Events Articles

Article / Updated 02-01-2023

When you're planning a business meeting or event, you'll most likely need audiovisual equipment — such as microphones, projectors, screens, and lighting. Some facilities, such as conference centers, offer the luxury of built-in audiovisual (AV) capabilities that often contain highly sophisticated equipment. However, if you have to rent the necessary gear, it helps to have a little knowledge. You need to have a clear sense of how your AV equipment will enhance your event. Make sure that AV elements — and difficulties — don’t overpower the message being conveyed. This article overviews some of the basic AV equipment and a few tricks of the trade so so you'll feel more comfortable deciding what equipment to use, and when. Microphones Let your presenters know what room setup you’ve organized, and then ask whether they have any specific needs — speakers often prefer a certain type of microphone. Some common microphone setups include: Lectern/podium microphone: This type of microphone is usually attached to the lectern with an adjustable arm. Speaker introductions are often conducted from this location, and speakers who use notes often feel more comfortable positioned here. Table microphone: As the name suggests, this type of microphone is used when the speaker is seated at a table. You often find these microphones used for panel discussions where the panelists are seated at a long table on the stage. You want to provide each participant with their own microphone, or at least one microphone between two people. It gets rather awkward and cumbersome when four people share one microphone and need to pass it to one another. Standing/aisle microphone: Entertainers, especially singers and comedians, prefer this kind of microphone, which is positioned on a stand. These microphones are also commonly placed in the aisles so that during a question-and-answer session, participants can walk up and speak questions or comments directly into the microphone for all to hear. Hand-held microphone: As the name says, this microphone is held in the hand. Corded and wireless versions are available. Entertainers and speakers who don’t need to use their hands during their speeches often choose to use these. The hand-held mic is not the best choice for an inexperienced presenter or one who needs to write notes or perform a demonstration. Lavaliere/lapel microphones: These microphones are small and easily clip onto clothing, preferably as close to the speaker’s mouth as possible. They can be corded or wireless. Speakers who need to use their hands throughout their presentations often prefer this type of microphone. Remind your speaker not to turn their head away from this microphone when they speak — their audibility will fade. Should you use a wireless or corded mic? There are advantages and disadvantages to both. The corded mic keeps the speaker on a short leash but offers the most reliable connection. The wireless mic enables the speaker to move even off the stage, but may encounter more feedback. Rely on an experienced audio tech to help you identify your best option. Projection screens Any time your presenter uses visuals during the presentation, you need a screen. The common projection screen format is letterbox (similar in shape to a modern television with a 16:9 ratio). The key here is to have one that is large enough, so everyone can see clearly. Follow these helpful guidelines to get what’s best: Decide whether you need a square or rectangular screen format. Choose a screen format that matches the projection equipment you’re using. Ask your AV supplier for help with this. Order a nonglare screen that is video-format with a matte-white surface and is either a tripod or fastfold. Place the screen in the center of the audience’s view, to the side, or in a corner. Much will depend on what’s more important: the speaker or the projected visual information. Seats should be located a distance that is no less than double the width of the projected image, and the farthest seat from the screen is no more than five times the width of the image. Make sure that the bottom of the screen is at least 5 feet up from the floor to ensure that those backbenchers get a good view. Place the screen on the stage if the ceiling height permits, but make sure that it’s dressed appropriately — side curtains, bottom skirt, and top valance. Naked screens are aesthetically uninteresting. Projectors You should anticipate that your presenter will have digitized visuals for their presentation. It is up to you to confirm that their format and your technology are compatible. Select your projector first by their lumens. The minimum lumens for a small to medium-sized meeting room with a 100-inch screen is 2,500 lumens. The larger the room, the more lumens you need. The latest digital video projectors offer wireless and Bluetooth connectivity while also featuring HDMI, USB, and micro-USB options. For the best connectivity, have a computer handy to support the apps being used (such as PowerPoint, Keynote, or Prezi). Audio is available on some projectors and this may work well for a smaller setting, but using additional