The Special Event Guru

Have You Considered How Productive You and Your Company Are?

2012-01-05T13:56:00.002-08:00

Back in August of 2007 I had a blog post about Making a Profit in which I briefly mentioned productivity. I would like to now expand on that and give you a glimpse of the effect of the lack of productivity on your expenses and probably also on your bottom line.

For simplicity, let's start by assuming that you, as an event planner, are the owner of a sole proprietorship and the only salaried employee in your company. Let's also assume for simplicity that your total overhead is $24,000 (consisting mainly of rent and assorted office expenses). On top of that you would like to personally earn $70,000 per year. That means that just to break even, you will have to bring in $94,000 worth of business in the year. You are someone who charges by the hour, so your hourly billings will have to total $94,000.

Let's make a third assumption, unfortunately not a very realistic one, to illustrate the point I am trying to make. Let's assume that you know you will get enough business to occupy you for 100% of your available working hours. What, you ask, are your available working hours? Well, to determine what your time is worth in the simplest manner, you must divide the annual company overhead plus your salary as above, by 235 (the approximate average number of working days per year, allowing for 104 weekend days, 11 statutory holidays, and an average 15 working days vacation), then divide the result by 8 (number of working hours per day, so the grand total of annual working hours is thus 1880) to get the final answer. In the case stated above, the hourly fee you will have to charge is $50.00 ($94,000/1880).

Now, here comes the tricky part. Nobody can devote 100% of their working hours to planning special events. It is impossible. You have many other demands on your time, such as non-client meetings, medical appointments, sales calls, and especially if you are a sole proprietor, lots more. BUT - you still need to make that $94,000! How do you do it. The only way is to charge more than the break-even fee to cover your non-productive time. You should be able to get a pretty good handle on how much time you spend on non-client related activities. At the very least, keep a log of how you spend your time for a couple of weeks and you will get a reasonable estimate. Let's assume that you take an average of 2 hours a day for non-client activities. That means that only 75% (6 out of 8 hours) of your time can be devoted to actual paying clients. You therefore must raise your hourly fee to $66.67 (i.e. $50 per hour divided by 0.75).

That is not the end of it, however. If you are really honest with yourself, how much time do you waste on other activities that are ridiculously non-productive? I ask this because I have had the personal experience myself and they are insidious; they creep up on you until they eat away large portions of your day. Such activities as learning how to use a computer program as simple as Word or Excel by trial and error because you never took a course or didn't think it was worthwhile, chatting on the phone with friends about non-business things, surfing the web, spending too much time on social media that do not benefit your business, extending a coffee break, running inefficient meetings and letting discussions get our of hand, and the list goes on. Again, if you are really honest and decide to track these non-business activities as well as the other non-client business activities, you may very well find that your non-productive time increases to 50% of your day. If that is the case, then your hourly fee will have to increase to $100.00 (i.e. $50.00/0.50).

You may now be getting close to the point that the market will not bear this fee, especially if you are new to the business. Also, your time will now be extremely compressed so that the work you do may not be of the quality needed to adequately service clients. What to do? Well, you can hire another planner but that adds to overhead so you need more business. You can work more than 8 hours a day but that can be very stressful. You can cut your own salary, but you need that to live. You can actually cut overhead by lowering your expenses or your rent or whatever, or you can be more productive by minimizing non-productive, non-business related activities. That is the best and the cheapest. So if you are in this dilemma, look very closely at how you spend an average day at the office and how productive you are.

The other influence on your fee is, of course, the amount of business you have, which is what I conveniently eliminated by my assumption. If we bring that back into the mix, then the dilemma becomes much more complicated. After you have been in business for a few years, you can usually get an estimate of what your annual average amount of business is and that can help in determining your fee. If, for example, you have kept good records and can make an estimate that your annual business occupies about 50% of your time, then this must be factored into the calculation of your fee. If you do that, you will thus see that your fee of $100 per hour (remember, you are still very non-productive) will need to increase to $200 per hour i.e. $100/0.50). Well, this is pretty exorbitant so your solution is now not only to cut down on non-productive time but also to do one of a number of other things, namely generate more business as a first step and/or lower your salary expectations until you do generate enough business.

I hope this helps you start to think about becoming more productive.

Event Lighting Design: Part Three

2011-12-09T17:22:00.003-08:00

Direction

For special event lighting, there are three areas of concern with respect to lighting direction: stage and entertainment lighting, décor and theme lighting, and ambient lighting. In all cases, the effect of directional lighting is similar, but the desired outcome may be different. Let us examine the different directions that may be used to light people or objects and then see what the differences may be.

We begin with some illustrations of lighting people from different angles. Figure 1 illustrates front lighting. Although this direction gives the best visibility, it also tends to make objects and people appear “flat.” For lighting people and stage shows, this is one direction that is absolutely necessary so the audience can see what is happening onstage. Generally speaking, in almost every instance of special event entertainment, some component of continuous front lighting will be needed, even if it is not fully bright or not white.

On the other hand, for ambient lighting and theme décor lighting, front lighting is not always desirable. If lighting walls, for instance, to achieve a general mood, direct lighting is less desirable than uplighting as it tends to highlight the flaws in the wall. However, if a large painted mural is part of the décor, front lighting may be the right choice in order to give the best visibility and render the mural scene more realistic. The same would apply if the front lighting is a gobo and a clear, proportionally correct pattern is required to be seen on the wall.

Figure1: Front Lighting

Figure 2 illustrates top lighting, which, for people, adds shadows to faces but also adds nice highlights to hair and shoulders, which onstage can help to separate people from backgrounds. For décor purposes, top lighting is often used to light table centers with pin spots or automated fixtures, to give crisp, undistorted beams of light throughout the event space. It is also used for highlighting décor vignettes and for floor lighting.

Figure 2: Top Lighting

Figure 3 illustrates rear lighting, which is very useful for adding dimension to persons or objects onstage and for separating them from the background. Similarly, for décor it can help to add a third dimension and make a display seem more “alive.”

Figure 3: Rear Lighting

Figure 4 illustrates side lighting, which is highly desirable in some form when lighting people onstage as it also adds dimension and makes the body shape more obvious. In the same way, it can add shape to décor. However, when lighting flat décor as in the case of murals, it tends to highlight flaws in the surface and is not recommended.

Figure 4: Side Lighting

The final direction for lighting is under or up lighting, as shown in Figure 5. When used to light people, this is associated with a ghoulish, macabre effect as seen in movies and is not desirable unless it is being used for a special effect. However, for décor, especially for ambient lighting, it is one of the most effective directions, particularly for uplightng walls, ceilings, and backdrops.

Figure 5: Up Lighting

Movement

A related aspect of direction is movement. Movement indicates any change in lighting that gives life to the lighting and brings it closer to the natural world. It is usually of timed duration and can include:

A change in direction
A change in color
A change in intensity
A change in distribution, such as the appearance of different gobos from the same fixture
The movement of an offstage light such as a followspot or automated fixture.

According to Williams (1999), “movement may be rapid or very subtle, slow and imperceptible. Such may be the case of a designer that provides a slow shift in sunlight from one side of the stage to the other throughout the duration of a play. The audience may not notice the shift; however, they often may ‘feel’ the result of the change emotionally...Up until recently, movement was probably the least utilized quality of light by the stage LD. This all changed in the 1980s when the automated lighting fixture was born. The modern automated fixture can now move physically – directing its beam from one part of the stage to another (or any other area within the event space – author). In addition, the automated fixture can ‘move’ from one color or effect to another, at any speed. The changes and combinations of intensity, form, distribution, color, and movement are endless.”

I hope these basic explanations of event lighting will help you and your lighting designer come up with some wonderful events.

References:

Williams, Bill. (1999). Stage Lighting Design 101, Edition 2.d. Retrieved January 2006 from www.mts.net/williams5/sld.

Event Lighting Design: Part Two

2011-11-21T13:24:00.014-08:00

Color

As with the design tools of event décor, color is the most noticeable and strongest quality of light. Indeed, all light is colored, and white light is simply a mixture of all visible wavelengths (colors) between infrared and ultraviolet radiation on the electromagnetic spectrum. One of the keys to good lighting design is a thorough understanding of color. We begin with some definitions.

Hue is the pure form of a color with no white, black, or grey added. Tint is the mixture of a hue with white. Shade is the mixture of a hue with black. Tone is the mixture of a hue with black and white (grey). It is sometimes also called value. Saturation refers to the amount of hue in a color mixture. For example, a pure red color (like fire-engine red) would be said to have a high saturation of red. Figure 1 below illustrates these relationships in a triangular form.

Figure 1: Tints, Tones, and Shades (Courtesy Gillette, 2000 - Redrawn by author)

In the world of lighting, the color wheel takes on a slightly different appearance from the color wheel associated with décor (which uses pigments). For light, the primary colors are red, blue, and green. The secondary colors are yellow (mixture of red and green), cyan (mixture of green and blue), and magenta (mixture of red and blue). Figure 2 illustrates a lighting color wheel (also called a visual or RGB color wheel).

Figure 2: Lighting Color Wheel

The two differing color wheels, the one for pigment and the one for light, are often confusing since they do not make logical sense when mixing colors. Technically, as pointed out by Fitt and Thornley (2002), “the lessons learned from mixing the colors of paint are somewhat different to those for mixing the colors of light. It has to be realized that light is the source of all color, but pigments in paint (or in dyed fabrics – author) are simply reflections or absorbers of parts of the light that illuminates them If a beam of red light and a beam of green light are superimposed the result is yellow. On the other hand, if we mix red and green paint, we get rather a nasty looking ‘brown black’ color. When using light, all spectral colors can be created by adding various component parts of red, green, and blue light and the system used is called ‘addition,’ ultimately creating white. Pigments derive their colors by subtracting parts of the spectrum, therefore the system with pigments is called ‘subtraction’ and ultimately creates black.”

For special events, the LD is frequently called upon to not only light stage performances, but also decorative elements. These are particularly sensitive to the interaction between the hues of light and pigment hues, since most décor is pigment-based (e.g. fabrics, painted surfaces, costumes). Table 1 illustrates the interaction between the two types of color, and can serve as a guide for what a decorative element or person looks like when subjected to a certain color of light.

Color of Pigment	Color of Light
Color of Pigment	Violet	Blue	Blue-Green	Green	Yellow	Orange	Red	Purple
Violet	Deep violet	Dark violet	Dark violet	Violet	Dark brown	Dark brown	Dark gray	Dark violet
Blue	Light blue	Deep blue	Light bluish gray	Light blue	Dark bluish gray	Black	Gray	Blue
Blue-Green	Dark blue	Very dark blue	Dark bluish gray	Dark green	Greenish blue	Dark greenish brown	Black	Dark blue
Green	Bluish brown	Light olive green	Light greenish gray	Intense green	Bright green	Dark green	Dark gray	Dark greenish brown
Yellow	Scarlet	Greenish yellow	Greenish yellow	Greenish yellow	Intense yellow	Yellow orange	Red	Orange
Orange	Scarlet	Light brown	Light brown	Light brown	Orange	Intense orange	Intense orange red	Scarlet
Red	Scarlet	Purplish black	Dark maroon	Maroon	Bright red	Orange red	Intense red	Red
Purple	Reddish purple	Dark violet	Maroon	Purplish violet	Light brown	Maroon	Reddish brown	Deep purple

Table 1: Interaction of Colored Light with Colored Pigment (Courtesy Fuchs, 1929)

To add to the confusion, additive and subtractive color mixing are also found in the lighting world alone. Additive color mixing refers to the combining of two or more colors to form a new color. As illustrated in Figure 3, the combining of red and blue light sources, for example, will produce a new color, magenta. Subtractive color mixing refers to the filtering of light. When light passes through a single colored gel or filter, only the wavelength corresponding to the color of the filter will pass through it. Figure 4 illustrates this concept.

Figure 3: Additive Color Mixing in Light (Courtesy Gillette, 2000 – Redrawn by author)

Figure 4: Subtractive Color Mixing in Light (Courtesy Gillette, 2000 – Redrawn by author)

The last important concept of color in lighting design is the meaning of color. It is a well-known fact that every color has certain emotions attached to it. It is these emotions that the LD tries to enhance in order to make his design more effective.

My final post on lighting design will discuss direction and movement.

References:

Fitt, Brian, and Joe Thornley. (2002). Lighting Technology: A Guide for Television, Film and Theater, Second Edition. Woburn, MA: Focal Press.
Fuchs, Theodore. (1929). Stage Lighting. Little, Brown, and Company. Retrieved January 31, 2006 from www.rosco.com/us/technotes/filters/technote_1.asp#4.
Gillette, J. Michael. (2000). Theatrical Design and Production: An Introduction to Scene Design and Construction, Lighting, Sound, Costume, and Makeup, Fourth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Event Lighting Design: Part One

2011-11-07T17:08:00.009-08:00

Lighting can be thought of as one of many raw materials the event producer has at his or her disposal. It is the job of the Lighting Designer or LD (usually from a subcontracted lighting supplier), to manipulate the light beams emanating from fixtures or luminaires to achieve the look desired by the event producer or manager. The LD has five qualities of light that can be varied and massaged to do this. These qualities are intensity, distribution, color, direction, and movement. Over the course of the next two or three blog posts, I will cover the basics of these qualities.

Intensity

In simplest terms, this refers to the strength of a light source. However, there are some other relative measurements that are also associated with a light source and what happens when the light is projected over a distance and strikes an object.

Intensity is the strength of a light source (e.g. the actual lamp inside the light fixture), or the light output. It is measured in lumens or candles. Illuminance is the light level actually falling on the surface of an object being lit. It is measured in lux (metric) or foot-candles (imperial). 1 foot-candle = 10.76 lux. Brightness is the effect of light leaving the surface of an object being illuminated. It is what the human eye actually sees. It is affected by the intensity of the light source, the distance from the source to the object, and the properties of the object (e.g. color and texture). It is measured in foot-lamberts. The figure below illustrates the differences amongst these three terms.

Light Strength

Actually, this relationship can be calculated mathematically using what is known as the inverse-square law, E = I/ D², where E is the illuminance in foot-candles, I is the luminous intensity in lumens, and D is the distance in feet between the source and the point of calculation on the surface. For example, using a light source that produces 6000 lumens, the light density on a surface 10ft. away would be 60 foot-candles = 6000/(10)(10), and 20ft. away would be 15 foot-candles = 6000/(20)(20).

Generally speaking, objects that appear bright draw more attention to themselves. Because of this, it is the job of the LD to ensure that those objects needing attention, whether they be performers or decorative, are appropriately bright.

Distribution

Distribution refers to the manner in which light strikes a surface and reveals an object.

It can be applied to how objects appear, in that they might be softly lit as part of a larger scene with light that has no sharp edges. On the other hand, they may be individually lit with a small, sharply defined, single light beam.

On another level, distribution can be applied to the appearance of light that uses an image projector of some sort, such as a gobo in front of an ellipsoidal fixture or an actual projector. These in turn produce certain desired images on a surface such as a wall or scrim.

On a third level, distribution can be applied to the shape of a light beam itself when viewed through smoke or haze effects.

I will cover color in the next post.

Six Suggestions for Running Efficient Production Meetings

2011-10-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

In event production, there is no room for error, and meetings are often full of minute details pertaining to the production. By efficiently conducting meetings and recording their results, the possibility for error is significantly reduced. Recorded meeting minutes and decisions can also help in providing specifics should any contractual disputes arise at a later date either with suppliers or with clients.

Although far from an exhaustive list, the following tips are essential to running an effective meeting.

Deal with the most important agenda items first. Too often, the items requiring key decisions are left until the end of a meeting when everyone is tired and ready to leave. Key items should be discussed when people are the most energized. For example, leave a decision about green room amenities to the end but put a key discussion about multimedia content at the beginning.
Follow Robert’s Rules of Order for more efficiency. US Army Major Henry Martyn Robert first wrote this now world-famous book in 1876 after presiding over a church meeting and discovering that delegates from different areas of the country did not agree about proper procedure. It is bar none the best and most widely used guide in existence to running orderly meetings, yet amazingly, few people who chair meetings on a frequent basis are aware of many of the key rules. Every producer should have a copy.
Set time limits for each agenda item. This forces attendees to be aware of the time allowed.
Limit discussion to one statement per attendee until all others who want to, have had a say. This, in more detail, is one of the essential points of Robert’s Rules of Order. It is the best way to stop a meeting from getting out of hand.
Have attendees address all discussion and questions through the Chairperson to reduce the possibility of heated arguments and of personality conflicts interfering with the conduct of the meeting. This is also a key Robert’s rule.
Sum up each agenda item, clearly establish any action required, name the person responsible for the action, set a target date for the action to be completed, vote on the decision if necessary, and record the results.

Following these simple suggestions will have you looking super-organized and in control, essential traits of a good event producer.

Terrifying Roman Theme Dinner

2011-10-04T11:04:00.004-07:00

Back in May I promised to talk about some ancient events, and the time has come to start doing so.

It always surprises me how little we know about the history of our own profession. I did not know much myself until after I stopped producing shows a few years ago and finally found time to look at some history. Knowing what I do now, I would have to say that we are only barely beginning to scratch the surface of creativity, especially when it comes to comparing ourselves with ancient event producers and what minimal "raw materials" they had to work with.

I'm going to begin these visits to the past with an example of a Roman theme dinner that was created by the notoriously paranoid and cruel emperor Domitian in or around 88 or 89 CE, and to which he invited leading senators and other VIPs to commemorate Romans lost in the Dacian War. The account by the Roman writer Cassius Dio provides a good description:

"On another occasion he entertained the foremost men among the senators and knights in the following fashion. He prepared a room that was pitch black on every side, ceiling, walls and floor, and had made ready bare couches of the same colour resting on the uncovered floor; then he invited in his guests alone at night without their attendants. And first he set beside each of them a slab shaped like a gravestone, bearing the guest's name and also a small lamp, such as hang in tombs. Next comely naked boys, likewise painted black, entered like phantoms, and after encircling the guests in an awe-inspiring dance took up their stations at their feet. After this all the things that are commonly offered at the sacrifices to departed spirits were likewise set before the guests, all of them black and in dishes of a similar colour. Consequently, every single one of the guests feared and trembled and was kept in constant expectation of having his throat cut the next moment, the more so as on the part of everybody but Domitian there was dead silence, as if they were already in the realms of the dead, and the emperor himself conversed only upon topics relating to death and slaughter. Finally he dismissed them; but he had first removed their slaves, who had stood in the vestibule, and now gave his guests in charge of other slaves, whom they did not know, to be conveyed either in carriages or litters, and by this procedure he filled them with far greater fear. And scarcely had each guest reached his home and was beginning to get his breath again, as one might say, when word was brought him that a messenger from the Augustus (Domitian) had come. While they were accordingly expecting to perish this time in any case, one person brought in the slab, which was of silver, and then others in turn brought in various articles, including the dishes that had been set before them at the dinner, which were constructed of very costly material; and last of all came that particular boy who had been each guest's familiar spirit, now washed and adorned. Thus, after having passed the entire night in terror, they received the gifts."

Talk about an experiential event! We love to trigger emotions in modern events, but seldom consider fear as one that our guests would appreciate. I wonder if any of us would be prepared to go as far as Domitian did.

Cool Historical Event Venues Around the World: Take Two

2011-09-20T14:15:00.005-07:00

A couple of years ago I first posted a video about unique event venues around the world. This is the updated version with several additions. Most of these are historical venues that were used for some of the most spectacular special events the world has ever seen. Examples include Roman Triumphs through the Forum in ancient Rome, Mayan sacrifices on the temples at Copan, the Opet Festival in Luxor, Egypt during the New Kingdom period 1500 years ago, amazing shows at various Greek and Roman theaters throughout the Mediterranean, and much more.

This is only the start. There are literally hundreds more all over the world.

Quite a few of the venues are still in use today for special events. You will notice staging, lighting, and audio systems set up in a number of locations. These are all my own photos with only two exceptions. Hope you enjoy.

Feel free to ask me questions about any of these venues and what went on in them.

Vancouver Stanley Cup Riot

2011-09-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

I have been watching with interest the fallout from the June 15th riot in Vancouver. Lots of passing the blame but nobody seems to have looked at the event planning process that went into the creation of the live site.

From what I can tell there were two reasons for establishing the site. First, the city wanted to continue the success of the “open streets” that were prominent during the 2010 Winter Olympics that generated so much supposed communitas for the public. Second, they wanted to undo a reputation that the city had for several years of being a “no-fun” city. So intense was the pressure to have this live site that their planning was inadequate and they neglected to fully comprehend the nature of the crowd demographics, even though there was ample evidence from the past. In the end, the message that came across to attendees was that this was a chance to “party in the streets” supposedly with impunity. The resulting confusion between the reason for, and message of, the event gave birth to riots that caused over $5 million in damage and millions more to the city’s reputation.

Notice that I mentioned the message of the event. So often in our planning of events, we only discuss the reason or purpose of the event and overlook what message(s) we want to send to the attendees and to send to the world for posterity if it is a public event. This should always be part of the planning process. It is just not enough to say we want to create a zone where people can enjoy watching the hockey finals in an atmosphere of community and happiness. We must also decide if the message that the attendees will receive is going to be in their best interests rather than the best interests of the organizer/owner of the event: will attendees also feel safe, will they want to return for similar events in the future, will the event give them pride in their city and their fellow citizens, etc? It requires that a lot of questions be asked prior to the actual planning. It is then up to the planner to create an event that will both meet the objectives/purpose/reason for the event and also the needs of the attendees. The Vancouver live site event does not appear to have done this.

Speaking of planners, there has been no obvious evidence that there was a specific person or actual event manager in place at the event during the hours leading up to the game as well as during and after it. Who and where was this person? All indications so far seem to be pointing at the mayor but surely the city could not have been so naive as to assume he was in charge of the entire operation. If so, they have been GROSSLY negligent.

From my point of view, and without the details, it would appear at this point that blame lies squarely with the city planning department and nobody else, except of course, the mayor, where the buck must ultimately stop. Folks, if you are going to try to be in the event planning business, do it properly and professionally. For starters, at least read a few risk management books!!

Indiana State Fair Stage Roof Collapse

2011-08-15T13:25:00.001-07:00

Well, it's happened again. A second major stage roof collapse in North America in less than a month, this time at the Indiana State Fair, and this time resulting in five deaths and over forty-five injuries.

http://www.snap1037.com

What I keep reading in "statements" from the stage roof suppliers in all these and other cases is that they claim the collapses were caused by sudden gusts of wind that exceeded design limits. What also seems to be common is that at these locations, many other tents in the general vicinity have remained standing and unharmed. So what is going on? There are a couple of possibilities:

1. The design of the stage roof does not meet the standards of ANSI E1.21 - 2006 regarding wind loading as well as other support requirements.
2. The wind really was higher than expected and also there was insufficient time to remove roof components to prevent damage.

At least initially, my thought is to ignore possibility #2 and focus on the design of the structure.

Now I come from an engineering background so this stuff is pretty important. While in the Air Force, I was assigned to investigate two aircraft crashes in the course of my career. The first thing that happened when an aircraft went down was that all the flight and engineering logs of that aircraft were immediately impounded pending a formal investigation. I recommend that our industry (special events) initiate the same requirement for any incidents such as stage roof collapses that result in injury or death. This would require that the event manager impound and demand copies of, all applicable subcontractor documentation for any contractors directly involved with the construction or erection of this type of structure, ideally within no more than two hours of the incident (leaves little time to "cook the books"). This documentation would include such paperwork as contracts with other subcontractors, engineering drawings and calculations supporting the design of the structure and the wind load ratings, proof of compliance with material design standards (e.g. trussing, roof fabric), and proof of compliance with personnel safety regulations.

