Why does get-in time affect the cost of a hybrid event?

Because a short access window has to be met by putting more crew on the job. A ballroom on the third floor with one service lift and a 7am window is a more expensive production than an identical ground-floor room available the night before, even though the show is the same.

Do venues charge for bringing in your own AV supplier?

Some do, and some require you to use their in-house supplier entirely. Ask whether their AV is exclusive before you book. It is a real cost line and it belongs in the venue comparison rather than appearing later.

Guide6 May 2026

Choosing a venue for a hybrid event: what to check before you book

Q: What should I ask a venue about internet for a hybrid event?

Not whether they have WiFi, because every venue does. Ask whether they can provide a dedicated wired connection for production use, what the guaranteed upload is, and whether there is a charge. A venue that can answer that clearly has done this before.

Venues are booked long before production is appointed, which means most hybrid events are shaped by decisions made before anyone asked a production question. Here is what to check while you still have a choice.

Daniel Wilkinson

Founder and Operations Director, dwmedia

Ask for a dedicated line, in writing

Not "do you have WiFi". Every venue has WiFi. Ask whether they can provide a dedicated wired connection for production use, what the guaranteed upload is, and whether there is a charge.

A venue that can answer that clearly is a venue that has done this before. A venue that says "we have superfast broadband" has not.

If the answer is no, that is workable. Bonded cellular and Starlink cover it. But you want to know now rather than in the get-in.

Get-in time and access

The two questions that move cost most: what time can we get in, and what is the route from the vehicle to the room.

A ballroom on the third floor with one service lift and a 7am access window is a more expensive production than an identical room at ground level available the night before. Not because the show is different, but because the crew count has to go up to rig in the time available.

Ask about lift dimensions if the room is not on the ground floor.

Power

How many independent circuits are available at the production position, and is there a distribution board or are you expecting extension leads from the wall.

Rigging and positions

Where can cameras go. Can anything be flown, or is everything floor-standing. Is there a position for a camera at the back of the room that is not in a walkway, and will the venue let you put it there.

Confirm the venue will allow a riser or platform at the rear. Some will not, which changes your camera plan entirely.

Ceiling height and sightlines

Screens need height. A room with a two and a half metre ceiling limits screen size, which limits how far back the audience can see, which caps room capacity in practice regardless of what the capacity chart says.

The thing venues rarely volunteer

Ask whether their in-house AV is exclusive. Some venues require you to use their supplier or charge a significant fee to bring in your own. That is a cost line, and it belongs in the venue comparison rather than appearing later.