The ballroom may look perfect on the floor plan.
Then the AV team arrives and discovers that the LED screen cannot travel through the service route, the technical desk blocks a fire exit, or the loading slot ends before the equipment is fully inside.
That is exactly what an AV site visit is designed to prevent.
A technical site visit is not simply a chance to look at the event room. It is where the planner, venue and production team test the event plan against the physical building.
For a London event, the useful route is often:
Loading bay → service lift → room access → stage → power → internet → rigging → screens → sound → FOH → rehearsal → get-out.
HSE guidance recommends carrying out a preliminary venue assessment once the event concept is understood, including consideration of access, infrastructure, structures and the people who will work in the space.
Here is what event planners should check.
What is an AV site visit?
An AV site visit is a technical walkthrough of the venue used to verify whether the planned sound, video, lighting, staging and production setup will work in the actual space.
The production team may review room dimensions, access, power, rigging, internet, sightlines and operational timings.
The aim is to replace assumptions with confirmed information.
For a small meeting in a familiar room, a remote survey and accurate venue documentation may sometimes provide enough information.
For a larger conference, awards show, hybrid production or complex installation, physically walking the venue can reveal constraints that are difficult to identify from photographs and floor plans alone.
Audio Visual Hire London states that its venue planning includes surveys, CAD drawings, get-in scheduling and venue liaison, while its conference workflow includes a venue walkthrough during pre-production.
When should you conduct an AV site visit?
Conduct the site visit early enough so that anything discovered can change the production plan without requiring a last-minute redesign.
Ideally, the main event format should already be reasonably clear.
The team should know the approximate
- Audience size and room layout
- Stage requirements
- Screen or display approach
- Speaker and panel format
- Streaming or recording requirements
- Event timings
- Production scale
The specification does not need to be final.
In fact, one purpose of the visit is to determine what should be changed before it becomes final.
A site visit completed after every technical decision has already been approved is less useful because the team may be reluctant or unable to alter the design.
1. Check the room dimensions against the proposed layout
Start by confirming that the physical room matches the information used to design the event.
Do not rely solely on published capacity.
Check the usable area once you account for:
- Stage
- Screens
- Loudspeakers
- Lighting
- Camera positions
- FOH technical desk
- Delegate seating
- Catering
- Registration
- Accessibility routes
- Emergency routes
A room advertised for several hundred guests may technically hold that number in one seating configuration, but your production footprint may reduce the usable space.
HSE advises organisers to consider the capacity needed for the audience, staff and contractors, as well as circulation and emergency arrangements.
Check the latest floor plan
Ask the venue whether the drawing you have is up to date.
Then compare it with the physical room.
Columns, low ceilings, built-in bars, doors, fixed furniture and architectural features can all affect the technical layout.
The site visit should either validate the existing plan or produce information for a revised one.
2. Walk the complete loading route
Do not inspect only the event room. Walk the route for every flight case, screen component and piece of staging from the vehicle to its final position.
This is one of the most useful checks for London events.
Start outside the building.
Confirm:
- Where production vehicles arrive
- Where they wait
- Where equipment is unloaded
- How far must the equipment be pushed
- Whether security controls access
- Which entrance contractors use
- Whether another event shares the loading area
Then physically follow the route into the room.
Practitioner insight: measure the route, not only the stage
A planned LED wall may fit perfectly on the stage.
That does not help if the largest transport case cannot fit through a door or into the service lift.
The narrowest point between the truck and the stage can be more important than the dimensions of the ballroom itself.
This is the type of operational detail a generic event floor plan often misses.
3. Check service lifts, doors and internal access
Confirm that the equipment can move through every lift, doorway, corridor and turn between loading and setup.
Where dimensions could become restrictive, record them.
Useful measurements include:
- Lift-door width and height
- Internal lift dimensions
- Maximum permitted lift load
- Door widths
- Corridor widths
- Low ceiling points
- Tight corners
- Steps or changes in level
Also ask whether the service lift is shared with catering, housekeeping or other suppliers.
A lift may physically accommodate the equipment but still cause delays if several departments need it during the same get-in.
Audio Visual Hire London’s own London venue guide illustrates how much this can vary between buildings, referring to service-lift constraints at some venues and building security and lift procedures at corporate locations.
