Christmas company dinner: what event tech to hire

For a Christmas company dinner or event, the essentials are sound for the speeches (with wireless microphones) and background music during the meal. From there, the tech depends on the plan: if there's dancing, a mobile disco with DJ, sound and lights; if you want everyone to join in, karaoke or a photo booth; and if there's a video of the year or an awards ceremony, a screen.

Book at least two weeks in advance: Christmas is peak season and dates fill up early.

What tech does each kind of dinner need?

Not every dinner needs the same thing. This is what we set up depending on the plan for the night:

• Dinner with speeches: sound for the room and wireless microphones. A lectern or handheld microphone for each speaker is a common addition.
• Dinner and dancing: a mobile disco with DJ, sound system and lights. Ambient lighting for the room is a common addition.
• Dinner with an activity for everyone: karaoke with a technician or with a host who gets the room going, or a photo booth. You can add experiences such as a neon party or gaming.
• Dinner with a video or awards: an LED screen or projection, and sound for the video. Microphones to present each award are a common addition.
• Dinner in a courtyard, marquee or garden: sound sized for outdoors. Decorative lighting with festoon lights and battery-powered uplights is a common addition.

Our own technical team sets everything up and tests it, without subcontracting. Whether a technician stays during the dinner depends on the service, and you'll see it in the proposal; travel is reflected in the quote.

How much sound do you need?

The rule we use to size it: about 10 W RMS per person if there will be dancing, and half that if it's only voice and background music. Outdoors you need to add 30–50 %, because there are no walls to help. We explain it in more detail, with a table by audience size, in our sound power guide.

For the speeches, the microphones matter more than the power: a wireless microphone passed from hand to hand saves each speaker from walking to a fixed spot. There's more on this in the guide to wireless microphones.

Karaoke, photo booth or mobile disco?

It depends on what you want to happen in the room:

• Karaoke: it puts everyone on the same level, from the management team to the newest hire. It includes a lyrics screen, wireless microphones and a large, multilingual song catalogue. It can come with a host who gets the room going or with just a technician; there is a more self-service option, but for company events we recommend a technician.
• Photo booth: an instant keepsake, with photos printed on the spot or 360º videos, props and a custom photocall with the company logo.
• Mobile disco: for when the dinner ends on the dance floor. A professional DJ, sound and lights, and a playlist prepared to order.

You can combine them: karaoke after coffee and a mobile disco to finish, for example. If you're looking for ideas to get people moving between activities, have a look at the entertainment corners for company events.

What to ask your supplier before you book

A checklist worth going through with whoever sets up the tech:

• A sound check before the guests arrive, with the microphones that will be used for the speeches.
• Who runs the sound during the dinner: whether there's a technician in the room or the equipment is left on its own.
• Set-up and take-down times that fit the restaurant's or venue's schedule.
• Venue rules: until what time music is allowed and whether the room has a sound limiter.
• A power socket available near where the equipment will go.
• Public liability insurance: ask whether they have it and, if the venue requires it, ask for the certificate.
• What the quote includes: transport, set-up, technician and hours of service.

What we need to know to quote it

To prepare a proposal, all we need is: the date, the venue (restaurant, country estate or function room), the number of guests, whether there will be speeches, a video or awards, whether there will be dancing or an activity, and until what time. With that, we'll tell you which tech makes sense and which you can do without.

If you organise other events during the year as well as the dinner, the guide to organising a company event covers conventions and product launches.