In this episode, Alfredo Garcia joins On Top of PR host Jason Mudd to discuss best practices for producing PR events.
Tune in to learn more!
Our guest
Our episode guest is Alfredo Garcia, vice president of sales for Sight & Sound and Mugwump Productions. He started his journey with Sight & Sound as a marketing intern, where he discovered his passion for the audio-visual production side of events. Now an executive leader, he’s played a pivotal role in the company’s growth from 15 employees to more than 50 today.
Watch the episode here:
Listen to the episode here:
5 things you’ll learn during the full episode:
- Questions event producers will ask
- Technical media accommodations
- How much notice event production teams need
- What organizations should consider before planning an event
- Logistics and budget planning
About Alfredo Garcia
As Sight & Sound’s vice president of sales, Alfredo manages daily sales operations, develops sales strategies, and forecasts company revenue. He focuses on client retention and expanding the client base locally and nationally.
Alfredo earned a communication degree from Jacksonville University, which laid the foundation for his career in the hospitality industry. He’s drawn to the industry’s opportunities for travel, bringing creative solutions to events, and building long-lasting relationships. His journey with Sight & Sound began in 2005 when he joined as a marketing intern and discovered his passion for the audio-visual production side of events. After progressing through roles as a marketing coordinator and project manager, he found his niche in sales.
Outside of work, Alfredo enjoys gardening with his wife, traveling with his family, and supporting all his local sports teams.
Quotables
- “My first question is always the same, no matter what type of media event it is. And that is, “Why are we doing this event? Why are we spending your money? Why are we pulling in resources and what is the purpose and outcome we are trying to get out of this event?” — @Alfredo Garcia
- “If you’re depending on media to be there, how embarrassed might you be if they just can’t come or don’t come for whatever reason?” — @JasonMudd9
- “If you’re depending on media to fill the room, you better have a pretty good announcement.” — @JasonMudd9
- “Whenever I see a whole bunch of microphones, I think of crisis communication.” — @Alfredo Garcia
- “Why would you not want to engage with an expert company to have them bring their experience, know-how, and ideas that might save you time, money, and ultimately drive home that better first impression for the attendees at your event?” — @JasonMudd9
- “We try to become an extension of what our clients are trying to do. We are thinking of things people don't think about.” — @Alfredo Garcia
Resources
Additional Episode Resources from Axia Public Relations:
- Listen to more episodes of the On Top of PR podcast.
- Find out more about Axia Public Relations.
- Read: Concerned about media in the room? Get over it!
Disclosure: One or more of the links we shared here might be affiliate links that offer us a referral reward when you buy from them.
Episode highlights
[03:45] Questions event producers will ask
[09:20] Technical media accommodations
[13:00] How much notice event production teams need
[16:45] What organizations should consider before planning an event
[25.48] Logistics and budget planning
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Transcript
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:09:29
Announcer
Welcome to On Top of PR with Jason Mudd, presented by ReviewMaxer.
00:00:09:29 - 00:00:21:07
Jason
Hello and welcome to On Top of PR. I’m your host, Jason Mudd with Axia Public Relations. And today we're joined by, my friend Alfredo Garcia, who is with Sight and Sound Productions. Alfredo, welcome to the show.
00:00:21:09 - 00:00:23:24
Alfredo
Hey, Jason. Thank you for having me here.
00:00:23:27 - 00:00:46:20
Jason
Yeah, I'm glad to be here. And I'm glad you're here as well. Real quick for our audience, Alfredo Garcia is the vice president, of sales for Sight and Sound and mug Whop productions. He started his journey with the company as a marketing intern, where he discovered his passion for audio visual production side of the business. He serves as a member of the executive leadership team, and played a pivotal role in the company's growth.
00:00:46:20 - 00:01:11:00
Jason
From a small team of 15 employees to what the company is today, which is more than 50 employees. So, Alfredo, welcome to the show. I'm having you here as a guest because you have been in the, sight and sound production business and event planning business, for, 20 years now. I remember meeting you when you were, a student, eager to break through in the profession.
