Events and conferences
Two-way radios for events and conferences
An event only happens once, and your team is spread across the venue, the loading dock and sometimes a second site. We set up Zello channels for each crew and send radios ready to use, so nobody spends the first morning programming them.
Short answer
Can we rent radios for one event?
The problem
What gets in the way
Events bring together a temporary team in an unfamiliar building, usually with a hard deadline. Conventional rentals need programming, spare batteries and someone to run them, and their range can stop at the edge of the venue or fail between a ballroom and the dock. Group chats get buried and phone calls go unanswered backstage. When a speaker is late or a shipment is at the wrong door, the message has to reach the right crew immediately without the whole team hearing it.
How we set it up
How the channels are set up
We take your crew list and build the channels before anything ships: production, stage management, registration, security, logistics and volunteers, plus an all-hands channel for the show caller.
Radios arrive signed in and ready, so a crew member picks one up and presses the button. Because they run over cellular and venue Wi-Fi, they also work between a hotel, a convention center and an off-site, which a single repeater cannot do. We check coverage at the venue first, because very crowded venues can strain cellular networks. A Dispatch Hub seat in the production office shows people on a live map, and Zello Work on phones can extend the channels to speakers’ handlers or vendors. When it is over, rental radios go back and there is nothing left for you to store.
Example channels and calls
What each channel sounds like
Sample traffic, written to show how each channel gets used. Your channel names and groups are set up to match your crew.
ProductionProduction office and department leads
“The two o’clock speaker is still at the hotel. Who’s got the car?”
Stage managementStage managers and stage crew
“Five minutes to doors. Please confirm the lectern mic is set.”
RegistrationBadge desk staff and volunteers
“Badge desk has a long line. Please send two volunteers over.”
SecurityEvent security and the production office
“Hall B side doors are getting crowded. Can we open the second entrance?”
LogisticsDock crew and vendor contacts
“Shipment is at the wrong door. Send the driver around to dock 2.”
All handsEvery radio on the show
“All crew, doors in fifteen. Everyone to your positions, please.”
Typical use cases
Where it gets used day to day
Show calling and stage management
Registration and badge desk queues
Speaker and VIP movements
Loading dock and vendor arrivals
Security and crowd flow
Volunteer coordination
Moving people between a venue and a second site
Teardown and load-out
The radios
A typical event setup
Crews usually carry the Inrico T640A or the screen-free Inrico T522A with an earpiece, and leads the Inrico S380. A Zello Dispatch Hub seat in the production office reaches any crew at once, and shuttles between sites can take the Telox M3. Short-term needs are covered by event radio rentals.
If the venue or a partner runs its own radios, radio interoperability can often connect them. See business two-way radios for every handheld option.
Handheld radio
Inrico T640A
A slim everyday radio with a screen. Our lowest-priced handheld.
$199.00
Handheld radio
Inrico T522A
No screen, one big button. The simplest radio to hand someone.
$220.00
Handheld radio
Inrico S380
For supervisors and patrols who need a screen, a keypad and NFC check-in.
$360.00
Vehicle and mobile
Telox M3
A compact dash or console radio with a 5 W speaker and wired network option.
$399.00
Special order · request a quote
Recommended solution
What we would recommend
Event radio rentals suit a one-off event, and Managed Zello Core suits teams that run events all year. A Dispatch Hub seat helps in the production office.
Questions
Questions event teams ask us
What producers and event managers want to know before show week.
How far ahead should we book?
As early as you can, and especially for larger events. We need time to check coverage at the venue, build your channels and ship radios that are ready to use. Tell us your dates and we will confirm what is possible.
Will they work in a crowded convention center?
Radios use cellular and Wi-Fi, and we check the venue first. Very crowded buildings can strain cellular networks, so we may recommend using venue Wi-Fi where it is available and testing ahead of the show.
Can each crew have its own channel?
Yes. We build channels from your crew list before anything ships, and add an all-hands channel for the people running the show. Staff only hear what concerns them.
Do we need an FCC license?
No. Zello runs over cellular and Wi-Fi, so there is no frequency to license or coordinate with the venue. That also means your channels do not depend on the radio frequencies other crews are using.
Can staff use phones too?
Yes. Zello Work runs on iOS and Android, so a vendor or a speaker’s handler can join a channel from a phone while your crew carries radios.
Related
Related industries
Hospitality
Housekeeping, engineering, valet and the front desk need each other quickly and quietly. Zello on earpiece-ready radios keeps that traffic out of guests’ earshot.
Read more
Security
Officers work alone across large sites and long shifts. Zello gives every guard one-button contact with a supervisor, a live location, and Emergency Alerts on Plus.
Read more
Facilities and property management
Maintenance teams cover several buildings on one managed Zello account, reachable at every property without a radio system at each site.
Read more
Get started
Tell us how your team works today
Send us your dates, your venue and your crew list. We will come back with coverage, hardware and pricing in one document.