Start with the room, not the fixtures
The most common reason a lighting plan goes wrong is that it was drawn before anyone had measured the venue. Before you compare quotes or fixture lists, get the basics in writing: ceiling height, the clear span available for trusses, the position of any fixed obstructions such as air handling units, sprinkler heads or house curtains, and the exact load limits for the roof or grid. A plan that assumes six metres of trim in a hall that offers four and a half will fail at the first rigging visit.
If you cannot visit, ask the venue for a technical specification sheet and a scaled plan. If they have neither, treat that as information in itself. A site visit of an hour with a tape measure and a torch usually settles more questions than a week of emails.
Photograph the load-in route too. Narrow stairs, a single lift or a loading bay shared with other hirers all change how much kit you can sensibly bring and how long the get-in will take.
- Ceiling height and available trim
- Roof or grid load limits, in writing
- Obstructions: ductwork, sprinklers, curtains
- Load-in route, lift size and loading bay access
Be clear about what the lighting has to do
Lighting serves a purpose, and the purpose differs between a concert, a conference and a festival stage. A band needs colour, movement and strong separation from the backdrop. A corporate keynote needs flattering, even light on the speaker and a clean image for any camera in the room. Write one or two sentences describing what the audience should see and feel, and what any cameras need, before you talk about equipment.
This matters because the same budget can buy very different things. Spending heavily on moving heads makes little sense for a talk delivered from a lectern, while a festival stage with only static wash will feel flat after dusk.
Decide too whether the event will be filmed or streamed. Light that looks fine to the eye can look harsh or uneven on camera, and fixing it afterwards is far harder than planning for it.
- Who is the audience and where do they sit?
- Will cameras or a stream be involved?
- Which moments need the strongest looks?
Check power and distribution early
Power is the quiet constraint behind many lighting decisions. Ask what supply the venue actually provides: the number of phases, the amperage available at the stage position, and which outlets are on shared circuits with catering or heating. Modern LED fixtures draw far less than older tungsten units, but dimmers, hazers and control gear still add up, and a tripped breaker mid-set is entirely avoidable.
For outdoor and festival work, ask whether you are on mains or a generator, who is responsible for it, and whether it is shared with sound. Lighting and audio on the same supply can introduce hum if the earthing and cable routes are not thought through.
Work out cable runs on paper. Long distances from distribution to the rig mean heavier cable, more cost and more trip hazards, and you will want to know that before the van is loaded rather than after.
- Phases, amperage and shared circuits
- Generator or mains, and who manages it
- Cable lengths from distribution to the rig
Ask who will rig, and how it will be signed off
Rigging is where safety and scheduling meet. Find out who is hanging the equipment, whether they are competent for work at height, and how the loads will be calculated. Truss, hoists, clamps and safety bonds all carry ratings, and a responsible supplier will be able to tell you the weight on each point without hesitation.
Ask what paperwork exists. A rigging plan, a risk assessment and method statement, and evidence of inspection for the lifting gear are normal requests, and the venue may insist on them before the rig goes in. It is far easier to gather these in the planning stage than on the morning of the build.
Allow honest time for the build. Rigging, focusing and programming rarely fit into the hour people hope for, and rushing the focus is what leaves faces in shadow on the night.
- Who rigs, and with what competence
- Weight per point and rating of lifting gear
- Risk assessment and method statement ready
Decide how the rig will be controlled
Control is easy to leave until last and awkward to change later. Settle whether the show will be run live by an operator, programmed in advance and triggered, or a mixture. A touring band with its own lighting director has different needs from a conference where cues simply follow the running order.
Check compatibility. Fixtures, dimmers and the desk should speak the same protocol, and the number of channels needed should be counted before you choose a console. Running short of universes is a frustrating surprise.
Plan rehearsal time, too. Even a simple conference benefits from a run through with the actual speakers on the actual stage, because stage positions, lectern height and screen glare are only visible once people are standing there.
- Live operator, programmed cues or both
- Protocol and channel count match the desk
- Rehearsal slot with real performers or speakers
Set the budget around risk, not just kit
When comparing lighting quotes, look past the fixture list. Ask what is included in crew time, transport, insurance, spares and the get-out. A lower headline price that leaves out a technician for the show itself is not a saving if your team ends up operating the desk without experience.
Keep a modest contingency for the things that change: an extra position requested by the artist, a venue restriction discovered late, a fixture failure. Having a spare unit and a basic fallback look programmed costs little compared with the cost of an event that stops.
Finally, put the agreed scope in writing, including what happens if the schedule slips. Clear terms protect both sides and keep the conversation practical when pressure builds on the day.
- Crew, transport and insurance included?
- Spare fixtures and a fallback look
- Scope and schedule changes agreed in writing
No single question on this list will make or break an event, but skipping several of them together is how problems pile up. Walk the venue, define what the light must do, confirm power and rigging, settle control and agree the budget in writing. If you would like a second pair of eyes on a plan before you commit, I am happy to look it over with you.