00:01:11:07 - 00:01:41:11
Jason
That just makes me feel old. If I'm being candid. But today, we have a unique opportunity, I think, to kind of talk about best practices for event planning, in public relations, for our audience of a PR pros and helping them stay on top of PR. Alfredo, what I what kind of inspired this conversation is, I know that your company and my company connected recently to produce, a potential news conference, and that really got me thinking about this idea of, you know, a couple of thoughts.
00:01:41:13 - 00:02:15:06
Jason
One is is the is is a news conference dead? Is that still something people are actively doing? And if so, how do you do it best? And we'll get to that in a minute. And then the other question I think is, you know, kind of I was recently speaking, in front of a audience of university professors and instructors, and I kind of said, you know, I don't think the event management is a function that should be integrated within the communication and or public relations, school, within universities.
00:02:15:06 - 00:02:39:26
Jason
And so people were kind of, you know, a little bit surprised to hear me say that. But my recommendation was that, event management is its own unique profession. And while people who have worked in PR and marketing can do that and be very successful with it, and a lot of events do require PR, marketing support, I do sense that that's a discipline that, in my mind, should fall more under the hospitality.
00:02:39:28 - 00:03:05:26
Jason
School or department. I want to hear your opinion on that in a minute, but I think what is interesting for our audience is going to be us helping them discover and discuss best practices for producing events, whether they're media events, public events, etc. because I do sense that PR pros need to be mindful about producing first class events or helping their team produce first class events by pointing them to the right resource at our agency.
00:03:05:26 - 00:03:22:20
Jason
If a company ever comes to us and wants to produce a event, we say, we'd love to help you promote the event, drive visibility and attendance and media coverage for the event. But if you need us involved in producing the event, we're going to point you in the direction of an event planning company, much like, your organization, Sight and Sound production.
00:03:22:20 - 00:03:29:18
Jason
So to set up the table, that's what I've got in store for our audience today. Does that sound like an interesting conversation to you?
00:03:29:20 - 00:03:31:16
Alfredo
Oh, definitely love it.
00:03:31:19 - 00:03:57:06
Jason
Awesome, awesome. All right, so let's jump right in and talk about kind of, best practices for events. Alfredo, kind of give me a description of, like, your process and your recommendations. Thinking about the employed, leader within an organization who, you know, is doing, either PR, marketing or communications, you know, it's and it's, let's say an executive comes to them and says, hey, I've got a great idea.
00:03:57:08 - 00:04:04:10
Jason
We should do an event. If you were that person, Alfredo, what would be your response and what kind of questions might you ask them?
00:04:04:12 - 00:04:36:23
Alfredo
Well, thank you, Jason, again for having us here. And, again, media events are important. And for the most part, when we're called in, I hate to use the word staged, but really, that's what it is. There is pre-planning that takes place in putting on an event that we get called in for. And so we get the phone call just as you, as you've called me or other companies call us and we'll get that call from a PR person usually saying, hey, my boss just asked me, we're going to have some sort of dedication or, hey, we need to get this information out.
00:04:36:25 - 00:04:55:10
Alfredo
Normally we're called in is because there's a live audience involved, and so we're there to support not only the news media that could be coming to taping things or from a virtual perspective, but also because there is dignitary or people in person that need to be there, and they could be tied to photo ops or several other entities.
00:04:55:12 - 00:05:15:14
Alfredo
But that is the primary reason we get called in. My first question is always the same no matter what type of a media event it is, and that is why are we doing this event? Why are we spending your money? Why are we pulling in resources and what is the purpose and outcome we're trying to get out of this, you know, event.
00:05:15:14 - 00:05:36:25
Alfredo
I mean, step one is there. They can't define that for me. And the understanding of the reason why they want to host this event, then we kind of have to start from square one. Okay. Well really what are we doing? Most of the time they have that understanding. Hey, it's because we really need that photo up. Or hey, we have a huge donor or hey, we really had this exciting thing that happened to us.
00:05:36:25 - 00:06:03:09
Alfredo
We're a publicly traded company. We really want people to understand why we're doing this. And so when that why is answered, then we really start breaking it down, going, okay, well, what do we need to do to pull off this event? And from there, you know, various steps along the way from, you know, basic conversations of indoor outdoor location, to who needs to be there and who needs to be represented not only from your company, but maybe from the community.
00:06:03:12 - 00:06:10:16
Alfredo
So, you know, the first question always, from my perspective, is the why? Because of the why can't be answered. Then why are we doing it?
