Event microphone allocation
The programme lists speakers, panels and audience questions, but nobody has said how many microphones each session needs.
The short answer
Microphone allocation is a session-by-session list of who speaks, from where, and what they need to be heard: a podium microphone, a handheld, a worn microphone, a table microphone for a panel, or an audience roaming microphone. The organiser states the need. The AV supplier decides the equipment, frequencies and mixing.
Build the list from the programme, not from the equipment price list. Count simultaneous speakers per session, because that number sets how many channels are live at once.
Start from how each session is run
A keynote, a six-person panel with a moderator, a workshop with table discussion and an awards ceremony each need different arrangements. Write down the format of every session first, then who is speaking at the same time.
Ask the supplier which microphone types it will bring and in what quantity; do not specify brands or technical settings yourself.
Information the AV supplier needs from you
| Fact | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Number of speakers talking in the same session | Sets the number of live channels and whether panel table microphones or worn ones are better. |
| Speaker movement: podium only, walking, seated | Decides between fixed, handheld and body-worn. |
| Audience questions: roaming, aisle stand or moderator reads cards | Decides whether runners with handhelds are needed and how many. |
| Interpretation or captioning in use | Interpreters and caption operators may need a feed from the mixing desk; confirm with the supplier. |
| Recording or livestream of the session | The recording team may need a separate feed; see recording deliverables. |
| Room changes between sessions | Reset time and who moves microphones. |
Allocation decisions to make
- Spare microphones: ask what the supplier holds in reserve per room and where it is kept.
- Who hands microphones to speakers, who collects them and who switches them on.
- Whether guests wearing worn microphones need a briefing on switching off before leaving the stage.
- Where the audience microphone runners stand and who directs them, shown on the stage cue sheet.
- Battery changes: ask the supplier when and by whom.
Check it at the technical rehearsal
At the rehearsal, have each speaker or a stand-in use the actual microphone they will use on the day. Note distance, handling and any dead spots on the stage in the rehearsal issue log. Do not accept a verbal check from the supplier as the only test.
Worked example · Fictional example
A half-day forum with a panel and open questions
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional industry forum has one keynote speaker, a panel of five plus a moderator, and a question segment of 20 minutes from a room of 180 attendees. The organiser asks for one podium microphone, six panel microphones, and two roaming handhelds for questions, with two spare handhelds.
The AV supplier replies that it prefers worn microphones for the panel because the stage table is narrow. The organiser agrees, records the change, and asks for a 10-minute reset between the keynote and the panel so the worn microphones can be fitted.
Use this yourself
Microphone allocation worksheet
One row per session. Leave the equipment column for the AV supplier to complete.
- Session name, time and room:
- Speakers on stage at the same time (number and role):
- Speaker movement: podium / seated / walking:
- Audience questions: roaming / stand / moderator reads cards:
- Interpretation, captioning, recording or livestream feed needed:
- Reset time before this session:
- Equipment proposed by AV supplier (type and quantity):
- Spares held per room, and where kept:
- Who hands out, collects and switches on each microphone:
- Tested at rehearsal by (name, date):
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- One room, one speaker at a time and a single podium microphone.
- The AV supplier already supplied the same room last year and has kept the layout.
- A team member can attend the rehearsal and check each microphone.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Panels, workshops and ceremonies are run in the same day with fast resets.
- Interpretation, captioning or livestream feeds depend on the same audio source.
- No one on your team can attend rehearsal and test each session.
Want the microphone plan set out for your supplier?
A conference project lead can turn your programme into a session-by-session microphone list, send it to the AV supplier, and check the proposed equipment against the run of show. Equipment, frequencies and mixing remain with the AV supplier.
Questions organisers ask
Should I specify microphone brands?
No. State the use: panel, roaming, podium, worn. The AV supplier chooses equipment suited to its own system and the room.
How many spare microphones should I ask for?
Ask the supplier what it normally holds in reserve per room and where they are kept. The right number depends on the room, the programme and the supplier's system.
Who tells speakers how to use the microphone?
The AV technician or stage manager gives a short briefing before the speaker goes on. Include it in the technician briefing pack so it is not forgotten.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.