Because Communication Is Key, Learn the Language of Production

Production Can Be Very Overwhelming

Event Planners have very stressful jobs. For each event, you may spend months strategizing and working out every little detail in order to best represent your company or non-profit. During this time, you’re communicating with many people about countless details in the process. A lot is on your plate.

So, when your A/V company asks if you want “gobos” in your lights or how many “edisons” are in your venue, it’s completely understandable to be confused. While it’s your vendor’s responsibility to explain their solutions in a clear way, you’re better equipped to get what you want if you understand production terms, too.

Knowing Production Terms Will Help Make Your Job Easier

How do you juggle all that you need to and still pull off a great show? Production, in its most basic form, is utilizing lots of different technology to better communicate a message to your audience. Learning the names/uses of that technology will aid you in knowing what to book for your show. That helps you plan your budget better, and effectively talk to your A/V company about your event needs.

Your Event Is Important – Make Sure You’re Set Up For Success

You have a message. A message that is so important it deserves your people in attendance to hear it. How many of your people will need to hear this message? What date works best to host this event? Should everyone collectively meet in-person, or would a virtual conference better suit your audience? Just like building a house, the basics come first when brainstorming your event.

The next step is planning the details of your event. Let’s say you decide on a hybrid conference with a main stage, large screens, and a side stage where a band can perform (like the picture above). This is where having knowledge of production terms can help you specifically communicate what you want to your production company. Here is an example; In the GS, let’s have enough decks that we can have an 8-person panel with lavs. The band needs backline but they’re all on wedges except I think the lead is on IEM from what I read in their rider. We’ll want bi-directional streaming in case we have a few remote presenters, and be ready for at-home Q&A. Understanding and using terms like these will expedite the communication process during the initial planning for your event.

Once all the technical details have been worked out between you and your production company, they will send you a quote. Being empowered with the terminology allows you to then be aligned with the details of the quote.

After all the tedious planning and details, your big day is here. Everything is paying off. You get to see all of your planning come together exactly as you described it. If you have any questions on-site, using production terms can help you ask “why?”