If you are in business, you have meetings. And, if you have meetings, you may have audio and visual equipment needs. In today’s business climate, even the simplest meetings require some technology. Maybe your issue is the laptop with the presentation slides needs to interface with the projection equipment, or it could be that your presentation needs to be shown live in one location and also saved for future use. Maybe you have all the equipment you need or maybe you need meeting support rental equipment in Houston. One thing is certain, audio/visual (AV) planning and equipment will play a role in your meeting. What steps can you take to make certain that AV enhances rather than disrupts your meeting? - Make certain everyone is ready. Do not assume anything. Communicate regularly with all parties involved, from presenters to vendors. Be specific about your expectations and follow-up to make certain all involved understand their responsibilities clearly.
- Practice. Setting up and tearing down AV equipment correctly is a tedious, time-consuming endeavor. It is entirely possible that, depending on the size of your event, set up and tear down could each take a full day or even more. If you do not have the luxury of practicing this process at your venue, you will need to do extra planning and communicating to compensate. Additionally, don’t forget to factor in travel time and equipment unloading and organization into to your time estimates. Give yourself and your team plenty of time to get the job done right.
- Count your inputs. Carefully and thoroughly count all the audio and visual inputs your event will require and make certain the sound boards and video switchers can handle your requirements. Plan a few extra of each, just to be certain.
- Make a projection plan. How big is your audience and your venue? Will one screen suffice, or do you need multiple screens? Many a wonderful presentation has fallen flat because the audience could not see what was on the screen. A carefully considered projection plan will ensure that each guest has the experience you have planned for them.
- Consider lighting. Lighting can make or break a good presentation. If it is too light, your audience will be irritated and if it is too dark, your audience will fall asleep. Lighting plans will help avoid unpleasant shadows on speakers or screens, and, if your audience needs to take notes, you need to plan for appropriate lighting. Don’t forget to consider the natural lighting in the space when making your plan. Placing a projection screen in the path of a bright ray of sunshine is a sure way to spoil the effectiveness of a presentation.
- Plan your sound needs. Every meeting will need some type of sound equipment. Get the plan right and everyone can hear your presentation. Get it wrong and you have a disaster that may include distorted or missing sounds and annoying feedback screeches. You need to know where to place your speakers and how to adjust the volume so both soft-spoken and dynamic presenters can be heard equally.
- Know your venue. You need to know your venue, inside and out. You need to be clear about what the venue will provide for your meeting. Do not assume that all AV equipment and support will be provided by the venue, and don’t assume the in-house services are the best for the job. Don’t even assume that the power for that equipment will be included. Check and double check your venue agreement. Visit the venue. Measure it. Map it. Read your contract. Talk to the AV people. Leave nothing to chance.
Since you can be certain that AV will be an important factor in the success of your next meeting, don’t leave AV to chance. Be deliberate and careful in your AV planning. You may decide that your AV needs exceed the resources you have on hand. In that case, hire an experienced, professional AV company since these organizations do nothing but audio visual work. They have the best equipment and the people who know how to use it. Meeting support rental equipment in Houston might be just the AV solution you need to ensure the success of your next meeting. Whatever your AV needs, don't leave them to chance. Plan carefully for success.
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