Buying rental LED stock: a guide for event companies

Which pixel pitch should an event company buy?

Buy the pitch that covers the largest share of the jobs you actually do, rather than the finest pitch you can afford. Every rental panel you own will be used in many different venues, so versatility pays more than peak picture quality.

Look back over a year of bookings. If most are hotel ballrooms, weddings and conferences, an indoor rental pitch suited to audiences a few metres away will earn the most. If you do concerts and outdoor festivals, an outdoor pitch with high brightness is the workhorse. Companies serving both often hold two stocks rather than one compromise product.

A finer pitch costs steeply more per square metre. That premium is justified only if clients will pay for it — for example in broadcast, product launches or close-viewing exhibitions.

What makes a rental cabinet different from a fixed one?

A rental cabinet is built to be assembled, struck and transported hundreds of times: lighter die-cast frames, quick locks, handles, corner protection and precise alignment that holds after repeated use. A fixed-installation cabinet is designed to be installed once and left alone.

Check how quickly two cabinets lock together and whether the joint is flat without fiddling. Look for curve locks if you want concave or convex walls, and hanging and stacking hardware designed for the cabinet. Ask how modules are protected at the edges, because corner knocks during handling are the commonest damage in rental use.

Front and rear service both matter. Being able to swap a module from the front during a show is valuable; so is easy rear access to power and data connectors.

What specifications matter most for events?

For event stock, prioritise refresh rate, brightness range, sealing for outdoor use and processing compatibility. Events are filmed constantly, so a refresh of 3,840 Hz or higher is effectively mandatory; low-refresh panels will cost you clients when their videos show banding.

Outdoor rental stock must be sealed front and rear — front-only ratings are inadequate for monsoon conditions — and bright enough for daytime events. Indoor stock should dim smoothly to low levels without losing grey-scale detail, because ballrooms and stages need gentle brightness.

Make sure the panels work with the control system your crew knows, typically NovaStar sending and receiving cards, and that processors support the inputs you use. Standardising on one control platform across your stock makes crews faster and spares simpler.

Why do batch matching and spares matter so much?

LED modules from different production batches can differ slightly in colour and brightness, so buy enough stock and spares from one batch, and plan expansions with a supplier who can match them. Mixing batches casually produces a patchwork wall that clients notice.

Order spare modules, power supplies, receiving cards and cables with the original purchase, from the same batch. They are your insurance against faults during an event, when there is no time to wait for parts.

When you expand later, ask the supplier to match the new panels to your existing stock, and calibrate the combined wall. This is far easier when the supplier is local, holds records of your batch and can support you in person. Our LED displays carry a two-year manufacturer warranty honoured in Nepal, with spares held in Kathmandu.

What else do you need besides the panels?

You need flight cases, processing, rigging and stacking hardware, power distribution, cabling and training — and these should be budgeted with the panels, not afterwards. Panels without proper cases will be damaged on Nepal’s roads within a season.

Flight cases designed for the cabinet, holding several units each, protect the panels and make loading quick. Processors and spare processing, ground-stack frames and flying bars rated for the load, power distribution boxes with breakers, and labelled cable sets complete a rental kit.

Train the crew properly on assembly, rigging, processor set-up and fault-finding. A well-trained crew sets up faster and damages less stock, which protects your investment as much as any specification.

How should you choose the supplier and brand?

Choose a supplier who will be able to sell you matching stock, spares and support for years, and brands with a proper rental line rather than fixed panels adapted for hire. We supply rental products from Unilumin and its sister brand Lampro, ROE Visual and Leyard, as well as our own Evolve line.

Ask suppliers for the warranty terms, where spares are held, how quickly a faulty module can be replaced, and whether they will train your crew. Ask to see the cabinets assembled and to stand a few together yourself.

Finally, run the numbers on utilisation. Rental stock earns only when it is out on jobs; buying more than your bookings justify ties up capital. Our guide on buying versus renting covers the trade-off from the client’s side, which is useful context for pricing your own service.

Common questions

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