7_______________________________________________________

Technical facilities____________________________________________

The aims of this chapter are:

1. 1   To provide an overview of the type of technical facilities which are needed in conference venues:
   • •   Basic presentation facilities
   • •   Technical presentation facilities
   • •   Backdrops and staging
   • •   Lighting
   • •   Sound
2. 2   To consider the different technical facilities needed for a small conference and those required for a large one.
3. 3   To discuss contemporary developments in facilities and the increasing level of sophistication of technology used at conference venues and available from production companies.

7.1     Introduction

The technical services that conference venues must provide are becoming increasingly sophisticated, to the extent that venue managers may choose to outsource the hi-tech needs of organizers and conference speakers to conference production companies. The larger and more important the conference, the greater the likelihood of the need for specialists, though a contributory difficulty is that venue managers may not be sufficiently knowledgeable of production companies and of what can be achieved with contemporary technology.

The set-up, or layout, of rooms may also impact on the technical facilities that can be used and how they will be prepared and located for a particular event. Various layouts are possible; common ones are shown in Figure 7.1.

In considering technical services, the small conference or meeting tends to retain relatively basic requirements. Where conferences have fewer than 30 delegates, unless the event is for VIPs, then the level of technology is typically fairly simple, little more complex than the provision of an overhead projector - yet even these can be adapted easily for use with computer generated text and graphics using portable liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and laptop computers. However, larger conferences are likely to need considerably more technical reinforcement.

Presentation methods certainly extend beyond the laptop-driven LCD display. Video projection of various kinds is available and is often used in conjunction with other media. ‘Multimedia’ can include video, computer generated text and graphics, transfer of pictures from digital cameras and the insertion of sound or video into presentations. Similarly, rapid development in communications has seen increasing use of video-conferencing and, at large-scale events, satellite links from one continent to another, enabling a presentation by a speaker in, say, Frankfurt, to be made at a conference on a video wall in Harrogate, though there is a significant difference between video-conferencing, which tends to be relatively small scale and interactive, and the latter.

In addition to the issues of visual or audio presentation and the means by which a speaker can illustrate or reinforce his/her work, there is also the issue of the image an organization may wish to foster among its delegates. In consequence, there has been a significant adoption of theatrical scene-building techniques to provide backdrops for conferences. This is not simply a matter of ‘flats’ (stage sets), the backdrop may need to include screens for video projection or ‘gobo’ projection (light projection) of logos; integration of video walls (even for the speaker who is actually on stage in the conference room itself, rather than far away) and of other specialist scenery, furniture and sound equipment may also be needed. Large-scale integrated staging and backdrops are mainly the province of production companies.

Beyond the visual presentation services, there are also the matters of lighting and sound. Lighting is of considerable concern, not only in terms of the creation of a suitable ambience and atmosphere for a conference (sometimes in rooms ill-adapted to the purpose) but also in terms of safety and security. The other technical issue is that of sound and the need for sound reinforcement in all but the smallest conferences. Sound reinforcement is provided by the use of microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers. Some of the technicalities of these are considered together with the need for communication between technicians at very large-scale events.

Figure 7.1 Examples of various room layouts used at conference venues (with or without specialist technical equipment)

7.2     Basic presentation

The vast majority of meetings and conferences, we have noted in earlier chapters, are relatively small. Most conferences have 30 or fewer delegates and 75 per cent have fewer than 100 delegates. For these small meetings, the essential ‘technical services’, as shown in Figure 7.2, may be fairly limited but still remain adequate for the job. All these items, such as overhead projectors (OHPs), are relatively cheap to provide and are portable; indeed some conference organizers, and in particular lecturers/presenters who provide training services and seminars, often provide their own. Additionally, some venues, such as management training centres and educational venues, will provide rooms with whiteboards.

Figure 7.2

Speakers may use a variety of methods of presentation, but it is common to use overhead projectors for small groups, either with acetate film or to project LCD units. Colour laser printing also permits the production of high quality acetate materials at home and in the office. Computer software elements such as ‘Clipart’ also allow the incorporation of basic pictures into acetate slide design, enabling a relatively high quality product to be developed fairly simply and quickly. For slide projection 35 mm slides are required. While anyone can photograph suitable subject material on a good quality camera and illustrate a presentation easily, it may also be necessary to provide slides with graphics or charts which have to be provided by specialists. Most large towns have firms capable of doing this, both relatively cheaply and, with a reasonable amount of notice (normally at least one week), to a high standard. A little technical skill and careful preparation can provide a slide presentation of considerable effectiveness, if necessary with a taped commentary or using more than one slide projector.

For video use it is possible to buy a wide range of video cassettes, on a huge range of subjects. For management meetings there are two main ‘ready made’ sources. These are television programmes sold by the television companies or purpose-produced ‘Management’ videos, produced by video companies in fields such as general management, marketing, training, social skills etc. Videos of this type are somewhat expensive but usually worth the cost if being used for more than one presentation. Alternatively, it is possible to produce videos for a specialist purpose, but this would normally require a video company, though some universities and a few of the larger colleges may have the equipment and skills. But putting together a video for training use is not like making one of your neighbour’s wedding. There is the question of what is needed in terms of objectives, then a structure, a script and the provision of adequate material (up to ten times the finally edited material may not be included because of poor quality and anything from bad light to heavy traffic noise). Material provided by amateur video makers often has poor production values, e.g. one camera in one place taking one view. This means there can be little or no intercutting or useful editing and views become extremely boring. In terms of the soundtrack there are issues of copyright (for music) and again of production values for narration - what do your narrators sound like on tape? Have you sound tested them? Finally, having collected a large amount of visuals and identified suitable sound, the whole has to be edited. Even if the material and recording can be done by well-read amateurs, the editing is likely to need someone with experience of the job in order to provide a good finished standard. Editing is also very time consuming - even a relatively simple 15-minute video may require up to two days of editing to achieve the desired standard.

7.3     Technical presentation facilities

The development of the technology to present information to an audience has moved extremely rapidly, from the point at which, 20 years ago, the highest level of technology would have been a 16 mm film projector of the kind used to project cinema films to a whole range of presentation methods ranging from the overhead projector to the video wall. While even the former, used commonly throughout conference venues, is capable of being adapted to a relatively hi-tech format, a far higher standard of presentation is achievable using a combination of projector and computer generated graphics. This is generally done using an LCD display which fits on top of the overhead projector, however, high powered projectors are required, of the order of two kilowatts (most projectors are generally only 650 watts). Speakers may bring their own equipment of this kind comprising an LCD display and a laptop computer to drive it, the presentation itself having been prepared on disc beforehand using appropriate software, such as ‘Windows’, ‘Powerpoint’ and ‘Clipart’. However, some speakers will request the venue to provide equipment, wishing to bring only their own disc (Seekings, 1996).

In the field of video projection, similar techniques can be used; having developed the material, the speaker can use laptops (or PCs) to drive video projection. This can be done in a relatively simple format, rather like having prepared a set of 35 mm slides for use in a slide projector to illustrate a talk. The same ‘bullet point’ approach can be made using computer-driven video projectors, provided the appropriate software is available. More technologically advanced methods can be used in the preparation of multimedia presentations where text slides, video material and sound can be incorporated. If venues have suitable video projection available, the venue management and technical staff should request that speakers come and test (or send a copy disc of) their material at least a week prior to the conference. Not all systems are compatible and minor glitches such as cabling problems or insufficient attention to projected text size are as much a problem as compatibility (or lack of compatibility) of the equipment and software itself. It is unreasonable to expect that hi-tech presentations will work first time unless the speaker and venue are regular partners. In addition, the level of technical skill required to solve the simplest of equipment problems is not always available on the spot. While it is reasonable for a speaker to walk into a conference venue with a set of prepared OHP acetates and expect working projectors and adequate screens, the higher the level of technology or complexity the less the reliability, as a general rule.

Moving on from presentational issues, increasing sophistication of communications is also permitting advances in how, and where, conferences can be held. We have already noted the use of video walls for backdrops, but these are also used for the presentation itself and occasionally as part of a satellite link-up allowing a speaker in one location to address a conference in another. However, the resources required to do this may be limited, as few conference venues have satellite provision. The expense of provision still means it is generally cheaper to put the speaker on a plane and get him/her to the conference in person. On a smaller scale, video-conferencing is now extremely common, and video-conferencing rooms can be found in purpose-built conference centres, hotels, management training centres, large companies and educational venues. Video-conferencing tends to be smaller scale. The equipment at the affordable end of the market is chiefly intended for small business meetings between, say, two sites of a company, enabling meetings of up to 20 people to take place without half the people involved having physically to travel long distances to another site. Some conference venues provide video-conferencing rooms to enable organizations without the facilities to link up with those that have.

7.4     Backdrops and staging

Once a conference or meeting exceeds about 50 people, and for important events of less than that number, we begin to see a need for greater technical support. While technical support may be thought to be essentially aural or visual reinforcement (additional sound or lighting systems), it is increasingly the case that conference organizers (on behalf of both the corporate and the association markets) are looking for a standard of presentation which is extremely high, and are willing to pay for it. Considering this in a sequential way, the first element of conference technical support that delegates arriving in a conference hall are likely to encounter is the backdrop.

