When booking a corporate event, if your guests are seated too far away, directly to your right or left, behind the stage or behind an obstruction; you\u2014the performer\u2014can\u2019t reach the audience, and they\u2014the audience\u2014are likely to get frustrated and not enjoy the show. No one likes to stare at the back of someone\u2019s head.<\/p>\n
1. Set them up to see the show.<\/p>\n
Seat your audience in FRONT of your stage and LIGHT your performers.
\nAvoid seating any audience members directly to the right or left, around a corner or especially behind the stage. It\u2019s nearly impossible for the performers to connect with these people and they will likely stare at the side or back of the performers for the whole performance or worse yet\u2014miss the show completely.
\nIf necessary, use the space directly to the sides of the stage for the buffet or bars, a photo booth, displays, etc. Leaving it open is even better.<\/p>\n
If your space is narrow, seat the audience deep (vertically) versus spread side to side (horizontally). This will at least make the stage visible to most, if not all of your audience, even if they are a bit further away. And the performers won\u2019t feel like they\u2019re turning their backs.
\nAnd be sure the performers will be lit with flattering stage lighting if the performance space will be dark.<\/p>\n
2. Get cosy.<\/p>\n
Seat your audience CLOSE to the stage and CLOSE to one another.
\nGreat performers like to engage with their audience and make them feel included. If the first row of tables or chairs is too far away, that feels like dead space to the audience and the performers.
\nSeat the first row of the audience as close as five feet away from the front edge of the stage if possible and don\u2019t spread the audience out too much. Keeping it all contained keeps the performance energy locked together.
\nIf you have a lot of space, set up the extras (like the buffet, bars, etc.) behind the seating area, or just keep that space open. But get the audience close to the show!<\/p>\n
3. A pillar is not your friend.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t BLOCK your audience\u2019s view of the stage.
\nWhenever possible, seat people to the right or left of any sort of obstruction. Unless, of course, you\u2019re hosting superheroes and they all have X-ray vision. Most people will feel disappointed if they are seated behind a pillar.
\nKeep this in mind when choosing a venue. If there are a lot of obstructions, look elsewhere if you\u2019re hoping for full capacity!<\/p>\n
5. Allow plenty of time to set up and communicate.<\/p>\n
Check in with your party entertainers<\/a> beforehand and build in ample set-up time on the day. When booking a corporate event, if your guests are seated too far away, directly to your right or left, behind the stage or behind an obstruction; you\u2014the performer\u2014can\u2019t reach the audience, and they\u2014the audience\u2014are likely to get frustrated and not … Continue reading
\nMake sure you have a conversation with the agent or performers before the event date.
\nThen, on the day, be sure to give the entertainment plenty of time to get their sound equipment loaded in, set up, sound checked and get out of view before the audience starts coming in.
\nA little forethought and planning is sure to make your event go off without a hitch. If you have a hard time envisioning a stage or an audience in your event space, enlist the help of a friend, a professional event planner or ask a performer or stage technician for help! Happy Planning!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"