The Lady in AV

The Lady in Audio Visual

When I worked in non-profit tradeshows and association events, I often wished that I had more perspective on the Audio Visual side of the business. I said that someday I would work in AV!

A short while later, I was recruited to work as an Event Manager at an AV company. My job was basically to liaise between the client and the production team, ensuring that logistics and production needs were met on both sides. I even got to support the sales team on occasion. 

I have to say that working on the AV side has its interesting moments. Sometimes while onsite during the setup of an event, a venue manager would approach one of the guys doing setup who looked like they were in charge (it’s a male-dominated industry, let’s be real!), and that guy would point to me and say “Talk to her, she’s the lady in charge”. It was especially fun when they looked baffled and hesitant. I swear that I am not usually a scary person! ;-) 

The technicians were happy to show me how things worked, how to properly roll up cable, and what a mixer actually does. 

The work that audio visual technicians do is not easy - one wrong move can ruin critical moments. Something as simple as low microphone batteries can destroy an opening session (yes, this has happened). I will say that the responsibility lies equally with the client. Clients who were organized and informed us properly of their schedule, changes, and goals were more likely to have successful events. 

And please, don’t ever drop the mic. Hand it over gently to your closest AV technician and let them pack it up in its padded case.

#audiovisual #AV #EventManager #eventtechnician