There is another issue involved here and that is the difference between what is required by law and what is voluntary. Usually, within a province or state, personnel safety regulations are enforceable by law, whereas standards are only voluntary. That subtle difference may make a gigantic difference in these latest cases when it comes to litigation and placing blame as well as claiming damages.

My soapbox - and this is a continuing theme in my books - is that compliance with standards should be written into all contracts so that everyone from the event manager down is covered as much as possible with respect to disasters. This is what proper risk management is all about, and it makes the compliance legally enforceable under the terms of the contract.

It will be interesting to see what the investigations dig up in all these recent cases

Crazy Summer Weather and Stage Roof Collapses

2011-08-01T19:40:00.006-07:00

Every recent summer seems to bring out not only the worst in weather but also dangerous situations at summer festivals that accompany the weather.

Exactly two years ago today, a main stage roof at the Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, Alberta collapsed, killing one person and injuring 75 as a result of a sudden storm and high winds. As of last Friday, 33 charges were laid stemming from that collapse.

See http://m.ctv.ca/topstories/20110729/stage-collapse-charges-alberta-110729.html and http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Storm+chaser+keeping+country+skies/5187723/story.html

On July 17th this year, a main stage collapsed at the Ottawa Bluesfest while Cheap Trick was playing. This collapse injured at least 5 people, one seriously. The collapse was also attributable to a violent gust of wind.

See http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/07/18/bluesfest-stage-collapse.html and

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/touring/was-cheap-trick-stage-collapse-preceded-1005298792.story

Although I cannot make a comment about how the producers of either event handled the respective situations, from what I can glean from news reports, they were both aware of the ANSI standard that governs the construction and safety of outdoor stage roof structures, particularly with respect to wind gusts. For reference, see American National Standard E1.21 - 2006 - Entertainment Technology, Temporary Ground-Supported Overhead Structures Used to Cover the Stage Areas and Support Equipment in the Production of Outdoor Entertainment Events. It is available at http://webstore.ansi.org/RecordDetail.aspx?sku=ANSI+E1.21-2006.

What most worries me as I read these reports is not whether the producers of these large festivals followed the standards, it is how many producers and planners of much smaller community and private outdoor summer events even know that such a standard exists, and what kind of liability situations they are unknowingly placing themselves and other organizations in. These are strict guidelines that call for - among other things - full documentation of engineering analysis and a complete Operations Management Plan that covers situations with high winds. Below are two applicable sections of the standard:

3.5.2 Wind loading

3.5.2.1 The wind load on all exposed surfaces including but not limited to truss and tower sections, scaffolding, roof skin, back drops, banners, advertisements, and suspended equipment shall be considered.

3.5.2.2 The overall stability and resistance to wind uplift and overturning forces shall be provided by means such as wire guys anchored to ground anchors (or ballast), diagonal braces, ballast applied to the tower sections, self weight of roof top (the dead load) and live loads.

3.5.2.3 The design wind speed for structures as defined by this document shall be 0.75 times the basic wind speed defined in ASCE 7.

3.5.2.4 Where a structure will be erected in an area prone to hurricanes, and precautionary measures can be taken such as dismantling and adequate securing in the event of a hurricane warning, a basic wind speed of 90mph, 3 second gust, shall be allowed per ASCE 37, section 6.2.1.

3.5.2.5 A reduction in effective wind area can be permitted, provided that such elements can be removed in less than 5 minutes. The method of wind monitoring and removal of the equipment shall be clearly defined in the Operations Management Plan. Not withstanding the above, the structure shall be designed to resist wind forces on all elements associated with the design wind speed of 40mph.

3.5.3 Operations Management Plan

3.5.3.1 The Operations Management Plan shall be prepared by the User and his engineering advisors. Reference shall be made to Clause 5.2.3 of this document.

3.5.3.2 The Operations Management Plan shall be based on sound engineering analysis and the allowable loads as defined in the engineering documentation.

3.5.3.3 The Operations Management Plan shall define the actions to be taken for different parts of the structure and cladding (where applicable) under prescribed loading conditions, with particular regard to wind loads.

3.5.3.4 No action shall be taken that shall reduce the overall lateral stability of the structure.

The standard goes on to discuss the need for proper consideration of the supporting ground surface, lateral loading, proper design of trussing and the provision of associated drawings and calculations, plus a host of other detailed requirements.

I've hammered away at this topic before in this blog and also in my books. My contention is that full compliance with this ANSI standard not only should, but must, be written into every contract that an event planner/manager or producer has with a supplier who has anything to do with the construction and/or erection of a stage roof system to be used outdoors. It does not matter how big or small your event may be. You can be sure, that come the day of reckoning when a disaster happens like those mentioned above, the courts are going to be calling for a detailed paper trail.

Beware of summer storms!

The Lost Art of the Business Thank You

2011-07-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

Why is it that hardly anybody writes thank you cards anymore? In fact, many times a gift will go completely unacknowledged by any form, be it e-mail, telephone, or mail. Yes, OK, now you can label me an old fuddy-duddy when I say that it was drummed into me and most other kids of my era that when you received a gift at Christmas or on birthdays, you sat right down and composed a thank you. My mother hounded me until it was done. Well, I think it's time for some motherly hounding in business.

Sure, a short e-mail thank you to a client after a big event is better than nothing. I still say, though, that there is something ultimately more classy about the written word. Maybe it's the anticipation of receiving a personal letter in the mail with your name on it and the expectation of what that letter holds. It's an expectation and an anticipation that lasts a bit longer than the time it takes to open an e-mail and that extra time is - for me anyway - psychologically positive. I guarantee you that any thank you to a client puts you one step closer to receiving repeat business. For me, the very best form of thank you is a hand-written card. Yes, hand-written.

Let me digress for a moment.

I was very disappointed to learn earlier this year that cursive (handwriting) had been taken out of some US school curricula. Apart from the well-known neurological analysis that can help to tell about someone's personaliy from their handwriting, there is something far less tangible but equally beneficial in cursive - the fact that handwriting delivers a measure of personal sincerity. A tiny bit of someone's real personality emerges from the handwritten page. It's a quality that cannot truly be delivered by a smiley emoticon in an e-mail or even by typewriting. And I don't believe that the quality of the writing is as important as some of the detractors of handwritten notes believe. Their argument goes like this. "I don't hand write letters because my writing is so bad it makes me look like a little kid." OK, but does that really matter? It is still a measure of who you really are, and that's not necessarily bad. Why are you afraid to give a bit of yourself? If you are really worried, then a typewritten letter or card would be the next best thing. By the way, there is still time to try to improve that handwriting.

So back to the matter at hand. What sort of card or letter should you use? In one word - personalized. If it's a letter, it should be on your company letterhead and of course, high quality paper. If it's a card - and I highly recommend a card - make it a customized card. My business partner used to be an artist and would hand design a unique card for every client or every occasion. I was not an artist so early on when I owned the business I went to a printer and had a couple of hundred custom cards created with my company logo (a bowing performer in a spotlight) and a note inside that said "Thank you. You've been a great audience!" There was room to write - or type - a short note on the inside cover of the card.

I sent one of these cards to all clients that gave me any substantial piece of business and even to my repeat clients, pretty well all of whom I kept for most of my nineteen-year career.

Oh, yes, always sign your card - and even your letter - using a pen. It's that final touch of connecting and giving of yourself.

Driven to Tears - Conflict War Story

2011-07-15T09:18:00.001-07:00

Everyone has a client who likes to micro-manage. One such client of mine – a regular and fairly lucrative one – had been present during an entire day of décor setup for a large theme event for their national sales staff. I had delegated the authority for setup to one of my long-time designers who was accustomed to lengthy and complex setups, but who had not worked with this particular client before. By the time I arrived onsite to supervise the event itself, I was confronted by a very distressed designer who claimed that the client had driven her to tears with incessant requests for minor changes to the décor. This had put her behind schedule and there was a good chance that the setup would not be complete on time. She had neglected to call me prior to my arrival thinking that she could handle the situation but it had proven too much.

I needed to resolve this conflict fast. Fortunately, it was not an all-out personality clash, but rather a continuing annoyance. I approached both parties separately to try to resolve the problem. My first concern was to try to calm my designer who still had a considerable amount of work to accomplish. I basically told her that she should only communicate with me now that I was onsite and not directly with the client any longer. Likewise, I politely asked the client to try to minimize changes from now on as we were on a very tight schedule. I reassured her that once all the décor was in place the venue would look spectacular. Since we had a good relationship, she agreed to my request. The event turned out well and the client was very pleased.

What were the conflict resolution principles in play here? First, I purposely kept both parties separated in order not to trigger any arguments. Second, I tried to keep both parties calm and focused on completing the event setup rather than focusing on their disagreements, part of which the designer interpreted as an insult to her creative ability.

A Little More About Conflict Resolution at Events

2011-07-13T19:54:00.002-07:00

From a practical standpoint, as the person in the middle of a conflict situation and ultimately the person responsible for resolving the conflict, a producer can defuse the situation by using both body and spoken language. Here are some tips that may help defuse a situation.

Body language is a very large part of how we communicate. In a conflict, it is necessary to demonstrate that one is interested, concerned, and listening attentively. The following are suggestions offered by the Justice Institute of B.C.’s Centre for Conflict Resolution to do just that:

Square your shoulders with the person. Face them directly rather than pointing energy in another direction. If they are very upset, you will want to attend to them obliquely (i.e. from a 30 - 45° angle).
Concentrate fully on the person you're trying to understand. Avoid interruptions and habits which imply boredom (e.g. playing with pencil, fingernail, looking elsewhere). Definitely do not answer a cell phone (author).
Open your posture towards the person. Arms and legs should be uncrossed, hands open, and in sight.
Lean forward a bit if that is comfortable, but avoid crowding the other’s "personal space." If they move back, lean back a bit until your distance feels comfortable.
Eye contact is important, but tricky. Be aware that in many cultures and sub-cultures, direct eye contact is a sign of disrespect, defiance, or challenge. Offer eye contact, but don't demand it.
Relax. Try to incorporate these body messages into your personal style. Don't use them mechanically, but use them as an expression of your concern and interest.

Something to keep in mind when the going gets tough during event setup.

Reference:

Justice Institute of B.C. (1991). Conflict Resolution: Dealing with Interpersonal Conflict. Vancouver: Justice Institute of B.C., Centre for Conflict Resolution Training.

Conflict Resolution at Events

2011-07-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

It is almost inevitable that conflicts will arise at some time during an event producer's career.

Although theory abounds on conflict resolution, it does not always work during a real-life event setup or execution due to the necessity for an urgent solution. Our discussion, therefore, must start with a recommendation to event producers to “pick their battles.” The conflicts that arise while the production team is onsite usually involve two or more team members (one could be the producer), a team member and a non-team member (e.g. typically venue staff), or a team member and the client. How these conflicts are resolved will depend to a large extent on the producer’s priorities. Let us see how this may happen by considering some of these priorities.

Maintaining company and personal reputation. Perhaps the producer and the producer’s company have a reputation for fair dealing, or for being hard-nosed, or for being ethical above all else. How the producer wants to be seen in the industry may very well affect the conflict resolution outcome and deliberations.
Preserving the integrity of the event. Perhaps the producer is so committed to the contract and to the vision of the event, that he/she will do anything to preserve it and to make it happen regardless of the effect that decision may have on relationships or reputation.
Preserving relationships. Regardless of the outcome of the event and the reputation of the producer’s company, conflict resolution decisions may be influenced by a producer who values relationships over other options. For example, if there is a conflict between the producer and a Catering Manager in a venue, the producer may opt to agree with the Catering Manager because the preservation of that relationship is worth more than keeping a client or team member happy. Perhaps the Catering Manager sends the producer’s company $100,000 worth of business every year and the client for the present event is one-time only and difficult to deal with. It would not be hard for most producers to opt for a decision that favors preserving the relationship with the venue over satisfying the client. Ethically wrong? Maybe, depending on the circumstances. Smart business? Definitely. A little humble pie eaten with business survival in mind is not necessarily bad – or stupid.

Most producers will, without knowing it, have a priority list similar to the one above, at the back of their minds during any event setup and execution, and will react in a manner that reflects that list in a conflict situation.

Broken Contracts

2011-05-20T08:46:00.004-07:00

At some point in every event planner's career, especially if they own a small business, there will be a broken contract. In this case, I am talking about a contract with a client. We all hope it will never happen, but it will, even if you have clauses written into the contract to prevent it. Let's look at a typical example and keep it simple.

You have contracted with your wealthy client and they have sent the requisite deposit. The event goes well and you dutifully send an invoice for the remaining amount. The days go by then the weeks and you still have not been paid, for what ever reason. What can you do?

Now I'm not lawyer, but I'll give you my version based on experience and extensive reading. There are basically two avenues you can take. The first is called Alternate Dispute Resolution or ADR. It is usually the cheapest solution and allows the parties to sit down together to come to an agreement. There is also a much better chance that the planner/client relationship can be maintained. It includes negotiation, mediation, conciliation, and arbitration in increasing order of complexity, and decreasing amount of decision-making control by the parties. Event planners and producers should seriously consider ADR as a contract clause.

Negotiation - This is the simplest form of ADR and gives the disputing parties the most control over the outcome. It is the conferring of the two parties with each other, without the assistance of a neutral party, with the purpose of arriving at a settlement. Occasionally, a neutral third party may be brought in to simply keep the parties talking and to record proceedings.
Mediation - Mediation brings in a neutral third party intervener (mediator) to facilitate the process but not to impose a solution. The parties select the Mediator and once selected, the Mediator arranges the mediation process. The Mediator makes no decisions, but acts as a facilitator only to assist the parties to understand the dispute, to provide structured discussion, and to help the parties reach a dispute settlement agreement. If the parties cannot reach a settlement agreement, they are free to pursue other options. The parties generally decide in advance how they will contribute to the cost of the mediation. Mediation is a very important form of ADR, particularly if the parties wish to preserve their relationship. It is more structured than negotiation.
Conciliation - Conciliation also uses a neutral third party to act as a go-between and to re-establish the relationship. In conciliation, more control is vested in the conciliator, who is usually seen as an authority figure responsible for determining the best solution for the parties. The conciliator, not the parties, often develops and proposes the terms of settlement. The parties come to the conciliator seeking guidance and the parties make decisions about proposals made by the conciliator. The parties must decide in advance whether they will be bound by the conciliator's recommendations for settlement. The parties generally share equally in the cost of the conciliation.
Arbitration - In arbitration, the opposing parties choose a neutral third party (arbitrator) or a panel of arbitrators, to listen to each disputant and to make a decision that is binding on them. Costs of the arbitration are disposed of as part of the settlement unless the parties have agreed otherwise beforehand. Arbitration removes all decision-making authority from the two parties. Because of this, there is less likelihood of the prior relationship being maintained after the process.

The second avenue for resolution is litigation, either in small claims court or in regular court if the amount in disute is greater than the amount allowed in small claims court. Every state or province has a specific limit for small claims.

Small Claims Court - In most jurisdictions, these are typically used to recover disputed amounts that are under a specified value. They are quite simple to work in and an individual company owner or event producer can easily go through the process without a lawyer, although some professional help is always wise. There are some cautions, however. First, the process can be very lengthy and can take over a year just to get to court, mainly because of the backlog of court cases. Secondly, even if one wins in court, there is no guarantee that payment will be forthcoming from the offending party, and the hardest part often comes after the court judgment in trying to collect on the judgment. This can get into the costly use of bailiffs to recover property to sell to provide the debt payment.
Litigation - This assumes that the disputed amount is over the maximum value for small claims court, which can be different amongst jurisdictions. It is to be avoided at all costs, particularly for small businesses unless the amount at stake is very high, as it can sap a lot of energy and cash. If it happens, expert legal advice and probably very deep pockets will be required.

The best way to settle breaches of contract is between the two parties directly with each one being willing to see the other's point of view. A little humility never hurt anyone and in the case of an event producer looking to establish a reputation, it just may help to save that reputation. That being said, if the breach involves only the lack of payment of the contract amount or part of it and all other services have been delivered as required, then the best defense is a continued, polite attack on accounts receivable, either personal or through a collection agency.

Good luck, and here's hoping you never have to go to court!

The First Special Event?

2011-05-04T09:04:00.002-07:00

I have a fascination with ancient special events. Not only were many of them spectacular in their magnitude but many exhibited creativity and planning that we would not have thought possible at the time. Today's event planners would do well to take the occasional look backwards for refreshing ideas. I'm going to periodically present some of them in this blog so you can do that. We'll start at the beginning with an entry from my other blog about ancient celebration.

Nobody knows when the first celebration or "special event" occurred.

Our form of Homo sapiens, the anatomically modern version of “us,” appeared about 200,000 years ago. It would be preposterous to assume that in the chasm of time between then and now nobody had the wherewithal to dance, sing, or get together for a celebration. Indeed, no end of writers has found it mindlessly easy to conceptualize wild, orgiastic revels by our hairy, heavy-browed predecessors. But the evidence has been in short supply. That is until a fascinating discovery in 2006.

In that year, in the remote Tsodilo Hills of northwestern Botswana above the Kalahari Desert, archaeologists uncovered ritual objects in a hidden cavern known as Rhino Cave. These objects included a rock resembling the head of a huge python. Along with this, they dug up over 13,000 stone spearheads and tools, some more than 70,000 years old, the time of the Middle Stone Age.

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Location of Tsodilo Hills in Botswana

Tsodilo Hills (Photo courtesy Joachim Huber via Wikimedia Commons)

Associate Professor Sheila Coulson of the University of Norway made the discoveries. She speculated that the cave was an important one for ancient rituals. “You could see the mouth and eyes of the snake. It looked like a real python. The play of sunlight over the indentations gave them the appearance of snakeskin. At night, the firelight gave one the feeling that the snake was actually moving.” She also discovered a secret chamber behind the python stone. Some areas of the entrance to this small chamber were worn smooth, indicating that many people had passed through it over the years. According to her, “The shaman, who is still a very important person in San culture (the famous ‘Kalahari Bushmen’ indigenous to the area, and from whom we are all descended ), could have kept himself hidden in that secret chamber. He would have had a good view of the inside of the cave while remaining hidden himself. When he spoke from his hiding place, it could have seemed as if the voice came from the snake itself. The shaman would have been able to control everything.”

The sacred python stone during the day (above) and at night (below), as it may have been during worshipping. (Photos courtesy Dr. Sheila Coulson, Institute of Archaeology, Conservation and History at
University of Oslo)

If Dr. Coulson is correct, then this is convincing evidence for one of the world’s oldest rituals. For the small band who participated, it was more than ritual, it was a true "special event." Perhaps in coming years more such exciting discoveries will be made of even older celebrations.

References:

Boswell, Randy. (Dec.1, 2006). Rock carving of snake hailed as world’s oldest religious relic. The Vancouver Sun. p. A1.
Stix, G. (2008). Traces of a Distant Past. Scientific American, July. pp. 56-63.
Vogt, Y., Belardinelli, A.L., and afrol News staff (1 December, 2006). World’s oldest religion discovered in Botswana. afrol News. Retrieved April 8, 2008, from http://www.afrol.com/articles/23093.

Kickbacks, Referral Commissions, Finder's Fees, and Bribes

2011-04-27T09:36:00.003-07:00

Bribes - or their euphemistic relatives kickbacks, referral commissions, and finder's fees - exist in the special event industry. Like pornography, they are everywhere but nobody wants to admit they participate in them. There are lots of self-righteous planners that I have read on the web and heard at conferences who claim they do not, but without taking a survey, I would be hard-pressed to believe they are in the majority.

Yes, there are many definitions for bribes but they all boil down to the same thing. They involve the giving of some favor in return for business. That favor more often than not is money, and in the case of planners or producers, a percentage of a given contract.

Several cases come to mind from my own experience. One that has been prevalent for a long time is the "requirement" to kick back a percentage of the gross value of a referred contract to hotels. I have even been sent letters by hotel managers stipulating the exact minimum amount that this kickback should be, usually 10 or 15%. I also know for a fact that in-house suppliers (e.g. A-V companies) to hotels are often required to kick back as much as 30% of contract values or higher. There are also hundreds of cases where a planner asks for a referral commission for sending a client to a supplier. Basically, in most cities, because of intense competition, if you don't participate, you lose.

These different forms of bribery pose ethical concerns for many business owners in special events. I know they certainly did for me. However, there are three key questions to be asked about them before taking a moral high ground:

1. Who is being paid? As long as a payment goes to a company or organization and not to an individual, there should be no problem with it. For example, if a kickback goes to XYZ Hotel and not to Mr. Smith the Catering Director, then theoretically there is nothing unethical about the transaction.

2. Is it transparent? Is the payment disclosed or is the supplier willing to disclose it if asked? If not, then there may be cause for concern. I personally don't believe that every such transaction must be completely open since that is not the way business works nor should it be. For example, I did not specifically state in my invoices how much a kickback or referral commission was, but I did make an open statement that whenever a client wished to review my fees he/she was welcome to do so. In the course of over nineteen years not one client asked me to explain my fees.

3. Exactly what is a kickback and why is it needed? To answer this, let's consider you, the middleman. You are offering a service, whether it be expertise in entertainment, wedding planning, lighting, or whatever. For this, you have spent uncountable hours and years building a unique body of knowledge and a highly sought-after catalogue of your own suppliers. This knowledge is worth something to clients. Sure they can get it on their own searching the Internet but without any guarantees that what they are getting is reputable, or without the kinds of thoughtful choices you can provide. The people who are referring you should understand this and have comparable faith in your abilities. Otherwise, they risk damaging their own reputation. The other consideration is that you as a small businessperson do not have a huge sales force and therefore such a kickback can indeed be considered a "sales commission." As such it makes perfect sense, especially since the absolute best kind of client for a small service business is a referred client.

Now, the real problem comes with accounting. Again, from my own experience, I knew exactly what margin I had to maintain and how much business I had to gross each month on average in order to continue to be a going concern. If I had to lop 10% or more off the top of every referred contract, I would not make enough money to continue existence. Therefore, I had to add that percentage to my own margin, thus essentially decreasing the value of the service or tangible goods supplied to the client. Was this the "right" way to do it? I don't know. What I do know is that many others did - and do - the same. Fortunately, sometimes a middleman can get around it by lowering the rental price of some goods or re-negotiating with suppliers. However, when there is only a service, then something has to suffer. But I must ask again. Is this bad? The client gets the expertise of you, the middleman, without having to do a lot of legwork on his or her own. That in itself is a valuable service.

If this still sounds like an obnoxious practice to you and hurts your ethical sensibilities, then maybe we as an industry must take steps to stop it. Perhaps it should be specifically written into codes of conduct or included in all contracts. I doubt, though, that it will ever disappear completely. Keep in mind that for most other cultures in our world, this way of doing business is the norm and is very acceptable.

I must caution that I am only discussing the practices of private business and not public or government contracts.

I would welcome comments and experiences on this always touchy subject.

Your Reputation: It's All About Paying Suppliers

2011-04-06T08:47:00.003-07:00

In the event business, reputation is everything. Most event planners and producers operate a small - and I emphasize small - business. If that reputation becomes sullied in any way, there is little chance of recovery. One of the absolute best and easiest ways to maintain a stellar reputation is to also maintain a positive relationship with your suppliers. Although I could go into a list of how to treat suppliers, what I want to emphasize in this short post is the need to pay them promptly.

Most accountants will advise that accounts payable should be allowed to take the maximum time permissible. For example, if the event producer has contracted with a lighting company to install and operate a lighting system for the event, and the contract allows for up to 30 days after the event before full payment is required, then in order to keep as much cash available as possible, the full 30 day time period should be used up before payment. A word of caution is due here, however. In reality, this can sometimes spell trouble for the event producer if followed to the letter. Experience has shown that suppliers who are paid promptly by event producers are much more likely to offer discounts, better service, and even longer payment terms when necessary to those event producers for future events, since they know the event producers to be reputable. Far better, in fact, is to have a cheque in hand at the event to give final payment to the supplier in order to maintain and enhance this reputation. This is particularly true for small suppliers such as individual entertainers who themselves are often operating on the edge of bankruptcy.

