What came first, the chicken or the egg?
It’s the old question everyone knows.
But strangely enough, the same thing applies when planning an event:
What comes first, the venue or the event production supplier?
Most people secure the venue first, then start thinking about staging, lighting, sound and production afterwards.
And honestly, that can create problems before the event planning has even really started.
We’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve walked into a venue with a client and immediately spotted issues they’d never been told about during the sales process.
Not because the venue has done anything wrong either, venue sales teams are there to sell the space. Production companies are there to understand how the event actually works inside it.
There’s a big difference.
A room might look fantastic in photos, but:
- have poor acoustics,
- low ceilings,
- restricted rigging points,
- limited power,
- awkward load-in access,
- poor sightlines,
- or daylight flooding through massive windows directly onto presentation screens.
All things that can massively affect the final experience.
Sometimes clients end up compromising on:
- audience numbers,
- staging size,
- screen positions,
- production quality,
- room layouts,
- timings,
- or budget,
simply because production wasn’t considered early enough.
And in some cases, the “cheap venue” suddenly becomes very expensive once all the additional production workarounds start getting added.
That’s why bringing your production partner into the conversation early can make such a big difference.
A good production company shouldn’t just turn up a few days before the event asking where you want the screen.
They should help guide:
- venue suitability,
- room layouts,
- delegate flow,
- technical feasibility,
- loading access,
- power planning,
- lighting conditions,
- stage positioning,
- and overall audience experience.
Because all of those things are connected.
For example:
- a stage position affects screen sightlines,
- screen positions affect seating layouts,
- seating layouts affect capacity,
- capacity affects fire regulations,
- and ceiling heights affect what production can physically be installed safely.
That’s why event production works best when it’s part of the planning process, not an afterthought added once the contracts are already signed.
A good example of this is awards dinners.
There’s no point trying to squeeze a large awards dinner with full production into a room that can only just about hold the guest numbers you’re inviting.
On paper, the capacity might work.
In reality, it usually doesn’t.
Once you introduce:
- staging,
- lighting,
- camera positions,
- screens,
- audio,
- production control,
- catering space,
- table layouts,
- and walkways,
the room starts shrinking very quickly.
And one thing people often forget with awards events is flow.
When an award winner is announced, they need to be able to get to the stage quickly and naturally.
If guests are squeezing between tightly packed chairs and tables trying to reach the front of the room, the atmosphere starts disappearing almost immediately.
You lose momentum.
You lose energy.
And the event starts feeling awkward instead of polished.
Trying to force too many guests into a room can also massively affect the overall guest experience:
- poor sightlines,
- cramped layouts,
- difficult access,
- overcrowded bars,
- reduced production impact,
- and less space for the event to breathe properly.
Ironically, bigger doesn’t always feel better.
Sometimes a slightly smaller guest count in the right room creates a far stronger atmosphere and overall experience than trying to maximise every last seat possible.
It also affects production itself.
When space becomes tight, compromises usually follow:
- smaller staging,
- reduced screen sizes,
- limited lighting positions,
- restricted camera angles,
- and less flexibility overall.
That’s why involving your production partner early matters.
Sometimes the best advice a production company can give is:
“This room isn’t right for the type of event you’re trying to create.”
And while that’s not always what clients want to hear initially, it usually saves problems, compromises and disappointment later on.
Conferences are another good example.
A lot of clients invest properly in staging, branded set panels, professional graphics and a clean-looking backdrop behind the speakers.
But one thing that can completely undermine the look of a conference stage is front projection.
You end up with:
- projectors sat in the room,
- people walking through the beam,
- shadows across screens,
- visible equipment,
- and a stage that suddenly feels far less polished than it should.
In many cases, that comes down to the venue choice.
Choosing a room that properly accommodates both the conference and the production requirements allows for things like rear projection, cleaner stage layouts and a far more professional finish overall.
It also gives production teams more flexibility around:
- screen placement,
- stage depth,
- lighting positions,
- camera sightlines,
- and audience layout,
without compromising guest numbers or the overall experience.
Again, it comes back to planning the event and the production together — rather than treating production as something that simply gets added into the room afterwards.
Because the venue absolutely shapes what’s achievable creatively and technically.
At AYRE, some of the smoothest events we’ve delivered have been the ones where we’ve been involved right at the beginning.
Not because we’re trying to overcomplicate things.
Usually the opposite.
Good planning early on tends to reduce stress, reduce compromises, and avoid expensive surprises later down the line.
Related Posts
