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Does the thought of producing an AV checklist for events overwhelm you? When you consider your AV needs, you must remember how vital this is to the success of your next event. Even if it’s something you don’t want to think about, you can’t ignore this essential step. When you use our audio visual installation checklist, you ensure that your next event is seamless.
Even as a novice event planner, you will find that our checklist walks you through every step needed to put on the ultimate event. Let’s get started.
AV Requirements for Any Event
To begin, we must discuss the various audio visual elements you must incorporate at your event.
1. Mixer/Sound Board
If you plan on using more than one microphone in the room, you will need to balance the sound correctly. With a sound board or mixer, your team can adjust the volume levels and control feedback adequately.
Combine or manipulate the audio signals before they ever reach the speakers. Clearly communicate how many speakers require microphones to ensure the perfect setup.
If you need an additional microphone for the audience, you will want to verify that the mixer has the appropriate channels.
2. Projectors
What kind of projector do you require? This depends on the type of event you are hosting.
Choose a bright projector if you plan to host a presentation. This provides better visibility. Remember to look at how much natural light the room has as well. If the room contains multiple windows, you probably need a brighter projector.
If you plan to stream content instead, you might do better with a rear screen projector instead. This style offers a better visual appeal.
3. Screen
Don’t neglect the aspect ratio of your screen. This number ratio refers to the width and height of your screen. You will often see 16:9 for High Definition or widescreen and 4:3 for Standard Definition. For the most part, the widescreen is standard at most events, so make sure your presenters gauge their demonstration on those requirements unless you plan to do something different.
4. Microphones
Here are some questions you want to ask yourself about the microphones on your audio visual installation checklist.
How many microphones are needed?
What is the microphone used for?
Will the microphone stay in one place or move around the room?
After analyzing your needs, it should become clear whether to use a wired or wireless microphone. Handheld mics make movement easy but aren’t always the most reliable option.
Among your AV requirements, you might also discover that you need a hands-free microphone. There are plenty of options allowing users to clip the microphone to their collar or tie.
5. Frequency Band
This band of frequencies travels between two objects to transmit either television or radio signals. All of your electronic devices are going to require a particular frequency. You must check this carefully to ensure that your microphone doesn’t screech because it is competing with other devices.
6. Bandwidth
If your event will require the use of smartphones, tablets and laptops, you want to make sure you have enough bandwidth for seamless navigation. Otherwise, you will have a bottleneck of Internet traffic that frustrates your participants.
With higher bandwidth speeds, you ensure everyone can download and upload without hesitation. Figure out how many internet-connected devices will be present at the event. Figure on three devices per person to account for a tablet, laptop and smartphone.
7. AV Adapters
Are your speakers presenting from their own laptops? You need to have adapters on hand to project what they are seeing onto the bigger screen. With the right dongle, you can connect computers to monitors with ease.
Before the big event, don’t forget to test everything. EventBrite suggests using an AV equipment checklist and inspection during the week before your event.
5 Biggest Event Mistakes an Audio Visual Installation Checklist Prevents
When you implement an audio visual checklist for conferences, you avoid some of the biggest blunders. Here are some to watch out for.
Mistake #1: Failing to Invest in Audio
If you have bad audio quality at your event, everyone will notice. Your guests will quickly tune out and you will lose their attention. You need to figure out what audio you need for the front row, middle of the room and back row to hear guests clearly.
If the room is incredibly large, you may need delayed speakers to supply the additional sound. If you plan to work with an event team, make sure they understand what all of the presenters will be doing. If there is a musical act involved, that isn’t something you want to keep to yourself.
Mistake #2: Not Having Enough Inputs
If you choose a sound mixing board without the proper number of inputs, you are in real trouble. Instead, you want to count all of the microphones as part of your AV requirements checklist. Make sure you have enough inputs to handle more than what you need.
In addition to considering the sound requirements, you must also analyze the video aspect. Your event might require additional video switchers if you need multiple inputs. It never hurts to have more than what you need just to be safe.
Mistake #3: Assuming Everyone is on the Same Page
Don’t assume that everyone you are working with is ready for the event. It’s always best to take the time and check in. Start two weeks before your event. Set up a meeting and express your expectations. Everyone should know their responsibilities before they leave that appointment.
Then, a week before, take another minute to reach out individually. You can ensure everyone is prepared and also repeat any critical information over again. A day before the event, you will want to follow up once more. This time, you need to communicate when the person should be at the event and what you expect them to do. With clear communication, you avoid any potential hiccups.
Mistake #4: Neglecting Equipment Backups
Have you attended an event where the projectors went down? Likely, everything came to a standstill while the tech team worked out the kinks. You don’t want this to happen at your event. That’s why you should plan ahead for equipment backups.
It doesn’t matter how well everything is set up; it can still fail. Technology is often finicky and doesn’t ask permission before breaking. When you have backups in place, you can pick right back up where you left off.
Your AV company should have computers, microphones, projectors, speakers and more as part of the backup plan. Make sure these items are on-site at the time of the presentation. It does no good to have them sitting in an office across town.
Mistake #5: Hiring an AV Company at the Last Minute
As soon as you know that your event is going to happen, you want to hire a vendor. Ideally, it should be the first company you put into the mix. Before you even sign a venue contract, it helps to know who will be handling your audio visual equipment.
With the right AV company by your side, you can find the venue that fits your needs. Many AV companies also work with several sites already, and can often acquire a discount. If your company knows someone, you might even help the budget out a little.
Conclusion:
Before your next event, you want to use our audio visual installation checklist to ensure everything is in place and ready.
Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments!