Audio Visual Equipment

Gearhouse Group Plc

Polyvision Corporation

Simtrol, Inc.

Guide to Planning for Audio-visual Needs

Be seen and heard at your next meeting or event
By Greg Brown

Effective public speaking is an art. But even an accomplished speaker is in trouble if the room is too big, too deep or the presentation gets lost in technical snafus.

Learning to plan for presentations is more than picking up a good projector. Pros know it's understanding the room, the audience and what can always go wrong right before show time.

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know your lumens The key to getting your message across in a big room is often a video or slide projector. They are getting smaller and cheaper, but definitely not simpler.

I recommend:  Read up on how to buy a projector at EffectiveMeetings or ProjectorCentral. Some well-known manufacturers of pro-quality projectors include InFocus, Panasonic, Sharp and NEC.

Hello, this thing on? Often, the curse of an otherwise great presentation is a faulty or clumsy microphone. Get one you will be comfortable using and make sure it fits the occasion.

I recommend:  Hotels and meeting halls will normally provide full audio gear for a fee, but there can be big questions. Handheld or wireless? Boom mics or goosenecks? See a complete guide at Media College.

Complex event? Call in a pro For an office installation or at events at which cutting-edge technology is a necessary element -- say a technology trade show -- it can help to hire a professional provider. They set up gear, you concentrate on sales.

I recommend:  Some professional AV providers at the national level include Aviinc, AVHQ, AVW-Telav and Infocomm.

How to get away with the minimum If you are know your audience is small -- a conference room or less, everyone in earshot -- then dragging around a ton of AV gear will make you less professional, not more.

I recommend:  Consider a tablet-style computer. You can turn the screen toward your audience, advance slides from behind and keep talking as you go. Nearly all PC makers have a tablet model, but some business laptops popular in this space include Dell, Acer, HP and Toshiba.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Lighten the load. Many of the new projectors come with software installed to run Microsoft PowerPoint files. No laptop needed, must plug in a keychain memory drive and use the projector's remote.
• Local playhouses and fine arts theaters often have a 'second stage' for smaller shows with full audio and a control booth over the seats. Renting that for an annual event can be easier the renting a truckload of gear and help.
• The bane of audiences everywhere is the inevitable delay in AV setup between speakers. Get your presentations on a CD or keychain drive in advance, and have a tech pro load them from a single laptop.