WHAT CORPORATE EVENTS CAN LEARN FROM CONCERTS AND MORE

In this episode, we’re talking with Travis Reedy, the President of TRAVIS Inc., about how to maximize the technical side of live events. This conversation covers everything from how Technical Directors save events money, to what new and exciting technology is out there, to how events like the Grammys influence corporate live events. 

You can read the transcript below or listen to Episode 6 on the episode page, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode 6 Transcript 

JEREMY: Alright, so I am here with Travis Reedy, the president of Travis, Inc. Today we're taking a peek behind the curtain. We're getting into the technical side of corporate events. Can you give me a definition of what is a technical director?

TRAVIS: A technical director is an orchestra conductor that leads a group through a process that culminates to something spectacular. We start with an executable plan, but we also plan for the unexpected. There is a kind of role there which is to manage all the technical components of an event from the design phase to the execution phase.

JEREMY: When you say you're planning for the unexpected, what does that mean? What kind of things come up that are unexpected and need to be planned for?

TRAVIS: Most of the time it's on the end client side. It could be something as simple as an executive rescheduling their rehearsal time. It could be something that's venue related. Sometimes we couldn’t do a site survey, and there have been several times when you walk into a venue to find out something unexpected.

For example, we will find out that there were soffits at 12 feet on the sides of this space. We were told that the whole space was 20 feet high. It could be a number of things like that. You have to be ready for just about anything.

We try to put a plan together to allow ourselves to react quickly to anything that we come up against.

BETHANY: This is behind the scenes. Bethany breaking in with a fact-check. A soffit is the underside of a building's structural component, such as an overhang. What Travis is referring to is an instance where the team asks for the ceiling height and was told that it was 20 feet but isn't told about a soffit that changes the ceiling height in some areas to 12 feet.

This could be catastrophic for set lighting or an audio setup that was counting on the ceiling height to be 20 feet across the whole room.

JEREMY: If somebody was planning an event said, “I don't know what a technical director is. Do we really need a technical director?” What would you say?

TRAVIS: I would say absolutely. A good technical director is going to take care of all the latent needs of a producer and event planner that might not equate to a monetary value. With the stress that they're dealing with all the time, we can take care of the things that they're not even thinking about.

The best part of having a technical director is there's a monetary side to the technical director. They are overseeing all the technology, the staff for that technology, and the venue that's going to house the event. The communication and organization that a TD brings to an event is really the only way to make sure that the milestones are met.

JEREMY: Allow me to say, I've worked with you many times, and I know when something goes wrong, it's going to get dealt with quickly and efficiently. I can't think of a time when there was a problem that you couldn't solve.

TRAVIS: I appreciate that, but that's really the job of that role. Everybody else has something else they're focused on, and it’s usually client-related or that creative side of the messaging. The production team really shouldn't have to worry about any of the technical things that are going on, so that is what we try to do. We try to make sure of that and I think most technical directors are shooting for that, as well.

JEREMY: When you talk about the monetary side of it, what kind of things does that entail? I mean, in simple terms, how does the technical director save you money?

TRAVIS: It's not so much about the technology because it's more about the technical staffing. It's about having a good plan and a cohesive schedule. Choosing the technology is typically a constant variable in a production budget, but being able to manage the schedule, the staff, and the clients is really where savings are found.

The biggest challenge that we've seen is the amount of time it takes for the load in of the actual event itself. It has become much shorter than it used to be, so when the load in time for rehearsals is so condensed, it doesn't allow for a lot of flexibility. On the design side, when we're first starting an event, we're looking at a budget, and we need to figure out what the technology, the scenic elements, and all the departments are going to bring.

Then managing that really comes down to the staffing of it because that's where people get into trouble in terms of labor. That's a really important role of the technical director. While they're onsite, they’re managing that labor and making sure that you're reducing overtime. You have to make sure you're in a union area, you're not getting into meal penalties, getting into double time, or the rehearsal time is going to be later.

That’s really where we try to become efficient on. We like to think about what else we can do on the subsequent days to try to balance that all out.

JEREMY: You mentioned that loading times are getting shorter so, in other words, people are asking you to do the same amount of work or potentially even more work in less time. How do you do that?