00:06:10:19 - 00:06:34:21
Jason
Yeah that's good. And I have similar thoughts. When a company comes to us and wants to do a news conference, right, it's like, okay, I'm glad you want to do a news conference, but is it newsworthy enough that media is actually going to show? Is your success of this event dependent on media attending, or is it more of a staged event that you're trying to, you know, just say that you had it, recognize some of the people that are there, and that kind of thing.
00:06:34:21 - 00:07:01:20
Jason
But, you know, as we both know from your experience, that media, you know, can't always make it based on your own timeline. And, you know, if you're depending on media to be there, how embarrassed might you be if they just can't come or don't come for whatever reason? Either you're events not newsworthy or something you know, circumvents, and and becomes a higher, more newsworthy, type event for, for the media, especially if you're talking about local media.
00:07:01:22 - 00:07:20:17
Alfredo
Yeah. I mean, the good thing about my job is I'm not responsible for media showing up. So that kind of falls on you and your expertise. But but it does happen. I mean, there's multiple times in my career where, oh, we're going to have all the local stations show up, and I'm like, okay, that's great. Let's let's see.
00:07:20:17 - 00:07:39:09
Alfredo
And then day of comms, maybe they get one, maybe they get nod to your point and we capture it for them. And then they, you know, they utilize that through their PR or communications team to get that information out. But but but you're absolutely correct. There's always high expectations, when sometimes these events are being put together.
00:07:39:16 - 00:08:05:21
Alfredo
And from where I come is basically, hey, that's great, but let's take care of the people who need to be recognized. And, you know, you think of your nonprofits, groundbreaking, large events like that where they're receiving, you know, community funds or the community has pitched in to help raise money for something or, you know, a YMCA, for example, or, or any type of nonprofit that's getting built or reestablished or going through some sort of a large project.
00:08:05:24 - 00:08:19:10
Alfredo
You know, sometimes the news does come in, but it may not be live. You know, it's just going to be taped. It'll be played at a later time. And so from my experience, sometimes I tell my clients, look, if the media is there, we'll be prepared for them. I'll give them a feed. We'll give them whatever they want.
00:08:19:12 - 00:08:40:19
Alfredo
At the end of the day, most of our media events are recorded by my technical team, and so we're able to provide that to our clients so they can do what they need to do at a later date. For the most part, it's recognition of some sort of major milestone they're going through, or major, recognition. And it's how we can help them really elevate that experience.
00:08:40:19 - 00:08:45:15
Alfredo
One for the guests that are there, but two so they can continue their good work that they're doing.
00:08:45:17 - 00:09:05:09
Jason
Yeah, that's that's for sure. True. And, I'm a big fan of inviting, you know, people within your organization and your vendors, sponsors, donors, etc. to just fill seats sometimes, too. So it looks like, you know, there's plenty of people there, for sure. Because, you know, if you're depending on media to fill the room, you better have a pretty good announcement.
00:09:05:09 - 00:09:23:09
Jason
Is, is is the example I like to give. So, what other accommodations do you think, people need to be considering as far as from a technical standpoint, for the media, you know, when, when, when media arise, you know, what kind of things do you see them asking for help from, from you and your organizations for.
00:09:23:11 - 00:09:44:20
Alfredo
So first and foremost, I'll we'll start with audio. So, you know, I tell my clients, unless there's, a major news breaking story, as you said, and I and I don't like getting into, like, what could cause a major news breaking story. But the one thing you see are the million microphones. The reason you see a million microphones are crowded around the podium is because they don't have a company like us involved.
00:09:44:20 - 00:10:09:12
Alfredo
So it's literally every news outlet that is there, or anybody who's trying to get that sound bite is fighting for a spot. And so you get what you see. Sadly, and not the most ideal situation news, outlet or excuse me, a media event where, you know, reporters across a podium or a table, right. And mikes just sticking out everywhere in my line of work.
00:10:09:12 - 00:10:28:17
Alfredo
We don't like to do that. We like to keep it clean and professional. So we normally will have a designated microphone with a plaque or something we can think of like a presidential, a person speaking or something coming from some sort of podium or lectern. So we really control what the image looks like and what the media and people are going to be getting.
