Ask the Expert
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Ask the Expert is our thought leadership series featuring experts from around the business on a variety of topics to the events industry. In this edition we sit down with Katherine Pfahl, Director of Strategic Partnerships as she tackles the decisive question of what it means to bring a production expert on board, serving new needs and expectations in the events market.
It’s not just about skills — it’s a whole new way to think about event production.
When you’re planning an event, there’s a rich journey to consider. Not just yours or the client’s, but also the attendees’. Each interaction — from pre and post-event engagement to everything the venue may offer — leaves an indelible mark on whether the day is successful. Still want to go solo? This immersive user journey is much harder to pave alone. A strategic production service can make all the difference for drawing out your space’s true potential and helping a client feel heard, seen and valued.
A great service is much more than AV
The latest equipment can only go so far. Advanced projectors, screens, speakers and lighting rigs are the groundwork for ensuring your events deliver their key messages, but creative design is equally vital to keep clients coming back. A production partner should be able to create tailored solutions that fit the theme and goals we glean from every customer.
At Encore, we present detailed, visual plans to our clientele, bringing events to life early in the sales process. This relies on taking time to understand what they want to achieve and how every inch of the venue can immerse an audience. We suggest how images, sound, texture and spatial choices align to allow people to connect with the event programme and each other.
If you’re staging something on your own, with template designs and basic AV equipment, these details are easy to miss. But, they certainly matter.
Our 2022 venue partner evaluation survey garnered a 96% satisfaction rating for customer service and 99% for overall satisfaction — both of which largely stem from our careful approach to production.
Adaptability means more repeat bookings
How are you using available space? Can you adapt one area for another purpose, staging several types of events under the same roof? More business opportunities come thick and fast when you can feasibly accommodate several briefs — transforming a conference room into a gala dinner, say, or flipping an AGM into an awards show within several hours. Clients don’t have to hunt for another venue.
We often like to suggest mobile installations: bespoke stages, rigs and AV units that overcome fixed restrictions, flexing with the decor, branding and floor plans we’ll strategise together. Our teams can move and remove these installations on the same day, ready for any requirements. The result? Plenty of return business, even if you want to recreate a theme perfectly for roadshows.
An elite partner keeps up with trends
Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a huge appetite for more diverse event solutions — the kind that allow people to attend from anywhere, in-person or digitally, with the same meaningful experience. Cross-platform networking, live-streamed Q&As and audience polls increase engagement in a number of ways, as do extended reality (XR) presentations that raise your game for jaw-dropping keynotes.
Plus, the days of back-to-back sessions are over. Attendees want private spaces to take a break and perhaps work on their own assignments. An experienced production partner has both ears to the ground for these trends and technical developments. In Encore’s case, we usually get the latest, greatest equipment first, lending a competitive advantage for all the venues in our network.
About Encore
Encore creates memorable event experiences that engage and transform organisations. As the global leader for event technology and production services, Encore’s team delivers award winning events through design, advanced technology, staging, and digital solutions for in-person and hybrid events. Encore operates in more than 20 countries across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, throughout Asia, North America, Europe and the Middle East. Encore is the trusted partner of choice for over 100 leading hotels and venues in the region.
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