The danger of press conference logistics

Anyone who's had to stage a press conference involving multiple speakers, supporters and additional audience members knows what a hassle it can be. You've got to consider the size of the room or location, where people will stand, where the media will be located and where the rest of the audience will stand or sit.

A recent event involving one of our clients brought all of this into sharper focus when participants organically strayed from the main staging area. They were still able to hear the speakers and could see what was happening at the podium, but the larger footprint made it more difficult for the speakers to address the crowd and the media at the same time.

Their voices would trail off each time they sought to 
address the wide expanse of audience members.

In other words, as the speakers directed their remarks to the crowd, they would often turn away from the microphone. Their voices would trail off each time they sought to address the wide expanse of audience members.

The problem also affected the resulting video footage of the event. As the speakers turned to one side or the other, they no longer looked toward the camera. What would have been a direct shot of the speaker became a profile. 

None of this was disastrous. Most of the problems could be fixed or handled during the editing process. But it was a vivid reminder of how logistics, even something as simple as where the audience is allowed to stand, can affect your press event.

In summary: always, always, always consider how the audio and video of any event will be affected by logistics.

Mack Communications | Twitter: @mack_comm