audiovisual, which typically refers to an electronic media that has audio and visual components, such as a multimedia presentation, has come a long way over the last 20 years. The opportunities to incorporate more cool displays in trade show booths have grown substantially, and in some ways, what used to be cost prohibitive has now become doable, even for smaller exhibitors working with tight budgets. But what if you're new to the AV arena and aren't sure how to get started? Here are some best practices you should consider when you're integrating AV into your program, as well as a few bad habits you should avoid.

1. Be sure that your AV has a purpose. Make sure that whatever you are presenting elevates the message you are trying to convey to your attendee. Maybe you're calling out a product's new features and benefits or highlighting something that's entirely new. For example, did you recently install a product at a customer location and you want to show off the flashy bells and whistles, but you can't pull it off with a static product on the show floor? AV gives lets you show action where something that's otherwise static might not come to life. But if you don't have something to present, don't bring AV to the show just to say you brought AV to the show. Does what you're showing need an AV element or can it be well illustrated with use of a static image?

2. Do consider the optimal size for content. It's not necessarily true that bigger display content is better, but it definitely should not be blocked by people. If your 10-by-10 exhibit is staffed by two people, position your AV so that it won't be obstructed. Keep in mind that the optimal height for content is 5 feet 7 inches from the ground, the average height of a person in the United States. Also ensure your font is large enough to be read by visitors standing far away.

3. Do consider the location including the venue, city, and building rules along with the labor requirements. AV is typically not an exclusive service, so you can likely bring in your own supplier, but it comes with caveats. In addition to your typical trade show installation and dismantle carpentry labor, there are a number of AV requirements. Depending on the venue, you will need to either work with the exclusive provider or pay a supervision fee to the building to bring in your own labor. The first item on your agenda will be to determine which jurisdiction the AV union workers are associated with. You'll be able to find this out by speaking with your exhibit house partner or calling the show's preferred AV supplier. Then find out what the requirements are for you to bring in your own team versus working with the preferred supplier. Sometimes, this will come in the form of a minimum crew to work with your team. In other places, you'll be free to bring in your own partner without supervision. If you're able to bring in your own partner, find out if they need to be registered as an Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC).

4. Do recognize that content is king (or queen!). Don't just display your company presentation on repeat. When monitors were first installed in exhibits, running a company presentation or documentary on repeat was a trend, and to this day I see companies doing this. They take resources that they already have and scroll it on a monitor just for the sake of having content in their booth. A lot of these presentations are boring, lengthy, or difficult to connect with. While you might care about your CEO's identity and company history, attendees are more interested in your services and their impact on their business. Once you've engaged with an attendee and they've expressed interest, you'll have ample opportunity to tell them about your business, how it started, and all the other details, but this is not how you'll initially draw their attention.

Attendees are looking for authentic connections and stories. When you're thinking about integrating AV components into your exhibit, focus on the story that you are telling your attendees. How did your product evolve into where it is today? How can your product solve your customers' most pressing needs? What's cool about your product that your competition isn't offering?

5. Don't just hire someone without quoting out your project. AV can get expensive fast. Just like anything else that's part of your trade show program, it's important to quote out your job to multiple suppliers. There are some amazing AV companies out there, but do your due diligence and make sure you're comparing quotes. Ask about overtime, strike time, supervision rates, and rates for accessories like chargers and extension cords. It will likely be a challenge to do an apples-to-apples comparison, so check out the sidebar for some questions that will get you started. 6. Don't cut corners when it comes to having the tech support you need on-site. This is especially important on the day before the show and the day that the show opens. Your I&D company or exhibit house might know something about AV, but that is not their area of expertise. The same holds true for your internal team. You might have some inside people who know a lot about tech, but they might not specialize in the exact equipment that your AV partner is supplying to you. When the show is busy and a whole lot of things are happening at the same time, it's important to have someone dedicated to making sure that this particular piece is handled. It's easy to look at this as an expense line item. By not having someone knowledgeable and focused in this area, you could be saving pennies in the short term, but that might result in a long-term cost for your company if you are not set up and ready to go when the show opens. The best way to ensure success is to have someone from the AV company supporting you along with someone from your internal team who has the content on hand just in case something isn't displaying properly.

7. Don't forget about distractions in your booth, sound, and how your attendees are going to engage with your content. There is typically a decibel limit for audio on the show floor to protect exhibitors' ability to hear people in their booth. This usually can be found in the show kit, but if it's not in there, ask show management. This same rule also applies to your neighbors. When you are on-site, if the volume in your neighbor's booth seems loud, ask show management to test their sound level decibels.

Also, it's important to consider the hearing impaired by making sure your content has captions. By including captions on your content, you will make sure that everyone can engage with your exhibit.

When you lay out your space, separate your AV from your meeting area so conversations can take place without distraction. For example, you wouldn't want to put a monitor on the outside of a meeting room wall if it includes looping music.

8. Don't forget to factor material handling into your AV budget. When you order AV components through the show's exclusive provider, your material handling is included in the cost of your rental program. By bringing in your own items through a third party or through your exhibit house, you will be billed by CWT (hundredweight) on whatever you bring into the building. You might get a better price from an outside supplier for what you're renting, but you'll need to factor in that additional cost by gauging the weight of what you plan to bring. A key action item here is to ask your supplier the approximate weight of what you are renting so you can set expectations in your budget. Take the total weight that they give you and multiply it by the CWT rate for direct-to-show material handling (or, if the AV company takes that route, advance warehouse). That's going to give you an expected total cost of material handling of your AV equipment. Add that to the rental-plus-labor total to determine an estimated all-in AV cost.

9. Don't cut out the dress rehearsal. Just like any other piece of your trade show program, make sure that your AV ducks are in a row prior to getting to the venue. Create a pre-show list of your tech needs and include the specifications of the equipment along with the electrical requirements for that equipment. For example, at the recent IDDBA Show in Anaheim, my client had six monitors in the booth. Prior to the show, we met with the AV team to make sure that they had the content they needed in advance, that the specs of the content worked in the monitor sizes that we were renting, and that our electrical diagram indicated the location for the power for each of the monitors. If you skip this step, you risk getting to the show floor and not having an outlet where you need it, which can slow down your entire implementation process.

10. Do consider alternatives to the traditional. Now I realize that not everyone has the budget of Samsung or Panasonic at the Consumer Electronics Show, but we always want to be thinking outside of the box to see what other options exist out there. For example, can you mix up LED tile across a wall that has other mediums or bring in a curved monitor? There are so many creative ideas.

I'll close this by saying what I always say: Don't add something to your booth unless it creates additional value. Don't bring a monitor just have a monitor. But if you're intentional about the items that you're integrating into your trade show program and approaching the idea with time, preparation, and creativity, you can make a great impact on show attendees.E