By Amanda Kelly, Impact Senior Meeting Planner
Boldpush recently hosted a LinkedIn webinar titled The New Era of Audio Visual (AV), featuring a conversation between Julius Solaris, Boldpush Founder, and Ben Erwin, CEO of Encore, one of the largest AV companies globally. While the rising cost of AV was a central topic, the discussion also delved into event planner education and the end-user experience. Here are some key takeaways from each topic:
Audio Visual Costs
Like other event expenses, audio-visual costs have been rising each year. Several factors contribute to this increase, including the growing complexity of events that demand more advanced solutions, inflation, ongoing supply chain challenges, the recovery from pandemic-related losses, and the cost of talent. In fact, it’s estimated that the technical complexity of events has increased by 75% over the past five years, across all meeting sizes. This rise in complexity is likely fueled by the growing expectations of event attendees.
It’s estimated that the technical complexity of events has increased by 75% over the past five years, across all meeting sizes.
Event Planner Education
Event planners often juggle multiple roles, with some even specializing as event technologists. Encore is focused on educating planners to advocate for technology as a key element in driving event impact and return on investment. This aligns with the growing complexity of events, as organizers strive to meet attendee expectations for immersive and personalized experiences. The focus has shifted from simply informing participants to fostering genuine connections, which increasingly depends on integrating technology throughout the entire event planning process.
End-User Experience
In addition to prioritizing the attendee experience, Ben shared several upcoming initiatives that Encore is rolling out to enhance the AV experience for event planners and other stakeholders, including Board and Committee members, as end-users. These efforts include refining the proposal delivery process, implementing a system to track event history, and improving onsite technology to address pop-up requests. The goal is to help decision-makers transition from viewing AV as just a budget line item to recognizing it as a crucial element in boosting the overall value and impact of the event.
Despite the increasing complexity and costs, event planners can work closely with AV providers early in the planning process to ensure all options are being explored to find the best solution for each event.