special effects equipment to really make the experience as immersive as possible for them.

What better way to make your garden and fake tombstones (if you’ve got them) as spooky as possible than by hiring a smoke machine to recreate the effect of the fog rolling in on an eerie graveyard? You’re not going to do much better for realism than that!

Similarly, you could invest in a whole host of related equipment to create whichever ghostly effects will suit your specific activities. As part of our lighting hire packages, you can select a UV light to make everything bright and white glow in the dark. Perfect for those ever-popular skeleton outfits!

Again for outside or inside, you might want to hire a bubble machine. They are always a popular choice for children’s’ birthday parties, and they are just as well-suited to becoming part of your haunted house. If you really want to impress your guests (and their children), we can supply the machine with UV bubble fluid. When you combine the bubbles with the UV light hire package mentioned above, you can enjoy massive glow-in-the-dark bubbles. Trust us when we say that they look VERY cool!

Halloween Lighting Hire Surrey

There’s another lighting fixture we’ve not mentioned yet that is also perfect for Halloween – lasers! By hiring a laser machine, you can light up your back garden or indeed your dark and spooky house with the piercing lights of the laser. They are brilliant if you’re hosting a Halloween inspired disco (think Thriller!), or, combined with the smoke machine, they can totally transform your outdoor space into a Halloween inspired adventure playground. The choice is yours!

Another excellent choice for lighting up your terrifying back garden, are wireless LED uplighters. These battery-powered lights don’t need to be plugged in, saving you any worries about getting power to them, and removing the chance of young ones (or more likely the “older” ones!) of your party tripping over cables running between each light.

You could have them in various shades of Halloween orange and use them to denote a walkway through a spooky tour of your “haunted” garden, or use them as a beacon of safety/rendezvous point if kids get lost in the smoke and lasers!

Hire a Projector and Screen for Your Surrey, London, or Hampshire Halloween Party

Halloween isn’t the same as any old night; it’s a unique occasion that only comes round once a year, which means it’s only right that you mark it appropriately. While you could just watch a few spooky movies on your TV, why not make it extra memorable by hiring a projector and screen package?

You can all get dressed up, partake in a number of the activities suggested above (as well as some more traditional ones such as apple bobbing) before settling down to watch a creepy, scary film? With a projector and screen, you can recreate the feeling of going to the cinema from the comfort of your own home. You could even make it a four-dimensional experience by combining the film with special effects such as fog or bubbles.

Alternatively, you could take the whole experience outside (if you wrap up warm first!). This would work particularly well if you’ve already planned plenty of outdoor activities. You could also hook up the speakers to the laptop you’re playing the film on to provide the full outdoor cinema effect. We can even offer a pop-up tent to shelter under, should you need it.

How The Sound & Light Company Are Gearing Up for a Safe Halloween

Of course, it would be remiss of us not to address the elephant in the room, COVID-19. As some of you will already be aware, we’ve introduced sweeping changes to our hiring, delivery, and collection protocols to ensure that none of our devices can accidentally become a vector of the disease.

All of our staff members use hand sanitiser several times during a shift. If you order our delivery and set up service, our team will arrive complete with the recommended PPE for both your safety and our own. Then there’s the equipment too. We thoroughly disinfect everything that comes back into the warehouse, and we do so again before it goes back out on hire.

We are acutely aware that while we could all do with blowing off some steam at this moment in time, safety always has to come first. After a great deal of hard work, and after careful liaison with industry bodies and local government associations, we’ve pioneered a set of working protocols that maintain COVID-secure standards for events. As those guidelines are fluid, we will regularly update our methodologies and retrain employees where appropriate.

Choose The Sound & Light Hire Company for This Year’s Halloween Celebrations

This year has unprecedented in so many ways, but just because the virus has robbed so much from us this year, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun. This is especially the case for your children, many of whom could do with something to look forward to at this moment in time.

So why should you choose us?

Well, we have one of the biggest inventories of sound and lighting equipment for hire in the country, never mind Surrey or London. What that means for you is that we can cope with the demands place on us for a one-night celebration taking place up and down the country. We have thousands of devices in our warehouse, stocked up and ready to go.

We’re flexible too, we can offer you both a dry-hire option, or we can come to your house to deliver the equipment and set it up for you. Regardless of the which option you choose, our friendly team will also be on hand to provide you with any on-the-spot training you might require.

Finally, we offer everything you could possibly need when it comes to sound, lighting, special effects, and any other Halloween party equipment. There’s no need for you to approach several different event equipment hire companies to organise just one party. You can just pick up the phone to us, and we’ll sort everything you need in return for one easy-to-understand and straightforward price.

If you need us to, we can even help you in the planning and design of your little get-together. Having been in the industry for over two decades, it’s fair to say we’ve got a pretty good idea of what makes a good party!

