To hear at the back, turn it up

Turning it up will indeed make it louder at the back but you’ll also open yourself up to noise complaints from locals and from the people at the front. If you’re crowd is going to be spread out or in a narrow space going back from the stage, you need to consider speaker placement to ensure that the whole crowd can hear properly. It might be better to place speakers and intervals around the site to ensure complete coverage or to upgrade your speaker system to cover the size of your audience.

Hiring a stage is a waste of money

It’s easy to think that hiring a stage is an avoidable expense when you can place your performers on the floor behind barriers or beneath a marquee but there are many reasons for hire a stage that can elevate your event. We know what you’re thinking, we would say that because we’re a staging company but hear us out. We’ve already written a post giving Three Reasons to Hire a Stage for your Indoor Event, these reasons are also valid for outdoor events. 

It gives a better viewing experience for the audience and allows you to reach more people with your entertainment.

It gives the event a central and focal point which attracts people into a specific area.

It gives the event a professional look and put together feel.

The bigger the stage, the better

Having the biggest stage you can afford is not always the best option. It can negatively impact your audience if your stage is too large for the performers you have booked and can leave the audience feeling disappointed. Yes, budget is important but more than that you must think about the type of acts and performers you will be having on your stage. If you are planning on having acoustic solo singers, you will likely not need a big stage but if you’re having large bands and dance groups, you will need more space. The size of your audience will also help you decide how big of a stage to hire, although most stages have adjustable height to ensure the audience can see everything. 

Anyone with basic knowledge of the equipment can be a sound engineer

Like any job, education, knowledge and experience are necessary to be a good sound engineer. You may be able to pick up the basics but a good sound engineer will be able to tackle any problem that comes up, will be able to work with the performers and will ensure the event has the best sound quality possible whilst making sure everyone can hear clearly. There are so many skills required to be a sound engineer, which cover far more than just knowing how the equipment works.

Day time lighting is pointless

The sun is up and it’s the middle of the day in summer, why do I need stage lighting? Good question. First, we recommend you check out our Quick Guide to Stage Lighting to help you understand the different types of lights that are available. Second, lighting isn’t used solely with the purpose of helping the audience (or performer) see in the dark, lighting can be used to enhance the show in several different ways. Whether you want to highlight a part of the show, a soloist for example, or create atmosphere, think mood lighting for a ballad or a vibrant colour show for an upbeat song. It can control the energy of the crowd, getting them ready for the arrival of a performer, or for a particularly popular song. It can enhance the atmosphere and make the crowd feel more part of the show. Don’t discount daytime lighting when planning your event.