Key Takeaways
- There are five production phases: Brief and Context, Concept and Specification, Vendor Selection, Pre-Production Lock, and Load-In and Show
- The most commonly compressed phase is Pre-Production Lock — the direct cause of most show-day failures
- Production phases have dependencies: Phase 3 cannot begin until Phase 2 is complete — compressing Phase 2 delays Phase 3, not Phase 4
- The client owns: brief, content, speaker list, budget approval. The production company owns: specification, vendor management, show-calling.
- Post-event documentation (report, vendor settlement) belongs in the production timeline — not scheduled after the timeline ends
Phase 1: Brief and Context (weeks 12–10)
Production company receives the brief. Site visit conducted. Brand materials reviewed. Programme structure discussed. Budget assessed against scope. Technical constraints identified. Phase 1 outputs: a clear technical requirement document, a preliminary budget framework, and a shared understanding of what the event must achieve. This phase is owned jointly — the client briefs, the production company assesses.
Phase 2: Concept and Specification (weeks 9–7)
Stage design concept developed. AV specification drafted. LED vs projection decision made. Lighting design concept. Content format briefed to client creative team. Programme structure confirmed. Phase 2 outputs: an approved production concept, a complete AV specification, and a signed production contract. This phase is owned by the production company, with client approval gates at concept and specification stages.
Phase 3: Vendor Selection and Lock (weeks 6–4)
All suppliers shortlisted and confirmed. Contracts issued. Technical advance starts (speaker AV requirements collected). Run of show first draft produced. Permit applications confirmed. Phase 3 outputs: a complete vendor list with confirmed contracts, a draft run of show, and confirmed permit status. This phase is owned by the production company.
Phase 4: Pre-Production Lock (weeks 3–1)
All content received and loaded to playback. Run of show finalised and desk-reviewed. Speaker briefings completed. Load-in schedule issued to all suppliers. Crew accommodation confirmed. Phase 4 outputs: a final run of show, a confirmed load-in schedule, and a production-ready content package. This is the phase most commonly compressed. It is also the phase where every shortcut becomes visible on show day.
Phase 5: Load-In, Show and Close
Load-in to schedule. System checks. Technical rehearsal. Show. Load-out. Vendor settlement. Post-event production report delivered within 72 hours. The production company owns this phase entirely. The client's role is to attend the technical rehearsal, confirm approval and attend the show. The post-event report is a production deliverable — not an optional add-on scheduled for the following month.