Corporate events provide a great platform for delivering messages to a wider audience, and the quality of the presentation plays a key role in driving that message. Using eye catching visuals along with the right audio components help to bring the presentation alive, allowing the audience to not only turn their attention to the message, but to connect to it, ensuring that they remember it long after the event is over. Corporate events include lots of activities to ensure that everyone has a good time, and a seamless A/V experience supplemented with stunning visual and sound is what keeps the audience focused on the message.
Corporate event production plays a vital role in not only spreading the word, but also making sure that it is received by the audience the way you intended. It also ensures that the messages conveyed are not only conversed during the event, but that they stay with the audience as they become the voice of your message after they go back to their daily lives. In order to achieve this, there are several requirements for creating the perfect A/V experience in an event.
Guidelines for A/V Setup
Who: Deciding the Order of Operations
Setting up the audio visual for events would be a piece of cake if we lived in an ideal world where every presenter or speaker used the same technology for delivering their content. Unfortunately this is not often the case. You will quickly find that not every presenter uses usb flash drives nor the same operating system. Many will have their own set of requirements for A/V components which you need to fulfill in order to avoid any last minute installation or worse, having to figure it out at the stage. This means that you need a dedicated person who is aware of all these requirements and how to setup the A/V components in a way that there are no hiccups on the day of the event. The best option is to hire the services of a professional event production company with expertise in providing audio video services for the event. Let the professionals deal with the audio visual setup and the coordination with venue staff to get everything in place for your event.
What: Realistically Plan for What You Need
Now that you have a single point of contact responsible for setting up the event, the next thing is to come up with the list of requirements for your event production. It is almost impossible to nail it down to every single piece of equipment you will need therefore it is advisable to put in a little buffer and carry a little more then what you think is essential. It’s better to pack a little extra and be better prepared in case something goes wrong or a component malfunctions on the event day. It’s always best to carry a backup in case something breaks. If your budget doesn’t allow for you to carry backups for larger components like screens or projectors, then you need to ensure that these components are in perfect working condition and properly test them before the event.
Where: Audio Visual Event Equipment
If the event is small with a handful of people and minimal requirements for A/V components, then you might be able to get away with a DIY approach for setting up A/V equipment. But the same approach is not applicable for larger events. In fact you might set yourself up for failure if you go down the DIY path for an event at a larger scale with higher sets of demands. In order to ensure the success of event, the best thing to do is to call in the professionals and let them deal with any A/V equipment related issues that might arise on the day of the event. With the event organizer occupied elsewhere in the event, orchestrating all the presentations or calling all presenters to be ready for their turn, you will need a team who can provide quick fixes for any malfunctions or power failures. This team will take care of all your A/V equipment needs from replacing a damaged power plug to fixing an out-of-order power outlet. They will be well prepared for everything you might need for fixing any electrical issues from extra power cords, splitters, backups, and even wire covers – making sure your audience enjoy a flawless event without any disruptions.
When: Timing and Presentations
If you want your event to go like clockwork, without any unnecessary delays or unwanted complaints from the audience about the visibility of the presentation or volume of the presenter, then you must schedule proper time for testing the audio visual components in the venue to make sure you address any visibility or hearing issues before the event. Use the same equipment that will be used during the event so that you know what to expect. Don’t only test from the front of the stage, but also at the back of the hall as well to make sure the people sitting at the back will enjoy the presentation and can see and hear as clearly as people sitting in front. This attention to detail will help you to avoid listening to attendees complain about audio or visual imbalances or even worse, having attendees flock to the doors due to unaddressed audio and visual issues on the day of the event.
How: Last Minute Plans + AV = Bad
Proper planning is what drives the execution of the project. However, since events take place in real time where margin for error is minimal, you need to make sure everything is working in perfect condition, and pre-planning is what makes it possible. This is where the event organizer comes into play. He or she is responsible for compiling a master list, preferably accessible via cloud, which includes all the details of the order of presentations and an online central document repository in the same space for keeping all the presentation content. The presenters may opt to use their flash drive on the day of event or send the presentation through email but if their flash drive malfunctions or an email attachment can’t open, then this central repository saves the day. This can save you from facing an embarrassing moment in front of your audience or even cancelling the session all together. It is also the event organizer’s responsibility to know beforehand how each presenter is planning to run their session and to make sure they have what they need for the session to avoid any shenanigans at the eleventh hour.
