# Conference stage and AV checklist: keynote vs panel URL: https://www.zarakevents.com/blog/conference-stage-av-checklist-keynote-panel/ By Shashank Ashok, 9 November 2026. Topic: Event Production. Summary: What the stage and AV need for each conference session format, from a single keynote to a panel of four, plus screens, lighting, streaming and rehearsal. Delegates judge a conference by what they see and hear. If a speaker cannot be heard, or a slide cannot be read from the back, the content is lost. This checklist sets out what the stage and AV need for each type of session, from a single keynote to a panel of four, and how to plan them for a conference in Dubai. It covers the stage, sound, screens, lighting, content deadlines, streaming and the team that runs each room. ### Key takeaways - Plan for each session format. A keynote, a panel and a workshop need different set-ups. - Design for the back row. Sightlines, sound and screen text should work from the furthest seat. - Set firm content deadlines. Test every slide and video on the real screens before the day. - Decide on streaming early. Cameras, internet and content all change if sessions go online. - Give each room a technical lead. Someone must own every room from rehearsal to the last session. ### Start with the programme The AV plan comes from the programme. List every session and its format: keynote, panel, fireside chat, workshop, award or video. Note how many people are on stage, whether they show slides and whether the session is streamed. This list tells the production team what each room needs and when it changes. Without it, the AV is planned from a standard equipment list rather than from the content. ### Keynote set-up A keynote has one speaker presenting to the whole room. It needs: - A lectern or an open stage. Ask whether the speaker likes to stand still or move around. - A microphone that suits the speaker. A headset or lapel microphone frees the hands. A handheld or lectern microphone suits a shorter talk. - A confidence monitor. A screen at the front of the stage shows the speaker their slides and notes, so they do not turn their back to the audience. - A clicker. Test it from where the speaker will stand. - Stage lighting. Light the speaker's face evenly, so they are clear to the room and to any camera. - A walk-on plan. Agree the music, the introduction and where the speaker enters. ### Panel set-up A panel brings several speakers and a moderator onto the stage at once. It needs more than a keynote: - Seating that lets the panel see each other and the audience. A slight curve usually works better than a straight line. - A microphone for every panellist and the moderator. Sharing microphones slows the conversation and causes gaps. - Name cards or on-screen names, so the audience knows who is speaking. - Low tables for water, placed where they do not block the view. - Camera positions that can show each speaker, if the session is filmed or shown on screen. - Audience questions. Plan roaming microphones or an online question tool, and decide who chooses the questions. The changeover from a keynote to a panel takes time. Chairs, tables and microphones must be set while the room waits. Build this into the programme, or use the time for a short video or an announcement. ### Workshops and breakout rooms Breakout rooms are smaller, but they still need clear sound and readable screens. Each room usually needs: - a screen or display that people at the back can read - a microphone for the presenter, unless the room is very small - a laptop with the session content loaded and tested - a technician who can move between rooms or stay in one - clear signage outside, so delegates find the right room ### Sound for the whole room Sound must reach every seat at the same quality. Ask the production team how they will cover the back of the room and the sides, not just the front. Large rooms often need extra speakers placed along the room. Keep a sound engineer at the desk for every session. Have spare microphones and batteries ready. Test each microphone with the person who will use it, because voices differ. ### Screens and content Screens should be large enough and high enough for the back row to read. LED screens work well in bright rooms. Projection suits darker rooms with lower budgets. Agree the screen format with speakers before they build their slides. Slides made in the wrong shape show with black bars or get cut off. Set a content deadline a few days before the event. Load every file onto the playback system and test it on the real screens. Check videos with sound, fonts, and any links. Keep a backup copy of everything. ### Lighting Lighting does two jobs. It makes the speaker clear to the room and the camera, and it sets the mood between sessions. Light the stage evenly. Avoid strong light shining into speakers' eyes, because it makes it hard to see the audience. If the session is filmed, the lighting must also work for the camera. Ask the production team to check the camera image during rehearsal. ### Streaming and recording Decide early whether sessions will be streamed live, recorded or both. Each choice changes the plan. - Cameras. At least one camera for the speaker. Panels need more to show each person. - Internet. Use a wired line for the stream, not shared wifi. Ask the venue for its speed and whether it is dedicated. - Audio. The stream takes sound from the desk, so questions from the floor need microphones too. - Remote questions. Decide who reads online questions to the stage. - A stream technician. Someone should watch the stream for the whole session. ### The technical team Every room needs a technical lead who owns it from rehearsal to the last session. The main room usually also has a show caller, who follows the run of show and cues each video, light change and walk-on. The run of show is the plan the whole team follows. Our run of show template shows how to build one. ### Rehearsal Hold a technical rehearsal before delegates arrive. Run each video, test each microphone and check each slide. Walk the keynote speakers and the panel through the stage, the steps and the confidence monitor. Rehearse the changeovers too. Moving from a keynote to a panel is where gaps often appear. ### Conference stage and AV checklist - Session list with the format, speakers and streaming for each - Stage design that fits the room and the sightlines - A microphone for every speaker and panellist - Audience microphones or an online question tool - Confidence monitor and clicker for presenters - Screens readable from the back row - Agreed screen format shared with speakers - Content deadline, then every file tested on the real screens - Even stage lighting that also works for camera - Cameras, wired internet and a stream technician, if streaming - Technical lead for every room and a show caller in the main room - Technical rehearsal, including changeovers ### Planning your conference production Good conference AV is not about having the most equipment. It is about planning each session so speakers are seen and heard, content plays on time and changeovers stay short. For the full planning timeline, see how to plan a conference in Dubai. To brief a production company well, read how to brief an event production company. Our event production team in Dubai handles staging, sound, lighting, LED and streaming in-house, and our conference event management service brings it together with the programme and delegate operations. Or send us your brief. ### Frequently asked questions Q: What AV does a conference keynote need? A: A lectern or open stage, a microphone that suits the speaker, a confidence monitor, a clicker tested from where the speaker stands, even stage lighting and an agreed walk-on with music and an introduction. Q: What does a panel discussion need on stage? A: Seating that lets panellists see each other and the audience, a microphone for every panellist and the moderator, name cards or on-screen names, low tables for water, camera positions for each speaker and a plan for audience questions. Q: What is a confidence monitor? A: A screen at the front of the stage, facing the speaker. It shows their slides and notes, so they can present without turning their back to the audience. Q: When should speakers send their slides? A: Set a deadline a few days before the event. That leaves time to load every file onto the playback system and test it on the real screens, including videos, sound and fonts. Q: What do you need to stream a conference session? A: At least one camera for the speaker and more for panels, a wired internet line rather than shared wifi, audio taken from the sound desk, a way to handle remote questions and a technician watching the stream.