Turn the programme into an AV map
Start with session formats, not an equipment shopping list. A keynote, panel, audience discussion and remote contribution use the room differently. Record who speaks, where they move, what appears on screen and whether their voice must reach only the room or also another destination.
Ask presenters for a sample deck and any video or live demonstration. The smallest information that the audience needs to read matters more than the file's nominal resolution. A room that works for large keynote titles may not work for a software interface shown at its ordinary desktop scale.
Example room layout
Imagine a hypothetical single-room conference with a front stage, two audience blocks and a rear technical position. The programme contains a keynote, a three-person panel with a moderator and audience questions. The plan below describes roles; the venue and AV team still determine actual dimensions, seating and equipment positions.
| Location | Purpose | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Front stage | Presenter and panel, with the main image above or beside them | People do not obscure essential content; stage light suits all speaking positions |
| Audience blocks | Listening, slide reading and questions | Back and side seats, access routes and microphone handover |
| Rear technical position | Sound, source switching and show monitoring | Operator view, cable route and communication with the stage |
| Side preparation area | Fit the next speaker's microphone and confirm materials | Preparation can happen without interrupting the current session |
The guest route is entrance → seat → session → break area → return. Keep registration screens and break music from competing with the session when doors are open. If late arrivals need directions, assign that task to signs or staff rather than repeatedly interrupting the presentation display.
Map sources and microphones by programme item
| Item | Picture source | Speech requirement | Transition to rehearse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keynote | Approved presentation laptop and local video | Microphone suited to the speaker's movement and preference | Slide to video, with sound, then back |
| Panel | Title or agreed supporting visuals | Each active voice has an agreed microphone route | Keynote exit, panel seating and microphone readiness |
| Audience questions | Panel visual remains unless directed otherwise | Handheld microphones with named runners | Question, return to panel and next question |
| Break | Approved holding slide | Music or announcements under operator control | Return from break without unexpected audio |
Choose microphone form with the presenter and audio team. Shure's headset guidance highlights fit, placement and application as selection factors. A hands-free microphone still requires fitting and a voice check. Do not discover a presenter's clothing or movement preference while they are walking on stage.
Run a rehearsal of changes, not only steady states
For the example programme, test the keynote video at the intended level, the return to slides, the panel handover and an audience question from a distant seat. Check each speaking position under the actual stage lighting. If recording is required, inspect a sample recording rather than relying only on what sounds and looks good in the room.
Include an interrupted source. Suppose the keynote laptop stops producing an image. The operator should know which holding image to show, who explains the pause and how the approved backup presentation is reached. A second laptop helps only if the current deck, videos and connection are ready on it.
Remote speakers need their own test of return audio, video, communication and connection failure. Add that scope explicitly when the programme includes it; a working room microphone does not establish a complete remote-speaker path.
Reserve equipment against named failures
List what a spare is intended to replace: a microphone, presentation source, adapter or another component. Record its location, preparation state and the person who can make the change. Separate a ready alternative from an item packed in storage that needs configuration.
Agree content hand-in and revision control. The operator should be able to distinguish the approved deck from an earlier copy. Late edits need an identified acceptance path and a repeat check of affected media, especially when several presenters share one laptop.
Opening checklist
Read real slides from the farthest and side audience positions.
Check every planned voice and microphone handover in the room.
Play all video and audio sources through the actual system.
Rehearse stage changes, breaks, source failure and any remote contribution.
Confirm operator roles, communication, approved files and ready reserves.
Common mistakes are counting microphones without mapping speakers, checking videos silently and leaving transitions until the live programme. Send the room drawing and programme map with a conference brief for AV planning, including sound, presentation displays and stage lighting.