A product launch is not the same as a conference. The objective is completely different. At a conference, you want people to absorb information and leave with knowledge. At a product launch, you want them to leave with a feeling. Excited. Impressed. Convinced this is something they want to buy, write about, or invest in.
That feeling is created by a combination of things: the space, the product itself, and the narrative around it. But the AV is what carries the atmosphere. The moment the lights drop and the reveal happens. The sound design that builds tension before the curtain rises. The screen quality shows off the product in detail. Get those right and you create a moment people remember and talk about. Get them wrong and the product launch becomes a slightly awkward presentation.
This guide covers the AV setup for a product launch in London, what each element does, and how to plan it properly.
What makes product launch AV different
Most corporate AV is about clarity. Clear sound so people can hear. Clear screens so people can read. Clean lighting so the room is comfortable.
Product launch AV adds a layer of drama on top of that. You need all the clarity, but you also need the ability to build atmosphere, control the moment of reveal, and make the product the undeniable focal point of the room. That requires more sophisticated equipment and, critically, more sophisticated planning.
A product launch also tends to have higher-profile attendees. Press, buyers, investors, partners. People who form opinions quickly and whose impressions matter commercially. A flat presentation with poor sound and a screen that washes out in the room lighting sends a message about the brand before the product has even been shown. It is worth investing in the production to make sure that message is the right one.
The reveal moment: how it works technically
The reveal is the centrepiece of most product launches and the moment everything else builds toward. Done well, it is memorable. Done badly, it is awkward.
The reveal is a sequence of timed technical cues. The lighting changes. The audio track builds. Video content plays on screen. The product is unveiled. All of this needs to happen simultaneously and on precise cue, which means it needs to be pre-programmed, not improvised.
Your AV company will build this sequence in advance using the lighting desk, media server, and audio system, then rehearse it on the day before any guests arrive. The person triggering the reveal on the night presses one cue, and everything fires in the right order. The host does not have to coordinate with the AV team in real time. It just happens.
This is only possible if the production brief is clear. Your AV team needs to know what the reveal looks like, what audio track plays, how long the build is, and what happens on screen before and after. That information has to come from you during the planning stage.
Lighting for a product launch
Lighting does more work at a product launch than at almost any other event type. It sets the mood during arrival, builds atmosphere during the presentation, carries the reveal, and then shifts to a networking or reception setting afterward.
Arrival and ambient lighting
The first impression guests get of the event is the room they walk into. Lighting that matches the brand palette, that draws focus toward the stage or the product area, and that creates a sense of occasion signals immediately that this is a premium event. Generic room lighting on full brightness does the opposite.
Colour-matched LED uplighting around the room perimeter is a low-cost way to dramatically change how a space feels. Gobo projections of the brand logo or product name onto walls or floors add a specific branded quality that makes the space feel produced rather than hired.
Stage and product lighting
The stage lighting for a product launch needs to make the presenter look good and the product look better. A focused key light on the speaker, separated from a product display area that has its own dedicated lighting, means both elements are well-lit without competing.
If the product is behind a screen or cover before the reveal, the lighting in that area needs to be completely controlled. Any light spill onto the covered product before the reveal moment reduces the impact. Your lighting designer should account for this.
The reveal lighting
The reveal lighting sequence is usually: main room dims, a spotlight or tight wash hits the reveal area, the audio track builds, the reveal happens, and then a full dramatic lighting state fires simultaneously with the unveil. Moving head fixtures that can sweep, strobe briefly, or change colour give you the most flexibility for this moment. Intelligent lighting is not a luxury at a product launch. It is what makes the reveal look like a production rather than someone pulling a cloth off a table.
Sound design and audio
Sound at a product launch is about more than clear speech. There is usually music playing during arrival, a specific audio track for the reveal sequence, and ambient sound underneath the networking reception afterward. All of this needs to be managed from the same system by a sound engineer who understands the programme.
Presentation audio
The presenter needs a clean, reliable wireless microphone with no feedback and consistent levels throughout. For product launches where the presenter is moving around the stage or interacting with the product, a lapel microphone gives them freedom of movement without holding anything. For more formal presentations at a lectern, a handheld or fixed microphone works.
If there are video segments playing during the presentation, the audio from those videos needs to come through the room PA at the right level. A video that drops to inaudible when it plays, or one that suddenly blasts out at three times the speech volume, kills the energy in the room. Pre-set levels for all video content before the event starts.
The reveal audio
The reveal audio track is often the most important piece of sound at the whole event. It carries the emotional weight of the moment. Whether it is a custom-produced brand track or a licensed piece of music, it needs to be mixed and played at the right level to build through the reveal sequence. Your sound engineer should rehearse this multiple times on the day to get the levels and the timing right.
Sound design is something the PLASA live event production body covers in depth, particularly around how audio contributes to audience experience in brand events. Worth reading if you want to understand the professional standard for this kind of work.
Screens and video content
Screens at a product launch serve a different purpose than at a conference. They are not primarily there to show slides. They are there to show the product, build the narrative, and reinforce the brand.
