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Friday, February 27, 2009
Inside Meetings & Conferences
Meeting planning should include acoustics check
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You’ve planned the event, all the way down to the “healthy” desserts that will accompany the lunch. Then the meetings and presentations for your perfectly planned conference begin. Afterward, attendees report that they couldn’t hear a word the presenter was saying, a frustrating and commonly expressed sentiment at conferences.
Along with the typical physical details that make an event work, effective meetings require that the acoustical conditions do not interfere with the program. A loud air conditioning system can negate the wisdom and knowledge of any speaker, if they can’t be heard. Noisy lunch or dinner events can leave people feeling worn out if they need to raise their voices for the entire meal. Every event planner should check the following acoustical conditions as they consider booking facilities:
Quiet Sound Levels
When you visit a potential meeting space, ask the facility host to turn all mechanical systems to full capacity. Planners might visit a presentation room and deem it “quiet,” only to learn that the moderate temperatures of the spring day when they visited did not require the massive air handling unit above the room to be operating. By requesting that all systems are operating, the event planner can be more confident that the room will be quiet enough for effective communication from the presenter.
With the AC system running, listen for any other bothersome hums or tones entering the space. Other noise concerns include traffic on roadways, aircraft flyovers of nearby airports and loading docks with frequent deliveries. Next, in the proposed room, test whether it is possible to speak and be heard without amplification. Of course, a system of microphones and loudspeakers or an audiovisual setup can help overcome background noise. But for small rooms seating 20 to 30 people, the audiovisual system should supplement the sound of the speaker and not be a requirement. If there is a chance the event may be recorded, note that background noise can interfere with the audio recording. Avoid rooms with such noises, if possible.
Isolated Presentation Spaces
The event planner should try to visit the presentation spaces when they are in use. Sitting in on an active meeting allows the event planner to better sense whether each space is sufficiently isolated to be effective for multiple presentations. Divisible walls can be a factor in how effective sound isolation is between spaces. Ask whether the facility has had the divisible walls maintained recently to be sure they are functioning. Also, if you are sharing the facility with another group, find out the type of neighboring presentation that is planned, and consider if its acoustical characteristics might introduce conflicts to your events.
Acoustics of Large Spaces
When people congregate in large spaces for presentations or meals, there often is a lot of casual and useful discussion. Be sure to visit the gathering space when it is in use. You’ll have a better sense of whether the space is conducive to conversations and casual collaborative moments.
Spaces that have especially high ceilings, or spaces with many hard surfaces — such as plaster, glass or wood — can result in cacophonous gatherings that make talking and listening more tiresome for the attendees. A prevalence of hard surfaces creates a poor acoustical environment because all sound, whether wanted or unwanted, bounces off the hard surfaces. It makes it difficult to hear even the person seated next to you, let alone across the table. Spaces with many hard surfaces are not the most effective for presentations, no matter what sound system is used to amplify the speaker.
Assistive Listening Devices
A growing number of conference attendees have hearing impairments. These can be as simple as minor hearing losses, which the attendee may not be aware of, or clinically diagnosed hearing impairments. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the facility should provide assistive listening devices for about 4 percent of the audience. If you are aware your event may have a higher number of hearing impaired attendees, then request that the facility rent enough devices to sufficiently serve the attendees.
With these considerations in mind, the message of the presenters and the collaboration between attendees can be maximized. Then they can focus on that “healthy” dessert.
Jeffrey Fullerton is the director of the architectural acoustics and mechanical systems group at Acentech Inc.
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