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Being a part of the event production industry for over 25 years, we’ve seen it all—from the glitz and glamour of trade shows to the high-octane tension of political conventions. Each type of event brings unique challenges and understanding these nuances is key to pulling off a flawless production.
There are some significant differences in event production between regular conventions (such as trade shows, corporate gatherings, or fan conventions) and political conventions, both in terms of logistics and event crew experience:
Security Protocols: The Tightrope Walk
Political Conventions are a different beast altogether when it comes to security. With Secret Service agents, metal detectors, and multiple layers of checkpoints, decision-making is often more centralized, requiring additional processes. Event teams have to navigate safety guidelines with precision, ensuring that every crew member has the right credentials and access to areas to do their job well.
Regular Conventions, on the other hand, have a more relaxed security atmosphere. While crowd control and safety are still priorities, the level of threat prevention is less extreme. This allows for more freedom of movement between spaces and less initial preparation.
Media Presence: Lights, Camera, Action!
When it comes to Political Conventions, the media presence is nothing short of overwhelming. National and international outlets are broadcasting live, making every second count. Production teams must work in sync with TV crews to ensure everything runs smoothly, from camera angles to audio feeds. Hiring event freelancers who specialize in broadcast and steaming productions is a great way to scale your efforts in keeping up with the media.
In contrast, Regular Conventions may have media coverage, but they are often more localized. While media coordination is still essential, the pressure is less intense, allowing for more flexibility in execution.
Stakeholder Involvement: The Balancing Act
Political Conventions are like a high-wire act with a full cast of high-profile stakeholders—politicians, donors, and government agencies. Coordinating with these entities requires expert knowledge of how the political landscape and stakeholder expectations will likely impact the event’s intricacies.
Regular Conventions also have their share of important stakeholders, like sponsors and keynote speakers, but coordination demands are often less. In some cases, event production teams can manage client relations with contractors who are skilled in their event production role but lack specific industry insight.
Event Scheduling and Protocol: Timing Is Everything
In the world of Political Conventions, timing is everything. With speeches by key figures and live broadcasts to millions, there’s no room for error. The schedule is often more rigid and involves sensitive topics, not leaving a lot of room for last-minute changes. Event teams must be well-versed in managing fast-paced, high-pressure environments to ensure every cue is hit on time.
Regular Conventions allow for more flexibility in scheduling. While last-minute changes are a pain point for any event production team, they don’t carry the same weight as they do in the political arena. Teams can take a slower, less rigid problem-solving approach when managing schedule changes.
Audience: In-Person vs. Broadcast
At a Political Convention, the audience extends far beyond those in the room. With millions watching from home, event agencies must cater to both the in-person experience and the live broadcast. This dual focus requires a level of expertise that few can match, and while hiring a full-time team member skilled in both can be costly, bringing on an expert freelancer can be your agency’s secret to delivering a memorable political event.
For Regular Conventions, the emphasis tends to be more on the in-person experience. While there may be some broadcast elements, audience engagement is often easier to track and respond to in the moment.
Event Messaging: Crafting the Perfect Narrative
Messaging at a Political Convention is highly controlled, with every word and image carefully curated for approval. This requires close work with speechwriters, political teams, and media outlets to ensure that the message is delivered properly.
Regular Conventions also require attention to messaging, with the focus often being on branding or information dissemination. While there may be industry and company regulations to follow, they are more flexible allowing for creative freedom during the production process.
Team Experience: The Pressure Cooker
Working a Political Convention is like being in a pressure cooker! These events are often shorter but more intense, with long working hours for contractors during convention days. This can lead to exhaustion and has high burnout potential. Event contractors who have experience in political events know how to handle high stress while maintaining composure and staying on course.
While still demanding, Regular Conventions run at a more manageable pace. These events can extend over several days but often offer fewer operations and more consistent work hours.
Planning a political convention comes with a heightened level of unique challenges, and success often depends on having the right people in the right roles. While hiring an expert in this arena full-time might not make sense, having access to event production contractors who have political event experience can be an invaluable resource for event agencies.
Finding the right people makes all the difference! Hire a vetted event professional ready to seamlessly support your team whenever and wherever they are needed.