How Much Does it Cost to Hire Sound and Lighting Equipment?

Whether you are hosting a corporate event or a milestone birthday party, the chances are that you will need to hire professional sound and lighting equipment to ensure your occasion looks and sounds exactly as you have envisioned. 

But, of course, hiring event equipment comes at a cost. Such costs will vary depending on many factors, such as the size and scale of your event. But before delving deeper into the aspects that will determine the final amount you pay, let's give you some ballpark figures. 

How Much Does Sound and Lighting Equipment Hire Cost? 

How much you pay for sound and lighting equipment hire will depend on various factors, such as venue size and event type. For small scale birthday celebrations requiring professional sound and lighting equipment hire, you can expect to pay £100-£300. For large-scale events such as weddings, you can expect to pay £1,000-£5,000 for your audio and visual event equipment hire services. 

If you are organising a large event with hundreds of attendees, you can often negotiate a lower per-item hire rate for your audio and visual equipment. However, as already highlighted, it's also important to note that the larger the event, the more expensive your hire costs will be. 

Other Factors That Go Into the Hire Cost of Your Sound and Lighting Equipment 

As mentioned, hire costs for these pieces of equipment are not so cut and dry. For instance, it will likely cost you extra to have professional sound and lighting equipment supplied and installed at a remote venue with complex access challenges. Music festivals often pay more for this type of equipment as it's challenging to supply them to rural field locations.

The quality of equipment you hire is also a factor. You will, of course, pay more for cutting-edge, state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment than you will for old, outdated equipment. Thus, ensure that when you receive a quote that is comfortably within your budget, the equipment is up to your required quality, age, and performance standards. 

Lastly, the type of event will also influence how much you pay for sound and lighting hire. Birthday celebrations may only require a few PA speakers and disco lights to have the desired outcome. By contrast, the success of a music concert will rest heavily on your sound and lighting equipment, meaning you'll fork out more to secure the highest-quality equipment in much larger numbers. 

Other Considerations for Sound and Lighting Equipment Hire 

Last, by no means least, there are different types of sound and lighting hire services available. It would be best if you educate yourself regarding the differences to ensure you don't end up receiving a service that falls short of your expectations. 

Dry hire refers to the practice of merely making the equipment available to you. These hire services often require you to pick up the gear yourself, transport it to the venue, and then install and operate the devices thereafter. 

However, all-inclusive sound and lighting hire providers to take care of all of the aspects mentioned above for you and can even offer personnel to oversee the operation of the equipment you've hired, ensuring you get the most out of it. 

If you witness significant price discrepancies between quotes for sound and lighting hire, one company is likely offering you technology on a dry-hire basis, whereas the other company may offer a "wet hire" all-inclusive hire package. 

Choose QOKO Events for Your Sussex Sound and Lighting Hire Requirements

At QOKO Events, not only do we boast the most extensive sound and lighting hire inventory (you can check out our sound equipment hire services here) in the whole of Sussex, but we also offer all-inclusive event production services. By partnering with us for your event, you'll receive a suite of high-quality sound and lighting equipment along with first-class installation and operation (if required) as part of our all-inclusive sound and lighting hire packages. 

We've already helped hundreds of organisations with their professional events, and our team is always on hand to advise you of the best choices to make with regards to maximising your available budget.

So, if you are in the process of planning a Sussex event, make sure to get in touch with us today to find out more about our event hire services.