Event presentation aspect-ratio checks
Speakers send slides built for one screen shape, and the venue screen turns out to be another.
The short answer
Before show day, confirm in writing the screen shape or shapes that the AV supplier will use, then check every deck, video and logo against it. The common mismatch is a wide-format presentation shown on a squarer screen, or the reverse, which leaves black bars or cropped content.
The organiser sets the content standard and does the checking. The AV supplier confirms what the screen and the playback system actually do.
Why mismatches happen
Presentation software, video editors and screens each have their own default shape. Speakers use older templates or phone-recorded video, and sponsors send logos cut for print or social media.
Some venues use more than one screen shape in a room, for example a main screen and confidence or side screens. Ask the AV supplier to list each screen and what it will show.
Questions to confirm with the AV supplier
- What screen shape or shapes will be used in each room, and are they different from each other?
- What shape is the playback output, and what happens to content built in a different shape: letterbox, crop or stretch?
- What screen resolution should content be built for, in the supplier's view?
- Will any content be shown on more than one screen, such as a main screen and a livestream output?
- Can we test one sample file on the actual screen before the rehearsal?
A practical check routine
- Write the content standard in the speaker instructions, for example the screen shape and any file format limits the supplier gives you. Point to the screen requirements page for what to ask the venue.
- When each file arrives, open it and check the slide size setting, not only its look on your own screen.
- Record the shape in the playback asset register and flag any file that differs from the standard.
- Ask the owner to resupply any mismatched file, or agree with the supplier how it will be shown.
- Recheck at the technical rehearsal on the real screens and log problems in the rehearsal issue log.
What to watch on the day
Tell the stage manager which files are known exceptions, such as a sponsor video that will show with side bars, so that nobody raises it as a fault in the middle of the programme.
Worked example · Fictional example
A conference with a mixed set of files
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional logistics association receives 11 decks and 3 videos. The supplier confirms the main screen is wide format. Nine decks are wide, two are in the squarer shape, and one sponsor video was recorded vertically on a phone.
The secretariat asks the two speakers to resupply their decks, and agrees with the supplier that the vertical video will be shown inside a wide holding slide with the sponsor's logo. All three decisions are recorded in the register.
Use this yourself
Aspect-ratio check list
Run this list for every file before it is marked final.
- AV supplier has confirmed the screen shape for each room (name, date):
- Content standard sent to speakers and sponsors (date):
- File name and owner:
- Slide or video shape as built:
- Matches the standard (yes or no):
- If no: resupplied / shown with side bars / other (agreed with supplier):
- Embedded video or images checked inside the file:
- Checked on the real screen at rehearsal (name, date):
- Exception noted for the stage manager:
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- One room, one screen shape and a small number of speakers.
- Speakers use a template you supply.
- The AV supplier offers an early file-check service.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Many speakers, sponsors and contributors send files in different shapes.
- The venue has several screens, or content goes to a livestream as well.
- No one in the team has time to open and check each file.
Need the content checked before it reaches the stage?
A conference project lead can set the content standard from the supplier's confirmation, chase and check files as they arrive, and record exceptions for the stage manager. Screen and playback configuration stay with the AV supplier.
Questions organisers ask
Which screen shape should I ask speakers to use?
Use whatever the AV supplier confirms for the room. Do not assume; some venues have a different shape from what you used before.
Can the AV supplier fix mismatched files on the day?
Sometimes by showing them with bars or cropping, but the result may not look as the owner intended. Ask the supplier what it can do, and agree it in advance.
Do logos need checking too?
Yes. Logos and sponsor slides are often supplied for print or social media. Record them in the register like any other file.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.