The women of productionglue share their industry insights and career advice.
What advice do you have for women pursuing a career in live events?
I’d give anyone starting out the same advice – look for events you’d want to be a part of, figure out who made them happen and try to get in touch. Don’t be afraid to follow up if you don’t get a response – tenacity is a necessary characteristic for anyone in this industry! For women specifically, check out the chapter “What Would Josh Do?” in Jessica Bennett’s book “Feminist Fight Club” 😉
What three characteristics best describe a successful Production Manager?
To me, a successful Production Manager is never afraid to ask questions, is efficient with resources (including people’s time!) and is able to make calm decisions in the middle of chaos.
Describe your proudest moment at productionglue. Why was it special?
The first project I was able to work on from pitch/development through production was a Ride-and-Drive event for an off-road vehicle launch. We created extended off-road test experiences at a ranch in Texas for about 400 people, with a huge bbq, armadillo races, skeet shooting, and evening concerts. It was the biggest event I’d ever managed, and it couldn’t have gone better. At the end of the ranch portion, I took one of the vehicles out for a victory lap. I was covered in dirt for our team photos, but it was totally worth it.
What are three career lessons you’ve learned thus far?
1. Treating people with respect goes a lot further than you might think – it’s good human practice AND good business practice!
2. If someone you absolutely need to talk to doesn’t answer your email, call them. If you still don’t get them, email again. And if you do get them, follow up with a recap email, because:
2a. get as much as you can in writing =)3. It is always better to take responsibility for a mistake and work with your team to try to problem-solve it as soon as you’re aware, rather than letting it eat you up and hoping it works out. I have thankfully never had to learn this the hard way (because I fess up to my mistakes, not because I’m perfect!!), but we’ve all been in the tornado of people who “figured things would be ok” when they were not, in fact, ok.
What are your hopes for our industry? Specifically, for women in live events
I hope that the industry is able to find more ways to bring diversity of perspective and experience to teams and projects. I want to see more women in technical positions and more people of color in all positions. Our industry is extremely referral-heavy, which is awesome in many ways but can also be unintentionally insulating and/or exclusive.
What do you enjoy most about being a Production Manager?
I love building fun from nothing!
What does true leadership mean to you? How do you embody leadership?
True leadership means taking responsibility for your team – making sure they have the right resources, keeping them on track, and backing them up when needed. I am adamantly anti- throwing people under the metaphorical bus. (Or literal buses, obviously.)