Probably one of the most frustrating things about any live presentation is AV equipment. Can we get an Amen on that one? Between the venue and the speakers, making sure that all necessary equipment is present and in good working order is absolutely vital to pulling off any event. If any of you have ever had to deal with missing equipment right before a presentation begins, you know how that can send shivers down your spine.
Usually, venues have all their own equipment, but sometimes the speaker brings their own. Or the venue provides most of it, and the speaker brings their laptop or a thumb drive with the presentation on it. How do you keep track of who does what? As a program manager, this is a part of your job — but we’re here to help you!
If you don’t already have a handy checklist of all your AV equipment, we’ve got one for you! You can download it and customize it as necessary. Here’s how to use it:
- Download the PDF, then open it up in a program like Adobe Acrobat.
- All the sections in purple can be customized (don’t worry, the purple color won’t print)
- Check off the equipment you offer at your venue for that speaker.
- Add any notes into the right side note section — this is a great place to let the speaker know what they need to bring or add any equipment that is not on the list. If you are adding equipment, we suggest typing it in bullet point format so it’s easily scannable to the speaker.
- If you have the Pro version of Adobe Acrobat, you’ll be able to easily edit the PDF to add/change the checklist. The free version of Acrobat will allow you to check off items on the checklist and type copy into the purple-shaded areas, but you will not be able to edit the existing copy or add any formatting like bullet points or bold type.
- Finish with your venue name and contact information at the bottom.
- Email it to your speaker(s) so it’s crystal clear what you include for their presentation.
There you have it! Just another way to get and stay organized and communicate clearly with your speakers. This PDF definitely works best with the paid version of Acrobat, which many of you likely already have — and if you don’t, you can always print out the PDF and write your notes on it.
Do you have a great way of organizing your AV equipment for your venue’s events? Let us know! We’d love to share it with our readers.
