Who is actually on site? Ask for named technicians and their roles, not a headcount. Career technicians who run these rooms weekly solve problems before you see them.
How is the inventory maintained? Professionally maintained gear is tested between every event. Ask when the consoles were last updated and whether backups travel with the package.
What is the redundancy plan? Spare mics, a backup playback machine, and a second power path for the console are the difference between a hiccup and a stopped show.
Who coordinates with the venue? Your AV partner should be talking directly to venue engineering about power, rigging points and load-in windows.
What does the timeline look like? Load-in, focus, sound check, rehearsal and strike should all appear on the schedule with real durations.
What is included in the quote? Labor, delivery, and overtime thresholds should be explicit.
Can they show relevant work? Ask for productions in similar rooms at a similar scale.
