where we meet by Neil Rosenbaum

A blog that combines technology, sports business, public assembly events, music, arts, event technology, sustainable business, leadership lessons, management tips and all great things in life.

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"Mistakes are the usual bridge between inexperience and wisdom." -- Phyllis Theroux

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"There is always room for those who can be relied upon to deliver the goods when they say they will." -- Napoleon Hill,

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"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning." -- Ivy Baker Priest

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4 Keys to Building Your Dream Team, Event or Project

by Neil Rosenbaum

I’ve been lucky enough in my career to build several teams from the ground up.  When assembling teams to open a new multipurpose venue, to grow divisions in a company or to create inaugural events, I learned there are key elements that can make or break the success of being the first to do such a task.

1.      If you’re the first to do something then no one is able to tell you what you’re doing it wrong.  It also means you’re the best at what you are doing for the particular task; use this mindset as a driving force in your construction.  When I was opening the Amway Center in Orlando, I was not the first one to open an arena, but I was the first to integrate the city of Orlando and an NBA franchise in the most technologically advanced arena ever built.  We faced daily challenges integrating with the architects, construction crews and equipment vendors.  Chances are you are not the first to be in your situation, make sure you collaborate and don’t dismiss any idea no matter how trivial it may seem.  We met almost daily to ensure a constant open line of communication and we were able to meet our toughest deadlines through solid team work.  Lastly, being the first at something usually means you are in for an uphill push, so don’t take anything personally and know that if this was easy, someone else would have already done it.

2.      Fire fast and hire slow, we have all heard this lesson before but it applies to every aspect of the building, not just human capital.  Don’t get bogged down by trying to fix details that aren’t working, fire ideas and then rebuild slowly.  Remember there is no right or wrong way to do things, ideas either work or they don’t.  It is your job to make sure the solution works and is the best for the individual situation.  I once got a phone call from the CEO of my organization and he said we needed to make our arena’s sound system like one of our arena counterparts.  I responded with how about we make it better than our competitors.  I worked feverishly to come up with a new solution to our problem and ended up with a truly better solution on the same budget.  Had I spent all my energy focusing on how to copy someone else’s work we would have ended up missing an amazing opportunity to define the new norm in arena sound design.  Staying too focused on one area of your project for too long will quickly distract you from the big picture.  As Benjamin Franklin said “Drive thy business or it will drive thee”.  I would add on to what Ben said, Drive your business or it will drive you out of business!

3.      Be the leader and a team player, if you would not do the task you are delegating then it shouldn’t be done.  If you value everyone’s time your results have more value as well.  In other words, do something worthwhile and lead by example.  Nothing kills a team faster than leaving 90% of the work to be done by 10% of the team.  I love to get involved, I push road cases, assist with chair strikes, help set tables, load/ unload trucks and pick up trash whenever I can.  Use project management tool like Asana or Basecamp for initiatives of any size.  Set high and measureable expectations and hold people accountable to pull their weight.

4.      Make sure you’re having fun.  Chances are you are spending countless hours and days working on the next big project.  If you aren’t able to enjoy this time then you should be doing something else.  Reframe the mindset for your entire team, use your measure goals so you know what success will look like when you get there.  Spend time with every member of the team and find out what motivates each person to coming to work with enthusiasm every day.  Being happier will mean you and the team are also more productive in meeting challenges.

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"Only through curiosity can we discover opportunities, and only by gambling can we take advantage of them."

-- Clarence Birdseye

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"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose."

