Do You Really Need an AV Consultant?
As the experience economy continues to mature and evolve, it is has become increasingly more important to embrace creative and meaningful ways to visually interact with team members and customers. After all, its visual access to data and content that ultimately provides the type of experience customers and employees have come to expect.
Of course, getting this right goes well beyond simply installing displays. Taking that approach can quickly become overwhelming – so much so that the content gets lost in all the noise. Instead, getting it right starts with understanding how the various technologies work with (or against) one another in order to effectively deliver content that leads to an immersive experience.
This is where audiovisual (AV) consultants can make a difference. A skilled consultant can collaboratively tailor a deployment to cost effectively fit within a budget and space, while still memorably conveying the message. Rather than focusing on set brands, an experienced consultant should focus on helping you understanding the best technology for your application, and how its proper use will help achieve your goals.
Keeping an eye on project costs is a key function of AV consultants, including operational and maintenance costs that will accrue over the lifetime of your installation. You’ll know that you have chosen the right collaboration if your consultant provides informed estimates on how much your technology will cost both in the short-run and well into the future.
Purpose of planning
Like anything else, there are always benefits to planning. First, when involving an AV consultant as early as possible, you can avoid limiting project possibilities. For instance, delivering an optimal audio experience often goes well beyond the sound system. External factors including wall placement, material selections and the utilization of other system (such as HVAC) can have a significant impact on acoustics.
The same is true when planning for the use of displays and projection systems. When an AV consultant is involved early-on they can help you make key design decisions that help avoid issues where lighting choices or the use of specific building materials will noticeably draw away from your ability to provide truly immersive experiences.
Building projects require the expertise of dozens, if not hundreds, of vendors all doing their part to bring a vision to life. An AV system alone might require different vendors to provide the hardware, software, and media. Without proper planning, all these firms and individuals may bring their best work only to discover that integrating everything into a seamless solution is a costly, and maybe even an impossible challenge.
Electrosonic’s Technology Master PlanningTM process provides a holistic approach to making technology selections. Each phase takes the whole picture into consideration and involves close collaboration between our master planning team and all of key project stakeholders. The master planning team brings together the right skills for the project including acoustics, audiovisual, information communication technology and security, surveillance and access control.
Selecting the right partner
For 55 years, Electrosonic has been creating innovative AV experiences that last a lifetime. By leveraging past experience, Electrosonic can help your organization fuse architecture, storytelling and technology to create unforgettable experiences. Click here to learn more.
Chris Kratochwill
Chris Kratochwill, Design Consulting Manager at Electrosonic, writes with insider knowledge on what it takes to bring visions to reality. He has more than 25 years’ experience working with end-users, architects and planners to design award-winning experiences for multi-million-dollar projects in the leisure and hospitality sector.