So you’ve been tasked with planning an event or presentation for work. Whether you're planning for 500 or a select 5, you want it to be impressive to leave a lasting impact for co-workers and clients.
Successful events can be gauged by a variety of factors. We didn’t burn down the venue…..Success!!! Okay, maybe there’s more to it than that. Maybe you’re just excited that everyone showed up and it’s over. Or is your success measured by the feedback you’ll receive from your team? Did your planning and execution wow your clients and seal the deal? No matter how you gauge the success, it’s important to properly understand your tech and make sure everyone can not only hear, but also see.
Let’s talk about what to consider when you begin planning for your corporate event. First off, develop a goal and understand what needs to be accomplished for this event. Are there going to be speakers or presenters, if so, how many guests will be presented to? Starting with these small details will help you determine a couple of key factors. What size venue is needed to host your guests, and how much equipment is needed for them to hear and see what is being discussed. When choosing a venue, take into consideration accessibility of the venue. Is it easy to get to? Is it handicap accessible? How many guests can it fit comfortably? What’s the parking situation like? Do they have a built in audio or video system? These are some great questions to ask yourself to get the ball rolling.
Another consideration if you're having screens or presentations, is what time of the day will the event occur? If it’s during the day, how much natural light is in the space? Projectors are much less visible due to natural light, so T.V.’s and LED walls are a better option for clear viewing. Guest count and layout are also a factor when making this decision. As for screen sizes there are many options and the sizes are measured diagonally. T.V sizes comfortably go up to about 70”, where projectors sizes range from 100’’(6.6’ wide by 5’ tall) to 200’’(14.5’ wide by 8’ tall). Anything larger than this, should be an LED wall. You can have 20 guests, and a single TV may be appropriate if placed properly. On the other hand if you have 200 guests, you’ll want to consider larger screen options such as an LED wall. The benefit of LED walls is they can be a variety of sizes to accommodate groups of all sizes. Another advantage is the brightness of an LED Wall. An LED wall can be placed in direct sunlight and still be visible to your guests making it an ideal choice in venues like Dayton Arcade or The Dayton Art Institute. While we’re on the subject of screens, if you're having a speaker who’s presenting material you may also want to consider a presenters screen. What’s that you ask? This would be a screen dedicated to the person presenting. Usually placed on the ground in front or to the side of a podium, it allows the presenter to see what is happening without turning and looking at the main screen. This means they continue to face the audience and also the microphone. :-)
Speaking of microphones, brings me to my next topic and it’s one of the most important…SOUND! How many times have you been to an event and struggled to hear the presenter or witnessed sound cutting in and out…oooof. These are things that can easily be overcome with some planning and the proper equipment. Some venues can be difficult to provide quality sound, especially for unfamiliar vendors. You don’t want your sound company to show up and provide one speaker for 200 people, but you also don’t want four speakers if you only have twenty guests. With higher attendance numbers and larger venue spaces, I strongly suggest using additional speakers in the middle and rear of the room to provide a more balanced sound for attendants. Consider all of the spaces that you’ll be using in the venue, and what is needed for each space. For example, say you're having a cocktail hour in one space where you want some background music and announcements to be heard; and in another space you’ll be having the main event. Make sure you plan to have an additional speaker provided by your sound company, don’t make the assumption that they will just provide it. Also, consider who is going to manage all of your tech. Who is going to make audio adjustments and transition slides? Is that co-worker or a designated A/V technician? Are you using your computer or do you want one provided? If you’re not providing the computer, make sure you send your tech company the presentations or special music in advance for them to prepare. Having a professional A/V tech can remove a great amount of stress.
In addition to all of the techy stuff, you’ll want your guests to enjoy their time. Providing beverages, snacks or a meal is ideal if your event is lasting more than a couple of hours. Not only do you want guests to be hydrated and happy, you want your event to be captured. Having a photographer on site to capture parts of your event can be a major benefit. Imagine your party is to announce major company expansions or maybe someone is retiring and the party is for them. These are details that should be remembered and shared with your company and followers. Celebrating such important milestones should be captured, so skip the cell phones and hire a professional photographer.
Do you have multiple company locations but your event only has a select few attendants? Maybe this is something that you want to be live streamed to the rest of the company. Having someone walking around with a shaky cell phone isn’t what I’m talking about. I’m talking about having multiple camera angles and having it shared on a variety of sources for viewing. This will expand your audience and your message furthering the impact of your event. Just an additional option to make your event a major success.
Hiring a full service A/V company that has a variety of equipment is a great idea. This allows you to customize your event to your individual needs. See what their experience is in your chosen venue. Ask questions like what makes them the right choice for your event. My biggest piece of advice, is PLAN AHEAD! If you do that then you’ll have success in the palm of your hands!
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