Event planning is an interesting career especially here in Lagos. We see all sorts. We see all kinds of budgets. Some people spend modestly on events and some go all out. The ones that go all out spend the most on decorations. They want the biggest centre pieces. The largest walk way. The grandest stage and the best lights but one area that a lot of people tend not to invest in is sound. Now when I talk about sound, I don’t just mean a DJ who provides speakers and mics. For good quality sound you need a sound mixer which is normally provided by a sound engineer.
I attended a milestone event not too long ago. In general terms, it was a beautiful event. The hall was grand. The decorations were on point. The celebrity guest was popping but the sound quality was awful. When it was time to showcase the documentary, the sound output was below standard. I believe the host could have afforded the extra budget on a professional sound engineer but were not advised to do so.
I use to work at a mega church as Head of Events here in Lagos, with audiences of over 3000 so I know how important sound at events are, especially large events. In my role, I dealt with large conferences both indoor and out, crossover services, charity balls, couples events, business events, just to mention a few. I also had a boss who was meticulous and his standards of excellence was high in all aspects of event management. Sound was never compromised.
SOUND EVERYWHERE
So here are some important things to note about sound at your events. Beware of a vendor asking for only your number of guests to cover sound and not taking into account the hall capacity. That’s not a good indicator of sound. The sound needs to cover the entire hall capacity. So even if you have 300 hundred guests but the hall capacity is 500 then sound will be needed to cover for the entire hall. Otherwise if there is an overflow that audience will not experience good quality sound.
WHAT IS POOR SOUND?
- When the sound is echoing
- When sound is not crisp
- When sound is breaking
- When sound is screeching
- When sound doesn’t not cover the entire venue
- When the audience can’t hear speaker
Unfortunately a lot of DJ’s will say they cover sound but inexperienced ones do not provide the right sound quality for an event. What is required is a sound mixer. Next time you are having a large scale event remember to invest in sound. You will thank me later.
Have you had experience with poor quality sound at an event? Please share in the comment section
About RiRi Okoye
I’m an event planner from Majestically Rare Events. I have years experience serving clients both in London and Lagos. I love planning all kinds of events but right now I’m focused on Milestone and Corporate Events. Our clients appreciate our professional service, creativity, reliable vendors and attention to their needs. Only the best service will do for you.
If you require our professional event services please contact me for an initial free consultation at rita@majesticallyrare.com Only the best will do for you.
With love RiRi
