Peace among leadership arises from clear boundaries, not from shared confusion
Understanding the Multiple Layers of Event Relationships
1. Client vs. Clients Client vs. Production team vs Labor Team
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Client's Client
The brand or sponsor the primary client represents
They could even have their own clients…imagine having no clue when you step on-site who anyone is.
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Primary Client
Your direct contact (e.g., an agency or organization with their own teams, KPIs, stakeholders, and so forth)
If they're hiring a production company, perhaps they don't provide that in-house
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Production Company
Provides full event production services
Handles creative (maybe), managerial (probably) and technical details (mostly)
Usually a mosaic of W-2 full timers, part timers, and freelancers who may or may not be regulars
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Labor Company
Supplies specialized personnel- you get what you pay for folks
Stagehands, riggers, camera operators, audio/lighting/video operators, hands… the gamut
sometimes hired by production teams, sometimes have management of their own on site, sometimes throw their labor to the wolves
Common Pitfalls
Misaligned Expectations: When the primary client and the brand haven't ironed out their plans like they thought, someone is digging through the email threads while hired hands are tied up waiting for a decision to trickle down through a grapevine
Communication Bottlenecks: Speaking of grapevine, without a plan for communication, each layer of group think adds rumors (acted upon…move this elephant up to ballroom 5) and conflicts on inaction (Stacy told me the elephant isn't coming, Victor told me that it's going to be a giraffe. I heard the stagehands are just going to take a 1 hour walkaway lunch until we figure it out with the zoo people)
Scope Creep: The client’s client may request additional features or changes at the last minute, which weren’t part of the initial agreement (actually I was wondering if we could add a cheese station next to the ring toss? My client said their son Doug wants to promote his new gouda and he's got all the curds in the van now)
Lack of Documentation: What you don't write down will get guessed spontaneously on site, with a shrug and a sign and a mental note on the state of affairs (Honestly I have no idea where this elephant is going to go, I never received a site plan and he's about to sh** all over this ballroom carpet)
Hierarchal confusion and power vacuums: A surefire way to step in it and have a green stagehand muck up a client relationship is to be translucent, but not transparent, about roles on site and their responsibilities and hierarchy (Green stagehand to client's client project manager- Hey, sorry the ring toss people told me that there isn't going to be any way to let that cheese guy set up there, and I mentioned that I overhead that so he decided to set up next to the elephant and it turns out the animal wrangler is severely allergic to gouda…unrelated, do you know which way the freight elevator is?")
Best Practices
Maintain clear scope and contracts, delineation of duties
Establish one point of contact and roles up front
Create detailed timelines, production schedules, site plans, input lists, cue lists, runs of show, and master production cue calls for all parties. As it adds in complexity, so too should it add in documentation.
Pay attention to who you're hiring and what their track record is. Insist that labor companies keep someone on site whenever possible.
Have a pre-show meeting and make introductions with all parties, give everyone an idea of where those resources are, have things labeled clearly and readily available.
Key Takeaways
Don't take the chain of command for granted. Insist on convincing yourself, then your team, of the linearity of it, and don't be afraid to inquire that of the folks you're working with down the chain. (and if you're looking up the chain, ask for clarification.)
Document all approvals and changes. Digital universes and tools are great for this, but maybe don't keep everything in an email or slack thread… put it somewhere in the light whenever possible and have one main source of truth checked for conflicting details, easily updatable, and on multiple devices onsite for viewing the most recent changes if any
Maintain regular status updates between all parties, and minimize or resolve onsite changes or conflicts wherever possible
Understand that out the gate some folks are in charge and have worked within the larger project ecosystem, some are experienced, and some are fresh from a frat party and haven't a fragment of a clue (again, you get what you pay for)
2. Production Company vs. Labor Company
In live events and experiential marketing, you’ll often deal with:
Production Companies: Provide full or partial event production services—creative, technical, and managerial.
