How to Choose Cable Protectors for Event Venues

Whether you’re hosting a private event like a wedding, a blowout sporting event, or your city’s next epic food festival, optimizing operations for efficiency is a must. However, you also want to keep guests, performers, and team members safe without ruining your carefully crafted atmosphere.

Cable protectors may not be the first pieces of equipment that come to mind when you think of objectives like these, but they’re important when it comes to streamlining the functional and visual flow of your event space. They protect essentials like sound cables, data cords, and audio feeds from various types of traffic, as well as keep them organized throughout the event.

Knowing how to choose the right options for your venue can make all the difference in the ultimate success of your event. In this comprehensive guide to cable protectors, we’ll cover everything you need to know to zero in on the right options.

What Every Venue Should Consider When Shopping for Cable Covers

Before we get into special features and other factors that might make one cable protector a better fit for your event than another, let’s go over the basics. The following are some of the key criteria every venue manager or event producer company should consider when shopping for cable guard options.

Number of Cable Channels

Small, intimate events and venues with simple audio interfaces may only require a one- or two-channel cable guard. But big venues and major events will likely require protectors capable of accommodating three, five, or even more different cables.

Carefully consider your event’s technical requirements when evaluating your options. Will you need to accommodate audio feeds, lighting cables, or data cords in addition to standard power cables? Choose a cable protector with enough channels to cover everything.

If you're not using all the available channels of your protector, it's good practice to place your most sensitive cables—like audio or data—closer to the hinge side. That area is generally more shielded from direct pressure. For added protection, install the protectors so that traffic approaches from the hinge side first. 

Channel Size

You’ll also want to consider channel size when evaluating a particular cable guard. Thick, insulated cords will naturally require more channel space than slimmer examples like signal lines. Your cable protector needs to be able to accommodate the largest cables without forcing things or putting the product under pressure.

If you're running hoses instead of cables, keep in mind that water pressure can cause them to expand. In those cases, choose a channel size slightly larger than the hose’s resting diameter to avoid compression and maintain flow.

Load Capacity

What types of traffic will your protector need to withstand? Will it only be exposed to standard foot traffic, or does it need to hold its own underneath passing forklifts, carts, or full-sized vehicles?

Always match the product’s load rating to your anticipated environment. For venues where the setup changes regularly, it’s often smarter to default to heavy duty options. That way, you don’t have to second guess whether a cable cover can handle the type of traffic expected at each event. A heavy-duty cable protector is more versatile and one less thing to worry about.

High-visibility Color

Even low-profile cable protectors create rises in surface elevation, so visibility is really just as important as structure when choosing a product, especially for low-light environments. Most professional cable protectors feature high-vis colors like red, yellow, or orange to help alert people to associated changes in surface elevation.  

Other Cable Protector Features to Consider

Many top-tier cable protectors from trusted manufacturers like Elasco do a lot more than just keep cords and cables covered and out of the way. Let’s go over a few additional possibilities that can help you create a seamless, fully integrated event setup.

Modularity

Looking for a cable guard that lends itself well to unusual floor plans or fluid, changeable layouts? Modular cable protectors let you create solutions in any length you need.

Modular cable protector setups can also be reconfigured as many times as you require, providing you with a flexible foundation you can come back to again and again.

ADA compliance

Accessibility for events and venues is more than just a good idea. It’s part of staying compliant with the law. ADA cable protectors come complete with features like anti-slip surfaces and smooth inclines that more easily accommodate wheelchairs, strollers, scooters, and other mobility aids.

Go with ADA cable protectors anytime you’re planning a public event such as a festival, fair, or expo. They make it easier for all of your guests to move around freely, as well as protect you from liability.

Glow-in-the-dark capabilities

Cable protectors with glow-in-the-dark functionality make it even easier to guarantee visibility after dark or in crowded, low-light environments. Many popular cable guard options from Elasco feature innovative Elasglow technology, facilitating full visibility without the need for electricity or batteries.

The Elasglow material simply needs to be exposed to light to later produce a gentle glow that guides people safely without being intrusive or ruining the ambiance. 

Durable Polyurethane Materials

Rubber and PVC cable protectors are strong, but they can also eventually deteriorate in the face of heavy use or prolonged exposure to sunlight and moisture. Comparatively speaking, solid-cast polyurethane sets a new industry gold standard when it comes to impact resistance, general durability, and product longevity.

Going with an Elasco cable guard means accessing solid-cast polyurethane construction you can count on. No foam. No fillers. Just incredible resistance to splitting, cracking, warping, and general wear and tear. So, if you’re looking for equipment you can turn to season after season, polyurethane is definitely the way to go.

Made in the USA

American-made products carry multiple benefits to be aware of. They mean faster lead times, better compliance, and more efficient customer service if needed. Buying domestically-made products also helps support local jobs and cuts back on potential shipping delays.

Lifetime warranty

Great manufacturers like Elasco aren’t afraid to stand behind their products, and a lifetime warranty is a clear sign that that’s the case. Choosing cable protectors that you know are covered in the long run means sidestepping unexpected future expenses and enjoying superior peace of mind.

Turn to SONCO for Premium Venue-Ready Cable Protectors

Whether you’re looking for ADA cable protectors that keep you in perfect compliance with current regulations, flexible modules to better fit an unusual venue, or ultra-efficient equipment you can count on for years to come, SONCO has you covered with professional options that meet the highest standards.

Our new line of venue-ready cable protectors is fully engineered with versatility, performance, and safety in mind. Explore our catalog today for options appropriate for events of any size or type!