When I started at the Kansas West Conference in 2001, I got a lot of on-the-job training in event production. After 11 years and 17 annual conferences, I’m pretty comfortable in the role of executive producer.
In the months leading up to the conference, I work closely with the sessions committee to identify video needs as well as which groups will be giving reports so deadlines can be communicated with the presenters. The deadline is generally 3 weeks ahead of the session to allow for reviewing the presentations and loading them onto the computers used during the session.
I also work with the sessions chair to contract with a production company to do the camera work, lighting, audio and recording of the sessions. The production company generally provides their own producer, who I work with closely to determine what should be on screen when.
As items come in for the session and the schedule is developed, I put together a run-sheet for each morning and afternoon session of the conference. In the Excel file, I list the day, time, name of the report or presentation, and then I use some abbreviations to indicate what kind of media they will need.
During the sessions, I’m connected to the sessions chair and other sessions officials with a radio and I wear a headset for communicating with the production crew. I give instructions for putting things on screen and queuing up videos or PowerPoint presentations.
Five years ago, we added lower-third name supers to identify everyone participating in worship or business sessions. The name supers are run from another computer, and I’m often the one running them because I know all the people involved. These names are keyed in ahead of the session and queued up as they are needed during sessions.
In 2012, we added live streaming the sessions, and the lower third name supers were very valuable to our online viewers in particular.