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3 creative ways to use a projector at your next event

Gone are the days when a projector’s main purpose was to light up a white wall in a meeting room and project onto it with boring words and graphs.

Projectors are now a huge part of the events industry, and it’s easy to see why! Projecting images, logos, graphics and information onto surfaces not only looks impressive, but also brightens event spaces and can complement your event theme. The options are endless when it comes to creatively planning your event projections.

Here are some of our favourite creative uses of projectors at events:

Creating digital visuals

One of the most common ways to use a projector is to simply project imagery or graphics onto the wall. An example below from our Sofitel Brisbane Central venue shows that this can be utilised in a large format, so it’s a great way to showcase a lot of images or make one stand out. Unlike traditional artwork on canvas, projected images can be changed continually throughout the event, thus changing and enhancing the mood, theme or event message.

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Enhancing your branding

Another one of our favourites is to project a business or brand’s logo onto a surface area. This is such a great way to give your brand extra exposure at the event, and can create a feeling of luxe exclusivity. Below is an example of this in the lobby at our Sofitel Brisbane Central venue.

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Video projection and projection mapping

The projection fun doesn’t stop at images – we can even project videos onto surfaces! This can be done by simply projecting a video onto a wall, or it can be a source of entertainment in and of itself by using projection mapping. Projection mapping essentially ‘maps’ out the surface area of where the video will go, usually over odd and irregular shapes, before a detailed projection is showcased on the object. It’s the same technology used in Sydney’s Vivid lights festival.

Our team at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (PCEC) recently did a fantastic job projection mapping a St John’s ambulance, and wowed guests at their conference. They positioned two ‘unbranded’ ambulances in the room on either side of the main stage and projected an animated “multi-stickered” ambulance image onto the vehicles.

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To see it come to life, check out the video on PCEC’s site.

If you’re keen to include this technology at your next event, contact us today!

How to avoid Death by PowerPoint

Remember the last time you viewed a PowerPoint presentation? Was it engaging and inspiring or did it leave you feeling bored – eyes glazed over and counting the seconds until it was over? This is known as the dreaded Death by PowerPoint.

PowerPoint can be a fantastic presentation tool, but it is only a tool. The presenter makes or breaks the presentation! There are some classic mistakes presenters make which can lead to Death by PowerPoint.

These include putting too much information on slides, using poor images and fonts and reading directly from slides instead of engaging the audience with stories and ideas.

As a presenter, there are many varied ways to add some zing to your PowerPoint presentation to help your audience stay focused and interested.

Know your message – Consider your message and the reason for your presentation. What do you hope to inform others of? What is there to gain from it, or what do you want people to do with the information you present? Remember that you know your topic inside out, but this may be the first time your audience has ever thought about this matter. Make sure your message and presentation objectives are clear.

Make a good first impression – Make sure the first slide is attention-grabbing and on topic. Your presentation needs to stand out and be different from the start to pique interest.

Leverage visuals – Use visuals that make sense for the presentation subject and that can support your points. This can include graphs, infographics and photos. Often images are more memorable and interesting so will drive audience engagement. It is important, however, not to overdo it. Unrelated images will distract and confuse your audience and gimmicky animations can become distracting and seem unprofessional.

Know that less is more – Use fewer words on your slides and use bullet points where appropriate. This will allow your audience to quickly read and digest your words which makes a bigger impact than if they have to read lines of text.

Cut the number of slides – You want the content of your presentation to support what you’re saying, not act as a script, so use fewer slides and incorporate more discussions and ideas into your presentation.

Get funny and personal – Present your information with personal stories and humour to keep people interested. Stay on topic but keep it light where possible.

Involve your audience – Keep your audience engaged by asking them questions, undertaking polls or breaking into groups for discussions.

Talk to AVPartners today about how to take your next presentation from good to great.

The battle between projectors and flat screens

Do conference and event attendees prefer rich images viewed on a flat panel screen, or do they want larger than life characters that almost step out of the projection?

The debate about which screening technology is best for conference and event venues has carried on for many years. However, the answer to this question is not as simple as choosing one screen or another, because both are suitable in different circumstances so the decision really depends on how the screens will be used.

A good audiovisual specialist will be able to advise which room needs a flat panel screen and which would be better with a projector. Many venues have a combination of both flat screens and projectors to give their clients the choice. To help narrow the decision, here are some factors that define each screen technology.

Projector pros

1. A projector’s image will scale to be double or triple the size of a flat screen. This factor is more important when room size is a consideration so all attendees can see the screen.
2. Most projectors reproduce high definition images.
3. Projectors are more portable and less manageable than a flat screen.
4. Projector screens take up less space than large flat screens and can be recessed in the ceiling.
5. Projector systems can be networked with sound receivers, remote management and multiple lens options for greater flexibility when it comes to different events.
6. As the flat panel screen size increases, so does the price and the logistics of getting it shipped to your venue, inside the room where it will be housed and then installed.

Flat screen pros

1. Flat panels provide rich, bright images.
2. Flat screens are better in environments where lighting cannot be controlled. Ambient light in a room can wash out the image from a projector.
3. Less coordination is required to set up and run a flat panel system and there is little ongoing maintenance.
4. Flat screens have no lamps to replace.

Ultimately the screen needs to be the right size for the room it is servicing, and this will be one of the deciding factors (along with how the screen is to be used) that will determine whether a flat or projector screen is the right option for your venue.

This article was originally published at Business Events News.