Music can play an important role at your event.
Everything from the music playing when a speaker walks on stage to quiet background music at a networking reception can set the feel and tone for attendee behavior at an event. Here are five tips on how to choose the best music playlist to find your event’s groove.
Poll the Audience
The best way to know your audience’s likes and interests is by creating a pre-event survey that includes questions about music, especially if you’re considering bringing a top-name act to your meeting. If you’re lucky enough to have had past events, make sure to include questions about past music and whether or not it was too loud or appropriate for the audience.
Know the Venue
Make sure the venue you’re using can accommodate your music needs. If you’re using a live act, make sure they have a stage or space large enough to hold their equipment. You also want to think about noise restrictions as well as technical capacity. A lot of venues require you to cut the music by 11 p.m., so make sure you know these restrictions ahead of time.
Consider the Event’s Theme
Make sure to consider the purpose of the event. If networking is key, then it may not make sense to have music blasting at the cocktail reception. Also, consider the attendees—their ages, professions and musical tastes. It’s probably safe to say that a group of attendees over the age of 50 may have a very different musical preference than that of millennials. Create your event’s playlist accordingly.
Live Versus Recording
When deciding between live music versus recorded music, the biggest factor is usually budget. Second, is timing. You don’t want to spend too much on a musical act if you don’t have the appropriate amount of time for attendees to listen. Plus, if the purpose of your event is networking, it doesn’t make sense to have attendees focus on a musical performance instead of the business at hand.
Use the Same Musicians
If you have a tight budget and want to go the live-music route, you can always use the same musicians in different settings. At a welcome reception, you could use an acoustic trio that could double as a rock band later in the day. This, of course, depends on the musicians, but most are very versatile and can accommodate these type of event needs.