Bill Gates

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1. Arrive early We encourage you to arrive on Monday, the day before the first speaker sessions begin. Arriving early means you'll be able to join activities and events such as TEDYou. And on Monday night, we hope you'll join us for get-to-know-you cocktails and the Welcome Party. 2. Stay until the very end We recommend you plan to stay through the final two sessions and farewell party on Friday—until at least 3 p.m. TEDActive is an unusual conference in that our attendees stay for its entirety—every session and special event, right up through the Farewell Lunch on closing day. 3. Book your hotel room We've secured special rates at our conference home. Be sure to reserve well in advance, and use the TEDActive link when booking your room. (Note: Rooms sell out quickly; we cannot guarantee availability.) - See more at: http://www.bizbash.com/steal_teds_13_rules_for_attendees/los-angeles/story/25440#sthash.BPyVteJj.dpuf

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"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." --Maya Angelou

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Forget about your partners: 5 tips for successful event planning

By Neil Rosenbaum

1.  Gratitude is great!

Letting your partners know how much you appreciate them still goes along way.  Even more, don’t be afraid to let your partners know when you need them and when they are making you proud.  I’ve been at countless events where a little earnest praise to security staff and porters has made measurable differences in the events end results.  JC Penny was known for saying “Every great business is built on friendship.”  These seven words say it all when it comes to your event partners.

2.  Food For Thought

It might sound insignificant but the key to any good event crew is keeping the fuel tank full.  Meals are a key element for crews and event staff.  Whenever possible, make arrangements to feed your crew, staff and partners.  Offering a meal and keeping everyone on-site means a better and more productive team.  For added points, start every load-in with coffee and snacks.

3.  Love Your Labor

I hear talk all the time about good labor, bad labor, union labor and non-union.  Forget that these options are “labor”; shift your paradigm.  Your partners are the only labels to use and without them the entire event could crumble.  Today union labor is highly specialized and executes with great precision.  While the up-front cost may be slightly higher the intangible cost savings of having your event setup correctly, faster and with smaller crews is an easy price to pay.  Treating your labor like a partner will help produce a successful event in the least amount of time that is safely possible.  So go on and spread the love.

4.  Information Age

Keep everyone up to date.  Use online file sharing like DropBox or Google docs to make sure everyone has access to the same updated event information.  Never be afraid to over share information.  Pre-cons, production meetings and site inspections are only valuable if the information gathered is shared and disseminated in a functional format.  Being the event planner means taking all the information and putting it in a format that best suits everyone’s needs.  The only downside to sharing all this information is that the more info you share, the greater the risk of getting stuff wrong.  Make sure information is 100% right every time.  If it’s not, then make sure you can share the details when it gets figured out.  Rely on “TBD”, but only when you must.

5.  Attendees Are In This Too

Don’t forget your attendees are invested in your events too.  Even if your event is free, people are spending their time and energy to attend.  The attendees see your event from a different perspective than the planners and will usually speak up.  Use an event hashtag and monitor the event.  Make sure to get the hashtag out there in advance and monitor weeks before your event.  Using your attendees and their social media presence as a free instant event feedback system is a #NoBrainer.

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"If I had my life to live over, I would perhaps have more actual troubles but I'd have fewer imaginary ones."

-Don Herold, American humorist, writer and cartoonist 

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If all misfortunes were laid in one common heap whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be contented to take their own and depart.

--Socrates,Greek philosopher

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"Thinking is like loving and dying. Each of us must do it for himself."

--Josiah Royce,

American philosopher 

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"If you knew that hope and despair were paths to the same destination, which would you choose?"

Robert Brault, American writer

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3 Tech Subjects Every Planner Should Know: Sound vs. Lights and Don’t Forget About Video. The debate goes on.

By Neil Rosenbaum,

Ask an LD what do you call a stage with no lights?  He will tell you “radio”.  What do you call a stage with no audio?  An audio engineer will call it “silent theatre”.  Lastly, if you asked a video engineer why do sounds engineers always say "mic check 1, 2."  Well we don’t even need to go there.  The point is each component of your event’s AV is uniquely specialized.  Understanding how they impact and effect each other will make you a better event planner. Lastly, understanding how to work with an AV partner that can provide one inclusive technology solution will result in a better experience for your attendees and big cost savings for you.

  Is audio always the most important?

The answer is yes, sort of.  When viewing content, audio makes up 50% of the message, lighting and video make up the other half.  If your audience can’t hear the message then it won’t matter if they are listening or not.  There is never a good reason for insufficient audio coverage. Having bad audio at an event sends a very loud message to the audience and can render the show pointless. 

  Do I really need all those lights?