speakers and a mixing board to bring the sound clearly into a large conference room or auditorium is your best bet. Here are some options for video projectors: DLP: Digital light processing technology uses micro-mirrors to project images from a monitor onto a large screen. DLP is seen in stand-alone projection units, in rear projection TVs, and in most of the digital cinema projections. DLP provides excellent images, is compact and low maintenance, and works well in large rooms. Get one with LEDs for illumination. LCD: Liquid crystal display projectors send light through a prism to display video, images, or computer data onto a screen or flat surface. These projectors tend to be bulky and pixilated. Be sure to have an extra lamp on hand as they are sensitive, hot, and can burn out during your presentation. Newer LCDs are available with an LED light source. LED: Light emitting diode projectors are identified by their light source, the LEDs. They are compact — a little larger than your hand — very portable, and a great workhorse for meetings in close quarters. The old-school overhead projector has been upgraded to make it compatible with digital technology called a digital document camera. These cameras (also known as visual presenters, visualizers, digital overheads, or docucams) are real-time image capture devices for displaying paper, transparencies, or an object to an audience. Digital document cameras come with a light to illuminate objects or surfaces below the camera so you can feed live content into your computer to share online. For live events, you can elect to send the images to a projector, delivering the picture to the screen. The brighter the projector, the more versatile it will be under different lighting conditions. Projectors that provide brightness ratings of 1,000 lumens or more can produce excellent images in larger rooms, even without dimming the lights. Lighting Don’t leave your meeting participants in the dark! Good lighting is essential to a good meeting, particularly when it includes a visual presentation or speech. Your goal is to light your meeting room unequally, following these basic guidelines: For a keynote or general session, most of the light ought to be channeled onto the main presentation area enabling the audience to see as much of the presenter’s facial features as possible. To avoid creating a spotlight effect and blinding your speaker, use cross lighting with two separate lights, one on either side of the presentation area. Less lighting is needed on the audience. For a presentation where participants are expected to take notes, allow enough lighting to cover the audience so that they can do this without strain. You should have no light directly above or on any screens or monitors showing slides or other video or computer presentations. Definitely avoid fluorescent lighting near screens and monitors because this washes out any of the images you want to project. Ideally, you should be able to control and dim individual lights in the meeting room. If you can’t control the lighting, you can arrange to have venue management unscrew specific bulbs ahead of time to achieve the desired effect for your event. To avoid any washed-out images on a screen, arrange to have bulbs unscrewed that shine directly above or onto the screen. This task is particularly easy with recessed halogen spotlights. AV needs for presenters The following is a typical list of audiovisual needs that speakers often request: LCD projector Screen Table microphone Hand-held corded microphone Wireless hand-held microphone Corded Lavaliere microphone (with 50-inch cord) Wireless Lavaliere microphone Flip chart or oversized sticky notes with markers Remember to give presenters a deadline date for their requests because equipment ordered on-site is often more expensive, if it’s even available. Tuning into licensing Before you crank up that oldies-but-goodies playlist to entertain your meeting audience or add a little life to a presentation, familiarize yourself with some of the legal know-how to save yourself from any problems that may occur down the road. Copyright law states that you must get permission from the copyright holder before you play a piece of music either live or from a recording. You don’t have to track down the recording artists in an attempt to get their blessing before using the music — thankfully, the process is much simpler than that. To get permission to play a piece of copyrighted music, all you need to do is pay a fee through one of two major performers’ rights organizations: BMI or ASCAP. Both of these nonprofit groups collect license fees on behalf of the composers and performers they represent. They then distribute the funds as royalties to the appropriate writers, composers, and copyright holders. Note that the law does not apply to music over 75 years old that has not been revised and copyrighted. For music licensed after 1978 the copyright protection expires 50 years after the death of the last surviving author or composer. For more detailed information about copyrights and trademarks check out this web page on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website.