4. Confirm the real setup window
The available build time should be confirmed with the venue rather than inferred from the event start time.
Ask:
When can the first production vehicle arrive?
Then establish when:
- Loading begins
- The room becomes available
- Staging can start
- Rigging can start
- AV equipment can enter
- Sound checks can begin
- Speakers can rehearse
- Catering needs access
- Doors open
Several departments may need the same room during the final hours before the event.
If staging is still being built, catering is dressing tables, and the AV team is trying to focus lights simultaneously, the nominal six-hour setup window may contain considerably less useful technical time.
Work backwards from doors open
Do not think:
We have access at 08:00.
Think:
The room must be technically ready by 15:30 for a 16:00 rehearsal and 17:00 doors.
Then work backwards through testing, installation and loading.
5. Check the venue power information
The site visit should establish what power is available and where it is available, but electrical distribution should be designed and handled by competent technical personnel.
The organiser does not need to calculate or build a temporary electrical system.
The AV team does need accurate information about:
- Available supplies
- Supply locations
- Venue restrictions
- Existing equipment shares those supplies
- Stage and FOH positions
- Cable routing
- Isolation requirements, where applicable
HSE states that temporary event electrical installations and equipment should be properly selected, installed and maintained. Its planning guidance specifically highlights layout, power requirements, mains access and safe cable routing.
This becomes increasingly important where an event includes large video systems, extensive lighting, staging or multiple technical departments.
6. Test the internet where the event depends on it
If streaming, video conferencing, remote presenters or cloud-based workflows are critical, verify the event connection rather than relying on “the venue has Wi-Fi”.
The relevant question is not simply whether internet access exists.
The production team may need to understand the following:
- Wired connectivity
- Connection location
- Dedicated versus shared service
- Available upload performance
- Network restrictions
- Firewall requirements
- Login procedures
- Static IP requirements, where relevant
- Backup connectivity options
Test from the position where the streaming or production equipment will actually operate.
A speed test from the venue lobby says little about the connection available at FOH inside the event room.
For a production involving remote participants, these checks should form part of the wider hybrid streaming plan rather than being left until show day.
7. Confirm rigging possibilities before designing around them
Never assume equipment can be suspended simply because the room has a high ceiling or visible structural points.
Rigging depends on venue approval, structural capacity, permitted positions, loads, working methods and competent personnel.
During the visit, establish:
- Whether rigging is permitted
- Who provides the primary rigging points
- Where approved points exist
- Permitted loads
- Required drawings
- Approval deadlines
- Access equipment requirements
- Who must perform the work
- Whether ground-supported alternatives should be considered
HSE guidance on work at height states that the work should be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out by competent people using suitable equipment.
London venue rules can differ materially
Do not apply one venue’s rigging process to another.
For example, ExCeL London’s current published guidance requires detailed plans and load information for rigging and reserves the right to reject proposals exceeding structural limitations. Its documentation also specifies venue approval and competent rigging procedures.
That is one venue’s documented process, not a rule for every venue in London.
Always obtain the requirements for the venue you are actually using.
8. Check screen positions and audience sightlines
A screen position is only suitable if the intended audience can see the important content clearly.
Stand in different parts of the room.
Check:
- Rear seats
- Side seats
- Seats close to the stage
- Seats behind columns
- Positions around cabaret tables
- Balcony or raised areas where relevant
Think about what will actually appear on screen.
A presentation containing financial tables, schedules or detailed diagrams may require more usable image size than slides built around large photography and short headlines.
Look for physical obstructions
Possible issues include:
- Columns
- Chandeliers
- Low ceilings
- Lighting truss
- PA positions
- Cameras
- Stage scenery
- Decorative structures
Audience headcount alone cannot determine the display design.
Viewing distance, room width, content and sightlines need to be considered together.
9. Listen to the room before planning the sound system
Sound planning should respond to the room’s acoustics, shape and programme rather than being based only on the number of delegates.
Walk the space and consider:
- Long or wide room geometry
- High ceilings
- Hard reflective surfaces
- Glass
- Curtains
- Dividing walls
- Balconies
- Adjoining spaces
- Background noise
- Venue sound restrictions
A long room may need a different coverage strategy from a compact room with the same attendance.
Similarly, a conference dominated by speeches requires particularly good intelligibility, while an awards dinner featuring walk-up music or live entertainment introduces different requirements.
