In short
- The venue decides where cables may run and who may install them.
- Plan power and cable routes before the day, not during set-up.
- Keep guest walkways, exits and accessible routes clear.
- Write down who is responsible for each cable, power point and cover.
Cables and power are agreed with the venue before the day, and each one has an owner. If a cable crosses a path where guests walk, it needs the venue’s approval and a proper cover. If it can be avoided with battery cameras or a wireless link, we say so in the plan.
When does filming need cables?
Many events need no cables. Battery cameras and wireless microphones can work without any. Cables enter the plan in three situations:
- Sound from the venue: a cable from the sound desk gives cleaner speech than a microphone in the room.
- Long or multi-camera programmes: mains power avoids stopping to change batteries mid-speech.
- Screens and streams: a picture sent to venue screens or a stream needs a cable run to a switcher or the AV desk. See live feed to venue screens for that service.
Tell us the venue and we will confirm which of these apply, so you only deal with the cables you need.
What does the venue need to approve?
Public and hired spaces usually decide this centrally. The KL Convention Centre’s published guidelines, for example, ask organisers to coordinate camera positions and cable runs with the venue, and to give advance notice of commercial filming. Other venues may not publish rules, but the manager will still have a view.
Ask the venue:
- May outside crews run cables, and along which routes?
- Which power points can we use, and is there a charge?
- Does the venue supply cable covers or ramps, or do we bring them?
- Who from the venue signs off the routes on the day?
How do we keep routes safe?
A safe route is one that a guest, a child or a wheelchair user can pass without noticing the cable. These habits help:
- Run cables along walls and behind stages, not across the main aisle.
- Where a cable must cross a path, use a flat cover that is taped down at both edges.
- Keep exits, fire equipment and service doors clear at all times.
- Place camera stands and cases away from walking lines.
- Walk the route with the venue contact before guests arrive, then again after the last test.
For camera positions that keep views and access open, see our guide to camera positions that preserve accessible routes and guest views.
Who does what?
Write this down before the event. The split below is an illustration; your venue contract and scope decide the real one.
| Item | Usually decided by | Check in writing |
|---|---|---|
| Where cables may run | Venue | Approved routes, marked on the plan |
| Cable covers and tape | Venue or our crew | Who brings them |
| Power points and any charge | Venue | Which sockets, any fee |
| Taking sound from the desk | Venue AV team | Who connects and tests |
| Setting up and removing cables | Our crew | Time of set-up and clear-out |
| Telling guests about the filming | Organiser | Signs or announcements |
If something goes wrong, such as a cable moved by someone else or a socket switched off, we tell the organiser and the venue contact at once and fix it.
What we confirm for your event
- Whether your event needs any cables, and why.
- Who brings cable covers and battery backup.
- What time we run cables, and how long we need to clear them.
- Which person at the venue you introduce us to.
For sound planning, see our guide to temporary venues. The venue filming questions checklist has a place to record the approved cable routes. This is where we help: send us the venue and date, and we will work out the cable and power plan with you. Our event videography service page explains what we film.
Message us the venue and where the stage and walkways are, and we will suggest where cables and power points could sit and what the venue needs to approve.
Ask about your eventSources
- KL Convention Centre event guidelines, checked 2026-10-11
Checked on the date shown. Rules and venue requirements change, so confirm them for your own event.