Guide
Conference AV Checklist: What to Ask Your Supplier
Good AV goes unnoticed and bad AV is remembered. Use this checklist to brief a supplier and to test their answers.
5 min read · Updated 2026-09-19
Key facts
- In-house AV
- Many congress venues and hotels have in-house AV, and some require you to use it. Ask before you book an outside supplier
- Historic venues
- Access, power and load-in times can be restricted, so AV needs to be planned with the venue early
Rooms and displays
- Room size and layout: how many people, and where the sightlines are blocked
- Projector or LED wall: what is needed for daylight, and for the size of the room
- Screen size and resolution, and the aspect ratio of your slides
- Confidence monitors for speakers, and a clock or timer they can see
Sound
- Microphones: handheld, lapel and headset, and how many you need at once
- Speakers sized for the room, and sound checked from the back
- Panel discussions: a microphone for each speaker, plus spares
- Audience questions: roaming microphones or a fixed one, and who carries it
- Backup batteries and a spare microphone at the desk
Content and presenters
- One speaker desk where all slides are loaded and tested
- The file formats you accept, and a deadline for receiving them
- Presenter laptops, clickers and adapters, and who provides them
- A rehearsal slot for anyone with video or a demonstration
Languages and streaming
- Interpretation: booths, receivers and interpreters for each language, and where the booths go
- Live streaming: internet bandwidth, a wired connection and who monitors it
- Recording: what is captured, who owns it and when it is delivered
Setup, power and crew
- Load-in and load-out times, and any vehicle restrictions at the venue
- Power supply and the total load, including any generator
- How many technicians are on site, and who is the lead
- A technical check the day before, not on the morning of the event
- What happens if a piece of equipment fails, and how quickly it is replaced
Questions to ask the supplier
- Have you worked in this venue before, and what were the constraints?
- What is included in the price: equipment, crew, setup, breakdown and travel?
- What is your backup plan for the plenary room?
- Who is the technical lead for the event?
Frequently asked questions
Should we use the venue's in-house AV?
It is often simpler and sometimes required. Ask what it includes and whether an outside supplier is allowed, and compare like for like.
Do we need simultaneous interpretation?
If delegates speak several languages and the sessions matter, yes. It needs booths, receivers and interpreters, so plan it early.
When should AV be booked?
As soon as the venue and dates are fixed. Popular venues and fair weeks fill quickly, and technical requirements take time to specify.
Facts on this page last reviewed: 2026-09-19.