Meeting Planners & Event Producers: A Much-Needed Dynamic Duo

by Elizabeth Macy

Tags: Event Production | Event Planning

Meeting planner and event producer: It's easy to understand why people confuse these two professions for being interchangeable, but, in fact, they are very different. Both jobs have their own expectations and roles associated with them, but together, they can combine forces to create and deliver exceptional events.

The Benefits of Meeting Planners and Event Producers Working Together

Meeting planners are the overall event lead and wear many hats. They are responsible for the event road map and all logistics including housing, registration, food and beverage, and maintaining the event agenda. Without these key components the event wouldn’t take place. Simply put, they are the “people managers.” The meeting planner gets the people to the event and manages their movement and experience while onsite.

Just as a meeting planner has a lead or team to manage the individual components of registration, housing, exhibits, etc., the event producer is another member of that team, managing and reporting back on the production pieces.

An LAI Live event producer takes the roadmap created by the meeting planner and brings it to life onstage. We are the “experience managers” responsible for how your attendees perceive and interact with your event, as well as your planning and onsite experience. We oversee the event stage design/look, production schedule and deliverables, audiovisual needs, and everything that goes along with bringing your vision for your event to life. The event producer should be an official member of the planning team, allowing time to introduce creative elements into programming and find solutions for some of the past pain points. Management of the overall design process for show creative — whether onscreen graphics, video content, program books, or other print pieces — is typically handled by the event producer so that the meeting planner can focus their attention elsewhere. Most importantly, if LAI Live isn’t providing your AV equipment, your event producer can help lead collaborative efforts with in-house AV, ensuring your equipment and technician needs are met.

The chart below shows all of the services LAI Live offers to meeting planners looking for an event production partner.

The LAI Live Difference

Onsite, while you, the meeting planner, are consumed with the attendees, Board & VIPs, and trying to be in 10 places at once, the event producer will ensure your programming is going off without a hitch. Onsite, we’re present during load-in/out, managing labor, running technical rehearsals, and guaranteeing content updates to the script and graphics are being handled. Most importantly, we’re that friendly face greeting your speakers, walking them through their stage blocking and rehearsal, and reminding them where to be and when so they hit the stage on time!

If you’ve been a team of one or are fully responsible for all things related to the stage, an LAI Live event producer can open up a whole new world of possibilities for your events. It’s time to combine the power of the people with the power of the experience!