I know. It was always my policy to pay performers and suppliers either at the event if I was there, or by cheque in the mail the day following. I can tell you for sure that this pays off. I frequently received referrals to clients from suppliers. In fact, one even resulted in a contract worth over $80,000.

Keep this in mind the next time you're considering waiting to pay suppliers until your client pays you rather than paying your suppliers immediately.

Calling a Show: Part Two

2011-03-29T17:35:00.001-07:00

Yes, calling the actual show can be scary and intimidating. It can also be extremely satisfying when completed. It's not really that hard. Here are some basic guidelines (thanks again to http://www.simply-communicate.com/).

Do exactly what is in the script and what has been rehearsed but watch and listen to what is going on onstage and all around you constantly; don’t relax. The secret is to get a flow established.

Be consistent. If you always say it in the same order, then people will get used to it (e.g. SND, LX, VT, etc).
In general terms, three to four words is about a second when spoken out loud.
Cue process one: standby. Remind crew what they are standing by for in general terms at the beginning (e.g. a speaker changeover, the name of the video, etc). Then put everyone on standby together, saying what each is to do as you go (if you have time), particularly if video or music is to be used; (use specific names to be absolutely sure). Standbys are usually given around five to 10 seconds before a go, subject to how many people you have to standby and how long you have between cues. You should also allow time for people to acknowledge their standby and a bit of space before the cue.
Cue process two: go. Allow time to state the item to be cued first, then say “go” (never the other way around or they will all go and that may not be the creative direction).
Performers, presenters, and other individuals who know they must appear onstage during an event program (i.e. are not award winners) should be escorted to the backstage or holding area so they are standing by at that location a minimum of 10 minutes prior to their appearance onstage. This means that the show caller – and especially the stage managers - will have to gauge the time it takes to travel with these individuals (or groups for that matter) from their green room or other location to backstage and be ready to go at the correct time. This is not necessarily as easy as it seems, since the green room may be on another building level, there may be large crowds or long convoluted hallways to navigate, and some groups may take time to assemble themselves. It is always better to err on the side of arriving backstage earlier rather than later.
If there haven’t been cues for a while, then let everyone know there are two minutes to go before the next cue so they wake up, set up a CD or VT, or prepare accordingly.
React to changes that may occur once in show mode (e.g. a speaker is faster or slower than you thought) and immediately adjust your running order as needed.

In the example below, the Production Manager or TD (TD) is “Doug”, who is “calling the show,” the Stage Manager (SM) is “John,” LX is Lighting, and the Video Director is VD.

TD: “Doug for John.”
SM: “Go for John.”
TD: “Standby with Mr. Smith at stage right and put him at stage right lectern after this speaker finishes.”
SM: “10 – 4.”
TD: “Standby lighting with new wash for Mr. Smith.”
LX: “Standing by.”
TD: “John, Mr. Smith onstage. Go.”
SM: “Mr. Smith is onstage.”
TD: “Lighting, change to a blue wash for Mr. Smith. Go.”
LX: “Blue wash is on Mr. Smith.”
TD: “Standby video with the next clip after Mr. Smith. It’s the clip for the new sales program.”
VD: “Standing by with video clip of new program.”
TD: “Video clip of new program. Go.”

And so on as per the show running order and script. To reiterate, there is a standard sequence for giving verbal cues:

"Standby Sound Cue 19" (The word “Standby” first).
"Sound Cue 19 Go" (The word “Go” last).

Repeat this same order for the next series of presenters or stage segment and try to keep it going throughout the event. The key is to anticipate and know exactly what must be done at least four or five steps ahead of where you are in the show running order or script. Give everyone lots of time to get to their assigned positions and complete their tasks. Check off each item on the running order or script as it finishes. Try to keep calm and not get flustered if things go wrong. Think logically. Keep in mind that, like an airplane taking off and landing, the first and last 10 minutes of the show are the most critical and they are the times when something is most likely to go wrong. If you are new to the game, start on a really simple show and work your way up from there.

You can find more about calling shows and the equipment used in my book Special Event Production: The Process.

Calling a Show

2011-03-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

A producer works hard to create and bring together all of the elements of an event - and today's events can be technically complex. However, some producers are either not confident enough to bring the actual show together on cue, or may be spread too thinly with the added responsibility. In these cases, the producer may hire either a Technical Director (TD) or a separate "show caller." Show callers are usually people who have worked in theater and called cues in theatrical extravaganzas as stage managers (in the theatrical definition). They are seasoned and experienced in interpreting a producer’s requirement for the crew to make sure everything happens at the right time and with maximum theatrical impact, where appropriate. If a show caller is hired to run only the show, that person is coming in to the event “cold” with no knowledge about it whatsoever and must therefore be brought up to speed very quickly. We will assume this scenario for the following explanations, much of which has been provided courtesy http://www.simply-communicate.com/. For purposes of easy explanation, the show caller’s job will be divided into two main segments, pre-show and show.

Pre-Show

Before the actual job of calling the show begins, a certain amount of preparation is required. If time permits, a separate briefing for the show caller is helpful and avoids any last minute panic onsite. The show caller then needs some time to prepare for the show by reviewing the material provided. This is typically followed by a rehearsal, particularly if the show is complex.

A show caller will need the following information which will usually be provided either by the Producer or TD:

Names of all crew members on intercom
Any announcements needed (e.g. asking the audience to turn off cell phones or any health and safety announcements)
Running order
Scripts (including entrance and exit points)
Print outs of PowerPoint slides (for checking if correct ones are projected)
Video play list showing each video’s duration time
Music play list showing each track’s duration time
Production schedule showing crew call times, any rehearsals, and all show times (to be reviewed throughout the day with the producer)
Presets (i.e. required pre-placements of persons, props, or other items at specific points in the program)
Creative interpretation of the running order
Background of any speakers or other useful information.

Typically, there are some procedures that a show caller will use to prepare the script and himself/herself for the show. Much of it is personal preference, but the following are general guidelines:

A show caller will need: pencil and/or marker pens, rubber bands, ruler, stopwatch (with big numbers and preferably no beeping noise), watch (synchronized with the producer’s), water, mints, plain paper.
If you are the show caller, have the script on a right hand page and your writing on the left hand page. Write alongside where the cue in the script needs to happen (on the left hand page) and use a ruler to draw a horizontal line (in pencil) to link into the cue point. At the point where the cue happens, draw a short vertical line up from the horizontal line to mark this cue point.
Plan timings for when you are going to do certain things.
Ensure all technical crew members are on headsets.
Make an announcement for crew to turn cell phones and pagers off.
Put in all presets to check they are all in place.
Put in cues for yourself for announcements (e.g. to announce “10 minutes until doors open”).
To minimize the amount of words or space used on a page when you are writing in information, you can use abbreviations for key elements to be used, such as “A” or “SND” for audio/sound, “L” or “LX” for lighting, “V” or “VT” for video, etc.
Try out cues by speaking out loud, never in your head or you won’t get a sense of the timing.

A technical run-through of the script is a must if there are numerous technical cues and a long program, such as an extended awards show. The show caller can once again make it easier to run the show by considering the following during rehearsal:

Create your space. For most show callers or TDs, this is usually at the technical console position, next to the producer. Position yourself so your free ear is next to the producer, when you are on headsets. Again, everyone has a preference. I personally prefer to call a complex show from the rear of the venue from a central communication station that is connected to all the technical people involved, and from where I can see the whole picture. Other times, if the show involves a lot of entertainment that might be entering and leaving from different parts of the venue, I work better calling the show using wireless comm that gives me the flexibility to move around and change the way the show flows if I see it needs it, or to talk directly to an entertainer or presenter. See the figure below for a typical TD or show caller position.

TD Calling a Show (Courtesy Darren Dreger, BC Event Management, www. bceventmanagement.com)

Talk to the crew casually before the technical rehearsal to determine: Have they got all their software? Do they know their running order? Is there anything you need to know (e.g. how a piece of technology works and what you need to cue)?
Agree to cue numbers if the crew wants to use those. (LX usually does; others probably don’t but it’s worth asking.)
Tell the crew what sort of cues you are going to give them.
Always get crew to acknowledge stand-bys.
Be firm but fair, listen for their feedback or suggestions but remember you are in control.
Take it steady and do one cue sequence at a time. Get it right, and then move on.
Make sure you have re-written your cues before you try a cue or sequence again; take your time and make sure you really understand what the producer wants and how to achieve it.
Start your stopwatch for videos, just in case the video engineer forgets to count you down. Also make a note of a sequence 30 seconds before the end so you can start the stand-bys to come out of the video.

Finally, and most critically, speakers and entertainment need time to rehearse. They must understand how long they are allowed onstage because impromptu, unrehearsed speeches and entertainment acts that are longer than promised can wreak havoc with a show and cause it to go much longer than planned. A full or partial speaker and entertainment rehearsal can help to avoid this, by having the show caller consider the following:

Be alert so you can respond to changes, update your cues, put people on stand-by, etc.
Keep communicating with the crew so they know what is going on and what to prepare for.
Try out any changes the producer may have made after the technical rehearsal.
Time all speakers with a stopwatch as they will ask how long they were and it will help you plan timings for the actual show.
If possible, remind the producer to ask the speakers for their last few words leading into a video to help with the cueing.
Ensure all speakers tell you where they will be located in the audience for the 30 minutes preceding their time onstage in order that stage managers can find them easily.
For entertainment, ensure they know how long they are allowed onstage, where and what equipment must be pre-placed onstage and removed after their act, and at what point in the program (exact time) they are to be ready in their green rooms.
Ensure all speakers and entertainers understand how they will enter and exit the stage.
Work out a standardized method of removing speakers or entertainers from the stage if they go over their allotted time – and ensure they all know what the signal is. This could be the subtle playing of a musical tune on CD or by an onstage orchestra, the flashing of a light from the technical console, the frantic waving of an offstage stage manager in the wings, or if all else fails, turning off the microphone.

Next time, we'll look at the actual show.

Real-Time Monitoring of Truss Loading for Safety

2011-03-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

As readers may know, I am a stickler for event safety, particuarly in such high-risk areas as the flying of trussing loaded with audio and lighting gear, as well as the occasional performer. Here is a video of a new system for monitoring loads in real-time. Well worth a look for riggers and lighting designers.

What Does an Audio Engineer Do During an Event?

2011-03-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

If the sound check has been done properly, there is not too much to worry about for the audio engineer in terms of maintaining levels. However, if the event is complicated and will involve speeches, followed by entertainment, followed by a band, and all channels of a large mixer are being used, then he must be constantly vigilant. He will need to do some or all of the following during the event:

Adjust individual channel faders on the mixer to minimize feedback and to isolate speeches (i.e. turn off all channels except the speech microphone)
Adjust individual channel faders for instrumental solos, backup vocalists, or other inputs such as CD/DVD backing tracks, voiceover microphones, video, or PowerPoint feeds
Prevent feedback by adjusting house EQ and main mixer and individual channel faders
Adjust effects as needed for best sound quality
Maintain house volume to an acceptable level for the audience and client
Adjust monitor levels and fine-tune monitor mixes as requested by the performers (this task may be assigned totally to a separate monitor engineer).

This then, is the essence of special event audio systems. The technology is constantly changing and improving, particularly with the advent of digital mixers and the integration of tasks into single devices. However, the basics remain the same. Understand them and the new technology will become much easier to follow.

If you want to learn about audio systems in more detail, including an in-depth explanation of the actual equipment, check out my recent book Special Event Production: The Resources.

What is a Sound Check?

2011-02-22T17:10:00.000-08:00

What is the purpose of the sound check and why does it take so long? This is perhaps one of the most misunderstood - but absolutely necessary - tasks that must be carried out for a special event to run without technical glitches, especially one with a large audience and complicated audio requirements. Event producers must understand that sufficient time has to be allotted to accomplish it. One to two hours - or more - are not unusual for a complete check.

A thorough sound check is done for several reasons.

Testing the system. Because of the number of components in most audio systems, initial testing must be done slowly and in the right order so no damage is done to components, mainly speakers. Before the system is turned on at all, the crossover points (i.e. specific frequencies) must be set for all the speakers so that signal power is not too great for the speakers. After this, the system components are turned on in the general order of: effects, EQ, mixer, and amplifiers. This is done with all volume and gain controls (knob that controls the small electrical signal entering the main mixer on each channel) set to zero and most other knobs at a neutral position on the mixer. Following this, the individual speakers (mid/high frequency speakers then low frequency speakers or "bass bins") are tested to ensure that only the correct frequencies are coming through them.
Setting equalization (EQ). The main reasons for using equalization (specific frequency adjustment) in an audio system are to prevent feedback and to help create a desired sound. Of these, feedback is of the most concern and the one annoying problem that can keep cropping up throughout an event if this procedure is not done properly. The procedure is done in exactly the same way for main speakers and for monitors. The preferred method now is to use an analyzer system that compares the output of the console with what is heard coming out the main speakers via calibrated microphones in the audience. After going to all this trouble, there may still be a problem with feedback due to the different acoustics in the venue once all the event attendees are present, so EQ usually needs to be monitored continuously during the event.
Adjusting individual channel signals. From this point on during the sound check, the band or performers should be present so they can provide information to the audio engineer as to the acceptability of their sound. For this exercise, individual channel signal inputs are tested separately. For example, the lead vocalist’s microphone is tested by first turning the gain control on that channel up until clipping or signal cutoff is shown by a light on the mixer channel. The gain is then turned down just below this level and remains there with no further adjustment during the event. From then on, the only adjustment is to the individual channel faders. The purpose of doing this is to get the maximum possible clear signal from each input source. Once this is accomplished for all channels, then the main mixer faders can be turned up and the individual channel faders adjusted to obtain a suitable overall mix coming out of the main speakers. Most audio engineers will assign a name to each channel at this time on a piece of tape and sometimes will set a preliminary level indication as well for each channel. This entire process can take quite a long time with a large band, so that time must be built into the event schedule. Here is a summary of the relationship amongst the different volume controls on the mixer:

The gain control adjusts individual signals as they come into the mixer (i.e. individual microphones or insturment signals).
The channel fader adjusts the signal level as it leaves the individual channel on its way to the main fader.
The main fader adjusts the entire level of all signals as they leave the mixer on their way to the amps and main speakers.

Setting monitor mixes. This is a procedure that in theory is very simple. The musicians onstage decide who wants to hear which of the other performers (either instruments or vocals or both) and then those specific channels are combined in the monitor mixer to create a specific mix that is sent to that person’s individual monitor. If there are only one or two mixes required as with a small band, then this mix procedure can be handled by the main mixer using the auxiliary send channels. If there are too many mixes for the main mixer, then a separate monitor mixer must be set up beside the stage and an audio technician assigned to mix the monitors full-time during the event. Of course, every musical group has different requirements so there is no set mix that can be described. What should be remembered, however, is that although the procedure is simple in theory, in practice it can be the most time-consuming part of the sound check. Event producers should keep this in mind. In the case of musical groups, Tim Lewis of Proshow Audiovisual-Broadcast in Vancouver, Canada, states how important it is to have a band that is organized for the sound check and especially for setting mixes. He cites one group that uses a method of going through the monitor mix procedure one musician at a time by having that musician play while all others raise their hands until their individual mix is perfect. This saves considerable time overall and is one of the best ways to accomplish the procedure if in-ear monitors are used.
Setting up effects. This is usually the last part of the sound check and is done to enhance or improve overall sound quality rather than to cover up mistakes or poor musicianship. Effects include reverb (simulates acoustic effect of a large room), chorus (simulates effect of more than one person singing), flanging (makes the sound appear to "whoosh" or pulsate), and are added at this time. The procedure is really just a balancing act in obtaining a nice sound using a combination of the individual channel effects send knob and the master effects send knob (both on the main mixer), plus the effects mixture controls and the effects level knob (both on the individual effect units).

Now that the sound check is complete, it’s time to open the doors and start the event (after crew dinner break, of course)!

Let's Talk Audio Systems

2011-02-07T17:25:00.000-08:00

One important technical component of special events that is very misunderstood or, more accurately, not understood at all by a large majority of event planners and managers is the audio system. Why is this important? Well, think of yourself as a doctor. How can you successfully know how to treat people if you do not understand how all the components of the human body work? How, then, as an event planner, can you give your client the best event experience without understanding how the various components of the event work?

I'm going to use the next couple of blogs to review what happens to sound from its origin onstage to the final audible sound that emerges from the house speakers and is heard by the audience. For the purpose of the exercise, let's assume we are working with a nine-piece show band on a large stage in a hotel or conference center ballroom.

Here is what a typical stage plot for the band might look like when they (the band) give it to the event manager who forwards it to the audio company.

With the stage plot in hand, the audio company figures out what equipment they need to successfully make the band sound great. They then set up the room for this and the end result will be something like the following diagram of audio equipment locations in the room (not to scale).

As you can see, there are quite a few extra pieces of equipment which have been added to what started as a simple request from the band. Let's look at what these are, but more importantly, why they are needed to convert the band's sound to one that can be heard by the entire audience. We'll do it by following what we call the audio signal.

First of all, the audio signal begins as a sound wave within the INPUT GROUP of equipment, most of which is generally found onstage. This group of equipment includes vocal and instrument microphones, which convert sound waves like a vocalist's voice into tiny electrical signals. Other members of this group include instrument DIs (direct input boxes), keyboard mixers, and occasionally CD/DVD players controlled by performers.

Second, the audio signal (now comprised of small electrical signals) goes into a transformer-isolated "snake" that sends one set of the same signals to the main mixer, and one set to the monitor mixer. The snake is really just a long "extension cord" that connects all the signals onstage to the equipment the audio engineer uses at the audio control position at Front-Of-House (FOH), usually at least 30 ft across the room. It also connects the onstage signals with the monitor engineer position near the stage. He/she is the person who controls the sound the musicians use to hear themselves because they cannot hear the main room speakers onstage since they (the musicians) are physically behind the main speakers.

Third, the audio signal is processed in the SIGNAL PROCESSING AND ROUTING GROUP, by the main house (FOH) mixer, located at that position typically 30 ft or more across the room from the stage, where it is raised in strength, and has various effects like reverb added in the house effects racks, then is looped back to the main mixer.

Fourth and last, the audio signal goes from the main mixer into the OUTPUT GROUP, in which a house equalizer adjusts frequencies, a house limiter controls the maximum strength of the signal, house crossovers split it into different frequency bands, power amplifiers boost its strength, and finally the house speakers which convert it back into sound waves that the audience hears.

That's a very brief and simple overview and no doubt some of the terminology is still confusing although you have probably heard the terms before. In my next post, I will review what is entailed in a sound check and what the audio engineer does during an event, as well as trying to explain in a little more detail what the purpose of all this equipment is.

Trussing Safety

2010-12-13T17:09:00.001-08:00

If you look back at some of my older posts (Oct.28, 07 and Mar.16, 09), you will see my emphasis on safety and effective risk management. One of the biggest concerns for safety is in trussing. I am still amazed at the number of major trussing collapses that occur each year at special events. Here are just a few examples from YouTube that have happened in the past couple of years.

1. Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake Concert 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pDyfA3hsng

2. Elton John Chichen Itza Concert Stage Collapse 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXszTmkzqKw

3. Madonna Concert Stage Collapse in France 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP0VoqYAc-Y&feature=related

4. Stage Collapse at Big Valley Jamboree in Canada, August 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt-vOBG78uA&feature=fvw

5. Silverdome Truss Collapse 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crQQ6XTGuYM&feature=related

6. South African Stage Trussing Collapse 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHY9V-QxqzM&feature=related

7. Roof System Collapse in Turkey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZDvrVW-TZI&feature=related

8. Rocklahoma Side Stages Collapse 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdXgIOaEaaA&feature=related

It's pretty obvious that even production teams for the most well-known stars have problems. That still is no reason to bypass the necessary equipment safety standards and procedures for safe installation of trussing used in smaller events. But we're rushing things a bit. Let's look at trussing from the beginning.

Trussing as we know it, started to develop at the end of the 1970s in response to the entertainment industry’s demand for lightweight, strong temporary structures that could span the width of a stage and be used to hang lighting and audio systems. Familiar with the spatial lattice structures found in bridges, scaffolding, and buildings, manufacturers used this as the basis for modern truss design. Today it is ubiquitous in the industry and comes in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and strengths.

Trussing must be able to withstand loads imposed on it in shear (i.e. force directed along the cross section, such as high loads on top of a vertical truss section) and in deflection (i.e. force directed down and perpendicular to its horizontal access, such as too many luminaires clamped in one position). The amount it can withstand depends of course on its size and rated load. Each type and size of truss is rated by the manufacturer for specific maximum loads under these conditions. It is therefore critical that riggers know the exact loads that will be imposed on the truss in these conditions and what the total weight of the loaded truss will be so that the correct choice of supporting wire rope cable, slings, and chain motors may be made. Not only that, but the truss supplier for an event (e.g. usually the lighting company) is obligated to understand the load rating of their truss and to choose the proper truss accordingly, knowing in detail what the loading will be before the truss is ever rigged into position.

Particularly important are unique loading scenarios encountered outdoors. These include:

Wind. Wind can cause damage to canopies and walls, it can overload trusses and towers due to the extra load of attached walls, and it can lift all or part of the complete structure.
Rain or snow. This can make trussing slippery for climbing, it can cause overloading of rooftops due to accumulation of snow or water, it can cause short-circuiting in control systems, and it can cause the support of saturated soils to weaken.
Lightning. This can cause severe personal safety risk if it hits towers.
Temperature. Solar heat can cause aluminum to become extremely hot, thus making it unsafe to the touch. It may also cause the safe temperature of any polyester cling covers to exceed their allowable limit. (e.g. surface temperature can reach 150 C, greater than the normal safe limit for polyester of 100 C).

It is therefore imperative that such things as roofs be constructed properly and with due consideration of the expected weather conditions. For example, the inclusion of supporting guy wires, base distance frames (to minimize compression loads), and adequate ballast is absolutely necessary. Additionally, heights of towers and roofs must be restricted to recommended maximums, both indoors and outdoors. For example, the height of a tower grid system should be no more than 6 m if the width of the outrigger tower base is 2 m (outdoors is generally three, and indoors four times the base width as a rule-of-thumb). A properly qualified rigger and the truss supplier should be able to certify compliance with these requirements.

From this it can be implied that to rig trussing at an event without using a properly qualified rigger is asking for trouble. And that goes for trussing hung indoors or roof systems that are ground-supported outdoors.

One positive recent development is the introduction of a North American, industry-wide certification program by the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA). This program, called the Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP), requires that riggers pass a three-hour knowledge exam set and scored by an independent body, the Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. There are two certification categories: ETCP Certified Rigger – Arena and ETCP Certified Rigger – Theatre. For the special event industry, the arena certification is the desired one and it is strongly recommended that producers only work with such qualified individuals.

You wouldn't want your event to end up being a disaster video on YouTube.

Stage Safety

2010-11-21T12:31:00.000-08:00

Back in March I detailed how to determine the proper horizontal size of a stage. The topic has proven to be quite popular, so I am now going to add some more to it and discuss stage safety.

Too many event producers and event managers are unaware of the fact that there are currently no North American standards for the allowable loading of stages. Why is this important? Consider the fact that, in the last seven years, at least fifteen temporary stages have collapsed at special events in various countries around the world. Now I'm not talking about the trussing and roof structures over or around or near stages but the actual stage surfaces themselves. Trussing is another serious problem in itself and I'll talk about it in the future. In many of these incidents, people were seriously injured or killed. In fact, some of the collapses were of the stages that major stars were to perform on.

