Skip to content
414-223-4380
[email protected]
trimarq logo
  • Home
  • Work
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
Video Events

The Real Cost of Foregoing an Event Site Survey

September 22, 2011  by Betsy Johnson

When clients review budgets one of the first items to be questioned is often the production site survey. When you add up the cost of the plane ticket, hotel room, and per diem this line item looks like a great place to trim some budget.  So why is the production site survey so important?

A number of years ago we produced a series of meetings for an insurance company. During one of the breaks, a member of the audience who was in the insurance industry commented on how interesting our job seemed.  It was “a far cry from selling insurance,” he commented.  But when you take the time to think about it, one of the most important roles of an event producer is risk management.  Our experience and knowledge about producing events is a form of insurance that helps ensure that the event comes off flawlessly.

The production site survey is an important element of the risk management we provide.  Would an event planner book a hotel without doing a site visit? A production site survey provides the opportunity to review things that can have a direct impact on the success and final cost of an event.

  1. What is the exact workable ceiling height where the stage will be?  Often a hotel will list the ceiling height as the highest point in the room, but is there a soffit where the stage needs to be?  Hotels never list chandelier height in any spec sheets, but if there is one hanging directly in front of the main projection screen, it may compromise the entire stage set.
  2. The ever-increasing affordability of production equipment such as intelligent lighting, bright projectors, and concert-quality sound systems often require larger power drops.  Does the hotel have the capacity to provide the power needed to run your event? A face-to-face meeting with the engineer who will run the power drops may only take a few minutes but will ensure that he and his team understand our production needs and are prepared to deliver on the setup day.
  3. Where is the loading dock in relation to the ballroom and will all of the production elements such as a truss fit into the elevator?

While problems with any of these elements can probably be overcome during the setup day, the price will often be a high overtime labor bill and compromises that negatively impact the event.

Event production is as much about preparation as it is about on-site execution.  Production site surveys play a vital role in the success of an event and are a key element of every production plan we create for our clients.

Posted in Event ProductionTagged banquet, business theater, event production, hotel, production, site survey, theatre, tri-marq, trimarq

Post navigation

Previous: Celebrity Riders: The Difference Between a Want and a Need
Next: In-house AV vs. Outside Vendors
Tri Marq vimeo Tri Marq youtube Tri Marq facebook Tri Marq linkedin

Blog

  • Giving Back
  • The Benefits of Video for Social Media Marketing
  • Make Your Events Stretch Beyond the Stage | On-Site Content Production
  • Meet the Staff | Shane Hoeft
  • Clarity in Motion | The Power of Animated Explainer Videos

Contact

Headquarters:

507 S. 2nd Street, Suite 145
Milwaukee, WI 53204

+1 (414) 223-4380
[email protected]

Instagram

This month, our client, AHTD, hosted their 2025 Fa This month, our client, AHTD, hosted their 2025 Fall Meeting at the JW Marriott in Tampa, Florida. The event hosted 300 attendees for general sessions and breakout rooms. Tri-Marq handled AV and event production and worked with @atomicdesigninc to build the modular event backdrop.

#trimarq #eventproduction #tampa #eventbackdrop
Earlier this month, The Association of Equipment M Earlier this month, The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) hosted The Utility Expo, the largest event for utility professionals and construction contractors, and Tri-Marq was boots on the ground (and in the sky!) to capture it all. 

We filmed and produced this recap video to recap the event and the experience of its over 22,000 attendees by capturing b-roll footage, as well as several interviews, over the course of the 3-day event. 

By combining on-site interviews, showcasing the attendee experience, with dynamic b-roll, drone footage, and motion graphics, we brought the full Utility Expo experience to life.

#UtilityExpo  #trimarq #videoproduction #dronevideo
At Tri-Marq, giving back is at the core of our bra At Tri-Marq, giving back is at the core of our brand. Learn more about some of the amazing organizations we are proud to donate our time and work to that allow us to to better our communities here in Milwaukee and across the state in our latest blog. Link in bio! And be on the lookout for our holiday-season virtual food drives to continue to bring joy to those who need it most as we move into the new year. #trimarq #givingback
This summer, we spent a day with Peyton Bornemann This summer, we spent a day with Peyton Bornemann and her family, capturing her story of courage and survival. In our work with @themaccfund each year, we have the chance to get to know some of the strongest kids in our area and how their lives have been impacted by the generosity of the MACC Fund and its supporters. We capture their stories to share at the annual Designed to Inspire fundraising event benefitting children who face cancer and other blood-related disorders. This year’s story features Peyton and the Bornemann family — with a little help from her horse, Maggie. We’re honored to help bring her story, and the MACC Fund’s mission, to life.💛
Time is almost out to register for the annual Desi Time is almost out to register for the annual Designed to Inspire Luncheon hosted by MACC Fund - Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, Inc. The event features tons of fun and great ways to give, including a raffle, wine pull, and silent auction. We're honored to work with the organization to produce the annual patient story video featuring one of the brave faces that benefit from the MACC Fund. Register today and see this year's patient story air at the Luncheon.

We're celebrating #ThrowbackThursday with the MACC Fund patient story video from 2017. Get to know Emmett and his cancer story.
Never settle for less than impeccable. Elevate you Never settle for less than impeccable. Elevate your next event with the help of Tri-Marq's event production experts! #eventproduction #clienttestimonial #trimarq #globalevents

Copyright © 2025 All rights reserved. Tri-Marq, LLC