Ask where loudspeakers can be positioned without compromising screens, sightlines, audience movement or venue restrictions.
10. Choose the FOH technical position before seating is finalised
FOH should be planned as an operational position, not squeezed into whatever space remains after the seating plan is approved.
‘FOH’ means ‘front of house’, the technical control position from which audio, video and lighting may be operated during the event.
The right location depends on the production.
For example, the sound engineer may need to hear approximately what the audience hears, while video and show-control operators need reliable sight of the stage and presentation output.
Check:
- View of the stage
- Audio monitoring
- Space for control equipment
- Power
- Network connectivity
- Cable access
- Security
- Audience circulation
- Working space behind the desk
For complex conference AV production, the technical desk should be incorporated into the scaled room plan rather than treated as an afterthought.
11. Plan cable routes before the room fills with people
Cable routes must work for both the equipment and the people using the venue.
Identify how connections will run between:
- Stage
- Screens
- Loudspeakers
- Cameras
- FOH
- Streaming position
- Backstage
- Power sources
Then compare those routes with:
- Doors
- Fire exits
- Delegate walkways
- Catering routes
- Accessible routes
- Staff circulation
HSE electrical guidance specifically recommends routing cables to minimise trip hazards and mechanical damage.
Do not leave cable routing until equipment is already on the floor.
By that point, the easiest technical route may conflict with the audience plan.
12. Confirm rehearsal, show-day and get-out timings
The site visit should finish by confirming how the production will operate over time, not just where equipment will be placed.
Ask the venue and production team to align on:
Get-in → Build → Test → Rehearsal → Doors → Live event → De-rig → Load-out
Check specifically:
- When presenters can enter the room
- When microphones can be sound-checked
- When presentation files can be tested
- When lighting can be focused
- Whether remote contributors can rehearse
- When doors must open
- When the event must finish
- When the de-rig may start
- When vehicles can return
- When the venue must be completely clear
HSE makes it clear that event safety management applies during setup and breakdown, as well as while the event is live, with coordination required among the people working on site.
That operational window should therefore be agreed upon before the final production schedule is issued.
What should you photograph during an AV site visit?
Photograph anything the technical team may need to remember when they are designing the event away from the venue.
Useful records include the loading entrance, service lift, access route, room from several angles, ceiling, stage area, power locations, potential screen positions, FOH position and cable routes.
Include something that provides scale where useful.
Avoid relying on photographs alone for critical dimensions. Record measurements separately and identify what each measurement refers to.
It is also useful to photograph venue labels or reference numbers on power, data or access points so the technical team can discuss the correct location later.
What documents should you collect from the venue?
Collect the latest technical information before leaving so the AV company can convert observations into a workable production plan.
Depending on the event, this may include the current floor plan, technical specification, supplier guidance, access instructions, rigging information and relevant venue contacts.
For complex builds, also establish what documents the venue expects from suppliers.
HSE advises clear liaison where control of a venue is shared between organisers and venue management. Responsibilities and safety-related information should be understood rather than assumed.
At ExCeL London, for example, current organiser guidance identifies the need for documentation, including scaled floor plans, risk assessments, and additional information for complex structures and rigging.
Again, requirements should be checked directly with your chosen venue.
Common mistake: inspecting the room but not the building
A site visit fails if everybody spends 45 minutes discussing the stage and five minutes checking how the production reaches it.
Consider a hypothetical 300-person London conference.
The proposed design includes:
- Large central video display
- Stage
- Seven-person panel
- Audience Q&A
- Camera coverage
- Hybrid stream
The ballroom itself accommodates the design comfortably.
During the site visit, however, the team discovers that the equipment route includes a smaller service lift, a tight internal turn and a loading window shared with catering.
The technical design may still work.
But the build sequence, equipment packaging, crew call and delivery schedule may need to change.
Finding that four weeks before the event is the planning phase.
Finding it during load-in is a problem.
