Big Lyle's Party & Event Entertainment

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By Lisa Mackinder | M&C

lmackinder@mibiz.comWEST MICHIGAN - Lack of proper sound and stage elements can set the death knell tolling at corporate meetings and events.

"Audiois one critical way to get one's message across at an event," saidFrank Werner, president of On Stage Services in Grand Rapids.

OnStage Services is a full-service rental, production and repair company.For production, it offers premium-level musical instruments andequipment, staging, audio, video, lighting and production management.The company oversees many corporate events and has several casinoaccounts, which includes the recent performance of Kellie Pickler atOdawa Casino in Petoskey.

Accordingto Werner, sound and stage help set the mood of an event. As anexample, he said to imagine walking into a banquet room with whitewalls and a podium sitting on an empty stage. To set a good tone, hebelieves it takes having "the stage set and audio support that supportsthe room properly."

Probablyeveryone has been at an event where the sound hasn't been up to snuff.According to Werner, sometimes people get a system donated or obtain itat a low cost.

"Anadvantage of renting from us is that everything is maintainedprofessionally," he said, noting everything gets checked before it goesout.

OnStage Services rents "across the board" – to professionals and novices.With audio greenhorns in mind, in April, the company launched SpeakerOn A Stick.

"It was designed for cost-effective, do-it-yourself instant audio," said Werner.

SpeakerOn A Stick works well for meetings and negates the need for bringing inan AV company. He said for small events, it takes just one small stickand an iPod or MP3 player to have an instant DJ. For as little as $100,Speaker On A Stick can cover an event of 20-200 people.

"There'sbeen high demand," said Werner, who identified wedding planners, smallbusinesses and DJ's as displaying great interest.

Theeconomy spurred creation of Speaker On A Stick, according to Werner,who called it a "cost effective alternative" because labor gets takenout of the equation. On Stage Services serves North America, havingperformed work in Canada and almost all of the states. Right now,Speaker On A Stick has to be picked up in Grand Rapids. If it gainspopularity, Werner sees potential franchise opportunities.

To Curt Wiser, president of Wiser Productions in Portage, the "devil is in the details," when it comes to sound and stage.

"Each building, room and facility has different attributes," Wiser told M&C, saying understanding of placement, stage size and an event's goal must come into consideration.

Asa full-service talent agency, Wiser Productions provides live bands,disc jockeys, comedians, vocalists and any other entertainment a clientmight need for an event. The company does a lot of corporate events,such as those at Stryker Corp. with hundreds of attendees. Its workalso includes a majority of the festivals and events held at ArcadiaCreek Festival Place in downtown Kalamazoo. Wiser Productions coversthe western half of Michigan.

Wiseroffered some suggestions about sound and stage selection. For one, heemphasized the importance of not putting the cart before the horse.

"Find out what it is that you need and then price it out," Wiser said, noting that many people get these elements turned around.

Using the purchase of a specific new car as an example, he said one doesn'tdecide what the price of that car will be and then go out and tell thedealers. A buyer has to shop around.

Additionally,Wiser noted the importance of having a knowledgeable companyrepresentative organizing sound and stage for an event.

"Have someone in place that knows the difference between the Rat Pack and James Bond," he said, explaining this will put AV experts on the right track and give the company the music and event they are seeking.

These days, a host of unique, fun entertainment exists for corporate events.Big Lyle's Party & Event Entertainment in Otsego offers U-RockVideos, Vintage Visions Photos, and a mobile recording booth, among other entertainment options. The company goes anywhere east of theRocky Mountains.

AnnWebster, Big Lyle's Party & Event Entertainment owner and marketer,believes having fun entertainment such as this gets clients and guestsinvolved. She described participation in the videos, for example, asliberating.

"You're no longer you," said Webster, saying it's

Accordingto Webster, facilitators use the videos as a team building experience.Employees have to pick out costumes, music and practice steps. Beforestepping onto the green screen, they decide who will be the leadsinger, back-up singers and what the background will look like. BigLyle's utilizes Chroma-key technology to add background and specialeffects, producing a TV-style music video.

"We are always updating costumes, always looking for different graphics and backgrounds," said Webster.

Although videos are always popular, green-screen photos represent another popular choice.

"We have a selection of all kinds of digital backgrounds," said Webster. M&C

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This article appeared in the Monday, August 3, 2009 issue of MiBiz, read by upper management executives in West and Southwest Michigan. Print subscriptions are free to qualified individuals who are employed in West and Southwest Michigan. For further information about MiBiz, visit www.mibiz.com. (A link to MiBiz's Web site is required).