In recent years, Rick Eichenberger, Senior Production Designer at CEAVCO Audio Visual, has noticed a strong emerging trend in the event industry – events held in nontraditional spaces.

These days, clients often want to hold events in such spaces as historical buildings, museums, theaters and parking lots. “A lot of clients and attendees are tired of old ballrooms,” Rick says. “They’re looking for a new experience.”

While unconventional locations are engaging from an audience perspective, they pose unique challenges for the production team, who have to find creative workarounds for an absence of such things as loading docks, power, and rigging.

Recently Rick produced an event that took place in CEAVCO’s very own equipment warehouse. Instead of trying to conceal the production equipment and road cases, he and his team took a different, embracing the environment and retaining the warehouse’s look and feel. By drawing attention to the space, they made it a conversation piece. As Rick notes, “the audience entered and said, ‘Wow, it’s still a warehouse, but this is beautiful.’”

Rick has designed conventional and unconventional events at prestigious venues across the country. How does he know when an event has delivered an exceptional experience to the attendees? He says you can hear the buzz in the room. “The goal is for everyone to have a great time and take home the message,” he says. “You know you’ve succeeded when people walk away singing the song.”


 

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