Labor Companies: Supply specialized personnel (stagehands, riggers, camera ops, lighting techs) to execute a plan set by the production team.
Where Responsibilities Overlap
Onsite Execution: Both entities may handle aspects of setup and teardown. The question is: who gives the final direction on tasks?
Technical Coordination: The production company sets the show flow; the labor company ensures staff perform tasks to meet that flow. Overlap can occur when the labor team lacks clarity on who is in charge of the final call.
Potential Pitfalls
Crew Confusion: If labor staff receive conflicting instructions from the client vs. production manager vs. technical director.
Budget Overruns: Miscommunication about overtime or extra labor can cause unplanned expenses.
Liability Issues: Who’s responsible if equipment is damaged during load-in/out or if an injury occurs?
Best Practices
Clear Scope & Contract
Spell out who oversees which department and how decisions are made.
One Point of Contact
The production manager (or a designated lead) should be the single voice directing the labor team on-site.
Detailed Timelines
Provide labor companies with precise schedules, load-in/out times, and known variables (e.g., union rules).
3. Creative vs. Technical Operations
Events often have a Creative Director who dreams up the look, feel, and thematic elements, and a Technical Director (or team) who determines how to execute those ideas in the real world (audio, lighting, video).
Overlap & Potential Conflicts
Budget Constraints: Creative might want bigger visuals or more effects, while technical must adhere to budget, crew capabilities, or venue restrictions.
Feasibility: Some creative ideas are physically or technologically complex. Without early collaboration, designs may need last-minute compromises.
Timeline: Creative changes that come too late can impact technical planning, shipping times for equipment, or rehearsal schedules.
Best Practices
Early Collaboration
The Creative Director and Technical Director should align on feasibility before concepts are presented to the client.
Prototype & Test
If possible, do a small-scale pilot or test for complex creative ideas.
Joint Sign-Off
Budget, timeline, and final design must be approved by both creative and technical leads.
4. Operations with the Client vs. Production Team
Operations typically includes permitting, logistics, safety, and coordinating overall event flow (attendee ingress/egress, staff deployment, etc.). The challenge is deciding how much of “operations” stays with the client (e.g., marketing or brand team) and how much the production team handles.
Overlaps to Watch For
Venue Communications: The client might have a direct relationship with the venue, but the production team needs real-time intel on capacities, power, rigging options, etc.
Permitting & Compliance: Who applies for city/event permits? The client or the production manager?
Onsite Staffing: Sometimes, the client provides brand ambassadors or event managers overseeing things like coordinating content handoffs, managing client rehearsal schedules, meals and breaks, while the production team oversees execution. But who calls the show? Or manages the stage? Or troubleshoots the font size on the next presentation?
Common Pitfalls
“Who’s Doing This?” Syndrome: Tasks can fall through the cracks if neither side takes ownership.
Different Priorities: The client might focus on brand activation, client wrangling, and content guides, while the production team focuses on technical readiness and requires up front planning, show-ready content, and a clear hierarchy for show flow. If these aren’t aligned, chaos ensues.
Best Practices
Operations Kickoff Meeting
Map out all operational tasks, assign them clearly, and set deadlines. If you're the client, get your content show ready well before show date, and have a designated person for things like show calling, content management and editing, stage management, and be prepared to have extra hands for things like Q&A that require multiple audience mics.
Centralized Documentation
Keep a shared platform (e.g., Google Drive, Monday.com, Asana) to track progress and responsibilities. Even better if you can share these on-site and have all your stakeholders bought in, regardless of where you are in the show flow process or how involved your on-site crew has been in the planning process.
Mutual Checkpoints
Schedule milestone reviews where both client and production teams confirm that tasks are on track.
Pay attention to who is looped in, who is making the decision, and areas where duplicates of incongruent information can leak out to folks who might act on it.
5. Client Operations Team vs. On-Site Production Hires
Operations focuses on logistics (permitting, crowd management, vendor coordination), while the On-Site Production Team deals with stage setup, show cues, and live execution.
