Audiovisual and production coordination
Event presentation screen requirements
The venue offers a screen, the AV supplier offers a bigger one, and nobody has said who in the room needs to be able to read what.
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The short answer
Presentation screen requirements describe what the audience must see and from where, not the screen model. The organiser states the audience size and room layout, what is shown, how many screens are expected and any special needs. The AV supplier and venue propose screen types, sizes and positions, and confirm what they can supply.
Start from the furthest seat and the smallest text on a slide, then ask the supplier to show how the proposal meets it.
What the organiser can specify
- Audience size and rough layout: theatre, classroom, banquet rounds, boardroom, or a mix across the day.
- What is shown: slides, video, live camera of the speaker, captions, interpretation text, sponsor loop.
- Number of screens wanted, and whether side or repeater screens are needed for people seated at an angle.
- Whether speakers also need a screen facing them; content shapes are covered in aspect-ratio checks.
- Special needs: attendees with low vision, signers or caption readers who need a clear sight line.
Questions to put to the venue
- Does the room have fixed screens, ceiling limits or sight-line obstructions such as pillars? Ask for a floor plan marked with them.
- Where may screens be placed, and what restrictions apply? Ask for the rules in writing.
- Does the venue provide screens or must the AV supplier bring them?
- What lighting control is available to reduce glare on the screen?
- What time can the screen supplier enter the room, as set out in the load-in planner?
Questions to put to the AV supplier
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What screen type and size do you propose for this room and audience? | Shows the supplier's view of the furthest seat. |
| How will this look from the furthest seat and the side seats? | Ask for a sight-line sketch or a walk-through on site. |
| What is the native shape of each screen? | Content must be built for it; see aspect-ratio checks. |
| Where will the playback and operator sit? | The operator needs to see the screens without blocking the audience. |
| What happens to content shown on two screens at once? | Avoids mismatched or mirrored content. |
A sequence for specifying screens
- List the sessions and what each will show.
- Mark seats on a floor plan, including the furthest and the sides.
- Write the requirement as a sentence the supplier can respond to, for example: all delegates should be able to read normal slide text from every seat.
- Ask both the venue and supplier to propose and confirm in writing.
- Walk the room with the supplier on load-in day and check from the furthest seat.
Worked example · Fictional example
A 260-seat theatre-style conference
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
A fictional professional association plans a one-day conference for about 260 people in a ballroom with two pillars. The organiser writes the requirement: slides and a live camera shot of the speaker should be readable from every seat, and two seated sections behind pillars need a clear view.
The AV supplier proposes a main screen and two side screens placed to avoid the pillars. The organiser asks for a walk-through on load-in day to check from the furthest seat and records the decision.
Use this yourself
Presentation screen requirements sheet
Complete this and send it to both the venue and the AV supplier.
- Room name, audience size, layout (and any changes through the day):
- What each session shows on screen:
- Furthest seat and side seats that must read the screen:
- Number of screens the organiser expects, and any side or repeater screens:
- Content shown on more than one screen:
- Speaker-facing screen needed (yes or no):
- Special needs: low vision, signers, caption readers:
- Venue restrictions on screen position (as confirmed in writing):
- Supplier proposal: type, size, position:
- Sight line checked from the furthest seat on (date, name):
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- A small room with a venue-supplied screen that everyone can see.
- A single presentation style and a short programme.
- The AV supplier knows the room and has proposed positions.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- A large or irregular room with pillars, rows at an angle or several levels.
- Multiple screens, livestream views or interpretation text shown at once.
- Nobody on the team can compare venue and supplier proposals and check sight lines.
Need the screen brief written and compared?
A conference project lead can turn your programme and floor plan into a screen requirements sheet, put the questions to the venue and AV supplier, compare their proposals and organise a sight-line check on load-in day. Screen selection, positioning and installation remain with the suppliers and the venue.
Questions organisers ask
Should I specify screen sizes in my brief?
Specify what must be readable and from where, then let the supplier propose sizes. Ask them to show how the proposal meets your requirement.
Who decides where screens can be placed?
The venue sets what is allowed in the room and the supplier proposes within those limits. The organiser confirms the result meets the audience requirement.
How do I check it before the event?
Walk the room with the supplier on load-in day and sit in the furthest and side seats with a sample slide on screen.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.