7 Tips for Microphones and Meetings
Planning for and Using Microphones: 7 Tips Here are a few lessons learned about planning and using microphones at meetings and events, gleaned from my own experience and experiences from other meeting planners. I hope you find them useful! If you’re a planner, consider the Rule of 30: If your event: – involves more than about 30 people, – has a layout with more than about 30 feet between the speaker and the most distant audience member, or – will last more than about 30 minutes, then you’ll find some degree of voice amplification will help make your meeting or event more effective. When establishing the agenda, consider whether there will be people in the audience that will need to make statements, ask or answer questions, or be recognized. Does your speaker (or panel) have a question/answer session planned? If so, put at least one microphone on a stand in the audience, or have a runner with a handheld microphone ready to move around the audience. Some people feel resistance to using the microphones, but if the meeting is being recorded most of them will go ahead and use the mics. Encourage people to use the microphones so that their questions or comments will be on the recording. By default, try to get your speaker to wear a lapel mic. Infrequent speakers have a tendency to look away from a fixed lectern microphone to see slides while commenting. As they move their heads away, the sound level drops. Likewise, inexperienced or distracted speakers may unintentionally go off-mike while gesturing with the hand holding a handheld mic. Lapel mics help keep speakers consistent in both volume and distance away from the microphone. Experienced speakers almost always prefer the freedom of movement that comes with a wireless microphone, but note that they may wish to use a handheld wireless microphone if they intend to interact with individuals in the audience. The pros put fresh batteries in their equipment for every show for a reason: it’s worth it. Start with fresh batteries for each microphone or transmitter pack. Have a replacement set on hand for every microphone. It can save your meeting from disaster. If your group is in a room with large bare walls, or if you are only taking up half of a large room, consider adding some noise-dampening materials to the walls. Even pipe-and-drape can be effective. Closing off part of a room not only helps the event to feel better attended, it also helps the acoustics of the room and can require a lower gain on the microphones. This reduces noise and the risk of feedback. You can easily avoid the most common sources of feedback. First, performers should remember not to walk in front of a speaker with a live microphone. As a planner, you can help your platform presenters by getting to the venue early and putting down tape to establish a “no mic” zone. Your AV team may be able to tape off some areas in front of the speakers so that there is a visual reminder. Also – if you can’t get the presenter to wear a lapel mic, remind her to hold the microphone within 6 inches of her mouth and speak in a conversational tone. The audio technician will adjust the gain, but if the mic is too far away then the elevated gain makes unpleasant feedback more likely. (You can find more helpful conference audio tips here.)
Reasons To Use a Microphone
Always Use the Microphone Planners, speakers, networkers, on behalf of your audiences and attendees, I beg you: if there is a microphone in the room where your event is happening, use it and make sure everyone else does, too. Plan for it, use it, enforce it, and remember that it’s not just for the others – it’s there for you, too! – Just making a quick announcement? Use the microphone. – Just introducing another speaker? Use the microphone. – Confident you have a loud voice? Use the microphone. – Think it’s inconvenient? Use the microphone. People who are introducing, people who are speaking, people who are transitioning, people who are just making announcements… everyone who is speaking to a group in a professional setting should use a microphone if it is available. Why? Consider the following. Reasons You Should Be Using That Microphone Your job is to make it easy for your audience to get your message. Whether you’re a planner or a speaker, you bear responsibility for communicating your message as effectively as possible. An inability to hear easily, without strain or distortion, is an unnecessary hurdle. Your voice isn’t as loud as you think it is. Many people think their voices are loud and use that as a reason not to use a microphone. A loud voice, though, seems louder to the speaker than it does to the audience. Often, the person who claims “I have a loud voice and don’t need a microphone” is simply making an excuse to cover their fear of using a microphone or of hearing their voice amplified. Even if your voice is loud and you know how to project well, the change in sound makes the presentation disjointed. Good diction and projection are great, but not everyone’s voice has the same volume or timbre. If most people are using the microphone and one person insists on not using it, the drastic change in audio quality is jarring to the audience. Meetings and events run more smoothly. Microphones grant a perceived authority to whomever is using one. The nature of a group is to listen to what is being said on the sound system. This makes a big difference in the dynamics of a meeting, when you may have interruptions or a group discussion that needs to be reined in. You will strain your voice. Unless you are a trained singer, you are likely to strain your voice when trying to sustain the increased volume you need to be heard clearly by even a small group. Most people do not like the feeling of being shouted at or “projected to.” The microphone allows the speaker to maintain an easy, conversational volume and still be heard clearly. Your brand will be perceived negatively by an audience who cannot hear your message. Your personal or organizational brand is not strengthened by an audience experience that includes strain, discomfort, or the intermittent dropping out of the information you’re trying to communicate. Next Blog: Tips on Microphones In our next post we’ll share some helpful tips on the effective use of microphones for planners, speakers, and entertainers.
