Event Production

Artistic vision meets logistical planning: these are the two core pillars of event production. From lighting set-up to staging arrangements, event production is the creative and technical execution of an event to craft a great experience for attendees. In other words: it’s about using your event plan to bring the event to life. 

In our ultimate guide to event production, you’ll discover key strategies for putting together a flawless event. 

Key takeaways

• Event production is both a technical and creative role and an event producer will organize a number of elements, such as: venue, catering, lighting, and audiovisuals 

• A strong event production strategy includes thorough pre-production checklists, reliable supplier sourcing, detailed day-of event coordination, and backup plans to handle last-minute changes and unexpected challenges efficiently

• Post-event reporting and analysis are vital for understanding the event’s success and areas for improvement where event production is concerned

The core elements of event production

Imagine you’re preparing to put on a play. Each prop, lighting change, and sound effect should be carefully orchestrated to express the story and the mood — all with the intention of delighting and entertaining the audience. Producing other events is no different: it’s about the process of pulling together different physical elements to tell a story and create the right atmosphere. 

Whether you’re organizing an immersive pop-up event or a weekend music festival, ensuring a cohesive and engaging experience for your guests at every touchpoint is vital. Event production typically includes three key areas:

• Design – such as room decoration, banners, posters, and signage

• Technical requirements — such as audio set-up, video, and lighting arrangements

• Catering — such as food and drink suppliers

As an event producer, you’ll usually work side by side with an event manager to deliver a great event for your attendees. While event management typically involves strategic planning and overall coordination, event production is more about physical execution and delivery — taking the strategy and bringing it to life.

Pre-production

Pre-production is a vital time for collaboration. This is when a strong event plan and checklist is put together — and this is then used as a production roadmap. The pre-production stage usually involves mapping out a range of practicalities to help guide the producer: 

• Concept: What is your overarching theme or idea for your event? This is your event concept — not only will this play a key role in shaping your event marketing strategy, but will also act as the North Star for your event production.

• Goals: Who is your target audience? What is the purpose of your event? What do you hope to achieve? Your goals should be SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Event production will then keep these goals in mind. 

• Logistics: The practical details — such as the type of venue required or the equipment needed to host the event.

• Budget: The allocated budget for each product or service needed to deliver the event — for example, catering, staging, and equipment hire.

Fine-tuning these details will then lay the foundation for an effective event production process that will align with your USP as well as your budget. Make sure to develop a comprehensive pre-production checklist that includes everything you — or your producer — will need to source and deliver. 

Once the practicalities are finalized, it’s time to get creative. Using your event plan as a guide, event production can begin — sourcing materials, hiring equipment, contacting venues, and purchasing the decor needed to design the space.

Event design and creation

When considering the design elements of your event, make sure to keep your audience front and center: what would most excite or appeal to them? How can the design of your event match or facilitate your goals and your concept? What design elements will fit within your budget? 

Think of event design as crafting a story — it should entertain, delight, and engage your guests. You might want to consider a number of design elements in the production phase, such as:

• Event theme – such as a glitzy Hollywood-inspired ball, or a murder mystery party

• Decor – such as balloons, banners, and interactive elements such as photobooths

• Atmosphere — such as ambient lighting and mood-setting music

• Design details — such as color schemes and signage fonts that align with your event branding

• Layout — such as immersive or interactive pathways through the event, or a space designed to foster connections and mingling

One of the best ways to bring various components together is via a production mood board — where you can pull together various color palettes, design details, and fonts to gather inspiration and refine your vision. 

Supplier sourcing and management

A large part of event production is gathering all the supplies you’ll need for delivery — and this often involves working with external suppliers. In the production process, you’ll likely need to obtain multiple quotes from different suppliers to ensure competitive pricing for venue hire, catering, and equipment hire. 

Once you’ve found the right supplier, setting clear expectations is key. Make sure any contracts detail scope, timeline, fee and deliverables — and ensure you establish clear channels for effective communication and feedback in the lead-up to the event. 

Day-of event essentials

After meticulous pre-production planning, it’s showtime. On the day of the event, there are a number of finishing touches producers will need to consider — from organizing load-in and load-out to finalizing technical run-throughs. Discover the key elements to cover on our day-of production checklist for a smooth-sailing operation. 

