We often reference Technical Production Partners in our blogs, and while rereading a few of them we realized that it’s not a particularly common term and that not everyone might know what it means.Since there’s no better way to address a question arising from a blog than with another blog, here we go..!
What is a Technical Production Partner anyway?
There’s no Wikipedia listing, but here’s what the term means at Encompass …
Technical Production Partners are experts in the things you’re not. They’re individuals or organizations specializing in technical design and deployment (physical or virtual) whose processes and expected outcomes meet or exceed your own.
Who uses Technical Production Partners?
Traditional AV can handle most of their events internally but occasionally exceed their capabilities and need to outsource. Technical Production Partners provide temporary scalability without upfront investment. Best of all, they value their partnership arrangement and don’t solicit your clients!
Agencies and in-house creative departments usually have extremely talented event producers and content creators. They’re great at communicating and designing but don’t have the technical resources to plan, deploy, and execute their ideas.
In either case, that’s where Technical Production Partners come in. Rather than replacing anyone, they become an extension of your own team by seamlessly integrating into your workflow and culture. Imagine them being just down the hall … like a different department of the same organization.
The differences between AV companies, agencies, and Technical Production Partners
Traditional AV companies are usually the most affordable option and a great solution for 90% of events. They check the boxes when it comes to equipment and have staff to fill most technical needs, but they sometimes lack the defined processes and/or extensive experience that extremely high-end events require.
Agencies and in-house creative groups are on the other end of the spectrum. Their clients happily pay for second-to-none experience and creativity. They’re deeply involved from the conceptual planning through post-event participant follow up. Agencies understand technology but rarely own equipment or employ a full-time technical team.
Technical Production Partners bridge the gap between AV companies or agencies and their clients. In fact, they’re often hired by these organizations. Equipment costs are slightly higher than AV companies because of the specific solutions they offer. Labor rates are on par with agencies based on experience, expertise, and expected outcomes. They maintain purpose-built audio, video, lighting, staging, and online systems tailored to their expertise (broadcast, entertainment, medical, etc.) and employ smaller teams of production professionals (production managers, engineers, and skilled labor) determined by their clients’ most common needs.
So, how do Technical Production Partners create value?
Creating value starts with the feeling of getting more than what you’ve paid for. Here’s a breakdown of the term and a value proposition for each word …
Technical
Technical excellence starts with a great team of experts. Their combined experience should include large events (convention centers, arenas, and stadiums), broadcast (network television and corporate studios), entertainment (tours and festivals), and other highly specialized segments. These talents lead to efficiency, creative thinking, out-of-the-box solutions, and a diverse workplace.
Purpose-built systems also contribute to technical excellence. Starting with “rider friendly” equipment is foundational. Equipment from leading manufacturers inspires confidence, fulfills entertainment riders, and easily scales through partnership agreements. Design and deployment are equally important. Case designs lead to logistical efficiencies. Systemization results in predictable and repeatable cost models. Scheduled maintenance reduces downtime and failures.
While some Technical Production Partners have creative capabilities, their real strength is designing and deploying technical solutions (either physical or virtual).
Production
Despite the overtly technical nature of our industry … we’re in the hospitality business. AV companies, agencies, and Technical Production Partners use their expertise to produce experiences that engage and/or inform, but the ultimate goal is to remove all technical obstacles that impede the client’s progress or success.
Technical Production Partners have documented processes, workflows, pre-designed forms, and other tools that streamline and elevate their portion of the event. Rather than designing from scratch, they assemble creative (overall theme, specific graphic elements, video clips, transitions, etc.) and physical (ballroom, studio, platform, etc.) into a custom solution that meets budgetary and experiential expectations.
Partner
A huge part of creating value is seamlessly integrating with clients. Everyone enjoys working alongside people that share the same passion and commitment to a defined outcome. As humans, we want to be part of something larger than ourselves.
Relationships with your staff and your client(s) naturally develop bi-directional communication and trust. Technical Production Partners transcend the vendor relationship and become an extension of your own team. They pair perfectly with AV companies by helping them scale without a large investment and with agencies by removing technical challenges so they can focus on communication and design.
Not all events need a Technical Production Partner but it’s important to understand what they are and the value they create.
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 that’s beyond our scope and we love the intensity of putting on events!
If you’re a planner working to create an event, seeking help with virtual event technology, or simply want to learn more … we can help! Sign up below to receive our updates (we promise to keep your contact information secure and won’t “overshare”).