TRAVIS: Sometimes it seems magical. It's something that we've, unfortunately, become accustomed to. It's about putting the right amount of labor positions on there. There are only so many bodies that you can put into a room, so sometimes that might be adjusting your schedule so that you've got different departments showing up at different times.

A lot of times, management staff might be more than one technical director. You might have an assistant technical director that's going to take on a second shift to run a crew so that we do not run into too much overtime working an eight to 10-hour day. Also, this is basically unheard of nowadays because you can run into 16-to-18-hour days.

JEREMY: It's interesting. Part of me feels like it isn't just a formula or a template with every show that is the same. Then there's part of me that thinks not every show is completely different and you almost must start from scratch every time.

TRAVIS: Well, you're right on both accounts. There's a recipe that will put an event together that has similar components, but then the dynamics of all that are so different that you're constantly tweaking that recipe to make sure that it comes out tasting good.

JEREMY: That's a great analogy. Now you and I have worked on shows that range from low-tech, relatively low-budget shows, to high-tech, relatively high-budget shows. Have you seen anything in the last couple of years that you're working with or you're looking forward to working with, in terms of technology, that you're really excited about?

TRAVIS: One of the things that I think is having great innovation, and it's not that new projection mapping that has been around for a while. We are seeing it requested more and more from clients or we're suggesting it to help achieve an event's experiential goals. It's significantly cheaper and easier to execute than it was 10 years ago.

I would say something new that might knock your socks off is immersive interactive technology. It's been on the event horizon for some time, and it's now becoming more tangible for the corporate arena. It's mainly used for attendee experience in activations, but it also has incredible potential in adding impact to deliver a keynote presentation.

It's essentially a tracking platform warned by a presenter to choreograph the audio, video, and lighting components with their movements. For example, if you had a presenter delivering a keynote in front of a large LED display, what you can do is create an avatar of that presenter that plays on that display behind them and matches the exact movements of them.

While the lighting is tracking the presenter’s movements, a presenter could use this technology to cue media with their movements for a truly interactive presentation.

In the past, what we've done historically, is we've got our operators queuing a very interactive presentation in the back. When we would say, “The CEO's heading over to stage left, and when he raises his arm, make sure you see that on the camera. I want you to hit that space bar so that this messaging comes up.”

This is much more dynamic. It is truly interactive. When you see somebody point to something and it just appears, or they raise their hand towards the crowd and a row of LED lights then goes out over the audience. It really is another level of interactivity.

JEREMY: It makes it magic. I always thought that if you can bring magic to an event that it is an incredible surprise. It means doing something that the audience didn't expect to be possible. The kind of thing that you're talking about sounds like a wonderful moment for the audience to be able to see that and just gasp a little bit.

TRAVIS: You want them to gasp, but I think that's important for you to want them to stay engaged. Sometimes you need those moments. Everybody's got that secondary screen in their hand while they're at an event. You want that moment where they’re wondering what just happened there, and I don't want to miss the next thing.

JEREMY: It's harder and harder to do that. I think if we have technology on our side that can beat the technology that they've got in their pocket, that gives us a little bit of an advantage. That's helpful.

Now let's talk about projection mapping a little bit. First of all, can you define it? Describe it if someone doesn't know what projection mapping is.

TRAVIS: Projection mapping is using surfaces that you can use video projection on. I would say, most notably, people started becoming aware of it during Pink Floyd’s Wall Tour in 2010. It's not just the technology of the projectors and the surface, it really is about the content. It's really creative.

Infrared, three-dimensional type artwork that makes people feel like the wall is collapsing even though it's really there. I think we've also seen projection mapping a lot on YouTube, where people were doing projection mapping on pillars and taking over a whole building by making the building come alive, look like it was falling down, or a dragon was coming out of it.

It is great for us because producers or event planners have that exact experience once coming through the entrance to the ballroom. Projection mapping has evolved. We almost do it on every event now because of the surfaces that we're using, along with the great graphics team Proscenium offers.

They can really make the artwork immersive. While the technology hasn't changed much, the media servers that you need have changed. They've become more capable and cheaper. Artists can do anything now. I think it definitely adds another level to an event, and it really doesn't add that much more cost.