Article / Updated 01-31-2023

If you're a meeting and event planner, you need to know both the advantages and disadvantages of using online communication technology so you can make good decisions about when to use it and which format to choose. Meeting online is no longer reserved for high-level executive pow-wows. Since 2020, nearly everyone from grade school kids to grandparents has experienced online conferencing. Our need to connect during the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged approximately 200 online conference platforms to emerge, many with very powerful capabilities. The online meeting is now as prevalent and necessary as the mobile phone. Use this to your advantage when planning a meeting! What you need to decide is which type of online conference will best suit your needs. You have a choice of a video conference (that allows attendees to participate with both audio and video), a hybrid conference (where you are sharing a live presentation with a broader online audience), and finally you can offer a webinar or online conference (where you are the main attraction and there is limited interaction from your attendees). Video conferences Video conferences allow participants in remote locations to see and hear each other through video and audio connections. Video conferencing adds an important visual dimension to ordinary conference call and enables participants to communicate with facial expressions and body language. Participants can relate to each other much better when they’re more than just disembodied voices. Online conferences or webinars Online conferences or webinars are live or pre-recorded sessions that bring your message to many with little feedback. The webinar audience can see and hear you, but the participants are not visible and may only be audible when and if the host chooses to let them speak. Hybrid conferences Hybrid conferences are a combination of a live in-person event with an online audience. You can choose to have the online participants connect through a video conference (communicating visually and audibly) or an online conference (without the visual and with selective audio input.) Video conferences have participants. Online conferences or webinars have viewers. Hybrid events can utilize whichever platform works best for the online audience without detracting from the live audience. Meeting online is a powerful communication tool. It may seem daunting to the technical novices among you, but fear not! Plenty of help is available, and if you plan well, you’ll find that meeting online is an effective and efficient way to connect people all over the world. Considering the positives Some of the advantages of online meetings include: It’s the next best thing to being in the same room. You’re not just a voice on the phone, but someone the other participants can see and relate to. This visual medium allows for demonstration. The maxim “a picture is worth a thousand words” certainly rings true here. You can show participants samples or demonstrate a solution to a problem. Videoconferencing enables participants to put a face with the name of a person they may know only as a voice on the phone or the sender of an e-mail message. As a result, videoconferencing may help to build a stronger relationship. Webinars allow you to quickly connect to a larger audience by recording your live session for playback at the viewers’ convenience. Hybrid meetings allow conference planners to include participants that may otherwise miss out on hearing a speaker, learning a skill, or being introduced to a new product. Weighing the negatives As with every new meeting technology, online meetings also have limitations and drawbacks: Participants may not feel comfortable at first. It may take some time and effort to put all participants at ease with the idea of seeing themselves on the screen. A lot of careful planning is necessary for a successful online meeting. Technology can sometimes fail you. Each platform has a learning curve and you need to be proficient before you go live. Determining your needs As you begin to develop your online meeting, you must accurately determine your needs and resources. Ask yourself the following questions to guide you in your planning: What does the meeting chairperson hope to accomplish with this meeting? Does the meeting chairperson want a collaborative event, or a one-way transfer of information from one party to another? Is it possible to accomplish the goal through an online meeting? Is an online presentation compatible with the meeting chairperson’s personality and presentation style, or would a meeting done in person or through another medium be more effective? Do I need an online meeting facility? If so, do I have the resources to create or rent one? Do other potential participants have online access? How many participants will be involved, and at how many sites? Do I need to hire technicians and site facilitators, or will I be able to do it alone or use existing staff? It takes a team As the conference planner, you’ll be spearheading your online meeting, but it takes a team of people to make it successful. Unless you decide to run the meeting yourself, you have to work with equipment providers and technical experts who set up the equipment. You also have to appoint a site facilitator at each location. The site facilitator plays a crucial role by overseeing everything at the remote site. They take care of technical needs, the room, the furniture arrangement, the distribution of materials to participants, and other key details. Appointing a troubleshooter for each location is also an excellent idea. This person is responsible for fixing any technical problems that arise during the online meeting. Separating this function from the role of the event facilitator allows the facilitator to keep the meeting organized and on track while any technical problems are being resolved.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 12-08-2022

Planning business meetings and events requires multitasking skills and ingenuity. To succeed, you need to know the basics of meeting or event planning and how to plan effectively. Then, you must hone your skills so that you can negotiate for the best venues, vendors, and speakers for your attendees. And, if you can do all this and keep costs down — and you can! — you'll be a hit with your boss and your clients.

