Producing a ‘Fabulous’ Event

Experience is a great teacher, as the saying goes — and most event pros would agree. After all, it’s from experience that we all learn what works and what doesn’t. With that in mind, Event Solutions got in touch with some of the event pros in charge of wowing planners from around the country at the Fabulous Showcase Event, the Event Solutions Idea Factory’s signature bash, and we asked them to share words of wisdom from the lessons they’ve learned over the years.

Here are their top nine production tips that you can use to create your own “Fabulous” events.

1. Visualize the event.
“All events start with visualizing a concept,” says planner Bobby Ramirez of Orlando, Fla.-based Ritmo!Palooza. “Start with the end in mind. Discover what is the client’s end result and focus all energies toward achieving that goal.”

Ramirez says whether he’s producing one portion of the event, such as the entertainment, or coordinating the whole shindig from décor to transportation, “what works for me is to visualize the flow and how each element will coexist and interact with the venue and the audience. Ultimately, the end result should unfold as the client envisioned.”

2. Focus on the client.
“A client always knows what he wants — even when he says he has no idea,” says Rod Kukurudz of Citizen Events in Miami Beach, Fla.

To get an idea of what the client wants, Kukurudz presents a project to “get him to say what he likes and what he doesn’t.”

3. Develop your communication skills.
It sounds simple, but good communication is a necessity for a winning event.

“If there is one major contributor to success in the field of production, it is clear, continual and illuminating communication,” says Ira Mitchell-Steiman, executive director of All Over Miami LLC in Miami. “Communication with vendors, with employees, with labor, with clients, with anyone involved with the production. The more people who can easily understand all facets of the event, the more successful the overall production will be.

“Many people scoff at meetings, discussions, detailed plans and instructions, but I firmly believe that these are not time wasters but time savers!”

4. Get it in writing.
Well-organized events are outlined in detail so everyone knows their responsibilities.

“I always tell my staff, ‘Never assume,’” says Derek Eaton, vice president of special events for Jacksonville, Fla.-based PRI Productions and executive producer of this year’s Fabulous Showcase Event. “I want to see the proof. It is so easy to point the finger at other staff, other vendors, or sometimes the client.

“Ask appropriate questions, get the answers and put it in writing! Whether you are corresponding to staff, vendors or clients, it is easier to have it down on paper than assuming that an individual or a company is providing that product or service.”

5. It’s a balancing act.
“Too many events fall just short of stellar productions because their designers or producers did not think big enough,” says Mitchell-Steiman. “Think big! Fill the space with energy, color, presence. Perimeter décor that towers above guests’ heads can be seen across the room; shorter elements are lost. Think grand. Entertain your guests with a touch of whimsy, the unexpected, the over-scaled. You will be glad you did leave them with something to remember.”

6. Focus on the details.
Event Coordinator Robert Capers of PRI Productions recommends asking your clients lots of questions. Over the years, he’s learned “to be detailed and to follow through with my job outline of the event,” he explains.

7. Keep things real.
Impress your clients and their guests with genuine experience, rich in details.

“Make your event authentic,” says Ramirez. “Whatever the theme, using authentic products [and] services offers a better chance of creating a memorable experience; thus, it will produce a higher return on investment for the client.”

8. Plan ahead.
Looking ahead to the main event is a priority for Eaton, who says he reviews contracts several times before the event and compares the contracts to the site plan.

“Even though my client may have hired the caterer, I feel that I am the glue that holds the event together,” explains Eaton. “The more issues you deal with before the event, the less you will have to deal with during the event.”

9. Respect your vendors.
The backbone of a great event is a skilled crew of suppliers and staff, according to the experts.

“Build a great and long-lasting relationship with your suppliers and vendors,” says Kukurudz. “They are as important as your clients.”

So with all this planning expertise to draw from, what do these event pros have in store for attendees of the Fabulous Showcase Event?

Mitchell-Steiman admits his plans are “all so secretive,” but he’s willing to divulge a few details.

“I can tell you that we are thinking very grand, very visual and at times shockingly unusual, but tastefully appropriate,” he says. “Color, style, innovation and entertainment integrated and produced within a meticulously planned timeline will be the ultimate key to this project.”

Capers, however, is keeping mum. “Something with liquid, lights and lipstick” — the event’s theme — he promises cryptically. It seems that to find out the details — and see these producers’ top tips in action — you’ll just have to show up.