So what are you waiting for? Call us on 0800 8611136 or send us an email to tell us all about your plans, we can’t wait to help you turn them into a reality!

Contact The Sound & Light Hire Company on the details below:

https://www.truesoundhire.co.uk/

https://www.google.com/maps?cid=177697462353676083

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The Sound & Light Hire Company Supplying Sound, Lighting & Stage for Birthday Party in Surrey

The Sound & Light Hire Company Logo

The Sound & Light Hire Company Logo

Things have been so busy here and the Sound & Light Hire Company that we haven’t had time to tell you about a celebration we supplied equipment and event services to back in March. We were tasked to provide the sound, lighting, and stage for a joint 30th and 60th birthday celebration of a mother and daughter.

So without further ado, let’s tell you all about it!

Surrey Event Company Designs and Delivers Ultimate Birthday Party 

As mentioned above, we were contacted by a private client concerning a joint birthday celebration at Surrey venue whereby we are the preferred supplier for all manner of event production services, namely sound, lighting, and stage hire. After being passed on their details by the venue, we immediately got in touch with the individual client to set up an initial chat and a site visit.

We arrived on-site and got to work straight away on securing the exclusive use of one of the “wings” of this prestigious venue, which our generous venue partner kindly offered without any quibbles. By doing so, we gained the freedom of the entire space so that we could work on setting up (and disassembling) equipment unencumbered by the presence of other guests. In case you were wondering what we mean, the venue in question offers hotel accommodation as part of their multifaceted operations.

The premise for this birthday celebration was simple but elegant. Much like the singer Sam Sparro, this party was going to be dominated by a “Black and Gold” theme. One we’d worked out the finer details of the brief with the client, it was time to go away on work on creating a completely bespoke proposal for the client.

Our in-house design team got to work straight away and provided the client with a 3D render of the venue to visualise how our technical equipment and design choices would look when in place. She was thrilled with what she saw and gave us the go-ahead to get to work organising the logistical and technical aspects of pulling it off.

Surrey Stage Hire For Joint Birthday Party

Once the morning of the party rolled around, it was time for the hard work to start! We started by setting up the drapes which were to be hung up around the perimeter of the grand hall. We used lightweight black and gold clothes, unsurprisingly, to match the theme given to us by the client. We then completed the overall look of the venue by placing LED-lit furniture, such as cubes and poseur tables strategically across the grand dining hall, ready to be turned on and set to gold colour once the guests began to arrive.

While the brief included all aspects of event production, our primary emphasis was on the sound, lighting, and indeed the stage elements of this party. Our primary focus after making those nice preparatory touches to the venue was to get to work constructing the stage.

In terms of the stage we provided, the client opted for our suggestion of a 6m x 4m stage hire package, which had been tweaked to include 1m legs to elevate the booked live band well above the ground. Our bandstand-style stage comes complete with handrails, steps, and the legs mentioned above. Our stage crew had certainly eaten their Weetabix on this particular morning as they managed to erect the stage in under an hour, even though there were added customisations required to accommodate the additional height of the stage.

Once the stage was nearing completion, the focus then turned to erecting the truss structures upon which the lighting fixtures would be rigged.

Event Company in Surrey Provides Lighting Hire for Birthday Party 

As touched on, the next stage was setting up all of the lighting equipment for the evening’s entertainment. Once we have erected a stage-based truss, we started adding the lights. What we supplied was an iteration of our live band lighting hire package, with a few extras. We started with eight Showtec M800 Tour PAR cans to wash the stage in a range of colours, but then we also added a couple of moving head fixtures, and Equinox Revolution disco lights, a couple of lasers, and a smoke machine to help bring the best out of the lighting equipment.

As mentioned, the live band were going to be followed by a DJ, so we needed to have lighting equipment capable of showing off both set of entertainers. There are nuanced differences between the two, with DJs having a strong preference for lasers over more traditional stage lighting options. Since we had all angles covered, there were certainly no complaints from either entertainment act!

Dotted around the rest of the venue, we supplied wireless LED uplighters to set the mood and ambience for the evening. In case you hadn’t already guessed, the colour for these uplighters was a suave shade of gold, very much in keeping with the theme! We ran these from the outdoor entrance of the wing of the venue sectioned off for us, right through the foyer, and into the grand hall where the main festivities were taking place.

Finally, we set up a variety of pin spots around the room to beam sharp beams of gold light against the back drapes and black table dressings.

While the lighting technicians were busy setting up all of these fixtures, our sound engineers were working just as hard setting up all of the sound requirements for the live band and DJ.

Sound & Light Hire Company Provide Sound Equipment Hire for Surrey Party

While the stage and lights were crucial, there wouldn’t have been much of an event without us providing top-of-the-range sound equipment for hire. Concerning the sound requirements, they actually started outside of the main hall.