Here are links to several You Tube videos of stage collapses:

Event producers must be aware of the allowable loading for any given stage design, and since there are no standards, it makes this point even more important because, as part of proper risk management, the stage provider, whether it is a venue or a subcontracted staging company, should be able to provide producers with the deck manufacturer’s figures for safe loading limits. In the case of customized staging, the builder should have made proper calculations or should provide proper calculations from a certified structural engineer to prove that the staging will be adequate for the loads anticipated.

If the staging is owned by a venue, that venue should be able to provide an event manager/producer with the documentation for the allowable loading of the staging. Guesswork or corporate knowledge does not suffice.

I'll delve deeper into the actual loads in my next post.

Interesting Entertainment and Event Links

2010-11-14T14:28:00.000-08:00

1. Compilation of more than 40 dance scenes from movie vaults
http://www.flixxy.com/movie-dancing-compilation.htm

2. 2010 Harbin China ice and snow sculpture festival
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/01/harbin_ice_and_snow_sculpture.html

Thanks to meeting specialist Corbin Ball for the links in his always informative newsletter at http://www.corbinball.com/techtalk/index.cfm?fuseaction=cor_av&artid=8153

More New Tent and Tensile Structure Ideas

2010-11-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

I have a Russian friend who just won a prestigious award for his tent design from the Industrial Fabrics Association International. His designs are amazing. Check out http://www.ifaipublications.com/iaa/articles/2213_summer.html.

While you're there also take a look at other winners who have some very creative concepts with potential application for special events.

Technical and Logistical Requirements for Outdoor Venues

2010-11-08T10:52:00.000-08:00

Last time we looked at the techinical requirements for indoor venues. This time, we look at outdoor sites. Outdoor sites present an entirely different set of concerns for producers, some requiring extensive and ongoing monitoring. Some of the key ones are:

What is the optimum layout of the site for the most benefit to attendees and the least impact on surrounding neighbors? This includes optimization for foot and possible vehicular traffic.
Where will each and every temporary structure be located? How will necessary power be run to them if needed?
What is the potential acoustic impact on neighbors and must event parameters be changed to minimize the impact?
Where will entrances and exits be located and how many of each will there be?
How accessible is the site for technical equipment load-in and also for emergency vehicles (e.g. fire, police, and ambulance)? Where can technical vehicles be parked?
What is the ground surface and is there anything required to protect it from damage?
Is security fencing required and how much?
Are there any dangerous areas or areas that cannot be used because of hidden infrastructure (e.g. water mains, telephone lines, sewage, electrical)?
Where exactly are water and electrical power located, if any? Can either be tapped into for use at the event? Is portable power required?
What is the best location for portable toilets?
What is the best central location for waste and refuse accumulation?
Is there any available site lighting and is it adequate or must additional be brought in?

Of course, this is a very basic list, but at least it should get you started on surveying a site and determining if it will be suitable for an event.

Armed with the answers to these questions, the producer can now proceed to drawing a site or venue plan to scale and to producing a preliminary production schedule.

Technical Requirements for Indoor Venues

2010-10-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Once you know the room capacity, then there are many more details to be ironed out for a successful event. Some of the key points to be determined are:

Where is power located, what options are available, what is the cost for tie-in, how will it be tied in, and who will do it? Usually lighting and audio prefer power tie-in near or behind the main stage.
Is adequate staging available and can it be set up in a timely manner? Is there a cost for staging as well and is the surface appropriate for the show? Is it steady? Are there safety rails? Is a wheelchair ramp necessary and if so, is one available from the venue or must one be constructed or brought in?
What are the exact dimensions of the room? Where are entrance doors and exits? Where will catering be coming from? Where will bars and other venue-provided services (e.g. buffets) be located?
Where is the best location for the technical riser?
Is there a remote house lighting control available
Where are the hanging points located in the ceiling and what is their load capacity?
Are there any specific restrictions about installation of equipment or décor such as no nails in walls?
What will the venue be doing during event setup? There can be no clashes between technical personnel and venue staff, such as setting up tables at the same time as lighting is being flown. Neither can there be conflicting events in other rooms.
What time is room access?
Is there easy freight elevator and loading dock access and how long does it take to move from the loading dock to the event location? Will all equipment and props fit into the freight elevator or will they have to be brought in via an alternate route and perhaps even at an alternate time? Can all equipment be moved safely through access hallways and doors?
Are ladders or automated lifts (e.g. Genie lifts) available for use to help with rigging in the ceiling? Must a venue qualified operator be used?
Are there green rooms readily available with all necessary amenities for technical personnel and performers?
Is there an area or spare room set aside for technical equipment container (otherwise known as dead cases) storage?
What time is strike and will there be any clashes when loading out?
Where are emergency exits located and where are fire extinguishers located?
What, if any, are the specific venue safety regulations that pertain to any of the responsibility areas of event production?

Following this site visit and as part of the subsequent preparatory event paperwork, the producer must communicate back to the venue exactly what technical assistance will be required from them. This can be done in any number of ways such as by e-mail, fax, or phone call, but the main thing is to have a request on paper. My own company used to create an “Event Requirements” form that would be printed out from our database program that outlined all these basic needs, including such items as staging and the required size, audio needs (e.g. house audio and the number and type of microphones if the event were simple), house lighting and power tie-in needs, changing room (i.e. green room) sizes and additional support (e.g. coat racks, mirrors, refreshments, etc), and any other special requests. This form would also be copied to the client who invariably had the responsibility of paying for some of these requirements (e.g. refreshments, staging, house power tie-in, etc), but of course we would have obtained the client’s approval before sending the form to the venue.

Determining Room Capacity

2010-10-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

Event planners often have trouble determining how many guests can fit into a specific room. I have been in too many situations, especially dinners, where guests are cramped or there is a safety issue because aisles are not wide enough for egress. As luck would have it, there are guidelines, thanks to the Convention Industry Council Manual and the expertise of Catering Managers. Here they are.

• Standup reception. 9 – 10 sq ft (.84 - .93 sq m) per person.
• Theater seating (less than 60 people). 12 – 13 sq ft (1.1 – 1.2 sq m) per person. This allows at least 24 in. (61 cm) of space between rows, which is the most comfortable.
• Theater seating (60 to 300 people). 11 – 12 sq ft (1.0 – 1.2 sq m) per person.
• Theater seating (more than 300 people). 10 – 11 sq ft (.93 – 1.0 sq m) per person.
• Schoolroom general. 17 – 22 sq ft (1.6 – 2.9 sq m) per person. This allows for rectangular tables that are 6 or 8 ft (1.8 or 2.4 m) long and 18 in. (46 cm) wide, with 2 ft (.61 m) per person and 3.5 ft (.91 m) between tables as a minimum for optimum comfort.
• Banquet seating (60 in. or 152 cm diameter rounds). 13.5 sq ft (1.25 sq m) per person for optimum comfort for eight persons at the table. A 12 ft center-to-center separation is best for maximum comfort and safety.
• Banquet seating (66 in. or 168 cm diameter rounds). 13.5 sq ft (1.25 sq m) per person for optimum comfort for nine persons at the table. A 12.5 ft center-to-center separation is best for maximum comfort and safety.
• Banquet seating (72 in. or 183 cm diameter rounds). 13.5 sq ft (1.25 sq m) per person for optimum comfort for 10 persons at the table. A 13 ft center-to-center separation is best for maximum comfort and safety.

Note that these numbers do not allow for any staging or other elements such as décor in the venue. The area occupied by these extra event elements must be taken into consideration if an accurate estimate of capacity is to be determined. For ease of illustration, let us assume that an event will have a stage against the long wall of a rectangular room. The calculation for capacity is therefore given by the following formula:

Capacity     =       Useable area
                          Area per person

                   =   (Room length x Room depth) – (Room length x Stage depth)
                                                      Area per person

Likewise, the area used by any other décor elements or hard impediments must be taken into account and deducted from the total useable area. This method of course assumes that the area behind the stage or other impediment is unusable area. The figure below is a graphical representation of this methodology. In this case, the room length is 100 ft, room depth 80 ft, stage width 20 ft, and stage depth 16 ft.

Determination of the Useable Area of an Indoor Venue

In this example, the total room area is 8000 sq ft (i.e. 100 ft x 80 ft) but the useable area is only 6400 sq ft (i.e. 8000 sq ft – 1600 sq ft) where 1600 sq ft represents the unusable area occupied by the stage and the area behind the front of the stage that runs the length of the room. Assuming that this event is to be a dinner, then the room capacity in this example would be 592 persons (i.e. 8000 sq ft/13.5 sq ft per person) if there were no stage, and 474 persons (i.e. 6400 sq ft/13.5 sq ft per person) if the stage were to be used in the location drawn.

It's always best to double check all calculations for room capacity particuarly when you expect to be close to capacity or when there are numerous other elements in the mix such as buffet tables, staging, or decor.

Creativity Technique: Reversals

2010-07-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the theme of creativity, in this blog I'll give you a useful technique. There are literally hundreds of techniques and methods for generating creative ideas in any endeavour. One of the problems with many of them is that they are better done in groups and with some supervision. In the events industry, we seldom have the time to bring everyone together for brainstorming sessions or to apply strict rules to our idea generation. Luckily, there are much simpler ways to get ideas. One of my favourites is called "Reversals."

The world is full of opposites. Any leader knows that in order to lead well, the leader must learn to follow. Many successful, rich people got there because they once lived poorly. Night turns into day. Winter turns to summer. Problem solving using reversals is a simple and very effective method to get directly to a unique solution if one learns to see things backwards, inside out, or upside down. Here are some ways to do it.

State the problem in reverse. Instead of pondering the question, “How do we get more attendees through our gate and avoid lineups,” consider the question, “How do we get more gates to the attendees?” With minimal thought this could lead to a solution of putting multiple gates farther away from the event site, or perhaps even selling combined entrance/transit tickets if attendees take buses or the subway to the event.
Do what everyone else is not doing. For example, if everyone else is producing politically correct events, consider producing a tongue-in-cheek, politically incorrect event.
Make the statement negative. If, for example, you need to set up all the lights for an event in two hours, consider what would happen if you did not set up any lights in two hours. Where might this lead? Perhaps it would lead to a novel solution of having attendees providing all the lighting using some sort of lanterns they were given as they entered the event.
The “What-If” scenario. This takes any number of situations starting with a “what if” question and applies them to the problem. For example, “What if we ----- magnified it, shrunk it, froze it, heated it, rearranged it, eliminated part of it, put it to another use, changed its shape, etc?” A personalized list can easily be made up for using this method. As an example, how do we solve the rather mundane production problem of ground level dry ice fog being used as a surprise entrance effect, drifting away when the doors open? Let’s apply the “what if” scenario and look at magnifying it (could maybe lead to more fog in the entrance foyer as well), or rearranging it (could maybe lead to putting it in select corners of the event venue at certain times only), or putting it to another use (could maybe lead to using dry ice fog as part of the actual meal service by the wait staff). Obviously, there are many ways to create new approaches to solve the problem.

Try some of these out the next time you need to come up with new ideas in a hurry for a proposal and you will be surprised at the interesting concepts that emerge from your brain.

See one of my new books, Special Event Production: The Process, for more creativity trechniques.

Finding Time for Creativity

2010-06-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

In this business, it's the truly mind-blowing creativity that wins contracts. How does one find time in a busy schedule to come up with those winning ideas? Here are some basic tips I have found useful.

During sleep. A pencil and paper or notebook available at all times, including bedside, ensures that ideas will not be lost. Indeed, some of the best ideas come during the relaxed state of “near-sleep” and this is precisely when ideas need to be jotted down. If the ideas do start to form freely, one should avoid the temptation to force sleep to return and continue with the process until all possibilities have been exhausted in that particular line of thought. This notebook can also be used as a “dream diary” to record dreams on waking, which in turn can act as catalysts to ideas.
During a favorite relaxing activity. Massage, sauna, shower or bath, meditation, listening to music, and reading are all relaxing activities that tend to free the brain from unwanted clutter and stress. In turn, one is more able to daydream and take ideas to their logical conclusion. Jocelyn Flanagan president of event management company e=mc² in Calgary, Canada, uses music to regenerate senses and emotions in her staff so that visuals associated with the emotions and memories begin to appear.
During a favorite aerobic activity. As long as it is not overly strenuous, this is one of the best ways to get ideas flowing. Not only does aerobic activity increase blood flow to the brain, but it also releases endorphins to aid in relaxation, thereby triggering the condition sometimes called “runner’s high.” This can be a powerful opportunity to generate new ideas and work them through to conclusion. Examples are jogging, walking, swimming, and cycling. Activity should be for a minimum of about 20 minutes or more in order to have enough time to get into a relaxed state and take advantage of it to generate ideas.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In addition to exercise, creativity specialist Linda Naiman recommends eating well, especially vitamin B, and also getting lots of rest, both of which encourage brain activity (Hall, 2004).
Having fun. The “work” of creativity goes more smoothly in an atmosphere of lightheartedness. Amabile (1996) found that people in companies were more likely to have a breakthrough if they were happy the day before. Researchers also report that when teams of people are working together on a problem, those groups that laugh most readily and most often are more creative and productive than their more dour and decorous counterparts. Joking around makes good sense; playfulness is itself a creative state (Goleman and Kaufman, 1992).

So get out there and get creative!!

References:

Amabile, T.M. (1996). Creativity in context. Boulder, CO: Westview.
Hall, Neal. (August 24, 2004). The Art of Creativity. The Vancouver Sun, B2.
Goleman, D., and Kaufman, P. (March 1992). The art of creativity. Psychology Today. ID 1903.

Display Fireworks Safety

2010-05-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

We all know how emotional and awe-inspiring outdoor, display fireworks can be, especially after seeing the display at major public events such as the opening of the World Expo. That emotion comes with a price tag, and the price is not just in the cost of the fireworks themselves. The safety factor is undeniably the most important one in getting approval for a show. I'm sure readers have heard of some of the disasters that arise from lack of proper safety considerations, and ignoring safety can lead to exorbitant liability costs. Here is some insight about how to best get approval for a fireworks show.

The USA and Canada have set up stringent regulations that govern the permit requirements, setup, placement, loading, safe distances of crowds, cleanup, storage, and transportation of commercial display fireworks. In the US, the most important documents are the National Fire Protection Association standard NFPA 1123: Fireworks Display (2006 Edition) and NFPA 1124: Code for the Manufacturing, Transportation, Storage and Retail Sale of Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (2006 Edition). In Canada, the comparable governing document is the Display Fireworks Manual, put out by the Explosives Regulatory Division (ERD) of Natural Resources Canada. Any event producers contemplating using display fireworks should obtain a current copy of the applicable federal documents, as well as local state, provincial, or municipal regulations which may differ throughout each country. Generally speaking, any event producer who wishes to hold an outdoor fireworks display must have the following in their possession, either personally or through the official fireworks contractor.

License or certification to work with display fireworks. This could be either a state requirement (if in the USA) and requirements may differ throughout the country, or a federal requirement (if in Canada). In Canada, certification is the law, and is set to federal standards by the ERD. Anyone who handles display fireworks must be at least an Apprentice. Any producers who are planning display fireworks shows should always insist that the fireworks contractor be fully certified.
Approval to purchase display fireworks (usually federal and/or state).
Permit to hold a fireworks display (usually obtained from the AHJ or "authority having jurisdiction," such as local municipal fire, parks, or police department). Occasionally, the permit and approval to purchase are the same, depending on the jurisdiction.
Permission of land owner, lessee, or agent to hold a fireworks display.
Insurance of a minimum amount and type as specified by contract (i.e. the client/producer contract) and local regulations (usually the same organization that grants the permit). The most common minimum amount now required is $5 million liability.
A site plan with complete details of crowd and fireworks locations, emergency access, water locations, etc. (usually a requirement of the AHJ).

This is one area where trying to skirt the rules cannot be tolerated. Good luck and enjoy your next fireworks show.

Find out more about outdoor display fireworks and indoor proximate pyrotechnics in my new book Special Event Production: The Resources.

Portable Toilets for Events

2010-04-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

The question of how many portable toilets, what kind, and where to put them is always a concern, particularly for large outdoor events. The keys to the successful incorporation of portable toilets into an event are essentially threefold:

1. Correct estimation of the number of units needed. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the United Kingdom recommends that, when estimating the number of units required at an event, consideration be given to the duration of the event, the perceived consumption of food and beverages (particularly alcohol) by the audience, timing of breaks in entertainment performances, provision for children or elderly who make take longer to use a facility, and weather conditions and temperature. In addition, the ratio of women to men is essential to correctly estimating numbers. The figures below are combined averages of several sources (National Event Services, 2006; Government of Western Australia, 2004; and Rutherford-Silvers, 2004), and can be used for general estimates of toilet units required based on event duration (eight hours for both these graphs) and whether or not alcohol is consumed. Note that the straight lines in these graphs are the trend lines of the averages and it these lines that should be used. In addition to the number of toilet units, hand wash stations should be provided in the ratio of approximately 20% of the total number of toilets (i.e. for 100 toilets, 20 hand wash stations are needed). The Government of Western Australia (2004) in their extensive event guidelines, also further recommend that for more attendees:

Female toilets increase at the rate of one per 100 females with alcohol, or one per 200 without alcohol.
Male toilets increase at the rate of three per 500 males with alcohol, or three per 1000 without alcohol.

For events with different durations, they have the following recommendations for units:

More than eight hours, 100% increase over graph values
Six to eight hours, 80% of graph values
Four to six hours, 75% of graph values
Less than four hours, 70% of graph values.

According to National Event Services, in the US, federal and state guidelines also require one ADA toilet unit for each “cluster” of toilets, which works out to approximately 10% of the entire order that should be handicapped units. Event workers and employees must have their own dedicated facilities that should be located near work areas, specifically backstage, near the mixer tower, next to catering areas and car parks, and near first aid and children’s areas. Toilets with hot and cold hand-washing facilities should be provided for food handlers.

Portable Toilet Requirements for an Eight-Hour Event (Total Attendance up to 30,000)

Portable Toilet Requirements for an Eight-Hour Event (Total Attendance 25,000 to 100,000)

2. Correct location of the units. Where possible, toilets should be located at different points around the event site to minimize crowding and queuing problems. Attention should be given to accessibility for servicing and emptying. This may include temporary roadways and dedicated access routes, subject to the site layout.

3. Regular servicing schedule. Depending on the type, portable toilet units have waste storage tank capacities ranging from about 150 liters (40 gal) to 250 liters (65 gal). On average, a single usage will deposit approximately 1.4 liters (.37 gal) of waste. Based on another average of 54 to 75 seconds per use (men versus women), smaller units may therefore require major service and emptying of toilet receptacles as frequently as every two hours, or as infrequently as four hours, but this may need to be monitored if some units receive heavier usage than others due to their location. At a minimum, units should be cleaned and checked for supply replenishment (e.g. toilet paper) at two-hour intervals, and a plumber should at least be on call for short events and on site for longer events. Major service procedure involves driving the service truck to within approximately 20 ft (6 m) of the portable toilet, pumping or evacuating the effluent from the portable toilet receptacle into the truck holding tank, recharging the portable toilet receptacle, and performing minor repairs to the portable toilet as needed.

Read more about toilets in my new book from Elsevier, Special Event Production: The Resources.

References:

Government of Western Australia. (September 2004). Guidelines for Concerts, Events and Organized Gatherings. Department of Health.
National Event Services. (2006). Portable Toilet Calculator for Events. Retrieved September 11, 2006, from www.rentnational.com.
Rutherford-Silvers, Julia. (2004). Professional Event Coordination. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Determining Stage Sizes

2010-03-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

I'm going to go back to some technical stuff for this blog. One of the problems I have always had is trying to figure out just what size a stage should be, particularly when there is a diverse mixture of people and performers who will be using it.

Determining the correct area of a stage is sometimes more art than science. Unfortunately, event planners and managers often do not give it enough consideration. The horizontal area must accommodate any and all activities that will take place on it. Even though speeches may occupy 3 hours and 55 minutes out of a 4-hour program with only one speaker appearing at a time, but there is a finale with a 12-member dance ensemble, the stage has to be big enough from the outset to accommodate the dance ensemble. In other words, it must be large enough to allow for the activity that will require the most space, no matter how important or how long that activity is in relation to the rest of the staged program

For most activities, there are no golden rules. Every performing group usually has a minimum size of stage that will accommodate their performance and they should be consulted prior to event setup to ensure that the properly sized stage is ordered. Generally, for speakers at a lectern, a minimum of 15 - 20 ft² is required. Unfortunately, if the event consists of only speeches by one or two persons at a time such as an awards ceremony, having a small stage might not automatically be the correct choice. The stage size in relation to the size of the venue and also in relation to the size of the stage set and any additional décor or audio-visual equipment must be taken into consideration. For example, if an awards ceremony is to take place with a stage set up in the middle of a 150 ft long wall, and two large A-V screens with surrounding drape are to extend to the side walls on either side of the stage, it does not make good design sense to have a stage that is only eight or 12 ft wide as it is completely out of proportion to the remainder of the room’s décor and the scale of the entire venue. The stage must reflect the correct proportion, and should be more in the order of about one third of the total width of the venue or 40 to 50 ft wide, in spite of the small number of persons occupying it at any given time. Part of the extra space may also be taken up purposely with a well-designed stage set.

In the case of musical groups, it is better to compute an accurate size of stage based on fairly static area requirements for individual musicians. The following guidelines are useful for calculating stage sizes for musical groups.

• Electronic rhythm instruments. 25 - 30 ft² per musician (e.g. guitar, bass, keyboards) including amplifiers and equipment.
• Acoustic instruments. 10 – 15 ft² per musician (e.g. brass, woodwinds, strings), including chairs and music stands.
• Drummer. 50 - 70 ft², including all equipment. Drummers are often elevated on a small riser (usually 8 ft x 8 ft x 6 to 12 inches high) for better visualization.
• Spinet piano. 30 ft².
• Full grand piano. 100 ft².
• Vocalists. 10 ft² per vocalist if backup and not moving too much; 30 – 50 ft² per vocalist for a lead vocalist, and possibly more if part of a show band.

As an example, a five-piece regular dance band with a single lead singer, a drummer, a keyboard player, a bass player, and a guitarist, would require approximately 155 to 210 ft² of space using the variable area extremes from the above list. This would equate to a stage with horizontal dimensions of 16 ft x 12ft (192 ft²) for the absolute minimum sized stage, and at least three choices for the stage that would accommodate the band in a roomier manner. These possibilities would be 16 ft x 16 ft (256 ft²), 20 ft x 12 ft (240 ft²), or 20 ft x 16 ft (320 ft²), all assuming single riser dimensions of 8 ft x 4 ft. Since most musicians do not like to play beside a drummer but rather in front, and since a drum kit is approximately 8 ft deep, this means that the drummer occupies essentially the back or upstage 8 ft of the stage alone. Thus, there must still be at least 105 ft² of stage area remaining (155 ft² minimum less 50 ft² minimum for the drummer). If the stage size is 20 ft x 12ft, that means there is only the front or upstage 4 ft remaining for the rest of the band to play on, a total of only 80 ft² of space (i.e. 20 ft wide x 4 ft deep, after subtracting the upstage 8 ft occupied by the drummer), which is inadequate. Therefore, the correct stage size should be 20 ft wide x 16 ft deep, which would leave an ample 160 sq. ft (i.e. 20 ft wide x 8 ft deep, after subtracting the upstage 8 ft occupied by the drummer) for the rest of the band. Although this sounds complicated, it is an exercise that a producer must go through if an adequately sized stage is to be provided for the entertainment planned.

