Audiovisual Technology in Naarden

Audiovisual productions in the fortified town of Naarden

Naarden is perhaps the most photogenic place in Het Gooi. The star-shaped fortress with its ramparts, moats and bastions forms a backdrop that gives every event something extra, and it is precisely here that our technology comes into its own. HuurAV works from its home base on the Zeeburgerpad in Amsterdam and takes on the entire audiovisual side of a production: from the technical design and the build to operation during the programme and the strike afterwards. Our technicians stay on site, so there is always someone at the controls who knows the setup inside out. In a setting where history and atmosphere take centre stage, we deliberately choose technology that suits the hall and the occasion.

From church concert to private corporate evening

The events culture in Naarden leans strongly on culture and experience. The Grote or Sint-Vituskerk is known nationwide for its acoustics and draws a broad audience each year for concerts and performances. Around it runs a lively calendar of cultural evenings, lectures and private gatherings in monumental buildings within the fortress. For business audiences we handle corporate events and presentations and conferences, where a clear image and intelligible sound make the difference between a message that sticks and one that fades away. Festive occasions such as a wedding at a special historic venue or exuberant parties and corporate celebrations also fit the character of the town.

Venues in and around the fortress

The spaces in Naarden vary widely. Within the fortress you will find monumental halls, churches, museums and characterful hospitality venues along the narrow streets, while the bastions and ramparts lend themselves to distinctive outdoor gatherings. On the edge of Naarden, towards Bussum and the A1, there are modern offices and event venues with space and power in abundance. A historic building or a church calls for a sensitive approach: limited access, attention to the acoustics in high spaces and lighting that lets the architecture speak. An outdoor location on the fortress ramparts, by contrast, calls for weatherproof construction and a well-considered power plan. We set out these considerations in advance in the technical plan.

What we make possible technically

A production in Naarden almost always brings several disciplines together into a seamless whole.

• Sound: compact, discreet speaker sets for churches and monumental halls, or a line array for larger spaces, with wireless microphones and monitoring for speakers, choirs, bands or a booked DJ. See sound.
• Light: uplighting that dresses fortress walls and hall surfaces, ambient lighting and moving light that follows the programme.
• Video: large screens or projection and cameras with vision mixing for presentations, recordings and aftermovies. View video.
• Special effects: haze, low fog and confetti, used purposefully at moments meant to stand out, always attuned to a sensitive historic environment. See special effects.

If you want to involve participants or an audience remotely, we are happy to combine the technology in hybrid events and livestreams.

Arriving, building and striking

The journey of roughly 22 kilometres along the A1 towards the Naarden exit is easy to plan. The event venues on the edge of town are spacious and simple to reach, while spots within the fortress require coordination because of the narrow streets, the bridges over the moats and the limited space along the ramparts. We discuss access and time windows in advance so the build runs smoothly. We test the installation fully before the start, a technician remains present during the event for operation and oversight, and afterwards a tidy and swift strike follows, even when it falls late in the evening.

See our work and request a proposal

If you would like an impression of earlier productions, take a look at our portfolio of completed work. If you have a specific event in Naarden in mind, we are glad to think along about the approach that suits the fortress, your venue and your programme. Request a quote without obligation; after a brief review you will receive a tailor-made proposal, entirely free of commitment.