00:10:28:17 - 00:10:50:06
Alfredo
So they're going to see something that's a little more uniformed and proper. Also, the audio now is being controlled by our technical team. And so or any technical team that provides my level of services. So we really go out of our way to ensure our clients that they're getting the best level audio for anybody who is going to be coming in to capture those moments.
00:10:50:09 - 00:11:09:12
Alfredo
We'll provide press boxes or, different elements that can be now done with digital boards, things of that nature. And so the first thing I always ask my clients is, hey, we're going to go down this road and we're expecting press. These are some things we need to be mindful, good clean audio and then the ability to distribute that in a live environment.
00:11:09:15 - 00:11:29:18
Jason
That's interesting because I would imagine that, many companies probably love the idea of having a whole bunch of microphones. So it looks like, you know, they're being covered everywhere. But then I'm sure the, you know, those that are broadcasting, you know, some sort of video probably don't love having the logo of all their competitors showing up also.
00:11:29:18 - 00:11:47:14
Jason
So it's kind of all of those things I've never really thought of before. But you're right. I mean, you've seen them where, you know, there's, dozen microphones up there and it looks a little chaotic. And you've seen the cleaner ones, you know, so I guess there's pros and cons, you know, maybe the client would like the idea of having a bunch of microphones up there because it looks important.
00:11:47:17 - 00:11:59:22
Jason
But at the same time, for, production quality standpoint and probably the favor of the media, you know, they might like their logo being, seen, but probably not everybody else's logo is that been your experience also?
00:11:59:25 - 00:12:20:18
Alfredo
Oh, definitely. I mean, you know, if you think of the field reporter out there, he's getting his bonus points. If his microphone is on the camera shot right. We've other other TV station outlets are picking it up. So, you know, for them they get the kudos for me. I hate to say what I'm about to say, Jason, but whenever I see a whole bunch of microphones, I think of crisis communication.
00:12:20:24 - 00:12:40:00
Alfredo
And that's really normally when you see that is in a crisis communication, there's no room to get in a production company or professional services to really help, communicate. What message is being said? It's hey, everybody, here's what's the word. And, you know, everyone's getting it. So when I see something like that, from your point, I understand.
00:12:40:00 - 00:12:52:13
Alfredo
And I appreciate hearing how you're saying that, you know, hey, it's showing all this. But for me, it's usually like, hey, man, your building just blew up, and you're trying to explain to people why it blew up. And I don't normally get called for those type of press conferences.
00:12:52:18 - 00:13:13:18
Jason
Right, right. Well, I mean, I know your company does work, nationwide. And, but, you know, if you had the resources nearby, how much notice would you need to get involved in, say, a news conference that was related to crisis or breaking news of some sort, you know, is same day or next day enough time?
00:13:13:21 - 00:13:37:08
Alfredo
Yes. You know, we have helped, again, crisis. I can honestly say I don't get too many phone calls for it and probably for a lot of optic reasons and things like that. But, we do get a relatively quick turnaround for big news stories or maybe big, important things that are happening within a corporation or a nonprofit.
00:13:37:11 - 00:13:53:09
Alfredo
We have gotten some calls where we've made things happen within 48 hours, as simple as like putting up a stage or getting a little pop up pen or something a little bit larger to get people under with a simple passive system. Those are usually very quick turnaround, and we can make those happen within like a 48 hour period.
00:13:53:11 - 00:14:12:18
Jason
Okay. Awesome, awesome. So getting back to just kind of events in general, are there any kind of events that, I mean, it sounds like you've described a variety of events. Are there any kind of events that you just won't do or just aren't in your wheelhouse? Or maybe, you know, just you find that aren't is, productive for either the client and your company?
00:14:12:20 - 00:14:29:15
Alfredo
Well, it goes back to that first question. You know, the why are we doing it? Why are we being called in? And I think that's really helped me guide my client with, you know, okay, what are we trying to do? You know, if optics is important, going back to like a crisis communication scenario or an immediate news release?
00:14:29:18 - 00:14:49:06
Alfredo
Let's be honest. If someone's got some not great news they're sharing, the last thing you want to see is something that's really well done and polished. As they're communicating, you almost start thinking of kind of like the, you know, the Valdez or something very traumatic like that, where you had all these executives talking from a boardroom and, and, you know, they're not they're in the situation where what's going on.