In addition to drum risers for dance or show groups, larger musical ensembles such as symphony orchestras or big bands often specify tiered riser sections on top of the regular stage for the different orchestra sections, such as percussion, strings, brass, or woodwinds. The height and horizontal size of these risers is usually determined by the orchestra leader, and specified in their contract rider.

As far as vertical stage size goes, it is purely a matter of sight lines. The more compressed together the audience is and the farther back from the stage the audience extends, the higher the stage should be.

See my latest book, Special Event Production: The Resources, for more details.

More Reflections on the Winter Olympics as Spectacle

2010-03-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

It's always an interesting exercise to analyze public spectacles with the advantage of hindsight. The Winter Olympics has proven to be one of the more fascinating to apply such analysis to because it is an example of a public celebration done right.

When one thinks about large mega-events like this, one cannot help but notice that they operate on a number of levels. First, they are a reflection of the culture, society, nation, or civilization that spawns them. They form a statement of the past and define who we are as a nation. That was obvious in these Olympics, especially in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Using the Closing Ceremonies as an example, the over-the-top depiction of trite Canadian symbols was an obvious show of what we do not take seriously. What was not as obvious was what we DO take seriously in our society, and that is celebrity worship. The entire second half of the show was a series of mini-concerts by name performers. In antiquity, those celebrity performers would have been images of gods.

At the same time, and in contradiction, such events also seek to establish a pattern or a hope for the future, for the road to a better, improved society and nation. In a sense, it is ironic - and somewhat daunting - that they set a path to influence history, yet in the end must be judged by history. Absurdly, they are like a mentor whose student eventually has the power to fire or to promote his mentor. These Olympics sought to do this by a policy of inclusion: inclusion of first nations, inclusion of founding races, and especially inclusion of spectators. It is this last aspect that will position them well in history.

Why is this? In my own humble opinion, I believe it is mainly because the organizers recognized from the beginning that there is a dual aspect to public events - or to any successful event for that matter. The dual aspect acknowledges that there must be an organized component but just as importantly an UN-organized, spontaneous component that allows for public participation and celebration. By blocking off streets, constructing "party zones," building free-entry pavilions, and having an entire participatory "experience" unencumbered by excessive policing, they endeared this event to the local inhabitants and visitors as well as to a watching world. In this manner, they established a unique model that we as a nation and culture can seek to emulate for future such events. It is indeed no small surprise that there are already calls for Vancouver and BC to seek out more mega-events like the World Cup and for the city to cast off it's undeserved sobriquet of "No-Fun City" by permanently constructing pedestrian-only thoroughfares. No doubt other cities will look to Vancouver and to the model used by VANOC as a template.

Make no mistake, though. History will continue to watch Vancouver to see if we are capable of fulfilling the lofty promises for future, non-destructive communitas.

Winter Olympics Closing Ceremonies in Vancouver

2010-03-01T08:29:00.000-08:00

Another Olympics comes to a close - and quite a close it was. The ceremonies, as always, have been meeting with mixed reviews. My own opinion is that David Atkins delivered an eclectic mixture of comedy and music that I am not totally convinced did too much to advance anyone's understanding of our country. They were, however, extremely well executed.

For me, the short comedic opening was the highlight of the entire show. To "fix" the technical glitch from the opening in such a creative manner was brilliant. It's always nice when one can capitalize on a second chance. The oversized Canadian symbols (e.g. blow-up beavers, huge hockey board game, dancing maple leaves, etc) were certainly humourous but not too creative. Atkins relied on the old event producer's trick of going oversize to impress, but that part of the show lacked substance. The Sochi presentation was very creative and bodes well for their games.

The second half - the party half - of the ceremonies was a little disappointing. Yes, great music from some well-known Canadian musicians. However, the input of Canadian entertainment moguls Bruce Allen and Sam Feldman, who together basically control the star machinery in our country and were "advisors" for all the ceremonies, was far too obvious. I will hazard a guess that the lion's share of the funds for the Closing Ceremonies went to their stars and their pocketbooks, but then that is only speculation. I wonder how many arguments went on behind the scenes about creativity vs star drawing power. Hmmmmm!!??

Technically the ceremonies were basic compared to the opening, with not a lot to "wow" me.

Overall, a decent effort, coming off successfully thanks to the overwhelming success of our Canadian athletes and two weeks of "treacly" emotion.

The Marketing Power of Games Has Deep Roots

2010-02-26T12:24:00.000-08:00

As the Winter Olympics draw to a close, there seems to be no doubt that they have been a success. By success, I do not mean Canada’s medal count, although it is impressive. I mean the use of the games as a marketing tool, a tool to send a message to the world. As we are now coming to know, these last two weeks have given unparalleled exposure to British Columbia and Canada that will help to boost tourism and investment for years to come. In recent years, of course, this concept has come to be known as event marketing. However, harnessing the power of humanity’s emotional connection with such games is not a new concept.

Many people do not know that the Olympics were not the only games in ancient times. Other centres throughout Greece such as Delphi, Corinth, and Athens had their own regularly-scheduled games and even artistic contests with prizes as valuable as for athletics. Some, like Corinth, were almost as big as the Olympics themselves. Often, the games were instituted ostensibly to honour a dead local hero. Alexander the Great, for example, created funeral games in Babylon in honour of his dead friend Hephaestion. They were no small potatoes. Alexander invited over 3000 athletes (our Winter Olympics had just over 2600)!

What all these games had in common was their expressed purpose of sharing the Greek cultural heritage, to bring Greeks together. Why? Because they never did have a formal “nation” and fate had scattered them literally to what were in those days the ends of the earth. From the huge crowds attending and watching our games, we know how well the Olympics still do this. But even the Greeks knew that more than mere patriotism could be squeezed from the emotion of athletic victory. Here’s an example.

In or around 278 BCE (Before Current/Christian Era), King Ptolemy II of Egypt began games called the Ptolemaieia in Alexandria, Egypt, in honour of his dead father, King Ptolemy I, one of Alexander’s generals. As with all the other games, he invited athletes and leaders from all over the world. In the inaugural games, he held what has come to be considered as the most spectacular parade in history, including anything since. The parade took at least an entire day to pass and displayed the wealth of the nation in pure gold (literally billions of dollars’ worth that included hundreds of gold prizes for victors), along with thousands of animals, mechanical marvels and floats, and a march past of over 80,000 soldiers. The purpose? To impress his adversaries with the power of Egypt. This was a political message, much like China expressed with the 2008 Olympics. In the case of the 2010 Winter Olympics, our real message to the world has been, “Come to work and play in beautiful British Columbia.”

We may not have owned the whole podium, but for two weeks we have certainly owned the media. That message has been received by the world loud and clear. Thanks, VANOC. You understand the power of athletic victory.

Job well done!

Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver

2010-02-14T12:11:00.000-08:00

Since 2008 it has been widely acknowledged that the magnitude and creativity of the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics may never be repeated. David Atkins, the Australian-based producer of the Vanouver Winter Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies wisely chose not to even attempt to compete.

As a much smaller-scale producer of corporate events, and one who has frequently tried to transform the elusive Canadian identity into a meaningful entertainment presentation for visitors, I understand the difficult task he was handed. While I would not class Friday's performance as the most imaginative, emotional, or technically complex Winter Olympics Opening, I have to give Atkins an "A" for effort. What was successful and what was not?

In spite of Atkins' vow not to compete with Beijing technologically, I give very high praise for the absolutely incredible programming of the digital lighting. I would have to say that this was the true star of the show, much more than any other element. It made a little - budget, of course - go a long way. Another technological accomplishment - unfortunately one that would later cause problems - was the raised floor of BC Place and the obviously complicated hydraulics installation underneath. This had to be difficult but undoubtedly necessary given the restrictions of the indoor stadium. The ceiling rigging was another accomplishment, with it being used for several interesting segments requiring raising and lowering the large concentric fabric curtain and for flying quite a few performers.

For certain, his subtle combinations of natural phenomena and the Canadian landscape with our cultural diversity was well done. For example, the opening arctic sequence was wonderful, as were most of the others such as the concept of autumn in eastern Canada mixed with step and tap dancing. It would have failed if it had just been the dancing but by combining the scenics with the dancing, Atkins managed to isolate the Canadian versions of the dances from their Irish/Scottish/French locales of origin.

I know a lot of people did not like the pop-stylized version of our anthem, but I enjoyed it; finally, something different. Come on people, you're going to get so many chances to sing along that surely you can tolerate something a little non-traditional. I also thoroughly enjoyed one of the final segments with a virtually unknown "slam poet," Shane Koyczan. It was a nice touch, again something a little different, and Mr. Koyczan had a great delivery, very emotional.

The pre-cultural segment of first nations performances was very inspired, with great staging and some semi-modern music and choreography, at least as much as the governing elders of each nation would presumably allow.

What was not so great? Well, it started with the four first nations leaders being late for their own show. Guys (the leaders), this did not ingratiate you to the public. It just made you look disorganized. This was followed by the raised totems, much too closely resembling giant dildos/phallic symbols. Surely someone could have seen the obvious comparisons long before they were used live.

Second, the extensive - almost complete - lip-synching and fake orchestra playing. Yes, they tried really hard to get it perfect, but there were still subtle clues here and there that gave it away. One not so subtle was the fiddle sequence. Having been part of my fair share of microphone problems in live shows I can understand why it was done. There may never be a perfect solution to this in these kinds of shows.

By now, everyone knows the fourth arm of the flame's cauldron did not rise. That's one of those technical problems that take about ten years off a producer's life. Could it have been prevented? Who knows? It sounds as if they tried everything and the mechanics were working earlier. Forunately, all the torchbearers had in-ear monitors so it did not look completely unplanned and, to the producer's credit, there was a backup plan.

My last gripe - albeit somewhat minor - is that I think they could have chosen a classier way to get Wayne Gretzky and the flame from BC Place to the permanent cauldron on the waterfront. Really, standing on the back of a truck driving through pouring rain? Once there, the whole thing looked good. It was just getting there. Although, when you think about it, what could be more Canadian than a pickup truck?

Overall? A good effort, ranking high, but certainly not the best I have seen.

10 Hot Tips for Production Management

2009-12-21T08:46:00.001-08:00

I am occasionally asked what are some key tips, in simple terms, for running a good event from the technical point of view. Here are my top 10:

1. Anticipate. This is without question the key to good production management. Try to visualize everything that will be happening during your event. Walk through the entire event from start to finish in your head, including where and when guests and performers will be moving. If anything looks like it might be wrong or even has the potential to go wrong, address it before the event, because it probably will go wrong if you don't.

2. Ensure that power and staging are adequate and in place well before the rest of the technical setup. The last thing you want is for technicians and decorators tripping over venue staff trying to put a stage in place or waiting for power that should have been installed hours ago. Besides that, venues will often charge more for such items as power if it is requested onsite.

3. Allow ample time for setup. This is frequently where inexperience causes disasters. There are just too many small things that can get off-track if people must work within a serious time crunch. It is far better to be too early and wait around than to still be doing a sound check as guests enter the event space.

4. Keep updated and firm schedules of setup, event running order, and strike. Stick to the schedules and ensure that all people involved with the event are on the distribution list. This includes venue staff, performers, all technical people, and of course, your client.

5. Know all requirements and technical riders for performers and suppliers. This can include everything from stage plots and sound and lighting requirements, to dressing room riders. Be aware of the excessive riders of some celebrity talent and try to negotiate out all except what is reasonable.

6. Ensure that there are dressing rooms of adequate size and privacy for performers. Don't forget that some shows require quick-change areas close to the main stage such as dance shows where fast costume changes are part of the show. Be prepared to pay extra to set these up properly.

7. Ensure you have adequate and capable stage management in place to run the show. In addition, ensure that adequate communication equipment is available for the stage managers. The best kind is wireless headset equipment like Clearcom which enables you to talk and listen without anyone else hearing the conversation and to move about the venue freely and still be in communication.

8. Rehearse your show whenever possible. Even the smallest show can benefit from some kind of quick run-through. If the show and event is complex, plan for at least a pre-event talk-through with the key participants, including venue staff, performers, sound and lighting techs, and client.

9. Have contingencies in place for any unavoidable changes. Know how to react and what you will do before they happen. This goes along with anticipation but is the last and unfortunately very important step. For example, know how to compensate for a performer who is late or does not show up. Having a plan just may save you from disaster. Try to see through the rough spots and keep smiling.

10. Use an individual or company that is conversant with the production of complex events if you feel you are in over your head. This will save much stress!

The Benefits of Online Data Backup

2009-11-21T15:02:00.000-08:00

A few years ago my office was robbed. The thieves broke in on a Sunday afternoon and took all our computers. They were starting to haul away most of our CDs and other information when one of my employees surprised them. She called the police but they still managed to escape. There were two additional unfortunate circumstances that came with the robbery. The first was the fact that they easily managed to disarm our alarm system since they came through the roof (which we never thought would happen) and cut all the wires to the main control box which was right below their entry point. The second was that all our conscientious backing up of computer files was for nought because the tape system failed and did not warn us. We spent the next two weeks re-entering our data thanks to hard copies we kept on file.

The lesson from the whole fiasco was to use the most secure and reliable backup system available. After that, we did our backups much more religiously and checked every day that the system was functioning. Since then, data storage has come a long way. After personally trying a separate external hard drive for backup I have now made the switch to online storage. I have the feeling that there are probably lots of people in the event business who either are not doing this or are unaware that it exists. I cannot recommend it strongly enough. What happens if you store your backups at your place of business and the hard drive is stolen or the building burns down? It's still lost. Online backup prevents this.

There are other advantages. First, you can share files with anyone or nobody. You choose which files to share. Of course, this means sharing and permitting downloads of such things as images, videos, or complete proposals for clients or colleagues. Second, you can access the files from anywhere. This means that you don't need to transfer everything to your laptop. You can access it from anywhere in the world, even an Internet cafe, make any changes you like to the files, and upload the revised version.

The cost of storage is cheap and well worth it. I currently use a site called http://www.myotherdrive.com/. The cost is about $55 US dollars per year for 100MB storage. More is available if needed. Check it out. You just might save yourself a whole lot of grief.

Cool Event Venues Around the World

2009-11-11T17:03:00.007-08:00

Here are several unique outdoor sites and indoor venues that I have found in my travels. I will update the video as I do more travelling. Many of these locations can be used for actual special events.

The Blogspot video embedding has ceased to work recently. I will be updating this video in the near future (Sep. 2011 most likely).

Please see my post of September 20, 2011 for an updated version of this video.

Production War Story of the Month: Some Clients are Never Happy

2009-11-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

Initial discussions between a potential client and our company indicated that the client’s event would be a very energetic, high-end extravaganza for about 2000 guests in a conference center. The client wanted an entertainment show with cirque acts and unusual, creative décor. Every indication was given that the client was going to work with us. Several days were spent preparing an extensive creative proposal. Upon presentation to him, the client indicated that he had also received two other proposals from competitors that were lower in price but not as creative, and he asked us to rework the numbers. This entailed another day of dedicated time.

A second meeting with the client took place with the revised proposal and the client again said that the competitors had beaten the price but that he really wanted to work with our company. At that point, we called his bluff and stated that we would do no more work without being paid for creative and that the event now had a minimum fee for any work done. We walked out of the meeting and never heard from the client again, but did hear that all the other companies had done the same thing and that the client ended up producing his own show which was much smaller than originally anticipated.

What was the lesson learned? It was one that every independent business person eventually figures out. There comes a time when it is no longer feasible to work on a project, either from a financial point of view or from a “gut feeling” about the ethics of a client.

They Should Know Better

2009-10-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I attended a three-day conference. Now this is a conference that has been going on regularly for quite a number of years. I will not say who it was for or where it was held. Suffice it to say there were little things that irked me because they were things that should have been corrected long ago.

Here's what I mean. First, there were two keynote speeches each day in a packed ballroom of 500 people. They used the house PA, which as would be expected, was completely inadequate. It took about 5 minutes to even get anyone's attention. A simple rented PA with properly placed speakers would have solved this problem.

Second, they used house lighting. Since the crowd was particularly chatty, this was another irritating thing that detracted from the excellent speeches. The house lights remained on full and nothing was focused on the presenters, so they were literally in shadow the complete time. How easy it would have been to rent a followspot and operator and turn the house lights down for the keynotes or at the very least, focused an ellipsoidal light on the lectern.

Third, there was no free coffee at breaks in the morning and afternoon sessions. To me this was just plain cheap.

Lastly - and this is really disgusting - at the final luncheon buffet which was placed in the kitchen hallway, the entire area reeked of body odour. This was a conference hotel with supposedly professional staff, but I know that they were the source. Absolutely unforgivable. I will probably not return because of it. In fact, this one thing would put me off ever recommending that hotel to anyone.

To be fair, the conference content was good with professional and knowledge-packed sessions by well-known presenters. However, the devil is always in the details and I have written before about creature comforts. They were just not there and the organizers should have known better. Again, that would be my message. Don't cheap out!!

Sacred Space and Special Events

2009-09-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

Back in March I discussed the concept of ritual and how it related to special events. Noted scholar Catherine Bell whom I referred to places a lot of importance on symbolism and tells us that places and locations are in themselves sacred symbols. In this post, I want to put forward the theory that in special events we are actually working in our own form of sacred spaces and that how we treat those spaces is not a lot different from other sacred spaces such as churches. Our inherent human propensity to treat such sacred spaces with a certain reverence, either religious or otherwise, will always be with us. Let's look at some background theory.

Religious scholar Mircea Eliade was the first to propose that, for what he called religious people, the world is divided into two kinds of space, the sacred and the profane. Profane space is the ordinary space in which we live and go about our daily activities free of all reference to a larger reality. Sacred space is experienced differently. When one enters a sacred space, he or she acts in accordance with the environment (e.g. in a church or temple one might bow or remove a hat or speak in whispers). Eliade claimed that before modern times, “archaic people” established towns, built sanctuaries, and organized space and time with reference to the sacred.[i] [ii] In those ancient times, the choice of location for a sacred space might have been simply due to a fortuitous sign (e.g. hilltops because they were closer to the gods) or it might have been planned as a result of some specific ritual. Today, as Bell points out, thinking is more along the lines that a specific space or location is made sacred by the ritual-like activities that take place within it. Thus, like other symbols, they are differentiated from profane spaces “by means of distinctive acts and responses and the way they evoke experiences of a greater, higher, or more universalized reality - the group, the nation, humankind, the power of God, or the balance of the cosmos.”[iii]

Today, sacred space may be a church, but it also may be a historic site, a natural geographic site (e.g. Niagara Falls or even a cave), or a built environment such as a stadium, city streets, or a conference center. For example, throughout history, numerous sites have hosted special events (mega-events), from the ceremonial plazas and temples of Mesoamerica and Egypt to the Nazi parade grounds of Nuremberg and the stadia of the modern Olympics. As Ellie Carter and architect Thomas Barrie note, “the physical journey made by the individual symbolically represents their mental journey through the act of the ceremony” ------ “Barrie goes on to identify a basic three-part structure to ritual spaces: a marked origin, a path, and a sacred center (or destination) at the end of the path.”[iv] [v] Certainly this is true for the participants in a spectacle. Unfortunately, these analyses do not take into account the fact of the three different key players in celebration and their respective roles in a spectacle. They all need apportioned space of their own within the overall ritual or sacred space of a temple or larger geographic or architectural location. In my personal experience of producing events and of visiting the sites of historical spectacles, I have noticed that all these sacred spaces have common characteristics. These include:

· Well-defined physical boundaries. These can be actual walls, fences, landscape and natural features such as trees or waterways, buildings on the sides of streets or plazas, or humans who have been purposely placed in a guardian-type position.
· One or more formal entrances and exits. Virtually all sacred spaces have at least one main entrance (i.e. the “origin” identified by Barrie) and often the same entrance is used as an exit. This is usually obvious through physical features (e.g. size, color, design) or strategic positioning along a boundary of the space.
· A purposeful orientation. This is usually obvious with ancient sites, especially religious ones, as explained by Eliade. They were often oriented according to compass directions, the path of the sun, astronomical alignments or, as some have speculated, along lines of magnetic energy (e.g. Ley Lines), although this latter is mostly considered to be doubtful science. Today’s orientations are more concerned with accessibility and the presentation of a building’s strongest architectural features.
· Allowance for a processional route. Almost all ancient spectacles incorporated a procession as a ritual component of the event (i.e. the “path” identified by Barrie). For some, the procession was the spectacle. Even today, processions form part of many spectacles and smaller events (e.g. wedding ceremonies, Olympic parade of athletes, football “bowl” games, lantern festivals, Mardi Gras and Carnivals all over the world, etc). Permanent indoor event spaces intentionally build for these events (e.g. wide church aisles), outdoor spectacles use closed off city streets or parks, and temporary indoor spaces design specific routes (e.g. wide entranceways for corporate meetings and conferences).
· A purposefully designed ceremonial space. Most sacred spaces contain smaller but more significant inner sanctums or spaces in which the essential core ritual activities take place (i.e. the “destination” identified by Barrie). The most obvious of course is the altar in a church. Other examples include the classic Egyptian temple layout that incorporated an inner sanctuary only accessible to the chief priests and pharaohs, certain levels on specific Mayan pyramids or other buildings within any given city, the reviewing stand on a parade route, a stage at a concert or large entertainment event in modern times (a stage at a corporate or sales meeting would also qualify), or the playing surface in a modern sports event. Essentially, whether the event is religious or secular, this space is almost always present. The ceremonial space may be at the same level as the remainder of the sacred space, it may be lower (e.g. sporting events), or as in most cases, it may be higher (e.g. pyramids, altars, stages), denoting the important stature of those who use it.
· Performance space. This refers to the provision of space set aside for performances other than by the key ritual participants such as priests, kings, or spectators. In other words, it is space for dancers, musicians, theatrical shows with actors, comedians, and such. For example, in churches performance space is often designed into the architecture to accommodate an organ, choir, or musical group, and nowadays, even full theatrical productions. In other sacred spaces such as conference centers that have been set up for meetings or ceremonies, special staging is often utilized that is set apart from a main stage used for the meeting and key speeches, or the performance space may be purposely set up in and amongst spectators. In the case of a large outdoor procession, this performance space shares its location with the ceremonial space (e.g. the street or processional route), as it sometimes does in the case of a stage.
· Spectator space. All spectacles incorporate a spectator area since they are the key players for whom the event’s message is intended. In ancient societies, this might have been the outer courtyard in Egyptian temples, a central plaza in Mayan or Aztec cities, and city streets in China and Angkor as examples. In modern events, it may be specifically designed or temporarily placed audience seating in theaters, churches, stadia, or other indoor secular buildings, and large open areas for outdoor events. This latter might include everything from airport tarmacs or hangars (e.g. the Paris Air Show) to grassy fields (e.g. various festivals).
· Preparation area. Typically, most spectacles are so large and involve so many complex logistics that they require separate areas set aside for preparations by participants. Sometimes these areas are within the sacred space, sometimes they are not. For example, Roman triumphal processions prepared in the area known as the Campus Martius which was totally separated from the city core where the actual spectacle took place. However, preparations for the Egyptian Opet Festival in Thebes occurred mainly within the large temple complex of Karnak, itself the sacred space. Today’s modern events might use tents as preparation areas for performers or technical staff within an outdoor site or other rooms close to or part of a sacred space indoors (e.g. theater, conference room, arena).

Although most of the events in which I participated were not of sufficient size to be considered spectacles, they were nonetheless important forms of celebration for the key players. Therefore, to put in perspective the range of possibilities for sacred space in special events, these included large ferry boats, parks and gardens, farmers’ fields, hockey arenas, football stadia, conference centers, rodeo grounds, historic sites, gymnasia, hotel ballrooms, golf courses, churches, theaters, mountaintop ski chalets, movie studios, offices, army bases, casinos, stores and malls, restaurants, and many more too numerous to mention.

