Is all that equipment really necessary?
It’s a fair question, and one we’ve heard more than once. There are less expensive options out there, and for some shows, they’d probably do the job. We’ve just never been comfortable building a show around “probably.”
Live events only happen once. We want our crew walking into the room with equipment they know and trust, ready for the show as planned and whatever might change along the way.
What the Minimum Leaves Out
When the CEO walks on stage, the opening video rolls, or a few hundred people are waiting for the session to start, there isn’t much room to stop and figure things out.
So when we plan a show, we think about the version where everything goes to plan and the version where it doesn’t. The question is: what gives our crew the best chance of doing the job well either way?
A lot of that gets decided before anything leaves the shop, starting with the equipment itself. With a full audience and a tight schedule, an equipment issue in the middle of a live show affects everyone in the room. That’s why high-quality, dependable gear matters so much to us, and why we invest in equipment like our Christie M Series laser projectors and Yamaha QL-series digital mixing consoles. When the gear performs from start to finish, our crew has one less thing to worry about.
That’s part of how we approach live event production so our clients can stay focused on the event instead of the equipment.
Anyone Can Buy the Gear
The equipment we use is available to other production companies, rental houses, and venues. But owning good equipment doesn’t automatically make someone good at production.
The difference is in the people running it. Our technicians work with equipment they know well and use show after show. They understand how it performs, what to look for, and how to work through problems when something isn’t behaving the way it should. That kind of familiarity takes time to build.
It’s also part of how we think about what we add to our inventory. Cost matters, but so does having equipment our crew knows and trusts. Saving money on the purchase doesn’t mean much if it makes the work harder when we’re on-site.
You can see that experience at work across our productions, from corporate meetings to multi-day conferences.
Ownership Includes the Equipment
We talk a lot about ownership at Showorks, usually in terms of people: the project manager who follows through, or the technician who adjusts without missing a beat when the agenda changes that morning. The equipment we put in their hands is part of it too, because it shapes how much they have to work with when something doesn’t go to plan.
That matters even more when someone else’s reputation is on the line. Production agencies bring us in front of their own clients. In-house corporate event teams have their leadership in the room. Neither should spend show day questioning whether their production partner made the right decisions about equipment.
We’ve been running shows since 1988, and doing the work the right way has been part of how we’ve worked from the beginning. When the show goes well, our name is on it right alongside theirs.
What We Choose to Work With
Those decisions show up in the equipment we keep in the shop. On the audio side, we use Yamaha QL1, QL5, and CL5 consoles, Shure wireless, and d&b audiotechnik Y-Series point source and line array systems. For video, it’s Barco S3 switchers, Christie M Series laser projectors, Sony cameras, and Absen LED walls.
There are less expensive options in every one of those categories. We go with these because they perform the way we need them to, and our crew can get more out of them when a show calls for it. That makes a difference for our technicians running the show and for the people watching it.
What That Looks Like on Show Day
On some shows, a lot of the preparation never gets put to the test. The equipment works as expected, the event stays on schedule, and the extra capability we planned for isn’t needed.
But what if a presenter walks up with a laptop nobody planned for, or the opening video gets swapped an hour before doors? Those are the kinds of changes we want our crew ready for, with equipment they know and a plan for how to handle them.
We can’t predict everything that might happen on show day. We’d rather be prepared for more than we end up needing.
If that’s overkill, we’re fine with it.
If you’re planning a corporate meeting or conference for 2027 and want to talk through what your show actually needs, reach out to our team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is high-end AV equipment worth it for corporate events?
For live corporate events, usually yes. A meeting or conference only happens once, so dependable equipment matters more than saving a little up front. At Showorks, we invest in equipment like Christie laser projectors and Yamaha consoles that our technicians are trained on, and we plan redundancy into every show. That gives the crew options when something changes on show day.
What should you look for in an AV production company?
Look for a production company that takes responsibility for the whole show, from planning through on-site delivery. Ask how they prepare, how well their technicians know the equipment, and what happens when plans change. A good partner makes your job easier and doesn’t need to be managed.
Do AV production companies bring backup equipment?
Experienced live event production companies plan redundancy into their shows so one failure doesn’t stop the event. Showorks also preps gear before it leaves the shop, like packing monitors with their converters already attached, so setup is faster and there are fewer loose parts on site.
How do AV companies handle technical problems during a live event?
Most of the work happens before load-in. Equipment is maintained and checked, redundancy is planned, and technicians already know what they’re working with, so the crew can adjust quickly while the event keeps moving. At Showorks, our crews work with equipment we own and maintain.
Who provides AV production in Philadelphia?
Showorks is a live event production company based in Wilmington, Delaware, that has produced corporate meetings, conferences, and events in the Philadelphia area since 1988. We handle audio, video, lighting, and staging for production agencies and corporate event teams, and we also travel with clients to shows across the country.