In short, yes you do.  Lighting effects the video elements of your show, the event’s atmosphere and can cue your audience for key parts of the event.  There is a reason why environments like offices and entertainment venues “feel” different.  Lighting design is a major component of live events; the right lighting can make an event.  The wrong lighting can ruin your video content, make speakers look like zombies and distract your audience from the message.  Creating an immersive experience with lighting can be used to make a venue feel intimate, spacious, exciting or relaxing.  Too many lights can be costly, create rigging troubles and even effect placement of audio speakers.  Master lighting design with your AV provider and it will your chance to shine.

  Is one camera good enough?  

In the new AV world of immersive experiences it is now possible to add inclusive environments to the equation.  Your audiences and attendees are no longer passive viewers, they are active participants and including them in an “experience” makes the message more impactful, personal and creates an intimate connection.  Video is no longer just hanging a few screens next to the stage and showing the presenter and video clips.  Video design should be planned step by step with lighting.  The two worlds are colliding and video is now capable of creating effects previously only possible through the use of lighting.  Not only should you be considering if one camera is enough but connecting internet content with HD video conference systems like ooVoo are becoming more prevalent in video applications.  Your video is no longer limited to only one venue or a two screen show.

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New Standing Room Only Stadium Seating Proposed at KC Stadium (Hull, England)

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ROBOTS OR DINOSAURS?

Robots and Dinosaurs!!!

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5 tips that will make your AV production more productive by Neil Rosenbaum

Planning AV can sometimes be the most daunting, overlooked and important part of an event.  I have worked on events that ranged from small board meetings to Super Bowl events; and I have learned that if it lights up or makes sound it will have a key role in your events success.

1. Use the venue event managers:  Whether you are at a venue repeatedly or it’s your first event, there is a group of people who attend events at that venue everyday.  Often times your event managers experience in the venue space is the best advice you can get.  Ping them for what works really well in the space and encourage them to speak up when your production starts getting in uncharted territories.  Be open minded going into venues and let the venue work for you, instead of trying to force your event in the space.  The venue staff’s experience is a big key to successful AV.

2. Let the creators be creative:  Many times with AV productions, clients have specific visions of how their event should look, specifying lights, video and scenic items.  What clients are trying to ask for is a specific feeling or vibe.  Lean on the production and AV companies and their technical directors, lighting designers and audio engineers.  They are creative problem solvers that have built careers by doing more with less.   These creative types have found ways to get the look and feel they needed with tight turnarounds, limited budgets and impossible clients.  If anyone is going to have a solution it will be the TD’s, LD’s and Audio engineers.

3. Let your budget dictate the AV and the event:  I have seen countless events where the clients start planning an event asking for a $500,000.00 production and on a $50,000.00 budget.  This mind set means that nothing short of finding a company that can deliver $500,000 for $50,000 will make this event work. Ask any event planner, you don’t want to find yourself at an event load-in hoping your discount AV company is going to deliver as promised.  Instead, use your AV company to deliver the best products and service for your budget. Since AV is usually the first budget on the event to get cut, make sure it’s on your radar from event inception and during the venue selection process.  Planning AV at inception will save costs on executing the AV for the largest and smallest event.

4. Know your weakness:  This plays in to the first three tips.  If you are the type of person who doesn't speak the AV lingo make sure who know someone who does or work with a team that speaks in a language you understand.  Chances are if you were as well versed in AV as the AV company you hire, you’d be working for an AV company and not planning events.  Make sure to ask clarifying questions about timelines, technologies and areas of redundancy.  Never assume that your AV company knows what is the key element that has to go 100% perfect.   If something still doesn't make sense keep asking until it does.  Learning more about AV will make your events better and more cost effective.

5. Pick a partner:  Build a great relationship with your AV company.  If you have the right team on your side it will make the planning process run like a well oiled machine.  With each event you will be able to depend and rely on your partners even more.  Often AV companies work nationally, travel and have preferred vendors wherever they go, this will still keep them competitive with local AV companies, but the confidence of trusting your partner is well worth the expense.