What Does It Take To Produce An Event?
Producing an event is no small feat. From pre-production to load-outs and everything in-between, event production has multiple moving parts. A good way to approach your event planning is to have a good understanding of what needs to be done and this is one of the many benefits of working with an experienced event production company. Here we will explore the steps to creating your event so that you can be confident in your team!
Pre-Production
Pre-production is the first step in the event production process. This will typically start three months before the day of the event and it all begins with the production team listening to the clients pitch so they can ensure that during the entirety of the production process and event itself they will be able to meet the needs of the client. During these months leading up to the event, teams will be doing a lot of coordinating with the client on things such as PowerPoint presentations and room design. While last second changes are inevitable, pre-production is an experienced production company’s time to shine by asking all the right questions and removing any unknowns leading up to the event.
Load-In
Load-in, also referred to as on-site, is the second step in the production process and will usually begin a few days or hours before the event itself. This is a critical time when the production team will arrive on-site for set up and rehearsal and finalize the rundown of the show. Equipment will be unloaded, unpacked, and set up. Running miles of cables and securing them for safety reasons, testing the equipment, and running through cues to make tweaks happens now as well. It is important to make enough time for this step so that everything can be tested properly to make sure things go smoothly the day of.
Show Time
Time to open the doors, let the audience in and for the experience to begin! Production crews will arrive several hours before doors open to give everyone a chance to prepare and run one last cue-to-cue before the show. With the latest print out of the event flow in hand, crews will be working hard behind the scenes as they cue presenters, tweak lights and sound, make sure that the mics have charged batteries, and that everything can be seen and heard clearly.
Load-Out
The final step in event production is load-out. After a successful event it is time for the crew to pack up everything and leave the venue pristine. This process can be very quick or take a few days depending on the size and magnitude of the event. Breaking down and loading can be a frustrating process if you are shorthanded with your load-in/out crew. Therefore, it is very important to make sure that your crew is the right size relative to the complexity of the show so that every step from set up to tear down is as smooth and as quick as possible.
