Staged Right Productions

Special Event Production -- Where to Start...

           Producing an event is a complicated process.  With so many things to consider, it is often difficult to get a handle on where to begin.  For those new to the experience, let us offer some helpful advice to get you up and running:

Choose an appropriate room size.  Consider the number of guests you are expecting, if you are serving food, if you need presentation room, a dance floor, etc.  Once you know the needs of your event, you can begin to decide on a venue of appropriate size.  Nothing is worse than trying to cram three hundred people in a room meant for thirty, or trying to fill up space around fifty people in a grand ballroom.

Consider time constraints.  Equipment and décor doesn’t magically appear for every event.  You will need to make sure you allow ample time for each vendor you hire to load-in their equipment.  Most buildings have limited loading dock spaces, and getting a truck in there can take a while.  Also, most service entrances are not nearly as roomy as the main entranceways.  Check the loading path beforehand if you plan on acquiring any extremely large items, such as décor pieces, ice sculptures, etc.

            Know your overall goal.  You don’t have to request equipment like you would formulate a grocery list.  If you can tell your production team that you need to project a Power Point presentation to a ballroom of a certain size, or that you need to turn an outdoor patio into a secluded Mediterranean retreat, they will know what they need to achieve the aim.  When you call a professional company, you are hiring just that – professionals.  Let them do their job so that you can do yours with one less thing to worry about.

            Don’t assume bigger is better.  Oftentimes it is easy to be sold on the bigger sound system, the brighter lights, etc, because of the false idea that more is more.  More usually ends up being too much.  Don’t let yourself get swindled into renting an audio system capable of broadcasting to Fenway Park if your vent centers around a research presentation to a meeting room full of colleagues.  Not only will an appropriately-sized system (or amount of light, décor, etc.) make your event seem stream-lined and perfect, but it will save you money, as well.

            For further ideas and advice on planning your next event, contact Staged Right’s event planners at 410-737-1385.  We’ll be happy to get you started in the right direction.