You're holding your press conference outside?

Some press conferences lend themselves to being held outdoors. It's hard to have a groundbreaking inside, for instance. But, the reality is that any outdoor event carries with it a variety of potential problems that you'll have to contend with if you hope to have a successful outcome.

WEATHER

Weather is the main concern. Even if there's no rain or snow, the climate may present challenges. Take, for instance, the wind. We just held an outdoor event, and one of the speakers had a tough time keeping his notes from flying away because of the windy conditions. Not ideal.

WIND NOISE

The wind isn't just a nuisance. It can affect the sound. You'll want to make sure the microphones you're using for both the public address system as well as your video camera have a wind screen to mitigate as much of the noise as possible. Even then, you likely will still hear some of the bigger gusts.

SUNSHINE AND SHADOWS

Let's say you do have plenty of sunshine. Even that can be a problem if the speakers have to squint to keep the bright sunlight out of their eyes. Or, you may have harsh shadows that make it difficult to see the faces of the speakers. So, prepare to move the podium to get the best possible lighting conditions.

TRAFFIC NOISE

Lastly, nearby sounds may affect your press conference. Is there road construction nearby? Good luck with that. Jets flying overhead? What about general traffic, especially if you have plenty of trucks? All of these need to be taken into account before assuming an outdoor event is the way to go.

MackCommunications.com | @mack_comm