00:14:49:06 - 00:15:24:11
Alfredo
So I think we learned those from, you know, my old days in communication classes of watching what people did in the 80s and things like that. And, and now it's more, hey, we're getting there. We're identifying the problems we're tackling this on. And so, I don't get a lot of those phone calls for optics, but we are involved in a lot of important events, and those are the ones that, you know, we really take a lot of pride in, whether it's been some sort of dedication and an announcement for something or, you know, we were involved here locally in Jacksonville, where we are, you know, with the initiative of really kind
00:15:24:11 - 00:15:54:14
Alfredo
of expanding this beautiful walkway over on the west side of town. And, you know, that walkway was going to be going through some areas that needed to be in La Villa redone. We were involved in those press conferences and really community outreach. Some other events that, you know, we've done pretty much anything. Jason, if the why is there we were involved, for example, with, Duval Public Schools when they were renaming the schools, and they had to have those press conferences or town hall meetings for all those schools.
00:15:54:14 - 00:16:11:18
Alfredo
And that was really tough. It was hard work. A lot of emotions were in the room. But, you know, we were called to the task of making sure that the message was being heard and that not only the from the school board side, but also from the people, the people being, you know, wanting to make sure their voices were heard.
00:16:11:18 - 00:16:29:16
Alfredo
And so we were really brought in for that task. And I believe, you know, we were able to do I think it was 25 town hall meetings throughout several different high schools here in the Duval County, area. And, you know, again, it's the why why are we being summoned to to this call?
00:16:29:18 - 00:16:48:09
Jason
Gotcha, gotcha. Okay. And, Alfredo, let's talk more about kind of the the questions that you think organizations should be asking themselves either before they, commit to doing event or before they reach out to a event production or management company like yours.
00:16:48:12 - 00:17:08:09
Alfredo
Well, you know, the first thing is, who are we reaching? So once you understand why we're doing it, who are we really reaching? How many people do we need to be there? And knowing those things in advance before you make the phone calls to companies like mine, because we're just going to ask you, we're going to ask you point blank, okay, how many people are you trying to have at this event?
00:17:08:15 - 00:17:27:08
Alfredo
Where are we going to be having the event? Have you considered if you're doing the event outdoors, for a rain situation or bad weather, since we are planning this out more than maybe 48 hours. And so really kind of having some of those real basic, you know, what we think may be for granted that we oh, well, you know, we're going to invite 100 people.
00:17:27:08 - 00:17:50:27
Alfredo
Well, that's important, 100 people versus 50 people is a whole different set up. Just because of comfort. And how are we going to, you know, move, 50 to 100 people. And so, you know, really asking that. And then from there, how structured are you looking for the event? So, you know, to your point earlier, sometimes it's very simple will be called in for, hey, we need a small stage.
00:17:51:01 - 00:18:06:24
Alfredo
We you know, we're going to do this outdoors. We know we need a little small roof. And you know, we're only going to have a few people there that all we you know, it's all we really care about. We really want to make this announcement or, you know, we received this grant and we really want to thank some local politicians and commissioners.
00:18:06:24 - 00:18:33:04
Alfredo
Are are some influencers, in our area that, you know, really made this happen. You know, again, those soundbites, those candid moments, those pictures. And so, you know, really walking through that aspect with our clients and really asking them the questions, okay, if we go this route, we understand you want to recognize these 30 people. For example, are we prepared for you knowing that that could take an hour where most media outlets aren't going to give you an hour?
00:18:33:06 - 00:18:55:06
Alfredo
So, you know, let's fill that back. But let's really keep this to 15 minutes. You know, that's what people want. Those are the soundbites they're looking for. Those are the the shots. We can always do something private later or host to something different for those recognitions. But for these moments you really want to be concise. If you really try to get the crowds out, if you really are trying to do something, spectacle, ocular, you know, be mindful.
00:18:55:08 - 00:19:22:29
Alfredo
And then a lot of my job also staging. So, you know, we were involved with the Ronald McDonald House at one point where we help them build their beautiful, facility that's, over here along the river. When we did that groundbreaking, we wanted to make sure that people knew we weren't spending money, and they did a great job of making sure that we actually brought in excavators and device and and machinery that was going to be used to literally level the land.
