What makes an event successful? The emcee? The program? The crowd?

A live event is composed of several moving parts that must work organically and in unison in order to meet the goals that have been set for it.

Rarely will people tell you that sound is the key driver for event success; and rightly so. When things are working seamlessly, every necessary component fades into the background until you have this one big organic thing that is your event.

How, exactly, can sound affect the outcome of the event you are organizing?

The effects of poor sound on your event

It is relatively easy to fall into the trap of believing that the visuals take precedence over everything else. And to a certain degree, rightly so.

But most probably, you have been to an organized event or any gathering where the poor visuals have been compensated by good audio. For example, in a presentation where the presenter cannot make his slides work, he can still proceed with his talk.

Now flip things around. What if it was the sound system that had a glitch? How can the speaker turn things around? You’ll probably be hard-pressed to find the right solution.

In large gatherings, people are not always fixated on the stage or the speaker. They may wander around the venue to mingle with other guests or to get refreshments. But when the sound is of good quality, they can still hear the message.

When the sound system is not working optimally, you disappoint the guests that you have invited. In turn, that creates a wrong impression of your brand or the product you are trying to highlight.

As for your company, some guests may get the impression that you did not adequately prepare for your event, and they might hesitate to work with you or purchase your products or services. This can make it difficult to invite people to your next event.

Finally, your whole team can feel that the event is a major letdown. They might think that all their efforts and hard work leading to the actual event have turned into a massive waste.

How a good audio system works

Whether you are organizing a small personal gathering or a major product launch, you should not overlook the importance of sound quality. Think of it as an invisible component that brings all the event elements together into one cohesive unit.

The music coming from the sound system sets the mood and tone for your event. High tempo music can generate excitement, while low tempo music can help make your guests feel relaxed and at ease.

During live events, good sound quality allows the presenter to get their message across, over, and above the distractions in the venue.

Avoiding issues with your audio system

In order to prevent problems related to a sound system, it is a good idea to know the potential issues that you might face.

On the one hand, you can have systemic problems. These include issues related to faulty or wrong gear, inexperienced or untrained personnel, or simply the incorrect installation of the system. Although these problems rarely crop up, it is a good idea to still look into these while the system is being set up.

One issue that usually crops up in many events that’s related to the speakers is the mixing of volume levels. Each person speaks differently. Some speak softly while others are louder.

Left unchecked, this can translate to an uneven sound quality that can put off listeners. But when you have a sound professional on board, the audio levels and quality can be evened out, resulting in uniform sound quality, no matter who goes up on stage.

In an ideal scenario, the audio tech should make the necessary preparations to match sound levels and quality to the person who is on stage. But in most cases, the sound crew must make adjustments on the fly.

Rely on the experts

Unless you have an expert on your team, your best course of action is to work with an audio-video team that can easily overcome most of the problems mentioned earlier.

A team of qualified, high-trained, and experienced experts can make the necessary adjustments to your event’s audio-video system, ensuring a smooth flow, enhancing your reputation, and the success of your event.

AUTHOR BIO

Born in 1979, Mahmoud Majed is the Managing Director at Level Production. He is a B.A holder in Business Management with 15+ years of relative experience. Prior to his role at Level, Mahmoud held a marketing directorship position for a leading holding group in the UAE, handling accounts in industries such as international retail and dining and pioneering the concession business department. Mahmoud also took on leadership roles in the high-end luxury sector. Mahmoud first moved to Dubai in 2001 and has called the country his second home ever since. He is a firm believer in the power of positivity and works hard on implementing happiness in the workspace.