When meeting with prospective clients, we often hear “Oh, we already have a production company.” But when we start to dig into the conversation, we realize what they really have is an AV company.
But, events are not one-size-fits-all. If you’re looking to increase attendance and revenue, refresh and reenergize your main stage or virtual program, or deliver a flawless, high-energy experience to your attendees, it’s time to enlist the services of a production company.
What is an Event Production Company?
An event production company like LAI Live designs, produces, and manages live, hybrid, and virtual events of all sizes from start to finish. They deliver full-service client experiences encompassing everything from program development, content design, production management, audio-visual logistics, event technology, and much more.
Benefits of A Production Company
A production company, like LAI Live, will:
- Assign a team to support your needs throughout the entire process, often a producer, production manager, and designer. Your team will take the time to hear what your concerns are, what works and what doesn't, and what your goals are for the upcoming event.
- Create a tailored production plan with all your program elements, make recommendations for creative content, timing control, show flow, scripting segues, and ways to enhance the overall delivery of the program. Through the production schedule, they'll keep the entire team on task with their different deliverables.
- Design creative content by using existing marketing assets or, if needed, design the event look from scratch. This can include show graphics, signage, looping monitor content, show bumpers and most anything requiring 'a look' during your event.
- Be team players! Your production team often works with other key players within your organization to help achieve the overall goals of the event. LAI Live works with everyone from the director of events, marketing, and communications, and education development, to public relations up through to the CEO. Outside of your organization, a strong production company will also coordinate with the venue, the decorator, caterers, and other service providers before arriving onsite to ensure everyone is on the same page with logistics and deliverables. And for a virtual experience, they will coordinate with the tech platform, talent, tech crew, and 3rd party vendors to deliver a broadcast-quality experience.
- Not let you down when it comes to AV, which is still important. Your production team will build the AV list specifically based on your event’s needs and schedule. They’ll ensure you have the right technicians and the necessary equipment. A production company’s technicians tend to have a higher level of professional experience that pairs well with their industry elite equipment. You’ll still get the room diagrams and CAD’s needed to execute your event, but now you’ll have a team that can look at the space from a holistic level and make recommendations to minimize room flips, reduce labor requirements or identify other possible issues. Similarly for the virtual stage, a producer will train talent to be comfortable with the event technology, confirm all participants are set up with proper audio, internet connection, and video, and prepare for and manage any tech risks or glitches that occur.
- Provide first-class on-site management. A production company is on-site with you from day one, ensuring load-in and room builds are going off without a hitch. They're there to lead the crew through technical rehearsals, guaranteeing video, graphics, audio, and screens look and sound good before your team enters. For a virtual event, they will be with you from the start - helping you select the best-fitting platform for your event needs, building it out for your attendees, all the managing the live, broadcast-style experience (Think: live switching, graphics, video, camera support, and more!). In addition, a professional production team will provide a level of polished expertise and communication that allows your executives and VIPs to feel at ease when working through logistics during rehearsals and throughout the live program. As changes arise, they're on the front lines ensuring script, prompter, graphics, show flow, timing, and all the other moving parts are updated and ready to go.
- Always wants to improve. An event producer’s job is never done! Your production team will meet with you after the event wraps to discuss how to improve and make recommendations for change, getting a head start on building your next successful event.
If you’re not using a production company, specifically the kick-ass women at LAI Live, you’re missing out on that aspects that can increase the production value of your event, executive summit, convention, gala, awards, roadshow, and more. We travel around North America producing great events, building relationships with a myriad of other service providers along the way. We're also constantly working with new technologies, testing new platforms, and pushing the boundaries of what a virtual event can deliver. Plus, our producers have years of experience in experiential marketing, theatre, live television, and production management which brings a distinct perspective to our program design and execution, setting us apart from the rest of the pack!
What is an AV Company?
AV companies are often the venue in-house team, stage and sound companies, lighting shops, or AV equipment rentals. They are also often in one’s first line-of-sight due to locations throughout most of the US and ability to provide equipment within a range of budgets. Which is great, if all you need is a few screens, projectors, and microphones.
And what about for a virtual event? While a majority of AV companies may be well-versed in the deliverables needed for an in-person session, producing a virtual event requires a variety of new knowledge and skill sets. From platform selection and management, talent coordination and training, executing a broadcast-quality online experience, and everything in between, it's important to work with a team that understands the different nuances of the virtual stage.
If you still have questions about how a production company is different than an AV company or want to know more about what we can do for your next event, take a look at this Comparison Checklist below.
Live Event Production Company vs. AV Company Comparison Checklist: The LAI Difference
Start Producing Your Next Event with LAI Live
Now that you know the major differences between event production and AV management, learn more about what you can expect when you team up with an event producer. From conception to execution, we break it all down for you in this blog post.
If you're curious how this translates to a virtual event, we've outlined the specific services and insights a virtual event producer delivers here.
Ready to take the next step and submit an RFP? Contact the LAI Live team today!
To get in touch with us, you can also fill out the form below, call 202-783-0300, send us an email, or live chat with a member of our team right now.