00:19:23:01 - 00:19:40:29
Alfredo
And myself and another colleague, while we were out there doing the site visit, we said, you know, they were talking about trying to get a banner up and, you know, digging a post and going this elaborate way. And I'm going, hey, let's let's be mindful what we're doing. You said you wanted to spend every dollar back into the cause you're doing.
00:19:41:01 - 00:19:59:12
Alfredo
Why don't we hold the banner off of one of these back holes and they look and they're like, can we do that? I'm like, why not? And it's a great photo. They got a great little photo op with everybody with a shovel in the hard hat and all these excavators and back, you know, back holes in the background, like getting ready to do work.
00:19:59:18 - 00:20:13:06
Alfredo
And then they had their banner. We hung it right off of one of the devices. And it's those moments that we're able to really help here our clients what their cause, what their mission is, and really kind of bring it all full circle for them.
00:20:13:09 - 00:20:24:13
Jason
Well, Alfredo just kind of ballpark for me, you know, how many events would you say your company produces on average in a calendar year? Just ballpark?
00:20:24:15 - 00:20:30:23
Alfredo
We probably do, probably about 800 events in a year.
00:20:30:25 - 00:20:58:27
Jason
So I would say to our listeners and our audience, right, if you could hire a company that's done 800 events in a in a year, that's probably, I would guess, at least 790 more events than you probably did this year. Right. And so why would you not want to engage with an expert company to have them bring their experience, knowhow, and ideas that might save you time, money, and ultimately drive home that better?
00:20:58:27 - 00:21:09:17
Jason
First impression for each of the attendees that are attending your event, ultimately. But with that said, we're going to pause here, take a quick break, come back on the other side with more on top of PR.
00:21:09:17 - 00:21:34:05
Announcer
You're listening to On Top of PR with your host, Jason Mudd. Jason is a trusted advisor to some of America's most admired and fastest growing brands. He is the managing partner at Axia Public Relations, a PR agency that guides news, social and web strategies for national companies. And now, back to the show.
00:21:34:05 - 00:21:47:23
Jason
Welcome back to On top of PR. I’m your host, Jason Mudd from Axia Public Relations, joined by Alfredo Garcia. Alfredo, we were just talking about how, you know, you're producing, about 800 events, you know, per month, I mean, per year.
00:21:47:25 - 00:22:07:01
Jason
And, how much how helpful that would be, you know, to, our audience to think about hiring a company like yours when they go to do an event. And some of my experience is biased. I mean, one of my previous employers I worked at, we produced a ton of events, and I always just felt like it was so much work to produce these events.
00:22:07:04 - 00:22:31:24
Jason
If I'm being candid. And, so when I started my agency, you know, people would ask us to do events and I'm like, no, I'm not going to do events. But, you know, I know good people who do events and people like you. So, just kind of getting back to that a little bit, you know, what are some things to consider when you're organizing an event that, you know, based on your experience, you can give some advice to be thinking through.
00:22:31:26 - 00:22:52:19
Alfredo
So, when, again, just thinking of things, you know, we've kind of started off with the, the wise and who's, the next you know, the next thing that I always goes to me is location, you know, where do we want to host this event? Some locations have access to water and electrical, which, obviously you're going to need when doing an event.
00:22:52:19 - 00:23:12:15
Alfredo
Just like if, you know, we're doing this podcast, you got to have access to at least electrical, and internet for us. But, you know, it's kind of the same concept. So many of my, clients will reach out to us, and they want to do something at a shipyard, or they want to do something in a remote location, a construction site, or they they want to do something in a park.
00:23:12:17 - 00:23:31:22
Alfredo
You know, we get these, very, fun phone calls sometimes of of locations and where they're scouting, they want to do it. And, and you kind of be mindful of those things. You know, I'll be talking to someone and like I said, we want to do this here. We want to keep it simple. Okay. That's great. And then the next thing I out of my mouth is, okay, well, where are we going to get power to to run everything.
00:23:31:22 - 00:23:51:15
Alfredo
And they'll look at me and I'm like, yeah, power. You know, I mean, I need power. We're gonna have to bring in a generator that will want that set us back. Well, I mean, I need power, I don't, I don't run on batteries. And so, you know, it's having those conversations and then, you know, sometimes things do pivot, and sometimes people are like, no, this is important for us.
