The inaugural AVnTech4Church event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, successfully met its objectives. The two-day event, held on May 14-15, 2024, at Holy Trinity Bukit Bintang Church, attracted church delegates from 55 organizations across Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
Robert Soo, who has regularly held training and talks for the church community in the region, helmed the presentation for the two days. His past experience of being a Technical Director and Worship Pastor and his current work scope of providing consultancy services for commercial spaces, educational institutes and churches shone through as he engaged the audience with his expertise, experience sharing, and wit
Felix Wang of Full Gospel Tabernacle Subang, Malaysia, remarked, “The presentation was very good. Robert has a lot of experience, and it is very nice that he was willing to share all the information and knowledge he has gained over the years. Apart from the technical aspects, he highlighted many daily problems we face. We are preparing for a new church building, and this presentation has opened my eyes to what we need to be aware of to avoid unnecessary mistakes. I believe that attending these two days of presentations will make us more effective in doing our job.”
Yap Teck Chong, a Pastor at Klang Chinese Methodist Church, Malaysia, echoed Felix’s sentiments: “This presentation has been very helpful. Our purpose is to convey God’s message to our congregation, and if the space cannot do it, we have failed. Church budgets and restrictions are always there, but it is important to think about the technology we need to use. Pastors may not know how important sound is. As Robert said, different types of voices may require different types of microphones to bring the voice out clearly. I feel it is important to have an AV Fund. Money set aside regularly can be used for training or even equipment maintenance. This presentation really opened up my horizons. I will strongly encourage churches to send people for training and even set up an AV Ministry as it plays an important role in the church.”
Kennard Tan, an Elder from Logos Presbyterian, Malaysia, admitted he was initially apprehensive about attending the event as he is not technical. “In the end, I am so glad that I came. Robert was really good as he covered AV’s width and breadth without going too detailed into products. He spoke about Best Practices and pitfalls to look out for. I came with my AV person as we are planning for our future set-ups, and this presentation has helped us gain good knowledge that we can use.”
Paddy Saw, AV Leader at Singapore Gospel Halls, appreciated the interaction between Robert Soo and the participants: “I think the connection between the speaker and participants is important, as this enables sharing of challenges, concerns and how some of these can be solved. Robert’s deep experience as part of the church worship team previously and his consulting expertise showed his firm grasp of understanding the technologies and their impact on creating the right environment for churches. I also enjoyed the showcase where sponsors presented their latest technologies for us to view and understand.”
Arnulfo L. Libante, Technical Head at Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ, Philippines, commented, “It’s very timely and informative. I have been in the ministry for 10 years, and it’s fun to be reminded of the techniques and cultures in achieving the best worship experience. Growth is necessary in every aspect of the ministry, and this seminar is certainly beneficial for more knowledge regarding AVL. In our current time and era, AVL plays an important role in the church, so becoming more knowledgeable about it is essential. This seminar gives idealistic solutions to our church’s struggles with AVL matters. We no longer live in the time of stone tablets and scrolls; we exist in a world where speakers, lights, mixers, and computers are integral parts of our worship. Therefore, we must strive hard for the church’s growth and flourish in every ministry because it is always a blessing to be an instrument of God.”
Mike N. Pedero, President & Principal Acoustic Consultant at Tracks Acoustics, Philippines, who is involved in numerous church projects, feels that the AVnTech4Church event is indeed a blessing. “It made many of our Christian AVL practitioners firm up their knowledge and understanding of providing proper service in their corresponding Churches’ AVL. The review of the basics and foundational knowledge given by Robert Soo was timely and opportune, giving us the needed perspective in understanding church audio, video, and lighting, including streaming, which is something that is now a viable communication vehicle in furthering the spread of the Word. Kudos to the event organisers, Spinworkz and Sound Zenith Innovators, and the partners who supported it. Hopefully, there will be more of these types of teachings in the future to spread correct AVL practices for the Churches, to truly make God’s Word understood, kept in mind, and highly appreciated by those who hear it.”
All the partners agreed that the event was beneficial. The common consensus was that it was a focused and targeted audience, which allowed for effective conversations as partners knew exactly who they were talking to and could address their needs more wholly. Frankey Ng of Total Solution Marketing reiterated that due to the targeted audience, that time was not wasted. Michelle Yeo of Acoustic & Lighting stated that the audience was relevant and aligned with their interests. Jessie Li of Absen felt that it was a productive event for the company as it gave them the opportunity to spread knowledge about their LED solutions. Jimmy Chai of ARRI highlighted that their objective of participating in the event was achieved: “We were able to engage them in a tailored way.”
Joshua Seow of Tegas Broadcast & Multimedia felt that there was a need for such events for the Houses of Worship. “They need AVL technology to create the energy. Here, the participants got to see the technology and learn about the technologies. I believe this event created a good venue for exchange, interaction, and networking.”
Gary Teo of Systems Electronics & Engineering felt that Robert’s presentation was easy to understand. “I believe the message was well received by the participants.” He also suggested that this be done on a regular basis.
HARMAN Professional Solutions’ Henry Noel commented, “This AVnTech4Church event was a great interactive session for decision-makers within churches and the technical and operational crew. The session covered the nitty-gritty details of the total AVL system, pitfalls on some of the rudimentary facts, and tips and techniques to enhance the congregation experience. Robert Soo is a well-knowledgeable asset and subject matter expert on worship spaces. It was also an opportunity for manufacturers to share their products and solutions pertaining to worship spaces. I would encourage Spinworkz to organize similar sessions in various Asian countries.”
