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Planning a corporate awards night’s AV works best following a 12-week countdown; this helps you avoid any stressful last-minute scrambles. Confirm your venue and brief at week 12, lock in sound and microphones by week 10, staging and lighting by week 8, and finalise visuals, live streaming and your run sheet by weeks 6 to 4. Rehearse in the final week. Below is the full checklist, the AV elements to prioritise, and the questions we're asked most.

Great events don’t just happen—they’re designed. From immersive lighting to crystal-clear sound, discover the 5 key AV elements that turn a standard presentation into an unforgettable experience.

St Cuthbert’s College students captivated audiences at their 2025 Dance Showcase in Clouston Hall, showcasing their skill, creativity, and months of dedicated rehearsal. Edwards Sound, Lighting & AV was proud to support these talented performers with professional lighting and sound solutions, including vibrant moving head lights, warm Fresnels, and a crystal-clear DAS Audio system. Our tailored setup enhanced the dancers’ artistry, transforming the stage with dynamic visuals and powerful sound, creating an unforgettable experience that highlighted the students’ passion and the power of technical collaboration.

A pub never gets to pick one job for its sound system. It needs to run quiz night, switch to live sport, back a band, and quieten down for a function, all without a technician on call. See how we fitted out The Good Home Bar in Mt Eden with a system so simple to run that, in the owner's words, "even my brother can use it" — no touchscreens, no training, just a wall-mounted selector and presets for whatever the night calls for.

Our client needed to turn Shed 10 into something memorable for their cocktail evening. We took on the challenge and created a lighting and sound design that captured the diversity and the community attending the event perfectly. A mix of different lighting and effects, bespoke LED towers and the perfect sound system made the event come to life and created a memorable back drop that attendees will remember.

Antari FLG-5 is a 5-litre water-based heavy fog fluid manufactured by Antari and supplied in New Zealand by Edwards Sound Systems. Formulated for standard professional fog machines, it produces dense, long-hang atmospheric fog without leaving oily residue. The formula is non-toxic, odourless, non-flammable, and non-irritating, with a low-allergen profile suitable for audience and performer environments including theatres, clubs, schools, and corporate venues. An independently verified Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is available confirming compliance with environmental and safety regulations. FLG-5 is compatible with all Antari fog machines and most professional-grade foggers. Available in a 5-litre bottle at $79.50 incl. GST. The FLG range is Antari's heavy fog formulation, distinct from their low fog (FLL) and light fog (FLR) fluids which are designed for specific machine types and effect applications.

The Antari J-100 Sonic Jet is a 2700W directional fog jet machine manufactured by Antari and stocked in New Zealand by Edwards Sound Systems. It uses a high-pressure turbo fan to project a concentrated burst of fog at high velocity, producing a directional jet effect rather than atmospheric diffusion. Rated IP53 for dust and water spray resistance, it is suitable for outdoor stages, festival environments, and open-sided venues. Control options include DMX512, wireless, and W-DMX (optional module). Fluid consumption is 250ml/min using Antari FLK fast-dissipating fluid. Weight is 18.7kg with an external fluid tank. Applications include concert productions, prize-giving reveals, DJ performance moments, theatre, and outdoor events. Priced at $3,999 incl. GST.

The ITC UC Series is a range of multi-zone matrix amplifiers manufactured by ITC and supplied in New Zealand by Edwards Sound Systems. Available in four models — T-2120UC, T-2240UC, T-4120UC, and T-4240UC — the series provides 2 or 4 independently controlled output zones at 120W or 240W per channel, with simultaneous 4–16Ω and 100V line output. Up to six audio sources route through the matrix to any zone combination. The system integrates with the T-214B touchscreen desk paging microphone and T-651 wall-mounted zone controllers, both CAT5e-connected and amplifier-powered up to 100m. Built-in features include Bluetooth, USB/SD MP3 playback, FM radio, MP3 recording, 48V phantom power, and hardware MUTE ports for fire alarm integration. Priced from $2,249 to $3,249 incl. GST. Edwards Sound Systems has supplied ITC commercial audio products since 2011.

The Audiocenter D4.2K-D is a 4-channel Class D power amplifier rated at 4×500W at 4Ω or 2×1000W bridged at 8Ω, built with integrated BrainCore™ DSP processing (48kHz/24-bit, IIR and FIR filters, 15-band parametric EQ per input, 10-band per output, per-channel delay and limiting) and Dante audio networking. It accepts Dante, AES/EBU, and analogue inputs simultaneously with configurable matrix routing. Network management is handled via BrainCore NET software, which supports up to 250 devices from a single platform. The unit occupies 2U of rack space and weighs 8.5kg. It is supplied and supported in New Zealand by Edwards Sound Systems, an Auckland-based AV company that has stocked Audiocenter products since 2010.

Edwards Sound Systems supplies and installs pre-programmed turn-key event lighting packages for bars, schools, clubs, and community venues across Auckland. Built around the Kontrol192 DMX controller — supporting up to 12 fixtures at 16 channels per fixture — each package is custom-specified to the venue and pre-programmed with scenes, sound-activated modes, and labelled fixtures before delivery. Fixture options include the Event LITE PAR19X12L for indoor stage applications and the IP65-rated PAR12X20H-IP for outdoor and mixed-environment use. Packages include all stands, cabling, and mounting hardware, and are designed to be operated by non-technical staff without a dedicated lighting operator.