Picking the Right Event Venue from the Audio-Visual Perspective

As live events are back to normal and venue restrictions have eased, you can expect to host more big-venue events in 2023 and beyond. You have several factors to consider when planning the preparation for this event, such as the venue, the food, presenters, and marketing the event. These are essential factors, but it's also important to consider the audio visual element when choosing the best venue. 

The logistical aspect of event planning is crucial because it could spell the difference between a successful event and one that is not. Consider the audio visual requirements for your event and if the venue has the right capabilities to match that. Considering these two factors, your audience will have a much better experience.

How to Choose a Venue from the A/V Perspective

Before choosing an event venue, consider these factors to maximize your audio visual supply.

Audio Needs

The audio system you're using for your event is critical to your event planning. The right audio system enables you to communicate with your target audience clearly and effectively.

The audience size is the primary consideration when choosing the right audio system for your event venue. You will need a small venue with a simple sound system if you have a small audience. Due to the venue and audience size, a complex sound system is often unnecessary. On the other hand, you need a more complex audio system capable of transmitting sound to a large venue with a large audience.

The size and capability of the audio system is just one of many considerations. Your goal is to ensure the audibility of the presentation of the key speakers to the audience. Without this, you will fail to meet your goal of effective communication with the audience. An expert audio visual company can assess the venue's size and acoustic capabilities to find the ideal sound system for the event.  

The noise level is an often overlooked aspect when choosing an event venue. Yet, it's a critical audio-visual component that can impact on the experience of the audience. 

For example, if you are hosting a hybrid event and you have an open-air venue. Consider the noise level of the immediate surroundings, such as if you are near the highway or other nearby establishments. These factors play a critical role in determining whether that particular venue is practical and if it impacts on your audience's ability to hear the presentations. 

The ambient noise level in the venue may seem insignificant on your initial walk-through. However, you will later realize, once you see the event playback that too much background noise disrupts your event. 

Visual/Video Needs

The visual component of your event is another important consideration when choosing a venue. Again, you must consider the size of the audience. A large HD TV screen would suffice for a small audience to display your presentations. But if you choose a large venue, consider the visual and video requirements to ensure that even the audience sitting at the back can see the presentation.

Most venues have their own infrastructure capabilities for significant events and presentations, such as HD screens and digital projectors. Choose a venue with the right capabilities for the specific visual needs of your event and the audience size. The larger the audience, the higher the video capabilities required to ensure a smooth and clear presentation. 

Other A/V Considerations

Here are additional audio visual considerations when picking out an event venue:

• Projection distance – The venue and audience size can impact the projection distance during your event. Ensure your TV screen and projectors are appropriately sized for the venue. Larger screens can facilitate longer projection distances, so your audience can see visual presentations from afar. On the other hand, refrain from using screens and projectors that are too large in a small room as it can be hard to see the on-screen presentations.
• Ceiling height – The ceiling height in your event venue can impact the audio and visual component of your event planning. It also determines the size of the screen and projector and could affect the audio quality in the venue, too. 
• Room acoustics – A room with tiles and glass surfaces is more challenging for an audio visual team. Meanwhile, an absorbent environment, such as those with carpeted floors and walls, is easier to manage regarding the audio visual aspect. Make sure to let your audio visual supplier know about these conditions beforehand so they can plan accordingly for the best audio performance. 

Audio Visual Must-Haves When Event Planning

In addition to the above considerations, ensure your chosen event venue has these audio visual must-haves:

• Steady WiFi – Choose an event venue that has a reliable WiFi connection. It's crucial to ensure the reliability of the audio visual tech during the event. Ensure to visit the site before the event to perform audio visual tests on the equipment. It would be best to have a fast and steady WiFi connection to operate most A/V equipment.
• Updated infrastructure – It’s also important to check the tech infrastructure of the event venue. Even hiring an A/V supplier with advanced tech solutions won't be helpful if the venue’s capabilities can’t match them.
• HD projectors and screens – Some A/V suppliers can provide this equipment for your event, but it helps if your venue has its own projectors and HD screens. You should also check if the projectors and screens are compatible with your A/V supplier's laptops and equipment.
• Communication – You need to have adequate communication tools available to coordinate the technical aspects of the event. Efficient communication can overcome any technical hiccups along the way.
• On-Site A/V Staff – If you're hiring an A/V supplier, ensure they have staff on-site to assist you with your technical needs. For example, they can help when any of the A/V equipment malfunctions. 

The Bottom Line

Working with an audio visual company to facilitate your event can ensure that you have professional equipment and experts to offer the best experience for your audience. However, they have no control over the venue and the tech capabilities of your chosen venue. Therefore, it's essential to consider the above factors to maximize the capabilities of your audio visual team and equipment to deliver a successful event. 

‍