By Britt Yenser
When we think of “AV Horror Stories,” visions of flaming extension reels, projection mishaps, or even ceiling-dwelling squirrels might come to mind—real stories shared by many in the field. But my AV nightmare is far more chilling: being forced to work an event because of my gender identity.
It was early in the academic year, and a department was planning a Women’s Empowerment event. They insisted that only women could be in the room, and when it came to staffing, they looked straight at me and said, “Britt, I guess you’ll be working it.” It was on a Saturday, outside of normal hours, and they didn’t want work-study students. Their request? A professional, all-female AV staff. Problem was, I was the only woman on the team.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I thought the event had good intentions. I love the idea of women’s spaces. But being singled out just because I’m a woman, in an otherwise male-dominated field, didn’t sit well with me. Anytime staffing came up, I’d say, “We’ll have to discuss that later.” Afterward, I called a meeting of women in AV I trusted, and I explained: no overtime, outside my hours, and being asked to work solely because I identified as a woman. They echoed what I felt—this might not have bad intentions, but it’s still not right.
So, I confronted the event organizer one on one. I shared my concerns—how being the token woman to quietly run AV gear didn’t feel empowering. I even asked if they wanted me to share my experiences as a woman in tech during the event–something that could highlight my presence and empower women who might want to pursue a career in technology. Their response? “You’ll appreciate it when you see it—it’ll be like a big sleepover.”
Right. I’m an adult woman, and I don’t do sleepovers.
When I raised this issue to my boss, I was told to “flex my time”—but my issue wasn’t about the hours; it was about being assigned work because of my gender. This was met with a joke about putting a wig on a male co-worker. At that point, I was furious. I couldn’t shake how unheard and disrespected I felt.
In the end, the “request” had turned into a demand.
The day of the event arrived, and I found myself in a literal closet, running cameras and adjusting mics. When I emerged for a break, I noticed catering and facilities had sent male staff, but IT stuck to the female-only demand. I would’ve been angrier if I hadn’t already accepted a job somewhere else.
In my exit interview, I shared this experience as a reason I was leaving. HR apologized, and someone from the department later offered me the dreaded, “I’m sorry you feel that way”—the worst kind of apology.
So there you have it, folks—my AV Horror Story. The time I worked an event on my day off because I’m a woman. Feel free to share this tale around your Halloween campfire and remember: women make up less than 10% of the AV industry. Don’t mistreat us or take us for granted!
