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Creating the right atmosphere for a meeting can be a big part of its success, and lighting plays an important role. Too dark and your audience can become drowsy and find it difficult to take notes. Too bright they can become distracted, edgy and irritable. Either way, you risk diminishing the effectiveness of your program if you don’t take the time to plan your lighting.

Most meetings and events don’t require a great deal of equipment or expertise to benefit from great lighting. A few simple techniques can take your event from so-so to super.

Keep Your Speaker Visible and Comfortable

If a speaker or performer is the focus, make sure your audience can see them and that the entertainment is able to see what is needed too. If they’re using notes at a podium, be sure they can read comfortably without glare and that the light doesn’t cast ominous or distracting shadows across their face. If they move around, provide full stage lighting or a moveable spotlight.

Keep the Lighting Under Control

If your presentation involves changing from full light to dimming the room for projection or other effects, make sure both the room and stage lights can be easily controlled, preferably by someone assigned to the task. Position the lights so they illuminate the subject(s) pleasantly without shining directly into their eyes. Be sure that subject lighting doesn’t interfere with monitors or screens.

Use the Lighting to Create the Mood You Want

Even small rooms can benefit from good lighting—or suffer from lack of it. Flood lighting—either overhead or from the side—is best for panel discussions and presentations with a lot of onstage motion, whereas a spotlight can be quite dramatic and effective in drawing attention to an individual or small group. Color washes and light patterns can be energizing or relaxing, depending on how they’re used.

Plan and Rehearse When Appropriate

Know the size, layout, and lighting installation of the room you will occupy. The larger the venue and more elaborate the production, the more important it is to run through the lighting controls and cues. Searching for switches and fumbling with controls is a good way to kill the pace and effectiveness of your presentation.

Lighting is one of the least expensive and most effective ways to enhance a presentation. Our Lighting Packages are tailored to your needs—for both business meetings and social events—and include several items for Do-It-Yourself use.

From small meeting rooms to large auditoriums and banquet halls, Avista Rentals lighting equipment will set the mood you want and our expert staff has thousands of meetings worth of experience to guide you. Visit our website, AvistaRentals.com to see how our corporate AV equipment and services add polish and professionalism to your business presentations. You can chat with a Rental Specialist right on the site or request an online quote. If it’s more convenient, give us a call at 888-462-8478 or drop by any of our locations in the San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles areas.

Over the past decade, Avista has grown to become a premier West Coast provider of audio-visual equipment & support for thousands of meetings, conferences and social events. No matter how you choose to do business with us, you’ll see why Avista Rentals has a combination of equipment inventory and top-quality customer service that has made us one of the country’s fastest-growing audiovisual rental companies. You can count on us to be a trusted partner in making all of your events special.