When an event happens as planned no one will notice because that’s what everyone expects! But when a problem happens…. every one notices. That’s why it’s important for executive assistants to build relationships with experienced AV (audio visual) experts they can trust.
Do you have questions about your upcoming event?
The right AV expert can give you answers and identify any potential issues with setup, service, production and equipment.
Here’s some advice on how to build better relationships to make your event a complete success:
- Review your AV contract together. Do you need one or more AV technician for the event? Are there restrictions and requirements to your AV presentations? What are the time restrictions?
- Review your budget together. Your AV expert’s trustworthiness and knowledge of event budgets can help identify cost overruns before they occur. Explain what your event needs to accomplish.
- Do a venue inspection with your AV expert to look for communications issues, internet, and security details. Anticipate any problems or issues with stages, podiums, microphones, power supply, sound quality, feedback, video presentation, timing, recording and internet streaming.
- Can you adapt your event format and AV presentation to the audience demographic?
- Plan your AV presentation to work with individual speakers’ needs and preferences, and plan for post-event internet distribution.
Audio visual is really a relationship industry. There are executive assistants who start from scratch and repeat the whole AV planning process over each time they have an event. But if you understand that an AV company is much more than just a location to rent equipment, and serves as a resource for expert consultation, you’ll understand there’s no reason to constantly reinvent the wheel.
A high-quality AV company alleviates the burdens of equipment selection, planning, set-up and breakdown. Thus allowing repeat clients to make minimal calls and emails, easily scratching audio visual off your to do list.
To maximize this consistency and familiarity, superior AV companies will often assign a single point-of-contact who handle repeat requests and events for specific clients. Requesting the same proven AV account manager to handle repeat events makes a lot of sense, as it enhances efficiency and reliability. This account manager will be familiar with the venue, with the event and with any challenges or issues that occurred during previous events.
As always clear communication is the key to great events and building better AV relationships. It serves to help the executive assistant make their business events a complete success, each and every time.
By Kath Creel, Marketing Director at Impact AV Australia