So the next time you start to plan for an event, consider that the space you are using is a sacred one and that by the very act of your planning, you are really just putting together a ritual for use in that space. No different from what our ancestors did thousands of years ago.

[i] Greeley, A.M. (1995). Sociology and Religion: A Collection of Readings. New York: Harper Collins College Publishers. pp. 94-105.
[ii] Jones, C.B. (2007). Introduction to the Study of Religion, Part 2 of 2. Chantilly, VA: The Teaching Company. pp. 112-126.
[iii] Bell, C. (1997). Ritual: Perspectives and Dimensions. NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 138-169.
[iv] Carter, E. (2003). Landscapes for Celebration: An Investigation and Design of Wedding Gardens. Unpublished Master’s thesis. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
[v] Barrie, T. (1996). Spiritual Path, Sacred Place: Myth, Ritual, and Meaning in Architecture. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Audience Participation

2009-08-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

One area of special event entertainment that most audiences always like is audience participation. It is one of the most powerful and effective ways to gain audience support and enhance a performer's charisma. It is not, however, only a simple matter of asking the audience “how they are doing.” The more rehearsed and controlled the situation, the more effective it will be. Watch some of the old-time acts like Victor Borge and Danny Kaye to see masters at work.

Participation can take place in the audience (i.e. offstage) or it can take place on the stage. By going into the audience, a performer is in the audience’s territory and had better be well prepared for anything that may happen. Therefore, for this type of situation, all circumstances should be covered. That means that a set routine should be rehearsed (e.g. exact dialogue and participation actions), with escape plans for any eventuality, be it vocal inappropriateness (e.g. audience member swearing at the performer or no reaction at all), or physical abuse (e.g. audience member grabbing or touching the performer inappropriately). Proper technical preparation must be in place as well (e.g. adequate audio and lighting). Just “winging it” when a performer is in the audience makes the performance appear amateurish.

Audience participation onstage brings the audience into the performer’s territory and puts the performer more in control of the situation, although removing some of the intimacy of direct contact with a larger portion of the audience. Onstage participation can take several forms: rehearsed, unrehearsed, controlled, and uncontrolled. Once again, the more rehearsed and controlled, generally the better will be the performance. By rehearsed is meant that the routine is tested and perfected over the course of many performances (including all jokes, questions, and dialogue) so that the outcome is more or less standard, thus defining what may be considered a controlled situation. This type of routine might include anything from a set of questions and answers between performer and audience members (still in their seats), to an entire onstage performance by a group of audience members (e.g. dance number, hypnotism show, victims of a pickpocket, ventriloquist’s dummy). At the other extreme, is the completely unrehearsed and uncontrolled situation. Someone is invited to the stage to sing a song or to be interviewed by the performer. Because the routine has not been rehearsed and never been done before or perhaps tried once successfully (without rehearsal), the performer assumes that it will be successful again. Unfortunately, human nature often turns ordinary people into caricatures once they get on a stage and they suddenly want to take over a microphone or act up for their friends (one of the basic rules of performing is never give the microphone to someone else unless it is rehearsed). This is not a situation that endears a performer to the audience, but rather it makes the performer look even more inexperienced. I once employed a celebrity performer before he became famous who thought it would be a good idea to invite a friendly guest to the stage. The guest was drunk and refused to leave the stage, resulting in our having to find several very burly guests to remove him physically from the stage. It was embarrassing for the performer and undoubtedly became a valuable lesson for him on his road to the top.

In short, audience participation can be the most effective part of an act, but event planners and producers should be aware of the pitfalls and ensure that the performer(s) is in control at all times.

Production War Story of the Month: The Handshake Contract

2009-08-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

It was the Friday before a large themed event that was to take place on the following Monday night at a conference center ballroom, and we noticed that the client had neither signed the contract sent weeks before, nor paid a deposit, although communications had been continuing up to that point with both parties having every intention of making the event a success. Wanting as a bare minimum at least a signed contract due to the complexity of the décor that would be provided, I mentioned this requirement to the client, a reputable businessman, who in turn replied with, “I only operate on a handshake.” Taken aback, I was ready to walk away but decided to check on the client’s financial position by means of a private investigation which discovered that there were more than ample funds in his bank account, so I approached the client and stated that the event would not take place without at least a deposit, which the client agreed to pay immediately. However, the contract never was signed and I was in constant fear that the remainder of the fee would not be paid if even one item were not to the client’s liking even though the written contract spelled it out. Fortunately, the event was a huge success and the bill was paid promptly.

Several lessons were learned from this scenario. First, I was remiss in not checking for contract signing and deposit well before three days prior to the event. Second, strange as it seems, there are still business people who believe that written contracts are not needed. A producer must have the confidence to walk away from business that may end up costing money if a contract is not signed. Sometimes, business success is only a “gut feeling.”

Creature Comforts

2009-07-19T16:58:00.000-07:00

After some serious travelling over the last few years and as a result of attending more conferences than I care to count, here is a list of some of my pet peeves about creature comforts. Why would I post something about this, you ask? Because to me creature comforts are the most important aspects of any successful meeting or event, bar none. It all comes down to basic needs, and if we are uncomfortable in any way, we tend to remember that discomfort before we remember all the good things that may have happened at the event. So here they are in no particular order:

1. Air conditioning - Maybe I'm just getting old but why can't building maintenance folks and tour bus drivers learn how to use air conditioning properly? I now take a sweater or jacket with me to every conference I attend and on every trip I take because I know for sure that once inside a conference centre or hotel or bus, I will be freezing if I don't cover up. To all event managers and tour operators and incentive travel execs, I say, "KEEP THE TEMPERATURE REASONABLE, AROUND 72F OR 23C. DON'T CRANK THE AC TO FULL FRIGID. NOBODY LIVES COMFORTABLY IN CONDITIONS LIKE THAT, NO MATTER HOW HOT IT IS OUTSIDE!"

2. Portable Washrooms at Outdoor Events - When are event managers going to learn that portable toilets must be serviced on a regular basis? I keep hearing horror stories about toilets overflowing and running out of paper and cleaner. This is not a difficult concept. They should be cleaned and serviced at least every 4 hours as a minimum, and checked regularly every 2 hours for supplies. A plumber should be on call at all times. To you managers, lack of toilet facilities can really be annoying for event attendees. Remember that! Read my latest book for more details about the proper number of toilets needed based on size and length of event and whether or not alcohol is served.

3. Beds - Am I the only person in the world who hates duvets? Why do so many hotels insist on providing these as the only available bed covers? First of all, they are WAY too hot in summer, no matter how high you crank the silly air conditioning. Why are alternatives not provided? Speaking of comfortable sleeping in hotels, why are there never any options for pillow shapes and softnesses? I have come to appreciate that pillows are very personal items and I have had far too many experiences of pillows that are too soft, too high, too hard, etc, etc. I think the first hotel chain to offer a selection of pillows will be one up on the competition.

4. F&B at Standup Events - This is a big pet peeve for me. People who attend these types of events, particularly events over a meal hour, expect to be served adequate food to make up a meal and to have drinks readily available. Far too many event managers do not provide enough food and do not spread it out enough in terms of physical locations (i.e. multiple small buffets), thus causing big lineups. The same thing with bars and drinks. Most people want to get a drink in their hands as soon as possible instead of being forced to line up at a cash bar or at a free drink station. Managers need to ensure there are either enough bars or stations or have drinks handed out by wait staff as guests arrive. That makes for a much more enjoyable experience. Oh, yes, as a final note, if it is to be a standup reception with substantial food offerings, PLEASE provide lots of high boy tables to allow guests to place their food and drinks on. Nothing is worse than trying to eat, drink, and shake hands all at once. And no, the holders for drinks that clip onto plates are awkward and do not work for all drinks (e.g. a big beer glass!).

Call me a grumpy old man if you want, but creature comforts are the key to keeping me happy - and I suspect many more people too.

Production War Story of the Month

2009-06-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Does anyone even use balloons these days? Here's a story from a few years ago when they were really popular.

A beautiful and highly creative balloon wall was installed in front of the band stage that would magically burst and reveal the band once it was time to dance. It would be an incredible ending to an evening of good food, fun and camaraderie. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell Mother Nature. The room was fully encircled by floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the west and this event was held late in June near the day when sunlight lasted until very late in the evening. The event day was quite hot and the sunlight beamed through the windows, eventually making its way to shine on the balloon wall. Just as dinner was underway, we heard the first explosion, followed in fairly rapid succession over the course of the next 20 minutes by a periodic, unrehearsed exploding balloon wall that was soon left in tatters, ragged pieces of balloons hanging from the wall supports like broken flesh. Although somewhat comical while happening, this premature balloon wall explosion did not make our client very happy. The balloon experts were called in and the remaining pieces of the wall were dismantled to leave a clean look, but the damage had been done.

In this case, communication with the client was immediate and consisted of an apology and an explanation. This was a situation that could only be described as a true Act of God. It may have been avoidable but we were never sure exactly how. During the site inspection days before, the weather was cloudy and an estimate was made of where the sun would be at a certain time and whether it would strike the balloon wall. This was only a guess and even with this, nobody – even the balloon experts – expected or anticipated that the sunlight would overheat the balloons and their tethers, which we could only surmise expanded at different rates and caused the premature explosions. The client was not charged a penny for the wall and seemed to be happy with that settlement, but nothing could bring back the planned excitement that had been lost.
What lessons were learned? This was a difficult case. The most obvious one that we learned was not to use a balloon wall or any balloon structure in situations where weather - or excessive heating or cooling of any sort - could be a factor.

Stress and the Event Planner

2009-04-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

If you have been in the event business any length of time, you have come to realize that it is highly stressful: long days, evenings away from families, short lead times, grumpy clients, incompetent suppliers. It will ever be thus. How, then, do you live with this stress without physical or emotional problems? Over the years, I have acquired my own set of favourite methods or activities. Maybe the following will help you as they did me:

1. At one conference where I was speaking, an audience member asked me how I lived with the stress. My answer - and right at the top of my list - was that I always planned my work week around my fitness activities. In other words, physical fitness always came first for me. I literally put my daily workout into my day planner and that time was sacred. If someone asked me to attend a meeting at that time, I would say I was already committed. To me it was absolutely necessary to have that 1 1/2 to 2-hour period each day when I could just let my body unwind. And you know what? I never lost a client or had anyone complain.

2. Treat your body like a holy grail, not a disposable paper cup. This means more than just the daily workouts. It means eating and sleeping right. It has been proven, for example, that getting a good night's rest rather than pulling an all-nighter to study for exams is more successful for college students. The same goes for event planners. Resist the temptation to work to excess. Opt instead for a proper night's sleep. On the nutrition front, skip the temptation to eat fast-food when in a hurry or on the job. Instead, opt for bringing your own food from home, good energy food like fresh apples, dried prunes/dates/apricots, healthy sandwiches. Skip the high calorie soft drinks and opt for water instead. Well, OK, the occasional coffee did indeed keep me going in rough times, but I still tried to eat well.

3. Master technology; don't let technology master you. Although I realize how important cell phones are, I strongly suggest minimizing their use on the job (i.e. while at an event). This can be highly stressful. I have found that they seem to now be used often as an excuse for lack of planning. Try to have everything - and I mean everything - perfectly organized before beginning event setup. Don't arrive at a venue still wondering what time supplers will arrive or if they will arrive with the right equipment. That should all have been sorted out long before the day. For sure, a cell phone is great for onsite emergencies: someone is lost or delayed by traffic, but mostly, I firmly believe just about everything can be done beforehand. Likewise, don't use the phone as an excuse to multi-task and work on other events while you are onsite. Keep your focus and worry about those at another time. You don't need extraneous stress during an event.

4. Plan to take at least one good vacation every year - without your cell phone or laptop. Yes, it can be done. I should know. When I married my wife many years ago, we agreed that we would take an annual holiday - just the two of us, no kids - for at least a week or two. We have stuck to that. I never took a phone or computer with me on those holidays and never lost a client or had an insurmountable problem. It really is amazing what your staff can do if given the right responsibility and authority.

I could go on with other tips, but these have served me well. Yes, things were still stressful but not so bad that there was no escape.

Sacral Symbolism and Special Events

2009-04-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

Did you ever wonder how important symbols are to our everyday lives? Believe it or not, they are often the central focus of our many activities. They also form a key part of special events.

Sacral symbolism lies at the very heart of understanding ritual, and ritual, as I have mentioned before, is very significant in special events. As Paul Avis states, “At its simplest, a symbol means imagining one thing in the form of another.”[i] He goes on to say, “It belongs to symbols to mediate a reality or meaning that transcends the symbol itself. This need not necessarily be a supernatural reality, the subject of theology, the sphere of divinity. The transcendent realm may be the spirit of a nation, a tradition, a cultural legacy, an ethical or political ideal. But it always carries a value greater than the individual. The crucial point about symbolism is that there is no access to this transcendent realm apart from its symbols.”[ii] In other words, not only may a “sacred” symbol be religious such as the Christian cross or the star of David, it may also be a national flag, monuments, a company logo, or in the case of American football, cheerleaders, mascots, and team logos. In ancient spectacles it could be the coat of arms or symbol of a sovereign, crowns and headdresses, jewelry, ritual paraphernalia such as obsidian knives, special offerings or sacrifices such as bulls or goats (or humans), statues, chariots, weaponry, and much more.

When you think about the events we all organize in this industry, especially corporate events, it becomes apparent how important symbols are to their success. Product launches, sales meetings, incentive programs, conference opening and closing ceremonies, and of course all types of sporting events, all have at their heart some form of symbol: corporate logos, product shapes and colours, spokespersons, a charismatic president, even lifestyles. Are these really much different from religious symbols? I don't think they are. The rituals associated with them often mimic religious rituals in their execution. For example, I have produced numerous corporate events for companies such as Toyota, Mary Kay, IBM, insurance conglomerates, and pharmaceuticals and the reverence paid to the corporate culture is no less strict - or inspiring - than that of any mainstream religion. From the procession to dinner to the fanfare of a new product announcement to the climax of the president's "homily," the orders of service are uncannily similar. This is secular religion at its finest.

The subject has been studied to some extent by scholars, particularly over the last 20 or so years. However, I have not seen too much written about the similarities of corporate special events to religious events that incorporate many sacral symbols. I believe it is in our best interest when creating such events to bear in mind the close connections with religion and the ways in which humans react to religious or sacral symbolism. Being able to manipulate the event to take advantage of these connections might prove beneficial.

[i] Avis, P. (1999). God and the Creative Imagination: Metaphor, Symbol, and Myth in Religion and Theology. London: Routledge. p. 103.
[ii] Ibid. Avis. p. 106.

New Vancouver Convention Centre

2009-04-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I visited the open house at the new, expanded convention centre in Vancouver, Canada. It is a magnificent facility with one of the most beautiful settings in the world. Now, admittedly, that is a little biased because I have not seen all the other facilities. However, I am familiar with meeting spaces and this has been extremely well designed, with optimum opportunities for viewing a panorama of sea and mountains. Together with the older facility next door, the total space available puts Vancouver in a highly competitive position near the top of global meeting destinations. See my Flickr site for more photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/showbizinbc/sets/72157616317479873/

Production War Story of the Month

2009-03-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

You can imagine that with 19 years of producing special events I must have a few war stories. I thought it might make for a light-hearted break in the heavy stuff to insert one of these every so often into my blog, so here goes.

We were presenting an evening of what might be loosely termed Asian entertainment. A large stage had been set up on one wall of a hotel ballroom and on this we were to provide a combination of continuous background music and live, interactive acts representing a variety of Asian cultures, throughout the event. Since it was a stand-up reception, the guests were eating and drinking while milling around and networking with colleagues. It was very crowded and the stage was a focal point around which people stood and chatted, on which they placed their plates and glasses, and near which it was almost impossible to move. Being the main organizer of the entertainment, I was required to be near the stage for most of the event, ensuring that the acts came and went according to our schedule.

For continuous background music during this event we had engaged two young – but very accomplished – Japanese koto lute players who were to play from the back of the stage for most of the event and to accompany some of the main acts. (Note: A koto lute is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument played with the musician in a kneeling or sitting position.) The girls were dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos and looked very pretty – but very innocent.

Eventually it came time to bring up one of the main acts for the evening, an illusionist named “The Amazing Jozef.” Now Jozef was a fairly elderly magician. To add to his appeal, he was accompanied by an extremely attractive female assistant attired in a diaphanous outfit that rendered her almost the spitting image of Jeannie in the old “I Dream of Jeannie” television show. (In fact, since I cannot remember her name, we will call her that for purposes of the story.) Jeannie came with her own added appeal - a 20-foot long python. Pythons, as readers may recall, are constrictors, and feed on birds and mammals, killing them by squeezing them to death. They will not usually attack humans unless startled or provoked (i.e. by sudden movements). Naturally, this combination of beauty and potential terror brought a huge crowd to the stage which, once the show had begun, trapped me in a position near the back of the stage. I could not move.

The show went fairly smoothly, with Jozef performing a number of old but uniquely conceived illusions, and alternately working with Jeannie and the python, gradually building towards the show’s climax. For his final illusion, Jozef had Jeannie lying rigidly on top of a vertical sword, an illusion that required his utmost attention. This meant leaving the snake unattended. Presumably being somewhat bored by his resulting lack of participation in the show and perhaps just a touch hungry, the snake decided to explore the back part of the stage, slowly slithering towards the two koto players who had continued to play background music during Jozef’s show. Jeannie, being totally incapacitated, had no clue where the snake was, Jozef was preoccupied, and only I remained to do something. Unfortunately, I was completely trapped by the audience and unable to communicate with Jozef. The audience was enthralled by the show and nobody seemed to care that the snake was on the loose. That is, except the girls playing the kotos. As the snake gradually moved closer to them, their eyes became fixed in a stare of terror and I was half-expecting them to scream and run from the stage at any second. If they did, it would be a question of whether or not they could outrun the snake. Amazingly, they held their ground – and continued to play, not missing a beat. At the last second, with the snake no more than about two feet from them, Jozef for no explained reason, turned around, took one step, and casually picked up the snake, thus saving the girls from becoming an unrehearsed component of the finale!

I learned some lessons from this seemingly minor incident. The first was small: Don’t ever leave an old magician, a beautiful assistant, and a large snake on their own and out of shouting distance. The second was more profound: One needs to develop tenacity or “staying power” to carry on, as my young musicians did, in the face of life’s adversities. Oh, yes, for producers out there, get good communication equipment and use enough people to manage the show properly.

A Rant About Planners and Technical Production

2009-03-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

This must be my month for rants. Lots I want to get off my chest.

This one has been bothering me for a long time. I produced events for over 19 years and now teach event production. I have noticed a disturbing trend towards ignorance and lack of concern on the part of many event planners and students towards the technical areas of audio systems, lighting, and visual presentation technology (i.e., A-V by another name). Here comes the part that a lot of readers are not going to like. It is gender-based. That's right. The females shy away from the technical equipment and anything to do with it as if it were a venomous snake waiting to strike them dead. Since most planners tend to be female - at least that has been my experience, around 80 or 90 % - that means just about everyone. I thought naively that we were in an age of enlightenment now, but apparently not. What is going on here? Are we still really dividing up jobs based on pink vs blue, transformers vs Barbie dolls, fluffy decor vs the technical stuff?

I have noted regularly that in presentations I give - especially at conferences - audiences ask where they can obtain more in-depth information. Well, folks, that knowledge involves the technical areas in many cases. Certainly, a lot of technical people I know have done a bang-up job of presenting seminars in these areas, but in many cases they are barely scratching the surface of what I would call a necessary base level of technical knowledge.

I compare this to an airline pilot who can fly the plane but knows nothing about aerodynamics or gas turbine engine theory. Sooner or later, this lack of knowledge is going to get him/her in trouble. I doubt that Capt. Sullivan could have landed his plane on the Hudson without knowing a fair bit about aerodynamics and the reaction of the plane to the required tail-down attitude needed for a successful water landing.

Why is this basic technical knowledge necessary? Well, let's take a look at what might happen, because a lot of it is about risk - and it goes WAY beyond knowing how to tape electrical cords down. Here is a sample list of potential scenarios:

1. A truss loaded with lighting gear falls from a venue ceiling, injuring a number of event attendees. If this happened, you can be sure that the event planner would be near the top of the list of defendants in an expensive law suit for liability. Remember that the planner is responsible and liable for all his/her subcontractors and anything that they do. That means that the planner should be able to provide documentation that has been completed to prove that the loading on the truss was safe and calculated properly, as well as proof that the rigging was done by someone qualified. Do you have this information for all your events where rigging is done? By the way, do a search on the Internet for event disasters and you might be surprised at the number of trussing collapses.

2. Your incentive house client - yes the one with loads of money - cannot understand why a 2-hour sound check is needed for the stage show and dance that is to follow their expensive dinner. Do you:

a) Calmly and confidently explain the need for setting up the monitor mixes for the large band and the requirement to EQ the venue to avoid feedback, plus ensuring that all equipment is functioning properly, OR

b) Sheepishly admit to complete ignorance about audio systems while introducing your client to an overworked, tattooed, pony-tailed audio tech who has no time or interest in talking? (OK - a bit cliched for the tech, but it does happen) Would your client still be a client and have confidence in you the next time around?

3. As a wedding planner, you have been contracted to provide all technical services for a huge, 500-person Italian wedding. The groom's family is from North America but the bride's is from Italy. Both sides want you to show old analog videos and PowerPoint shows from the couple's childhood. They are bringing them to the event. Unfortunately, you know nothing about the different video standards or the formats for good still images. When the A-V tech tries to play the Italian videos they won't work on his equipment and when the PowerPoint slides are shown, the quality of the photos is so bad, nobody can tell who the people are. If you had known even some basic information about international video standards and about the optimum resolution needed for large image projection, this catastrophe could have been avoided by asking the right questions at the beginning.

4. You are dumbstruck when your much smaller competitor wins a big contract by proposing the use of some new and amazing automated lighting in a unique way. Did you know that these products were on the market or if so, how they could enhance your creativity? Maybe you missed that presentation at the last event conference or maybe you missed the suggestion to visit your lighting supplier for a briefing. Sure, you always thought that the lighting supplier would do all the thinking for you. Guess again. It's your problem.

I mention the above with all due respect and apologies to some extremely creative and talented females who are technical producers in the event industry and certainly some planners as well. However, I still firmly believe that they are in the minority. Ladies, it's time to get serious if you intend to make this your chosen career path. Don't miss that next technical lecture or, for that matter, any opportunity to learn about the technical side of our industry. Embrace it with enthusiasm as you have done all other aspects. It will help not only you but also the credibility of the entire industry.

Perception of Meetings and Events in This Economy

2009-03-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

I know there has been a lot written about our industry advocating to the US and Canadian governments about how important meetings are to the economy, but I just have to say something about a hotel manager I recently saw interviewed on Canadian TV.

There was a top-level government meeting being held in an upscale resort on Vancouver Island in BC and the media of course jumped on it as being a waste of tax dollars and unnecessary at this time. They tried to interview the resort manager who basically told them to get lost because they were uninvited. I could not believe that a manager in an industry whose livelihood depends on positive publicity had the stupidity to treat the media in that manner. Instead of trying to explain why the meeting was held and all the positive economic spinoffs of meetings, he took a defensive attitude and actually made matters worse. Furthermore, a government official who was also interviewed made absolutely no attempt to explain why such a meeting was important and what meetings and events mean to the economy. These are people who should know better!!

