Educator Kassia Dellabough talks audiovisual smarts for meeting professionals in advance of her 2014 World Education Congress session.
What is some of the most important AV knowledge that you’ve found meeting and event professionals often lack?
Meeting and event planners need to be generalists—skilled across all aspects of events. Often, as planners we may gain expertise in areas that are most interesting to us. Many planners are great with people, timelines and the big picture but may not have real hands-on understanding of audiovisual. It is not essential to be an AV whiz yourself but you must know when to hire help.
Here are the keys to success.
- Always have a plan B, C…even D.
- Budget properly for hiring professionals, especially for complex events.
- Make sure presenters submit any media specifications prior to the event in order to ensure functionality.
- Communicate frequently and clearly.
- Make sure you understand all contracts before final signatures.
- Simple site visits can help you avoid many disasters.
What kind of disasters have you heard about resulting from this lack of knowledge?
AV horror stories range from small to large, from speakers flushing toilets with the lavaliere mic on to wind blowing down the outdoor screens during a music concert. Important meetings reliant on AV can fail if not carefully planned.
A planner must be ready for anything! Understanding the event site and the full spectrum of resources to call on when unexpected happens is part of the creativity and resourcefulness required to successful. Once on site you must become fearless and proactive.
Without giving away too much your WEC session, can you share strategies to avoid AV disasters?
The questions below hint at the kinds of disasters planners need to be ready for.
- What do you do when the electricity goes out?
- Where are the extra batteries?
- How many outlets are on separate circuits?
- What is that buzzing sound?
- Will a podium mic suffice?
- No Internet connection, did the video get downloaded?
- Skipped the site inspection only to find the site untenable?
- You didn’t check references for your AV provider?!
What challenges do changing AV budgets introduce?
AV used to be a simple podium mic, an amplification system, an overhead projector and a few lights. AV aides in today’s meetings and events span across a huge array of media tools. The costs for these resources have skyrocketed, along with expectations to use them. There are specialized areas of lighting, sound, computing and more.
As participants and presenters increase expectations of media integration with events and meetings, planners need to carefully assess the needs against the budget constraints and goals of the event. The best planners must be able to prioritize the requests/needs as well as schedule for efficiency to keep costs down. Don’t be lured by bells and whistles; be sure your AV requirements meet the expectations of the event/meeting and that the funding is allocated properly.
What are some other AV challenges meeting professionals are facing?
There are always new technologies, such as new media that presenters might want to use. Keeping current with updated resources and making sure you are clear as to the actual needs of your presenters, vendors and other participants is key.
Clear communication about the purpose of the AV request is essential—what do (you and/or the speaker) need to accommodate, exactly? Partnering with a trusted vendor will help you navigate the complexities to be able to come in on budget without disasters.
Put simply, how can meeting professionals best overcome these challenges?
Communicate. Keep learning. Talk to your peers. Hire a professional.
