VoiceActing Events & Corporate Coaching
Equipment & Event Specifications
PLEASE USE THIS PAGE AS A GUIDELINE ONLY…
YOUR SPECIFIC EVENT DETAILS WILL BE DETERMINED LATER.
THERE’S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE – WE SUGGEST YOU PRINT THIS PAGE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE:
The following applies to our VoiceActing Academy Road Show workshops and off-site Corporate Business Coaching programs presented by James Alburger. The specific set-up requirements for your event will very likely differ from what is included here. The equipment specifications below will also likely vary depending on the event and what can be provided at your end. Please contact us by phone to discuss any set-up questions or technical issues.
This information is provided to assist you in planning your event so the time we spend with you and your attendees will be as productive as possible. If you have any questions, please call us at 858 484-0220.
PLANNING YOUR EVENT
We offer two basic types of events: 1) VoiceActing Academy Performance Workshop and 2) Business Communication and Performance Coaching
VOICEACTING WORKSHOPS:
There are two ways in which registrations and event expenses can be handled:
SPONSORED EVENT: You book VoiceActing Academy to present the event and you handle all travel, hotel, event location, and other arrangements and expenses. At the conclusion of the event, you deliver payment of the contracted booking fee to the workshop presenter. This is the preferred option when you want to generate a profit by hosting our event.
NON-SPONSORED EVENT: We handle all registrations and cover our own travel and hotel arrangements. In this case, your responsibility is to arrange for the event location and fill as many seats in the workshop as possible. In exchange for you helping bring VoiceActing Academy to your city, you receive complimentary admission to the event. This is the preferred option for most VoiceActing Academy Performance Intensive Roadshow Events.
For most Roadshow Workshops, option #2 is preferred. With option #2, all registrations will go through our VoiceActing Academy registration page unless other arrangements are made. Once details are confirmed, we will create a registration web page and promotional announcements for the event.
Our agreement with you will specify compensation and other details pertaining to our booking. In most cases, you will be responsible for arranging for the event location that meets our specifications and negotiating the lowest fee possible. If the event will be held at a recording studio, there may be options for an equitable trade of studio space in exchange for complimentary attendance by the studio owner or a staff member. Please note that if a recording studio is used, we do not require an engineer.
BUSINESS COACHING:
It is the responsibility of your company’s event or meeting planner to coordinate attendees and to have a contact person at the event to verify attendance. This individual is often an HR person or a department head with whom we are coordinating our training program.
SITE LOCATION:
The type of coaching event we are teaching and the number of people attending will determine the ideal location for our event. Please call us to discuss your ideas.
Workshops:
For our Voice Acting workshops, we prefer a large meeting room, like a hotel banquet room or rehearsal room capable of comfortably seating 25-50 people (See ROOM SIZE below). Because we are self-contained and provide our own recording equipment, we do not need a recording studio, although that is certainly an option if you have access to a studio with adequate space. In fact, we prefer a meeting room with 8’ rounds or classroom set-up, but we can present our workshops in a home environment with enough space to comfortably handle the attendees.
Business coaching:
We will often work on-site in a company conference room or other large space, or at an off-site meeting facility like a hotel banquet room. Classroom set-up is preferable for most business coaching programs.
INTERNET CONNECTION:
A high-speed Internet connection is required for our workshops and training events. Absence of Internet access may affect certain aspects of our training and delivery of session recordings, but will not affect the overall quality of the event.
EVENT SCHEDULE:
Workshops:
Full day Weekend Events are generally scheduled for 9am or 10am—5pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the event start time, and lunch break is usually around 12:30-1:30. We will occasionally also offer a Friday night session that will run from 6pm—9pm. Our extended 3-day Masters Class workshops include a full day on Friday with day sessions from 9am-5pm and evening sessions from 7-10pm on the first two days. Depending on the workshop and other variables, we may close the final day of the workshop around 3pm.
The exact schedule for any event may be different from the above and will depend on the location, type of event, and other factors.
Business Coaching:
Equipment set-up for business coaching will vary for each client. Please call us to discuss the specific equipment requirements and set-up time for your company event.
