Live Event Production Do's and Dont's

Okay, heres the deal. Somehow your name got picked out of the hat when the man at the top was deciding who's going to spearhead the putting together of the next company event and you've never done it before. Not a deal though, cause theres a first time for everything and if you can pull this off right, your basically making a silk purse from a sows ear and you'll end up being the man or woman of the year.

Gather Up All the Hardware Your Going To Need For Your Live Production

Do find out where you can rent or hire all the basic hardware that your going to need and make sure its in your hands or solidly reserved. For instance your going to need a sound and lighting control board, somebody to run it and plenty of nice electrical cords.

Don't Forget About Your Stage Lighting

Of course you'll need stage lighting, so when your scouting for your venue try to find one that already has a nice stage equipped with lighting. Important: Check the lights themselves to make sure that they all work correctly. You can either use a lighting director, or if your plan is simple, spend some time with the guy thats going to run the board arranging the lighting sequencing.

Your Going To Need a PA System and Or a Podium

Do rent a podium and or a PA or public address system. The technology has advanced drastically over the course of the past couple of decades, so you may surprised at how powerful some of the new compact systems are. Also there are some real nice podiums that have PA systems built right into them that work great for "smaller to mid sized" venues.

Do make Sure That You Have Adequate Seating and Bathrooms

If your event involves seating, your going to need to rent chairs and do rent more than you need. Set up the ones that you need and then keep the rest handy in a store room, so you can whip them out in a pinch. Also do make sure the bathrooms are adequate for the number of people attending and make sure that you have toilet paper, soap ands paper towels on hand.

Don't Hand the Security Job To Your Cousen "Big Mike" and His Pals

Do make sure that you have your proper permits in place and if its going to be a larger event, make a point of stopping in at the local police precinct to let them know that the event is taking place, when its starting and when it will end. Also they may be able to direct you to a reputable private security agency in the area. Don't hand the security job to your cousin "Big Tyrone" and his buds or your going to end up with someone getting hurt and legal problems on your hands.

Plan Well For After the Live Event Is Over

Getting a dumpster in place and the arrangements to pick it up done ahead of time will make the final clean up so much easier. Also make sure that you have someone to do the clean up dialed in ahead of time. If all goes well, as soon as the event is over you can go to work tearing it all down and cleaning up and be out of there before the sun comes up.

Chris Tyrrell writes for The Phoenix Partners, who are experts in live event production.Visit the website for more details.