Being a great producer requires a characteristic I’ve coined as “mentally ambidextrous.” It means you are equal parts logistics/project manager and experiential magician.
We are execution leaders AND thought leaders, which makes you 3x more valuable in the pre-production process.
A consistent theme I experienced during the pandemic was the heavy reliance clients had on being “in person” to manufacture experience. When faced with how to do it virtually, they were left flat-footed and unsure how to “move the crowd” and the clock.
Translating transitions between conference rooms and breakout rooms is not a 1-to-1. It’s an entirely different experience that producers have to be ready to help clients envision, lead navigation through, authentically connect attendees to, and keep seamless.
Anyone can throw people in a virtual space and hammer through an agenda. I suffered through enough of those (I wasn’t the producer, of course) to last a lifetime.
Great virtual producers make the attendee forget they are sitting in front of a computer. The attendees are transformed from wherever they joined—living room, car, office—to front row at the comedy show, VIP seating at the gala, or arm in arm at a community action rally.
Phenomenal live/hybrid producers make the virtual and live attendee experience one and the same.