When planning and organising any event, the lighting is an important consideration that can not be overlooked. This includes conference events. Whether you are expecting 50 people or 500, your conference lighting will be an important part of the overall visual effect, as well as a practical tool. But unfortunately, this is too often overlooked. And this leads to a range of conference event lighting mistakes, that we see repeated frequently. So how can you avoid these mistakes? Well, here at Light Design Ltd, we are leading event lighting professionals. From music concerts and live theatre, to award ceremonies and conferences, we are the team you can count on. This is our guide to help you avoid mistakes when planning your conference event lighting.
Why is good lighting important for a conference event?
For any conference event, effective lighting strategies can be useful for a range of reasons, including:
- Drawing attention at key points, e.g. the entrance of a guest speaker or at the end of a talk
- Providing comfortable ambient light, especially important for note-taking
- Encouraging the audience to engage with the speaker on stage
- Impressing your guests on arrival
- Presenting the venue effectively
What are the most common conference event lighting mistakes?
With these benefits in mind, what are some of the most frequent lighting mistakes for conference events? Well, there are several, including:
Not enough contrast between stage lighting and the Power-point or video wall screen. At a conference, the guest speaker will usually accompany their talk or speech with visuals. Power-point presentations and projectors used to be the only option, but now video walls and LED screens are being used more frequently. Poor lighting design results in poor contrast between the stage lighting and the screen lighting, so that the screen can appear washed out, or the content will not be clearly visible. This can lead to a negative audience experience, and a disappointing event overall.
Lighting that is too dark. Although your audience will be looking at the stage, and any visual presentation during the event, this does not mean that the room or hall should be dark. However, many event organisers create a cinema like effect, and this can make it more difficult for your audience to concentrate. It also means that the lighting level is not comfortable, and your guests might even leave with a headache, migraine or eye strain.
No lighting cues. One of the big things that lighting can bring to any event is the ability to provide social cues. When lighting levels are raised, this generally indicates that it is time for guests to move around. When they are lowered, it is generally time to listen or take a seat. This helps your event run smoothly and on time. Not using lighting in this way can result in guest confusion, and lack of efficiency.
For more information or advice, or for professional conference event lighting, get in touch with the team today, here at Light Design Ltd.