1. Know your vision
As the event organiser, you don’t need to dictate how the lighting should be designed, how the stage should be set or what the optimal sound levels should be. Your biggest and most important responsibility in the production planning process is to know your vision for your event and what you want the overall guest experience to be like. You need to be able to articulate your event vision, and what it looks like in your head to your production team. It is your production team’s responsibility to identify and create the technical elements that will bring your vision to life, hopefully bigger and better than the picture you had in your head!
2. Set a realistic budget
If you’re planning an outdoor concert and expect to sell 10,000 tickets, you’re going to need a stage big enough to match the scale of your event. Similarly, if you have a huge big name headliner booked, please don’t set a $5,000 budget for the entire production and AV. You’ll need adequate room in your budget to meet the band’s technical requirements to put on a solid show. If you’re unsure how to budget for the production of your event, consider calling one of your AV contacts and explain the type of event you are planning, and ask for a ball park figure or price range for production costs. Taking the time to have this conversation early on in the planning process will will save you from stress and frustration down the track. Knowledge is power!
3. Trust the experts
You should think of your production partner as an extension of your team. Having open and honest conversations about your budget will fast-track the planning process and minimise the incidence of your jaw hitting the floor when you receive the quote.
A strong production team will have the knowledge, expertise and creativity to give you the absolute best bang for your buck, within your budget.
If your quote comes in too high, resist the urge to go through it looking for the line items with the biggest numbers attached to get the cost down. This can be disastrous. It’s the equivalent of standing in the kitchen picking apart a recipe and leaving key elements out - people will not be impressed with Chicken Alfredo, minus the chicken! If the quote is higher than your budget don’t get bogged down in the details - have a conversation with your production partner to get their expert advice on where and how to make adjustments. This is the best bet to ensure you don’t compromise on your vision for your event.
Remember - your production partner wants your event to succeed just as much as you do and will want to work with you again on future projects! Trust in their knowledge and expertise, this is what they do day in day out.
We know production is a hard area for many event organisers due to its technical nature, however it is an essential component of every event. Building a trusted and long standing relationship with your production partner will reduce stress and give you peace of mind.