Another sad aspect of this whole fiasco are the media themselves, who are unbelievably near-sighted. Vancouver is hosting the Winter Olympics in 2010 and there is expected to be a ton of spinoffs in meetings and events because of the resultant publicity. In fact, that is the main reason Vancouver sought the Olympics in the first place. The media, who have been complaining all along about how much money the Olympics cost and what are we going to get out of all of the spending, is now bad-mouthing the very area that will indeed yield positive economic benefits.

No wonder our economy is in such a mess! Doesn't anybody have any brains out there?

Ritual and Performance in Special Events

2009-03-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

Catherine Bell, one of the world’s foremost scholars on ritual, organized ritual activities into six main characteristics: formalism, traditionalism, invariance, rule-governance, sacral symbolism, and performance.[i] In my previous blog entry, I talked about one of these, invariance, at a corporate special event. In this blog, I want to discuss the importance of performance.

This refers to what ritual has in common with theatrical performances, dramatic spectacles, and public events. As Bell says, comparisons of ritual with performance “rest on a recognition that the performative dimension per se – that is, the deliberate, self-conscious ‘doing’ of highly symbolic actions in public – is the key to what makes ritual, theater, and spectacle what they are.” She goes on to state what those of us in the event management industry have known for a long time, that “performances communicate on multiple sensory levels, usually involving highly visual imagery, dramatic sounds, and sometimes even tactile, olfactory, and gustatory stimulation. By marching with a crowd, crying over a tragic drama, or applauding an unconvincing politician, even the less enthusiastic participants of the audience are cognitively and emotionally pulled into a complex sensory experience that can also communicate a variety of messages. Hence, the power of performance lies in great part in the effect of the heightened multisensory experience it affords: one is not being told or shown something so much as one is led to experience something.” As I have mentioned before, our ancestors learned very quickly that events influence people and good performances, whether by politicians, priests, army generals, or real performers, can be used to emotionally draw audiences in to buying any message if the event is organized well.

Emile Durkheim, sometimes regarded as the founder of sociology, had it right when he first theorized that performing rituals created and sustained “social solidarity.”[ii] Anthropologist Victor Turner further defined the communal spirit generated by social groups participating in rituals – or as I would prefer to call them – events, with the term communitas. He discusses this concept in his many writings but one statement best explains it. “Is there any one of us who has not known this moment when compatible people – friends, congeners – obtain a flash of lucid mutual understanding on the existential level, when they feel that all problems, not just their problems, could be resolved---.”[iii] What these scholars theorized through direct observation of primitive peoples has now been reinforced through the research of biogenetic structuralists (Biogenetic structuralism is a complicated name but a promising field that applies knowledge of human evolution to cultural behavior. Interdisciplinary, it brings together anthropology, psychology, and the neurosciences.). In summary, here is the logic of their current thinking:

1. Modern humans are “hardwired” for ritual behavior.[iv]
2. Ritual behavior overcomes social distance between individuals and helps to coordinate group action.[v]
3. Emotions weight decisions and influence actions.
4. Emotions may be elicited by sensory stimuli.[vi]
5. Rituals with high levels of sensory stimuli, (e.g. rhythmic drivers such as music and dance), will therefore be the most effective in bringing social groups and individuals together and in motivating action.

In short, it has finally been proven that highly performance-driven ritual activities should be the most effective in conveying messages. So what does this mean for special events? Quite simply, it means that the judicious use of highly rhythmic music and dance can greatly enhance the reception of a message, whether that message is a secular one (e.g., how to generate more sales, feeling patriotic, giving to charity) or a religious one (e.g., feeling closer to God). As I said, those of us who have produced events already know this. We just did not know the science behind it.

[i] Bell, C. (1997). Ritual: Perspectives and Dimensions. NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 138-169.
[ii] Durkheim, E. (1965). The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. New York: Free Press.
[iii] Turner, V. (1982). From Ritual to Theater: The Human Seriousness of Play. New York: Performing Arts Journal Publications. pp. 44-48.
[iv] Karecki, M. (1997). Discovering the Roots of Ritual. Missionalia.
[v] Guthrie, C. (2000). Neurology, Ritual, and Religion: An Initial Exploration. Retrieved August 1, 2008, from http://www.geocities.com/iona_m/Neurotheology/Neuroritual.html.
[vi] Alcorta, C.S. and Sosis, R. (2005). Ritual, Emotion, and Sacred Symbols: The Evolution of Religion as an Adaptive Complex. Human Nature, Winter 2005, Vol.16, No.4. pp. 323-359.

Ritual and Special Events

2009-02-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

Because of my current research into the history of celebration, I have lately become interested in the impact that ritual has on special events.

Many of us often think of ritual in terms of one of its most limiting definitions, "a state or condition characterized by the presence of established procedure or routine." What is also fascinating is how close this is to the definition of an addiction as "the condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or involved in something" and the definition of an obsession as "something that preoccupies a person to the exclusion of other things."

Here's an example. We get up and check the Blackberry and Facebook before breakfast every day, then again at coffee break, at lunch, and perhaps several more times during the work day. Is this simply ritual or has it transformed into addiction or obsession? Where does ritual end and addiction or obsession start? If we don't perform a ritual, does it screw up our mind? Do we have to get to the point where doing without it would literally have physical and psychological consequences for it to be labelled an addiction or an obsession?

So what does this have to do with events? Plenty, because ritual is a big part of almost every special event nowadays. Think of a football game. Let's imagine you are a football fan and attend every game of your favourite team. At the game, you love to watch the cheerleaders and have a couple of beers, screaming with everyone else as the heavy rock music urges the crowd on. Every aspect of the game and what you do is really just ritual, from the cheerleaders to the beer to the rock music and the ritual coin toss and kick-off, as well as the players doing victory dances in the end zone. Take all of this away and what would happen to you and to the other fans? Would you still go to games? Would there be "withdrawal symptoms?" I hazard a guess that there would be, just like an addiction. Are you obsessed with the game? Probably, if you have to give up all other activities at all costs to attend. Therein lies the relationship of the three: ritual, addiction, obsession.

What about other event types like an annual corporate dinner? Here's an example from my own experience of producing such an event. It was a business association that one year decided to hold an awards banquet to honour senior businesspeople in the community. As it turned out, the event was so successful that they decided to make it an annual affair. I continued to do all the production work for this event for about 16 years until I sold my company. The interesting thing about the event was that the format and location remained exactly the same year in and year out. Oddly, in spite of this, the event sold out every year, and the association had the audacity to sell an entire table for more than the cost of a table full of single seats only, with attendees happily contributing! It was held in the same hotel ballroom, the physical setup always included two small stages of the same size at opposite corners of the room, there was always a short 20-minute entertainment segment to end the event, and it followed a strict invariant running order with speeches, awards, and meal courses planned in exactly the same order and at the same times each year. It also began with a reception in another part of the hotel and a special procession to dinner with guests being led by some sort of musical group every year. The only thing that changed was the overall theme of the event which was manifested in creative décor and unusual customized entertainment. This event had become a true example of one containing clear ritual activity. While the transformation to personal addiction or obsession was never a possibility, there was a distinct possibility that the business association would have suffered some sort of "corporate withdrawal" if the event had been cancelled.

To summarize, what most of us in the industry don't realize, is that we are integral parts of events that depend on ritual activity. This ritual activity is really the "glue" that holds everything together. It is often how well we recognize and manage these rituals that will lead to event success or failure. It behooves us to learn about ritual behaviour.

More to come.

Why We Celebrate: Part Three

2009-01-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

The second group of key players in an event, participants, can be a mixture of actual owner/organizers, external and unrelated entertainers or other entities, and spectators. Their reasons are primarily psychological and commercial. From a psychological standpoint, anyone who has been a performer can understand the concept of flow. “In the flow state, action follows upon action according to an internal logic that seems to need no conscious intervention by the actor. He experiences it as a unified flowing from one moment to the next, in which he is in control of his actions, and in which there is little distinction between self and environment, between stimulus and response, or between past, present, and future.”[i] Most performers at some point in their careers experience this. If they are highly trained, it undoubtedly occurs on a regular basis. For the performer, it is a very desirable mental state, somewhat metaphysical and even transcendental. For them, it is a feeling of wanting to remain “in the moment.”[ii]

Performers also need to have a psychological connection with the audience. This is the ultimate validation for their existence that performers seek. It means that first, the audience has indeed “received the message” (i.e. the message desired by the event owners), and second, the art form and method of delivery are appreciated. This is usually obvious to the performer through the audience’s rapt attention, sustained applause, or laughter at appropriate times. Of course, the simple commercial reason of being paid for their performance is still important to professional entertainers, and whether or not they buy into the organizer’s main reason for holding the event may be irrelevant.

Numerous modern studies have confirmed repeatedly why spectators or audiences, the third group of key players, attend public events or spectacles. These can be generally lumped into social, educational, and psychological reasons. They include the opportunity to socialize, to gain knowledge, to experience high quality art, and to be emotionally rewarded or personally fulfilled (e.g. excitement, ego enhancement). Interestingly, for those familiar with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, these correspond almost perfectly with the higher social needs. What this means for event organizers is that although their reasons may be religious, political, social, educational, or commercial, it does not matter and the chances for a successful event are decreased unless the reasons for the audience’s attendance are matched. And they must be matched through the skillful interpretation of the main message by the participants. Since it is unlikely that human nature has changed over the centuries, audiences of other cultures and eras were likely motivated by the same reasons as audiences of today.

[i] Czikszentmihalyi, M. (1975). Beyond Boredom and Anxiety. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. pp.35-36.
[ii] Matthews, D. (2008). Special Event Production: The Resources. Oxford: Elsevier Inc. pp.14-15.

Why We Celebrate: Part Two

2008-12-14T12:17:00.000-08:00

Back in June, I briefly discussed the key players in special events: organizers, participants, and spectators. I left that blog entry with a promise to return and give what I believe to be the reasons why each of these individual groups becomes part of a special event. This is the beginning.

We view the well-rehearsed, slick productions of big-name concert artists, the fast-paced, half-time shows at football games, and the emotionally charged opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games with awe. To most viewers, these elaborate productions seem effortless, moving seamlessly from one act or program segment to the next, each one building on the last until the finale is reached amidst a burst of fireworks and patriotic or high-energy music. Effortless they appear. Easy to plan and execute they are not. They all require an abundance of creativity, superior organizational skill, an intimate knowledge of performance and psychology, and an unwavering dedication to the task at hand, specifically by the two key players and their teams, organizers/owners, and participants. Each of these two parties needs to know why they are contributing their time and effort to the event.

The first of these, event organizers and owners, have any one or more of five primary reasons for holding an event. These are religious, political, social, educational, and commercial. This has been true since prehistory and across all societies. It always comes down to fear of the unknown (religion), drive for power (politics), building or maintaining group solidarity (social), imparting messages and lessons (educational), and lust for money (commerce).

Interestingly, one often has to look deeper to find the real motivation for an organizer to hold an event. At first glance, an organizer may state something else. For example, increasing tourism as a reason is a euphemistic alternative for profit-seeking by local or national governments. Gaining cultural knowledge as a reason typically disguises a play for group power and recognition and later, money, by politically astute cultural groups. Supporting philanthropy in reality is another ploy for gaining recognition and later, power or money through the allying of support behind popular causes, often by individual or corporate sponsors.

If this sounds cynical, it is. It did not take our ancestors long to figure out the power behind what we know today as event marketing. Events – especially large public ones - influence people. Obviously, the larger the event, the more people can be influenced. This influence usually involves spectators taking action in some way, whether it is physical or psychological, as a result of receiving a message from the event. Watching a Super Bowl game or a World Cup soccer final with all the attendant emotional razzmatazz can induce viewers to purchase the products of sponsors (a commercial reason). In the Aztec civilization of ancient Mexico, as witnessed by the Spanish conquistadors, bloody human sacrifices were in part intended to prevent enemies from trying to attack the Aztecs if they did not want to suffer the same fate (religious and political reasons). Likewise, the Nazi rallies at Nuremberg in the 1930s had very clear messages for the German people that produced untold grief in the years to follow (a political reason). A more modern example became blatantly apparent before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing when United States media giant NBC paid a whopping $894 million for the exclusive broadcasting rights for the games. This made them the largest sponsor by far and obvious proof that commerce drives the once noble games that began in 776 BCE with religion as their raison d’etre.

Yes, we have come a long way - technically - from the special events of our ancestors but human nature has not changed. The reasons for staging them have remained the same. A future blog will discuss the reasons why participants other than organizers become part of special events.

Some Thoughts About Dancing and Music at Events

2008-10-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a weekend devoted to my college class reunion. I won't embarrass myself by stating which one it was; however, I do want to recount the experience of our Saturday night dinner and dance.

This was obviously a time when we all wanted to renew old acquaintances and spend a lot of time talking and learning about what we had all been doing for so many years since we last saw one another. The evening went along swimmingly until the band started, shortly after dinner. At this point, it became impossible to talk so we just sat staring at each other. The band, to be sure, was very good and they tried to keep the volume down, but although many people danced, it effectively killed the party.

I experienced this situation many times during my career as an event producer and it reminded me of the necessity to continually be cognizant of the client's purpose for holding an event. An event planner/producer must understand why the client is bringing all these people together. Sure, a loud dance band is great for a group who knows and works with each other daily. Unfortunately, it is not good when the group wants to discuss business or renew old friendships. The assumption that what worked when we were all young and single and saw each other regularly is irrelevant for a reunion after many years of not seeing each other.

So what can be done about this dilemma? The organizer and client want the event to be successful and having a dance band and music makes it at least seem as if everyone is having a good time. It also makes it seem as if everyone is getting their money's worth out of the event. Yet at the same time, most people want to spend the majority of their time talking to old friends, or in the case of a business meeting or convention, discussing business or common interests.

There are several ways to solve it. The first is not to have any music - and indeed this is sometimes best for a talkative group. No music is better than musical wallpaper that nobody is interested in or has to shout over. When the dance time comes, however, there are other ways. One - and probably the best if it is possible - is to put the band in another room, preferably the same one as the bar, which guarantees that people will visit the room. Another is to try what my parents' generation did, and that is to organize the band's music into sets. I have always thought that this idea is one whose time has come again.

When I was in high school, I played in a big band and we used to follow this concept. It involves organizing the evening's music into sets that last approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Each set consists of perhaps three songs and the songs can be of a certain type. For example, one set can be high-energy rock while another set can be slow, belly-to-belly waltzes or foxtrots (yes, there are a couple of very good options for slow dances, complete with proper steps!) In this way, if someone doesn't like fast, it is only a short time until a slow set will be played. The best part of this way of organizing the evening's music is that the time between sets can be varied according to the requirements of the client, such as wanting to have guests talk more (as in my reunion). Thus, if it is a dancing crowd, the time between sets might only be 3 to 5 minutes. If it is a talking crowd, the time might be 10 minutes, so that there is a 15 minute music-10 minute talk pattern to the event. The band would probably still take their regular breaks after an hour or so but this could probably be varied through negotation.

The other interesting thing about dance sets is that they were - and could now be - based on what was known as "dance cards." These were cards that everyone was given before the event that permitted them to go to people they wanted to dance with and write in the names next to the particular music set (i.e. first set, second set, etc). Obviously, this is great for a singles-type dance, but it could also work with other types such as weddings, reunions, or even business meetings. No doubt, there could be other creative ways to use the concept, such as an ice breaker in almost any type of event with dance music. It certainly forces people to talk to each other yet still allows for a lot of spontaneity without disrupting the greater flow of conversation at an event. It also eliminates that embarrassing moment at the end of each song when neither party really knows if the other wants to stay up on the dance floor. With sets, they must quit at the end of the set.

Perhaps it's time to re-examine the way we use dance music at events. There has to be a better way.

Beijing Olympics: Some Final Comments

2008-08-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

Again, kudos to the Beijing organizers for a superb Olympics. At least on television, the venues looked extremely well designed for their particular sports, the TV coverage was the best I have ever seen, the sports timing and organizing seemed from TV to be almost perfect. I enjoyed every minute.

However, now to politics and the reason these Olympics were hosted by China. We have just witnessed the most lavish and expensive rite of passage in history: two weeks of one country trying to prove it is capable of joining the ranks of the major economic powers of the world; two weeks of one country trying to overcome a massive inferiority complex; two weeks of one country daring the rest of the world to do better; two weeks of the rest of the world trying to break through an artifical facade to catch even a tiny glimpse of the true feelings of a nation. At the end, after the light of the last firework has faded, I'm still not convinced that the world knows any more about China than it did in July 2008.

To be sure, the Opening Ceremonies were incredible. Yesterday's Closing Ceremonies were equally impressive - from a technological and organizational standpoint. BUT ----- where was the emotion? I as much as anybody was truly blown away by the mass choreography, the ingenious use of technology, the impeccable timing, all of which was done to perfection by the Chinese. However, if entertainment is to be successful, it must dig very deep. It must tug at the heartstrings; it must pull out a belly laugh; it must make us cry or laugh uncontrollaby or send shivers up our spines. The Closing Ceremonies, in all their glory, did not do it for me, spectacular though they were. Good entertainment is so much more than artificial smiles or loud music or putting thousands of performers through their paces seamlessly. Truly great entertainment does not have to be expensive or huge.

In other places and at other times, I have been moved to tears by a single tiny puppet on a string. I have been moved to tears by a solo musician playing a piece of music with such passion that the moment transcended the music. Great entertainment conjures up what anthropologist Victor Turner has called communitas, that spirit of feeling at one with the universe and fellow human beings. Other Olympics have done this very successfully and with fewer numbers and much lower cost than China. One simple word of advice for China - and it does not just apply to the Olympics but to so much more - replace "rote" with "emote," and mean it.

For Vancouver in 2010 and for London in 2012, I say forget about anyone who asks, "How are you going to top the Beijing ceremonies?" Work with people's emotions and draw them out. You will never successfully compete if you try to match scale - and yes, it is possible to move 90,000 people, or even the entire world - with a single puppet on a string. It just takes a little ingenuity.

My Thoughts on the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremonies

2008-08-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened - and it was the spectacular show I was expecting.

The Chinese really did deliver with these ceremonies. It was a stunning blend of state-of-the-art technology, human choreography, and creative genius. The huge, bright rollout LED screen and the stadium surround-scrim, plus accompanying automated lighting (presumably digital) and projection technology, were all impeccably programmed, not to mention the mind-blowing fireworks. It must have taken years of programming to get the details and transitions perfected. I certainly did expect the massed entertainment as that has always been part of the Chinese tradition, but this was done to perfection, right down to each individual performer's exact execution of moves. What was a nice surprise was not to see too much of the trite Chinese symbols such as dragons, excessive martial arts (although the Tai Chi performance was truly great), acrobats, Terra Cotta warriors, etc. The performances were more to do with ingenuity and building unusual interpretations on the theme of China coming into its own in the world. (Canada take note for the 2010 Winter Olympics - stay away from trite Canadian symbols!!)

An interesting commentary on where the Olympics are going was given almost inadvertently by one of the NBC commentators who said that it was obvious that the "Bird's Nest" had been purposefully built as a venue for the Opening Ceremonies, to the effect that the producer almost said, "Here is what I want to do; now build me a stadium to do it in." I wonder if the rest of the world is taking note. The spectacle is more important than the sports, because that's what sells. How many people watch the ceremonies and not any of the sports?? It would be interesting to see the numbers. This really is the age of event marketing.

Can't wait for the Closing Ceremonies - but I will watch as many of the sports in between as possible.

Well done, China!

Why Do We Celebrate?

2008-06-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

Celebration in its simplest form is really the validation of shared beliefs and values. As you can tell from previous blog entries, I have been spending a lot of time researching celebration (read "special events" in modern terminology) from prehistory right up to the present. A tremendous body of research has accumulated from anthropology, performance studies, psychology, religion, and event management as to why people participate in celebration. Within this research, however, little time has been spent studying relationships amongst the three distinctly different key players in the event: owner/organizers, participants, and spectators. Each of these key players has a reason for being part of the event, and these reasons may not all be congruent. Although other researchers and authors (Allen et al, 2005) have included host communities, media, and co-workers in the key stakeholders list, I believe that these people are all just sub-categories of one or more of the main three categories.

Let’s take a look at these players. The first group is owner/organizers. Just who would be the organizers of a spectacle like an ancient Greek festival, a Mayan accession ceremony, or a modern rock concert? Why would anyone want to take on such a difficult task? For answers, we must turn to my personal area of expertise, special event management, or event studies as it may soon be called. It deals with the theory and practice of organizing special events. It is, as Dr. Joe Jeff Goldblatt, a pioneer in the field, called it in his first book, “the art and science of celebration.”

To put the job of event organizer in perspective, how well organizers carry out their craft really determines how successful the event will be. Often, the person who organizes an event is not the person who “owns” the event or who foots the bill. That “money person” may be someone who speaks for a larger entity such as a private company or a government organization, sometimes called a sponsor. That’s in today’s world. In the ancient world, that “money person” was probably a king or a chief priest. The organizer might have been a noble, a senior statesman, another priest, or a military officer.

For the event to be successful, these two people, the owner of the event and the organizer, must be in absolute synchronization in their understanding of why the event is taking place. Then, once they both clearly understand the underlying reason for the event, the organizer must gather together all the necessary elements to convey the message to those who are attending the event. Today, these elements may be actual participants such as talented performers, VIPs, or celebrities. They may also be technical elements such as special effects, lighting, audio, creative set designs, and staging.

The final step in the operation involves the integration of these elements using organizational flair, ritual, and psychology. If the “operation” is successful, the participants (e.g. performers or celebrities) will convey the message to the audience who will come away from the event with a feeling of attending something very unique and memorable. In other words, the shared beliefs and values will have been validated. More importantly, the spectators will maintain a loyalty to the owner of the event. This, of course, is ultimately what it is all about. In ancient societies, this was absolutely necessary for a priestly or ruling class to stay in power. Today, it is more about consumer brand loyalty. This is one of the crucial ways that celebration has evolved over the centuries. The figure above outlines in simple form how the three key players interact.

I'll discuss the reasons why each key player becomes part of celebration in a future blog.

References:

Goldblatt, Dr. Joe Jeff. (1990). Special Events: The Art and Science of Celebration. New York: Ven Nostrand Reinhold.
Allen, J., O'Toole, W., McDonnell, I., Harris, R. (2005). Festival and Special Event Management, Third Edition. Milton, Qld., Australia: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Beijing Olympics: Opening and Closing Ceremonies

2008-05-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

OK, so now you know my opinion about Olympic boycotts.

From the point of view of an event producer, here is another reason why we in the event business should not boycott them. The Opening and Closing ceremonies are going to be unbelievable. I say this based on what I have researched about ancient Chinese events. I have absolutely no inside information. Everything indicates that the 5000 or so years of experience they have is going to count for something, and that something is going to be a spectacle like we have never seen before.

Think about this. Large public festivals and carnivals were common in ancient China, right from the days of the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, who in 222 BCE decreed that everyone in the empire should engage in great drinking revelries to celebrate his conquest and unification of China. As with modern carnivals in New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro, a parade of floats drawn by horses or cows was one of the highlights. Some of these were entertainment wagons on which acrobats performed flying stunts at the top of poles fastened to the wagons as in Figure 1 from the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE) (Scarpari, 2006). And you thought Cirque du Soleil was the first to use acrobats on poles!

Figure 1: Acrobats on poles attached to moving carts (Han Dynasty) (Courtesy Scarpari, 2006)

However, they paled in comparison to floats called "mountain carts" in the later Tang Dynasty. These were wagons that had superstructures hung with colored silks formed to resemble mountains, some up to four or five stories high.