Article / Updated 05-01-2017

Eventbrite gives you a great deal of control over how your event page looks. If you fill out the basic information, include a logo, and do little to no customization, your page looks like this: Source: Eventbrite.com But you'd probably like it to have some more pizzazz. To change any of the basic information, you can click the Edit button and make any desired changes. To change the look of your page, follow these steps: Click the Design option. Choose a theme from the options shown or click the Or design your own option. Source: Eventbrite.com You can choose from 15 different themes. As you highlight your theme choices, the page at the bottom of the screen changes to give you a preview of your chosen theme: Source: Eventbrite.com Or, combine your two options. Choose a new theme and make your own selections as well. The figure shows the same theme with a box header (wow, that's red) and a box border (also red, but not so intense) added. Source: Eventbrite.com Add a header or footer by selecting the Custom Header/Footer option. The figure shows the header trying to load. . ."Loading Preview." You are only limited in color combinations by your own imagination or sense of style!

Step by Step / Updated 05-01-2017

You've found an event you want to buy tickets for promoted on Eventbrite, an online event planning service, or you've been invited to attend by the event's organizer. So how do you go about buying tickets? For many Eventbrite events, you can purchase tickets on the Eventbrite website rather than waiting to pay at the door.

Step by Step / Updated 05-01-2017

An event isn't an event without attendees. For public events, you can use the promotional tools available through Eventbrite. But, how do you invite specific people to your private event? Suppose you are organizing a family reunion. You've done the hard work, set the date and time, booked the location, decided on food, and made a guest list. Now, it's time to let Eventbrite send out the invitations for you. First, of course, you have to have set up your event through Eventbrite. Create your event page and make your event live. Then follow these steps to have Eventbrite send the invitations:

Step by Step / Updated 03-09-2017

You might want to sell tickets to an event through Eventbrite, which offers event-planning services for events both large and small, for-profit and nonprofit, and public and private. Here's how you can sell tickets to your event.

Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016

Conference planning involves a lot of detail. An event planning committee shares responsibility for the program, fiscal management, facilities, and more. A successful organizational meeting can advance your career, but getting there can be a long trip. All sorts of organizations plan meetings of various sizes, but the steps to make it happen are about the same:

Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016

With Eventbrite, you can create any kind of event, from a family reunion to a large festival with ticket sales and thousands of attendees. To begin, go to the Eventbrite website. Then follow these steps to create a family reunion:

