Planning for Audio-visual Needs

Be seen and heard at your next meeting or event

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

• 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.

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