This is a sponsored guest post.
One of the biggest decisions an event manager has to make is choosing an event production company to partner with. A lot of time and expense is spent to organize an event, and understandably nothing is more important than its success. How will you know for sure you are dealing with reputable live event production companies? Here are some few pointers to look for.
Live Event Production Companies Experience
Find out how long the company has been in business. It is not wrong to inquire of any other past events they have coordinated. Most of the companies will have an online presence, so you can check their website and look for projects they have worked on that are similar to the ones you want. However, the fact that a company is new does not necessarily cause for alarm. All the big live event production companies existing today had to start somewhere. The main important thing to look for is the company’s background and experience. Even if they have worked on just a few projects, check out if these proved to be a real success.
A lot of work goes is involved before a project becomes a success. The many elements involved ranging from messaging, to staging to design must be put together in order to come up with a seamless whole. The seams should not be obvious to your audience because they will definitely notice and this will negatively impact your event.
Choosing a production company that is a trustworthy and knowledgeable partner can make things much easier for you.
Vision
Without a doubt, your event production company should be able to bring you great ideas. You might have just a rough sketch of an idea but a good company will work with you closely in order to help you craft a compelling theme and clear message that support that theme. You should have a vivid picture of how everything is going to look after all the elements are put together. An experienced partner is there to help you translate your vision into reality.
The ability of a production company to collect all the meaningful pieces of your vision together is what might be referred to as relevant experience. A production company with the relevant experience will bring ideas while integrating the branding, products, and services into a single unforgivable experience.
Even if your framework is narrow or exhaustively debated, a good production company will suggest ways to improve that framework with your vision in mind.
Staging Expertise
Now that your partner has helped you turn your vision into reality and you know how things will turn out at your event, there is another aspect remaining. You will need to turn those sketches into the main essentials of your live event. Different areas such as stage, lighting, audio and projection and the many technical and physical elements must be put together both before and during the event. An experienced production company will not have a hard time combining all these elements together for the success of the project. You can be assured that each member has done his part in terms of setting up and running the event.
A strong Digital Marketing Presence
It is important to conduct an online audit of a production company you are eyeing. Online presence is really an important factor to consider when choosing a production company. Your event will need to be promoted and one of the main ways of advertising today is through online platforms. Thus, it is vital for the company you hire to know enough about all these avenues. Look for their website, blog or social media channels where you can follow projects done by the company.
Creativity
In order for an event to leave unforgettable memories in the minds of those attending, a lot of creativity has to be incorporated. Creative events impress and inspire those who have attended. A potential live event production company should have a portfolio or case studies showcasing their past projects that bring out the “Wow” effect.
Connections
If you are looking to host a very large event at a grand facility, you will undoubtedly appreciate choosing a partner that has connections. A reputable company will have familiarity with different venues in the area, and a demonstrated expertise to advise on venue selection across major cities. That means a deep knowledge of the space you are working on, any challenges expected, the local labor and connections with the venue staff.
Attention to Detail
Paying attention to even the minute details can go a long way in ensuring the success of a live event. Careful planning and attention to detail on the part of an event company means that things don’t have to go wrong. Know beforehand the safeguards used to prevent unforeseen problems such as bad weather and how they handle them when such arise.
Sometimes overlooking the small details of an event can lead to serious problems and cause embarrassing situations. Therefore, nothing should escape the notice of a qualified production team. There needs to be clear communication on how challenges will be faced in a professional manner without the guest noticing the hitch.
Expert Staff
Your event is about to happen and you cringe t the idea of your project experiencing a hitch. You want assurance that everything is going to happen as smoothly as planned. Managing a live event can surely be a complex process even if everything falls perfectly in its place. The sad truth is that the setup does not always go as smoothly as you would like.
You may want to explore the option of hiring local labor through your venue. However, when you work with a production company that understands your needs, they will have the ability to provide qualified staff to give you peace of mind. It is worth the money and the effort.
