Three Conversations Every Meeting Planner Should Be Having: Why Does Audio Still Go Wrong?

Recently my family attended a public event that had hired a professional AV company. Unfortunately, nearly everything that could go wrong from an AV standpoint, did.

Microphones produced constant feedback. Music failed to play during performances. A microphone slipped from its stand and crashed to the floor. The performers stood patiently while technicians scrambled to solve the problems. My kids even commented that their ears hurt from the feedback. To their credit, the performers remained professional throughout the entire experience. The audience stayed patient, laughed off a few awkward moments, and waited while the technical team worked through what was undoubtedly their worst nightmare.

Another recent example: I attended a keynote this year and not more than 5 minutes into the speech, Foghat’s “Slow Ride” started playing over the house speakers. I won’t name the speaker during this event but he did a terrific job staying calm, cool, and collected as the AV team searched for the source of that one…maybe it was someone trying to play Guitar Hero in a nearby ballroom? We may never know.

On a serious note, there is an unfortunate reality when AV issues arise. Even the best performers struggle when technology gets in the way.

After attending hundreds of meetings, I’ve noticed that most audio problems don’t happen because of bad equipment. They happen because of preparation.

A few simple best practices can dramatically reduce risk:

• Conduct a complete rehearsal using every microphone.
• Test music cues before attendees arrive.
• Keep backup microphones within reach.
• Walk the room and listen from the audience’s perspective.
• Whenever possible, avoid relying solely on ceiling speakers. Dedicated floor speaker systems generally provide a much better experience for keynote presentations.
• Hire an AV team/company that you trust. If you haven’t worked with them before, ask for testimonials and actually call their previous clients to learn about their experience.

Ironically, our own recent Speaker Showcase experienced a few AV hiccups even after so much preparation and testing. These things happen. The goal may be perfection, but is that realistic? Perhaps a better goal is flawless preparation with all things AV.