Bringing together the finishing touches of any event often includes some element of AV production. Sometimes it is a simple lighting kit, or PowerPoint presentation and projector. Other times it is a large show with projection mapping, extensive staging and laser light show. No matter how big or small, the audio-visual (AV) element helps bring your event to life. Who are we kidding however, if we don’t all agree that when something goes wrong, it can suck that said life out of any event planner’s being. Especially because despite all the planning, it is the one element we sometimes can’t control!
Some of the most stressful event experiences I have encountered in my professional career have been due to something AV related. Have you ever been in a situation where you hear the presenter say from the stage “those aren’t my slides” or “my notes aren’t on the teleprompter”. What do you as an event planner do or feel in those moments, especially when you are in charge? In one of my own experiences, after a multitude of changes and cross checks, somehow the wrong slides still went up on screen. Worse yet, someone who was relying on tele prompted notes had the system fail them and completely go black. Big sigh….
So what do you do? Well, often it is not about how you respond but how you prepare. The best laid plans always need a backup or a way of knowing how to maneuver in those situations.
Here are my top 3 tips:
1: When the slides are wrong, learn how to ask for a freeze screen at the AV table and quickly get the team to make corrections on the fly, while the show is live.
2: Any time you are using a teleprompter, you should always have a printed copy of what was meant to be read that you can give to your speaker as the AV team works to fix the problem.
3: Rehearsals are key – do your best to schedule rehearsal time in advance with your speakers so they can review slides, know how they will be introduced, where they will stand and what to do when they are done.
As I said earlier, you can’t control things going wrong but be as prepared as possible for when they do.
As a speaker, if you have a room full of people staring at you on stage – you have to perform! It is up to us as planners to make the people on stage shine and help them manage through any and all mishaps.
Communication is key, here are some more tips on how to manage the room during an AV mishap:
1: Have someone from the tech table be the “voice of God” (VOG) and ask for everyone’s patience as you load a new slide deck, as an example.
2: If things really take a turn for the worse, call for a 10-minute break so that the team can get things back up and running.
There is nothing worse than seeing a room full of people turn around to look at you and the panicked AV team, with that look of “oh you messed up, now fix it!” on their faces.
Just recently I had the house music of the hotel start randomly playing through the sound system in the meeting room. It was a love song no less and thank goodness the speaker on stage was a pro and had everyone take out their cellphone flashlights and light up the room like we were at a concert!
Speakers spend a lot of time and energy preparing what they will do, say and wear while on stage. Those speakers must put their blind trust in you as a planner. They expect that when they go on stage, things will be perfect. We owe it to them to do our job behind the scenes and plan, plan, plan! Don’t make AV your foe just because it can sometimes cause you grief and be highly unpredictable. It’s all part of the excitement of what we do and do best.
The best advice of all, work with an AV team you know and trust. These are your true friends in a crisis and can help maintain the calm when all else fails.
And in the end, there is always wine.
Want to contribute to this blog series? Have a great event story you learned from? Please connect with aleen.kilislian@georgebrown.ca and stay tuned to hear more ‘I Put Out Many Fires…’ stories!
About the author:
Michelle Posner – Senior Manager, Corporate Events at Invesco
Michelle is a senior event professional that is passionate about the strategic execution of corporate meetings and events. She has a creative mindset and likes to design inspiring and thought-provoking programs that leave a lasting impression. You can reach Michelle via LinkedIn.
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