Some festivals such as the Lantern Festival which is thought to have originated around the 1st century BCE, survive today. Even so, the grandeur of the past is still hard to match. In 713 CE “Emperor Ruizong had a lantern wheel 200 ft tall erected outside a gate of Chang’an. It was clothed in brocades and silk gauze, and adorned with gold and jade. When he had its 50,000 oil cups lit, the radiance burst forth like the blooms on a flowering tree. More than 1000 female performers wearing gauze trails, embroidered brocades with lustrous pearls, kingfisher hairpins, and fragrant makeup danced and sang under the lantern wheel for three days and nights” (Benn, 2002).

Precision and pageantry was even then the order of the day for most spectacles. Take for example, the entourages that regularly accompanied emperors whenever they ventured from the inner sanctuaries of the Forbidden City. During the Song dynasty (1067 to 1085 CE), Emperor Shenzong’s honor guard reportedly numbered 22,000 for state occasions. These included soldiers in full regalia carrying pennants, fans, banners, and weapons, musicians of all types, elephant-drawn chariots, wagons, and palanquins carrying the emperor and high-ranking officials (Thorp, 1988). Figure 2 illustrates a small part of such a procession from the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912 CE).

Figure 2: Imperial Procession (Qing Dynasty)(Courtesy Thorp, 1988)

Stay tuned. I wouldn't miss these ceremonies for anything.

References:

Benn, Charles. (2002). Daily Life in Traditional China: The Tang Dynasty. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Scarpari, Maurizio. (2006). Ancient China: Chinese Civilization from the Origins to the Tang Dynasty. Vercelli, Italy: VMB Publishers.
Thorp, Robert L. (1988). Son of Heaven: Imperial Arts of China. Columbus, OH: Son of Heaven Press.

Politics and the Olympics: My Humble Opinion

2008-04-07T10:17:00.001-07:00

There is no larger special event in modern times than the Olympics. No event musters more of a host nation's pride, creativity, and sustained planning than this international extravaganza. It is an opportunity seldom presented that has such commercial and emotional influence on all the nations participating.

In my opinion, however, it should NOT be a forum for politics. The time for making choices based on politics is during the selection process for the host nation. The time is not immediately before or during the games. If the ideal of de Coubertin as "a way for the countries of the globe to become more connected" is to be followed true to the letter, then once a decision is made for a country to host the games, politics must be left behind. Those who continue to use the games as a forum for their political agendas will eventually cause those games to be lost to history forever. Indeed, history has proven that once a civilization loses its focus on the true reason for a large public event, that event soon deteriorates and becomes extinct. Egypt, Rome, Greece, and a host of other ancient civilizations have seen this happen. The various boycotts of the modern Olympics have been hard on the Olympic movement and if the current furor over Tibet continues (a complex problem, by the way, that dates back to the Mongol Empire of the 13th Century), it may be the beginning of the death knell of these games in modern times. Those who suggest boycotting the games or any part of them are WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

But that's just my humble opinion.

Unusual Event Venues Around the World

2008-03-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

One of my hobbies - and hopefully the subject of my next book - is the study of ancient civilizations and the amazing special events that they used to hold. Some of these far surpassed anything that we do today in magnitude, creativity, and cost. Part of the fascination of these ancient events are the locations that were chosen for them. Many of the locations are still in existence today and are objects of awe by tourists and of intense study by archaeologists.

During my visits to these locations, I have photographed them and spent a lot of time questioning my guides and others about them, in addition to researching the literature. A recent trip to Egypt provided me with more fascinating places. One is known as the Step Pyramid complex at Saqqara, built for King Djoser by his architect, the high priest Imhotep, in the 27th century BCE (i.e. almost 5000 years ago!!). Part of this complex is a large courtyard that was used for a festival held in the 30th year of a pharaoh's reign to prove his ability to continue to govern. This festival consisted of a number of rituals and feats performed by the pharaoh and witnessed by dignitaries from all over the country, and included the requisite feasting, drinking, musical, and acrobatic performances that accompanied virtually all such events.

According to my guide, given the right budget and the correct procedures for obtaining permission to utilize the site, it would not be out of the question to actually use it for special events today. Now this would mean a lot of paperwork and some pretty adroit cross-cultural negotiation, but one can imagine the impact of holding an incentive event in such a location. Note the photo below of this complex.

Similarly, the nearby Red Pyramid at Dahshur, the second largest pyramid in the world, has two beautifully restored burial chambers inside, capable of holding about 30 or 40 of your closest friends, that may make an impression if you were to use it for say a wedding. Again, a lot of negotiation and palm-crossing may be in order, but not out of the question given the fact that Egypt still has an incredible number of rich archaeological sites awaiting excavation and funding.

This situation is similar in other fantastic locales throughout the world, as you may see if you take a look at some of the photos of unique venues I have posted on the left side of this blog. Lots of negotiation and planning but what a way to celebrate in style and impress your guests. It could end up being a very happy marriage between incentive tourism and archaeology, a field that is constantly in search of funds.

New Tent Ideas

2008-01-26T12:39:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since I wrote an entry to my blog and I would like to switch gears this time and talk about tents.

Tents have been with us since pre-historic times and now they are extremely popular for special events all over the world as most readers will know. There are two unique and exciting new technologies I came across while doing research for my recently published book. The first of these is a technology that utilizes the free-form design of the Bedouin tent from the middle east. It has been created by F3 Freeform Bedouin Tents, a division of Unit Solutions International in South Africa (http://www.bedouintents.co.za/). It permits tents to be completely flexible in their setup. Larger tents (with canopies up to 10,000 square meters or over 100,000 square feet) can be erected with sides up or down or a combination thereof. Poles can be moved around to accommodate numbers of guests and to create different shapes. Canopies can be wrapped around trees, rocks and walls - and erected with or without poles. There is almost no space that an F3 tent won't transform into a viable entertainment zone. These tents have already been successfully used for special events in South Africa, as can be seen by the photo below.

The second technology is more an application of culture to tent structures. Russian architect Anwar Khairoullin (http://www.anwar-khairoullin.ru/) has exhibited colorfully painted tensile fabrics as building covers and as individual tents. His unique high-peaked and strikingly colored designs are reminiscent of classic Russian church roof architecture. They are distinctly eastern, Cossack-like in concept, yet warm and welcoming at the same time (see below). As well, Khairoullin has designed specifically-shaped tents for mass manufacture but with proprietary cultural designs appliquéd to the walls and roofs of individual tents, thereby enabling very different and eye-catching structures (Also see below). These types of design concepts may soon become apparent to western tent manufacturers and desired by the special event industry.

These examples give us some idea of the many new developments taking place all over the world in special events. Let us not forget that not all innovation starts and ends with North America.

Event Studies and a Commentary on Research

2007-12-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

I have been reading a new book by Donald Getz entitled Event Studies: Theory, research and policy for planned events (see Getz, 2007). It is a timely look at how event studies is a field whose time has really come. More than event management, it proposes the establishment of an all-encompassing field that researches planned events of all types, not just special events. Near the beginning, Getz points out the gap that exists between event practitioners (e.g. event managers, producers, planners, etc) and researchers/theorists (academics). Interestingly, I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of practitioners do not even know that a "parallel universe" of researchers and academics exists in the field of event management and that a great deal of useful information can be obtained from these researchers for the design of better and more effective events (i.e. read better designed for ROI). As Getz notes, "it is probable that closing this gap will require direct intervention by professional associations in seeking research and training partnerships with academic institutions that specialize in event management and Event Studies."

As one who has a foot in both camps (I began as an event producer for 19 years and am now a writer with two recent books on the subject of event production), I do, though, have a bit of a bone to pick with the researchers, and I am by no means singling out Getz in this case, just the whole academic side of event research. I have noticed that most research is concerned almost exclusively with the impact of events on tourism. My problem with this is that the impetus for research should be driven by practitioners and not by academics. I am not convinced that this is now the case. The reason I state this is that having been on the practical side, I know that the entire industry is driven by practitioners and has been ever since its approximate birth some 25-odd years ago. The fact of life in the world of practitioners is that most of them work on corporate events and private events, not the high impact public hallmark and mega events that Getz and the academics would have us believe if we read their research. In fact, according to the 2006 Event Solutions magazine industry survey results, of the types of events respondents were involved in, 78% were corporate, 57% were social, and 45% were non-profit. These were the top three, and only 23% were involved in fairs and festivals. That means that practitioners need information about these as much or more than large tourist-oriented events.

Furthermore, all these practitioners generally look on themselves as SPECIAL event persons, not just event persons. Herein is some confusion in terminology. The academics tend to separate out special events as just another label and also tend to treat any special event as important only as long as it contributes to tourism, whereas those of us in the industry see it as the ONLY label, whether the event contributes to tourism or not. I believe, as I have stated before, that special events CAN be defined and can be divided up based on types and based on a list of defining characteristics of "specialness." All that I ask of Getz and the academics is that they take into consideration the importance of being industry-focused in their research.

Having gotten that off my chest, I do commend Getz on his thoughts about this new field. I particularly like his emphasis on and explanation of "foundation disciplines" such as anthropology, sociology, psychology, religious studies, performance studies, history, and such. These are essential background disciplines, at least a smattering of whose knowledge would greatly enhance the education of future practitioners. As he points out, there are almost limitless research possibilities from these disciplines in terms of their effects on and relationship to events - rather SPECIAL events. As practitioners, we would do well to open up the lines of communication with the academic side as soon as possible.

Reference:

Getz, Donald. (2007) Event Studies: Theory, research and policy for planned events. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd.

Seeking a Definition of Special Events

2007-11-20T14:04:00.000-08:00

At this point, there is no question that special events have taken on all aspects of an “industry” in that their organization and management are the underlying support for the employment of significant numbers of persons. This has been apparent since approximately the early 1980s, and it has been apparent in most first world countries. Whether this “industry” has yet become a “profession” similar to others like law, medicine, or engineering is still open to debate and not the subject of this blog. However, it is suggested by this author that if future professional entrance certification requirements based on advanced education can be tightened up and more rigorous practical application terms applied, it may eventually qualify to be in the same league. One of the first steps to achieving this status is to have a common understanding of exactly what special events are so that the “profession” understands its boundaries.

General Definitions

Let us begin trying to achieve this by looking at some current definitions. Goldblatt was one of the first to attempt a definition in his first book and again in his second (2002). He states, “A special event is a unique moment in time celebrated with ceremony and ritual to satisfy specific needs.” Getz (1997; p.4), on the other hand offers two definitions, from each of the event organizer’s and the guest’s point of view, respectively:

· “A special event is a one-time or infrequently occurring event outside normal programs or activities of the sponsoring or organizing body,” and
· “To the customer or guest, a special event is an opportunity for a leisure, social or cultural experience outside the normal range of choices or beyond everyday experience.”

Lastly, Jago and Shaw (1998) offer up individual definitions of events that have been categorized as to size and their impact on tourism (e.g. minor events, major events, hallmark events, mega-events, festivals) based on surveys of current literature and the use of specific terms.

There are several problems inherent with all these definitions. Goldblatt’s definition, while generally all-encompassing, does not place limits on the recurrence or duration of an event. For example, how would one differentiate between a regular season baseball game and a world series final; would either, both, or neither qualify as a special event? This definition also implies that special events are more celebratory than anything, the connotation being that they are of a festive nature only. This would possibly disqualify historic public executions and even present-day, high-level political meetings designed to discuss international emergencies. Getz’s definitions fail to place important boundaries on the defined events. For example, for an organizing body, by his definition a terrorist attack on the organization’s headquarters would qualify equally with the organization’s annual corporate retreat as being a special event. For a guest, although recognizing that an organization’s special event may not be one and the same, his definition fails to indicate whether the guest is a participant or an observer, nor does it recognize that there are other types of special events than just cultural and social, such as educational. Finally, Jago and Shaw’s definitions place too much emphasis on the tourism aspects of special events alone and ignore entirely the considerable legacy owed to the industry by historical special events. Perhaps their biggest failing, though, is their categorization by size rather than by type. This leads to inconsistency, for example, when considering the economic tourism impact of small, but highly lucrative private incentive events, and to the presumed elimination of minor special events as worthy of consideration in the study of event management.

Contrary to Jago and Shaw’s assertion (1998) that “it is unlikely that a single, all-embracing definition of special events can be developed,” I believe it can. This statement is based on extensive research of historical and modern rituals, celebrations, ceremonies, and spectacles across a wide variety of cultures and time periods. However, I do agree that it cannot be done by simple definition alone. The definition must be accompanied by a further examination and breakdown of the characteristics of “specialness.” I therefore offer up the following as a modified version of my first similar statement (Matthews, 2008):

“A special event is a gathering of human beings, generally lasting from a few hours to a few days, designed to celebrate, honor, discuss, sell, teach about, encourage, observe, or influence human endeavors.”

I believe this definition has several advantages over previous attempts. First, it places general boundaries on the duration of a special event, from a few hours to a few days. Certainly there are exceptions to this if one considers that such events as a World’s Fair can last for up to six months; however, the norm is a duration of no more than two weeks or so in the case of large, modern festivals, fairs, or conferences. Second, it acknowledges that special events are not restricted to festive celebrations but can encompass a variety of gatherings, serious or happy, and religious or secular, including meetings and conferences, expositions and trade shows, private and public special events, and events of various sizes. In so doing, it eliminates a direct relationship to tourism while still allowing its use in that industry, and it thus also recognizes the legacy of historical special events from a multiplicity of cultures. Lastly, it allows for the wide disparity of reasons for organizing and attending special events, without defining these from the restricted and specific viewpoints of organizer or guest.

As is obvious from the definition, the primary categorization method for special events that I prefer and that I believe to be the most logical is that of type rather than size. Why is this? I feel that organizing by size does not allow for the logical application of individual specialties within the industry. For example, if a hypothetical major event (defined by Jago and Shaw as “a large-scale special event that is high in status or prestige and attracts a large crowd and wide media attention”) such as the American Super Bowl football game is organized by a person with a professional special event certification, that does not mean that the same person is qualified to organize a major conference of similar proportions. Perhaps the best way to further illustrate the point is by way of examples from other professions. A civil engineer who has developed a reputation for designing bridges is not necessarily the right person to design a 70-storey skyscraper. The captain of a 2000-passenger ferry is probably not the right person to captain a 2000-passenger cruise ship. A neurosurgeon who performs a 3-hour operation on someone’s brain is definitely not the right person to perform a 3-hour operation on another person’s heart, and so on. The more logical approach to categorizing special events therefore appears to be by type, as this method follows the rapidly expanding division of responsibilities and certifications in the industry. It also permits the breakdown of different types into sub-categories based on size without any loss of their relationship to tourism. Before we discuss this method of categorization, however, we need to put the final touches on the definition of a special event.

The Characteristics of “Specialness”

The word “event” is overused. In our society it has come to mean almost anything that happens to us in going about our daily lives, and may include as diverse possibilities as an argument with our spouse, the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Only some, though, are “special,” and they are “special” in ways that differ according to our individual points of view. This was recognized by Getz in his definition of special events. The organizer, participant, and attendee or guest is each going to see a given event differently. Guests might very well consider an event “special” because they have planned on attending it for a long time. The key, however, is that the simple act of attending is the “special” part and not the event itself. Participants and organizers might not consider the same event special because it is simply their daily job. An example here might be a family going on holiday to Disneyland for two days. They consider the holiday to be a special event. However, for the organizers and participants of the daily parade at Disneyland, it is merely a job and it is done exactly the same way every day, thus making it a daily event, or more accurately, an attraction, but not a “special” event. To make this absolutely clear, let us attempt to add some more bounding characteristics to our previous definition of a special event, based on how the present industry perceives the events on which they work and also based on what history perceives as significant events. These then, are what turn an ordinary event into a “special event:”

- They must be of limited and fixed duration, typically hours or days at most.
- They must be a one-off or infrequent occurrence, typically monthly or annually at most.
- If they are part of a regular series, they must be an unusual component of the series.
- They must be unique.
- They must require one or more organizers.
- Their execution must be planned and controlled.
- They must conform to the definition of a special event.
- There must be a live audience other than the organizers present at the physical event location.

It’s easy to fit events with which we are familiar into this tidy definition and its boundaries. It is not, however, as easy to fit events that skirt the periphery, and that is the reason for the limiting characteristics. The signing of the peace treaties following World Wars I and II were special events, but were the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the Battle of the Atlantic, or Hiroshima? According to our definition, they could have been if one was only an observer. According to the limiting characteristics, they would not be because their executions were not controlled. Would an actual public execution in the 1700s be a special event? Yes, it probably would according to both our definition and our limiting characteristics, in that it is planned and the outcome is known. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Public executions were very much a part of society at that time and considered in some ways to be entertainment. Would a regular season hockey game compared to a Stanley Cup final game be a special event? By our limiting characteristics the regular season game would not be but the final would be. These are but a few examples of questionable cases but most can be placed in one or the other of special or just ordinary events using the definition and the limiting characteristics.

References:

Getz, D. (1997). Event Management and Event Tourism. New York: Cognizant Communication Corporation.
Goldblatt, J. (2002). Special Events: Twenty-First Century Global Event Management. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Jago, Leo K. and Shaw, Robin N. (1998). Special Events: A Conceptual and Definitional Framework. Festival Management & Event Tourism, Vol.5. (pp. 21-32).
Matthews, D. (2008). Special Event Production: The Process. Oxford: Elsevier.

Compliance with Standards and Regulations

2007-10-28T11:52:00.001-07:00

I ended the last blog stating that contractual compliance with existing standards and regulations is one way to improve risk management by event producers. Let's examine this more closely.

First, what are standards and regulations? Standards are generally specifications or guidelines that have been established by recognized national and international industry organizations called "standards development organizations" or SDOs. They typically pertain to the design and use of equipment. Such organizations include the Canadian Standards Association in Canada and the National Fire Protection Association in the USA. The content of standards may relate to products, processes, services, systems, or personnel. Examples of standards established by these organizations include the Canadian Electrical Code in Canada and the National Electrical Code in the USA. Similarly, other standards in such event production areas as rigging, audio, lighting, and staging, are drawn up by relevant organizations and given numbers and names.

Regulations, on the other hand, are simply standards that have been turned into law, either nationally or locally. Examples include personnel safety standards published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the USA or Workers' Compensation Boards in Canada.

Much of the content of standards and regulations pertains directly to special events. Herein lies the problem. Most event managers and producers have no idea that such standards and regulations exist, yet if they were followed because of contractual obligations, special event risk would be reduced in many areas. A typical example would be the standards pertaining to rigging which dictate how trussing must be designed for use in entertainment. To highlight the seriousness of ignorance, between 2002 and 2003, for example, four major stage and truss collapses occurred, including rigs set up for Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, South African president Mbeki, and Christian rock group Godstock. Although nobody was killed in any of these, in most cases the damage was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and for some, a tour cancellation and continuing litigation.

Suffice it to say, I firmly believe that all special event managers and producers should be familiar with the standards and regulations pertaining to this industry, and to help alleviate potential risk in these areas, should contractually bind suppliers to adhere to all applicable standards and regulations in their specialties.

The Realities of Risk Management in Event Production

2007-10-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

Of course we all believe in doing proper risk management for the events we produce or manage, the main four steps being identification, assessment, control, and monitoring. Good risk management theory would have us completing thorough risk assessments before each event we produce. But does this really happen? According to a 2007 industry survey by Event Solutions magazine, only 50% of the events planned by respondents had risk assessments completed. Why is this? Here are my thoughts.

Most event producers are the owners of small businesses and the production contracts on which they work are for relatively small events, such as corporate dinners, award shows, fundraising galas, and others. They are key members of a usually small event team that is faced with short lead times to prepare for the event, rather than the year or more lead times for public events with large event teams, such as festivals, parades, or sports. In short, they must concentrate on work that is directly related to making a profit, and to be blunt, gathering and evaluating risk data is not a task at the top of their priority list. Unless required by contract or by law, assessment is not done to the extent that risk management theory demands. Most producers do the minimum work necessary to execute the event.

Ironically, the responsibility areas of the producer are arguably the most hazardous of any in the event (e.g. staging, rigging, lighting, etc). Not only that, but competition and client demands regularly force producers to push the boundaries of safety in these already risky areas by creating new ways of presenting entertainment and new ways of allowing guests to participate in activities. This is not done at every event, but it is certainly done at enough events that it is of concern, and it is of concern to the insurance industry, already skittish because of regular event disasters around the globe.

There is an underlying current of “ego versus safety” within much of the technical community. According to Rick Smith of Riggit Services in Vancouver, Canada, seasoned technicians in fields such as rigging, lighting, audio, staging, and such are sometimes too ready to accept client demands because they like the challenge of creating something new in spite of the risks involved and standards that might otherwise dictate that it should not be done. In other words, they refuse to say NO to a client when safety might be compromised.

We are thus left with an impasse between risk management theory and the realities of event production, the quest for profit, and human nature. How can this impasse be broken? There are two answers. The first is education, which means that event managers and event producers have to understand in much more detail what comprises event production and what the risks are within the areas of event production, so they can at least ask the right questions and demand the right answers of suppliers. The second answer lies in compliance with existing standards and regulations, and that is a topic for later.

Something to Think About: What Really is a "Special Event?"

2007-08-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

Isn't it a bit strange that the special events "industry" has only been in existence for about 25 or so years, yet what most of us would define as "special events" have been around since pre-historic times? I know this is not a question most people entering the industry ponder about very much, but it begs an answer because what has emerged in the industry is a mixed set of definitions and a lot of confusion about what is and is not a special event.

In my books and teaching, I have personally defined a special event as "a gathering of human beings, generally lasting from a few hours to a few days, and designed to celebrate, honor, sell, teach about, or observe human endeavors." This is my personal definition and it is intended to be as all-encompassing as possible. Dr. Joe Jeff Goldblatt, a pioneer in special events, has a similar definition, perhaps more general, when he says “a special event is a unique moment in time celebrated with ceremony and ritual to satisfy specific needs." Donald Getz, another Canadian educator, on the other hand, offers two definitions, from each of the event organizer’s and the guest’s point of view, respectively:

1. "A special event is a one-time or infrequently occurring event outside normal programs or activities of the sponsoring or organizing body,” and
2. To the customer or guest, a special event is an opportunity for a leisure, social or cultural experience outside the normal range of choices or beyond everyday experience."

Now, none of these definitions is inherently wrong or right; they just approach the subject slightly differently. Where we run into problems is when we try to state what is and is not a special event based only on these definitions, in other words, when we try to apply some degree of undefinable "specialness" to them.

Let's consider what this "specialness" is. Supposedly there must be some sort of uniqueness to events in terms of categorization and size, they must use one or more dedicated organizers, and they must somehow fit into a very limited scale of repetition. For example, is a weekly church service a special event or just the Christmas Eve service? Is a public hanging in the 1800s a special event even though many would say it is not a celebration per se (which many event practitioners might argue for)? Is a Rolling Stones concert a special event, even though it is one of many on a worldwide tour? Is a space shuttle launch and flight a special event even though it is not a typical celebration that we in the industry are used to? As you can see, these are not easily answered or universally agreed on.

Some academics such as Leo Jago and Robin Shaw from Australia, have tended to consider special events as only pertaining to tourism and to include large-scale "major" events, "hallmark" events, "mega-events," festivals, and minor events. Unfortunately, their research has not considered the impact and importance of the large - or perhaps more importantly, lucrative - private special event market that also includes incentives, association and corporate meetings, fundraisers, and large social and life events, all of which form arguably the lion's share of business for actual practitioners in the special events industry.

As a result, we on what may be called the "operational side" of the industry (as opposed to the "academic side") are still left in a confused state and searching for a more complete definition of the term "special event." My personal belief is that as the industry matures - and it is still very much in the maturation stage - a more enlightened definition will emerge, most likely one that categorizes special events in more detail and in alignment with still-developing internal industry specialties.