Send a Scout
If you are relying on the available, installed system in a rented space, “it is worth going or sending a trusted local associate to attend another event in that same space,” Scheirman said. This provides a preview of how attendees experience sound in the room. If the sound is fine, odds are it will be fine for your group. If there are problems, your group will likely have problems. “If you are unable to experience someone else’s event, at the very least, get there early” to check the venue, Scheirman said.
Do a Sound Check
Sound checks are dry runs that help audio professionals size up speakers and their varied speaking styles. “Every speaker is different; every person on a panel is different,” Scheirman said. Hearing each gives an audio engineer the chance to make adjustments so that the sound is consistent from speaker to speaker. It is also a time to assess sound throughout the room. “Is the sound going to be at the right level? Do we need to supplement in the back corners? You only find out by going through the program in advance,” said Scheirman.
Have a Deputy
Based on his observations, the best meeting planners don’t try to handle it all, Scheirman said. They have an assistant or an understudy who is stationed on the sidelines, listening for problems. When there are sound issues, the meeting planner can quickly dispatch the assistant to get them fixed.