JEREMY: That's amazing that the cost has come down like that. Now you mentioned this took off from Pink Floyd’s Wall Tour, so does a lot of this technology that makes its way to corporate events come from concerts, Broadway, and art installations?

TRAVIS: It definitely does. Most of the technology that we use starts in the concert or entertainment arena, and then it comes to us. I would say that the biggest thing that comes from concerts and entertainment is inspiration. Every year after shows like the Academy Awards or the Grammys, I'll always get a call that same week from a client that wants to incorporate something they saw on TV in the awards show.

JEREMY: I can imagine you at home, watching the Grammys and thinking, that's really cool. Then your second thought is, everybody's going to want me to replicate this.

TRAVIS: Absolutely. Most of the clients don't have the deep pockets that those events had, but we still try to figure out a creative way to present something similar to that.

I would say one of my personal favorites was the week after the 2013 Grammys. Carrie Underwood had the performance with a projection dress.

Then that following week, every client was looking to have their CEO in some type of a white or silver projection attire that we were going to map things to and was going to follow them around. We haven't actually executed that, but it was a fun request. I have seen that skipped down to special events, and I've seen a lot of high-end weddings where this was the wedding dresses of the brides.

Beyond the inspiration side of technology, you do have the equipment side. There isn’t a better-proving ground for being on tour than the benefit of using the technology in concerts. There are equipment manufacturers that'll put new technology within concert tours to put those elements through rigorous paces. Touring is essentially like the last phase of research and development for many products that we end up using in ballrooms.

JEREMY: Are there any other examples you can think of? I'm curious if there's technology you've seen that you think is going to be great or have seen used and thought it wasn't great.

TRAVIS: What I have seen, based on the COVID pandemic, is that XR studios have really flourished. I think what we're going to start seeing is some hybrid-type events where you've got that XR studio.

Again, this is where content is king. It's a little bit outside of the world that I play in. We would bring all the same equipment and technology that they need, but the magic behind that is the content that's being created, along with some of the platforms that they're using.

JEREMY: Can you just walk us through what an XR studio does, for anyone who doesn't know?

TRAVIS: If you've seen some of the virtual events that people are putting on, rather than them sitting in like a zoom-type window, you're actually looking at what looks to be a stage. This goes for a lot of the XR studios. I believe it was Microsoft and their X-Box launch where it looked like somebody was inside of an arena, but they were essentially in a studio that had two large led walls behind them and a led floor.

Then that artwork and the way that the cameras can track with the new technology that they're using makes it look like they're in an arena. That XR studio presents what you would see live, but I think we're going to see a combination of both of those for that virtual experience. It could be an XR studio backstage or another room that's playing as part of an event that leads into a creative sequence to bring that person on stage.

JEREMY: I think that's a really important point. I think everybody's talking about post-pandemic, hybrid events, but nobody really is explaining what that's going to mean. What can you do so that the people who are there get a special live experience and the people at home get a special virtual experience?

I feel like you're so good at collaborating and also have such a wealth of knowledge about not only these kinds of technologies but how to make it feasible on the kind of budget or situation that a given event is in. How do you collaborate with the rest of the team to bring those ideas up?

TRAVIS: Collaboration is definitely key. I just have a wealth of really cool people. I know it comes down to surrounding yourself with the smartest people and figuring out the client's goal. If it's something that's not out of our warehouse, I reach out to the top people in the industry to find out how we are going to do this or how is this executed.

We'll research it and look at some of those higher-end events, whether they're concerts or the Super Bowl halftime show that they, in 15 minutes, put on an entire concert.

JEREMY: Another example of it that I love is there's a video of SNL. They go from the cold open to the monologue and it's on the same set. Basically, the cold open ends, and they've got 90 seconds to change this whole set over into something completely different.

They show you how it happens, and you can hear them on a headset. We're back in 30, we're back in 10, there are still people setting up plans, and they're setting up the carpet. They practically dive out of the camera, and then the host comes out and it was like no one had ever touched a thing.

It's incredible! I imagine the Super Bowl halftime is that on steroids.

