Audiovisual and production coordination
Event technical requirement gathering
Before an AV supplier can quote, they need to know what actually happens on your stage.
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The short answer
Technical requirement gathering means writing down what the programme needs, in the organiser's words, so qualified suppliers can design and price the solution. You collect the facts; the suppliers decide the equipment, layout, power, rigging and safety.
Start from the programme: every session, who presents, what they bring and what the audience must see and hear.
What the organiser provides and what suppliers decide
The organiser knows the programme, speakers, audience size and content. The AV supplier and venue technicians decide the systems, positions, cabling, power and rigging, and qualified people sign off the technical and safety side.
Write requirements as outcomes, such as every row can read the slides, or remote panellists can join one session, and leave the technical solution to the suppliers.
Collect by session, not by equipment
| Collect | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Programme | Sessions, times, rooms, changeover gaps, rehearsal time wanted. |
| Presenters | Number, who is on stage together, remote or in-person, accessibility needs. |
| Content | Slides, video, audio, live demos, file formats, who supplies and when. |
| Audience | Size per session, layout preference, any language or captioning needs. |
| Recording and streaming | Whether needed, who owns the output; see the sibling page on deliverables. |
| Roles | Organiser contact, supplier contacts, who has authority to change the programme. |
Ask the venue and supplier what exists already
Request the venue's technical information and what is included in the hire, in writing. Ask what the venue's own technicians can do and what must come from an outside supplier.
Do not assume equipment is included. Ask for the list and who supplies each item.
Identify unknowns and who answers them
Flag what the organiser does not yet know, such as whether a panellist will present remotely. Give each unknown an owner and a decision date.
Use the production responsibility map to record who is responsible for what once suppliers reply.
Turn requirements into a request to suppliers
Put the requirements into your request for proposal so every supplier quotes against the same facts. The RFP completeness checker shows which mandatory specifications are still missing before you send.
When requirements are agreed, build the stage cue sheet so cues, operators and fallbacks are written down.
Worked example · Fictional example
A one-day conference gathering requirements before tender
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
Persatuan Fiktif Perunding Alam Sekitar plans a one-day conference for about 300 delegates with one main room and one breakout. The secretariat lists six sessions, two panels, one remote keynote and a short video.
The sheet records who presents, file formats, slide delivery deadlines and the request for captions, and flags three unknowns: panel size, remote keynote time zone and whether the session is recorded. Each has an owner and a date before the request goes out.
Use this yourself
Technical requirements sheet
Fill this in with your team before you contact AV suppliers.
- Event, date, venue and rooms:
- Sessions: time, room, format, audience size:
- Presenters per session: number, in-person or remote, accessibility needs:
- Content: slides, video, audio, demos, file formats, who supplies and by when:
- Rehearsal or sound-check time wanted:
- Recording, streaming or captioning needed? Owner of the output:
- Equipment the venue lists as included (as stated by the venue):
- Unknowns, each with owner and decision date:
- Organiser contact on the day and decision authority:
- Technical and safety sign-off to be provided by: (supplier / venue, to confirm)
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- A simple programme in one room with a venue that supplies its own AV.
- Few presenters, standard slides.
- One person can collect the details.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several rooms, remote speakers, recording or streaming.
- The venue and supplier give different answers about what is included.
- Procurement needs a documented specification before approving quotes.
Need the requirements gathered and put in front of suppliers?
A conference project lead can collect the programme facts from your committee, write the requirements sheet, issue it to AV suppliers and track their replies and open questions. The planner does not supply production: system design, power, rigging and safety sign-off stay with qualified suppliers and the venue.
Questions organisers ask
Should we specify the equipment we want?
Describe the outcome and the programme. Qualified suppliers should propose the equipment and layout, and you can ask them to explain their choices.
When should requirements be collected?
Before you ask for quotes, and again after the speaker list changes. Date the sheet so suppliers know which version is current.
Who signs off the technical setup?
Qualified suppliers and the venue, as they confirm. Ask them in writing who signs off what, and keep the answers with your records.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.