What is 'Wet Hire'?
"Wet hire" refers to renting a venue space or technical equipment complete with fully trained venue staff, technicians, and supporting operational services included in the hire package. Rather than receiving a blank canvas, the hiring client receives an all-inclusive, turnkey facility supported by an internal team that manages the technical, front-of-house, and hospitality execution of the event.
In a venue wet hire arrangement, the venue supplies its own house crew—such as sound engineers, lighting technicians, stage hands, bar staff, ushering teams, and security personnel. This ensures that the venue's proprietary systems are operated safely and efficiently by staff who know the facility intimately.
Key Characteristics of Wet Hire
All-Inclusive Turnkey Solution: The hire package includes the physical space, in-house audio-visual equipment, and the qualified personnel required to run the event.
In-House Crew Control: Venue-employed technicians manage the house PA systems, lighting rigs, and staging, protecting sensitive equipment from misuse and ensuring compliance with venue standards.
Higher Service Value: The overall booking cost is higher than dry hire to cover crew wages, technical support, and facility management, but drastically simplifies planning for the client.
Streamlined Technical Delivery: Because internal staff are familiar with the building’s infrastructure, load-ins, sound checks, and event running times operate with minimal friction.
Offering wet hire packages allows venues to maintain strict quality control, protect technical infrastructure, and upsell internal production and hospitality services to produce high-specification external events.