Event Production 101: Complete Guide to Profitable Events [eBook]

Mar 14, 2023 1:55:56 PM

Want to turn every show into an experience? The event production tips and tricks we compiled here can show you the ropes. Check out our guide to find out more.

Event production involves a great deal of planning. Whether you are hosting your first event or are a seasoned veteran, it’s a good idea to keep up with the latest trends and make every opportunity a profitable outcome.

The fact is, the event industry took a heavy hit from the COVID pandemic. Unprecedented challenges forced event production companies and promoters to revamp their operational models, adapt, and tailor their services to a wide range of audiences.

Luckily, the market value of the event industry is looking great for the near future. Based on recent statistics, the worldwide event industry was worth roughly $890 billion in 2020. By 2028, these numbers are expected to skyrocket to over $2 trillion. This leaves plenty of opportunity for growth.

The secret to successful event production is in the details. In this comprehensive guide, you can learn more about the:

stages of event production
selecting the preferred venue
assessing the budget
picking the perfect time and date

So, without further ado, let’s jump straight to the event production checklist.

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What Is Included in Event Production?

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Event production is more than just planning an event. It is about impressing the audience with comprehensive knowledge. For successful event production, it’s important to orchestrate all the details of the event. Including the sound, lighting, mood, and atmosphere.

This requires strategic planning, coordination, and impeccable execution of every aspect of the event – from start to finish. The event production process requires logistics, crew, audio, visual production, and backups. Here is a quick look at each of them.

Logistics

The equipment can make or break your event. This includes lighting, camera, banners, tents, cables, machines for special effects, etc. There must be a dedicated team to take care of the equipment.

Crew

It is important to have specific event production team roles. Employees can highlight key elements of the event and help show off the venue to prospective clients. Coordinators and managers can keep event production on the right track.

Audio

Every venue is different. For successful event production, your team must be able to identify and recognize the audio needs of every event. They should install the right speakers and microphones according to the size of the venue.

Visual production

As an event organizer, you should keep the audience entertained by following the latest trends. In 2018, 88% of event organizers planned to use VR tech, and 87% considered using AR. This technology adds immersion, engagement, and excitement for guests of all ages.

MIST SCREEN

Do you know the technology that has been recently spotlighted in off-line event production? MIST SCREEN create a screen produced by fog on which images are projected, making them appear like holograms and allowing people to walk through the screen.

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This innovative product realized through the outstanding technology of SEIKO GIKEN INC., a professional fog control company in Japan. The product is the most powerful customer attracting tool in off-line production in recent years, as it provides breathtaking visuals and greatly attracts customers' interest.
It can be used in all kinds of events such as live stages, tradeshow, and commercial facilities.

The fog is generated using only water, so there are no running costs such as fog liquids, nor is there a need to worry about fire rules or contamination in facilities or live stages.Unique modular design greatly simplifies installation and operation, making the system easier to install and use.

Backups

Anything can go wrong when planning an event. But, if you have backups, such as an extra fog machine, lights, or a pair of speakers, you can fix the problem in no time. Having great suppliers can make the process a lot smoother.

Stages of Event Production

The event production company coordinates the event. It works with different aspects and challenges that have to be overcome to create a memorable experience. This is a time-consuming process, especially with a large-scale event.

Stage 1: Pre-Production

Before you can organize an event, it’s important to define the purpose and goal of that event. What do you plan to accomplish? Is it to boost brand awareness, educate the audience about a specific product or service, or provide a better source of entertainment?

You can’t coordinate excellent concepts without a vision. It doesn’t matter if you are planning a small birthday party or a corporate conference – vision can keep you one step ahead of your competition. The basic approach is to know your target audience: their preferences, needs, behaviors, etc.

It’s best to have comprehensive data on the attendee’s industry sector, education level, online activities, the technology they are using, and more. If you’ve hosted such events before, you can use the data from your past experiences to create an event best tailored to your attendees.

Stage 2: On-Site

The second stage of the event production process usually takes place a couple of days to a week before the actual event. The crew starts installing all the elements. Such as event branding, mood lights, special effects machines, posters, chairs, etc.

When everything is in place, the staff can do a trial run and double-check the equipment and cables. This is the time when your team can make any final adjustments or take care of mishaps. This includes vendor coordination, equipment malfunction, last-minute decoration, etc.

Every venue is different. So, your team may need more time to put everything in place if they are working with large-scale events.

For example, it can pose a challenge for outdoor venues if you have to erect big structures or find suitable places to position the sound equipment and rig lighting. You have to make sure that the equipment provides enough coverage for the entire venue. So, plan the schedule ahead.

Stage 3: Show Time

This is it. You can now see all your efforts pay off. Depending on the size of the venue, there can be a couple of employees on-site offering adequate support. But, in most cases, the event production company takes this time to sit back and enjoy the show.

Stage 4: Post-Event

After the event is over, there are a couple of things your team should take care of. First, they need to store and transport the equipment back to the warehouse. Secondly, you should advertise the event your team organized to get more potential clients.

