What to know about event AV in Tempe
Town Lake hosts more than 40 events a year
The City says more than 40 special events a year, including Innings Festival, the Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade and Oktoberfest, are held at Tempe Town Lake. With that many events on the calendar, plan your AV early and ask the City what it needs from you.
Source: City of Tempe, Tempe Town Lake
The Special Events Office wants 60 days
The Special Events Office wants applications 60 days ahead for Town Lake and Mill Avenue events, and its phone is 480-350-5180. Events with liquor on ASU property start with ASU Risk Management.
Source: City of Tempe, Event Hosting
Amplified sound in a public space needs a permit
A loudspeaker or sound amplifier on public property or the right of way in a residential zone needs a temporary permit from the special events task force. None is issued between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., or within 50 feet of a school, courthouse, place of worship or hospital. That rule covers public property, not a restaurant's own patio.
Source: Tempe City Code Sec. 20-7
Noise is judged, not measured
Tempe has no decibel limit. The test is whether noise is unnecessary, excessive or offensive. Civil fines run $100 to $1,000, and each day is a separate offense.
What an event system includes
A typical setup has speakers sized to the space, a mixing desk, microphones, a stage monitor for the presenter and a screen or projector. Larger events add a camera, a switcher for several sources, and recording or streaming.
- Wireless handheld and lapel microphones.
- A mixer with someone to run it, or presets for a simple event.
- Screens or an LED backdrop for slides and video.
- Cabling dressed and taped so nobody trips.
Fixed rooms and one-off events
Some venues host events every week and benefit from a system installed in the room. Others need a crew on the day. We help with both, and we can build a permanent system that is simple enough for a venue's own staff to run on event night.
Planning for a public event in Tempe
Events on Town Lake or Mill Avenue go through the Special Events Office, so the AV plan needs to be ready early. We provide the speaker positions, power needs and set-up times your event plan needs. Because Tempe has no decibel number, we aim speakers at the audience and away from nearby homes, and we agree on an end time with the organizer.
Indoor events are simpler. A hotel ballroom or a bar with a stage still needs a plan for sound, screens and power, but the public-space permit does not apply, so the work is mostly about the room and the schedule.
Power and loading
Events fail on power more than on gear. We count the load before the day, plan circuits, and tell you what a venue needs to supply. We also check load-in routes, because gear that can't reach the stage is a problem at 4 PM.
What drives the cost
- Audience size and room shape.
- The number of microphones and sources.
- Screens, cameras and streaming.
- Setup time, crew and teardown.
- Whether the system is permanent or temporary.
Often paired with
Venues that host events often add LED video walls, house audio and AV control. The rest of our local services are listed at Enzo in Tempe.