EVENT SETUP & ATTENDANCE
All events – Set-up Access:
When we are doing the setup, we need a minimum of 2-6 hours for equipment set-up for an event in a hotel banquet room or that requires a recording set-up or video projection. This usually means 12noon access to the meeting room on the day before the event, or at least evening access on the night before the event. Details of the event set-up will be discussed later, and there may be minimal set-up requirements if the event is held at a studio or other facility that is already equipped to handle our needs or if the sponsor is working with a media services provider for the necessary equipment.
NOTE: Please see “Equipment Requirements” below for more information.
MINIMUM ATTENDANCE:
Workshops:
A minimum of 10 attendees at the recommended tuition will usually meet our fees, but we can work with larger groups as needed. For events in which we are providing personalized coaching or on-mic work, we generally recommend a maximum of 12-14 attendees. We can easily work with a group of 20 or more for most programs that do not include coaching or on-mic work. Some of our programs are structured such that we can comfortably handle 50 to 100 or more. The workshop area or meeting space should be able to accommodate twice the number of people attending.
Business Coaching:
There is no minimum requirement for business coaching. We’ll work with one person or an entire marketing staff. We do request that the training space be large enough to accommodate twice the number of people expected to attend and that ample time is made available for any personalized coaching that might be included in our program.
RECOMMENDED REGISTRATION FEE FOR ATTENDEES:
Workshops:
Our coaching fee is negotiable under certain circumstances. Please call us to discuss your ideas for sponsoring our workshop in your area.
Our recommended minimum registration fee for a 2-day Weekend Event is $697 per person. Our 3-Day Masters Class is $1597 per attendee. These registration fees do not include individual travel, room, or meal expenses.
For a contracted booking, as a sponsor of our workshop, the actual registration fee you charge is up to you. However, since we post the fees we charge for our own events on this web site, we highly recommend that you match our fees as closely as possible. You may also choose to arrange a package rate that includes hotel accommodations, morning coffee, and some other amenities.
When you are working as our “advance person,” we will determine the workshop tuition.
If you need assistance with hotel or meeting room arrangements, please let us know and we will put you in touch with the event planning company we work with. There is no charge for their services.
BOOKING FEES:
(What it will cost to bring VoiceActing Academy to your event?)
NON-SPONSORED EVENTS:
A non-sponsored event is one in which you are working as our “advance person.” In exchange for complimentary admission to the event, you will be responsible for initiating local interest and registrations, researching and negotiating for the event location, providing us with information regarding nearby accommodations, and bringing in a minimum of 6 attendees in addition to yourself. All registrations, travel, hotel, event space and other expenses will be handled by VoiceActing Academy. A minimum of 8 attendees total is required.
SPONSORED EVENTS:
A Sponsored event is one in which you (as the sponsor) will be handling all the arrangements, including registration, event location, and accommodations. You are simply hiring us to present our program to your attendees. Sponsored events are most often booked at a corporate level and are rarely handle by individual promoters.
Sponsored VoiceActing Academy events are booked on a contract basis with either a flat fee or on a percentage of the gross registration fees. The sponsor/host of our event may participate as an attendee on a complimentary basis, but should not be included when calculating the gross registration fees.
Our event terms and conditions for Sponsored Events are as follows:
Flat-Fee Voice Acting Events – Minimum booking fee: Applies only to fee-based events that generate total registration fees of $6,000 or less.
$4,000 total fee
Plus round trip air fare (business class)
Plus ground transportation from/to airport in the city of the event
Plus accommodations for all days of event plus one night before and one night after
Percentage of gross bookings: (most common for 2-day events)
For 1-day or 2-day events:
Flat fee: 60% of gross tuitions received
Plus round trip air (business class + baggage)
Plus ground transportation from/to airport in the city of the event
Plus accommodations for all days of event plus one night before and one night after
For 3-day or longer events:
Flat fee: 70% of gross tuitions received
Plus round trip air (business class + baggage)
Plus ground transportation from/to airport in the city of the event
Plus accommodations for all days of event plus one night before and one night after
Flat Fee bookings: (generally best for higher ticket or larger events)
$7,000 per day
Plus round trip air (business class)
Plus accommodations for all days of event plus one night before and one night after
Plus ground transportation from/to airport in event city
Plus $50 per diem per person (total $100)
Plus shipping reimbursement (if our equipment is shipped to the event site)
We will be more than happy to work with you to make our event a win-win for everyone involved.
BUSINESS COACHING:
Our coaching fee will depend on the number of people attending and on your specific objectives for our coaching. Air travel, ground transportation, shipping, and a per diem are in addition to our coaching or speaking fees. Please contact us to discuss the specifics of your event.
