THE “NEW NORMAL” – GOOD NEWS FOR EVENT TECHNICIANS

There’s been a lot of talk about the “new normal” for live events. What does this mean for AV technicians? 

 One of the best parts of working in the live event AV industry is the rapid pace of tech advancements. In the past 20 years, I’ve watched us go from SD to HD to 4K video, seen the change from analog to digital audio, and happily ditched big and bulky audio racks along with audio consoles that were bigger than some cars. LED lighting changed the stage design game, then LED video walls came along and changed things all over again.  

 Upgrading skills on the go has always been part of the job. Each event is an opportunity for a technician to learn something new or sharpen the skills they have. 

 But then, COVID-19 hit. The events industry shut down overnight. Venues were empty, and warehouses sat full of the latest equipment with nowhere to go. Thousands of technicians stayed home, unsure when we could get back to work producing the high-quality events our clients rely on.  

 Here at Live Event Academy, our staff quickly realized we needed to put forward a solution to deliver events remotely with one of our AV partners. In just two weeks, we’d shifted to producing virtual meetings and other events. We brought in presenters using remote online meeting solutions, ran them through our high-end video systems, and broadcast the events online with transitions, additional content, lower thirds – everything you need for a professional virtual production.  

 Our clients were excited by the possibilities of this new format, which let them reach bigger audiences on tighter budgets. What we’ve learned: Virtual productions are here to stay. As we ease back into in-person meetings and large gatherings over the next year or two, hybrid events will become the norm.   

The Good News for AV Technicians 

 So, what does all this mean for AV technicians? You already know how to set up and operate the technical systems, but webcasting is new territory that calls for new skills. The technician who’s used to monitoring an audio console for live microphones, or watching the screens to check that the right content is up, or making sure the presenter at the podium is properly framed and lit now has to do all of that at once, from one central station. Instead of the specialized skills we’ve all spent years developing, we now have to be generalists – able to do it all for each virtual event. 

 The good news: Live event technicians are prepared for this. We’ve always learned quickly and know how to adapt as the job changes. Now is the time to level up your training so you’re ready for the new normal ahead. Courses like our Webcast Technician training will teach you how to manage remote presenters and run their content, how to identify which speaker is most likely to have technical failures and how to mitigate those risks – all new considerations that come with virtual events.  

 More good news: These skills are in demand. AV companies desperately need technicians who understand how to produce virtual events. And as hybrid events become the norm, they’ll need technicians who can integrate the AV setup for live audiences and webcasting in the same room.  

 As we look ahead to the new normal, do what technicians do best: Keep learning and keep working.