You have eight seconds. According to a Microsoft study, the average attention span of a human has dropped from 12 seconds to a mere eight. To put this into perspective, you have either decided that this is worth the read, or you would never have seen this sentence. The challenge to capture attention is felt in every industry, but some industries have much more at stake when considering attention spans. Event planners and production companies often need help improving engagement at their events, no matter the size. But what is the solution to capturing and holding an attendee’s attention in today’s highly digital world? Below are some solid tips and techniques to use at your next event to truly captivate an audience.
1. Use Effective Lighting at Your Events
Event lighting can make or break your attendees’ experience. With so many options and things to consider, how does an event manager decide which type of lighting will best suit the venue? Luckily for you, there are solutions at any scale or price point for your event, but
How can lighting affect your space?
There are many ways to use lighting to gather initial attention, but there are just as many options to use lighting creatively to captivate lasting attention. To name a few:
- Spotlights can attract attention to keynote speakers or visual elements.
- Kinetic lights are moving orbs and light tubes that operate in conjunction with a motor to maintain movement over a space or object.
- LED lights are extremely versatile and consume far less energy, making them great choices for large spaces with a lower budget. They can be fashioned into pixel tubes that can be mounted just about anywhere, uplights that can create the effect of a larger space, and even walls that tile together to create massive imagery.
- Projection lighting is a dramatic way to present images such as logos, names, or anything else you had in mind. They keep important information at the top of the minds of your attendees.
Production companies utilize many different lighting solutions consisting of types of lighting and how to use different lighting for any event effectively.
2. How does audio quality reflect your event’s impact?
The voice of every event needs to be clear and concise. Whether a keynote speaker needs to address an audience of 100 or a performer wants to get a 10,000-person crowd moving, the audio needs to be refined. Ensure you have addressed all things audio related before your event takes place in order to minimize disturbances or issues during the event. One way to streamline this process is to work with the right event production labor company like Top Knotch Productions which recognizes the importance of audio.
3. Creating lasting impressions with stages
If your next large event needs a stage-building company, make sure to use one that knows the true potential of stages; after all, this is where all the attention will be for most of your event. Depending on the size of your next experience, stage-building companies can get creative when designing and building any size stage with backdrops and buildouts. Live event production companies might even consider adding LED video walls or other eye-catching displays that offer ways to deliver messages or themes to your audience. Once again, consider who you are hiring to build the centerpiece for your event. A great New York-based company, Black Walnut Productions, offers various stage designs for different experiences with the know-how to get any job done.
4. How To Create Unique Experiences At Your Events
Every event planner or production manager strives to have attendees talk (or tweet!) about their experience. It’s a free advertisement, so make it unforgettable! Get creative with the use of today’s technology. This could be done in a multitude of ways. One up-and-coming method is using augmented realities, in which guests can interact via smartphones to enhance presentations or showcases. You could also implement interactive displays that can hold the attendees’ attention by simultaneously stimulating the visual, auditory, and touch senses. These are just a few options you, as the event planner, can utilize to make any experience memorable..
Why these optimizations will leave your audience speechless
While the average attention span of people worldwide seems to be decreasing, there is still hope! With new technologies on the rise and their availability increasing, your next event has the potential to be truly amazing. Make sure you utilize the proper tools and techniques to keep your audiences engaged and wanting more. If you are planning an event in New York City and need an event labor company with over 30 years of experience, contact Top Knotch Productions today!