ROOM SIZE & SETUP REQUIREMENTS:
The larger the space, the better. We do NOT require a recording studio for our events.
VOICE ACTING EVENTS & WORKSHOPS:
The room size should be a minimum of 20’ X 75’. A space of this size will comfortably accommodate up to 25 students, but may not provide adequate space for small group break-out exercises.
BUSINESS COACHING:
Your company conference room may be adequate for a small group. For groups of 10 or more, we will often work off-site. We ask that the training room be large enough to accommodate roughly twice the number of people who will be attending.
ROOM SETUP – ALL PROGRAMS:
With groups of 12 or more, we prefer a room set-up with 8’ rounds or classroom set-up in rows of 4 or 5 per table. Tables are required for all of our events as our students will need a writing and work space for many of our exercises.
FOOD SERVICE, BREAKS & MEALS
VOICE ACTING WORKSHOPS:
- Water should be available throughout the day.
- Morning: Coffee set-up is preferable, but not essential.
- Light pastries are appreciated if available.
- Lunch: We prefer lunch to be either delivered as box-lunch, or to be served on tables in the room where we are working. We prefer to not release the class for lunch on their own unless there is an on-site restaurant that can accommodate our group at one seating.
- Afternoon: Coffee re-set is optional
WORKING AREAS:
In general, we can present our programs just about anywhere. However, for optimum comfort and flexibility, we request the following for multi-day and large events. Specific needs will depend on your event.
VOICE ACTING EVENTS:
There are three working areas for most of our events:
STAGE AREA (where James will be working):
1 – tall bar stool with back or tall chair
1 – tall round table if available (optional)
1 – 6-foot banquet table with drape for equipment
AC power must be easily accessible near the table with a 6-outlet power strip.
STUDENT SEATING:
- Classroom seating with 2’ X 6’ tables if possible.
- 2 or 3 chairs per table with 2 tables side by side.
- Table arrangement should be in Chevron layout so each seat faces the center of the teaching area at front of room
- For some events, such as our 3-day Masters Class, we prefer round tables with 4 or 5 chairs per table.
- If the space is not large enough to accommodate tables or classroom setup, theater seating with chairs only is an option.
BREAK-OUT AREAS:
We prefer a fairly large amount of open space behind the last row of seating or elsewhere in the room. Students will break into small groups and need space to work. If weather permits, students can work in groups outside, or even in adjacent rooms that might be available.
OTHER TABLES & MISC:
1 – Video projection screen (pull-down or free standing)
1 – 6 or 8-foot by 2-foot table with drape for product displays
1 – Check-in Table to be located outside the entrance. This can be removed after check-in.
BUSINESS COACHING:
We require an area at least 10’ X 15’ for our working area. A larger space is preferred, if available. Seating can be theater style or classroom set-up with narrow tables. We will need some open space for exercises and break-out areas.
EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS:
We can provide much of the equipment as noted, and if necessary, we can provide everything in two shipped suitcases. To minimize shipping issues and costs, most of the equipment should be provided by our host or the venue. The following equipment specs are subject to change depending on the type of program we are presenting. If we are shipping equipment we will need a minimum of 4 hours for set-up on the day prior to our workshop (this may require an early arrival time, which could result in an additional hotel expense).
Equipment Specs (maximum – NOTE: most of our events require much less than this):
1 – video projector with HDMI for computer hook-up (we can provide)
1 – 8-foot projection screen (facility usually provides or can be rented). Worst case, we can use a blank wall.
3 – music stands, preferably Manhasset or similar (we can provide if necessary)
1 – wireless head-worn microphone (we provide)
2 to 5 – handheld wireless microphones (3 are used for guest panel when part of program) (we can provide)
2 – microphone stands with booms (you provide)
2 – microphone cables @ 100’ (you provide)
3 – microphone cables @ 50’ (you provide)
1 – analog/USB mixer: LARGE EVENTS will need a mixer capable of handling up to 7 microphones and 2 stereo Line inputs with an additional AUX output. (only for larger programs). SMALL EVENTS will need a smaller analog/USB mixer with 4 mic inputs and one line stereo line input when on-mic work is recorded. (we can provide)
1 – power amplifier or amplified speakers
2 – speakers (speakers with built-in amplifiers are preferable)
2 – speaker stands or microphone stands capable of supporting speakers
Speaker cables from amp/mixer to speakers – min. 50’, 100’ preferred.
