A corporate Christmas party usually needs five pieces of AV:
- a PA system with at least one wireless microphone for speeches
- background and dance music playback (or a DJ setup)
- uplighting to transform the room
- a dance floor lighting package
- a screen if you're showing a year-in-review video or running awards
Many Melbourne venues and suppliers are booked out across December, so lock in your AV as soon as your venue is confirmed.
Use the checklist below to brief your venue and AV supplier. Then tick it off on the night.
Christmas party AV kit by guest numbers
Up to 80 guests | 80–250 guests | 250–600 guests | |
Sound | 2 compact PA speakers, small mixer, 1–2 wireless mics | 2 PA speakers + subwoofer, mixer, 2 wireless mics, DJ connection | Larger PA with subs, possibly delay speakers, 2–4 wireless mics, DJ setup |
Lighting | 8–12 LED uplights in your brand or festive colours | 12–24 uplights, dance floor lighting package | 24+ uplights, moving-head dance floor lighting, stage wash, haze if the venue allows |
Screen | Large TV or projector for a slideshow | Projector and screen, or a small LED wall | LED wall or 2 side screens for video, awards and live camera |
Staging | Not usually needed | Small riser for speeches and the DJ | Stage with lectern, DJ riser, branded backdrop |
Crew | Setup and pack-down; optional technician | 1 technician on site for speeches and the first hour | Audio and lighting technicians for the full event |
The pre-booking checklist
- Confirm the venue's AV rules. Some venues have in-house or preferred suppliers, curfews, noise limits, haze restrictions or power limits.
- Confirm bump-in and pack-down times. December venues often host back-to-back events, so setup windows can be short.
- Decide on the program. Welcome speech, CEO address, awards, video, band or DJ, dancing. Each one changes the kit list.
- Set your look. Brand colours, Christmas reds and greens, or a theme. Uplighting and gobo (logo) projection are the cheapest ways to transform a room.
- Check the screen content. Who's making the year-in-review video, and in what format and aspect ratio?
- Book early. For late November and December dates, book AV as early as possible; popular Fridays go first.
Sound: speeches first, then the party
Most Christmas parties go wrong at the speeches, not the dancing. A CEO speech through a crackly venue microphone in a room full of chatter undoes the effort of the whole night.
- Use a proper wireless microphone and a speaker positioned so the whole room can hear. A small PA in one corner won't carry over a crowd.
- Have a technician on site at least for the formal part of the night. That way levels get adjusted and dropouts get fixed straight away.
- If you're hiring a DJ or band, confirm who supplies the PA, so you don't pay for two systems or end up with none.
See our event sound and PA options for sizes from boardrooms to ballrooms.
Lighting: the fastest way to transform a room
A function room under house lights looks like a conference. The same room with warm uplighting on the walls, a few pin spots on the tables and a lit dance floor looks like a party.
- Uplighting: LED fixtures around the walls in your chosen colours. They suit almost any room.
- Gobo projection: your logo or a festive pattern projected onto a wall or dance floor.
- Dance floor lighting: moving heads and effects that kick in when the formalities end.
- Stage wash: front light so speakers and award winners look good in photos.
Our event lighting hire in Melbourne packages cover all four. For larger productions, our lighting design team can build a look around your theme. For a stage show or band, see stage lighting hire.
Screens: year-in-review, awards and photos
If you're showing a video, running awards or displaying a live photo wall, plan the screen into the room layout early:
- Under 100 guests: a large TV or projector is usually enough.
- Bigger rooms, or rooms with daylight: LED screen hire keeps the picture bright and sharp.
- Content: export it at the screen's resolution and test it on site before guests arrive.
Outdoor and rooftop parties
Melbourne's December weather can change quickly, so outdoor and rooftop parties need weather-rated equipment and a wet-weather plan. Use speakers that cover the space without spilling into neighbouring buildings, and an outdoor LED screen if you want visuals in daylight. Our guide to clear sound at an outdoor event covers the audio side.
On-the-night checklist
- Sound check every microphone with the actual speakers, at the lectern and anywhere they'll be used.
- Play the year-in-review video end to end on the actual screen, with sound.
- Confirm the run sheet with the technician: speeches, awards and when the dance floor opens.
- Check spare batteries for wireless microphones.
- Agree the end time and pack-down plan with the venue.
Budgeting
Cost depends mostly on guest numbers, how much lighting you want, whether you need a screen, and how long a technician stays on site. Our guide to how much AV hire costs in Melbourne explains the main cost drivers.
Book your Christmas party AV with Mars Productions
Mars Productions supplies sound, lighting, screens and crew for corporate Christmas and end-of-year parties across Melbourne, as part of our corporate event production service. Send us your venue, date, guest numbers and program, and we'll put together a package. Book your Christmas party AV.
frequently asked questions
As soon as your venue and date are confirmed. Late-November and December Fridays are the most in-demand dates of the year.
For speeches, awards or a video, yes, at least for the formal part of the night. For a small party with background music only, setup and pack-down may be enough.
Uplighting. Colour on the walls transforms a function room more than anything else for the cost. Add dance floor lighting if you want people dancing.
It depends on the venue’s policy. Some allow external suppliers, sometimes with a fee. Check with the venue first, and we can work with their team where needed.
A meeting your board can rely on
An AGM rewards preparation. Settle your format early, match the AV to your agenda, plan for every attendee to hear, see and participate, and build in the redundancy and rehearsal that make the meeting dependable. Get those right and the technology fades into the background — which, for an AGM, is exactly where it should be.
Mars Productions works with organisations across Melbourne and Australia to deliver in-person, virtual and hybrid AGMs with the reliability these meetings demand — including interstate support through our AV production in Sydney.
Planning your next AGM?
From boardroom meetings to full hybrid AGMs, Mars Productions manages the audio, screens, streaming and crew so your board can focus on the meeting, not the technology.
Learn more about our hybrid event AV and corporate event production services, or make an enquiry to plan your meeting.
Get a fast, tailored LED screen quote
Every event is different, so the most accurate figure is a real quote based on your venue, dates and content. Tell us what you're planning and our Melbourne team will recommend the right screen size and pixel pitch and send a clear, itemised quote — usually the same business day.