Buying Guide
Conference Room AV Buying Guide
Choosing AV for a conference room is no longer just about a projector and a phone in the middle of the table. Hybrid meetings, video calls and shared presentations now define how Kenyan offices use their boardrooms, and getting the sound and camera coverage wrong makes every hybrid meeting frustrating. This guide walks through what actually matters when specifying a conference room system in Kenya.
Start With How the Room Will Actually Be Used
Before comparing products, define whether the room is used mainly for in-person presentations, video conferencing with remote staff, or a mix of both. A 6-seat huddle room has very different requirements from a 20-seat boardroom that hosts board meetings and client pitches.
- Room capacity and typical meeting size
- Whether video conferencing (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet) is a daily requirement
- Whether the room needs to double as a training or presentation space
- Ceiling height and cable routing options (false ceiling vs exposed)
- Existing furniture layout and where power/data points are already installed
Display and Screen Options
The right display depends on room size and ambient light, not just budget. Interactive displays are increasingly popular for hybrid collaboration because they let remote and in-room participants annotate the same content.
| Room Size | Recommended Display | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Huddle room (up to 6) | 55"–65" LED/interactive panel | Wall-mounted, viewing distance under 3m |
| Mid boardroom (8–14) | 75"–86" interactive display or short-throw projector | Consider dual screens for content + video feed |
| Large boardroom (15+) | Dual large-format displays or LED video wall | Ensure sightlines from every seat |
Audio: The Part Most Rooms Get Wrong
Poor audio is the number one complaint in hybrid meetings — remote participants hear echo, overlapping speech, or nothing at all from the far end of the table. A single speakerphone puck is only reliable for rooms up to about 6 people.
- Beamforming ceiling or table microphone arrays for rooms over 8 seats, so voices are picked up evenly regardless of where someone sits
- Ceiling speakers distributed for even coverage instead of a single soundbar in a large room
- Echo cancellation and noise suppression built into the DSP or conferencing codec
- Dedicated conferencing codecs (not just a laptop's built-in webcam and mic) for consistent call quality
Cameras and Video Conferencing
PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras with auto-framing are now standard for boardrooms handling regular video calls. For huddle rooms, an all-in-one video bar combining camera, mic and speaker is usually the most cost-effective choice.
Tip: match camera field of view to table shape
Long, narrow boardroom tables need wide-angle or dual-camera setups so people at either end are not cropped out of frame.
Control Systems
A simple touch-panel controller that starts a meeting with one tap (lights, screen, camera, audio) dramatically reduces IT support calls and meeting delays. For smaller rooms, a well-labelled AV switcher with clear inputs is often sufficient.
Indicative Budgets
| Tier | Typical Scope | Indicative Budget (KES) |
|---|---|---|
| Huddle room | 55" display, video bar, basic switcher | KES 250,000 – 500,000 |
| Mid boardroom | 75" interactive display, ceiling mic array, PTZ camera, DSP | KES 900,000 – 2,000,000 |
| Executive boardroom | Dual displays or video wall, distributed audio, automated control system | KES 2,500,000 and above |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying a display that's too small for the room's viewing distance
- Relying on a laptop's built-in mic and camera for a room seating more than 4 people
- Ignoring acoustic treatment — hard walls and glass cause echo that no microphone can fully fix
- Choosing a control system that's too complex for non-technical staff to operate confidently
- Skipping a site survey and assuming one system spec fits every room in the building
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a dedicated video conferencing codec, or can we use a laptop?+
For huddle rooms with 4 or fewer people, a laptop with a good video bar is fine. Larger rooms need a dedicated codec and distributed mics for reliable audio pickup.
How much does a basic boardroom AV upgrade cost in Kenya?+
A functional mid-size boardroom with a display, ceiling mic array and PTZ camera typically costs between KES 900,000 and 2,000,000 installed.
Can existing screens or projectors be integrated into a new system?+
Yes, if they meet resolution and connectivity requirements, we can integrate existing displays to reduce overall project cost.
What is the biggest cause of poor video call audio in boardrooms?+
Undersized or single-point microphones are the most common cause — they fail to pick up voices evenly across a large table, causing remote participants to miss parts of the conversation.
How long does installation typically take?+
A single boardroom installation usually takes 2–5 working days including cabling, mounting, calibration and staff training.