TRAVIS: Definitely. A good friend of mine worked on that project. I love working with him because when clients ask for very crazy things, he always says anything's possible since he has done the impossible.

JEREMY: Now these technologies sound super cool, and you've got my brain going, “How could we use these?” How necessary would you say they are? Do you think that events across the board benefit from this sort of thing or do you think it's really just on a case-by-case basis?

TRAVIS: I think that's a great question. We've seen technology forced into a situation too many times. Holograms were one of those. You know that hologram technology that you see on the concert side, well we've done it on the corporate side and many times it's because somebody just wants to have that hologram. They are forcing that in there, so I think it's important not to force that into your event. Even though you get the opportunity to let people see something great, it really should be decided on a case-by-case basis.

You should find out what the goals are, what your message is, and what you're trying to do after the event. If you've got post-event things that you want to try to achieve some of those budgetary efficiencies are met by not putting in stuff that's unnecessary. I think it's really about making sure that this technology is being used in a very useful, impactful way.

JEREMY: I totally agree. I think the message drives everything. I know for you, “content is king” is an overused phrase, but it really does all come down to the content. One of the things I think that is tricky for you and your position is that so much of what you're being asked to do is to design things before the content is set.

What are we talking about? What should the set look like? How do you deal with that?

TRAVIS: A lot of alcohol.

[TRAVIS & JEREMY LAUGH]

We should probably cut that. No, again for what we do, as you said, content is king. I think we talk with the people that are going to be doing the content and the creative designers such as yourself. Then we figure out.

Our backstage entrance is needed, so we build a suitable canvas that has the elements that we need to have a functioning event. Then it really is up to the content to then push that. Many times, we'll figure out exactly what we need, and then we'll give those surfaces to the design team.

Then they're kind of working with what we've laid out there. We've set up canvases in their gallery, and then they're going to go paint those canvases, digitally, with what's going to work.

JEREMY: It is pretty special when it all comes together. When the set, graphics, and content are working in harmony, it is really amazing. It doesn't happen every time, but it feels great.

TRAVIS: It sure does. I have to give a shout-out because we've talked a little bit about the video. Audio is obviously one of the most important aspects of an event because everything could fail. As long as you have audio, you could still deliver your message. You could have a bullhorn and still have your message out there.

Lighting is one of those areas and Proscenium uses lighting very well. Much better than I've seen compared to how other companies utilize lighting. Unfortunately, lighting is one of those things that comes from concert or entertainment arenas. It comes to the corporate side quicker than a lot of the other technologies.

However, it's one of the first things that a lot of our clients will want to cut when they start looking at how we make this budget tighter. Lighting really helps with that experience. It is the content on the screens, but it's those lights that reach out or play with an opening video that make a much bigger difference than just an opening video plane. It really turns a room into an investment.

JEREMY: Yeah, you're right. It's those various technical elements that are working together. You talked about it all being planned together. The left hand knows what the right hand is doing and we're working together to create a sequence and a moment. We all know what we're trying to do and we're helping each other.

I always love it in rehearsal or in production meetings when there's a problem. You're trying to solve a problem and everybody's jumping up and trying to solve it from their particular point of view, whether they're the right person or not, but everyone's trying to figure out how can I help.

They think, how can I solve this, or can I add to the solution? That's when you've really got a terrific team.

TRAVIS: The great thing about our industry is it's those problems that come up when everybody's trying to find a solution. Many times, the solution that they find is going to be better than what we are trying to do.

JEREMY: A hundred percent. That's what collaboration is. It is someone saying, let's make it a pink square and someone else says what about blue, or maybe it should be a circle. You come up with it together.

TRAVIS: A lot of that is attributed to a lot of the cross-training in our industry. Your audio engineer has probably run lighting or run video before. Same thing with your lighting engineers and probably running video before. A lot of these technologies with lighting and video have evolved and advanced.

It's nice when somebody is running into a brick wall and you've got somebody from the other department that's on the team that says, “Have you tried this?” They probably knew that this was there in a different way. It was just another approach. It's great when you know that these teams in our industry have touched a little bit of all the different departments.