The most important decisions around screens for a product launch are size and brightness. A screen that washes out in room lighting is not usable for a reveal or a dramatic video playback. LED video walls are the standard choice for London product launches because they are bright enough to hold up in any lighting condition, they have no bezels or gaps, and they can be built to custom sizes to fill a specific wall or backdrop area.
Projection is an option for larger spaces where a very large image area is needed and the room can be fully darkened. But in a mixed-light environment with ambient window light or a lit stage, LED is usually the right call. See our LED screen hire page for more on the size and format options available.
Content for the screens needs to be supplied in the right format and at the right resolution. A video that looks great in your edit suite will not automatically look great on a 4K LED wall. Brief your AV company on the screen specification early so your content team is working to the right canvas from the start.
Staging and the physical setup
The physical staging at a product launch is part of the AV brief. The stage needs to be big enough for the presenter and the product, at the right height so the room can see, and positioned correctly relative to the screens and lighting rigs.
The product display area needs to be considered as part of the staging design. Where it sits, at what height, and how it is lit should all be worked through with the AV company before the build day. Decisions made on the day are usually compromises.
For premium product launches, a bespoke set piece or branded backdrop can be built as part of the production. This is more involved than standard staging hire but creates a finished visual that photographs well and makes the event look like a serious brand investment. Our staging hire page covers what is available in terms of formats and configurations.
Phase 01
Arrival
Ambient brand lighting, background music, screens showing teaser content or brand visuals.
Phase 02
Presentation
Full PA for clear speech, video content on screen, stage lighting on presenter, room dimmed to focus attention.
Phase 03
The Reveal
Pre-programmed lighting sequence, reveal audio track, dramatic lighting state, product in full view.
Live streaming a product launch
Many London product launches now run simultaneously as a live streamed broadcast, either to a general public audience, a press list, or a network of international partners and distributors who cannot attend in person.
Streaming a product launch well requires the same cameras, switching, and encoding setup as any hybrid event, but with additional attention to the reveal moment. The stream needs to capture it cleanly. That means the camera angles are planned around the reveal, the stream technician knows exactly when it is happening, and the audio track is feeding into the stream mix correctly. See our hybrid and live streaming AV services for more on what this involves.
How to brief your AV company for a product launch
A product launch brief needs to be more detailed than a conference brief because the production is more scripted. When you approach an AV company, you should be ready to share:
- The venue, dimensions, and any access restrictions
- The expected number of guests and the room layout
- The product itself and whether it has specific display requirements
- The programme running order including when the reveal happens
- The reveal sequence: what audio plays, what lighting state fires, what is on screen
- Brand guidelines and colour palette for lighting and screen content
- Whether the event is being live streamed and to which platform
- The tone and feel you want the room to have at each stage of the evening
An AV company that just asks for the guest count and the venue address and then sends a quote is not thinking about this as a production. A good supplier asks about the programme, the reveal, and the brand feel because those answers determine what equipment and crew they are actually specifying.
The most common mistake at product launches is treating the AV as a venue logistics task rather than a production decision. The reveal is a moment you have one chance to get right. Plan it accordingly.
Common mistakes to avoid
Leaving the content brief too late. Your screen content, reveal audio, and video packages all need to be supplied to the AV company before the build day. Turning up with content on a USB stick and hoping it will work is a significant risk. Confirm file formats and delivery deadlines when you book.
Not rehearsing the reveal. The reveal sequence should be rehearsed in full at least twice on the day before guests arrive. Every person involved in that moment needs to know their cue. The host, the AV operator, and whoever is unveiling the product should walk through it together.
Ignoring the arrival experience. The fifteen minutes before the presentation starts shapes how the audience feels when the main event begins. Flat room lighting and silence kill energy. Ambient brand music and well-designed lighting keep anticipation building.
Underspeccing the sound. Press and buyers who leave saying the presentation was hard to follow are not the outcome you want. A professional PA system with a proper engineer on the desk is not an area to cut.
No contingency plan. Product launches are high-stakes. If the reveal audio track fails to play, if the screen goes dark, if the wireless mic drops, there needs to be an immediate recovery. Your AV company should have backup units for all critical equipment and a clear plan for what happens if something goes wrong on the night.
Frequently asked questions
Can you live stream a product launch at the same time?
Yes. Live streaming a product launch adds significant reach beyond the room. It requires additional cameras, a video switching system, a stream encoder, dedicated internet connectivity, and a technician managing the broadcast. All of this can be planned as part of the same AV setup rather than as a separate production.
How do you handle the reveal moment technically?
The reveal is a cue-driven sequence. The lighting, any video content, and the sound design all have to fire at precisely the right moment. This is pre-programmed into the lighting desk and the media server and triggered on cue by your AV crew. It is rehearsed on the day before any guests arrive.
What if our product is small and does not look impressive on a big screen?
This is where camera work matters. A macro-quality camera on a dedicated close-up product shot, fed to a large screen or video wall, can make a small product look genuinely impressive. The framing and the lighting around the product area both contribute to this. It is worth discussing with your AV company during the planning stage.