Logistics

On the day of the event, it’s vital that everybody is where they need to be at the right time — and that everything is in its place. Event logistics involves coordinating various moving parts, from equipment to talent, to make sure everything is running to schedule. Make sure that:

• Transport to the venue is arranged for any performers and speakers

• Transport is arranged for the movement of equipment and supplies

• The venue is set up correctly, with the right equipment, seating, tables, and signage where necessary

• Guestlists and check-in devices are supplied to staff checking in guests at the door 

• A run sheet is circulated to staff and suppliers, so that everybody is familiar with start times, finish times, clean-up windows, intervals, and preparation points

Crew

Next up: keeping the crew organized. On the day of the event, it’s all hands on deck, so make sure each staff member knows what their role is in running a successful event. Make sure that:

• There is a pre-event meeting to finalize technical and logistical details the crew will need to know, and make time to troubleshoot potential issues

• The crew has clear start times for load-in and load-out, as well as venue set-ups, such as decor, seating, and staging

• Rehearsals are staged for technical run-throughs — for instance, sound checking for live music or tech set up for livestreams 

• There are clear communication channels in place — for instance, a group chat, or a radio – so crew members can organize and problem-solve effectively throughout the event 

• There is a clear chain of command in place for emergency situations and event contingency plans 

Audio and visual production

The secret to an immersive event: flawless audiovisual production. Whether you’re organizing a DJ-led club night or a large-scale conference, high-quality tech is vital to delivering clear audio and dynamic video. On the day of the event, you’ll want to make sure that:

• There is a tech rehearsal at the venue before the event to eliminate any last-minute issues — it’s a good idea to test all equipment (such as microphones, speakers, laptops, phones, and card machines) as well as internet connectivity, especially for virtual and hybrid events

• There are skilled technicians on hand — such as audio engineers, lighting designers, and videographers — to ensure that audiovisual (AV) elements are running smoothly

• There are back-up devices for unforeseen technical glitches — such as card machines, microphones, laptops, or projection bulbs (remember to test each backup device beforehand)

Backups

Every successful event planner’s motto: hope for the best — and plan for the worst. On the day of the event, you can maximize your chances of success by ensuring you have a number of backups in place — and by communicating these plans effectively to your team. Make sure that you have: 

• Alternative power sources or protective coverings in the event of adverse weather conditions

• Backup funds of around 15% of your overall budget to put aside for emergencies and unexpected costs

• Alternative programming in the event of talent cancellations

• Back-up staff (in the case of staffing shortages) and vendors (in the event of cancellations)

• A number of backup devices — such as card machines, microphones, speakers, and laptops — to cover unexpected technical errors

Post-event reporting and analysis

After the event, it’s time to assess the quality and effectiveness of your event production. The best way to analyze your production successes is to conduct some post-event reporting — a great way to solicit participant feedback and pinpoint opportunities for development. 

A post-event report should compile all of the event's objectives and efforts — such as ticket sales, attendee numbers, outcomes, and marketing strategies — to measure its performance. To do this, you’ll need to organize your event data into an easily digestible format, whether this is written qualitative data (such as attendee testimonials) or quantitative data (such as ticket sales) presented in charts and graphs. 

Discover details on how to craft an effective event report — and tips on how to analyze it — below. 

Reporting

In order to create an effective post-event production report, you’ll need two sets of data: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative data — or narrative reporting — transforms key performance indicators (KPIs) into a cohesive story, laying out factors like attendee satisfaction and objectives in a compelling way. Quantitative data, on the other hand, is useful for clear insights into more black-and-white performance indicators — such as ticket sales or attendee numbers.

There are several key pillars of an effective event production report, each falling under one of two categories:

Quantitative data:

• Ticket sales: How many people purchased tickets? (If your event was a free or charity event, you may want to track attendee numbers, fundraising targets hit, or donations received instead.) 

• Attendance numbers: How many people attended your event? Did this number match with the number of people who purchased tickets? 

• Return on investment (ROI): How did your budget match up to your event expenditure? How did your expenses measure against your income — in other words, what was your ROI? 

• Sponsorships: How many sponsorships did you secure? Did you meet your funding target?

• Engagement metrics: When sending out post-event surveys, make sure to track attendee answers to quantitative questions — such as satisfaction ratings, or the percentage of people who voted yes to attending the event again. 

Qualitative data:

• Goals: How well did the execution of the event match its planning? Did it meet your key goals and objectives? Did you deliver on your concept?

• Feedback: More detailed, longform feedback from attendees, sponsors, speakers, and talent can be useful in gathering insights that might not be immediately obvious from quantitative data, so make sure to include open-ended questions for attendees to answer (and remember, negative feedback can be just as useful as positive feedback!).

The post-event reporting phase serves as an opportunity for your production team to gather important information about what worked well — and where there might be room for improvement. You can use these reports to recognize production workflow inefficiencies, parts of the event’s production that resonated with attendees, and whether certain pre-production processes need to be fine-tuned. 

Analysis

Once you’ve crafted your report, it’s time to look over your data with an analytical eye. One of the most effective ways to do this is to look over your report to spot trends and patterns in both qualitative and quantitative data, and to ask deeper questions from there. For instance:

• Attendee feedback: Assessing attendee feedback is vital for understanding how your event appealed to your target audience. Is there a pattern in what attendees said they most enjoyed — or didn’t enjoy — about the event? What can this tell you about your event planning and production efforts? Which parts were effective, and are there areas you need to improve next time?

