production management
Event production management means one accountable producer for scope, budget, vendors, crew, schedule and the run of show, on your side from the first quote to load-out.
why it matters
An event has a dozen moving parts and a dozen vendors. Without one person who owns all of it, every handoff becomes a guess and every surprise lands on your desk.
Good production management sits where the creative, the technology and the logistics meet. That is where we work.
A production manager is that person. We hold the plan, the budget and the schedule, and we make the calls so you can make the decisions. We start with your goals, not a gear list, and usher the whole process toward them.
what a production manager actually does
The week-by-week view changes with the size of the show, but the job is always the same: nothing falls between the cracks.
We turn your goals into a scope, then build a comprehensive production budget with one all-in number.
We walk the venue, read the in-house AV contract and bring in the right vendors for the room.
We book crew, build the production schedule and lock load-in and load-out windows with the venue.
We write the run of show with you and rehearse it with everyone who touches it.
One desk runs the day. You get one point person across every partner in the room.
Load-out, invoices reconciled against the budget and a short debrief on what to keep for next time.
in the room
~20,000 on location · 7,500 in the theatre · plus a live stream
Workday Rising 2025 drew roughly 20,000 people on location, with 7,500 in the theatre for the keynote and a live stream reaching audiences beyond. Workday wanted the keynote to open with something people would feel before anyone said a word: a choreographed dance piece, set to a score developed with human-in-the-loop AI, telling the story of how AI is changing the way people work.
On behalf of Makr Agency, we produced the opening act from casting to curtain, and kept Workday's team close to the vision the whole way, sharing previews as the piece took shape so nothing was a surprise when the house lights went down.
who does what
| What they own | Typical focus | |
|---|---|---|
| Event management | Attendees, registration, catering, travel, the guest experience | Logistics around the show |
| Production company | Gear, crew and technical delivery for the parts they are hired for | Their own scope and inventory |
| Production management (us) | The whole show: plan, budget, vendors, crew, schedule, run of show | Your outcome across every vendor |
Longer take on the difference: event management or an event production company: which one do you need?
asset-light, on purpose
We don't own a warehouse of gear we need to keep busy. We spec what your room and your program need, then hire the right vendors and crew for that show.
That keeps the recommendation honest. If the venue's in-house team is the right call, we say so and manage them. If a specialist will do it better, we bring one in.
the budget
When we put a proposal together, we build a comprehensive production budget: crew, gear, labor, venue charges and management, rolled into one all-in number you can take to finance.
Already have last year's number, or a quote in hand? Start with a free Green Light Review: a producer takes a look and tells you honestly whether we can do it better, before you commit.
green light review · a free consultation with a producer
Most event plans have a venue, a date and an AV quote, but nobody who owns how it all fits together. Send what you have: the plan, the RFP or last year's quote. A producer reviews it as one show, shows you the gaps and who should own them, and tells you honestly whether we can run it better. Budget, venue and timing all factor in, and if your plan is already in good shape, we'll say so.
what can we help you solve?
Tell us about the event. A senior producer comes back with how we'd run it end to end.
Every note goes to a producer, not a sales queue.
p.s. one producer, one plan, every piece accounted for. That's how a show shines.
An event production manager owns the show from end to end: scope, budget, vendors, crew, schedule and the run of show. They turn your goals into a plan, keep every vendor working from it, and make the day-to-day calls so you can make the decisions. On show day, they're your single point person across every partner on site.
An event planner looks after the guest experience: registration, travel, catering, hotel blocks and the agenda. A production manager looks after the show itself: staging, AV, crew, the run of show and the technical schedule. Most corporate events need both, working side by side. We slot in next to your planner or your in-house events team.
Often, yes. In-house AV supplies equipment and technicians, but it doesn't own your program, your other vendors or your budget. A production manager goes through the in-house proposal, checks it against the run of show, and runs the in-house team on show day, so you aren't the one translating between the venue and everyone else. More on AV management.
Our management is built into one all-in number in your proposal, alongside crew, gear, labor and venue charges, so the number you compare is the number you pay. Everything is visible. If the scope changes, we price the change before anyone commits to it, so there are no surprise charges after the show.
As soon as you have a date and a likely venue, and ideally before you sign the venue contract. That's when AV exclusivity, labor rules and load-in windows get locked in, and they shape the budget more than anything else. If you're already further along, we can still step in and work from where things stand.
Yes. We don't own a warehouse of gear we need to rent you, so we have no reason to swap out vendors who are working. We fold them into the plan, the schedule and the run of show, and manage them alongside anyone else the show needs. If we spot a gap, we'll tell you plainly and suggest how to fill it.
The senior producer who planned your show runs it. You won't meet a sales team and then get handed off to strangers. We bring a core Production Solved team and add vetted local crew in any market, all working from one desk, so there's always one person who knows every decision and can answer for it.
Yes. We're based in New York and produce coast to coast and on four continents, with the same producer and the same desk wherever the project lands. See where we produce. Managing one program across several cities? See roadshow production management.
free tool · event production rfp template
Our RFP template and bid-comparison sheet for your next event: room-by-room AV specs, labor, power and rigging, so every vendor prices the same show.
the spectrum of production, one partner
Ready to hand the whole show to one producer?