When Scrutiny Becomes Prejudice
When Scrutiny Becomes Prejudice Recently I heard a local radio personality – a man with whom I usually agree – engage in such intense scrutiny of a news story that his objectivity audibly turned into prejudice. He discussed wasteful, extravagant government spending and pointed to numerous government conferences as the source of some of his disgust. Frankly, I was with him up to that point. But then he and a reporter went down a cherry-picked list of expenditures, giving short descriptions of conference sessions and the price tags associated with them. “Four 90-minute sessions on crisis leadership” – followed by a fee. Some other sessions with more creative, even fun titles were subsequently laughed “at,” not laughed “with.” Neither man managed to ask what is obviously the critical question: Was the value of the session worth the cost? Don’t Judge a Fee by Its Label A number in the tens of thousands for a handful of breakout sessions at a conference may sound like a lot of money for a few hours in a training room, but the broadcast mock-fest completely ignored the amount of preparation and expertise that goes into creating, developing, researching, and preparing solid content and skilled delivery. There is a lot of time, effort, education, expertise, and experience that goes into that number… hours, months, and years that far surpass the mere minutes on-the-ground in that training room, on the platform, or on the stage. [pullquote align=”right”]”Nobody asked him what his hourly rate would be today if divided into the fifteen hours per week he spends on the air. But if he were being attacked in that way, he would rightly object…”[/pullquote]It is interesting to note that nobody asked that radio host what his salary was. Nobody asked him what his salary was when he was a CEO. Nobody asked him what his hourly rate would be today if divided into the fifteen hours per week he spends on the air. But if he were being attacked in that way, he would rightly object to the positioning of his work as taking only that many hours per week. He would argue that there’s a lot more work going on than what you hear behind the microphone. He’d argue that the reason he’s there at all is because of the cumulative value of his experiences in his life, as a corporate leader, political figure, and radio host. He would argue, in short, that he’s worth it. So would every caller who phoned in to join the angry refrain. Without any facts to the contrary, I wouldn’t begin to dispute the work value of any of those callers, or the value of that host as a radio host or as a CEO. In fact, I am a supporter of free market, no-limits salaries for a corporate leader or anyone else who has great vision, great skills, and who brings great results. And no matter who is paying for that value, if the value is earned then it shouldn’t be mocked. If the value isn’t earned, it should be stopped. But the transaction should not be prejudged and ridiculed without even attempting to understand the value exchanged. That is absurd. [pullquote]”A transaction should not be prejudged and ridiculed without even attempting to understand the value exchanged.”[/pullquote] This radio host – and others belittling the value of live speakers and trainers at live conferences – should pause and give those professionals the opportunity to make the same case they would make if their own compensation were put under a microscope for the world to see. Are you worth your keep? Frankly, we speakers and entertainers ARE worth it, or at least some of us are. We certainly ought to be evaluated and held to high standards, but our value should not be dismissed or mocked because of a creative session or program title in a 24-character field on a spreadsheet somewhere. High Fees for High Value are not Wasteful Let’s be clear. Nobody thinks excessive or wasteful spending is a good idea, particularly when you are dealing with public funds. There should rightly be a higher standard when the taxpayers’ money is being spent, and those expenses should never, ever be treated lightly or frivolously. (In all candor, it’s an unfortunate double standard that the intense scrutiny used to evaluate spending of thousands or tens-of-thousands in these cases is not applied to the spending of billions and hundreds-of-billions in other cases, but that is a discussion for another place.) So let’s accept the shared understanding that wasteful spending is bad. With that as a starting point, I offer this challenge to my colleagues and peers: [pullquote align=”right”]”We need to stand ready to push back when unfair preconceptions of our value are thrust into the public debate.”