Why AV Can Make or Break the Attendee Experience
Karla Reyes
Director, Customer Experience
I’ve talked to many AV professionals, some of whom are just starting out and others who are seasoned pros, and one thing we all agree on is this: AV can absolutely make or break the attendee experience.
Those of us who have been in the industry for a while know that AV is the centerpiece of any meeting or event. However, it can be easily overlooked amid discussions about F&B, venue location, and entertainment. But AV goes far beyond being a simple line item on a budget. If you take the time to really think about it, it’s about helping companies communicate their message with clarity and impact. It’s the difference between a message being heard and a message being felt.
As someone who’s been in this space for many years, I can say with confidence: AV is one of the focal points of any event. Let’s be honest, we’ve all been to an event where something went wrong, the audio was too low, the LED wall kept flickering, and the visuals didn’t sync up. Did it pull you away from the overall message? Did it diminish your overall experience? More importantly, how did it make you feel?
These technical missteps can create friction. And that friction becomes part of the memory. Because ultimately, events are about experience and experience is rooted in emotion.
The Power of Experience
Now, Imagine the opposite.
The music is pumping. The room is filled with smiles. Something feels nostalgic. The lights sweep across the room just right, people are dancing, laughing, taking photos. It’s a VIBE.
That’s what AV can do when it’s executed at the highest level. When someone has a positive experience, they’re more inclined to share it, to talk about the moment and why it mattered to them. The emotional connection sparks advocacy, and that advocacy fuels trust not just in the event itself, but in the brand behind it.
That’s why we AV professionals do what we do. Beyond the lights and the audio, we create moments that matter. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about the gear, it’s about the guests, our customers, and their experience.
Designing with Emotion in Mind
When planning an event especially the AV elements like lighting, audio, video, and other enhancements it’s easy to get hung up on the technical details. But I encourage planners to take a step back. Rather than becoming hyper-focused on the gear, consider the emotional journey they’re crafting through AV. You're not just designing an event; you're creating a lasting memory.
Let’s reverse engineer the planning process something AV experts do instinctively. Begin with the end in mind: what emotions or energy do you want your audience to leave with? Once you identify that, work backwards to determine how to achieve it.
To deliver an impactful and meaningful experience, understand that AV is a storytelling tool. When used strategically, lighting, audio, video, and visual elements can engage the audience and leave a powerful impression. Cutting corners here can risk the overall impact and undermine the entire experience. Gone are the days when a projector and a few microphones were enough. Today, it’s all about immersive impact.
Collaboration is Key
Turning your vision into reality requires planning and early collaboration with AV experts. This allows creativity to flow, aligns your vision with technical possibilities, and helps identify potential challenges along with contingency plans to overcome them.
At the core of it all, AV has evolved into one of the most important pieces of the event puzzle. It doesn’t overshadow F&B, location, or entertainment but it’s what ties all those elements together to deliver a memorable, emotionally resonant experience for attendees.