Boomset Blog • Guest Topic: Event Planner vs Producer

Guest Topic: Event Planner vs Producer

We’ve been asking #eventprofs on all of our networks to share what inspires them and any tips they could offer the rest of the industry. Here’s what Erika Watson of White Hot Events has to share this week:

Event Planner vs. Producer?!?

“I own an Event Production company.” When I got into this industry, I had no idea how many more questions my answer-to-a-question would garner. That answer is typically followed by some question about my being an event planner. Now, up until about 6 months ago I would answer “no,” and go into some long-winded dissertation rivaling the square root of pi. It wasn’t until I began to realize that, outside of our industry, they are one in the same…until today.

Before I go into defining each role (and in an effort to not “slight” either party), let me go on record to say that both job descriptions / résumé qualifications can rival those of the President of the United States, a law enforcement officer, an ER doctor, and a Kindergarten teacher. And I will be the first to admit it. So, now that I got that out of the way, let’s unravel this onion layer by layer.

An Event Planner, to summarize, is the gatekeeper to the Event. They are typically the point of contact with the client. A large part of their responsibilities includes not only keeping the budget in line but also the vendors hired. They will take the clients’ overall vision and drill it down to the appropriate companies/people to make it happen. Their handbags rival that of a doctor in a foreign country, and probably includes: an industrial sewing kit, a Rolodex of companies two miles long, a full tissue box, over-the-counter medicines for everything from a headache to a hangnail, a half-bottle of Valium (you never know), and a Vegas casino chip for reasons unknown.

Now…for the Event Producer. Let me first say that these fine folks don’t suffer from ADD/ADHD. Those that admit to it truly celebrate it (how else do you think we - scratch that - they come up with the craziness?!?). The rest of us - again, “them” - blame it on “shiny penny syndrome.” Producers, in summary, are the key keepers of the event. We are the ones that make it happen. From rigging, lighting, textiles, flowers, and MASSIVE amounts of duct tape, we are the ones that have to know the Fire Marshall regulations for your venue (to make sure it doesn’t get shut down - minor detail). In general, we can do a once-over of a room and give you the approximate square footage, the height, and tell you if the fiberglass, LIFESIZE pink elephant will fit (after we say “yes,” we might even toss in an idea about putting it in a cage and suspending it - don’t be alarmed). Our handbag? Well, if we travel with clients, our clutch can hold: a 100′ measuring tape, black AND white zip ties, wire cutters, duct tape (who doesn’t), a mobile make-up bag, 2 different technological devices, a shiny new staple gun (FAB-U-LOUS), super glue, a sharpie, probably two pairs of shoes, a bottle of vodka (for the flowers of course), and $3.17 in loose change at the bottom.

So…while it is clear that these two clearly have completely different “bags of tricks,” they do have to have a set of underlying skills and characteristics that are very similar. Now, as an Event Producer, I would LOVE to hear your take on the differences as outlined. And as you do that, there is a table in need of my welding skills that I must get to!

(Writer’s note: No Event Planners were sacrificed in the writing of this article)