It was probably inevitable. Anytime there’s a perceived loss of revenue during the “lean times”, companies will almost always try to make up that revenue once things start going well again. So as the world rushed back to in-person events post-pandemic, prices have soared through the roof. Catering (remember when $90/urn for coffee seemed really expensive? And “muffin-gate’s” $16 muffins? How... quaint), resort fees over $100/day, $15,000 internet, baggage fees, skyrocketing airline tickets, dramatically increased shipping costs, and supply-chain issues.

After all that, the last thing you need is an AV bill almost double what you were charged in 2019 for the same event. Yet that’s exactly what some planners are seeing. And so, since it’s been a few years since my last “How to save money on AV” post, it seemed a good opportunity to revisit the topic.

Rarely does technology make an evolutionary jump, but every now and then...

We’re not out of the woods yet, but it’s been great seeing people start to get together again. Life’s going to be complicated for a while, and the meeting and events industry will be feeling aftershocks of this pandemic for years. I’ve spent a lot of time over the last year, like all of us, dealing with what’s right in front of my face: first the pressing and immediate need to shift to online events, followed by the pressing and immediate need for reincorporating in-person audiences in a safe and secure manner. But we are starting to meet again in person.

I recently asked a room full of planners if they felt 4G/LTE was “completely rolled out, covering everywhere in the US”. Not one hand went up. Not one. That’s right, folks, we’re 10 years into the 4G era and we haven’t even finished rolling that out. So when the phone networks are hyping their new 5G service, and you start seeing ads for new 5G compatible phones, tablets, laptops, and routers, it’s time for a little perspective…

Marriott International has been in the news a lot in the last few months, specifically in regards to whether or not it has the right to block personal Wi-Fi devices on its properties.  Many think the matter has been resolved, with Marriott “caving in” to consumer backlash and criticism from the likes of Microsoft and Google.  But this story is far from over if you go a little deeper, and isn’t nearly as cut and dry as some sensationalist headlines and Tweets may have led you to believe.