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Event Management Versus Event Production: What’s the Difference?

March 13, 2023

Event management and event production are two closely related terms with different meanings. Event production covers the proper execution and the smooth running of an event on its actual day, while event management is the event’s overall planning and implementation. Knowing the difference between these terms as an event planner aids your planning and helps you deliver excellent quality to your clients. In this article, we’ve defined event management and event production and explained their differences.

What is Event Management?

Event management is the overall planning, monitoring, coordination and execution of an event from the beginning to the end. It involves an event manager who applies project management principles to an event to ensure its success and make it memorable. This individual typically works with an event coordinator to discuss the plans that go into event planning and production. Due to their crucial role, event managers are often a client’s first contact during event organization. 

What is Event Production?

Event production is applying technology and creativity to execute an event properly using sound, lighting, design and various production equipment. Multiple individuals collaborate to ensure an event’s success, including an event producer, design lead, audiovisual crew, and event operations technologist.

Components of Event Management

Below are typical components of event management: 

  • Selecting the event venue

This involves researching potential halls and locations to find the perfect one for the event. Important considerations for the event’s venue include location, parking, services and amenities, layout and accessibility. The event manager may check different magazines and catalogs or use the internet to find these details.

  • Sourcing  vendors

After choosing a suitable venue, the event manager sources onsite vendors, such as caterers, registration desk staff and security. There are numerous organizations that provide on-site technological, electrical, security services and food and beverages services for events. The event manager may hire the services of these businesses directly or find information about them from the event center or convention center’s website.

  • Scheduling tasks

Here, an event manager plans the event’s calendar by creating a timeline. It also involves delegating tasks to team members and giving detailed information necessary to perform those tasks. For example, the event manager maps out the activities of florists, caterers and other vendors and ensures complementary coordination with them.

  • Crisis management

The event manager also makes plans for unforeseen circumstances that may arise to ensure there’s no disruption to the flow of activities at the venue. They do this typically by creating alternative strategies to critical situations and troubleshooting any problems that may arise.

  • Coordinating with clients   

To ensure the event’s success, a mutual understanding of the event’s target is essential between the client and the event manager before and during the event. This can help keep activities coherent and ensure that the event manager meets the client’s vision. 

  • Creating and managing budgets

The event budget details the expected spending to hold a successful event, including venue fees, marketing, contracts, and food and beverages. The event manager creates and manages this budget to ensure actual expenses are the same as planned expenses or only exceed them by an acceptable margin.

Event Production

Performedia team capturing a hybrid session

Components of Event Production

Here are the different activities that constitute event production:

  • Preparing the event venue

This begins with knowing the number of guests at the event to acquire assets, food and beverage, seats and audio and visual equipment. It often helps to test all equipment, tools and technical items before the event starts, set up all decorations, and give attendees a pleasant event experience.

  • Sourcing vendors

It’s also the duty of the event producer to source production-oriented vendors such as bandwidth providers and video and audio capture teams. Convention centers and event halls typically partner with different production vendors, so you may find their details and contacts on their websites. These vendors can also have their websites and addresses, so searching them on the internet is another effective way to find them.

  • Sourcing equipment

Event production also entails sourcing the equipment that the event’s host and other individuals may use on that day. Often, the event producer may request additional units of the various equipment in the case of technical issues to avoid event delay.

  • Facilitating seamless operations on the D-Day 

The event producer also sets up all items before the event and monitors them throughout to ensure they’re functioning optimally. When the event ends, they’re also responsible for taking all set-ups and decorations and returning the venue to its initial state.

  • Ensuring safety standards

As the program progresses, an event producer surveys the venue to identify and remove potential life-endangering risks. They troubleshoot problems and may explain safety procedures and standards to the planning team.

3 Differences Between Event Management and Event Production

Knowing how event management differs from event production can inform you about what you need at different stages of event planning and where their activities overlap. Here are the core differences between event management and event production. 

  • Scope of Work: 

Event management is wider in scope than event productions, as it encompasses pre-event and post-event activities. Event management examines the event’s ideas and determines their feasibility. Event managers then draft plans for activities they consider realistic and suggest ideas to help improve the ones they consider unrealistic. Event production focuses more on the activities that happen on the actual day of the event. An event producer monitors the technical aspects of events proceedings and ensures the safety of every attendee at the event.

  • Pre-event Planning Requirements

Event management generally handles more pre-event planning requirements than event production. The event manager holds a pre-event meeting with the host or client to identify their expectations and determine how to meet them. They also meet with other workers at the event and create schedules that promote collaboration. 

Event production has minor pre-event planning requirements. The event producer may source vendors for the event and work with the event manager to secure their space. This individual also sources and oversees venue preparation moments before the event starts.

  • Crisis Management

Crisis management is the duty of event management and production, but both perform it differently. An event manager generally makes contingency plans for the event’s activities long before the event starts. When things also don’t go as planned, the event manager steps up and is quick to find solutions that don’t disrupt the flow of programs. An event producer typically manages crises on-site during the program. They assess the venue and equipment for potential issues and remove them before they can cause severe damage.

How Can I Harness Event Production and Event Management for My Event?

Now that you know the difference between the two terms, you may be contemplating which you need to hire for your event. Event managers are beneficial if you need help planning and coordinating your event, especially if the event is large or complex. You may hire an event producer if you’re preparing for a smaller event and only require assistance monitoring technical tools and running various equipment. Working with an experienced event solutions provider like Performedia enables you to access the services of both event managers and event producers and helps give your event’s attendees a memorable experience.