AV Nightmares: September

The AV industry can be a place of perfection. Even the slightest error can throw off an entire project. One unlit pixel, one loose bezel, or even a visible cable can make an installation unprofessional.

Sometimes though, the errors are so egregious that they keep things in perspective. We highlight these mishaps in our AV Nightmares series. Today, take a look at some of the latest and greatest slip ups from the AV industry.

If you have any nightmares you think the world needs to see, tweet us @ProAVMKSL and include #AVNightmares

The college basketball season is fast approaching, but not everyone is ready. While undergoing routine maintenance this week, the scoreboard at George Washington University’s Charles E. Smith Center collapsed to the floor, according to the university.

CBS Sports reports that nobody was injured during the fall, and it remains unclear how much damage was caused to both the jumbo-tron and the court in the process. According to the same report, the arena was renovated in 2011, including the scoreboard, for a total cost of $43 million.

The United States Women’s National Basketball Team used the court for a game on Sunday, just one day before it fell to the floor.

The university released the following tweet regarding the incident:

Recently, another public space had AV troubles. The Gatwick International Airport outside of London, UK, suffered from an issue that knocked out flight information displays. Staff had to revert to the old fashioned way of communicating updates, using a marker and  whiteboard.

This tactic has been used before in Jacksonville, Fla.

Sometimes leveling a screen is harder than it looks.

Cables can look like a work of art, but it is not a good sign when they look like an abstract paint splatter.

You can’t even call this a fail, you just have to be impressed!

Not sure what the blueprint for this installation looked like but it certainly was not this.

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Professional AV Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @ProAVmkt
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Class 8 trucks
Driving the Future at ACT Expo: Windrose Showcases Its Purpose-Built Electric Class 8 Trucks
July 1, 2025

At the ACT Expo, Hammer Down host Mike Bush dives deeper into the future of freight with a hands-on look at Windrose Technology’s electric Class 8 trucks. Joined by Joseph Jaramillo, Driver Supervisor at Talon Logistics, Mike takes a test drive to experience the smooth ride, dual digital displays, and unique features—like advanced regen modes and a…

Read More
ball valve
Zero-Friction Flow: Trillium Launches the Red Point® Non-Contact Rising Stem Ball Valve to Cut Downtime, Boost Safety, and Perform in Demanding Applications
June 30, 2025

Join host Michelle Dawn Mooney for this special episode of FlowCast by Trillium Flow Technologies, as she sits down with Fred Jansen, General Manager of Trillium’s Netherlands facility, and Pepijn Esman, Engineering Manager for Red Point, to unveil the non-contact Rising Stem Ball Valve (RSBV)—a breakthrough engineered for extreme-service applications across oil &…

Read More
student success
The AI-Powered Edge in Education: How LearningClues Is Enabling Student Success with Co-founder and CEO Dr. Perry Samson
June 30, 2025

As AI continues to reshape education, institutions face a growing challenge in ensuring students succeed without compromising engagement or integrity. Today’s college students are often juggling jobs, family, and coursework, leading to limited study time and increased dropout risk. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 40% of full-time undergraduates and 74% of…

Read More
AI Strategist
Why Enterprises Need an AI Strategist and Why It Should Be a Marketer
June 30, 2025

In this episode of The Marketing AI SparkCast, Aby Varma, founder of Spark Novus, a leading consultancy that partners with marketing leaders to adopt and scale AI responsibly and strategically, talks with Nicola Smith, Senior AI Programs Advisor at Southwest Airlines. They explore how enterprises can move beyond tool experimentation to embed AI into…

Read More