Early planning and collaboration are essential to event success, as is partnering with an experienced AV provider. With insights on contingency planning, space optimization, and adopting new trends, these recommendations will help you navigate the intricacies of event planning confidently, no matter where you are in the process.
The event planning process can be overwhelming, with exhaustive to-do lists of what needs to get accomplished. But we’re here to provide one list that we promise will relieve some of your planning stress surrounding AV technology. These key suggestions are essential when addressing your needs and will highlight why hiring an AV provider like AV Chicago might need to move to the top of your to-do list.
1. Start Planning Early
It’s never too early to start planning. Initiating the planning process early provides ample time to address possible issues, secure essential equipment, and introduce all stakeholders. It will also give you time to conduct comprehensive site walkthroughs, mitigating potential problems and complications that would be more difficult to manage later in the process. To avoid coordinating with multiple AV vendors, consider working with a full-service AV provider like AV Chicago, streamlining the process and letting you focus on other areas of event planning.
2. Keep Embracing Hybrid
Hybrid events may have become popular out of necessity during the pandemic, but they are here to stay. While virtual events have seen a stark drop off as in-person events are in demand again, the interest in incorporating hybrid elements is exceptionally high. Incorporating hybrid into your event not only expands your reach and access but also helps to generate increased revenue and higher engagement with your sponsors.
3. Prepare for All Possible Outcomes
It’s critical to always have a plan B, which sometimes means lining up a C, D, or E plan. Working with experienced partners helps develop contingencies for every situation, including weather-related problems, technical malfunctions, and last-minute venue issues. Consider collaborating with partners with years of industry experience, who will surely have encountered these issues before and will have the proper suggestions to address them quickly.
4. Push the Envelope
AV integration can transform an ordinary venue into a completely immersive environment, and collaborating with AV pros ensures that industry-leading technology is utilized to make your event stand out from the crowd. When AV Chicago partnered with Aspect Communication for their sessions at a conventional hotel space, projection and lighting transformed an otherwise traditional area into one that engaged attendees and heightened an otherwise typical corporate event. Take note of trending forms of engagement, including social media feeds, live streams, and QR codes, which can encourage giving if you’re hosting a fundraising event, like a gala.
5. Go Beyond Your Space
Some event spaces may have limitations, but not letting that stifle your creativity and vision is essential. Innovative broadcast technology, modular stages, and wireless technology can help optimize your spaces, while strategic lighting and sound design can enhance the ambiance and atmosphere. AV Chicago outfitted a traditional overflow room dubbed the ‘Pink Room’ with the ability to communicate and engage with the main event space, even allowing individuals in the Pink Room to be interviewed by those in the main space. This expanded the capabilities within what is sometimes a neglected space. Think you have an idea that isn’t possible? Be bold and ask your AV provider. With technology advancing daily, you never know what might be possible.
6. Follow Venue Regulations
Constant and clear communication with your venue is critical to ensure any regulations or restrictions are adhered to. This includes required sound levels, equipment placement, and power usage, which could cause issues if not planned for in advance. Power is significant since AV equipment requires sufficient power outlets and capacity to avoid circuit overload. The venue could also have restrictions concerning load-in and load-out, including time limitations, which your AV provider must be aware of before their arrival.
7. Practice, Practice, Practice
Rehearsals or run-throughs are essential to ensure that all equipment functions correctly and that the run of the show moves forward the way you expect. Setting aside time for a walkthrough ensures that your expectations are met, and if anything needs to be adjusted, the AV provider has ample time to do that. To assist with this process, organize your event content and instructions well in advance, reducing the stress brought on by constant changes or disorganization.
8. Conduct a Post-Event Evaluation
Just as connecting and communicating before an event is important, it’s essential to debrief afterward to review what worked and possible areas for future improvement. This allows partners to reflect on ways to heighten the overall experience and come prepared with recent innovations and trends to suggest when the planning process begins again.
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