The days are long gone when presenters would be quite happy to stand up and make their presentation to a large audience using no technical support except a slide projector and a piece of car aerial as a pointer. Consequently the backdrop, or staging, is of major concern. It not only provides the location of a screen but is also the place where the corporate image is demonstrated (Goldblatt, 1990). The backdrop may, of course, be simple; a contained screen with banner and a little special lighting. On the other hand, the backdrop may be a matter of considerable technical expertise incorporating stage design elements (Holt, 1993). These elements may range from the preparation and construction of stage flats (Thomas, 1991) to back projection and theatrical-style lighting. ‘Gobos’ are often used for backdrops; these project screen designs which can either be provided from a range of prepared formats, such as cityscapes, star fields etc., or, more commonly, be purpose-made with a logo or theme to use as a backdrop.

It is also more common for large-scale events to use video walls composed of a bank of TV monitors. This has been a feature of special events at concerts and gigs for some time, to enable very large (often outdoor) audiences to see the performers. They are used at large conferences both as a means of providing a backdrop and also to enable delegates in large conference halls to see the speaker and specialist material being presented. Such large-scale backdrops are generally constructed and set up by a production company which will deal with this type of highly technical presentation. The company may work regularly with a particular venue, as most of the large purpose-built venues have links with local production companies, but where this is not the case, or the production company is working at a new venue, it will have to undertake preparatory site work to assess factors such as available space, power, structural capacities and access to the hall or arena.

7.5     Lighting

The lighting of conference venues has a number of purposes. In terms of conference rooms themselves, the main purposes are to provide ambient lighting in the conference room enabling delegates to see, to provide highlighting of speakers and the lighting of backdrops. In the other areas of conference venues the lighting has to provide adequate background illumination in both public and support areas, and provide some decorative illumination, particularly in VIP rooms, dining areas and foyers. The final lighting issue is one of provision for safety, particularly in terms of exits and traffic routes with the building.

In conferences and meetings where the room layout or number of delegates requires it, or where there is staging and/or a backdrop of some kind, the lighting available must be suited to attract the attention of delegates to the speaker. This is likely to involve the use of direct lighting of the lectern, if one is in use, or the top table (wherever the presenter is speaking from). However, semi-darkness badly affects delegates’ ability to concentrate and not only should a lectern area be illuminated directly, but the backdrop should have a good general diffused light. To this can be added some back lighting or indirect lighting to give atmosphere. Care must be taken, if a top table is in use (with several people besides the main speaker), that the lighting does not ‘wash them out’ or give them an odd colour (if, for example, blue washes are being used for the backdrop, this may have to be countered in the table areas so as not to make the people at the table also appear blue).

The conference room, in general, requires sufficient ambient lighting, usually of a diffused type, to permit delegates to take notes and to interact with other delegates. Not all conference rooms have natural light, and some are claustrophobic. A reasonable standard of lighting design with the careful use of diffused ceiling lighting and also some decorative lighting, wall lights and chandeliers perhaps, may serve to reverse the effect of a claustrophobic room (though lighting alone will not achieve this; good ventilation and air conditioning, even consideration of the plants used in a room, from the point of view of influencing the sense of smell, may also be needed).

Diffused illumination is also necessary in the public areas of a building. Corridors, toilets, foyers and reception areas should be well lit, though not harshly so. This is necessary to enable the proper functioning of these areas, to ensure safety and security, and to maintain a pleasant general ambience. Consideration must also be given to lighting control systems, dimmers and sensor switches. Typically the scalar illumination of public rooms should be of the order of 200 lux, with corridors and background areas having approximately 100 lux (Lawson, 1995). Areas where there is particular work taking place, such as reception area, kitchens, offices and so on, will require up to 400 lux.

Emergency lighting is necessary, and a legal requirement, in public buildings. Typically this is provided by secondary battery-powered light lasting up to two hours, activated by the fire alarm system or a power failure. Exits should be clearly illuminated and the emergency lighting adequate to allow escape. In some modern buildings, floor lighting strips are provided along exit routes, similar to those provided in aircraft floors to direct people to emergency exits. Security lighting is also necessary for areas containing expensive equipment, such as computers. Externally, particularly in car parks, and around the building, good lighting is needed to ensure delegates feel secure. Illumination of this kind also serves the general lighting purpose to deal with dark winter evenings.

Lastly, not so much an issue of being able to illuminate a room, but of being able to darken it, there is a need to provide functioning curtains or satisfactory blinds to enable presentations to be given in blackout where those presentations involve slide projection, video, LCD display or multimedia. This is often inadequately done, with some venues spending large amounts of money on highly sophisticated projection equipment, but failing to invest a little in providing a good blackout, let alone automated curtain-drawing systems which may be necessary in large rooms and where the first attempt to draw the curtains often results in the curtain jamming or detaching itself from the track.

