Start with the listening task
For a conference, prioritise understandable speech throughout the seating area. For an exhibition stand, define a small listening area that still allows nearby conversations. For a party, decide where music should be the main activity and where guests should be able to talk. These are three different briefs, even when each event has 100 guests.
A useful first request is therefore not a total wattage. It is a plan showing the audience, a programme showing the sound sources, and a sentence describing the intended experience in each zone. A supplier can turn those into a proposal for sound equipment, control and operation.
Compare the requirements
| Format | Main requirement | Include in the brief | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conference or presentation | Speech that is easy to follow | Stage, seating depth, microphones, video audio, remote contributors | Will every seat hear the presenter without making the front rows uncomfortable? |
| Exhibition demonstration | Local coverage around the demonstration | Stand boundaries, open sides, neighbouring activities, presentation schedule | Can visitors listen while the sales team holds conversations nearby? |
| Party or DJ programme | Music appropriate to the dance area | Dance floor, lounge, DJ requirements, venue operating conditions | Does the quote cover the intended music experience as well as announcements? |
Draw the audience before counting speakers
Mark the closest and furthest listener, the width of the audience, columns, balconies and areas around corners. Note whether people are seated, standing or moving between activities. Add the places where loudspeakers can physically go without obstructing sightlines or circulation.
Yamaha's speech-system selection tool uses speaker position, audience position and required sound level; it also notes that room reflections can change the real result. That is a useful reminder to evaluate coverage across the audience, rather than treat a product specification as a room design. Yamaha explains its selection inputs and limitations.
Ask for a proposed layout and an explanation of difficult seats. A front pair, additional audience fills or a distributed arrangement may each be reasonable candidates. The choice depends on geometry and the actual equipment; a particular box count is not a universal rule for a particular guest count.
List everything that makes sound
Separate live inputs from playback and outputs. A presenter, moderator and audience-question microphone may all be needed during one exchange. A laptop playing video is another source. A stream or recording may need its own output and monitoring. A DJ or band should supply requirements early enough for them to be reconciled with the venue plan.
Do not count the number of people on the agenda as the number of simultaneous microphone channels. Count the busiest moment. Then agree how equipment is handed over, which spare is available and who controls live microphones.
Worked example: one room, two programmes
Imagine a hypothetical 12 × 18 m room with 120 seated guests in the afternoon, a 4 m presentation area and an evening party in the same room. The programme includes one presenter, a moderator, audience questions and two videos. Later, half the room becomes a dance floor while the other half remains a lounge.
The afternoon source list has three possible live microphone inputs plus video playback. The evening brief adds the DJ connection and separates the desired dance-floor and lounge experience. This does not prove that three loudspeakers, three wireless systems or a particular subwoofer will be sufficient: it tells the supplier what must be designed and tested.
Request two comparable options: an afternoon-only system and a combined afternoon/evening design. Ask each to show what is moved between sessions, who performs the changeover, how long the room must be unavailable and whether rehearsal is included. A lower equipment subtotal can lose its advantage if it creates a disruptive second installation.
Common selection mistakes
Choosing by watts alone. Ask what the proposed system will do in this room, with this programme.
Putting speakers wherever décor leaves a gap. Agree sound and scenic positions together. Yamaha explains that directing the main speakers towards listeners and away from microphones helps reduce feedback risk. Its placement guide explains the mechanism.
Leaving the microphone plan until event day. Format, presenter movement and changeovers affect the package.
Approving equipment without operation. Name the person responsible for cues, questions, playback and fault response.
Send a brief that can be quoted
Attach the venue plan, event date, access times and audience arrangement.
Describe speech, background music, performance and dance requirements separately.
List simultaneous microphones, playback devices and recording or streaming outputs.
Mark listening zones, neighbouring activities and any venue sound restrictions.
Agree setup, changeover, rehearsal and dismantling responsibilities.
Request an audience walk-through with speech and representative playback before guests arrive.
Use that brief to discuss full AV equipment rental. Where the programme includes live changes or several contributors, include technical support in the same scope so the system and its operation are considered together.