Where They Overlap
Load-In/Out Schedules: Operations sets times with the venue, while production ensures the correct gear arrives when needed.
Safety & Compliance: Both teams have a stake in safety. Operations might handle overall site safety, while production ensures safe rigging and stage conditions.
Pitfalls
Unclear Production Schedule: A schedule coming from client operations should have input from the venue and production teams (at the same time). Things as silly as "there's only one standard size elevator, shared by all hotel staff for an 11am checkout" may seem relatively irrelevant but can have major consequences for all your teams.
Territory Confusion: Operations might inadvertently direct stagehands or production crew, leading to conflicting instructions. If neither knows who the other is, it's playing with fire.
Communication Gaps: If daily “who’s doing what” meetings don’t happen, or there isn't lighting speed updates, on-site crew will act with the information they have, or wait for a sign from above if they've heard conflicting things and haven't been corrected simultaneously.
Best Practices
Daily Production Meetings
The operations lead and production manager should hold a short briefing at the start and end of each day.
Clear Contact Roles
Have one main onsite contact for operations, one for production. Everyone else funnels communication through these leads.
Schedule Intelligently
Ensure your production schedules are updated and have been checked and triple checked by venue staff and production staff to ensure that there are no glaring red or yellow flags.
Bodystorming Walkthroughs
Anytime you are able, walkthrough the venue well ahead of time with your stakeholders to get a sense for where you might experience bottlenecks. Go beyond the brainstorm by acting it out in a "bodystorm" excerise.
6. Production Manager vs. Project Manager
These titles sometimes get used interchangeably, but they often have distinct focuses:
Project Manager: Oversees the entire project lifecycle, from contracting and budgeting to client satisfaction and final deliverables.
Production Manager: Zooms in on the technical and logistical execution of a live event—scheduling crews, managing gear, ensuring the show runs on time.
Common Confusions
Budget vs. Onsite Scheduling: The project manager usually handles the overall budget, while the production manager deals with day-to-day expenses (labor hours, equipment rentals).
Client Engagement: The project manager might be the main client contact, whereas the production manager talks more with vendors/crew. However, they both need consistent alignment.
Pitfalls
Scope Overrun: Without clear boundaries, production managers might make promises that undermine the project manager’s carefully allocated budget. On the other hand, project managers may be unfamiliar with standards for labor like meal breaks and overtime, and fail to accommodate that in the plans, which can be a real matter of contention during and post event when the crew gets hungry and later the bills come due.
Decision Lag: When both roles think the other is making a call, tasks stall.
Vendors: Who's negotiating rates and approving them? who's coordinating them?
Define who “owns” which decisions and who should be consulted.
Joint Kickoff & Wrap-Up
Project and production managers should align on goals at the start and debrief post-event. They need to have equal opportunity to communicate with venue managers in a positive feedback loop.
7. Managers vs. Accounting
Another layer often overlooked is how managers (project, production, operations) interface with the accounting or finance team, especially on larger events.
Overlaps
Budget Tracking: Managers frequently need real-time cost visibility, while accounting finalizes payments, invoices, and reimbursements.
Vendor Payments: Managers might negotiate rates, but accounting has the power to release funds.
Pitfalls
Late Payment or Billing Errors: Miscommunication can result in vendors not being paid on time, damaging relationships.
Unauthorized Spending: If either production or project managers don’t have clear guidelines on what can be billed or expensed, budgets can spiral out of control.
Best Practices
Establish Clear Billing Protocols
Who needs to approve each expenditure, and in which tool or form is it documented?
Regular Budget Reviews
Weekly or bi-weekly check-ins with accounting to ensure actuals vs. forecasted spend are aligned.
Centralized Expense Reporting
Using a single platform (e.g., QuickBooks, Xero, or a custom system) for all budgetary items can reduce errors.