Top Tips for Perfect AV on London Events

Friday 19 September 2014

AV is a crucial element to any successful London event whether it be a conference, Christmas party or unique event! Here are Venue Search London’s top tips for delivering stress-free and impactful AV at any London conference venue.

Keep your options open.

Do not automatically go with the preferred supplier. Beware of any clauses from contract that restrict the suppliers that can be used and discuss before you sign. Remember, if an audio-visual provider is working at the same location (especially central London) on a regular basis, they are often aware of some of the challenges the venue presents.

Prepare a very specific and detailed brief outlining your expectations and requirements.

Specify:

• Number of delegates/guests at the venue
• Format of each portion of the meeting or unique event
• Number of speakers or panelists
• Room dimensions and set-up
• Equipment required
• Number and types of devices to be supported
• Types of operating systems to be used (e.g. Apple, Windows)
• Type of content/software to be displayed (slides, video, audio)

Get quotes from at least 3 AV suppliers.

Use the above specification to get matching quotes from three known and approved suppliers.

Ask the audio-visual companies to be specific about what equipment is required to achieve results.

The day of the meeting is too late to discover that a wireless system is needed or that the handheld microphone can’t be used at the same time as the lapel microphone without experiencing interference.

Get references from clients and venues.

Venue managers at the meeting or conference space can provide some very valuable feedback about past and current suppliers.

Once selected, provide them with a clear schedule of the event when new speakers or facilitators will be introduced.

If the client does not have the budget to keep an audio-visual technician on-site for the entire meeting or conference, arrange for support at the beginning of each day during transition.

Be sure to include the audio-visual provider in the pre-event meeting with the venue.

Don’t rush the process. Take the time to go through all details.

Be sure that the AV provider includes you as the event planner in all discussions pertaining to audio-visual.

If you are kept out of the loop and the company deals directly with the client concerning some matters, there will likely be surprises on the day of the event or meeting.

AND FINALLY….

Deliver the presentation to the AV supplier the day before for testing on their own hardware and try to avoid last minute changes that may interfere with the on-site technology. Many AV failures result from client arriving on the day with untested memory sticks with incorrect formatting!

Our experienced free venue finding team are happy to assist you with any AV requirements for conferences, awards, Christmas and summer parties, so please call them now on 0207 870 9305 to discuss your specific venue requirements or search our London Venue database now!