AV site visit decision checklist
Do not approve the final technical design until the site visit has answered the questions that could change equipment, labour, timing or cost.
| Check | Question to answer | Why it matters |
| Room | Does the planned layout physically fit? | Determines usable production space |
| Loading bay | Where and when can vehicles unload? | Affects logistics and crew timing |
| Internal route | Can all equipment reach the room? | Prevents access problems |
| Setup time | Is there enough usable build time? | Affects crew and production schedule |
| Power | Is a suitable supply available where needed? | Influences technical design |
| Internet | Is the required connection available and tested? | Critical for hybrid/streamed events |
| Rigging | What may be flown, and who approves it? | Affects lighting, audio and screens |
| Sightlines | Can delegates see the content? | Determines display placement |
| Sound | What does the room geometry/acoustic environment require? | Influences PA design |
| FOH | Where will operators work? | Affects show control |
| Cables | Can routes be installed safely? | Affects layout and circulation |
| Rehearsal/get-out | Are operating times confirmed? | Determines the crew and venue schedule |
If several answers remain “TBC”, the technical specification probably still contains assumptions.
Do you need the AV supplier at the venue site visit?
For technically significant events, involving the AV supplier is usually valuable because they can evaluate production implications while the venue team is present.
An experienced technical representative can ask questions about:
- Access
- Rigging
- Power
- Existing AV
- Internet
- FOH
- Screen placement
- Audio coverage
- Build timings
This reduces the risk of the planner becoming a messenger between two technical teams.
Audio Visual Hire London states that it has worked across more than 200 London venues and offers site visits for venues it does not already know, alongside venue liaison and technical planning.
For a more complex event, this may sit within a broader full event production process covering venue surveys, CAD, logistics, crew, rehearsals and live operation.
What should happen immediately after the site visit?
Convert what was learned on-site into an updated plan while the information is still current.
The production team should update relevant working documents, which may include:
Floor plan → technical design → equipment schedule → crew schedule → get-in plan → rehearsal schedule → get-out plan
Any unresolved question should have an owner.
For example:
Venue: Confirm approved rigging locations.
AV supplier: revise screen position.
Planner: provide final panel numbers.
IT team: confirm dedicated internet service.
A site visit is only valuable if the decisions made during it reach the people building the event.
FAQs
What should I check during an AV venue site visit?
Check the room dimensions, loading access, service lifts, internal equipment route, available setup time, power, internet, rigging restrictions, sightlines, sound considerations, FOH position, cable routes and rehearsal and de-rig windows. Also confirm which AV equipment or technical infrastructure the venue already provides.
How long does an AV site visit take?
There is no universal duration. A single straightforward meeting room can be assessed much faster than a multi-room conference, awards production or hybrid event. Allow enough time to inspect both the event space and the complete operational route, including loading, lifts, backstage areas and technical positions.
Do I need a site visit if the venue provides a floor plan?
Not always, but a floor plan does not reveal every operational detail. It may not show loading arrangements, service-lift constraints, temporary obstructions, cable routes, acoustic conditions or how different suppliers share access. For complex events, a physical walkthrough can validate information that drawings alone cannot provide.
Who should attend an AV site visit?
Useful attendees may include the event planner, venue event manager and a representative from the AV or production company. More complex events may also require specialists responsible for staging, rigging, streaming, lighting or other technical disciplines. The right group depends on the scope of production.
Should the internet be tested during a venue walkthrough?
Yes, when the event depends on streaming, remote speakers, video conferencing or other network-critical systems. Test the relevant connection from the position where the technical equipment will operate, and clarify whether the service is dedicated or shared. Discuss resilience requirements with the production team rather than assuming standard guest Wi-Fi is suitable.
What should I ask a London venue about AV access?
Ask where production vehicles unload, whether booking is required, which contractor entrance and service lift are used, when the event room becomes available and when equipment must be removed. Also, confirm the security procedures and whether the loading facilities are shared. Exact arrangements vary by venue, so obtain them directly from the venue team.
Conclusion
A useful AV site visit answers more than the following:
Where should the stage go?
It establishes whether the production can physically enter the venue, whether the technical design works in the room, how equipment will be powered and connected, where the crew will operate and whether there is enough time to build, test, rehearse and remove everything properly.
For London events, pay particular attention to the route between the loading point and the event room.
Check the building, not only the ballroom.
That single principle can expose access, timing and production issues while there is still time to solve them.
If your London venue is already booked, share the venue, room, event date, audience size and current running order with Audio Visual Hire London to discuss whether a technical site visit is needed before the AV design is finalised.
