Simon Thewlis of Event Pty Ltd is back with his fourth instalment about why the event organisation process is the same whether the guest list consists of 40 or 40,000 people.
“I tell people not to be constrained by traditional binary choices as there are often better ways to do things. Last week, we talked about lighting. This week, my recommendation is to make everything seamless…
Having everything happen seamlessly as if by magic, can add a lot to the feel of the event. That was very much the case here, so we put much effort into it.
The most complicated bit was going from the string quartet to the two people speaking briefly, to the feature performer. While not overly complex, it was something that could be untidy and cause delays – and our aim was seamlessness.
The first step?
This was deciding how we would lose the string quartet, their chairs, and the music stands so the stage would be clear for the other parts of the event.
While we’d started with the quite stylised modern black chairs for the musicians (as they would match the chairs in the room near the stage), they were bulky and hard to move. We next tried the rattan-style chairs. Although a bit easier to move, they still weren’t going to be viable.
Ultimately, I did a quick 30-minute round trip to Bunnings to buy four $9 black folding chairs! While not great looking, they were never going to be noticed because the musicians were wearing gowns. And most importantly, the stage manager would be able to quietly remove them in seconds. This was key.
On the night
Two minutes before the formalities were due to begin, the string quartet began playing a feature piece. We brought up the lighting and audio (bringing focus back to the stage as previously discussed, and to subtly signal to the audience that something was about to happen).
Afterwards, they stood and bowed as the audience applauded. As they started to walk off-stage with their instruments, the stage manager quietly removed the chairs and music stands. At the same time, the feature act’s accompanist was quietly snuck on stage to the piano.
As the guests finished clapping, the first speaker (now already on the stage) began his short speech.
To further streamline things:
- The two speakers had been wired up with lapel radio mics before the event. This meant they could simply walk onto the stage and begin speaking – no mucking around with microphone stand heights or the like.
- The first speaker introduced the second, who just stepped up and began talking.
- The second speaker introduced the feature performer. As he finished his introduction, the accompanist began playing the piano. The performer entered from the rear of the marquee (with a radio microphone already in her hand) and made her way through the audience to the stage, starting to sing as she walked.
Needless to say, all parts of the sequence were practised before the event. Everyone knew what they were going to do. And the event ran seamlessly, making the attendees feel very special.”
Tune in for part five (focusing on all of the details) next week…