Every event, every year, tells a story.. And this year, AV took a solid leap forward in ways that genuinely mattered. Costs were challenged, sustainability came into sharper focus and technology leapt ahead in ways that changed how conferences actually feel for attendees.
We spent the year in ballrooms, boardrooms, exhibition halls, university campuses and regional venues, working alongside planners who wanted one thing: events that worked and landed. Events that didn’t fall over because of poor planning or faulty equipment.
As we close out the year, here’s a look back at the themes, insights and stories that shaped 2025.
1. The Year Everyone Finally Asked: “Why are hotel AV costs so damn’ high?”
Planners raised this constantly, and our explainer played a part in demystifying the costs.
Many organisers had long assumed high AV pricing was simply the cost of good equipment. The truth is more complex. Hidden commissions between venues and in-house AV providers were exposed and people were shocked to learn they were paying inflated prices without realising they had a legal right to bring in their own supplier.
It became the year planners asked better questions, demanded transparent quotes and took control of their budgets. And it genuinely changed the way many events were scoped and delivered.
2. Presenting beyond the main stage: ePosters came into their own
If 2024 was all about growing our digital presence, this year has been about experimenting with new ways to engage – digital poster presentations in particular really stepped forward this year and our clients can’t get enough of them.
We saw them everywhere from medical conferences to business events. Attendees loved the freedom to break away at their own pace and organisers loved the clean, modern footprint that avoided printing, pinboards and paper waste.
Our ePoster setups were busy this year, especially in foyers and breakout areas where people naturally gather. Watching delegates cluster around screens, tapping through information and discussing insights in real time felt like a glimpse into the future of knowledge-sharing. It is a beautiful thing and we look forward to more of this in 2026 and beyond.
3. Crew bump-in: What really goes on before show time
Our bump-in blog this year pulled the curtain back on something not just event attendees but also planners rarely know about.
Bump-ins can be a bit of a pain point. Some venues can be tight on access times, with busy loading docks, complex power supplies and sometimes a simple misalignment of agenda’s and needs.
The reality is this: the success of an event is often decided way before the first keynote begins.
This year reinforced the importance of:
- knowing your access restrictions
- planning for the unexpected
- confirming power early
- and choosing suppliers who’ve navigated these conditions hundreds of times before
Behind every smooth show were countless tiny negotiations and decisions that the audience never saw.
4. The mic drop no one wants
This piece struck a nerve and for good reason.
Mics caused more conference meltdowns in 2025 than any other AV element. Not because gear is faulty, but because technique, acoustics, speaker habits and microphone choice still catch people out.
The good news? With the right preparation, almost every “can you hear me?” moment is avoidable. We spent the year coaching presenters, adjusting microphone types based on voice profiles and revising room layouts to eliminate feedback loops. The payoff was noticeable. Clarity, confidence and cleaner recordings all round.
5. Venue Choice – A Make-or-Break Moment
In 2025 more planners treated venue selection as a technical decision, not just a cosmetic one. Our deep dive on venue risk became one of the most referenced pieces because the message resonated: a venue’s AV infrastructure and policies can make or break your event budget.
This year, we encountered:
- Venues with great spaces but outdated or limited tech
- Steep add-on fees for power, patching or rigging
- Limited ceiling rigging capacity
- “Included AV” packages that weren’t truly event-ready
On the flip side, exceptional venues stood out. Those with strong tech foundations, collaborative staff, and flexible access made a real difference, allowing events to run smoothly and creatively.
“Launching our new venue partners really stood out this year. It gave us the chance to stretch our creativity and put our 2025 upgrades to work. The in-house content we produced genuinely blew clients away. We’re excited to take it even further next year with our new LED screen.” – Dale Bax, Bax AV
6. The Sustainability Conversation Got Real
Our October sustainability feature was a forward-thinking piece. It challenged long-held misconceptions about how much power AV actually draws and revealed the hidden gains possible through modern gear.
The five trends we highlighted defined the year:
- Energy-efficient gear – LEDs, laser projectors and low-power systems led the charge.
- Modular and reusable staging – reducing waste without compromising scale.
- Hybrid delivery – not gone, not a fad, but now purposeful and audience-led.
- Smarter power management – setups designed to run clean, not just run loud.
- Sustainability storytelling – clients proudly sharing the “how” behind greener production.
It’s a space we will continue investing in. It’s no longer optional.
“LED has stepped up this year in Australia. Better quality, more availability and far more accessible pricing. It’s become the go-to for creating real impact at awards nights and product launches.” – Dale Bax, Bax AV
This year our community grew stronger than ever. Through behind-the-scenes posts, event highlights, client testimonials, spotlight reels and tech breakdowns, we opened the door to what it actually takes to deliver reliable AV for conferences around Australia.
Some favourite 2025 AV moments:
- The flawless LED wall build at a major national congress
- Our team pulling off a challenging overnight bump-in in Western Sydney
- The ePoster cluster installation that gained fresh eyes
- The regional events where our crew worked with tight access and even tighter timelines
- Those client shout-outs where planners said we “saved their event”
If you followed us this year, you saw the pride in our team’s work and the relationships behind every successful project.
A Special Moment to Close the Year: The VOCO Gosford Launch
We end 2025 on a high note with the launch of Voco Gosford on 5 December.
We’ll be there on the day, showcasing the venue’s capabilities, interviewing the events team and giving people a proper look at what makes a modern event-ready venue stand out from the rest.
It feels fitting. A new venue, a new partnership and a new chapter. This event captures exactly what 2025 was for us: collaboration, innovation and raising standards for the industry.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
2025 was the year service mattered, technique mattered and making a difference mattered. It was the year planners demanded better experiences and better value. And it was a year that reminded us why we do what we do: because good AV isn’t just technical, it’s emotional. It shapes how people feel, learn and connect.
“We had a few moments this year where clients and speakers went out of their way to thank the team and those gestures really stayed with us. At one event we even had an onstage shout-out during the closing wrap. Feedback like that means everything. It reminds us that when we make an event seamless our clients get to shine and that’s exactly why we love what we do.” – Dale Bax, Bax AV
Thank you to our clients, partners and the incredible teams we worked alongside this year.
We cannot wait to show you what’s coming in 2026.
“I’m excited about a few shifts coming through next year. Real-time captioning has come a long way and will become a standard feature rather than a nice-to-have. We’re also seeing smarter LED options, cleaner signal paths and tech that supports more immersive storytelling without adding complexity for clients. It all points to events feeling sharper, more accessible and more connected in 2026.” – Dale Bax, Bax AV
Bax AV — Delivering the moments that matter and making a true difference.
Discover more about our conference AV solutions → www.baxav.com.au
(02) 4322-1455