When we talk about what event production is, it’s common to first think of the venue, catering, decoration, the stage, audiovisuals, or the guests.<\/p>\n
And yes, all of that matters, but there is something that tends to be much more hidden and that, however, can make all of the above work like clockwork\u2026 or turn into a series of perfectly coordinated little disasters.<\/p>\n
We’re talking about event production.<\/p>\n
After more than 20 years working in the organization and production of corporate events, I am quite clear that good production is not the most visible one. In fact, many times, it happens just the opposite.<\/p>\n
The best production is the one that makes everything seem easy.<\/strong><\/p>\n When that happens, no one usually says: \u201cWhat a good production.\u201d They simply say:<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a great event it turned out to be.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n And that is precisely what we aim for.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Event production is the set of processes, resources, people, technical means, and decisions necessary to turn the design and planning of an event into a reality.<\/p>\n In less academic terms:<\/p>\n Production is making what we have imagined actually happen.<\/strong><\/p>\n Because one thing is to design a spectacular event on paper, and another very different thing is to get 800 people to enter, circulate, listen, see, eat, participate, and leave the event with a good experience.<\/p>\n The production is behind all that, and it includes aspects as varied as:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And here appears an important question: producing an event does not simply mean setting things up.<\/strong><\/p>\n Production starts long before the first truck arrives at the venue.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The concepts are often used as if they were synonyms, but they are not.<\/p>\n The organization of events<\/strong> has a more global vision. It defines what event we want to hold, for whom, with what objectives, what budget we have, what suppliers we need, where we will celebrate it, and how we will structure it.<\/p>\n While production<\/strong> brings that approach to reality.<\/p>\n We could summarize it like this:<\/p>\n The organization decides what we want to achieve. The production ensures that it can happen.<\/p><\/div><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Of course, in an event agency, both areas are closely related. And, in my opinion, the more complex the events are, the less sense it makes to completely separate them.<\/p>\n A seemingly creative decision can have a huge impact on production. For example:<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That’s why production must be present from the beginning<\/strong>. Not when everything has already been decided.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Because an event can have a brilliant strategy, extraordinary creativity, and a substantial budget, yet still fail.<\/p>\n Why? Because the event doesn’t happen in PowerPoint. It happens in the real world. With real people, real timings, real spaces, real suppliers, and a fair amount of unforeseen issues.<\/p>\n And that’s where production comes in.<\/p>\n A briefing might say: \u201cWe want to surprise our guests.\u201d<\/p>\n Perfect. But production needs to answer some much less poetic questions:<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Production turns abstract concepts into concrete actions.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to surprise\u201d becomes a perfectly produced moment.<\/strong><\/p>\n And that transformation is one of the most interesting parts of our work.<\/p>\n In an event, time is not just another variable.<\/p>\n Time rules.<\/strong><\/p>\n If an event starts at 19:00, it starts at 19:00.<\/p>\n Not at 19:17 because the setup has become complicated.<\/p>\n Nor at 19:32 because the speaker is arriving.<\/p>\n Also not at 20:05 because we are still trying to solve the video problem.<\/p>\n And when an event has hundreds or thousands of people, every minute has consequences. A delay of five minutes in a presentation can affect the catering. The delay in catering can affect the next block. That block can delay the closing. And suddenly we have 800 people leaving the venue much later than expected.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why production works with extremely precise timings<\/strong>, sequences, schedules, and contingency plans.<\/p>\n Because in events, five minutes can be a lot of time.<\/p>\n A corporate event can involve dozens of suppliers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The problem is not usually that each supplier doesn’t know how to do their job. The problem arises when they all have to do it at the same time and in coordination with one another<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Here lies one of the essential functions of production. It\u2019s not enough to have good suppliers. They need to be made to work together. And that requires planning, communication, and a person or team that has a global vision of what is happening.<\/p>\n This is one of the things I like most about production.<\/p>\n The assistant should enjoy the event. They should not be thinking:<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That\u2019s why the production job consists, among other things, in making all that complexity invisible<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The guest sees the result. We see everything that was necessary to achieve it. And it\u2019s better that way.<\/p>\n Production has a direct relationship with the experience of the people participating in the event.<\/p>\n The experience begins even before entering the room.