Many hospitality and event venues are not designed with acoustics in mind. Unless a building is specifically designed to be a concert venue or theatre space, acoustics are rarely considered.

Large open spaces, hard floors, lack of soft furnishings and flat wall surfaces are all factors that can seriously affect the acoustics of a venue and lead to frustrating noise management issues.

Hospitality venues are continually plagued with the dilemma of creating a fun and vibrant atmosphere, without disrupting the local residents or other nearby establishments. So, with our 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, we bring to you the top 5 ways you can improve your venue’s acoustics.

1. Listen

It sounds obvious, but listen to the space at the busiest and quietest times of day. Apart from the patrons and music, what are the other main sources of noise? You might find that the air conditioning is particularly loud or that you can clearly hear the pots and pans clanging in the kitchen.

Look at how you can minimise these noises. Maybe a sound-proof door between the main restaurant and the kitchen is required? Consider adding soft furnishings to the venue, such as rugs and cushions, as they can also help to scatter and absorb unwanted sound reflections.

2. Address Echoes

If you have a lot of exposed walls, hard floors (especially tiles) and minimal soft furnishings, then this can be an acoustical nightmare for a hospitality venue.

Sound baffles on the ceiling and walls will go a fair way to minimizing this problem.  A sound ceiling is a popular option for many hospitality venues as it can achieve significant sound reductions (10dB indoors, 15dB outdoors) without the need for any costly building renovations. Suspended from the ceiling or installed on the wall, the sound ceiling enables you to combine a cosy, talkative dining atmosphere with a party vibe.

 3. Musicians and their Instruments

Does your venue host live music nights?  If so, then think about where the musicians are positioned. If they are on a stage, see if the drummer can be positioned to the side and near the corner, and hang acoustic panels behind them to reduce rear sound reflections.

This will hugely improve the acoustics without compromising on the sound quality and output. Acoustic panels are available to hire and are hugely popular for music gigs, theatres, music studios, school performances and music festivals.

4. Speaker Location

Look at the location of the speakers in the venue – are they aiming directly at the walls? Consider the dispersion pattern of the speakers as they may need to be re-aimed or tilted so they are pointing towards the patrons, as opposed to the walls or ceiling.

The diffusion of sound is important as the room needs some sound reflective surfaces and some absorptive ones, so we would recommend getting a qualified and experienced AV provider to correctly assess the acoustics and make the necessary adjustments. This will guarantee improved venue acoustics and no dead spots or flutter echo.

5. Baffle, baffle, baffle

By far the most effective way to reduce sound spillover and improve acoustics in your venue is to have sound baffles or curtains. There are a variety of options out there, however the cheaper ones often use cheap quality materials which are not very effective – and in a noisy hospitality venue, they will not provide the sound absorption capabilities that you need.

After 20 years in the industry, the most effective sound absorption solution we have come across is the Mobile Acoustic Wall – portable sound-proofing panels which can be used for any kind of acoustics, anywhere you like. Available for hire or for permanent installation, these sound proofing panels are ideal for anywhere that requires noise management.

Contact the Mega Vision team today for more information on our sound-proofing panels.

Supplying AV equipment to weddings for 20 years, we know a thing or two about how to create an impact!

We’ve put together some top tips on how to add ‘Wow’ factor to your wedding – without blowing the budget.

1. Lighting Effects

Don’t underestimate the power of good lighting! Lighting can create a huge impact on any wedding and doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Some of the best wedding lighting options include LED uplighting to create a beautiful wash effect against a wall or drape, or to accentuate a unique feature, such as a flower wall. Uplighting is a great and beautifully simple way to transform any wedding space. You can even have outdoor uplighting (e.g. lights shining up through the trees). A good lighting hire company should be able to recommend several options depending on the look and colour theme you want.

2. Engage All the Senses

You can save money by doing away with some of the ‘extras’ at the wedding (such as bonbonnieres) and instead give your guests a more memorable sensory experience. Consider the five senses when planning your wedding. Visual impact will create a strong first impression so make sure you consider lighting, draping and other elements such as special effects. For example, a dry ice machine creates low lying fog for a ‘walking on clouds’ effect, perfect for the first dance.

And don’t forget smell – this can hugely influence a guest’s impression of an event space. If you are going for a rustic theme, consider introducing bunches of scented native plants and flowers. And scented candles are perfect for creating a beautiful ambience and delightful aroma without blowing the budget.

3. Consider Your Music Choices

Bands and DJs can be very expensive, so if you don’t have the budget, there are other options available. You can be your own DJ – create your own playlists and hire a sound system to play them! This means you can play the music you want, when you want and save hundreds of dollars. Make sure you get a good quality sound system though – for weddings of 50+ people you need to have professional-grade speakers. Look at professional audio-visual hire companies instead of general party hire places as the difference in quality will be dramatic. A good quality professional sound system should cost you between $125 and $150 for a 24 hour hire.

For bigger budgets, you might want to hire a soft jazz band or a string quartet to add some sophisticated pizazz to the pre-dinner drinks part of your day and then hire a band or DJ to get the dance floor pumping later on in the evening.

