In my business it is crucial your sound is okay, not too loud, might scare the children, not too quiet the mothers' chatter would ruin the dialog. If you are in a hall with dreadful acoustics you just know you are in for a bad time..
The trouble is the new halls they are building these days have really bad acoustics. I am beginning to wonder if the architects are trained in this area as it cannot be a co-incidence that so many hall users are complaining of sound problems.
After completion they have had to invest in carpets and curtains to suck up the echo. It is not just church halls, it is school halls. I was in one of the most beautiful halls I have ever worked in over the weekend. It was in a little village called 'City' in the Vale of Glamorgan. The hall had a wonderful view from its huge front window leading on to a balcony. A hall with a balcony how insane is that! But the acoustics were not up to much, not the worse acoustics I have ever encountered but they could have done with improving. It had a beautiful wooden floor, it would be such a shame if they have to cover it up with carpet.
Someone somewhere should make a regulation stating that designers of halls should have to make sure the acoustics are up to standard. I hate rules and regulations but they are driving me insane...