David Adler Bangs His Spoon: If They’re Complaining About the Loud Sound, You’re Running an Amateur Event

Banging Spoon Scale for This Column: INTENSE BANGING — Because sound is sabotaging your event ROI.

If attendees are complaining about the sound at your event, it’s an unmistakable red flag. As event professionals, we fuss over venues, decor, and catering, yet sound—the most crucial aspect of an experience—is often treated as an afterthought. I’ve seen magnificent events fall flat because nobody could hear the keynote, or networking mixers turn into shouting matches over blaring background music. One of the most common complaints I hear from guests is exactly that: “It was just too loud.”

Think of this as me banging my spoon on the table to get the industry’s attention. In gatherings, people sometimes tap a spoon against a glass to signal a toast or demand the room’s focus; here, I’m making noise about noise itself. Sound is arguably the most overlooked design tool in the event industry—and often the first sign you’re not ready for primetime. If your guests are shouting to talk, you’re losing the battle for their attention and enjoyment.

So how do the pros fix it? In this editorial, we’ll examine the issue from all sides—from a fun “Spoon Scale” of noise levels, to the neuroscience of how sound affects us, to real personas of attendees. We’ll get advice from DJs and event designers on controlling the audio ambiance, introduce the concept of a dedicated “Vibe Steward,” and ultimately ensure that if anything’s getting loud at your event, it’s the applause, not the complaints.

The Spoon Scale

How can you tell if your event’s sound levels are crossing the line? Allow me to introduce the “Spoon Scale” as a tongue-in-cheek measure of audience frustration. We all know the classic wedding move of guests clinking their glasses with utensils to grab attention; here, the spoons aren’t heralding a speech—they’re protesting the noise. The scale goes from a polite tap to an aggressive bang, and it’s a handy metaphor for gauging your crowd’s comfort.

At the lowest level, a gentle tap of the spoon on a glass means a few guests are straining to hear each other—it’s a kindly hint that the volume is a bit high. Step up to consistent rapping, and multiple tables are signaling their discontent in unison; conversations are dying as people give up on talking. The dreaded table-flipping thud (thankfully more metaphor than reality) is when the sound is so bad that guests are on the verge of revolt—covering their ears, complaining openly, or even leaving early. The goal for any event? Never let it escalate beyond that first gentle tap.

As a planner or host, you should be hyper-aware of these warning signs. The moment you notice folks leaning in and saying “What? I can’t hear you,” or see the clink of cutlery that’s not in celebration, it’s time to act. Turn down the music, adjust the microphone—do anything but ignore it. Acknowledge the signal; literally, your audience is telling you something’s wrong. The Spoon Scale is playful, but its message is dead serious: sound issues start small and grow fast if unchecked.

Neuroscience Breakdown: Why Loud Equals Trouble

Let’s step into the lab for a moment. There’s real neuroscience behind why bad sound at events isn’t just an annoyance—it’s detrimental to the entire experience. Human brains are wired to react to sound; it’s a primal survival mechanism. When noise levels rise above comfortable thresholds, our bodies trigger a stress response. Heart rate increases, cortisol (the stress hormone) spikes, and our focus narrows to one goal: escape the racket.

In practical terms, that means when your gala dinner or conference social is too loud, guests literally can’t think straight. They stop listening to the presenter or the person across the table because their auditory cortex is overwhelmed trying to parse speech from noise. Ever left a party exhausted and headachy from shouting all night? That’s the cognitive overload of sustained loud sound. On the flip side, the right sound environment can enhance mood—soft background music can relax and encourage conversation, for example—but the key is moderation and control.

It’s also worth noting that age and hearing ability play a big role. Older attendees or those with hearing impairments have a much harder time in noisy environments. What younger guests might brush off as “high energy,” older guests experience as distressing chaos. If you plan an event assuming everyone has perfect hearing and loves pumping bass, you’re alienating a chunk of your audience. The neuroscience is clear that beyond a certain decibel level, the brain essentially throws up its hands. At that point, your beautifully planned content and decor don’t matter—people can’t concentrate on anything except escaping the noise.

Real Personas, Real Reactions

Theory and science aside, let’s talk about how sound issues play out with actual attendees. Picture this: The Disgruntled CEO. She’s sponsored a pricey client dinner, hoping to chat with her guests. But the jazz band hired for “ambiance” is so loud, she’s grimacing through the meal. Ten minutes in, she’s already plotting an early exit—and mentally docking points from your event’s ROI. If the music had been at a gentle murmur, she might be toasting a new deal instead of eyeing the door.

Now consider The Generation Gap scenario. At one table, a group of young professionals is bobbing along to the DJ’s set, while at the next, a couple of longtime board members are exchanging pained looks and discreetly putting fingers in their ears. The same sound that energizes one demographic is tormenting another. If your goal was to engage all ages together, you’ve just split the room—literally by volume. Not exactly the unity you were aiming for.

Then there’s The Silent Sufferer. Not everyone will bang a spoon or complain to staff; many will simply put up with the discomfort in silence. They’ll disengage, tune out of the program, maybe slip out early without a word. You might not even know you lost these people—you’ll just notice next time they quietly RSVP “no.” The tragedy is that these are often guests who wanted to have a good time or learn something, but the sound issues stole that opportunity from them.

