Different events need different crew compositions. The mistake most first-time event producers make is assuming "AV crew" is one bucket. It's not. Concert crew, convention crew, and trade show crew are three different specializations with overlapping but distinct skill sets.
Here's how to figure out what you actually need before you call.
Concert / festival crew
The skill mix for concerts and festivals leans toward live music chops:
- A1 (Front of House) — mixes the show. Senior engineer territory. $400-700/day in major markets.
- A2 / Monitor engineer — mixes for the band on stage. Different skill set than FOH; you can't substitute.
- System tech — tunes the PA system to the room/venue. Often pre-show, then handles troubleshooting during.
- LD + lighting programmer — designs and runs the light show. Programmed cues vs. busked depending on scale.
- Video engineer / IMAG — runs the cameras + LED walls + content workflow.
- ETCP rigger — if flying truss, PA, or video. Required for safety.
- Stagehands — load-in, build, strike. Volume scales with stage size.
- Backline tech — guitar/bass/drum setup and maintenance during the show.
A typical 500-1000 cap club show: 6-10 crew. A 5,000-10,000 arena: 25-40 crew. Festival main stage: 30-50+.
Convention general session crew
For corporate keynotes, sales kickoffs, and convention general sessions:
- A1 + A2 — broadcast-grade audio, often with multiple lavalier mics and intricate routing.
- LD — lighting tends to be programmed scenes, not busked.
- Video engineer — runs IMAG, switching, and content playback (slides, video packages).
- Show caller — calls every cue. Different role than at a concert; convention show calling is a discipline.
- Stage manager — runs backstage flow, speaker handoffs, presenter prep.
- Camera ops — usually 2-4 cameras for IMAG and recording.
- Switcher TD — operates the broadcast switcher.
- Graphics op — runs lower-thirds, transitions, slide cues.
- Stagehands — fewer than concerts, more setup-oriented.
A 500-attendee general session: 8-15 crew. A 2,000-attendee Fortune 500 keynote: 20-35 crew. A multi-day conference with breakouts: 40-80+.
Trade show I&D crew
Install and dismantle for convention floors. Different muscle entirely:
- Floor manager — coordinates across exhibitors. Hospitality + air-traffic-control combined.
- I&D crew — installation/dismantle labor. Volume scales with show size — 80-300+ exhibitors per show.
- Booth AV technicians — per-booth AV setup. Distinct from general session crew; usually less broadcast-y, more "make the booth presentation work."
- Forklift operators — for crate movement on the floor.
- Specialty trades — sometimes plumbing/electrical for big builds.
A small trade show (50 exhibitors): 15-30 I&D crew. A medium one (150 exhibitors): 40-80. CES / NAB scale: 200-500+ over the install window.
Cross-discipline reality
A crew member who's brilliant at festival main-stage audio might be wrong for a convention general session. The job is technically similar but operationally different — concerts run on adrenaline + improvisation, conventions run on call sheets + cue-perfect execution.
Top-tier crew can do all three. Most working crew specialize in one or two.
When you're booking, tell your staffing partner the event TYPE first. The right partner will route to crew with that specific specialization, not just "AV crew available."
Hybrid scopes — when one event has elements of multiple
Real life is messy. Common hybrid scopes:
Corporate concert
A Fortune 500 hires a national act for their sales kickoff. Needs convention-grade general session crew PLUS concert audio + lighting crew for the band's set. Two different teams operating sequentially.
Festival sponsor activation
A brand books a 200-attendee activation inside a bigger festival. Needs production-grade execution at small scale (more like a corporate event) but inside a festival environment that runs on different rules.
Trade show with general session
Convention center general session for keynote, then I&D crew for floor build. Sequential timing, different skill sets.
The key: scope each phase separately even if they're the same event. Trying to use one crew type for a hybrid scope is how things break.
What to tell your staffing partner
Five data points get you the right crew:
- Event type — concert, convention, trade show, corporate, hybrid?
- Size — attendees + crew call needed
- Venue — name + city (this dictates union jurisdiction + venue-specific knowledge)
- Date range — load-in, show, strike
- Show packet — run-of-show, AV plot, comms plan, contact list
If you can give your staffing partner those five things on the first call, they can give you a real quote with the right crew mix.
How we crew
We crew across all three disciplines from our 41-state roster. Every booking includes a same-day scoping call where we ask exactly the five data points above.
If you've got an event coming up and you're not sure what crew composition you need, just call and tell us about the show. We'll tell you back what we'd recommend — even if it's a smaller crew than you'd expect.
📞 (407) 885-5770 · 📧 info@axiosprosolutions.com
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