Two conference production quotes for the same event can differ by 40 per cent and both be honest. The difference is almost always what has been left out. Here is what a complete quote contains.
The checklist
- Staging and set — stage size, set build, lectern, scenic elements and the graphics that go on them.
- Audio — PA sized to the room, radio mics with spares, comms for crew, and a desk operator.
- Vision — screens or LED, playback machines, a switcher and a vision operator. Check whether a spare playback machine is included.
- Lighting — stage wash, key lighting for cameras if you are recording, and house lighting control.
- Crew — named roles with hours. Look for a production manager and a stage manager, not just technicians.
- Build and derig — labour and venue access for both, quoted explicitly.
- Speaker management — deck collection, formatting, rehearsal time and a prep area.
- Show-calling — someone owning the run of order to the minute.
- Recording or streaming — per room, with delivery format and timeline stated.
- Transport and storage — kit does not move itself.
- Contingency — a spares policy for the items that fail: mics, laptops, cables.
Questions that expose the gaps
Ask: what is explicitly excluded? What happens if the agenda overruns by an hour? Who is the named person on site, and are they on this quote or a different one? Is venue-mandated rigging included or passed through? Are speaker rehearsals within the crew hours quoted?
Comparing fairly
Put both quotes into the same line-item structure before comparing totals. Nine times out of ten the cheaper quote is missing crew hours, build day access, or the show-calling role — the three things that decide whether the day runs cleanly.
Our approach is set out on the conference production page, with indicative bands, and applies equally to awards ceremony production and hybrid event production.
Send us a quote you have received and we will tell you what is missing from it — book a call.