[/pullquote]Fellow meeting industry professionals – planners, vendors, speakers, performers, hoteliers, and others – we need to stand ready to push back when unfair preconceptions of our value are thrust into the public debate. We should prepare beforehand to be pleasant, well-informed, and steadfast advocates for the value we deliver. There is no reason not to stand in defense of the creative or even unorthodox elements of our meetings that may be fun, social, entertaining, or otherwise non-technical, armed with the knowledge that such segments, used effectively, add real value. Whether paid with private or public funds, a truly high value merits a high fee. Will there be arguments or debates about the value? Sure. But let’s not start with the assumption that any entrepreneur who comes up with an engaging title or structure for his or her presentation is automatically suspect simply because there were four, five, or six digits on the check they received. You cannot fairly label that fee as unreasonable unless you have given their content a fair evaluation, and that didn’t happen in 5 minutes on a radio show. Speakers and entertainers, are you prepared to justify your value? Planners, are you organizing your conference so that you
“Now You See Me” Meeting Moments: Wow!
“Now You See Me” and Amazing Meeting Experiences: Here are 5 Budget-Conscious (and Completely Legal!) Ideas for Your Next Meeting or Corporate Event In Now You See Me, Louis Leterrier’s latest film, a team of four young illusionists use their talents to pull off a series of glamorous, incredible robberies—often in front of a large audience. Even if you haven’t seen the film, you’re probably familiar with the scene in the trailer in which the team showers their audience with money. Can you imagine doing something like that at your next conference? You’d be talked about for weeks, and you’d undoubtedly be filled to capacity at your next event! Realistically, most event planners don’t have the budget for dollar-bill confetti. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make your next meeting an amazing experience for your attendees. Instead of showering your audience with cash, why not consider showering them with a few unique experiences instead? Five Easy “Wow!” Moments for Meetings Inside Information People are curious by nature, and even the most disengaged audience member may feel special if she’s given the inside scoop. Offer your audience a behind-the-scenes look at how the convention was planned or how the business is run. Provide a brief case study detailing how a recent decision was made, or have key members of the team speak about their daily activities. Honest, personal stories and a little vulnerability here can go a long way. Unexpected Fun Maintaining audience engagement can be difficult, especially after lunch or on the second or third day of a conference. A surprise addition of some type of activity, entertainment or celebrity can liven up an otherwise dull afternoon. Just make sure you know your audience and choose something that will appeal to them. It’s even better if you can find a speaker or entertainer who can create a wow-experience that is both entertaining AND relevant! (By the way, if you are really into the idea of magic and wow, I just happen to know someone who can help you with that immediately.) Found Time If you announced to your coffee-chugging attendees that activities would be starting one hour later tomorrow morning, do you think they would be pleased? What if you told them that this afternoon’s activity was designed so they could complete it at their own pace, then take the rest of the afternoon to explore the venue? Do you think they’d return the next day with renewed energy? Time is our most valuable resource, and people especially love found time. Just remember to plan your found time within the daily schedule, not on the outer edges of the schedule where it affects travel plans. Comfort Food As much as people love found time, they often love free food even more. So spring for an ice cream break! There are very few meetings that cannot be improved with an ice-cream sandwich one afternoon. Hidden Goodies By now, everyone’s familiar with the “hidden envelope under a seat” type of surprise give-away. This is great for the person who wins the $50 prize, but what about everyone else? Instead of – or in addition to – giving a big prize to a single person, consider other giveaways that include everyone. What if a QR code on the back of everyone’s badge led to a web page with giveaways or coupons for local eateries or coffee shops? You could also hide a link, QR code, or special communication somewhere in your registration materials. This hidden communication can lead to a scavenger hunt, a secret activity, or some other bonus reward for the curious and proactive. Don’t spoil the surprise by pointing out the giveaway, either — let the curious people find it and build excitement for you. When you’re planning an event, don’t just give your audience what they expect. Instead, give them something they secretly think they deserve, but never thought they could have. In so doing, you’ll be giving your audience an amazing meeting experience that truly goes above and beyond.
