A look back at two recent events and what led to their success.
The Encompass team recently partnered with a client to produce two large back-to-back events in different cities. Despite the logistical and organizational challenges of executing two events of this magnitude so close together, and in different locations, our team employed our proven process to bring their event vision to life.
We interviewed Patrick from our Productions Team to share how we approached and managed the technical and logistics of these two events. Here are six of his takeaways …
What was the most challenging part of these particular events?
I would actually say there were two challenging components, both of which had to do with how close the events were to each other while being in different cities.
The first challenge was keeping both the gear and communication for both events extremely organized. After the first event was over, most of the gear needed to be moved immediately from Scottsdale to Orlando, while some wasn’t needed and headed back to Denver. Sending the correct gear to Orlando, and keeping it as organized as possible, was incredibly important, as it ensured that the second show was ready to load in as soon as the truck arrived.
The second challenge was having [mostly] the same crew move directly from one show to the next. Although much of the equipment was the same, the setups were very different. Our techs needed to really utilize their short-term memories and build the show that was in front of them, forgetting what they did the week before.
What was the most rewarding part of the events?
Delivering two high-quality shows back to back for high-touch end-clients, and delivering on all of their expectations always feels incredible. Taking on a challenge and confidently executing both shows together was really special.
Since the second event was on the heels of the first, how did the Encompass team manage to shuffle the right gear from one event to the next?
It really came down to communication. We communicated as a team internally to make sure we were all on the same page. We were transparent with the client every step of the way. And we had very disciplined and clear communication with the technicians. We never missed an opportunity to make sure everyone was on the same page.
Was the client aware of the potential challenges of having two events back to back? If so, when did the Encompass team approach the conversation so that the client would be aware, but know that it wasn’t their responsibility?
Being transparent is a hallmark at Encompass so we immediately made the client aware when the inquiry for the events first came in and our team identified potential challenges.
Once they approved our overall approach, the Productions Team shared tons of detail with the onsite techs and gave them an opportunity to ask for clarification regarding anything that was likely to come up.
Essentially, we tried to anticipate any questions we might receive so that we were prepared with the answer, instead of needing to take time to come up with a solution if an issue arose.
What are two specific things that created value or led to a favorable outcome?
The first would be that we created detailed, transferable, and technically specific documents for both shows. Each event had its own set of documents which were filled with any technical information that the crew would need.
The second would be continuity. With the shows being back to back, we felt it was key to have the same players at each show. By having the same key crew members, we were able to more easily communicate, plan, execute, work on pre-production, and follow all processes. This made the planning process more straightforward, which led to a more favorable and impactful event overall.
From a staffing perspective, is there anything that you think made the events so successful?
The way the team worked together was what benefitted all of us the most. During the first show, the entire team had the mindset that it wasn’t just the first show of a mini-tour. It needed to be a successful, stand-alone show, just as the second one did.
At the same time, we used notes, updates, challenges, and ways we overcame obstacles as lessons to apply to the next show. We knew that each show needed to be perfect, but we still learned along the way.
Thank you to the entire crew, production, and solutions teams, as well as our client partner, that made these two events so successful!
At Encompass, we have unique backgrounds that situate us perfectly to produce high-end and complex offerings. We’ve worked in broadcast television, touring entertainment, live sporting events, and countless convention facilities across the country.
We have technical design experience and a disciplined process in place that allows us to easily scale events and shift from in-person to virtual without angst. There isn’t much beyond our scope and we love the intensity of putting on events!
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