JEREMY: You've got me super jazzed, Travis. I just want to get back in a hotel ballroom with you again to make this magic happen, and not just talk about it.

We should move on to the Lightning Round. The first one is who's your biggest get? A speaker, entertainer, or subject matter expert that you would either love to see at a live event or someone who you would love to coach.

TRAVIS: Now who I haven't worked with and would love to hear from is Elon Musk. A lot of the events that we do are with franchise owners. There are a lot of entrepreneurial attendees at these events. I think with what he would have to share, people would be engaged. I would be engaged. He thinks of a project from so many different angles.

That is important, especially with what we're trying to do with trying to foresee unseen issues that we could run into. We're always trying to look at things from different angles and different views.

I think he's probably a master of it, and I'd love to hear what his process is if he was willing to share it.

JEREMY: Yeah, I agree. Second question, what is one thing you wish presenters did more of or less of?

TRAVIS: I wish they would rehearse more. There are some presenters that would wish they would rehearse less.

[TRAVIS LAUGHS]

JEREMY: No, that's a great point. How does a presenter know or how does a communications team or an events team know whether a given executive or presenters should rehearse more or less?

TRAVIS: I think if you're going to go up on stage, you should know what you're talking about. If you have me get up on a stage and start talking about Tupperware, I'm going to need a teleprompter. I'm probably not going to be that believable when I'm up on stage.

JEREMY: When you see teleprompters for people that have their name, title, and where they're from, they have a hard time saying it because it's on a teleprompter. You know your name and you shouldn't be messing you up, but you might since you're nervous on the stage.

Whereas you can just turn the teleprompter off and tell me the truth. You'd probably get something very warm, real, and honest.

TRAVIS: Absolutely.

JEREMY: It's interesting. Last question, what is something, could be a book, a movie, a song, whatever you like, that was a big influence on you and particularly, if possible, influenced your professional career?

TRAVIS: I would say the movie, Rudy.

JEREMY: Rudy? I don't think I know that movie. What is that movie?

BETHANY: This is behind the scenes Bethany breaking in with a fact-check. Rudy is a 1993 movie starring Sean Astin and Ned Beatty. It also features the first film role of Vince Vaughn. In 2005, ESPN named it one of the best 25 sports movies of the past 25 years, and it was ranked the 54th most inspiring film of all time by the American Film Institute.

TRAVIS: It's a story about a young man who wanted to play football for Notre Dame. He tried everything, but he was just too small. He did more than anybody else. He put in a lot more work than all the guys that were just built for it. He just pushed himself harder and harder.

It's a great story about, how it doesn't matter if you're small. If you keep at it, you're going to be happy with the end results.

JEREMY: This certainly applies to your company which is very successful, and you've built it up to be absolutely incredible. Real kudos to you.

Anyway, Travis, this has been just a delight talking to you. As I said, it is just making me hungry to work with you and be back in a ballroom doing that collaboration that I enjoy doing with you so much.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today and share your wisdom. I really appreciate it.

TRAVIS: Thank you very much. I really appreciate the opportunity. I'm honored that I was asked to share some of my industry insights.

JEREMY: Well, getting to talk with Travis about how to maximize the technical side of events was great. For me, there were four top takeaways, and these are the four tops.

                   • Number four, technical directors plan for the unexpected and prevent problems from happening. They take care of technical issues so nobody else has to.

                   • Number three, technical directors save production money by managing and maximizing the technical staffing, allowing productions to do more with their time                          and resources.

                   • Number two, there are lower-budget ways to replicate some of the cool stuff you see on shows like the Grammy's and the academy awards, even simple things                        like using lighting with your videos.

                   • The number one takeaway is projection mapping, XR studios, and immersive interactive technology are some old and new technologies worth checking out,                              but don't use technology for the sake of it. Make sure it ties to your messaging.

Look, I could talk about this stuff all day. If you want to talk to us about today's topic or anything about live events, check out our episode notes for more information or just go to proscenium.com to drop us a line. Send us a guest suggestion or tell us why you would make a good guest. We would love to hear from you because at Proscenium, we help presenters do their best in front of their most important audiences. As we like to say, we help brands perform. I have a sneaking suspicion that we can help your brand perform.