AV technology at events — what you really need and what you can skip

The microphone wasn't working. The speaker stood on stage, 280 people in the room, and the first five minutes of the keynote passed in silence. The technician ran forward. The back of the room checked their phones. The moment was gone.

"The AV supplier's quote was the lowest of the three," says the organiser. "I should have understood that as a warning sign."

What AV technology costs — and why it pays off

AV technology accounts for an average of 10–18% of the total event budget. Organisers typically set aside around 8% — professionals advise 15%. The difference comes down to the understanding that AV problems cause disproportionate damage to the attendee experience.

A basic AV package for a full-day conference of 100–150 delegates (projector, screen, microphone, sound system, technician): €800–1,500.

A professional package for the same group (LED screen, multiple microphones, professional mixing, back-up equipment, two technicians): €2,500–4,500.

The difference: the professional package always includes back-up equipment. That is what you are buying for that extra thousand euros.

The absolute essentials

For every event, regardless of size:

Sound that everyone can hear. In a room of more than 30 people, a microphone and sound system are not a luxury. Attendees who have to strain to hear disengage mentally. That loss is irreversible.

Visuals that everyone can see. A projector that is too small for the room, too dim for the ambient light, or poorly calibrated makes presentations unreadable. Measure the space and select the right screen size and lumen output.

A technician who is present. Not the venue's in-house technician who is also covering three other rooms. A dedicated technician for your event. This is the most underestimated element of all.

What is optional but adds value

LED walls instead of projectors: superior image quality, even in ambient light. They cost more but require less preparation and less adaptation of the space.

Wireless microphones for panel discussions: flexible, professional and less cumbersome. A lapel microphone for each speaker in a panel discussion is the professional standard.

A back-up clicker: every speaker giving a presentation needs a spare clicker. It costs €20. It prevents the presentation from grinding to a halt if the primary clicker fails.

Livestreaming: if you are also serving online attendees, streaming quality is a separate challenge in its own right. Budget for a dedicated encoder, a separate camera and a dedicated connection — not shared Wi-Fi.

What you can skip

Elaborate light shows for daytime events. Lighting is for evening events and production shows, not for daytime business conferences. Basic stage lighting is perfectly sufficient.

LED ticker boards for information display. In practice, they are rarely read and are frequently found to be distracting. A well-designed event app is a far better replacement.

Premium speaker systems for small-scale events. In a room of 40 people, a standard sound installation is more than adequate. Investing in high-end speakers makes sense for music productions, not for meetings.

Questions to ask your AV supplier

1. What is the back-up strategy if the primary equipment fails? 2. How many technicians will be on site on the day, and are they exclusively assigned to our event? 3. Do you have experience with this specific venue? 4. What time do you arrive for the build — and how long does that allow for a rehearsal? 5. What falls outside the scope of the quote?

The lesson

The organiser now always books the middle-tier package — never the cheapest. "The cheapest package has no back-up. And back-up is not the element I want to cut corners on."

The microphone that failed cost her nothing extra — it was covered by the supplier's warranty. But the ten minutes that were lost were permanent.