You're organizing a garden birthday party, an outdoor film screening, a corporate presentation or a wedding speech. You need a decent projector and audio that actually carries — not your laptop speakers. Buying everything means spending hundreds of euros on equipment you'll use one evening and then leave in a cupboard for the next two years.
This is exactly the type of item born for peer-to-peer rental. In this guide we cover what you actually need for each type of event, how much it costs to rent projectors and audio systems, what to check at pickup, and — if you're a lender — how much you can earn renting out gear you already own.
💡 Practical brightness rule: in a dark room 2,000–2,500 ANSI lumens are enough. Outdoors, even after sunset, aim for at least 3,500 lumens. Below this threshold the image looks washed out and hard to read.
What You Need for Each Type of Event
Outdoor cinema or film night
You need a projector of at least 3,000 lumens, a screen (or a smooth white wall), and a small audio system: two active speakers totaling 200–300W are enough for a garden of up to 30 people. Add a quality extension lead and, if you're streaming, verify the connection before the event.
Party with music and DJ set
Audio power is the priority here. For 50 people outdoors, a system of 800–1,000W RMS with two speakers on stands is the starting point. If there's a DJ, you also need a mixer with appropriate inputs. A subwoofer makes a difference if you want people dancing seriously.
Presentation, conference or corporate event
Bright projector, a microphone (wireless preferred), and a pair of conference speakers with good midrange and treble response — the voice must be crystal clear, not concert-level power. A lapel radio microphone is ideal for speakers who move around.
Wedding or ceremony
Often you need a mix: a radio microphone for speeches, speakers for background music and dancing, and potentially a projector for a memory video or slideshow. It's the event where it most pays off to find an experienced lender who can advise on the complete configuration.
P2P Reference Prices
| Equipment | Price/day | Weekend (2-3 days) |
|---|---|---|
| Full HD projector (2,500 lumens) | €20–30 | €45–65 |
| High-brightness projector (4,000+ lumens) | €35–55 | €80–130 |
| Projection screen (2–3m) | €8–15 | €18–35 |
| Pair active speakers (500W tot.) | €25–40 | €55–95 |
| Complete PA system (1,000W + mixer) | €50–80 | €110–190 |
| Wireless microphone | €10–18 | €22–42 |
| Active subwoofer | €20–35 | €45–80 |
What to Check at Pickup
- Switch on the projector and verify no dead pixels, halos or yellowed image (sign of a dying lamp).
- Check all included cables: HDMI, power, any adapters. These are the number-one cause of ruined events.
- Test each speaker individually at medium-high volume to exclude hiss, distortion or damaged cones.
- Test microphones and if wireless, check batteries and that spares are included.
- Ask the lender for a brief wiring demonstration: each system has its own quirks.
💚 Practical tip: do a complete setup test at home the day before the event, not an hour before it starts. This gives you time to go back to the lender or find a missing cable without panic.
"I bought the system for the band, but we rarely played. I put it on Lendmates and now it covers two or three events a month — more than I ever used it myself. It paid for itself in one season."
The beauty of event equipment is the complementary seasonality: summer is full of outdoor parties and weddings, winter brings corporate dinners and Christmas parties. Demand never fully disappears. See the ranking of the 10 most rented items in Italy in 2026 to understand how this category compares.