You may find yourself thinking, "Is there a difference between an event planner and an event producer?" Well, I am here to tell you the answer is: Yes! Each job is essential separately and works hand-in-hand when creating the perfect live event for any occasion. When planning an event, companies or brands may not know the benefit of having both the event planners as well as the event producers. First, in order to understand why these two jobs go hand-in-hand so well, we must know what they are separately.
Event Planners
An event planner is a profession whose responsibility is planning events, parties, gatherings, and more. Event planners are responsible for (but not limited to!) the following:
Managing aspects of planning such as deadlines and restrictions
Location scouting
Client communications
Build relationships with hosts and vendors
Comply with the legalities of each event
On the other hand, the event producer is responsible for managing the flow of events as well as coordinating with the suppliers. To put it simply, event planners lay the framework, and producers bring it to life. Without the event production company, the vision that the client and event planners created together may not come into reality the way they want it to.
Responsibilities of an event producer are often (but not limited to!):
Overseeing staff
Making all equipment available for the event
Budgeting
Meeting deadlines
Monitoring/managing the event and the planning of the event
Supervising production
Comply with all legalities and regulations
Why They Work so Well Together
As you can see, there is some overlap in the responsibilities of each job. Both roles are in charge of complying with laws and regulations, planning, and meeting deadlines. However, each position is unique and comes with its strengths and its own set of expectations.
The first part of planning any event is creating a vision, and this is where the event planners truly shine.
Creating a vision
Strategies and details are often delegated to event planning. This is the team responsible for communication with the client. They are the ones working with the client to create a vision for the event. This vision is then broken down into the sections needed to make it happen: venue, catering, rentals, etc., and keeping it within budget.
On the other hand, event producers take the vision and make it a reality via a technical production aspect. They take the concept and put it into action, ensuring the desired experience is created for the client. Event planners are often more familiar with regulations for said events, especially for specific venues. Event planning is a vital part of event production, but not all planners have the technical qualifications of a producer. Event producers are involved in the lighting, audio, visual, stage management, and putting it into reality.
Using both an event planner and an event production company is the best way to make your dream a reality when it comes to live events. Both teams work in tandem together, balancing one another and with the sole focus of making your live event perfect. For this reason, we consider event planners and event production companies to be best friends; they work together with a common goal and provide their unique skill sets.