The LED Advantage: Why Smart Event Planners Are Making the Switch

As a long-time technical producer, I have a love for all things technical for events. LED screens have been around for a while now, but in the events industry, we have barely scratched the surface of their potential. What began as simple electronic displays has evolved into versatile, creative tools that can transform any venue, regardless of size or limitations. From enhancing historic buildings with minimal power requirements to creating custom-shaped displays for product launches, LEDs are opening new possibilities that traditional projection simply cannot match. In this issue, we explore why LED technology is becoming the smart choice for forward-thinking event planners, offering impact, both creative flexibility and environmental benefits that deserve your attention.

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Look up in any and every city center, blindingly bright LED signboards are everywhere covered in ads or really creative graphics that reach out and grab your attention. In the event world, they can be really useful too. You might say, I'm running a small event, why would I need an LED screen? Well, here in Asia, I have seen many auditoriums come with in-built screens. I have even walked into small event spaces seating a maximum of 60-80, where the entire wall behind the stage was one giant LED screen.

This week we'll take a look at their applications and their benefits. I’ll share with you some of my personal experiences. Are they for you? You get to decide.

Why Events Are Switching from Projectors to LED Displays

In recent years, the events industry has witnessed a significant shift from traditional projector setups to LED screen technology. This transition is transforming how we design and execute events, particularly in challenging or unique venues. Here's why LED screens are becoming the preferred choice for event planners worldwide.

1. Power Efficiency in Historic Venues

One of the most compelling advantages of LED screens is their significantly lower power consumption compared to projector systems. This makes them ideal for events in historic buildings where power infrastructure may be limited or where conservation concerns restrict modifications.
While a typical projector system might require 2-5 kW for a medium-sized setup, equivalent LED walls often operate on less than half that power, opening up previously unsuitable venues to modern digital displays.

Case study: In 2018 I was the technical producer at a major anniversary fundraising event. The venue was a 100+ year old university hall that was about to undergo renovation. Half the power circuits didn’t work. The client needed for everyone to see the items up for auction (it was a fundraiser after all) and hear the auctioneer. The sound system in the room was not fit for purpose either. Had we just used a single screen on stage, the audience at the back couldn’t see. Have multiple screens and projectors? We would lose 20% of the room’s capacity which would restrict fundraising. AND we had to share power with the caterers who were bringing the food in an array of hot cabinets.

The solution? 2 giant 10ft wide LED screens positioned staggered one on each side of the room. They were put on 5 ft high pedestals, making them high enough for everyone to see. Yes, back in the day it was expensive to mount, but considering the money raised that night? Well worth the investment. I got compliments from donors who said it was the first time they have come to such an event where they could see and hear everything, and actually enjoy the evening.

It worked so well that the production company was asked back by the university to provide the same screen set up for one of their commencement events.

2. Reduced Spatial Footprint

Traditional projection requires two key elements - the projector itself and the screen - with sufficient distance between them. This dual-component system consumes valuable floor space and creates logistical challenges in room layout. LED screens eliminate this issue entirely, requiring only the display surface itself. This consolidated footprint allows event planners to maximize seating capacity, utilize smaller venues without compromising visual impact, simplify setup logistics, and reduce costs associated with larger venue rentals.

Another type of space where LED screens have an advantage is in smaller venues that are not necessarily square or rectangular in shape, or one that has a lot of columns interrupting sight lines for traditional projectors. LED screens suddenly open up a whole host of design opportunities.

3. Modular Flexibility for Creative Designs

Unlike rigid projection screens, LED panels offer unparalleled flexibility in configuration. They can be wrapped around architectural elements like columns, built into custom shapes and sizes, arranged in non-traditional layouts (curved, angled, etc.), and scaled up or down based on specific venue requirements. This adaptability empowers designers to integrate displays seamlessly with the venue's unique characteristics rather than forcing standardized screen formats into incompatible spaces.

Or imagine a screen that is exactly sized to the shape of a product that you are launching. This could become an immersive experience in itself, where the display and the product become one unified presentation that captivates attendees and creates a memorable brand moment that traditional projection simply cannot achieve.

4. Superior Brightness and Visibility

You need to wow? LEDs deliver the wow in spades!

LED screens deliver exceptional brightness levels that projectors simply cannot match, particularly in environments with ambient light. While projectors struggle with daylight or venue lighting, LED displays maintain vivid, high-contrast imagery regardless of lighting conditions. This eliminates the need for darkened rooms or blackout curtains, allowing for brighter, more engaging event spaces, natural lighting when desired, reduced HVAC costs from heat generated by projectors, and consistent visual quality throughout day-long events.

LEDs are often so bright, I have had to ask the production team to reduce the light emitted to increase the ambience for an event. And yes you have that option with LED, but not as much with projectors.

5. Sustainability Through Longevity

Perhaps one of the most overlooked benefits of LED technology is its environmental impact compared to traditional event staging. The exceptional lifespan (50,000+ hours) means LED panels can be reused for hundreds of events, which eliminates the waste from custom-built wooden sets that often end up in landfills after single use. This technology reduces the carbon footprint from manufacturing and disposing of single-use materials, decreases transportation emissions as the same panels can serve multiple events, and creates minimal maintenance waste since there are no bulbs to replace, unlike projectors. If one LED fails – and it can – modular systems mean that only that single module is replaced, not the whole screen.

Conclusion

The shift from projectors to LED screens represents more than just a technological upgrade—it's enabling a fundamental rethinking of event design possibilities while supporting environmental responsibility. From historic venues to creative configurations to operational sustainability, LED technology is removing limitations that event planners have worked around for decades. As costs continue to decrease and modular systems become more accessible, we can expect this transition to accelerate across the events industry.

If you are trying them out for the first time, look for venues who have in built in LED screens. See whether they are willing to let you test it out during a site visit. It’s really no different than connecting a laptop to a projector.

Whether you're running a small corporate meeting or a large-scale conference, LED screens offer advantages worth considering for your next event. The question isn't whether you can afford to use LED technology—it might be whether you can afford not to.

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