Recently I was privileged to sit on a panel at Pro Production 2005 that was moderated by Glenn Goodwin of the Spark Agency, and sat in the company of fellow panelists Sandra Bartsch, Ken Freeman and Pam Scrape. The panel was poised with the question frequently asked by vendors trying to break in to the event production market. "Who do I need to know?" This was an easy topic for me, as I have used a basic philosophy for years. First of all, you need to know me. I am the producer who makes all the production vendor decisions for my clients' events. Second, I need to know you. Not just your company and your resume, but you. I have spent 25 years in the event production business, and I am not about to throw it all down the drain on a new vendor.
I have a very simple test I use with the people I work with. I must feel like I could leave my children with them. I don't mean as godparents, but if I had to leave for a day or two, I would not worry for their safety.
This might seem a bit strange at first, but think about it. I happen to be the major breadwinner in my family. I make that money by producing events for my clients. If I were to work with any vendor that came along, or only took the low bidder, I might make more money for a short time, but at some point just paying attention to money will come back to haunt you. If I lose clients because of poor decisions, my kids will lose their home.
That does not mean that from time to time clients will not need help, but it does mean that you need to deliver a great product and price yourself accordingly so that you will still be in business and able to help when that time comes. As they say on the plane, put on your oxygen mask and then help your children. Build your business on a solid foundation so that when you need a mask, you have one, and don't go down in flames on your first mistake.
Mistakes will happen. We are all human. When a child makes a mistake, how a parent (producer/vendor) handles it will shape how the child (vendor/employee) deals with his or her next opportunity to make another mistake. I look for vendors who are straightforward and honest. Don't tell me what you think I want to hear. Tell me what exactly is going on. That way I can deal with the client from an informed and honest position. It is much easier to protect a vendor who comes to me when they know there is a problem than one who tries to cover it up. This is not a time when it is better to beg for forgiveness after the problem has hit the fan. Get in front of it. Stand up and take responsibility. I tell my clients that one of my selling points is all of the mistakes I have made in the past. So not only do I know what to avoid, but chances are, if the ball does drop, I can catch it before it hits the ground, or pick it up fast when it does.
Communication is critical. On an airplane, when you have been sitting on the tarmac for 45 minutes with no explanation, it makes you agitated. Same thing with us producers–we need to know if there is a snag or snafu coming at us.
More on communication: stay in touch. I don't mean that I want to get an e-mail blast every time you do a show, but maybe bi-monthly or quarterly, give me an update so I know that you are still there. You never know when a producer is going to get that big job in your city. A great example is, when cell phones were just coming on the market, I got a job producing an employee party for the company that introduced cellular to the U.S. through a vendor in Seattle, Mac Perkins at PNTA (by the way, thanks again, Mac). In the mid-'90s it was sold to AT&T, and I was hired to produce a series of market rollouts across the country. I used a decorator in Cleveland who over the years has sent me very tasteful, quarterly and sometimes bi-annual newsletters. Not big, but nice. I am going back there this summer with a client and they will get a good piece of business out of it.
Advertise. When my kids want me to notice them, they make noise. There are plenty of places to put an ad. Some of them are even free. Seek out the directories for producers and event planners. Find the publications, like this one, that send free subscriptions to people like me. I am an ardent reader of advertising. It not only tells me who and what is out there, but it can also give me insight into what my competition is doing.
Contrary to what you might think, not all of us are just wannabe production managers. After years of being a musician, I started out in this business beginning around 1979 as a runner, and have worked my way through promoter rep, production manager, tour accountant, tour promoter, event producer and consultant. I have made audio snakes, taken electrical courses, designed Broadway sets, got an RIAA degree in recording engineering and been on and off the road for the past 30 years. There are quite a few of us who have done most of the jobs out there on our way to where we are today. That is not to say that there are not bad producers; I would venture to say there are more bad than good.
So beyond buyer beware, there is vendor beware. I also approach clients as I do vendors. Just because there is business does not mean that I am the right producer for the job. As difficult as it may seem at the time when all the bills are coming due, sometimes it is better to pass on a job that may cause more problems than benefits. If you do take the job, get invested in it. Get to know all of those involved as extended family. Treat each job as if your children's future (if you don't have any, pretend) depends on it, because it does.
In the early '80s Deans worked as part of the North American management liaison for the musical groups Men at Work, Split Enz and Divynals. Today he produces events for such clients as the White House, former President Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic National Party, the State of Washington, and many cities across the U.S. Visit his Web site at www.liaisongroupinc.com.
