How is summits scoped?

Against your guest count, venue and run of show. We size the design to the brief and quote it itemised, rather than selling a fixed package that may be larger or smaller than the room actually needs.

What is a delegate microphone system and when do I need one?

It is a networked set of microphone units, typically Bosch DICENTIS or Shure Microflex Complete, with request-to-speak queueing, chairman priority and automatic mixing that limits how many channels are open at once. You need one for panels of more than about four people, for AGMs where members address the chair, and for any multilingual session feeding interpretation.

Why distributed speakers instead of one good PA?

Because a conference has no music to mask reflections, so intelligibility rather than level is the target. Distributed speakers aimed down into the seating and time-aligned to the stage deliver even, coherent speech at a comfortable 70 to 75 dBA. A single loud source forces the front rows to suffer so the back rows can hear.

How do you handle speakers who bring their own laptop?

A wireless presentation system sits permanently on the switcher as a tested input, so a late laptop becomes a cut rather than a cable scramble. We still ask for decks in advance, because a collected and versioned deck set is the only way to guarantee fonts, embedded video and aspect ratio behave on the day.

Do you record the sessions?

Yes, per room, with audio taken as a clean programme feed from the console rather than from a camera microphone. Recordings are offloaded and reviewed nightly on a multi-day event so a problem is found after session two rather than after the conference. Delivery is usually per-session files with speaker names and timings.

What is a show caller and do I need one?

The show caller runs the day from a cue-marked running order on headset comms, calling every walk-on, slide hand-off, video roll and break across audio, video, lighting and stage management. A single-session seminar does not need one. Anything with multiple speakers, videos and a schedule to protect does, and they are usually the best value line on the quote.

Best Conference AV Setup Setup for Summits

Key takeaway

The right conference AV setup for summits is sized to audience and venue shape rather than sold as a package. Expect bosch & shure delegate systems, a dedicated operator, and redundancy on anything whose failure would stop the show.

Key takeaways

Bosch & Shure delegate systems
Confidence monitors & timers
Presentation & video switching
Breakout room AV

Why summits need a designed system

End-to-end conference AV: delegate mic systems, confidence monitors, presentation switching, speaker timers and a show-caller who keeps it on time. Conference AV is judged on intelligibility and on the clock. Speech reinforcement in a long reflective ballroom is a harder problem than concert sound, because there is no masking music and every reflection smears a consonant. We design for a measurable target — a speech transmission index of around 0.5 or better is where a room stops being tiring — using distributed loudspeakers aimed down into the seating rather than a single loud source, and delayed so sound arrives coherently from the direction of the stage. Delegate microphone systems from Bosch DICENTIS or Shure Microflex Complete handle multi-speaker panels with request-to-speak queueing and automatic mixing to limit open microphones.

Match the rig to the room

Scale	Guests	Recommended setup
Boardroom	20 – 60	Table microphone array, one display, two wireless mics, single technician
Seminar room	100 – 300	Four distributed speakers, one 4 m screen, four wireless mics, confidence monitor
Ballroom	300 – 800	Eight time-aligned speakers, centre screen plus two IMAG, delegate system for panels
Convention hall	1,000 – 2,500	Distributed array with delay zones, three-screen set, show caller, full comms
Multi-track summit	2,500 – 5,000	Main hall plus six breakout rooms, central content control, per-room recording

Specification

Specification	Detail
Delegate systems	Bosch DICENTIS and CCS 1000 D, Shure Microflex Complete with request-to-speak
Speech intelligibility target	STI of approximately 0.5 or better across the seating area
Speech level	70 – 75 dBA at the seat from distributed, time-aligned loudspeakers
Automatic mixing	Gating and NOM attenuation to limit simultaneously open microphones
Presentation switching	Barco E2, Roland or ATEM with independent screen, stage, record and stream outputs
Playback redundancy	Two mirrored presentation machines advanced in parallel by the operator
Confidence monitors	Downstage current and next slide, plus a stage-only countdown timer
Wireless presentation	Barco ClickShare or equivalent for bring-your-own-laptop speakers
Breakout rooms	Independent screen, microphone, recording and technician per room
Session capture	Per-room recording with clean programme audio, not camera on-board sound

Honest alternatives

The hotel's in-house AV instead of a production company
Our verdict
For a boardroom session or a single-screen seminar, in-house is cheaper, already installed and perfectly adequate. For a multi-speaker conference with IMAG, panels, recording and a running order, in-house kit and staffing are usually sized for the former and get overwhelmed by the latter.
Gooseneck microphones on the table instead of a delegate system
Our verdict
Plain goosenecks are cheaper and fine for a three-person panel in a small room. A delegate system's request-to-speak queueing and automatic mixing is what keeps a twelve-person panel in a big ballroom intelligible.
Projection instead of LED screens for a conference
Our verdict
In a darkened hall with controlled lighting, projection gives a bigger image for less money and is genuinely the right choice. The moment the room is brightly lit for cameras or the ambience the client wants, projection washes out and LED becomes necessary.

Also suited to

AGMs, Dealer meets. Get an itemised quote from Prime AV Solutions within 24 hours — call +91 93093 80958 or WhatsApp our producers.

Published 19 April 2026 by the Prime AV Solutions production team.