Crowd Mics — The Number One Reason Every Event Needs Them

3 minute read

Have you ever been to an event where both crowd mics and standard microphones were used? If you shrugged and asked what the difference is, then you’ll be surprised to know that there is a difference. A big one.

Microphones were invented to convert sound into electric signals that enabled people to listen to broadcasts, like the radio. The new technology also paved the way for people to host events and address large audiences. With a microphone, a speaker didn’t have to shout for his voice to travel across a room or auditorium.

Nowadays, while microphones are powerful communication tools for conferences and lectures, they are cumbersome. And, the reason is obvious: they are intended for the speaker, not the audience. People desire involvement to learn. As Benjamin Franklin famously said, “Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn.”

Enter crowd mics.

With a crowd mic, your audience has more opportunities to ask questions and participate in the discussion. While for you, the speaker, it allows you to reach more people, especially those sitting in the back rows.

And, reaching more people means answering more questions. More questions lead to dialogue, which creates an experience based on engagement.

If you’re a teacher, studies show that the more students are engaged, the better they perform academically. If you’re a guest speaker, then the more the audience is involved, the more likely they are to remember the information.

But, how should crowd mics be used to maximize engagement? There are many ways, in fact! With crowd mics, not only can you answer more questions, but you can also use them for icebreakers and games.

Read on, and we’ll show you some great tips on using crowd mics that will take your lecture from a sleepy, one-person show to an energetic town hall-style event. Because, let’s face it, after delivering a 90-minute lecture, what is the one thing you want your audience to do? Bolt for the door?

You want them to stick around. And, a crowd mic will make that happen.

Activate Your Audience with these Three Crowd Mic Tips

Icebreakers and Warm-up Questions

Would you ever run a marathon before trying your hand at a 5K? Probably not. Which means before diving into the intense subject matter, it’s best to ease your students or audience members with a few questions.

Prep your audience and gauge their knowledge of the topic by passing around a crowd mic. Start by asking a theoretical question, then encourage attendees to participate.

Better yet, to include more people in the warm-up activity, use Catchbox, the world’s first throwable crowd mic. A soft, wireless microphone, Catchbox, can be quickly thrown from one audience member to another, setting a playful tone, and ensuring people from across the room have a chance to air their thoughts.

Warm ups and icebreakers are important, especially when everyone in the room is new. And, these starter activities gently introduce the subject matter to your audience, prepping them for more detailed information.

Q&As

What’s better than breaking the ice with an abstract query? Passing around a crowd mic for audience questions.

Attendees of your lecture aren’t there just to receive information. They want to relate to it. Which means giving them opportunities to form opinions, and to think about deeper issues.

Consider breaking up your lecture by having the audience pass around crowd mics. Encourage questions and ask the audience to offer their opinion or analysis. Listeners will become more invested in the information and even relate the topic to real-world examples.

For a smoother Q&A process, ask attendees to write down their questions before your lecture, or at registration. As Gregory Kennedy, Director of Content Marketing for Adroll writes, these questions will allow you to see what topics are most interesting to your audience in advance of your lecture.

For teachers, break up the monotony of your lesson by turning it into an active learning experience with Catchbox. Tossing around this colorful crowd mic makes the class more interactive and breaks down the seriousness of a lecture.

If you think that lectures are supposed to be serious, you’re right. But, getting your students involved in the action is just as critical for learning as explaining the material. Why? Because an engaged student is more likely to participate and remember the lesson.

So, if you’re worried that your next lecture may be dry and boring, consider adding crowd mics to the learning mix.

Your audience will thank you.

Gamification

Do you like game shows like Jeopardy? If you answered yes, then think about your audience. They probably like Jeopardy too.

Games make learning fun. They break down barriers and relax people, allowing them to think in a more leisurable way instead of being fixated on the right answer. And, there’s no easier way to incorporate a game into your lecture than with crowd mics.

Quizzing your audience or playing trivia-related games with crowd mics is easy. With tools like Catchbox, involving many people in the game is simple. In fact, just ask your question then throw the crowd mic into the audience.

If you’re looking to level up the energy even more, then let an audience member toss the mic to someone else. With the crowd mic traveling around the room, everyone has a chance to participate. All it takes is a toss to bring someone into the conversation. Which means no wasting precious time watching an expensive crowd mic travel up and down aisles, or delaying participation because a button was accidentally pressed.

In Conclusion

As the speaker, you may occupy the only stage in the room, but with crowd mics, everyone will have a chance to share your stage. And, more importantly, share in the learning experience.

How do you feel about crowd mics? Do you have a different strategy to engage your audience? Tell us about it in the comments below.

And, if you enjoyed this article and found the information about crowd mics helpful, go right ahead and share it with your colleagues and friends.

Originally published at getcatchbox.com on January 26, 2017.