Most AV problems at business events are predictable: a laptop that will not connect, a microphone nobody tested, a remote participant who can hear the room but cannot be heard in it. This checklist works through the decisions in order, from the first venue conversation to the moment the last remote guest drops off the call. It assumes a meeting, launch or dinner of modest size; very large productions need a specialist crew and their own plan.
Heritage buildings deserve a special note. Many conserved buildings restrict fixings on walls and ceilings and may have limited power circuits. Choose spaces with built-in AV where possible — Karim Hall at the House of Tan Yeok Nee, for instance, is described as having built-in AV — and ask before bringing rigging, trussing or extra lighting.
1. At the venue enquiry
- What AV is built in: screens, projectors, speakers, microphones, mixing?
- Is there a technician on site during the event, or only at set-up?
- Wi-Fi: is there a dedicated network for presenters and streaming, distinct from guest access?
- Wired internet: is there a wired port near where the stream will be run?
- Power: where are the outlets, and what can each circuit support?
- What are the rules on bringing in external AV suppliers?
- When can you access the room for set-up and testing?
2. Sound
- One handheld or lectern microphone for the main speaker, plus a spare.
- Lapel microphones for panellists who move or gesture.
- A roving microphone for audience questions — essential if remote guests need to hear them.
- Fresh batteries in every wireless microphone, with spares on the tech table.
- A sound check with each speaker, at their speaking volume, in the empty room and again as guests arrive.
- Music plan for arrival, transitions and close, with volume agreed.
- In courtyards: check for traffic or neighbour noise, and for echo off walls.
3. Screens and presentations
- One master presentation file, collected ahead of time and loaded on a single show laptop.
- Backup copy on a second device and a USB drive.
- Correct aspect ratio for the venue's screen, confirmed in advance.
- Adapters for every common laptop connection, tested on the day.
- A clicker with spare batteries, and a confidence monitor for the presenter if possible.
- Video files embedded and tested with sound through the room system.
- Check readability from the back row; daylight in courtyard-facing rooms can wash out projection.
4. Hybrid and streaming
Hybrid events fail when remote participants are treated as an afterthought. Decide early whether they are an audience (watching a stream) or participants (speaking and contributing). The set-up differs.
- Choose the platform your remote guests already use, and confirm their company networks allow it.
- Use a wired connection for the streaming computer wherever possible, with Wi-Fi as backup.
- Send room audio directly from the mixing desk into the stream, rather than relying on a laptop microphone.
- Bring remote voices into the room through the room speakers, and make sure the room can see remote participants on a screen.
- Appoint a remote host — a person whose only job is to watch the chat, manage questions and speak for remote participants.
- Run a full rehearsal with at least one person joining remotely from outside the venue.
- Record, if agreed, and tell participants in advance that the session is being recorded.
5. Cameras
- A main camera on the speaker, framed from the audience's eye level.
- A wide shot of the room so remote participants sense they are present.
- Lighting on the speaker's face; avoid placing them in front of a bright window or courtyard.
- Camera positions that do not block guests' views or fire exits.
6. On the day
- Arrive early for set-up, allowing for the venue's access rules.
- Full technical run: every microphone, every slide, every video, the stream.
- Speaker briefing: where to stand, how the clicker works, where the confidence monitor is.
- Doors open with arrival music and holding slide.
- Live operation with the technician and remote host in place.
- Close and pack-down within the venue's agreed time, leaving the room as found.
7. Safety and permissions
- Cables taped to mats or covered, never across main walkways or exits.
- No equipment blocking fire exits or extinguishers; follow venue fire-safety rules and SCDF guidance.
- Permission to photograph or film guests, communicated in advance.
- Any licences needed for public performances or activities checked via GoBusiness.
8. After the event
- Collect and share recordings and presentation files as agreed.
- Note what went wrong and what worked for next time.
- Return all borrowed equipment and adapters.
Pair this checklist with the agenda templates on offsite formats and the reveal formats on launches and client evenings.