The short answer: before you sign with a venue, ask what AV is built into each room, what’s included in the price, who is on site to fix things, and how the breakout rooms are equipped. The best venues fold basic AV into the meeting package and keep a technology team on property, so a dead projector becomes a five-minute problem instead of a forty-minute one.
Here’s the checklist we wish someone had handed us years ago.
Why AV always fails at the worst moment
It never fails during the coffee break. It fails when the CEO walks to the front of the room, or two minutes into the keynote, or right as the client joins the call. The laptop won’t talk to the projector. The clicker is dead. The Wi-Fi password is on a sticky note somebody threw away.
None of this is bad luck. It’s what happens when AV is treated as an afterthought instead of part of the plan. The fix is simple: ask the right questions early, and pick a venue where the people who run the technology are down the hall, not on a phone tree.
The checklist
Before you sign
- What AV is included in the meeting package, and what costs extra?
- Is internet access included, and is it strong enough for a full room?
- Is there a technology team on site during our meeting, or someone we call?
- Can we see the rooms, or at least the floor plans, before we commit?
- Who is our single point of contact on the day?
In the general session room
- Where does the screen sit, and can people in the back row read a slide?
- What connections does the projector take, and do we need adapters?
- Can we control the lighting and temperature from inside the room?
- Is there a whiteboard or flipchart for working sessions?
- Where do the presenters stand, and is there power nearby?
In the breakout rooms
- Which rooms have built-in equipment, and what has to move between rooms?
- Are the rooms quiet enough that groups won’t hear each other?
- Are flipcharts and markers already in place?
On the day
- Run a full tech check before the first session, with the actual presenter laptops.
- Load every presentation on one machine, with a backup on a second.
- Put the Wi-Fi details on every table, not just the registration desk.
- Know the name of the tech person who will answer if something breaks.
What’s included at the Wylie Center
The Wylie Center is an IACC-certified conference center, which means technology is part of the standard, not an add-on. Meeting rooms pair state-of-the-art meeting technology with modern finishes, and there are sophisticated IT systems with on-site technical support.
Both the Day Meeting Package and the Complete Meeting Package include, at one per-person price:
- One LCD projector and screen
- A whiteboard
- Up to three flipcharts
- Internet access
- All administrative fees
Behind that, there’s a team of professional meeting specialists, a technology team and a culinary team, plus a full-service business center with printers, a copier, fax and PCs for the last-minute handout.
Why AV and lodging belong under one roof
Here’s the part most checklists skip. When your attendees sleep where they meet, the technology gets easier too. Presenters can walk the room and run their slides the night before. The tech check happens over breakfast, not in the parking lot. And if something goes sideways at 8:25, the presenter is a two-minute walk from their room and their charger.
At the Wylie Center, the 91-room Wylie Inn sits on the same 10-acre oceanfront property as more than 20 meeting rooms, so the people, the rooms and the equipment are all in one place.
Quick answers
What AV is usually included in a meeting package?
Most packages include a projector, a screen and internet access. At the Wylie Center, both meeting packages include an LCD projector, a screen, a whiteboard, up to three flipcharts and internet access.
Is there tech support during the meeting?
At an IACC-certified conference center like the Wylie Center, on-site technical support is part of the standard.
Should we bring our own projector?
Usually not. Bring your laptop, your adapters and a backup copy of every presentation, and confirm the connections with the venue ahead of time.
How early should we do a tech check?
The day before if you can, and no later than an hour before the first session.
Want to see the rooms first? Take a virtual tour, or request information and the planning team will walk you through the technology.