WHO'S WHO IN PRODUCTION: KICKING BUTT AND TAKING NAMES by Kimberly Owens What is event production anyway? There are probably as many definitions for the job as there are people who do it. What does Event Solutions think event production is? Well, for the purposes of this installment of Who's Who in Production, the topic means those that handle the technical side of events. In these pages, we will highlight some of the best in the business. These are the people who light the lasers, climb the trusses, cool and heat the place, and in general, do what must be done for the whole party to continue smoothly. No small task, to be sure. The person on top of the event production company must have a particular attitude, level of patience, and no-holds-barred need to be in charge in order to do what they do. Some of us take the orders; some of us give the orders. The event production leader determines the orders. The world of an event production company is a pretty straightforward one. Get the job, plan the job, do the job. With that in mind, what has changed in event production over the last year? "More partnerships, and more companies working together to make things happen," says Steve Jaffe, project manager for Kohler Event Services. "Mainly though, it's about more client service and communication. Clients know what they want, but not necessarily how to communicate it. Communicating and asking questions of the client and their event partners provides a better way to identify their needs and make suggestions. We'll call the caterer and ask them what they need, if the client isn't sure." "Here it is 2001, and there is no space odyssey," says Sam Trego, President of Imagination Entertainment. "The demise of the dot-com has made us realize that technology is not the end-all. This had led to a big movement in the art world, the ancient modern era, in which we are currently working. Right now we're doing a project with Madonna's Drowned Tour's set designer, and the organic and earthy edge of the designs perfectly illustrate this new direction. It is the complete opposite of what you would have expected to find in 2001." "Clients are becoming more sophisticated," says Mike Iacono, owner of Iacono Productions. "They are handling a lot more of the simple-content issues, but also are looking to us to provide more sophisticated communication tools to help drive home their message. They don't want video on VHS; they want DVD. They don't want power-point slides; they want animation. They don't want an industrial video; they want a commercial video. Bottom line? The industrial standards are dead." "The client really wants an experience now," says Shirley Feder, vice president of sales for Iacono Productions. "With all this new technology, clients wonder, 'Why are conventions and meetings necessary? Why not educate or train through webcasting or CDs?' We have to make the actual experience worth it for them." "Communication is everything," says Eric Hoffend of Hoffend Xposition. "Everything has been affected by the internet, be it virtual trade shows or exhibitor services. To be competitive, you have to be on line. One thing we are doing now is providing information to people through their personal data assistants. They can walk around with their PDAs instead of the big trade- show books." "Trends today are focusing more towards one-stop shopping," says Jaffe. "When everything is coming from one company, you know all the pieces are compatible. Lighting and power have to be able to work together. Most event companies are going that way." "Sponsorships are the wave of the future," says Hoffend. "Companies are developing more revenue internally. It's important though, and if it is tastefully done this won't happen, that trade shows and companies don't lose their identities. That can happen and then all everyone sees are advertisements." "I think that with the development of technology, people can become alienated," says Trego. "Just a few years ago, all the predictions were about the meeting industry fading out due to technology. That certainly hasn't happened. In fact, it has created a niche market for us in our theatrical product." "There is a continual merging of technologies," says Iacono. "Before, show elements were separate--audio, video, slide projection and cameras. Now you have all those inputs coming together in one system. It creates much greater show control. This is great for smaller companies because now a smaller show can be a lot more sophisticated. Technology is making it more economical to do those things." So there you have it. Straight from the people who determine the orders. Event production on the downfall because of the developments of simpler technology? Hardly. What we have here, is a boom in the industry. |