Business Coaching:
Specific equipment requirements for business coaching events will vary greatly depending on the type of coaching and the number of people attending. We’ll be happy to work with your A/V department or meeting planner to coordinate the proper equipment for your event.
EQUIPMENT WE GENERALLY BRING WITH US:
Up to 2 or 3 laptop computers
1 MP3 recorder
Still camera(s)
1 Video camera
1 camera tripod
1 head-worn mic with wireless transmitter/receiver
RECORDING OUR EVENTS (BY US & ATTENDEES)
- We record all of our programs for archival purposes, testimonials, and for possible creation of a product.
- Audio recording by attendees for personal use on personal recording devices is permissible provided the recording is from their seat.
- Personal video recording is not permitted.
- Video recording or audio recordings for company use must be approved in advance and will normally incur an additional recording fee plus delivery of unedited video to VoiceActing.
- We reserve the right to record images, audio and/or video on any media for use during the coaching event, or for future use in marketing our coaching or presentation services.
- When we are recording audio of personalized coaching, attendees may receive a copy of their recorded work by bringing a USB flash drive (minimum 256MB) or by downloading from our cloud storage. This option may not be available at some events.
- For some events we may offer a recording as a downloadable file.
The equipment requirements detailed on this page are based on our needs for a typical VoiceActing Academy 2-day Performance Intensive Event that we produce and present. Specific equipment needs for your event may be somewhat different from what is included here.
PROMOTION, MARKETING
& EVENT REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE:
- The Sponsor (or Producer) of the event is normally responsible for promoting and marketing the event and for collecting event registration payments.
- For Voice Acting events, we will be happy to assist with promotion by sending announcements to our subscriber email lists. Under no circumstances will we release our list to a third party.
- We can assist with event marketing through creation of a dedicated web page on our site to promote the event, complete with payment button.
- We can also assist in the creation of PayPal registration buttons that will direct registration payments to the sponsor’s PayPal account and simultaneously notify our membership system of the registration for the event. In this way we are better able to track the registration progress, provide attendees with critical support materials, and provide automated event reminders to those registered, among other things.
ACCOMMODATIONS, TRAVEL & SHIPPING
ALL EVENTS:
Accommodations and travel expenses are normally paid by the individual or company booking or producing the event, as these are considered to be overhead costs of the event. In some cases where we might need to handle travel and hotel room arrangements, we can include those costs in our fee agreement. Our hotel, travel and shipping requirements are as follows:
- Round trip business class air fare is preferred (from/to San Diego LIndbergh Field).
- Round trip ground transportation from/to destination airport and event venue. We cover our local ground transportation and/or off-site parking in San Diego.
- Hotel accommodations for 2 as separate rooms (ideally connecting). Non-smoking, King.
- Shipping costs for equipment that we provide and ship to the event venue are normally in addition to our program fee. For some events, we can include everything we need in our carry-on luggage. For other events, we may need to ship product or equipment to the event venue. Shipping costs will normally be included in the booking fee, but on occasion may be submitted as an invoice for reimbursement.
Hotel, travel, and shipping details will be discussed during our booking and scheduling converstions.
PAYMENT TERMS:
APPLIES ONLY TO CONTRACTED BOOKINGS WHERE PAYMENTS WILL BE DUE AFTER EVENT
- All training programs are booked on a contract basis.
- A deposit up to 50% of the booking fee may be required in order to guarantee the booking for corporate training.
- Presenter fees for all workshop and training events (when applicable) are payable by business check, bank cashier’s check or Zelle bank-to-bank payment by no later than completion of the event.
- At the time of booking, we may request a credit card number or a deposit to guarantee the booking and lock in the date(s). The credit card will be verified but will NOT be charged unless there is a problem with final payment. Should it be necessary to charge the credit card or in the event the booking party requests that we receive payment by charging their credit card, a 3% service charge will be added to the total of fees to be charged.
HOW TO CONTACT US:
Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding your event:
Office hours are 10am – 5pm Monday through Friday, Pacific Time
James Alburger
VoiceActing Academy
13639 Freeport Rd.
San Diego, CA 92129-3210
Phone: 858.484.0220
E-mail: info@voiceacting.com