Conference technology guide: AV for congresses and conferences

The short answer

Conference technology is the audiovisual technology that turns a large programme with multiple rooms, sessions and speakers into one coherent whole. Where a single presentation is about vision and sound in one space, conference technology is about coordination: parallel rooms that each have their own setup, a central keynote that brings everyone together, often multilingual support, and registration or a livestream to widen the reach. The key is that everything connects and that the timing across the whole programme is right.

You do not have to oversee all of this yourself. You supply the programme and the run sheet, and the technology is built and coordinated around it, from advice and setup to operation and collection. This guide shows which elements keep a conference running smoothly from a technical point of view.

Multiple rooms: coordination is the core

The biggest difference from an ordinary presentation is the scale. Each room has its own sound installation, screen and microphones, matched to its size and the type of session. A large plenary room calls for a heavier setup than a small break-out space.

The challenge lies in coordination. Sessions start and end in sync, speakers move between rooms and the audience relocates during breaks. An overarching plan with clear run sheets per room keeps this on track. See how this is put into practice with presentations and congresses. For workshop-style break-out sessions this ties in with trade shows, training courses and seminars.

The keynote: the moment that brings everyone together

The plenary keynote is often the highlight and deserves the heaviest technology. Think of a large screen that is legible all the way to the back, speaker lighting that directs attention and a sound setup that fills the entire room evenly. With a keynote that has several speakers or a panel section, switching between laptops, cameras and microphones becomes the critical point.

For choosing the right imaging in a large room, the guide on screens and projection helps, and for the styling the guide on event lighting. The practical layout of the stage falls under stage and finishing.

Intelligibility across the entire conference

At a conference dozens of people speak, from keynote speakers to panel members and questioners from the audience. Intelligibility is therefore a common thread. Each room needs the right microphones, and with panels and audience questions coordination comes into play so that nothing drops out on the recording or in the room.

How to approach this per room is covered in the guide on microphones and intelligibility. The underlying setup falls under sound and intelligibility.

Multilingual support: interpreters and translation in your ear

At an international conference, not all visitors speak the same language. With simultaneous interpretation, visitors receive the translation through a receiver in their ear, while interpreters translate live from a booth. This requires separate audio channels, a good connection between the interpreters and the room installation, and enough receivers for the number of visitors.

Plan multilingual support early, because it affects both the sound setup and the logistics of handing out and collecting the receivers.

Registration and livestream: widening the reach

Many conferences want to record sessions or broadcast them live. Registration produces reusable recordings, for example for those who missed a session or for later use. A livestream reaches viewers who are not physically present. Both require extra cameras, separate audio straight from the mixing desk and vision mixing that switches between speaker and presentation.

If you also want online viewers to take part, you are talking about a hybrid conference. Read more about it in the guide on hybrid events and the guide on business livestreams. The service itself is covered under hybrid events and livestreams.

Preparation: site check, setup time and rehearsal

A conference succeeds or fails on preparation. A technical site check maps out the power supply, the internet, the access for loading in and the dimensions of the rooms in advance. That way you avoid surprises on the day itself. Read how to carry out a technical site check.

Also count on ample setup time, because setting up and coordinating multiple rooms takes more than a single setup. What you can expect is set out in the article on setup time for an AV production. Finish with a technical rehearsal in which you test the keynote, the switches and the translation.

Common mistakes

• Planning too little setup time for multiple rooms
• Not aligning the run sheets between rooms
• Arranging multilingual support only late, when it affects the sound setup
• Underestimating audience questions, so they drop out on the recording
• Treating registration or livestream as an afterthought
• No central coordination, so rooms fall out of step

Conference technology checklist

• Number of rooms and type of sessions per room mapped out
• Heavier setup planned for the plenary keynote
• Microphone plan per room, including panels and audience questions
• Multilingual support and number of receivers determined if needed
• Registration or livestream planned early
• Location technically checked for power, internet and access
• Ample setup time and a rehearsal moment scheduled
• Central coordination and clear run sheets arranged

If you want to hire equipment yourself, take a look at the shop link above. If you want a conference fully taken care of, HuurAV handles advice, delivery, setup, installation, on-site support and collection in Amsterdam and the surrounding area.

The next step

Share your programme, the number of rooms and your wishes around language and registration, and it will be translated into a complete technical plan with the right equipment, coordination and support. That way your conference runs from keynote to final break-out without a hitch.