Happy Fall!  With Halloween upon us, we wanted to spotlight a couple of vendors that provide extra treats for your event.  Although the two incredible companies showcased could make your event spooky with lighting and sound effects, they will not trick you.  Ambient Media and Sound & Images offer services that help elevate your guests’ experience and turn an ordinary event into a truly unforgettable celebration!  

Ambient Media was started by Rufus Carson on April 1, 2009, along with founding partner Joe Bates.  In 2011 Erin Bates joined the team as the business grew. AM is the culmination of their years of experience in the event, stage, and entertainment industry.

Ambient Media is a production company specializing in transforming venues using lighting, draping, video, and special effects. Joe shared the following about Ambient Media’s mission, “We exist to help venues, event planners, caterers, creative brides, and anyone who needs technical design and assistance for their events.  We offer professional event services throughout the Southeast that totally transforms any indoor or outdoor venue to fit a specific vision. Your vision = our mission.”

Rufus is a veteran of the concert and theater realm since 1991.  His specialties include the design, installation, and operation of lighting systems, rigging, staging, audio, video, and other technical niches.  Over the years he has worked on shows for hundreds of performers including many notable artists and individuals and other clients (Cisco, BMW, USC, Blue Cross…) in arenas, theaters, civic centers, schools, and stadiums of every shape and size.  Rufus remains widely known and respected in these specialties and is the go-to guy when complex setups are required.   Creative detail and engineering are carefully thought out to meet the vision of each client.

Joe and Erin have worked extensively in event installations and client relations for years.  They have soundly put their talents to work for every kind of wedding or special event.  Joe and Erin are avid musicians and have been involved since an early age, performing/recording with regional bands for decades all over the southeast.  Joe gained his education and experience in the design of audio, video, lighting, and acoustic treatment installations.  Joe and Erin’s care for clients is second to none.

The varied background and devotion of these leaders ensure peace of mind that your event will run smoothly.  The result will leave your guests with memories of an event that is nothing short of a dream come true!

Joe described Ambient Media’s specialty, as follows:  “Our specialty is decorative lighting designs for weddings and special events!  We can also help with draping, video displays, audio systems, and other technical or decorative elements.  Our goal is to help make your event memorable and successful.”

Q. What value does your service bring your clients?

A. Often, our clients and colleagues tell us they are happy and feel confident about things running smoothly when Ambient Media is part of the team.  I would say “peace of mind” is the greatest value our team can offer to any event.

Q. At what stage in the planning process should a client come to you for your services? Is the timing the same for weddings as corporate events?

A. We get many calls to book us for weddings and the couple has not even booked their venue yet.  I would say right after the venue has been chosen is a good time to get Ambient Media involved.  The timing is rarely ever the same for weddings as corporate events.  Weddings mostly fall on a Saturday, have trending seasonal months, and have an evening reception with lots of time to plan.  Corporate events can pop up out of nowhere and land on any morning, afternoon, or night of the week with very little planning.

Q. What is your favorite thing about what you do?

A. We get to help people celebrate some of their most important moments of their life.

Q. What sets you apart from others in your industry?

A. We are a team of engineers, electricians, designers, consultants, technicians, stagehands, riggers, performers, and operators.  We take a design approach seeking to understand first and then safely executing the end results.  Also, we can produce multiple events a day.

Q. Anything else you would like to add?

A. Ambient has been working weddings and special events at the Lace House at Arsenal Hill since we launched in 2009.  It remains one of our favorite venues because of its history, natural beauty and, of course, the professional and friendly staff.  Whether stringing café lights over the mall or side patio, up lighting the trees throughout the gardens, hanging crystal chandeliers under a big beautiful tent, we always love coming back to the Lace House.

In wrapping up our conversation with the AM masterminds, we would like to share the Ambient Media Mindset, as conveyed by Joe, “Every event space is a canvas. We tap into the artistry of lighting and endeavor to transform a typical space to fit a specific vision. Safety first, aesthetics second.  Grateful for every venue, event planner, florist, decorator, creative bride, or anyone wanting to put on a successful event.  Making events shine since 2009. We are proud to have served the weddings & events industry for over 11 years and look forward to the decades of events to come.”