<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n <\/p>\n All of this is part of the experience. And many of these questions have a predominantly productive answer.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why a good production not only makes the event work: it makes people feel good within it.<\/strong><\/p>\n And here we reach one of the great truths of event organization: unforeseen events exist. <\/strong>Always.<\/p>\n You can have the best planning in the world and yet it may happen that:<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It’s not about preventing things from ever happening; that’s impossible. Instead, it’s about being prepared so that when something does happen, the event can continue<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The difference between a mediocre production and an excellent one often appears exactly there.<\/p>\n When everything goes well, many productions look the same. But when something goes wrong, you see who really knew what they were doing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of the most common mistakes is thinking that producing an event mainly involves being on-site during setup.<\/p>\n Setup is important, yes, but by the time we get to setup, a large part of the work should already be done<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Therefore, beforehand we had to define, among many other things:<\/p>\n Technical characteristicsSoundTransportScheduleAccessLightingMaterialsInputs and outputsLoading and unloadingVideoPersonnelInterventionsTimelinesScreensTimelinesVideosElectrical powerMicrophone setupSetupMusicLimitationsExecutionDismantlingScene changes<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And then you have to make sure that all those pieces fit together.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If I had to choose one essential tool for producing an event, I would probably choose the schedule<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Since a well-constructed schedule is much more than just a list of times, it is practically the operational script of the event.<\/p>\n You can specify:<\/p>\n And so on until the end.<\/p>\n But a good schedule also considers what happens before and after each moment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n So if at 20:05 a video needs to start, someone has to have checked that the video is loaded, that the sound works, that the screen is set up, and that the person who has to give the signal knows exactly when to do it.<\/p>\n That is production.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is a phrase that any event professional should keep in mind:<\/p>\n What is not rehearsed is improvised.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n And that’s why, in a complex event, improvisation is not usually a particularly recommended strategy.<\/p>\n Rehearsals allow us to check:<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n \\t<\/p>\n\n
\nWhat is event production?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nProduction and organization of events are not exactly the same<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nWhy does production determine the success of an event?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Because it turns an idea into a real experience<\/h3>\n
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2. Because it controls time<\/h3>\n
3. Because it coordinates all the actors<\/h3>\n
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4. Because it prevents the guest from seeing what they shouldn\u2019t see<\/h3>\n
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5. Because it protects the guest experience<\/h3>\n
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6. Because it manages unforeseen events<\/h3>\n
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\nEvent production starts long before setup<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\n The space<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n The technical part<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n The logistics<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n The program<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Heights<\/td>\n Streaming, if there were any<\/td>\n Provider accesses<\/td>\n Catering<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Capacity<\/td>\n Connectivity<\/td>\n Parking<\/td>\n Deliveries<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Circulations<\/td>\n Scenography<\/td>\n Storage<\/td>\n Activities<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Production areas<\/td>\n Special effects<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Storage spaces<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nThe timing: the backbone of event production<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\n Time<\/strong><\/td>\n Action<\/strong><\/td>\n Responsible<\/strong><\/td>\n Technique<\/strong><\/td>\n Notes<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 19:00<\/td>\n Doors opening<\/td>\n Organization<\/td>\n Background music<\/td>\n Guest reception<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 19:45<\/td>\n Start notification<\/td>\n Organization<\/td>\n Music change<\/td>\n Staff ready<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 20:00<\/td>\n Start<\/td>\n Presenter<\/td>\n Microphone + lighting<\/td>\n Cue 1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 20:05<\/td>\n Video<\/td>\n Execution<\/td>\n Video + sound<\/td>\n Cue 2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 20:10<\/td>\n Intervention<\/td>\n Speaker<\/td>\n Microphone + stage light<\/td>\n Cue 3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nThe rehearsal: that greatly forgotten aspect<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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