Meeting and Event Planner Personality Types: The Exorcists
This week we wrap up our exploration of meeting and event planner personality types. Last week we discussed the Expanders. Today: The Exorcists! Exorcists like to ask the question, “How can I just end this and avoid another horrible experience?” An unfortunate third possibility is that a client has worked with another provider in the past who delivered a low-quality program that did not inspire confidence in future use of mystery entertainment at all. They are the “Exorcists,” and they are actively excluding magic from consideration in their events. It’s not quite casting out demons, but this client has been burned by a bad experience and understandably wishes to avoid that in the future. Strangely, after a planner has a bad experience with a caterer or vocalist, he or she will not swear off caterers and singers forever. With magic, though, the fact is that a poor performer creates an obstacle that can be difficult for other providers to overcome, regardless of quality. While it can be a challenge to get in the door, these clients can become some of your most vocal cheerleaders when you deliver a successful new experience to overshadow the old. In future articles I will discuss a variety of creative ideas for incorporating magic and mentalism entertainment into different corporate environments. Planners who fall into each of the categories above will find ideas and insights that can help them use corporate magic, mentalism, and (sometimes) message-driven entertainment to ensure the success and lasting impact of their events.
Meeting and Event Planner Personality Types: The Expanders
This week we continue our exploration of meeting and event planner personality types. Last week we discussed the Explorers. Next up: The Expanders! Expanders like to ask the question, “Where else can I use this idea?” Another possibility is that a client has worked with a magician or mentalist on a previous event, but the client is only familiar with that single aspect of how mystery entertainment can be integrated into multiple parts of an event. The previous entertainer may have delivered a quality show for one venue, but did not indicate a level of versatility or creativity in providing a broader range of experiences. These planners are “Expanders,” ready to expand their understanding of what magic performance can bring to their events. Expanders are often enthusiastic about magic, and are excited to hear different ways that they can create exciting, high-impact experiences for their audiences. These clients are anxious to hear success stories about how a different approach worked at other events, and if you have a creative twist on that idea for them, so much the better! The risk, of course, is that given the open mind of an Expander, the over-enthusiastic provider will conclude that he has a hammer and the event is comprised of nothing but nails. Sometimes the Expander gets in on this game and also wants to add magic to every single element of the event. Experienced planners and providers will resist this temptation. Less is often more. Next week: Exorcists!
Meeting and Event Planner Personality Types: The Explorers
Event Planner Personality Types: The Explorers When meeting and event planners are considering magical entertainment or magic-enhanced keynote speaking as a possible addition to their event, they are often venturing into unfamiliar territory. Though every situation is different, my experience is that most event or meeting planners who are considering a magical speaker or entertainer fall into one of the following three categories: Explorers, Expanders, and Exorcists. Each group is asking a different kind of question. Explorers like to ask the question, “What new thing can I find?” The first group of clients are those who have never have worked with a professional magical entertainer in any venue. Many times, these people have either devised a magic theme themselves, or they have been presented with an event theme (“The Magic of…” or “Vegas Night,” etc.) decided upon by their team or another event planner. In the case of un-themed events or events without a specific magic theme, the use of a magician, mentalist, or magical keynote speaker has usually been recommended by another planner. (And if you ever wanted a short summary of my business model, that’s it.) I find that these Explorers – companies, groups, and planners – are usually wide open on the creative side of applying magic to multiple events during a conference, though almost always with a careful eye to budget constraints. These clients value experience, creativity, and cost-consciousness. It’s a new world for them, and as a performer I appreciate the trust that these clients place in me to be their guide and navigator. Being the initial experience for an “Explorer” is also a big responsibility, because the result of this experience will transform this client into one of the other two types – either an Expander or an Exorcist. It’s important to dream big and deliver for these Explorers, but it’s equally important to be realistic about what you can really do well and where your expertise lies. Stretch your skills, not the truth. Next week: The Expanders!
