The power of senses: incorporating sound into your next event

Do you hear that? That’s the satisfying sound of guests leaving the venue after an evening full of excitement at your event and let’s face it, that’s the sound all event planners are looking for once an event draws to a close.

Yet the sound of happy guests is not the only sound you’ll hear at an event. Be it a conference, celebration, or even a private dining experience, how different sounds are utilised and come together will play a vital role in the overall feel of your event.

From the audio equipment used, to the types of sounds and their effect on our overall mood and emotions, let’s explore more on the importance of incorporating great sound into your event…

Getting event audio right

When it comes to events, it’s easy to get caught up far more in how an event looks compared to how it sounds. Yet not giving the proper consideration to the sound can lead to an incomplete experience.

This is particularly true for events like conferences and meetings, which rely on audio equipment to help bring the event to life. Be it microphones, speakers, or amplifiers, poor audio has been found to cause our brains to need to work around 35% harder to interpret information. If your attendees’ brains are working overtime to keep up with what’s being presented due to poor audio, then it’s unlikely they’re going to become swept up in the experience you are trying to create.

Poor audio can also harm the overall professionalism of your event, impacting the delivery and making it even more difficult to keep your guests’ attention. It also runs the risk of damaging the perception and reputation of not just the event itself but of the hosts and business too.

This risk is even more apparent with the continued rise of hybrid events, with virtual guests having to process sound and visuals even more due to not being physically in the room. As such, it’s important to know the audio equipment being used is suitable for your type of event.

Audio as an experience

Event audio is about much more than just the technology being used however, especially for more informal events such as networking events or various forms of celebrations. These types of events place much more importance on bringing an event space to life, and the sound being used can have an important effect on this.

Consider any music or sounds that can play in the background as guests move around and explore the space – what type of emotions do you want to evoke from them? Use this as a basis for what can be played in the background to help enhance the experience you are creating.

It’s also important to consider how loud the music or sounds you are playing. You want to ensure the sounds aren’t too loud that people can’t comfortably hear one another after all!

Recent data from the University of Oxford has found that as many as 18.4% of the UK population are sensitive to particular sounds, making it even more important to get the sound levels right at your event.

As for the sounds themselves, don’t just settle for putting a playlist of music and letting it play on a loop all evening though – look for opportunities where else sound can be used to elevate the experience. Could you incorporate different music during breakout sessions in the event, or look to play certain sounds at key moments of the event to bring out the emotions you want from your audience?

The sound of great private dining

Sound in recent years has also played an increasingly important role in events that typically don’t rely so heavily on event audio. Private dining events in particular are a key example of this, with guests looking for dining experiences that are more than just the taste of the food on offer.

Sound is just one way to help elevate the dining experience, with background music and sounds being effectively utilised to elevate people’s moods and evoke stronger emotions, as well as in some cases also enhancing the taste of the food on offer.

Sound is also important when it comes to the dishes themselves. The sizzle of the meat fresh off the pan, the crunch of nuts and peppers, the sound of butter being spread on a fresh piece of toast… all are examples of important sounds that can help elevate the dining experience when combined with the other four senses.

Looking to experience a sensory dining experience yourself? Get ready to awaken your senses with an immersive multi-sensory dining experience, coming soon to the Royal Society of Chemistry at Burlington House.

For more information, contact a member of our team today.