As highlighted above, there was an entrance foyer where the birthday guests arrived, checked in their coats and accessories, and grabbed a glass of bubbly before making their way into the grand hall. The client requested that we had some form of sound equipment in there along with the uplighters to get guests in the party spirit! “No problem!” we replied.

We set up a couple of EV ZLX 12P active PA speakers that played a phone-based playlist chosen by the event host. The client said the small but very powerful speakers helped to get guests in the foyer in the right mood for the evening and helped to invoke the spirit of the planned festivities. The desired effect was achieved with the help of the golden glow coming from the ensemble uplighter lighting arrangement.

Next, as you might not be surprised to learn, our focus was very much turned to the stage. Again, we had to cater for two distinct types of act, a live band and a DJ, which required a hybrid approach to the sound.

Initially, our attention was paid to the requirements of the live band. We set up a range of state-of-the-art kit, including an arrangement of d&b Audiotechnik Q1 Midtop speakers, Qsub bass speakers, and D12 power amps. This premium sound arrangement ensured that the band had crystal clear vocals and booming, immersive bass for the audience to enjoy.

We also supplied the following supporting sound gear:

  • Speaker stands
  • Mackie Pro FX12 Live Band Mixing Desk
  • Shure SM58 Microphones
  • Shure Drum Kit Mic
  • K&M Microphone Stands
  • Proel D2 DI boxes
  • All the power & signal cables
  • 3.5mm aux cable for laptop/phone playback while the band took a break

Waiting in the wings, we also had our team on standby on the evening itself to reconfigure the existing sound setup to better accommodate the DJ and integrate his personal equipment. Amazingly, he hadn’t yet worked with d&d audiotechnik speakers on any of his gigs. Let’s just say he’s now very much a convert and understands why we place so much faith in this industry-leading brand!

On-Site Event Services Support

The time for the evening’s proceedings came, our on-site team took over to ensure everything ran smoothly on the night. We had one of the team on the lighting desk to choreograph some dazzling lighting displays both for when guests arrived, during the live band performances, and he handled the DJ set too.

On the sound side, we once again had one of our experienced engineers on the mixing desk, overseeing the initial soundcheck, and then subsequently handling all of the mixing during the live band’s performance itself.

Both employees were also on hand to answer any questions, and our sound guy helped fix an issue with speakers the initial foyer reception when they stopped playing. As it turned out, it was nothing to do with the speakers. Rather, someone had pulled the cable loose from the phone that was connected to the speakers, stopping the playback. It was merely a two-second fix, but that’s what our team are there for!

Excellent Feedback for Sound & Lighting Plus Staging Hire in Surrey

While we are a business that operates to make a profit, there’s nothing better than receiving excellent feedback from a client. In this instance, it’s fair to say our client was pretty gushing in her compliments. Given that we received this text on the same night as the party, it’s fair to assume a few wines had been consumed!

Either way, our client sent us a text after arriving back from the party. She said:

“Can you pass on my thanks to everyone at the Sound & Light Hire Company who made this birthday one that I’ll cherish for the rest of my days. From the moment I walked into the venue, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The drapes worked exactly as envisioned. The lighting was just as dramatic as promised, and, well, what can I say about the entertainment show you produced for us? Superb!”

We actually met the client (who was one of those celebrating a birthday) the following morning, as we finished up the deconstruction process. While she won’t mind us saying she was a little worse for wear (we have her permission, promise!), she was no less grateful for the hard work we had put in to make it a success. To be fair, some of us were pretty tired too (it was a late finish), but her praise really put the icing on the cake.

Use the Sound & Light Hire Company to Plan, Design, and Oversee Your Event Production

Here at the Sound & Light Hire Company, we are a Surrey event company that can easily take care of all technical production aspects for your event. Whether it’s a birthday party or a wedding, we can provide the sound, lighting, stage, and all kinds of other event production elements such as furniture and LED video screens.

If you want to enjoy the ease of working with just one Surrey-based company for all of your event production needs, then don’t hesitate to contact us on 0800 8611136. We can walk you through the entire process and offer a range of options suitable for your specific occasion. Crucially, we can also provide the on-site support you may require to ensure everything goes off without a hitch.

Even if you need advice, just give us a call. We’ll here ready and waiting to help your event become a rip-roaring success!

Come and get in touch about your next event, we look forward to hearing from you soon.

Contact The Sound & Light Hire Company on the details below:

https://www.truesoundhire.co.uk/

https://www.google.com/maps?cid=177697462353676083

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Surrey & London’s Number One Rated Sound, Lighting and Stage Hire Company

Here at the Sounds & Light Hire Company, we have decades of experience when it comes to providing first-class sound and lighting hire across Surrey, London and Hampshire. Whether you need a stage hire in London or sound hire in Guildford, our reliable team are always on hand to provide you with exemplary customer service and support. Read more

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