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Backstage happenings….Ever wondered exactly what happens in the run up to an event?

I thought it would be good to share what goes into delivering a Class A event such as a conference, awards evening, or charity ball. When guests arrive at our events all of the ‘background magic’ has been delivered and they see the finished product, seamlessly, but there is a certain air of mystery about all of the goings on to get to that point.

The other week the LZ team were in London to support a long-standing client and I noted down the key stages and timings of the event to share the backstage happenings with you. Here’s how it went….

7am – Dawn has broken, and the stage crew have arrived at the venue to unload the truck and start the event build. This time of the day is great as it is quiet, uninterrupted and allows the team to power on to put the event foundations in place. We’ve arranged with the venue for a clear suite, which is a key consideration for health & safety requirements to work in a clear space when flying equipment and building the stage set.

9am – The LZ production and planning crew have arrived onsite. This venue is one we know and trust. We came up with 3 options for the client that fulfilled the brief and this one blew the client away on the site visit. Time for a quick coffee and run down of the plan with the team before we meet the client for a review and put them at ease about the day ahead.

10am – Events team check-in with venue operations lead to discuss the schedule and confirm table layout. Our client has just arrived on site for a pre-planning meeting. The LZ Event Manager is walking them through exactly what will happen and taking care of any last minute changes.

Between now and 1pm all of the background activity is taking place, the stage is being built, lighting and dressing of the room, the technical crew have set up the technical desk and are testing the PA system and AV/production for tonight’s event. We also are videoing this event to create a montage of the best bits and vox pops to use post show.

The theme our client has gone for is theatrical and dynamic. It’s a complex, custom built construction and dynamic in appearance – engaging for the audience. We have produced a super widescreen central screen housed within a construction that was covered on-site in a single piece of silver material – delivering a contemporary finish and LZ twist.

1pm – It’s time to down tools and for the whole crew to grab a quick bite to eat before the structures, staging and lighting are completed so we can bring this show together.

2pm – Time for the technical run though of all the technical equipment that we are using during the event. This includes sound, lighting levels and brightness, position, angle and special effects. It’s looking spectacular. Completely fits the brief of dynamic and contemporary.

3pm – We walk the client through everything from guests arrival to timings, call for dinner, entrance music and our entertainers. Our client is excited and relaxed that we have this completely in hand.

4pm – It’s the host & awards rehearsal time. The technical crew do a sound check with the band too. We were asked to recommend a crowd puller band with something for everyone. Oh boy this is going to be good. They sound electric and this is only the sound check.

5pm – The evening’s entertainment is set up. We were asked to book tonight’s entertainers so handled all of the contracts, riders 😊 (yes these are a thing, not just for Mariah Carey) and these are trusted, premium acts. On a serious note, an entertainer’s rider aren’t just blue M&M’s but can be specific AV equipment or requests of a technical nature.

6.30pm - Pre dinner drinks and guests are arriving. Our client is free to mingle while we liaise with the venue Ops team.

7.30pm – Everyone is seated for dinner and the LZ team are on hand to cater for those last minute dietary requests while our client can relax and enjoy the event as we head into the awards. LZ crew come into full effect now with the AV, lighting, voiceovers and videoing the key moments.

10.30pm – We are right on track to get the band & DJ underway. The evening is in full swing and everything has gone to plan through the meticulous efforts of our team.
As the clock strikes midnight and guests begin to make their way home. It all begins again for our team….

1am – It’s time to de-rig and pack up the metres of cables, lighting, AV equipment and staging.

It’s another job well done and super satisfied customer….

“It is definitely us who should be thanking you! As usual you and your team went above and beyond and made everything much easier for us. Even before anything happens, the level of trust and confidence we have in Lemon Zest removes a huge amount of stress for us and that is just simply invaluable.”

I hope you enjoyed my run through of the backstage of events. It’s pretty exciting don’t you think and we love it.