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

As you organize various business meetings and events, you're likely to come across many different presentation situations. Each requires a unique approach and attention to detail. Here are some of the more common scenarios. Team presentations Flip to almost any popular television morning show, and you likely find that it features an assemblage of co-hosts working as a team. Television networks and producers have caught on to the fact that different personalities and styles complement each other and provide the audience with more perspective, variety, and entertainment than a single host ever could. You can use this knowledge to your advantage by including a team presentation in your next event. A team presentation is a highly coordinated effort given by two or more individuals trying to convey a common message. A team presentation is more complex than a solo presentation and requires extra planning to work successfully. Knowing when to team up Quite often, no one person has a complete understanding of all the details of a complex project or subject. Turning to a team presentation enables individual team members to speak about information they are familiar and comfortable with, rather than forcing one person to present information he has to struggle to learn and then speak about authoritatively. Team presentations also give your audience a better overview of your organization by introducing them to more than just one presenter, and they make long presentations more interesting. For these reasons, team presentations are particularly appropriate for project proposals, progress reports, and training seminars. Here are four tips for successful team presentations: Select one team member to take charge and to coordinate all necessary details. Plan the presentation carefully so that each team member fully understands what's expected of him. Make sure that all team members direct their part of the presentation to the overall theme or message being conveyed. Take time for a dry run through the material for timing and content. Understanding the planner's role in team presentations Your job is to find out what each presenter needs in the way of support material and audiovisual equipment, and to establish where each member wants to sit when she isn't presenting. Make sure the speakers have plenty of water and their own drinking glasses. It wouldn't be a bad idea to remind team members to pay attention to other presenters who are speaking and not be seen fidgeting, yawning, or playing with their notes. Most importantly, make sure the participants know the procedures and assignments and adhere to a tightly planned time schedule. International presentations Many people, including top-ranking officials, have committed their fair share of cultural blunders mainly because they failed to do their homework. Don't make their mistakes! The following points are essential to ensure smooth programming when you have an international audience: Analyze your audience and know their level of English-language proficiency. Select presenters who are sensitive to cultural differences and who understand what it takes to present before a multicultural group. Supply presenters with as much information as possible about the audience. Instruct your presenters to adjust their presentation so that it's acceptable and understandable for the international contingent. They need to strive for simplicity and clarity. Remind presenters to avoid symbols and colors that are culture-specific, jokes and sporting analogies, idioms, jargon, and buzzwords. Encourage presenters to use more charts and graphs to illustrate information rather than text, and to use global examples, rather than just ones from the United States. Distribute handouts and support materials to the audience because nonnative speakers generally have greater reading than listening comprehension skills in another language. Consider adding subtitles to visuals. Allow extra time for extensive two-way communication, especially when using interpreters. Use open discussion sessions cautiously because people from some other cultures are not especially open to stating their personal views publicly. Avoid turning down the lights because many nonnative speakers rely heavily on physical cues for understanding. Presentations read from a script Speeches read directly from a script can often seem unnatural and flat, usually because the speaker fails to listen to his own voice as he reads, and he eliminates all natural pauses and inflection. As a result, audience members may wonder why they didn't just read a copy of the speech themselves. Encourage the presenter to practice reading the speech out loud before the actual presentation so that he can make any necessary adjustments to the tone, pitch, phrasing, and pauses. In addition, as he becomes more familiar with the speech, suggest that he work in a few physical gestures so that he's not seen as a statue behind the lectern. Convince him to talk to the audience rather than to read to them. Limit the speaker to 30 minutes maximum, or 20 if he is likely to lull the audience into a soporific state. Q & A sessions Most audiences like to be an active part of a presentation and contribute through their questions, which can result in a mutually beneficial interchange of ideas, information, opinions, plans, and concerns. The following rules help create an environment where participants can feel safe asking questions: For large audiences, consider having standing microphones in the aisles for participants wanting to ask questions or make comments to the presenter(s). Help presenters plan for anticipated questions, especially if they are addressing a controversial topic. Pass out 3 x 5 cards for the Q & A session. Some people prefer writing a question rather than approaching the microphone. It also allows the question to be anonymous. Arrange for questions to be submitted prior to the session to avoid the possibility of no one asking a question. Instruct presenters to listen to the entire question before responding. If they begin to formulate an answer while the question is still being asked, they may miss the point the questioner is trying to make. Make sure that questions are repeated before they are responded to, especially for overseas visitors who may have difficulty expressing themselves in English. Encourage presenters to avoid arguable issues, especially as they relate to the organization or a political situation. They should agree to disagree rather than be sarcastic or belligerent with the questioner. Suggest that presenters keep their responses brief and relevant. Long-winded answers are boring! Tell presenters to treat each question seriously, however goofy the inquiry may sound. They should also deal with a convoluted question by asking the questioner to repeat it more succinctly. Have presenters defer questions that require lengthy answers. They may offer to talk to participants individually after the session. Avoid ending the session with someone's question. Have the presenter recap key points to wrap things up.