Comprehensive Solutions
The whole idea of hiring a live event production company is to seek assistance in handling your myriad needs starting from the exhaustive panning up to the actual execution of the project. This takes a lot of work out of your hands so that you can direct your focus on driving home the message while inspiring your audience. The only way things can be done perfectly from start to finish is when proper research and planning is done so that you bring on board a trusted and experienced company.
The goal of all production companies is to create memorable events. Large cities are in a competitive market and as such, it is important for event managers to know how to stand out from the stiff competition and as they create fantastic happenings. Memorable events help a company to grow in the entertainment industry and polish its reputation.
A production company will need to partner with a technical team to bring out the magical experience through the lighting effect, video, sound system, and staging. You may come up with your own team of technical experts, however, there is a danger in subcontracting work; your project may lack the cohesion needed in an event project, causing you to spend more than you had budgeted for.
Dealing with the Challenges
Securing an ideal venue and hiring catering services, advertising, staffing and promoting are some of the obvious details involved when planning for an event. Although these might seem easy to plan, they actually require the services of a professional firm experienced in event production. It is such a huge undertaking.
Additional coast may be incurred if you seek the services of different production companies. This is because each vendor will demand payment for their specific services, leading to budgetary strain. Furthermore, working with independent companies may lead to a lack of cohesion and continuity required to make an event successful. It can cause poor overall aesthetic impression of an event.
It might be hard to convey ideas and visions to numerous vendors. Each might translate your goals differently and by the end of the day, your goals will be completely out of tune. Time is wasted when trying to clarify matters to each of these vendors.
What A Full-Service Technical Event Company Has To Offer
- Convenience: the fact that you are dealing with a single source when planning for an event means everything falls into place as expected. The convenience that comes along with dealing with one company gives you peace of mind as you are assured that a single vendor will cater to all your equipment and staffing needs. When you meet with the team to explain your vision, they will all be in unison thereby making it easier to bring that magic to your event. This also gives an opportunity for event managers and the team to address any challenges likely to arise.
- Continuity and Cohesion: by committing all your project needs to the hands of a full-service company, you benefit from ready teamwork available. You do not want to end up with a dull project that lacks aesthetic appeal, making clients lose trust and confidence in you. A qualified event company will have a team of qualified technicians who have the same goal in mind. They will work with you to make your event an unforgettable experience.
- Planning and execution: working with a single vendor makes the work of planning and executing an event much simpler. Knowing that the technical team will handle all the elements of your event, allows you to focus on other minute details of the project that also require your attention. Look for a team of experts who can not only work on the sounding department but also know how to deal with the logistic of delivering equipment. When you know that your production team knows how to do their job, you can have time to bond with the guests and make connections.
- Budget predictability: sticking to a budget is important as far as profitability is concerned. This is something that companies who have been in the production industry for a long time will Budgets going way out of proportion are a common issue during many live event productions. Unforeseen occurrences are likely to happen, calling for the need for an additional injection of cash. This is true even if you have properly managed funds. Choosing an efficient production company as a partner places you in a better position when it comes to management of funds. This would not be so easy if you are working with multiple vendors who will dictate different prices in exchange for their services. A qualified team will also be ready to adjust the budget as it reflects your goals while at the same time paying attention to other aspects of the event.
The Takeaway
A live event may fascinate and even inspire the attendees but what most people don’t know is that behind the curtains, there is a lot of hard work and the input of different professionals to make the project a success. In order to succeed in this challenging task, you will need to partner with a full-service production team to cut the chase of working with different vendors for each service needed.
Choosing the right company is an important decision you will make as this could make the difference between a successful live event and a complete flop. As such, before starting to work with a company, ask for recommendations and see the testimonials of clients who have worked with hem. Photos and videos from past events will give you an idea of how organized the company in question is. Solid examples of past projects that proved to be a real success is a clear indication that you are in the right place.
You can also know more about a company’s reputation through word of mouth. Production companies have a strong network of connections with companies who are in the same line of business. Therefore do not be afraid to ask around and see if you can detect signs of professionalism and competency.
