Even in a world where we experience so much online, many businesses (particularly those businesses engineered around entertainment) still rely on showcase events to spread their brand message and make an impression. These events often set the standard for the rest of the year, so it’s important that you do everything possible to prepare and make sure there are no possible hiccups.
One nightmare scenario for any business is for the power to cut out mid-event. For banks of monitors to suddenly go blank in the middle of an important presentation; for the heating system to sputter into silence in the depths of winter; for the mic to die moments into the CEOs big speech. To make sure these moments remain nightmares and don’t become harsh realities, always make sure you have a backup power option prepared! Here, we’ll go through a few options.
Portable Petrol Generators
Portable petrol-powered generators are perhaps the most cost-effective and flexible option for event backup power. From small, affordable 2.8kVA models that can supply smaller lighting rigs, monitors and more, to 10kVA models that could potentially power an entire stage setup, there are numerous options to consider for not only a number of budgets but the vast majority of situations where backup power is required.
Solar Power
Whilst you might still baulk at the idea of drawing your power entirely from solar panels, they can be an incredibly handy form of backup or emergency power. Particularly for outdoor events, where you’re perhaps using a petrol generator as the primary power source, solar panels can also (contrary to popular opinion) be used at during cloudy spells and at night, as they charge up in sunlight without actually using any energy themselves. Solar panels can be connected quite comfortably to an external battery, which itself can be used to power anything from mobile phones to full event lighting and sound rigs.
Flywheels
Whilst we wouldn’t recommend this for a larger-scale operation, it can be a valid option if you’re running something smaller and it has the added benefit of being more eco-friendly. A flywheel energy storage system using a mechanical battery to spin a rotor that generates a significant amount of kinetic energy. These batteries generally last indefinitely, but the technology is still comparatively fresh and they are both large and heavy, which means they are not as portable as other solutions.
Pick Your Battles
Whichever options you choose, remember to always prioritize the most vital tech. If your event relies on an internet connection, for example, if the wifi goes down it would be completely catastrophic. Make your decisions based on each specific event and what is required in order to make that event a success and you should have no problems.
