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As a leader in technical event production in New York, we’re contacted by people producing all types of events, from intimate weddings to major rock concerts and corporate events. We always provide every customer with the same high-quality service.
Through the years we’ve encountered many clients, often new to event production, who are unsure of what it is we do and why we charge what we charge for our services. Event production in New York is challenging and competitive, and in order to separate your event from others requires creativity, skill and a team of dedicated professionals across many disciplines from catering to entertainment, PR and technical event production.
In the years that BML-Blackbird has been providing technical event production in New York and New Jersey, we’re often asked the same types of questions. This post will examine five common misconceptions we often have to address with event producers.
We believe that an educated consumer is an asset and we’re always here to answer questions and address concerns.
Let’s look a bit closer at five common misconceptions about event production in New York.
1. It’s Just Lights So It Should Be Cheap, Right?
The answer to this is “not exactly.” Lighting is a major aspect of event production. Your event lighting can create the atmosphere, set the mood and tie the environmental aesthetics together for your event.
The lights we use to create magic are highly specialized technology which require a lot of maintenance and love. The lighting consoles used to control these lighting fixtures are complex computers that require constant updating and upkeep. The process of arriving at a beautiful finished product for you on show day is often a long one. From site surveys, to prep and planning and finally load in and set up- all steps require attention and resources. Finally, our highly trained staff will be on hand the night of your event to operate those lights flawlessly and leave the venue exactly as they found it!
If your goal is to create a magical environment that will astound your guests, create memories and leave them talking for days afterwards, we do that every day, but it isn’t easy. We can, however, work with any budget to create magic for your event, so don’t be afraid to give us a call.
2. The Cost of Labor is Too Expensive.
If you consider the fact that technical event production in New York requires a highly skilled team, our labor costs are reasonable. A properly trained team is needed to load in and set up audio, lighting and video equipment (and tear down and load out after your event), riggers to ensure that everything is installed safely, electricians to wire everything safely and technicians to operate the audio mixing board and lighting board.
All of the people we employ are highly skilled, highly creative, knowledgeable and experienced professionals with years of training. The field they work in is highly specialized and requires consistent education as the technology we employ is constantly evolving. Add to that the fact that we work in one of the most highly competitive markets in the world, we create magic and put out 110% effort into every job we do. Our staff works hard and is worth every penny.
3. I have a PR/Marketing Firm, So I Don’t Need An Event Production Company in New York.
This is like comparing apples to oranges, and we often hear it when people are unsure of exactly what we do. A PR/Marketing firm is responsible for getting the event planned in the first place. They have the initial vision for the how and the why the event should happen. From there they create the buzz, sell tickets, handle guest relations and secure publicity. Their job is to dazzle people and create an atmosphere of anticipation leading up to the event and to ensure that event stays on message.
Our job is highlight this idea, and ensure that they will be visually blown away when they come through the door. Our knowledge and expertise lies in the (often behind the scenes) technology that drives your event. The lighting, sound, video and staging that creates the environment, sets the mood and dazzles the audience. We create memories for your audience that leave them talking about your event for days after it’s over.
A technical production company can design the lighting, provide load-in, set-up, operate, tear down and remove all of the theatrical technology needed to pull off your event. We work as liaisons for you, coordinating the technical needs of performers and presenters. We’re prepared for any contingency that may arise, so on the night of your event you can breathe easier knowing that the technical end is in good hands.
4. Everything Can Happen Quick and Easy.
What we do requires time, and while we make it look easy, event production in New York rarely is. We always work as quickly as possible, but to produce an event with world-class technology takes time. We have to load in gear, install the lighting, sound, staging and video, run power, wire everything, focus and test the lights, program and run the show. Of course how long it takes depends on the complexity of the production, and the infrastructure of the venue, but we always work with an eye toward logistics and scheduling and plan accordingly. We focus on doing all of these things quickly, efficiently and most importantly with the utmost safety.
5. Why Do I need So Many People? Can’t One Person Handle It All?
When you go out to a fine restaurant for dinner, you don’t expect your server to take your order, cook your meal and then bus your table. Each of those tasks requires a special skill set, and the time and attention to perform each task properly. It’s the same with event production in New York.
Each member of our staff brings a unique and necessary skill set to the job. The skills needed for lighting alone vary greatly. From designing and choosing the correct technology to setting up and focusing the lights, to safely build a trussing system, each require unique skills. This is not only true within each department, but also across disciplines. An audio engineer knows how to tune microphones and mix a band but not how to operate a lighting console, for example. Video, staging, audio, lighting all have different equipment and therefore need technicians with different skills. We build a team for your event staffed by specialists that are the best at what they do!
We take our job seriously and are always upfront about what it takes in terms of the skills, technology and budget to create magic for your special event. We are the best at what we do precisely because we’re honest, knowledgeable and experienced and bring an amazing team of creative, talented professionals to the table. We’re always available to answer any questions you might have and can work with you, no matter the budget, to produce your next event. Just give us a call, we’re here to help.
