When you organise an evening event, you’ve got all day to set up. At a breakfast, your guests sit down at 8 o’clock. Anything that doesn’t work by then, you won’t fix in time.
On Thursday 8 October, Zero Dieci hired us to handle sound, lighting, video and staging for the Rotterdams Ondernemersontbijt (Rotterdam business breakfast) in BLAAK16. 130 business owners, fully booked, with crime journalist John van den Heuvel as the mystery guest. It turned into a great, successful event. Here’s what our schedule looked like.
Wednesday, 11:00: set-up
The day before, we drove a van to the Blaak. 2 technicians set everything up until 17:00.
A Prolyte Stagedex stage, 4 square metres at 40 centimetres high, with a step, anthracite carpet and a black stage skirt. Six active QSC K10 speakers. An Allen & Heath QU16 as the mixing desk. Two 75-inch LG screens on stands. A clear lectern, and lighting from Astera AX5 spots and Showtec LED pars.
Then we tested everything: the 2 Sennheiser EW-D handhelds, the laptop for the presentations, the clicker and the picture on both screens.
Thursday, 06:30: crew in
Before the first guests arrived, our technicians ran through everything one more time. Microphones open, first slide on the screen.
The programme
Alderman Tim Versnel opened the morning. The stadsmarinier (city safety officer) for Rotterdam Centrum, the Platform Veilig Ondernemen and John van den Heuvel also spoke, and there was time for questions from the audience. The theme was doing business safely.
Our 2 technicians stayed on the desk for the whole programme. When speakers take turns and a microphone goes out into the audience, you want someone keeping an eye on things.
10:30: changeover
After the breakfast, we reset the room for a second programme that started at 16:00. Breakdown began at 18:00 and by 20:30 the floor was empty.
Zero Dieci: a regular client
We’ve worked with Zero Dieci before, and it’s a pleasure every time. Short lines, a well-prepared programme and a team that knows what it wants. Thanks for your trust, we’re already looking forward to the next event.
Planning a breakfast meeting yourself? Sort this out first
- Access to the venue the day before. Without that afternoon, you’ll be working through the night.
- A technician who stays for the programme. With speakers, things go wrong on the details: a microphone that’s switched off, a laptop that goes to sleep.
- Screens if the room gets a lot of daylight. A projector usually can’t cope there.
- A plan for the room afterwards. Who breaks down, and when does the room have to be empty?
The Rotterdams Ondernemersontbijt is an initiative of VNO-NCW Regio Rotterdam, MKB Rotterdam Rijnmond and the City of Rotterdam, supported by Stichting Ondernemersbelangen Rotterdam.
Got a breakfast meeting, conference or corporate event in the Randstad coming up? Call us on +31-(0)10-307 54 76 or email info@massivepro.nl. We’re happy to think it through with you.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead do you set up for a breakfast meeting?
For the Rotterdams Ondernemersontbijt we set up the day before, from 11:00 to 17:00, including testing. On the day itself the crew was in at 06:30. We always recommend that order for a breakfast: when your guests sit down at 8 o’clock, there’s no time left to fix anything.
What tech do you need for a business breakfast with speakers?
For this edition with 130 guests, that was a 4 square metre stage, six QSC K10 speakers, an Allen & Heath QU16 mixing desk, two wireless Sennheiser EW-D handhelds, two 75-inch LG screens, a lectern and lighting. What you need depends on your room and the number of guests. We’ll look at that together beforehand.
Why screens instead of a projector?
In a room with a lot of daylight, a projector usually can’t cope: the picture gets washed out and hard to read. Screens keep your presentations clearly visible during the day.
Does a technician stay during the programme?
Yes. At the Rotterdams Ondernemersontbijt, two technicians stayed on the desk for the whole programme. When speakers take turns and a microphone goes out into the audience, you want someone who’s watching and can step in straight away.
Do you work for event agencies too?
Yes. We did this breakfast for Zero Dieci, one of our regular clients. If you organise events for clients, we’ll handle the tech under your direction. Call us on +31-(0)10-307 54 76 or email info@massivepro.nl.