Why Traditional AV Is Failing Your Conference (and What’s Replacing It)
Let’s imagine you’re a premier association that’s been hosting a large annual conference for years. Hundreds of highly respected presenters with invaluable research, dozens of rooms, and—of course—complex logistics. Your attendees are excited, looking forward to an awesome week of networking, education, and entertainment.
But over the years, a problem has crept into your conference… and attendees are starting to notice.
Your Challenge(s)
For years, your association has relied on your AV vendor to handle presentation management, speaker ready and recordings as well as other 3rd parties to handle networking.. However, as time progressed, technology evolved, attendees expectations increased and your presenters’ needs outpaced the AV vendor’s older systems—which still operate on standards from the early 2000s but charge 2025 prices. All the while, your budget remains flat - or worse - decreased.
File Format Limitations: PowerPoint Only
20% of the computers in use today are Macs and this market share is growing at around 10% annually according to (https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share). This means potentially 20% of your speakers are going to have to convert their Keynote presentation to PowerPoint. Sure, they could use the “convert to PPT” function in Keynote, however this conversion isn’t clean and requires hours of clean-up to make the presentation exactly as they intended when it was first created in Keynote.
Even after spending the extra time and effort to clean up the “converted” slides, converting videos and other animations doesn’t work well because PowerPoint does not recognize Mac formatted videos and doesn’t recognize Mac’s special animations. Imagine asking 20% (or more) of your speakers to use a piece of software they are unfamiliar with, then present the results to a large audience. Talk about stress! Remember how YOU felt when you used a piece of software you’ve never used before? .
And that’s where your AV vendor’s problem begins. Their approach to this problem is usually one of two options:
No alternatives at all and force PowerPoint on all speakers or…
A dual lectern setup using separate Mac and Windows machines, with special instructions, added equipment, more network connections, complex file moving logistics—and, of course, higher cost.
If you choose the “no alternatives” route, your numerous Keynote users must convert their carefully crafted presentations into PowerPoint-friendly formats. This often leads to broken fonts, misaligned layouts, and non-functioning video clips. Even after spending the extra time converting and reformatting, the speaker will have to compromise their original intent if they are to participate in your conference.
Alternatively, you could double the number of in-room lectern computers, additional connections, testing, and more support staff to accommodate more devices—but your CFO likely wouldn’t approve of doubling the cost per room.
You also know that an easy, accommodating, and seamless speaker experience directly impacts the attendee learning experience and satisfaction scores… So, what do you do? Option 1 or 2? If only there was a 3rd option!
Speaker Anxiety
Public speaking is stressful enough. When dozens of Apple users are forced to convert to PowerPoint and present on unfamiliar and outdated systems, that stress multiplies.
Even after visiting the speaker ready room, they’re left wondering:
“Will my presentation display correctly? Will my notes appear as expected? Why does the in-room setup look different from what I rehearsed on?”
Lost Networking Time
Restrictions on file types, confusing video format jargon, and outdated software create long lines in the speaker ready room.
Speakers leave the process exhausted and uncertain, while attendees miss out on opportunities to connect with them. With so much time lost in the speaker ready room—and the fatigue that follows—both presenters and attendees lose valuable networking and engagement opportunities.
Inconsistent Equipment
Rather than pay double for both Mac and PC setups, your event sticks with Windows-only support. That should be fine, right?
Not quite. Because your AV vendor relies on a large, aging inventory, not all session room PCs are identical. Configurations differ from room to room—and often don’t match the speaker ready room.
The result? Presenters walk up to the lectern to a setup that looks and behaves differently than expected. After a few minutes of awkward troubleshooting, the session starts—but your attendees notice something isn’t right..
Restrictions on Updates
Due to your AV vendor’s outdated system or worse, manual file moving processes, presentation updates stop four hours before a session. That means last-minute corrections or additions are impossible.
There’s nothing worse for a speaker than spotting a typo minutes before showtime and being told they can’t fix it. For attendees, this erodes the sense of professionalism and lowers their perception of the session’s quality.
High Support Costs
To manage all this complexity, your AV vendor deploys extra technicians on-site. However, those additional personnel drive up costs to ‘fix’ a problem that they created —without adding true value.
