Like most things in this world – you only get what you pay for.  Great care must be taken when trimming the conference budget NOT to skimp on the critical items.  If you are comparing prices, remember, you must compare like with like.  In most cases cheaper solutions are less effective.

Is the sound right?
Can everyone hear?  Is the sound too loud?  Does it reverberate from the walls and ceiling to ruin verbal clarity?  Will everyone be able to hear the questions asked?  

Your sound should carry right to the back of the room.  It should be clear, without distortion, and should have enough volume to carry over background noise.  Your sound system must be designed to suit the audience and the room.  It is worth spending a little extra money on placing additional speakers and adding a sound control mixing desk.  A large event will require a full time operator to handle sound and lighting variations.  Badly designed sound systems will aggravate and tire your entire audience. 

If the main speaker is moving around you will need a radio microphone.  A Lapel Microphone is usually the best choice.  One or two hand held radio microphones are a great help for question and answer sessions.  There are some technical issues with radio microphones to avoid feedback.   Check these with your Operator. 

If you are playing music or a video soundtrack you will need a larger sound system than for speech alone.

Consider Music Requirements
Music is an important part of any presentation.  Well chosen background music builds atmosphere and energy as your audience assembles. It doesn't have to be too loud. Fading the music out also acts as a cue that the presentation is about to start - the audience will naturally turn their attention to the front of the room.  Music can be used to create a mood of anticipation, or to build a climax.  Take care that any background music does not overpower the presenter’s words.  Remember an older audience cannot sort music from voice as well as can a younger audience.

Consider Extra Lighting
Turn the room lights down a little to add atmosphere and make your screen graphics stand out.  Adding some coloured lighting to wash the stage area and some spots or background lighting to feature product displays or logos will make an enormous difference to your presentation.  Effective lighting is an art form, colour and intensity are important.  There are also technical considerations – power consumption and excessive heat being the most important.  AV Corporate will help you choose effective lighting within the limits of your budget

Consider Draping Requirements
Good draping makes a significant difference to any presentation.  Drapes serve three purposes – they hide background equipment and structures – they improve the acoustic properties of a room – they can be used to create atmosphere or effect. 

Heavy black velvet drapes are commonly used with screens or as stage backdrops.  Wall-to-ceiling white drapes are often used behind a bridal table.  Painted drapes, often covering a whole wall, can be used to set a theme.  This is an inexpensive way to create atmosphere.  AV Corporate can provide backdrop drapes for almost any occasion. 

Consider Using Stage Props.
A well designed stage set adds that something special to a presentation.  A good prop set reinforces the theme of the event, builds anticipation and focuses audience attention. AV Corporate has a range of hire props that can be mixed and matched to suit individual events.  

Consider Themed Events
An event venue can easily be transformed into a gala fantasy with the aid of sets, props, fabric and lighting.  Theme ideas range from beach and bush parties, to wild street carnivals and Halloween.

Most large conferences will involve at least one themed event.  Theming revitalises a conference program. The prospect of a gala dinner in the same old meeting room is less than inspiring. Theming can transform the room into something entirely different, transporting the delegates into a welcome world of escape.  

Themes are becoming increasingly popular for commercial presentations.  A well­ executed, relevant theme can have a major impact on a target audience. The message is an experience, its impact is far greater than the “take home message” from a video or screen presentation. 

Consider Technical Support
Take pity on your presenters.  Consider having a Technical Operator on site. A presenter talking to an informal gathering of twenty people, operating their own presentation is fine. For a large audience, no presenter could be expected to fade lights, play tapes or CD's, operate a notebook computer and still make a coherent speech.

A Technical Operator, on site, can handle all the switching and button-pushing for you. The resulting presentation will be far more polished. An on site operator is also trained to handle technical emergencies.  This may be as simple as a member of the audience kicking out the power cord, but given the stress of the moment, it takes a level-headed expert to get things moving again.

Rehearse Everything
Some presenters like to turn up five minutes before they go on. Make them arrive early and rehearse.  Professionals always rehearse it is only the amateurs who don't rehearse!

REMEMBER: Presentations and events are all about creating an impression,
and you only get one chance.

Contact us if you need to know more ...
A V Corporate Pty. Ltd. Tel: +61 2 6658 0071 Fax: +61 2 6658 0072
Email: action@avcorporate.com