Corporate Event AV Checklist: Sound, Lighting, Projection and Livestream

A corporate event AV checklist starts with the run of show, then covers five systems: sound and microphones, lighting, projection and screens, recording or livestream, and the power, crew and venue rules that hold it all together. For each one, you need to know how many people are in the room, who is speaking or presenting, and what has to be seen or heard at each moment. Answer those questions two to four weeks out and show day becomes a rehearsal of a plan, not a scramble.

Use the checklist below whether you are planning a 60 person training, a 300 person awards gala or a hybrid conference. Each section lists what to confirm and the questions an AV provider will ask you.

Step 1: Build the run of show first

Every AV decision flows from a minute by minute agenda. Before you request quotes, write down:

• Doors, start and end times, plus load-in and strike windows the venue allows
• Every speaker, panel and performer, in order, with how long they are on stage
• Which segments use slides, video playback, a live demo or remote presenters
• Walk-in, walk-out and award music cues
• Meal service, networking and any dancing or entertainment
• Whether anything is recorded, livestreamed or photographed

A draft is fine. A good AV team will help you refine it, but they cannot quote accurately without it.

Step 2: Sound and microphones

Sound is the system attendees notice most when it fails. Size it to your guest count and room, not just to the stage.

• Guest count and room shape. A presentation for up to about 150 people needs a modest speaker pair and a mixer. A ballroom of 300 to 400 with dancing needs full-range speakers, subwoofers and a digital mixer run by an engineer.
• Microphone count. Count the most people speaking at the same time, then add one spare. A four person panel plus a moderator needs five mics, plus a spare.
• Mic types. Handhelds for presenters who pass the mic, lavaliers for speakers who walk and use their hands, a podium mic, and a handheld for audience Q&A.
• Playback. Laptop audio for videos must be routed into the sound system. Test every video with sound during rehearsal.
• Monitors. Performers and panels may need a speaker facing them so they can hear themselves.
• A technician on site. Someone needs to mute and unmute mics on cue. Ask if the tech stays for the full event or only for setup.

Batteries are the most common cause of a dead mic mid-speech. Ask your AV team to put fresh batteries in every wireless mic before doors open, and keep spares at the mixer.

Step 3: Lighting

Lighting does two jobs: it makes presenters visible (to the room and to cameras) and it sets the mood.

• Stage wash. Front light on the stage or podium so presenters are not standing in shadow. Essential if you are filming or streaming.
• Uplighting. Colored lights along the walls to match brand colors or transform a plain ballroom. Count the walls and columns to estimate how many fixtures you need.
• Dance and effects lighting. Moving heads and washes for after-dinner dancing or awards energy, run by an operator.
• House light control. Confirm who controls the room's own lights and whether they can dim during video segments without going fully dark.

Step 4: Projection and screens

Screens fail in predictable ways: too small, too dim, or the wrong shape for the slides.

• Screen size. A common rule of thumb is that the farthest viewer should sit no more than about six to eight times the screen height away. Large rooms need bigger screens or a second screen.
• Brightness. Bright rooms and daytime events with windows need a brighter projector. In a dim ballroom, around 5,000 lumens on a 10 ft screen works well; larger screens and bright rooms need more.
• Aspect ratio. Ask every presenter to build slides in 16:9, and confirm the screen matches.
• Connections. Collect presenter laptop types early. Have HDMI and USB-C adapters at the stage, or load all decks onto one show laptop.
• Clicker and confidence monitor. A wireless slide advancer and a small screen facing the stage keep presenters from turning their backs to the audience.
• LED wall or projector. LED walls are brighter and work in daylight, but they cost more. Our LED wall vs projector guide walks through the tradeoffs.

Step 5: Recording, photography and livestream

Decide early whether the event will be captured, because it changes lighting, camera placement and audio.

• Photography. Shot list of executives, award winners, sponsors and candids. Agree on delivery time.
• Recap video. A short edited film for social media, recruiting or next year's promotion. See our event recap video guide for how companies use them.
• Full session recording. Every talk, recorded with clean audio from the mixer, not a camera microphone.
• Livestream. Platform (Zoom, YouTube, LinkedIn, a private event platform), number of cameras, slide integration, and whether remote presenters need to appear in the room.
• Internet. Livestreams need a hardwired connection with dedicated upload bandwidth. Venue Wi-Fi shared with guests is not reliable enough. Ask the venue for a dedicated line and test it during setup.

Step 6: Power, venue rules and logistics

This is the section that causes the most last-minute surprises.

• In-house AV policy. Many hotels and conference centers have an in-house AV provider. Some require you to use them, some charge an outside vendor or patch fee, and some require their technician to supervise. Read the contract before you hire anyone.
• Power. Confirm the number of circuits near the stage and the DJ or tech table. Bigger sound and lighting setups may need a dedicated power drop from the venue.
• Load-in and strike times. Know when the room opens for setup, where the loading dock is, and how late crew can strike.
• Certificate of insurance. Most venues require every vendor to send a COI naming the venue. Request the venue's exact wording early.
• Rigging and staging. Hanging anything from the ceiling usually requires the venue's approval and sometimes their rigging crew.
• Pipe and drape. Useful to hide back-of-house areas, cables and storage, or to create a clean backdrop.

Step 7: Rehearsal and show day

• Schedule a tech check at least an hour before doors, with every slide deck and video loaded.
• Have each presenter test their mic and clicker on stage, even for two minutes.
• Name one point person who can make decisions with the AV lead on the day.
• Share a final run of show with the AV team, the emcee and the venue captain.
• Keep a printed copy at the tech table in case a laptop or tablet fails.

The quick checklist

When you are ready, the easiest path is to send one provider the whole list. We quote every item on this checklist line by line from our published rate card, and our quote builder lets you tick what you need and get an itemized quote within one business day. For typical budgets, see how much event AV costs in Los Angeles.

Frequently asked questions