Event: When the agency and operations partner work as one team

An event can be carefully considered from the first idea to the final detail. Even so, the difficult questions often arise where people, suppliers and practical tasks meet. Who receives the delivery? Who lets everyone know if the schedule slips? And who helps guests arriving while the build is still under way?

An operations partner can make collaboration simpler by bringing together the practical strands of the production. It starts with a shared understanding of the agency’s idea, the client’s expectations and the venue’s requirements.

Start with the handovers

List the tasks that need to be completed before, during and after the event. Then assign someone responsible for each task: not just a company, but a person who can make decisions or find the right person to ask.

This might include receiving goods, staffing arrivals, preparing rooms and coordinating the breakdown. Clear responsibilities also make it easier to spot tasks that might otherwise fall between two teams.

Share the plan with the people who need it

A detailed production plan is useful when the relevant parts reach the right people. A host needs to know when guests arrive and whom to contact. A crew needs access routes, delivery details and the build sequence. Everyone needs to know where changes will be communicated.

Agree on one current plan, one route for changes and a short joint meeting before the most important transitions. The plan does not need to be elaborate. It needs to work when things get busy.

Leave room for changes

No plan can predict everything. Agree in advance which decisions the operations partner can make independently and when the agency or client needs to be involved. A clear decision-making process allows people to act while keeping everyone informed.

For Mano, a good partnership means understanding the whole picture and contributing where it helps the production. The specific tasks and allocation of responsibilities are agreed for each assignment.