What is the goal of using professional lighting for a corporate event?

The goal is to go beyond basic visibility and use lighting as a strategic tool. Professional lighting, borrowing techniques from theatre, helps to:

• Enhance Visibility: Ensure presenters, screens, and products are clearly seen by both live and online audiences.
• Create Atmosphere: Set the tone, whether it's formal and professional or energetic and exciting, giving the event a "special" feel.
• Reinforce Branding: Incorporate your company's colours and logos into the lighting design to make the event memorable and reinforce your identity.
• Improve Engagement: Guide the audience's attention to key moments, like a speaker's presentation or a product reveal, keeping them focused and immersed.

What is "Three-Point Lighting" and why is it important for presenters?

Three-point lighting is a standard technique used in film, theatre, and professional photography to achieve balanced and flattering illumination. It uses three lights:

1. A Key Light (main light) positioned at the front.
2. A Fill Light from the opposite side to soften shadows.
3. A Backlight to separate the person from the background.

This setup is crucial for corporate events because it makes speakers look polished and professional, which is essential for high-stakes presentations and livestreams.

How can lighting be used for branding at a corporate event?

Professional lighting offers several ways to integrate your brand:

• Colour Changes: Use LED lights or coloured gels to wash the stage in your company's brand colours.
• Gobos: A gobo is a patterned disc that projects a logo, company name, or specific design onto a stage, wall, or floor. This is a very effective way to reinforce brand identity.
• Moving Lights: Moving lights can be programmed to use your brand colours and create dynamic effects that highlight different areas, further reinforcing your theme.

What are Gobos?

A Gobo (short for "Go Before Optics") is a small, patterned stencil or disc placed inside a light fixture. When the light shines through it, it projects the pattern onto a surface. In corporate events, gobos are frequently used to project a company logo, event tagline, or decorative pattern, adding a professional and branded touch. Moving heads have special functions to rotate gobo’s and add other eye candy effects.

What is the difference between Front, Back, and Side Lighting?

• Front Lighting is the main source of light, positioned in front of the stage, to illuminate presenters' faces clearly.
• Backlighting comes from behind the presenter. It adds depth and separates them from the background, which is especially important for presentations with branded backdrops or LED screens.
• Side Lighting comes from the side of the stage. It's used to add dimension, highlight props, or create dramatic focus during a product reveal or speaker entrance.

Why is "DMX Control" a key feature for event lighting?

DMX (Digital Multiplex) Control is the industry-standard protocol that allows a lighting technician to control multiple lights from a single console. DMX enables smooth transitions, precise dimming, and the ability to program complex lighting cues. This means you can seamlessly change the lighting to match different segments of your event, such as moving from a welcome session to a keynote speech or an awards presentation, making the event feel polished and well-managed. Some of the moving head lights have hundreds of possible adjustments and DMX (or Artnet) allows it to be computerised and controlled.

Is professional lighting necessary for a virtual or hybrid event?

Yes, it is always helpful to consider lighting. For virtual or hybrid events, lighting is even more critical because it directly impacts the quality of your livestream and recordings. Poor lighting can cause shadows, glare, or overexposure, making presenters look unprofessional. Techniques like three-point lighting and backlighting ensure presenters are clearly visible and look their best on camera, giving your online audience a premium experience and raising the production quality.

We have a small event space. Can professional lighting still be applied?

Absolutely. Professional lighting techniques are scalable and can be adapted to any size venue. Even a few well-placed fixtures like Fresnels or LED wash lights can make a huge difference. Our technical account managers can work with your space to create a setup that maximizes impact, whether it's for a small boardroom meeting or a large conference hall.

How do I ensure the lighting is safe and works correctly?

For any event, safety and technical precision are paramount. It isn’t going to be dramatic or a problem – just knowing about the basics is the most part, but it is recommended to:

• Plan and Coordinate: Discuss in advance and align lighting cues with your event's schedule and AV needs.
• Rehearse: Conduct rehearsals to test all lighting angles and cues. It’s too late to adjust things once the event starts. Check it all during the technical run through.
• Use Professionals: Partnering with an experienced AV and lighting company like Edwards Sound Systems ensures proper setup, adherence to safety standards, and seamless execution. They can handle everything from rigging and cable management to real-time adjustments.

Contact Edwards

If you are thinking about lighting for your event don't hesitate to contact us to discuss your needs.