Series 2 – Planning an Audio Visual Presentation for a Smaller Audience

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There’s a lot to consider when you are planning an event. There are guest lists to make, vendors to coordinate and presentations to prepare. If your event will feature an audio or visual presentation, there are some extra details you will want to consider to make sure your attendees can hear and see all the important topics that will be covered. Follow these tips for coordinating a successful audio visual presentation, whether it is a corporate board meeting, guest speaker or special event.

 

Screen Set-Up

Tailor the screen set-up to both the presentation content and the size of the audience. For corporate presentations and conferences, choose a big screen that will capture the attention of a large group. If there is a guest speaker, opt for two smaller projection screens on either side of the stage.  If the space will allow, you can even mount flat screen TVs directly to the wall. If the focus is more on a PowerPoint or video, you may want to have two or three projector screens so all audience members can see regardless of where they are sitting.

 

Seating Arrangement

The number of attendees will ultimately determine your seating arrangement. The venue itself will dictate how many people may attend. There may be occupancy limits from the Fire Marshall. Another important thing to note is how you will be displaying your presentation. You want to make sure that every person in your audience can not only hear what’s going on, but see it as well. Arrange your seating facing towards the presentation, and as close to the presenter as possible.

 

Screen Size

That brings us to the size of the screen. There is a formula for figuring out how large of a screen you should select. The minimum size of any screen should be the viewing distance divided by three. So, if your viewers will be 15 feet away from the screen, you would want a 60 inch screen. The maximum size of the screen should be no more than the viewing distance divided by 2. Using the same distance as before, 15 feet, you would want a 7.5 foot screen or 90 inch screen. Any size between those two figures would provide the audience with a great view.

 

Additional Considerations

Depending on the room or venue, you may want a projection screen or a TV. If you have a smaller conference room, a TV is probably a better choice due to ease of use and availability. If you have a larger space, you could choose multiple TVs or one large projector screen. Another important consideration is glare. Glare or poor lighting can often ruin a presentation. When setting up for any type of presentation, consider the lighting and adjust your seating arrangement accordingly. Screen quality is also important. Do you need a 1080p HDTV, or will a lower quality suffice? Will plasma, LCD or LED fit the budget best? Take your time picking a screen, to ensure the right choice for all your needs.

 

Cami Hadley is a writer focusing on all things entertainment and TV related. She regularly writes for cable.tv.

Series 1 – Fire Marshal

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Fire Marshal

 

When you are first planning an event, you can easily get caught up in the excitement of how the show will flow and turn out.  Webb Audio Visual has a 360˚ Promise that means we’ve got you covered from every angle.    This is the first in a series of blogs that will help you understand the many things taking place behind the scenes that will make your event a success.

Did you know that every event at a venue has to be approved by a Fire Marshal?

A Fire Marshal is, usually, a member of the fire department that is charged with the prevention and investigation of fires.  The Fire Marshal is trained to ensure building plans provide the appropriate level of protection to occupants by code and to ensure the continued safety of higher hazard occupancies on an annual basis.

Depending on which city and state you are in, the rules and regulations can change drastically.  For example, at the Salt Palace Convention Center, all aisles must have a 10’ minimum clearance.  All curtain, drapes, and decorations must be constructed of flameproof material or treated with an approved flame proofing solution.  In other venues across the country, handrails are required for any stage deck that is over 24”.

For any event you must be aware of:

  • Fire code compliance inspections of existing and new occupancies.
  • Evaluating the design and engineering aspects of fire protection.
  • Preliminary plan submittal review and consultation.
  • Special use Permits. (Indoor pyrotechnics)

Keep in mind that all seating and floor plans must be submitted to the Fire Marshal, sometimes, no later than 60 days before set-up date.  Every submission must be approved by the Fire Marshal before your event can take place.

Webb Audio Visual and our employees are experts in the design of events to match your imagination and implement it, with the help of the Fire Marshal.  We will handle everything down to the most remote detail.  This will take the guess work out of your project decisions and will ensure that your event is successful.

Audio – More difficult than what you hear.

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When planning an event for thousands of people, a lot of planning has to be put in so that every audience member hears the correct audio frequencies at the same time. The human ear hears frequencies from 20Hz – 20,000Hz. Speakers then create pressure waves transmitted through the air that are then interpreted in our ear as sound.