7.6     Sound

Conferences exceeding 30 delegates will require sound reinforcement or put more simply, a sound system. Historically, the ‘sound system’ in conference venues was, at best, a microphone and a couple of loudspeakers, and if you were lucky, an amplifier, mixer and a deck for some recorded music. This is inadequate for contemporary needs, and while some speakers resist advice to use a microphone, thinking that their voice will carry through a large room with over 100 people in it, hecklers from the back (who cannot hear the speech) will usually disabuse them of this fallacy. The provision of sound systems is very necessary. Not only is there the simple issue of presenters and moderators being able to address the proceedings, there is also the issue of the need for sound reinforcement to go with visual tools, video and multimedia presentations. The small speaker built into the video monitor or projector is generally inadequate in a room with more than a few people in it.

Sound systems comprise microphones for the spoken word, amplifiers, mixers, loudspeakers and a variety of sound sources for music and other projected sound. Notwithstanding copyright law, music may be taken from cassette or CD, the latter being of a generally higher standard. Despite this, only a few major venues are adequately equipped to provide CD-based sound; while almost every home in the country has a CD player, not enough hotels or municipal venues are so equipped. Conference organizers wishing to incorporate good quality sound often have to hire in the necessary equipment to provide it. Companies providing conference equipment and a number of conference production companies are able to provide equipment packages which will include not only public address (PA) sound systems but also projection systems and lighting. Given the complexity of these things, a package, including the hire of a technician (again an element few hotel venues may be able to provide), is often necessary.

The basic sound system comprises microphone, amplifier and loudspeakers. There are two main types of microphone commonly used at conferences by the presenters: lead mikes (attached to a wire) and radio mikes (which have a transmitter). Lead mikes are generally used if speakers are presenting from a static position such as a lectern; radio mikes are used if the speaker is to move around or does not wish to have to carry a lead mike (though some types of radio mike are hand-held, the usual method is to attach to the lapel of the speaker a small mike which has a separate belt-hung transmitter). The general positioning of the microphone has to be behind the loudspeakers to prevent feedback noise.

The amplifier reinforces the sound and transmits it to the loudspeaker, usually coupled to a mixer. The function of the mixer is both to allow technical adjustment of the sound and to enable sound from various sources to be used. So, for example, a conference with a top table may have both lead mike and radio mike in use plus sound from a video projection and background music, while delegates arrive and depart. The mixer allows these to be used and adjusted, and can also permit the use of one or more banks of loudspeakers, depending on the size of the room. Where a technician is needed to operate the mixer, the system will usually be placed at the back of a room so the technician can hear the product of his or her endeavours. In purpose-built venues there may also be separate facilities for technical support designed into the room in the form of a projection box at the back.

The loudspeaker system may, in some cases, be built into a room, but is often in the form of often quite large portable loudspeakers. These would normally be set up between presenters and audience, and would also normally be quite high up, at least above head height for a seated audience, to reduce the amount of sound absorbed by the audience. Most loudspeakers will be stand mounted, but in purpose-built venues can often be ceiling-hung from gantries designed for them. There are some issues of aesthetics to be borne in mind and increasingly loudspeakers are screened by some means such as lightweight curtaining, floral displays or careful illumination around them, so the loudspeakers themselves are in relative seclusion.

Where a conference is extremely large, and takes place in an arena-type venue, there may also be a need to allow communication between more than one technician. For this purpose it is preferable to provide a communication ring. While this can be done using ‘walkie talkie’ radios, there is a danger of these interfering with other systems; in consequence, the communications ring may well be a land line with headsets, comprising microphone and headphones to ensure that the technicians’ communication is private. Sufficient time must be allowed for crews to set up extensive systems in the case of a large event. The complexity, not only of the sound system but also of projection and lighting rigs, often requires a high level of specialist knowledge and considerable time. This must be accounted for by venue management and conference organizers at the planning stage.

Summary

Technical facilities for the conference business have been increasing in complexity for some time. Although this may be considered a good thing, from the viewpoint of a presenter being able to make his or her presentation more interesting, the downside is that greater complexity may lead to greater possibility of technical failure, for a wide range of reasons. It is of considerable importance, therefore, that conference venues regard the fitting of new facilities both with seriousness and with a close regard for the reliability of the equipment being put in.

References

Clayton, K. (1986) How to organize a better conference, London, Hutchinson, pp. 71–72, 170–171.

Goldblatt, J J. (1990) Special Events, New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold, pp. 65–68, 73–77.

Holt, M. (1993) Stage design and properties, London, Phaidon, pp. 36–51.

Lawson, F. (1995) Hotels and Resorts, Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann, pp.295–298.

Seekings, D. (1996) How to Organize Effective Conferences and Meetings, London, Kogan Page, 6th edn, pp. 135–207.

Thomas, T. (1991) Create your own stage sets, London, A&C Black, pp. 54–87.