Yes, disassembling and removing the equipment is an important aspect of post-event production. But, if you want to dominate the marketplace, it’s time to focus on boosting social media engagement. Shares, likes and comments can generate attention and make excellent social media impressions.

You can promote your event production company on social media in many different ways. For example, you can:

Leverage Instagram stories
Post video teasers
Host giveaways or contests
Create live posts
Collect feedback

Options such as these resonate with the target audience and create an efficient marketing campaign.

Selecting the Preferred Venue

Selecting a venue is another major component of event management. It involves working with different components of parties, concerts, sports events, conferences, festivals, weddings, etc. The activities you prepare will be tailored to the venue.

The production management team should evaluate the unique presets of that venue to deliver a quality experience. When you look for a venue, you need to think about size, layout, parking, contract flexibility, and other amenities.

Size

The venue should fit the number of attendees you are planning to invite. It should also have enough space to hold all the furniture, decorations, and equipment you want to bring.

Venue size is critical when working with different equipment for live events and setting up the lighting on stage. It is also important to provide comfort for guests. The place shouldn’t feel cramped or overly decorated that there is little room for movement.

For example, let’s say the venue has a 250-person capacity. You need to take into account the attendees and the crew that’s going to be present on-site.

Secondly, does the venue have any safety or fire codes? This can help you estimate whether bringing specific special effects, like smoke or fog machines can work well with the venue you selected.

Layout

Check the venue’s layout for accessibility and traffic flow.

The venue should be easy to access for all your vehicles, especially when you load and unload big equipment. For example, if you are planning a wedding, you need to make sure that the cake can be delivered in one piece. The delivery service should have easy access to the venue.

Another critical component to consider is venue design. You can’t use the same type of lighting positioning or special effects in all venues. The room layout will have a major role to play in the decoration, acoustics, seating arrangements, and other aspects of the event.

Parking

Does the venue have valet parking or a parking lot? Is there enough room to fit all the vehicles? If that’s not the case, make sure the attendees have access to parking by reserving nearby parking lots. In case parking is unavailable, you might want to offer promo codes for guests such as Lyft or Uber discounts.

Services such as these leave a good first impression on attendees. It offers people reliability, convenience, and reassurance.

Contract Flexibility

Every venue comes with an official contract. But, before you sign the contract, make sure the venue has flexible agreements.

With the COVID-19 pandemic and unpredictable natural disasters, events became difficult to plan. A flexible contract allows you to cancel or postpone the event in case of an emergency. The cancellation terms should be flexible, which can be helpful for events still in their planning stages.

This way you can protect your deposits.

Other Amenities

What does the event have to offer? Do you need to rent some extra A/V equipment? Do they have adequate lighting available?

Every venue has unique advantages – but some provide better amenities than others. For example, you can get a venue that offers catering services. Even if the venue gets the catering fee, you can use these services to accommodate the customer’s needs.

Ideally, you should opt for venues that have quality services and food. This can be useful if you are trying to bring potential investors or attract particular attendees. Venues that have linens, chairs, and tables you can use can save you a great deal of cash.

You can use their furniture to set the ambiance and theme for the events. Extra amenities such as these can take some of the pressure off your shoulders.

Assessing the Budget

The budget can set the foundation for the entire event. Consider things like insurance, rental budget, and extra equipment. Every event production process includes additional expenses, such as staffing costs, like volunteers.

There are equipment rentals, furniture rentals, catering, and technology solutions. Such as virtual event platforms, registration software, and more. The cost of the event production process varies based on the type of event you host.

In-person events are more expensive to organize. The cost varies based on the accommodations, travel expenses, staff, A/V equipment necessary, paid advertising, etc. Conference events often come with extra expenses, such as off-site events, entertainment, takeaway gifts, and more.
Virtual events are a more cost-effective solution for attendees. They are flexible in terms of attendance and design and provide excellent immersion and interactivity. Despite the lack of face-to-face communication, these events remain a popular choice for technology-reliant companies.
Hybrid events have the best of both worlds. But they can also be relatively expensive. You can use hybrid events to accommodate both in-person and virtual visits. You can also manage distractions and offer guests a unique experience.

When assessing the cost, you should also consider the challenges that come with each type of event. For example, virtual events may be prone to connection and technological problems. You have to have a team that can take care of these obstacles and hosts a flawless online event.

Picking the Perfect Time and Date

The time and date for the event should best suit your target audience. Many people prefer going to events during vacation times or when there is less work to be done. They don’t like disruptions in public traffic.

When planning, consider the climate and weather changes in your region. For example, if you are going for an outdoor venue, then comfortable and cozy temperatures work well. But, if the event is going to be held indoors, it is ok for the weather outside to be a bit unpredictable.

Lastly, don’t forget to check competing event dates. The event shouldn’t conflict with other activities in your local area. However, if there is a similar event to yours, then you can try to outperform the competition by getting more public attention to your event.

Conclusion

Event production is a hefty process. It involves a great deal of planning and coordination to create an event that can wow the masses. But, as long as you have a solid strategy in place and a crew you can rely on, you can topple the competition.