Steve Wildemann is president of Rental and Staging Network and president and owner of Advanced Staging Productions in Pennsylvania. With more than 30 years of experience in the event technology business, he leads RSN, a top-tier network of live event production companies throughout North America. For more information, visit www.rentalandstaging.net.

To make a convention or meeting memorable, attendees need to walk away feeling inspired with a renewed connection to each other and the company.

Create a connection with your attendees and make your company’s message stand out using audio-visual (AV) technology as an effective delivery tactic. AV technology can drive an entire conference in exciting new ways to engage attendees and deliver memorable results.

Leveraging AV as an engagement tool doesn’t have to cost a fortune. There are ways to maximize new technology, such as LEDs, to dazzle.

Technology advances have allowed audio-visual companies to deliver impact with a reasonable investment. Ask your AV partner for advice on how to showcase your company’s message in an engaging way.

LED Lighting

Bulky, power-hungry lights of the past are being upgraded to lighter, brighter, modern LED lighting systems. These efficient systems are more reliable than traditional incandescent lamps and offer brighter, cleaner light for all types of events.

The lights are also more compact, which gives more options for setting up in meeting spaces with a smaller footprint. In addition, they are much cooler than traditional lights, so spaces do not have to adjust for heat from the lighting.

LED lights also have many more features, including programmability, color choices, movement and shapes. Some lights are capable of having an image file programmed for projection in addition to just lighting a space. Interchangeable patterns often come with these LED lights, enabling a shape to be layered to create lighting textures.

Large-Format LED Panels Increase Floor Space, Attendance

The old-school tripod screen or rear-screen projection are no longer your primary options. Large-format LED panels are taking over with sleek styling and a smaller footprint. The demand for this equipment at events has been steadily increasing for many reasons, including:

• LED screen resolutions have increased, dramatically changing the quality of the presentation in the last five years.
• Panels can be put together to form larger, custom-looking screens for any space. Ultra-wide curved screens offer a cinematic look helping to create an immersive, theatrical experience for attendees, similar to how a large movie screen captures an audience.
• When using larger panels, don’t just think horizontal. Turning them vertical gives a whole new perspective to an image, especially with social media feeds.
• Leverage the larger screens as a platform to showcase your social media feeds, which will reinforce your relevancy and engage members, especially the younger ones, who prefer to connect virtually before they spend time in person.
• LED screens have a much smaller footprint than traditional screens and projectors. Space-hogging rear projection systems can take up a large footprint in a room; whereas, an LED panel can be placed against a wall with minimal intrusion. In most cases, this means a meeting planner can gain back one-quarter to one-third of their event space for more attendees. The slim profiles also allow for additional screens to be used within a space, allowing all attendees to have a perfect view of the presentation.
• Costs on this technology have come down so they can compete with traditional projection systems. Setup costs can be less than traditional systems, especially since venues are capitalizing on exclusive rigging rights that sometimes increase traditional costs. LED panels are so lightweight, they can be supported with ground-based stands instead of needing rigging.

Sound Mapping Directs Attendees’ Attention

Attendees usually hear something before they see it and naturally look to see where a sound is coming from. Sound mapping is a technique that balances the sound for wherever attendees are in the room.

For example, if someone is speaking from the corner of the room, the sound comes from that direction to draw attention to it, then the sounds move to the next spot in the room.

As an event moves around a room, the computer-controlled sound processor automatically adjusts the speakers for each cue, creating an immersive environment so the sound naturally appears to come from wherever the speaker or performer happens to be.

Projection Mapping as Event and Exhibit Hall Engagement Tool

Projection mapping is an opportunity to pump new, vibrant life into a space, which can add value for key presenters or sponsors, who want to maximize their visibility to potential patrons.

Projection mapping enables light to be mapped and projected onto any surface — leaving the traditional pipe and drape exhibit booth in the dust.

This tool allows three-dimensional objects of any size and shape to become canvases for images or video. Everyday objects come to life with color and the optical illusion of movement.

New technology is making projection mapping easier and faster to execute at events. Instead of taking hours to render an image, computers may take minutes or even seconds to process and have it ready for use, cutting down on time and labor costs.

The human eye is naturally attracted to light and movement, so projection mapping onto something within your event or exhibit space is an effective way to draw eyes to where you — and your clients — want them.

Partner with your independent audio-visual provider to collaborate about ways to integrate the latest technology to attract additional sponsors and attendees to your event. C&IT