Is this the first time you are planning a live event? There are plenty of things you need to consider. These things include:
Space
Where are you having your live event? You need to consider this. Check that the area you’re renting is large enough to handle all you want to do.
If you are having a large event, go for hotels and resorts, as they tend to have large seating areas.
As you choose the space, remember that the capacities often do not include your stage, backstage equipment rooms, or front-of-house positions for technical team members and cameras.
Every event is different, but it’s not uncommon for a rear projection setup to take up 20% or more of the available space.
To avoid inconveniences when the event date comes, always double-check and confirm that the venue will be enough for your guests and equipment. It will even be better to consult experienced live event production companies and ask them to guide you in finding the right venue.
After finding the space, put the space on hold for 24 hours. To minimize double bookings, communicate your timing requirements to the venue management. For example, you may require the ballroom one afternoon and again the following day, but not that evening. Communicate this.
Remember that if your setup is unclear, the venue may schedule another event that evening, ignoring the setup you still require in the area.
Similarly, you’ll need plenty of time on the front end for setup, rehearsal, and so on, as well as on the back end for striking and load-out.
In other words, don’t only consider event production time; consider the complete project from beginning to end and ensure you communicate this to the venue administrators.
The right team
You can’t do everything by yourself, even if you are having just a small event—you need help. When hiring the crew, don’t hire just anyone. Take your time and find the right people.
To do this, you need to understand what the entire performance will entail. How many individuals will be on stage and involved? You need all these details to hire the right number of people.
To guarantee the live performance works for your audience and there are no snafus, you should smooth out any glitches during a rehearsal.
During the rehearsal, ensure that everything will work out as planned. As a rule of thumb, check the load-in and load-out accessibility. This will ensure that the elements that must fit inside the area do so.
If you expect to drive a car onto the floor, you’ll need enough space to do this.
Don’t make the mistake of presuming that a major (or minor) venue will be able to meet your accessibility requirements. To avoid problems in the future, make sure you conduct your research before making a reservation.
Electrical power access
You need to think about access to electricity. After all, you need power for your live event, right?
You should note that in many cases, most venues require you to pay for any electricity used in excess of basic wall outlets.
Having said that, you should never assume that because the space is reasonably spacious, there are plenty of power circuits available on the walls.
Auxiliary power is sometimes turned off overnight in some locations (such as convention centers). So, if you have equipment that must remain operational, you should ensure power is accessible 24 hours a day.
Thankfully, you can find out all these by talking to the venue management and letting them know about your needs.
Temperature
A conference room can quickly get uncomfortably warm, depending on the size of the room, the audience, and the quantity of equipment in use.
You want your guests to feel comfortable, which leads to increased engagement.
Work with the venue managers and make sure the room is cool before the audience arrives.
Thankfully, there are many HVAC systems you can use to warm up and cool a room and ensure that your guests are comfortable.
The only thing you need to do is to ensure that the systems you use are high quality and enough for your guests.
Unexpected occurrences
You never know what to anticipate when it comes to live events. As a result, it is critical to be prepared for even the most unexpected turn of events.
One of the most important things you can do is come prepared with the necessary backup equipment.
This includes extra batteries and possibly an extra camera because you never know when anything will go wrong.
To be on the safe side, always come over prepared.
Parting shot
These are some of the things you should consider when you are having a live event. The key to a successful event is planning. You should ensure that you have everything with you in advance before the big event.
To ensure that things will flow as planned during the event, do a rehearsal. During the rehearsal, test your cameras, microphones, switchers, encoders, monitors, and other equipment to confirm they are operational and compatible.
Rehearse your script, cues, transitions, graphics, and interviews to ensure everyone is on the same page and prepared for the live performance.
When planning a live event, you can do all the work yourself and be a success, but if you want some peace of mind, let event production services MD help you out.
When you hire the service providers, they will come with their equipment, meaning that you don’t have to worry about renting them or worrying about them getting damaged.
The production company will also be responsible for doing rehearsals and ensuring that everything will work as planned.
For the best outcome with the companies, ensure they are experienced and know what they are doing. You don’t want someone who will bring more problems than they are already there.