Dargan Watts

      Dargan Watts is a Award-Winning Show Director, Global Corporate Event Producer, Integrated Entertainment Marketing Expert. He is the Director of Birchmore Group Inc.         

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Dargan Watts of the Birchmore Group Explains Event Lighting

Dargan Watts of the Birchmore Group, a special event production company based in Orlando, Florida says not all lights are created equal. Ultimately, with advancements every quarter in lighting technology a planner must rely on a professional lighting company to determine the best gear available.

Dargan Watts and his team at Birchmore Group offers over 25 years of experience in the production field staging high-level corporate events, product launches, press conferences and sporting events. Understanding the capability of lighting effects, functionality of lights, types of lights and power consumption are all factors to consider in a lighting package.

A seasoned lighting company can assist you with understanding these options. We all know what a plane is, we know it takes off and lands, but we don’t all the control functions that the pilots use to get the plane up and down, metaphorically it’s the same with lighting, according to Watts. You need an experienced Lighting Director (LD) that knows how to program and position lights.

They need to know the full spectrum in lighting like how to color correct for TV or not blind an audience during a general session. An LD knows how to wash a stage to enhance certain skin tones or clothing. An LD can make or break your event, says Watts.

Combine this with the talent and knowledge of professional lighting technicians and you’ll have a real standout event. Whether it’s highlighting specific areas, creating a dynamic stage presentation, or something else, a professional company will get it done.

If you think your event will benefit from a professional lighting company, contact the team at Birchmore Group in Orlando. We offer a range of lighting options perfectly suited to any event and can use our industry knowledge to suggest the best setup for you. So, no matter the event, we’ll make it light up!!

Birchmore Group Inc. is an award-winning, full-service corporate event planning production company, specializing in staging high-level corporate functions throughout the United States as well as internationally. For more information visit: www.birchmore.com or www.orlandosoundandlighting.com #birchmoregroup, #darganwatts #events

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DARGAN WATTS OF THE BIRCHMORE GROUP DISCUSSES “SMART” EVENTS

Dargan Watts has overseen production through Birchmore Group for over 25 years. It’s getting to be that time of the year - and this year will be different. Last year, the time for gatherings and events didn’t happen. The Coronavirus pandemic affected the ability of people across the planet to gather for any reason. Event planning took a long unscheduled holiday and businesses suffered for it.

Now things are finally getting back on track. People are itching for a reason to get out and engage. They want to Party, and they need a Purpose. When those things line up, event planning must take shape, and the right people have to be behind it to make it work.

Dargan Watts and the team at Birchmore Group know the way to unify the working parts of the company - it’s people - with the message their work serves to represent. When attendees gather for a convention they bond during sessions, coffee breaks and nightly theme parties and share the same common goal and interest. A convention show brings team members together in one effort to make something happen whether its motivating sales, learning new products or entertaining prospective clients. At Birchmore Group we create events that are morale boosting and offer a team building experience that can be more than just a series of meetings delivered by the managers over a Zoom call.

According to Dargan Watts, our events aim to fulfill a set of objectives. These objectives can be arranged in an acronym:

Specific, as in, the exact intention that should be reached by the event.

Measurable, gauging progress through returns and satisfaction.

Achievable, what everyone is gathered to do should be within reach.

Relevant, it has to matter to what’s going on right now and in the near future.

Timebound, keep the event itself to a schedule with a definite beginning and a reviewable end.

This SMART setup assures that events get planned with a desired outcome in mind and will be planned in a way to reach that outcome. Once the event is planned out on paper, it has to go from the written word to the real world.

Covid has changed how event spaces work and it’s important to work with someone who knows what all those changes are. Many events have taken to digital routes, leaving attendees with the comfort of their homes while they synergize with the effectiveness of their entire extended work groups.

Choose the right venue! Once the event is planned and a space is reserved, make sure there is adequate space for your program. For instance, car shows require much more space than a General Session with 4 breakout rooms. Align what you care about with a place that cares about it, too. The right venue makes everything smoother. Uniqueness Matters!

And don’t neglect the marketing aspect. Just because it’s a corporate event doesn’t mean it will carry the same gravity as a day of work. It’s an event. People should be glad they came for multiple reasons. Engaging the attendees not as employees but as "synergizers" of the brand. Attendees will want to engage with the content or theme and feel an incorporated connection which is the main purpose of the event.

The best way to keep people together is to bring them together, safely and securely, under a common goal.

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Dargan Watts Birchmore Group - 6 Ways To Break Into Corporate Event Planning

There are many event planning careers in the corporate world. While jobs in marketing and event management focus on the most common corporate events (seminars, conferences, trade shows, and appreciation events), some less obvious event-related jobs exist in communications, training and the corporate foundation. Some of the more interesting events are planned through departments that are not specifically focused on external affairs.

If you do look at non-traditional career routes, though, do be sure that your job will include event planning. While some administrative assistants (for example) spend a good percentage of their time managing travel, setting up luncheons, and handling logistics, others spend most of their time on record-keeping and purchase orders.

Dargan Watts and Birchmore Group Inc. are an award-winning, full-service corporate event planning and production company, specializing in staging high-level corporate functions throughout the United States and internationally. These services include: Entertainment, Props, Drapery, Audio-Visual, Staging, Scenic, General Session Openers, Cirque Performers, Top Name Celebrities and Holiday Event Planning. Based in Orlando, Florida they have provided services throughout the world since it's inception over 25 years ago.

According to Dargan Watts, 6 Ways to Break Into Corporate Event Planning are:

1> Meeting Management: For those who want to work 100% of the time in corporate event jobs, the meeting management department is the obvious route. Individuals in this area contract outside services and manage lodging, food & beverage, transportation, A/V, and other expenses. These jobs are often part of the purchasing department, so expense management drives many decisions.

2> Office Support:Administrative support personnel may manage event responsibilities, plan and executes departmental and client-specific meetings, handle travel arrangements, and more. They may also work with outside hospitality vendors, track outside services budgets, etc. With the focus on strong organizational skills, many event planners start their path here and transfer into other event planning roles. Some administrative jobs are more likely than others to offer planning opportunities, so do ask questions before taking such a job with the expectation that you'll get experience with event planning.

3> Marketing and Sales: Whether an organization is sales-driven or marketing focused, the business area of any company coordinates the bulk of events, especially smaller meetings. For marketers, the emphasis is on return investment for the value of events rather than expense management. Most organizations recognize the value of face-to-face activities, and this has led to an increased focus on client seminars, conferences, appreciation events and more.

4> Communications:The communications department of many corporations is responsible for "brand" management. It focuses on business communications, internal communications, advertising, community relations, media relations, sponsorships, and more,. Although event planning is not the primary focus, activities that involve events may include creating a presence for media events, trade shows, mobile marketing, sponsorships, employee meetings, etc.

5> Education and Training: The Human Resources department in many corporations is responsible for planning and executing a range of educational meetings, programs, and events. These may include corporate training programs for new employees, field office training, employee development, and annual employee training.

6> Corporate Foundation: The corporate foundation is a great source for event jobs, and possibly one of the more overlooked areas. A corporate foundation job could be a paradise for an event planner. Positions within the foundation may allow you to represent the business while working closely with non-profit and community organizations. Events are likely to range from small planning sessions to large-scale celebrations, ground-breaking events, formal dinners, and even galas. As a result, people helping to plan foundation events may need to select venues, set up entertainment, work with caterers, and manage logistics.

Work with Dargan Watts of birchmore group to maximize attendance and provide a memorable experience for your audience. You can rely on our successful track record in Corporate Event Planning.