Connect with Ambient Media on Facebook, Instagram, their Website or via Email!

@AmbientMedia   @AmbientMedia   https://www.ambientmediasc.com/  info@ambientmediasc.com

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Next, we sat down with Adam Vance of Sound & Images! 

Since 1981, Sound & Images has been the leader in corporate audio-visual solutions and live event productions.  Through the years, Sound & Images has been able to provide quality and professional service to their clients and partners.  Each of their staff is equipped with decades of experience and continues to provide nothing less of excellence for our customers.  They pride themselves in their dedication to add to or enhance their client’s technological space.

Sound & Images provides services in events, rentals, and installations.  From simple monitor upgrades, to turnkey AV systems, and even large-scale PA services, Sound & Images is dedicated to premium audio and video production.

When discussing business during a pandemic, Adam shared ways in which they have been able to continue bringing excellent service to those who need it:  “Recently, Sound & Images has kept busy with installations for virtual meetings and events.  We are well stocked with the leading products in the technology industry, so all our work is offered at the highest quality possible.”

Q. What value does your service bring to clients?

A. Sound & Images is persistent in the pursuit of meeting our client’s technological needs.  What we provide for clients is the space to work quickly and collaboratively.  Our installations and technology services offer clients the means necessary to accomplish their work with ease.  Sound & Images understands that the new age of business is one of fast tempo and much interaction.  We are determined to provide access to products and services that will extend our client’s enhancement in multi-media essentials.

Q. At what stage in the planning process should a client come to you for your services? Is the timing for weddings the same as corporate events?

A. For a wedding, preferably at least a month prior to the special day.  The same goes for any larger scale event.  For smaller venues and crowds, we can be notified in less time.  However, for events with large crowds we need a month or more lead time.  This is to ensure that we can check inventory and test equipment to make sure the event will run smoothly.  The more time we have before the event the more we can conduct site visits and be more familiar with the venue.  However, as many years as we have been in business, we are able to produce a quality service when notified in only days or weeks.

Q. What is your favorite thing about what you do?

A. Our favorite part about what we do is connecting with the community around us.  The events and installations we do may seem like “just another job” but we understand that to our clients these are big projects that take lots of time and effort to plan. We love when a client comes to us with a vision and through the planning process, we get to see their vision come to life. Their big day becomes our big day. Even with installs, it is rewarding to see the relief a client has when we give them access to technology that will make their life easier.

Q. What sets you apart from other vendors in your industry?

A. Sound & Images understands that the needs of our clients are specific to them.  Every job we take on, whether it be a simple installation or a grand event, we pride ourselves in our attention to detail. We are also proud to offer a variety of services. It is our mission for each customer to maximize their enjoyment of their product or service provided.  For nearly 40 years, Sound & Images has been the pioneer in its industry for satisfying customers on a consistent basis.  The relationships we have with our community members and partners continues to strengthen as we take on more projects.  As we grow, Sound & Images sees our industry as a space for highlighting the vision of the customer and we are proud to be the business to bring that to life.  What sets us apart is our persistence in customer outreach.  Before, during, and after the job is done, we continue to communicate with our clients to guarantee they are pleased with the work being done.

In closing, Adam had one last thought:

“We are in the business of making life easier some would say.  It is easy to love your job when you really get to see your labor come to fruition.  We are lucky enough to work in an industry that lets us be tangible with the needs and wants of our customers. There is a lot of creativity involved.  It sometimes seems like we are building a puzzle with our clients and we do not stop until the picture is complete!”

Connect with Sound & Images on Facebook, Instagram, their Website or via Email!

@SoundandImages   @SoundandImages   https://www.soundandimages.net/   adam@soundandimages.net

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Thank you for taking time to tune into another vendor spotlight blog.  If you are looking to add some extra pizazz to your next celebration, reach out to the vendors described above and let them help transform your event!

 

For more information regarding the Lace House, contact us via email:  lacehouse@scprt.com or phone:  803-737-2235. 

We look forward to hearing from you!

Please follow us on our social media channels:

 @SouthCarolinaLaceHouse        @SouthCarolinaLaceHouse      @SouthCarolinaLaceHouse