The Difference Between Event Hire and Event Production

Learn the difference between event hire and event production, what each service includes, and how choosing the right level of support can transform your wedding, party, or corporate event from stressful to seamless.

Event Hire Explained

Event hire refers to the supply of physical items needed to create an event space, such as marquees, furniture, tableware, crockery, lighting, sound, staging, and flooring. Clients usually choose event hire when they have a clear plan and simply need high-quality equipment delivered, installed, and collected.

This option works well for smaller events or experienced planners who are confident managing layouts, timings, and suppliers themselves. While professional delivery and setup are included, responsibility for overall coordination, scheduling, and problem-solving typically remains with the client or venue.

What Event Production Includes

Event production goes far beyond supplying equipment and focuses on managing how every element works together. It includes planning layouts, coordinating lighting, sound, power, logistics, scheduling suppliers, managing build times, and overseeing the event from setup through breakdown.

With full event production, a dedicated team ensures everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. This is ideal for larger weddings, corporate events, and complex builds where multiple suppliers, tight timelines, and technical requirements need professional oversight to avoid issues on the day.

Key Differences Between Event Hire and Event Production

The main difference is responsibility. Event hire supplies the tools, while event production manages the entire process. With hire only, clients make decisions about layouts, timings, and logistics, whereas production teams guide those decisions based on experience.

Another major difference is stress level. Event production offers peace of mind by anticipating challenges, coordinating deliveries, and ensuring all structures, lighting, and sound elements are aligned. Event hire is more hands-on for the client but can be more budget-friendly for simpler events.

When You Only Need Event Hire

Event hire is often the right choice for straightforward celebrations with minimal technical requirements. Garden parties, smaller weddings, and simple corporate gatherings benefit from hiring quality furniture, tableware, and a marquee without full production support.

Clients who already have a planner or venue coordinator may only need hire services to complement existing arrangements. In these cases, professional delivery, installation, and collection provide reliability without the added cost of full event production management.

When Event Production Is the Better Choice

Event production is best suited for large-scale events, complex builds, or high-pressure environments where timing and coordination are critical. Weddings with multiple spaces, corporate conferences, and events requiring advanced lighting, sound, staging, and power all benefit from production support.

Having a production team ensures that nothing is overlooked, from safety checks to supplier coordination. It allows clients to focus on enjoying their event while professionals manage the logistics, technical details, and on-the-day execution.

What WA Carr & Son Do

WA Carr and Son offers both event hire and event production, allowing clients to choose exactly the level of support they need. Whether you are planning a simple celebration or a large-scale event, our team can supply high-quality equipment, expert planning, and professional on-the-day management.

For event hire, we provide everything required to physically build your event space. This includes marquees and temporary structures, flooring and dancefloors, furniture, tableware, crockery, lighting, sound, staging,  catering equipment, power, generators, and supporting infrastructure. Our experienced crew handles delivery, installation, and collection, ensuring your equipment is set up safely and professionally.

For event production, we take responsibility for how everything works together. This includes planning layouts, advising on logistics, managing lighting and sound design, coordinating power distribution, scheduling build times, and overseeing suppliers. Our production team is present throughout setup and, when required, during the event itself to ensure everything runs smoothly.

WA Carr and Son also bridges the gap between hire and production by offering event management support for larger or more complex jobs. This means clients can combine equipment hire with expert guidance, staff support, and technical oversight without committing to full-scale production if it is not needed.

By offering both services in-house, we provide flexibility, consistency, and reliability. Clients benefit from one experienced team managing structure, tableware, lighting, sound, and logistics, reducing stress and ensuring a seamless event from planning through to breakdown.

Frequently asked questions