Key points to keep in mind
Don’t assume presenters will come digitally prepared: It is wrong to assume that every presenter will come completely prepared with everything they need for the session. There is always a chance that they might forget or misplace something essential to their presentation, in which case they will need some help. Try to coordinate with the presenters as early and as often as possible to get all their digital content in place and sent to the team dealing with A/V.
Internet and Wi-fi may not be as reliable as you think: Although the venue may offer the best possible internet solution and “flawless” Wi-Fi, internet connectivity is not something one should be relied upon to work without any hitch. This is something no event company can compensate for, especially in real time. The best way is for the A/V team to have backups of any videos readily available offline in case the internet goes down during the presentation so that they can easily switch over and continue.
Wi-Fi and/or power are add-ons in contract: It is important to carefully go through the venue contract and make sure it includes the Wi-Fi or power needs of your event. First time event hosts may not know that the basic venue rental usually doesn’t include them and they are treated as a separate line item. You must also identify the A/V component requirements of your event in advance and ensure it is included in your contracts with the venue and A/V provider.
Don’t hesitate to bring extra extension cords, high-visibility tape, and wire bridges: The last thing you want to see is someone tripping over some wires running loosely on floor and to avoid it you must specifically instruct your A/V crew to keep them as flat as possible. Also let them know if you are expecting large crowds attending your event so that they can be well prepared and be extra protective about the wires and connectivity to A/V components, making them well secured.
Before Your Event: An Audio-Visual Timeline
As the event day closes, you should start preparing the pre-event task list which includes everything that needs to be done to provide the best event production to your audience. This task list will act as a timeline and might change based on the accessibility to your venue and how much time you can spend on it.
One Month Out: With just one month to go, this is where your dedicated A/V point of contact should start coordinating with the presenters/speakers to get their confirmation of attendance and start gathering their digital content. He or she should also check with them about the duration of their presentation and you should be using this information for assigning rooms and session time slots to the presenters as well as securing audio visual resources for them. Try to gauge the maximum size of attendees at any given session to ensure what kind of screen setup you will need to provide optimal visibility to the audience
Three Weeks Out: This is the time when you should start the conversation with your A/V service provider about your precise timing requirements regarding the installation and dismantling of A/V components. All of this should be documented as part of the overall schedule. Setting up audio and video components is not something you would want to sprint through to avoid any mistakes which can end up causing frustration to session speakers waiting for their AV equipment that should have been there in the first place.
One Week Out: Time to contact the venue providers and ensure that they have covered all the event requirements from chairs and tables to mics and screen stands. They should have everything ready for you and if the stage and A/V setup is not handled by the venue then make you whoever is contracted to provide these services has it covered.
Three Days Out: With only 3 days left, this is where you will need to start scheduling the meetup with the A/V team and deciding who will meet with them and when they will do the initial setup so that access to venue can be organized. Also make sure everyone knows how to reach each other as communication is key on the day of the event.
Day of Event: Finally, the day has come and it’s time to put all the preparation and planning into execution. You have done the hard part of spending countless hours of preparation and now it’s time to see the plan in action. But with any plan there is always a chance that things may not go as intended, in which case you must make yourself available just in case you need to make any changes. If there is heavy attendance in one room, use this opportunity to test the visuals and acoustics of another prior to the next session starting. This step ensures that your event attendees are always enjoying the presenters in perfect clarity.
All this may sound difficult, especially to someone who is not an expert in the A/V world, but no need to worry as you don’t need to be an expert to provide an amazing A/V experience. All you need to do is to hire the A/V experts at Summit and let them handle it for you. They will provide you top notch audio visual services for your next corporate event, giving you more time to focus on the overall event. They understand your needs and know how to provide a breath taking experience that will keep your audience engaged, making sure that the messages you want to deliver in this event are captured and delivered just the way you want. The presenters will be pleased to see how the A/V components help in presenting their content to perfection. Summit Event Productions ensures that your audience will get a flawless and exceptional A/V experience.
Teamwork is what makes the dream work and it is an absolute essential if your dream is to host a memorable and successful event. Try to simplify the A/V setup process by following the five guidelines covered in this article which will help you to avoid any extra work that may cause unnecessary delays. It might be your first event hosting experience, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be visible.
It is recommended to engage a professional team to deal with A/V event services and while we may be a tad biased, there is no one that does a better job than Summit.