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Centas prides itself on having dedicated staff who know the technology we use inside out. They also know the role and place of technology in events. Our technicians work quietly and you as a customer rarely notice them, because they are really good at their job. However, their role during events is invaluable, where they share what they do behind the scenes.
Technicians Markus and Sascha have been working for Centas for years and they agree that their most important task during an event is to take care of the customer and ensure that no one is afraid of the technology.
– If the customer is confident, the event goes well. An important part is that they trust that we have full control of the microphones. When a speaker comes on, we turn on the sound and when they go off, we turn off the microphone immediately. Our customer should never feel unsure that we are in control,” says Markus.
– “Exactly, and we have better control of the event if we have a schedule to follow,” adds Sascha. “We always help the customer to create a schedule, both for their sake and ours. All events are better with good planning.
Dealing with poor conditions
In the absence of good planning, Centa’s technicians will still manage the event. After so many events and years, they have learned to hear the tone of voice of the speaker what is going on during the event and read the room.
– “We can hear when someone is about to finish, and a pause image should be presented on the screens and microphones should be turned off,” explains Sascha. “But of course it’s easier if we have a schedule in front of us that we’ve gone through with the customer.
– The goal is always for the customer to do as little as possible beyond hosting the event,” explains Markus.
Broad technical expertise
They both agree that they are proud of the way Centa handles events and customers. They are always encouraged to learn new things and technology gadgets are sometimes only bought for training purposes. This means that all of Centa’s technicians can handle all types of technology, there isn’t one who is a sound technician and one who is a video technician. They are technicians who know all areas, although of course they have their areas of expertise where they excel.
Both Sascha and Markus have occasions when they have felt a little extra proud of the company and their own skills, and both are dealing with situations where their broad skills have benefited the customer.
– I was at a big event and was asked to manage the technology in a tent that was part of the event. It was just that it was another company’s technology in that area and they wanted me to handle both sound and lighting, even though I had never used the technology before. But thanks to the fact that we have a wide range, I was able to quickly figure out where the features I needed were and everyone was super happy at the end.
– I had a similar experience with the concert hall that needed a sound engineer who could also handle the visual technology. Previous technicians they had hired only took care of the sound and they had to hire a visual technician to handle the visual display. They were so happy when we came in and took responsibility for the whole thing,” explains Markus.
Trust is crucial
Sascha and Markus agree that customers who have great confidence in them as a supplier of event technology usually get a better overall solution for the technology.
– “Those who trust us and follow our recommendations usually avoid unpleasant surprises during the event,” says Markus. “But of course we bring backup technology to all events.
– That’s the way it is. We know what customers often forget, such as a question mark or a microphone for the moderator,” adds Sascha. A specific presentation computer is also a common mistake. Many people think they can use their regular computer, but then the presentation is disturbed by notifications from emails, for example. We always have a computer that is completely clean from which we handle presentations.
Favorite gadget of an event technician
Of course, it matters which technology is used during an event. Sascha says that a good video mixer is the most important thing for large and medium-sized events, and right now he would choose the Barco PDS4K video mixer. It makes it possible to connect more screens and the transitions are then more professional and the event is perceived as more seamless. Markus agrees, adding that the right number of microphones is very important.
– When a client hires microphones to cover virtually all the speakers at an event, we can adjust each microphone to suit that person’s voice. By balancing the sound according to the speaker’s voice, it makes listening to them much more comfortable and we don’t have to adjust the sound while the person is speaking.
SQ5 from Allen & Heath works for everything
But the most important tech gadgets are not the same as Markus and Sascha’s favorites. When choosing his favorite in Centa’s technology range, Markus chooses an audio mixer, the SQ5 from Allen & Heath. It is a constant companion when Markus manages the technology during events.
– It packs a lot of power and possibilities into a small format. Many (17) sliders in a small space, with the power to control three times as many inputs as sliders (48 inputs). It works for smaller stuff but can easily be scaled up and expanded with more technology. You can always add sound to it. It works for everything,” says Markus.
Projector with hatchbox creates magic
Sascha finds it hard to choose a favorite, but concludes that the UDX-4K32 projector from Barco is hard to beat.
– It is a large projector that has a hatchbox, a silenced box. The projector is bright and powerful which means there is no noise around it. It also gives richer colors, an inferior projectors do not offer the same color reproduction. “I was at a concert with an orchestra playing while an artist created art that was reproduced through the projector in a dark room, and it was a magical experience,” Sascha recalls.
Digital and physical events
A technician’s job is not that different between digital and physical events. Physical events usually use screens or LED walls for presentations, just like digital events. The additional task is to ensure that there is a good mix of images in the live stream.
For Centa’s technicians, digital and physical is everyday life, it doesn’t really matter what type of event they are going to manage. What separates a good event from a really professional event, they say, depends on the budget and the moderator. If a customer has the budget for that little extra, environmental lighting is something that can make a big difference to the experience of the participants. However, it’s also something that’s avoided if the client’s budget isn’t enough. And a really good moderator ensures that the event runs smoothly even when there are problems or unexpected hiccups in the program. In other words, the moderator is a bit like the techie equivalent, but on stage and not behind it.
Markus and Sascha are two of many technicians at Centas. What they all have in common is a keen interest in technology and the desire to deliver something that is perceived as flawless by the customer. We are proud of our technicians and know that they are the core of our offer to our customers.