Why hotel AV planning is different (and where people mess it up)

Hotels are built to host events, but they’re not built for your event by default. Every ballroom and conference suite has its own quirks: low ceilings, pillars, weak Wi-Fi, noisy air con, awkward power locations, strict rigging rules, and in-house AV pricing that can get silly fast.

The most common mistake is leaving AV “until later”. That’s how you end up with mics that feed back, screens nobody can see, and a schedule that falls apart because no one planned a proper rehearsal or cueing process.

If you want a corporate event that feels high-quality, you need to treat AV like the backbone of the day, not an accessory.

Before you talk to the hotel or any AV team, be clear about what the event actually is.

Define:

• Event type: town hall, training, leadership offsite, awards, product launch, investor day, sales kickoff.
• Audience size: not just total headcount, but how the room will be laid out.
• Content type: slides only, videos with sound, live demos, remote speakers, panel discussions, Q&A, audience polling.
• Format: in-person, hybrid, livestream, or recorded for internal use later.
• Tone: corporate and clean, or more “show” with music stings and lighting looks.

Simple rule: if the audience can’t hear clearly and see clearly, the event fails. Everything else is decoration.

Step 2: Understand the room before you rent a single piece of kit

Hotels will happily tell you “we have AV available”. That means nothing.

You need a proper room check, ideally a site visit, or at minimum a detailed tech spec from the venue.

What to check in the space:

• Sightlines: pillars, chandeliers, low beams, awkward screen placement.
• Ceiling height: affects projector throws, truss, lighting, speaker placement.
• Acoustics: echo, hard walls, glass, low ceilings, noisy HVAC.
• Ambient light: windows, skylights, bright chandeliers, lack of blackout.
• Load-in access: lifts, corridors, delivery doors, time restrictions.
• Rigging rules: some hotels allow nothing flown, some require approved riggers only.
• Control position: where FOH (front of house) can sit without being in the way.

If you skip this, you’re guessing. Guessing is how you get cooked on the day.

Step 3: Decide if you’re using in-house AV, external AV, or a hybrid

Hotels often push in-house AV hard. Sometimes that’s fine. Sometimes it’s overpriced and underpowered.

In-house AV can be good if:

• The system is modern and well maintained.
• They provide a competent tech team.
• Their pricing is reasonable and transparent.
• The room is already designed around that setup.

External AV can be better if:

• You need higher production value.
• You need flexible gear choices and better support.
• The hotel’s kit is dated.
• The in-house quote is inflated.

Watch for hidden costs:

• “Patch fees” for plugging into hotel systems.
• Internet charges for dedicated bandwidth.
• Labour minimums and overtime rates.
• Union labour requirements.
• Fees for rigging, power distro, or access.

If you want control, insist on a clear scope and a single point of responsibility for the full system.

Step 4: Build the AV plan, audio first (because bad sound is unforgivable)

Most corporate events are speech-heavy. That means intelligibility is the goal, not volume.

What you should plan for:

• Presenter mics: lav mics for keynotes, handhelds for Q&A, headset mics if the presenter moves a lot.
• Panel mics: handheld pass mics, table mics, or boundary mics depending on setup.
• Speakers: distributed coverage beats “two loud speakers at the front” in most hotel rooms.
• Playback audio: walk-in music, stings, videos, and remote audio if hybrid.

Common hotel audio problems:

• Feedback because speakers are too close to mics.
• “Dead zones” where the back can’t hear clearly.
• Loud front rows, quiet back rows.
• Unplanned Q&A where no one can hear the questions.

If your AV partner doesn’t talk about speaker coverage and mic choice early, they’re not thinking like a pro.

Step 5: Visuals and screens, make sure everyone can actually see

Hotels love projectors. Projectors are fine, until the room is bright and the image looks washed out.

Choose the right approach:

• Projector + screen: good in darker rooms, cost-effective, but needs control of light.
• LED screen: higher impact, works better in bright rooms, usually more expensive.
• Confidence monitors: essential if speakers need notes or timing cues.
• Relay screens: if the room is wide, deep, or has pillars.

Practical checks:

• Is the content mostly text-heavy slides? You need bigger screens.
• Will people be taking photos? Avoid washed visuals.
• Are there breakouts? Each room needs its own plan, not “we’ll figure it out”.

A basic standard that saves you: keep the visuals simple, crisp, and sized properly for the furthest seat in the room.

Step 6: Power, internet, and control systems, where hotel events quietly die

This is the boring bit people skip. It’s also where disasters come from.

Power planning:

• Confirm available circuits and where power drops are.
• Split audio and lighting power where possible.
• Use proper power distro for larger setups.
• Avoid daisy-chained extension leads everywhere, it’s messy and risky.

Internet planning:

• If you’re hybrid or streaming, do not rely on guest Wi-Fi.
• Ask for dedicated bandwidth, wired where possible.
• Confirm upload speeds, not just download.
• Get the network contact on the event day.

Control systems:

• Keep it simple for staff.
• Make sure the AV team can control sources cleanly.
• Label everything.
• Build a plan that still works if one laptop fails.

If you don’t have redundancy for key elements, you’re gambling.

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Step 7: Rehearsals, content management, and the run-of-show

A “soundcheck” is not a rehearsal. A rehearsal is running the actual content with actual speakers.

Content rules that prevent chaos:

• Collect slides early, standardise format (16:9 is typical).
• Check embedded videos, fonts, and click-throughs.
• Have a playback laptop controlled by the AV team, not ten different presenter laptops.
• Keep backups on USB and cloud.

Rehearsal essentials:

• Test every mic and every video clip.
• Run speaker walk-ons and walk-offs.
• Practise Q&A flow.
• Confirm lighting looks and cue timing.
• Do at least one cue-to-cue run with the AV lead.

Create a run-of-show that includes:

• Start time, end time, speaker name.
• What is on screen.
• Microphone type.
• Any music or video cues.
• Lighting changes.
• Who calls the cues.

If you’re “winging it”, don’t be surprised when it looks like you’re winging it.

Step 8: Event-day execution and post-event wrap

On the day, your job is not to “help with AV”. Your job is to keep the event moving.

Day-of checklist:

• AV team arrives early enough to test properly.
• All content loaded and checked.
• Room set, screens aligned, audio tuned.
• Spare batteries, spare mic, spare clicker.
• Dedicated comms method between key staff (radios or a tight WhatsApp group).
• A clear escalation plan if something fails.

Post-event:

• Collect recordings and confirm file formats.
• Confirm asset delivery timelines (especially if editing is involved).
• Debrief quickly while it’s fresh: what worked, what didn’t, what to change next time.

A good AV plan improves every future event because you build a repeatable process, not a one-off scramble.

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Final thoughts

A corporate event in a hotel can feel effortless to the audience or painfully awkward. The difference is almost always how the AV was planned and who was responsible for it.

If you’re running a hotel conference, leadership meeting, or speaker-led event and want the AV handled properly, Beatz Hire supports corporate events across the UK with clear audio, reliable visuals, and on-site technical support on the day.

If you already have a venue and date, you can send over the room name, guest count, and rough schedule. We’ll tell you what’s actually needed, what isn’t, and flag any issues before they become problems.

That way, you’re not guessing and you’re not fixing things mid-event.