• Budget and ROI: Financial evaluations in post-event reporting are crucial for determining your event's profitability, including identifying areas where costs may have exceeded projections. Where did you spend the most? Did this feature in what attendees said they enjoyed about the event, or might your budget be better spent elsewhere? 

• Marketing: Is there a trend in the source of your ticket sales? Which marketing channel did you receive the most engagement on? Which strategy or campaign generated the biggest ROI?

You may also want to use AI tools and software to analyze trends and patterns in your report. AI can condense information quickly, helping you to identify key takeaways, summarized in clear, easy-to-digest formats that you can then discuss with your production team. 

Common event production challenges and solutions

As with all aspects of event planning, event production comes with its own set of challenges and roadblocks. From last-minute changes to the schedule and unexpected technical issues, it’s vital to have a contingency plan in place for your team to tackle any event issues as smoothly as possible. 

The key to facing these production roadblocks is to reframe your thinking, transforming challenges into opportunities for creative problem-solving. Discover tips on how to do this below.

Budget constraints

During production, one of the biggest challenges to delivering a great event can be your budget. There are several ways to combat this — benchmarking your budget against similar events, for instance, and adjusting your budget in line with expected revenue (such as ticket sales and funding, alongside other income streams). 

Determining which aspects of the event are the most crucial can guide you in strategically investing your budget into the most valuable expense categories — for instance, high-quality catering for a foodie audience — and can help you reduce unnecessary expenses. 

But taking these steps does not always mean your budget will stretch to your goals. Dealing with financial constraints can be frustrating, but this is where creativity comes into play. Thinking outside the box when it comes to production can be an effective solution: how can you use the constraint as an opportunity to think creatively about how to engage your audience? 

For instance, can you source catering from a more cost-effective supplier, thereby supporting a local indie business that would delight your audience? Does booking your second-choice venue give you a marketing angle that your first choice wouldn’t have done? Dealing with budget constraints can be a valuable exercise in creativity. 

Last-minute changes

Every event producer’s nightmare: dealing with last-minute changes. Whether you’re coping with unexpected weather changes or talent cancellations, remaining flexible in these situations is vital. Ideally, your contingency plan would detail your solutions in the face of unforeseen circumstances — for instance, using a backup device, or putting up waterproof coverings in the event of bad weather.

However, sometimes not everything can be covered by a contingency plan. Like budget constraints, last-minute changes also require creative thinking. Adaptability becomes key, as does quick-thinking and resourcefulness. Collaborate with your team and vendors to brainstorm solutions and use your collective expertise for an effective outcome.

For instance, if you’re dealing with a last-minute talent cancellation, you might choose to fill the gap in the set with another performer, extend the breaks between acts, or use the opportunity to screen promotional videos. 

Above all, it’s important to remain flexible when dealing with last-minute changes, since attendees may be unaware of the original setup — so they can still enjoy the event with alternative arrangements.

To handle changes to the event schedule, keep staff informed, and update the event program via print or email to keep everyone updated. When changes occur, make sure to communicate them clearly to attendees to avoid confusion — you might also choose to offer compensation or complimentary refreshments if appropriate, such as a free drink, or free tickets to the next event. Be honest about any changes outside of your control, as transparency fosters attendee trust.

Event planning can be a maze of complex problem-solving and forward planning. Thankfully, event producers are navigation experts: an essential part of your team to keep everything running smoothly, on time, and to plan. 

Bringing the event from its initial concept to a real-life experience, event production requires both inventive thinking and practical skill. From finding creative solutions to tricky venue requirements to sourcing the perfect niche suppliers, event producers are the talented orchestrators of successful events. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the stages of event production?

There are many different stages to event production involving organizing, sourcing and delivering creative and technical components. These include pre-production stages: the creative and design stage, the catering stage and the technical stage; on-the-day production stages such as logistics and delivery, as well as post-event stages such as reporting and analysis.  

What is the difference between event planning and event production?

The distinction between event planning and event production hinges on their specific roles: an event planner is responsible for strategizing and managing overall details, whereas an event producer concentrates on delivering these details to ensure attendees have a memorable experience. 

What does an event production team do?

An event production team takes charge of both the artistic and practical elements of an occasion, managing components like lighting, sound and video, among others. Their duties encompass the development and implementation of the event’s concept, while coordinating aspects such as logistics and catering.

What is the difference between event production and event management?

Event management concentrates on strategic planning and coordination, while event production is tasked with delivering the creative and technical elements of an event. In other words, event management is concerned with planning, while event production is about the execution of this plan.