No matter what industry you're in, we all know that a big event is an important way to bring your team together. Whether it's a corporate meeting or a product launch, these events are often filled with presentations and information that your employees need to absorb. But if the audio/visual at your event isn't up to snuff, then you could lose your audience very quickly.

We can “do” AV at a lot of different levels. At VIP Audio Visual, we work with every client to understand the scope of their event, and the level of the show that they want to produce.

When we provide a quote, we do our best to match the equipment we're providing to the client's needs as we understand them. Many times we get questions from a client wondering why we’ve chosen to include a certain piece of gear. On the surface it may appear that we can get by without that equipment, but our years of experience in the industry have helped us recognize the most common problems that are likely to arise, and the tools we need to avoid them – creating a flawless event for you and your guests.

The Way Things Are

Projection and imaging have been used in corporate presentations for decades. From slide projectors and overhead transparencies, the industry moved to early CRT projectors - massive, 100-200lb behemoths that required expert technicians to converge color tubes every time they were turned on. LCD technology revolutionized the industry by introducing small and lightweight projectors that could be moved by a single person and powered off a standard 110v outlet, without the maintenance issues. In the past few years we’ve seen the introduction of DLP chips for better color accuracy, and laser projectors that are lighter, brighter, and run cooler than anything the industry has ever seen.

VIP Audio Visual Company is proud to serve as the on-site AV company at many large hotels and conference centers throughout Northern California. We’d like to introduce you to a client we’ve developed a strong relationship with over the years: Roundhouse Conference Center at Bishop Ranch in San Ramon.

Our team provides on-site management at the state-of-the-art conference center, managing events and meetings year-round for clients like Chevron, SAP, BlackBerry, and Rodan + Fields since our partnership began in 2015.

No, it’s not a hum in the audio system. It’s the sound of your attendees stomachs rumbling in unison as the speaker drones on 45 minutes past their lunch break.

How do you, as the event organizer, prevent this from happening? In this article, we’ll share some techniques that we’ve learned over decades of producing, managing and operating both large and small events.

Rehearsals usually seem to fall into one of three categories. They’re either super-organized and regimented, or really casual and disorganized, or they don’t happen at all. Most presenters view them as a waste of time - an interruption in their day that doesn’t accomplish anything. If there’s no organization, that may be true. Here’s how to set up rehearsals to maximize value and minimize time.

It’s fairly obvious: you can have the perfect venue, a perfectly planned event, and great speakers with amazing presentations, but if your guests can’t hear well then it’s all for naught. Having good audio is one of the most important elements of your meeting, and it doesn’t “just happen”. Setting up any venue for good sound requires careful planning, good equipment, and professional expertise.

If you’re planning large events, sooner or later somebody will throw the suggestion out: “Hey, you should really be doing IMAG!”

What the heck is IMAG?

Image MAGnification is simply the process of using cameras to project your presenters on the screens. It’s a great way to increase the engagement of larger audiences, making them feel like they’re closer to the action. It creates a high-end “large event” feel. For the right event, it’s a great way to go. There are a few factors you need to consider though.