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Many event organizers and planners are noticing that costs are rising. That includes price increases for AV equipment like projectors, sound systems, and lighting rigs. It’s a big concern since that equipment is essential to production. These rising equipment costs are impacting nearly every aspect of event planning and execution.
Why are AV costs for events rising? We’ll explain everything you should know here. Plus, we’ll give you tips to manage costs and tools you can use to help, such as some of the 25 best event management software tools for 2025.
Why Are AV Costs for Events Rising?
Some of the most common reasons why AV event expenses are rising include:
- Increased demand: One of the top industry trends for events is a bigger focus on providing immersive experiences for attendees. That includes using sophisticated AV setups to produce advanced lighting, integrate different types of technology, and set up features like LED walls.
- Supply chain issues: The effects of tariffs on imported goods have been felt on several types of AV equipment, such as projectors, microphones, sound systems, and lighting rigs used frequently at events. Disruptions in the global supply chain have compounded pricing issues across AV categories.
- Inflation: Costs for AV equipment had a sharp increase between 2020 and 2022 after the effects of the pandemic, and have continued to rise substantially into 2025. Federal Reserve Economic Data shows that AV equipment prices have increased by over 25% from January 2020 to July 2025.
- Labor shortages: There’s been a shortage of AV technicians in recent years. As a result, labor costs for qualified technicians are going up to secure enough production staff. On top of that, more manufacturers are having to pay their limited staff to work overtime to meet demands, increasing prices in the process.
What Are the Main Drivers Behind Increasing AV Expenses?
Along with the reasons listed above, some other drivers behind increasing AV costs are:
- Hybrid event complexities: An increasing number of organizations are hosting hybrid events to boost accessibility and reach for events. However, dual setups can add costs in some cases when you need to invest in extra technology to make hybrid events possible or improve experiences for different types of attendance.
- Higher expectations for event production: With so many possibilities for producing immersive and engaging events, attendees and sponsors are starting to expect those experiences. It can cost extra for some organizations to keep up and purchase the necessary technology upgrades.
- Vendor price increases: High demand, limited stock of some AV equipment, sourcing challenges, and inflation are causing vendors to increase their prices. It’s leading to vendor relationships being increasingly important to get the best deals possible when buying or renting AV systems for events.
- Venue compatibility and logistics: Since AV technology has advanced a lot in recent years, not every venue is equipped to handle production needs. That can lead to extra expenses during setup or having to pay more to reserve a venue that meets your needs. This is especially true for planners managing multiple events across different venues with varying tech capabilities.
How Can Associations or Nonprofits Manage or Reduce AV Costs?
Using the right cost reduction or management strategies will be important for associations and nonprofits with limited budgets hosting events. Some budget management tips that can help are:
- Start planning early: The earlier you begin planning for events, the better prepared you can be for the expected costs. That way, you have enough time to estimate costs, project attendance, and get an idea of potential sponsor contributions so you know if your plan is feasible or if adjustments are needed. Early planning is even more crucial when preparing for recurring annual events with consistent AV needs.
- Evaluate needs vs. wants: It can be easy to get caught up in everything possible with event production and feel like you want to incorporate each fun or interesting feature you come across. However, if you’re struggling with expenses, take a step back and think about what you really need to make your event successful.
- Leveraging relationships: As mentioned earlier, relationships with vendors are increasingly important since they may be able to assist with deals when you work with them regularly. The same is also true for relationships with potential sponsors or exhibitors who may be able to contribute funding for your events. Your av partner can also offer scalable solutions that align with your technical and financial constraints.
- Negotiating bundled pricing: Bundled pricing, where you purchase a full AV equipment package from a vendor, can help get you better deals and lower average expenses on each piece of equipment.
- Explore in-house options: Can you train staff members for certain AV tasks? While you want to avoid overextending your staff, anywhere they can contribute could help reduce your overall expenses. This approach is particularly helpful if you’re planning your next event with limited on-site technical support.
What Tools or Solutions Can Streamline AV Management for Events?
One of the best tools you can use while planning for event costs, managing tasks, and handling AV equipment needs is event management software like Cadmium’s Eventscribe platform. It’ll help you create a task-based system as your team is preparing for upcoming events, where you can:
- Effectively plan for all the equipment and materials you need
- Estimate costs and manage your budget
- Strategize for logistics and sourcing needs
- Assign tasks to team members involved
- Use data and analytics on the platform to track progress
- Manage sponsors and exhibitors who contribute funds
- And more
Many event organizers are now revisiting their procurement strategies to stretch shrinking budgets. This allows teams to focus spending on areas that directly impact attendee satisfaction. These strategies can also help save money without sacrificing quality or experience. Whether working with a small or large AV budget, clarity and tracking are essential for success. Today’s economic climate demands smart planning to overcome higher costs across all event categories.
Our Eventscribe software at Cadmium can help when you’re looking for the right event planning solutions. It’s an all-in-one event management software that can integrate with the AV equipment and AV management tools you use, help you track progress, assign tasks, handle logistics planning, and more throughout the process. This reduces pressure from rising costs and enables you to allocate funds more strategically.
Learn more about Eventscribe and how it can help you plan events more efficiently and effectively. Discover the difference today!