4. Show-Stopping Entertainment

Make your wedding the one that your guests really remember! Add some show-stopping wedding entertainment, such as the Sparkular Minis. These are incredible indoor sparklers that create a fountain effect and can be used both outdoors and indoors – they can even be used inside hotels and other venues without having to isolate fire alarms. They feature a new cold spark technology which means that they generate no heat and no smoke and will create the ultimate ‘wow’ factor for your wedding. Why not have them firing when you arrive at the reception and introduced as the new ‘Mr and Mrs’? Or you could use them for your first dance. Either way, they provide a  great way to add some sparkle to your wedding without blowing the budget!

5. Don’t Be Tied to Your Venue’s Providers

Lastly, don’t limit yourself to any given provider. If you are having your wedding in a hotel or function centre, they will likely have preferred suppliers that they want you to use. However, it pays to look further afield – very often you will be able to get the same, if not better, equipment from other providers at a much cheaper price.

This also applies to using the venue’s built-in audio-visual equipment (e.g. their sound system, projectors or microphones). Venues can sometimes charge more for their equipment than if you hired the same equipment elsewhere and brought it into the venue.

If you’re looking for audio-visual equipment for your big day, contact the experts at Mega Vision. With over 20 years’ experience in wedding hire, our friendly team are well-placed to advise on a range of options to suit your budget.

In Australia, we have a vibrant events scene and we can host outdoor events throughout the year, thanks to our sunny climate. Concerts, community fairs, music gigs, fun runs, golf tournaments, racing days – guests at any of these outdoor events are expecting to see and hear all the action. If you are hosting an outdoors event, your guests want to enjoy the atmosphere and be able to watch the action at the same time. Many visual options, including TVs, projectors and LCD video walls, may not suitable for outdoor events as they are not weatherproof, meaning it can be difficult to see the screen in full sunlight (unless the TV is commercial-grade). In addition, they can require a lot more time, effort (and cost) to set up. So what is the solution? The mobile LED screen.

Easy to transport            

A trailer LED screen is literally just that – an outdoor LED screen mounted on the back of a trailer. Rather than having to build an LED screen on-site for an event, the trailer LED screen allows you to simply hitch it on the back of a vehicle and drive it to the event location. These mobile LED screens vary in size from one provider to the next and can be mounted on trailers and vehicles of all sizes. Being easy to transport, trailer screens make it very easy to deliver and set up the screen for your event, saving you time and money in labour charges.

Versatile and Durable

Being mounted on a trailer, you would hope that the LED screen is durable to withstand all the bumps and bends of the roads during transit- well, they are! They are designed to withstand reasonable impact both during transportation and whilst operational, making them durable and quite robust. As such, the trailer LED screen is ideal for hosting outdoor events in a variety of locations, including school ovals, car parks, piazzas, foreshores, public parks, and more. Being on a trailer, you can even have the screen in one location at the start of an event, such as the start line for a fun run, and move it to another location, such as the finish line, after a few hours.

Operational in Full Sunlight or in Rain

Trailer LED screens are outdoor rated, meaning they can withstand a substantial amount of impact from the elements. A quality mobile LED screen should be glare-resistant so you can still see the images on the screen clearly and brightly, even when in full sunlight. Being so versatile, these screens are ideal for numerous outdoors events and can be used year round, come sun or rain. When you look to hire a screen, make sure you choose a qualified and reputable provider whose screens are properly IP-rated (outdoor-rated) so you can ensure your event can go ahead without a hitch.

More Engagement

Outdoor digital displays generate huge amounts of interest. Whether it’s broadcasting a live sports event or displaying a live camera feed from a special ceremony, mobile LED screens have a huge impact on guests – they can have an experience that they couldn’t have elsewhere.  Being big and bright, they draw a lot of attention which also makes them ideal for use as social media walls. Displaying twitter feeds and live updates from other social media platforms, they generate huge engagement from guests who can tweet about the event using event-specific hashtags – which is great PR.

Income Potential

Big and bright, LED screens have incredible visibility and easily attract attention from guests and passers-by. A trailer LED screen at an event can project live video feeds, television commercials, branded videos, corporate messaging, sponsor logos and more. The screen can be positioned in locations that cannot easily accommodate other visual options and advertising mediums, making them incredibly attractive for advertisers and sponsors alike. The cost for hiring a mobile LED screen can be easily outweighed by potential advertising revenue and the value of customer engagement.

Value-Adding

The trailer LED screen is time-efficient, cost-effective and can have a positive, lasting impression on your guests which is why it is such an attractive option for event organisers. If you are looking to hire a trailer LED screen for your next outdoor event, make sure you choose your provider wisely. The benefits of having a such a screen at your event are only as value-adding as the quality of the screen itself. Although two LED screens might look the same and have the same specifications, the actual quality of the image, colour reproduction and viewing experience can be drastically different. Make sure you do your research when hiring a mobile LED screen, a good quality screen can add incredible value to your event – and your company.

Contact our friendly team today for more information on our quality screens.