By imagining these real personas, it becomes clear that poor sound doesn’t just cause momentary discomfort—it alters the outcome of your event. Deals don’t get made, messages don’t land, and guests don’t fully participate when they’re battling the noise. To be a pro, you have to anticipate these reactions and design your audio experience for all attendees, not just the ones who love the volume cranked up.

Sound Guides from DJs and Designers

So, what do the experts do to manage sound like seasoned maestros? Great event DJs and sound designers treat audio as a delicate balancing act. They know it’s not about having silence or a constant thump of music—it’s about dynamics and reading the room. Here are a few guideposts straight from the pros:

• Plan the volume arc of your event. Just as you map out a program, map out sound levels. During cocktails and networking, keep background music truly in the background (low and unobtrusive). When it’s time to pump people up—say, just before a big speaker or during a high-energy moment—gradually raise the volume to build excitement, then bring it back down when people need to talk or listen.

• Do a thorough sound check from the guest’s perspective. Don’t just test the mic in an empty room at noon and call it a day. Get down on the floor during rehearsal or setup—sit at a table, walk to the corners—and listen. What’s the music like near the stage versus at the back? Can a person converse without straining in each area? Adjust speaker placement and volume accordingly. A good sound engineer will tune the system so the audio is clear but not overpowering everywhere in the room.

• Invest in quality equipment and expertise. This is not the place to skimp. High-quality speakers, microphones, and mixers—managed by an experienced audio technician—make a world of difference. Pros will calibrate equalization (EQ) to eliminate harsh frequencies and prevent that shrill feedback or booming bass. The best techs also monitor levels live and anticipate issues before anyone in the audience even notices.

• Use your venue’s acoustics to your advantage. Large empty halls create echoes; conversely, carpeting, drapes, or acoustic panels can help dampen sound. If your event is outdoors, remember that audio dissipates quickly—plan for more speakers spread out rather than one blasting source. Work with the venue or a sound consultant to identify potential problem spots (e.g. low ceilings or glass walls) and mitigate them with layout changes or sound absorption materials.

• Assign someone to monitor and adjust in real-time. Sound shouldn’t be “set and forget.” Designate a team member or audio engineer as a dedicated set of ears throughout the event. If the crowd doubles in size and the ambient noise rises, they might need to nudge the volume up. If dinner conversation is dying under music, they’ll fade it down. This real-time responsiveness separates amateur hour from a polished production. (More on this role – the “Vibe Steward” – in a moment.)

Enter the Vibe Steward

Let’s talk about that new role: the Vibe Steward. This is my proposal for events that truly value the attendee experience. Think of a vibe steward as an atmosphere sommelier—someone whose job is to constantly gauge the room’s feel, especially the sound, and make adjustments on the fly. Unlike a DJ chained to the booth or an event manager juggling a million tasks, the vibe steward roams among the crowd, literally hearing what they hear.

If Table 12 in the back can’t catch the MC’s joke because the mic is too low, the vibe steward signals the sound booth to boost it. If the dance floor is thinning out because the music’s too soft to dance to, they get it turned up. And if those telltale spoons start tapping during dinner, the vibe steward is on it before it becomes a viral tweet about “that unbearably loud gala.”

In practice, this role might be handled by someone on the production team or even a tech-savvy volunteer who’s been briefed to be the eyes and ears. The key is that someone has the mandate to prioritize the feel of the event in real time. They’re not just measuring decibels; they’re observing body language—noticing when people retreat from a speaker to find quiet, or when chatter increases (a sign music might be too quiet or too boring!). Armed with a decibel meter and a direct line to the audio crew, the vibe steward can preempt issues before they turn into complaints. It’s proactive sound management instead of reactive damage control.

By introducing a vibe steward, you’re essentially saying: “Sound and mood are important here.” It adds a level of professionalism that guests might not consciously notice, but they’ll feel it. They’ll feel it in what they don’t experience—no headaches from a speaker right above their seat, no frustration from straining to hear, no sudden blasts of feedback making them jump. Instead, everything feels smooth and intentional. That’s the kind of event where people stay until the end and leave with a smile, not relief that it’s over.

The Final Bang

At the end of the day, amazing food, stunning decor, and flawless logistics can all be undone by a blaring microphone or a DJ who doesn’t know when to dial it down. On the flip side, even a modest event with great sound design will be remembered fondly because everyone heard the toast, everyone enjoyed the music, and no one went home hoarse or with a splitting headache.

If attendees are complaining about the sound, yes, you’re running an amateur event—but the good news is that this is completely fixable. Treat sound with the same importance as lighting, staging, or any other critical element. Plan for it, invest in it, and actively monitor it.

Think back to those guests with their hands over their ears. That’s the image you never want to see at your event. Instead, aim for smiles, nodding heads to the beat, and easy conversation. By heeding the Spoon Scale’s warnings, applying a bit of science and savvy, and maybe even appointing your own vibe steward, you can turn sound from a frequent complaint into one of your event’s secret advantages.

As I bang my metaphorical spoon one last time, here’s the takeaway: great sound doesn’t scream for attention; it subtly creates connection. Make your event sound so good that no one even thinks to complain. Then you’ll know you’re not running an amateur event anymore—you’re orchestrating an experience, and every ear in the room will thank you for it.