Audio signals may be distinguished by parameters such as frequencies, and decibels (dB). Audio signals flow from a source, like a microphone, to a speaker or recording device. A digital audio signal can be converted into several formats to transport them to their destination, including Ethernet, XLR, coaxial, and optical.

Sound can be affected by a variety of outside elements. Temperature is one of the major factors; humidity is another. However, a good baseline formula is: at room temperature, sound will travel at 1128 feet per second at sea level. Meaning, that if you are at the back of the arena, you will hear an echo effect, caused by hearing the speakers in back first followed by the speakers from the stage. In order to prevent this, audio delays are used, which records the audio signal and plays it back after a period of time. This process is able to combat the echoing that can happen in large arenas.

So remember the next time you need to plan an event, make sure you call a professional, like Webb Audio Visual’s own Audio Manager, Trevor Young. Trevor has been in the audio industry for over 10 years. He studied at Utah Valley University majoring in Digital Audio with a minor in Physics of Acoustics. Trevor has worked with multiple professional concert touring rigs for over 5 years. Some of Trevor’s skills are FOH Engineering, Audio Logistics Designer, and Lead Audio System Designer. Trevor has multiple certifications from Synergetic Audio Concepts seminars including Electrical Engineering and Room Acoustics.

Trevor Young

Salt Lake Tribune interviews Scott Webb, VP of Webb Audio Visual

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The Salt Lake Tribune Scott Webb, left, co-owner of of Webb Audio Visual with brother Steve, said that despite the uncertainties in the economy his Salt Lake City-based company is in a mood to hire.

Utah’s unemployment rate in July remained stuck at 6 percent for a fourth successive month, while job growth dipped, the state Department of Workforce Services said Friday.

The statewide jobless rate hasn’t budged since April, when it rose moderately from 5.8 percent in March, department figures show. The unemployment rate is the same as where it was at the end of last year.

With hiring tepid, job growth slowed to 2 percent, as employers added 24,500 jobs to their payrolls over the year that ended July 31. In June, the year-over-year pace of growth was 2.6 percent, which produced 32,000 jobs. Over the past half-century, the long-term average rate of job growth in Utah has been 3.1 percent.

“The economy has kind of hit a soft patch. We don’t have any momentum,” said Mark Knold, the department’s chief economist.

Nationally, the jobless rate in July was 8.3 percent, up from 8.2 percent in June and a reflection of weak hiring nationwide.

The number of jobs in the U.S. advanced by 1.4 percent in the year ending July 31, according to the Department of Labor. In June, the year-over-year gain was 1.3 percent.

On Friday, the Labor Department said unemployment rates rose in 44 U.S. states in July, the most states to show a monthly increase in more than three years. Unemployment rates fell in only two states and were unchanged in four, including Utah.

Knold doesn’t think the state’s labor market will strengthen until the housing market revives, Europe’s fiscal crisis is resolved and Congress decides what to do about the “fiscal cliff” approaching at the beginning of next year, when automatic federal spending cuts are supposed to begin and some popular tax cuts will expire.

“In the meantime, we are just waiting for some outside help to push us to a higher level, because we’ve gone about as far as [Utah] can go without that outside help,” he said.

Scott Webb, co-owner and vice president of Webb Audio Visual, said that despite the uncertainties his Salt Lake City-based company is in a mood to hire. Over the past two years, Webb has brought in six or seven employees to serve the requests of his still-cautious clients, who expect the company to provide services that other kinds of companies supplied before the recession hit.

But in a telling turn that underscores why Utah’s jobless rate hasn’t changed much lately, Webb has increased its use of independent contractors who work intermittently for the company, but aren’t on the payroll. The company has more work, but not enough right now to bring the contractors on full time, although over the coming year that should change, Webb said

“I’m hiring a lot more freelance, at least a dozen people who I can keep busy every other week,” said Webb, whose firm among things creates company presentations.

On Friday, the Department of Workforce Services said 81,700 people were unemployed in July. Although the number is down more than 10 percent from last year, it’s up slightly from June, when the department counted 81,300 people out of work.

Both numbers underestimate the scope of joblessness in Utah. In remarks to the Utah Legislature’s economic development task force Thursday, Salt Lake Chamber economist Natalie Gochnour said “tens of thousands more” have either dropped out of the workforce or are underemployed.

 

 

BY PAUL BEEBE THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

PUBLISHED AUGUST 17, 2012
pbeebe@sltrib.com