Delayed Access to Recordings
Session recordings are one of your most valuable assets. They allow your organization to extend content value post-event and give attendees the chance to catch sessions they missed.
But with your current AV vendor, edited recordings are provided many weeks after the conference ended. Even these edited recordings are sometimes not cut up into individual talks which means more work and time from you or your staff. Meanwhile, attendees wait weeks or months for recordings to become available—long after the conference energy has faded.
The Warp Speed Solution
Now imagine realizing it’s time to re-think your presentation management and recordings solution. Instead of selecting another AV vendor with the same legacy practices and challenges, you select a dedicated presentation management solution.
You discover that Warp Speed is the only system that implements advanced presentation management and recording technology—independent of your AV vendor. Warp Speed allows the AV team to focus on production and design, while Warp Speed manages the conference content seamlessly.
True Multi-Format Support
PowerPoint, Keynote, PDF, Google Slides, Canva, and more—Warp Speed supports them all natively on one computer, with no conversions or extra hardware. Presentations display exactly as intended, giving presenters creative freedom and added comfort without added cost or time-consuming “conversions”..
The result? A better experience for your presenters and attendees—at the same or even lower cost.
Last-Minute Flexibility
Thanks to Warp Speed’s proprietary software/hardware/networking combo, speakers can make updates right up until their session begins. This eliminates unnecessary stress and ensures content is accurate and up to date.
Your presenters comfortably and confidently deliver their most polished work, and your attendees benefit from the most relevant, professional presentations possible.
Speaker Ready to Lecterns - Identical Setups
Warp Speed ensures each speaker-ready kiosk is a one-to-one clone of the in-room lecterns. Speakers can rehearse, with presentation notes displayed on screen, on the exact setup they’ll use at the lectern—building confidence and ensuring everything functions exactly as expected.
The result? Presenters are focused, calm, and prepared—delivering clean, uninterrupted presentations that enhance the attendee experience.
Reduced Technical Burden
In the rare case that a speaker runs into a snag, Warp Speed takes a modern approach to live support. Each breakout room is monitored in real-time from a central on-site location.
Our technology allows issues to be detected and resolved proactively—often before a speaker even knows there’s a problem. This eliminates the need for extra technicians, reduces costs, and prevents disruptive in-session troubleshooting.
Lower Networking Costs
Warp Speed further reduces costs by removing the need for expensive VLANs and external network setups. Our system includes built-in, high-speed connectivity for domestic events, ensuring lightning-fast uploads and updates across rooms. Each room remains independent - eliminating the risk of every room experiencing networking issues at the same time.
With WST, you get 4x the performance and all the assurance, at a fraction of the cost.
Instant Session Recordings
Why wait weeks for session recordings? With Warp Speed, sessions are automatically uploaded and available to attendees through an online content library as soon as they end.
This lets attendees catch up on missed sessions while still engaged in the event—and allows your organization to publish polished recordings within days, maintaining post-conference momentum for attendees and the opportunity for a faster ROI for you
The Results
Higher attendee satisfaction – Presentations display exactly as intended, relaxed speakers have more time to network, and recordings are instantly available—enhancing learning and engagement while the conference is in session.
Reduced speaker anxiety and no more wasted time fixing “converted” files – Familiar formats, identical setups, and last-minute flexibility build confidence and professionalism.
More networking opportunities – With less time spent in the speaker ready room, speakers can connect with attendees and create lasting value.
Cost savings – Fewer devices, fewer technicians, and no third-party networking fees lower total event costs.
Stronger retention and loyalty – A smoother, more professional experience encourages attendees to return year after year.
Conclusion
While this was an exercise in imagination, it reflects the very real limitations of traditional AV-driven presentation management and recordings—and the tangible benefits your organization gains through a purpose-built solution.
With Warp Speed, you not only improve operational efficiency (making your job as a planner easier) and reduce costs (making your CFO happier), but you also elevate the conference experience for your speakers and attendees alike.
Each conference, each session, and each presentation becomes a seamless, high-quality experience that leaves a lasting impact on everyone who attends.