00:23:51:15 - 00:24:10:17
Alfredo
This is where we're doing the work. You know, we've had clients take us into the wilderness, literally the wilderness, where there's trees and all kinds of stuff and, and it was, it was important for them. It's always important. And and that's why, you know, I'll go wherever they need me to go, to do an event.
00:24:10:20 - 00:24:26:28
Alfredo
But, you know, you have to be mindful of all those, aspects, this one client that took us into the wilderness. You know, the first thing when we got to the jobsite is I told them, I go, look, you're going to invite people, right? And they're like, yeah, we were going to invite people. And I'm like, okay, it's a weekday, right?
00:24:26:28 - 00:24:46:14
Alfredo
And they're like, yeah, it's a weekday. How are your guests going to come from the road and traverse over these 100ft? We just walked over with mud holes and everything else that were going to have to put a boardwalk. We're going to have to put plywood at a leaf. I mean, if people are coming during the workweek, you know, they're going to be coming from work.
00:24:46:16 - 00:25:06:06
Alfredo
And so, you know, oh, we didn't think about that. Well, you know, it's like we're here. So, you know, we try to become an extension of what our clients are trying to do. You know, I'm not an expert. I just been doing it, as you said, so much that we've encountered all kinds of things. We're thinking of things that people just don't think about.
00:25:06:06 - 00:25:22:05
Alfredo
They they think about the end game. They think about, you know, the why. And those are important. Those purpose driven reasons is what drives all of us to accomplish the goal. But, you know, for us, what I do, it's kind of more practical. So I'll sit there and I'll go, okay, well, you know, this is what I've done and we can provide that advice.
00:25:22:05 - 00:25:45:04
Alfredo
Or hey, have you consider maybe not taking away from what we're doing here? I'm still doing it in the forest or the woods, but maybe we bring people in this way, or try something like this and help elevate that experience. Because for me and for our company, it's really about the experience not only that our clients are having, but really the message that they're going to be trying to drive home, you know, to the people that are attending these events.
00:25:45:07 - 00:25:59:05
Jason
Right, right. Absolutely. So let's talk about, budgeting. And, what are thoughts and questions that should be asked is, is, is companies are starting an organization, starting to look at budgets.
00:25:59:07 - 00:26:17:08
Alfredo
You know, budgets are tough. I get it. It's hard sometimes raising the money. And then when you're raising the money, you're raising the money for a cause. Not so much for maybe the media event that needs to take place to support or maybe even help raise money. So, you know, I, I really challenge my clients in this area here.
00:26:17:08 - 00:26:36:14
Alfredo
And yes, sadly, any company, that you reach out to is going to ask you the same question. What's your budget? I tell my clients, don't say no budget. It's the worst thing you can say. I have no clue what the budget is. We all have a clue. No one goes by the car without knowing. Hey, that car is going to cost maybe $10,000.
00:26:36:19 - 00:26:57:22
Alfredo
Or hey, if I go to the wrong lot, it's going to cost me more than that. You have to have a number. And when engaging a company like me, even even if the numbers are low. But it's a real number you're holding to in a low number for us in my industry, you know, 2500 bucks that that's the low that you're getting a PA system.
00:26:57:22 - 00:27:21:22
Alfredo
And in a competent individual, maybe a small stage and you kind of what I call bare bones, you got the essence of what is necessary to get a message out. And clearly from there you can elaborate. I mean, right, we could go LED walls. You can go full fledged ten. You could have, you know, people passing or d'oeuvres or having refreshments or etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
00:27:21:22 - 00:27:47:21
Alfredo
It could go from there. For me, it's just knowing that number, any, any company, any nonprofit, any organization, any firm. When you call a company like myself and you just say, I have no clue at that point, I'm not giving you, my resources. I'm not going to spend hours of my time with someone who may not really know what is necessary to put this on.
00:27:47:23 - 00:28:09:00
Alfredo
We all have basic ideas, or at least of what we're allowed to spend or try to spend. It's only going to help our clients, right? We're. My goal is to help you solve this problem and how to make it work. That's what I want to do. That is what I've been wanting to do for 20 years is help people pull these type of events off.
00:28:09:02 - 00:28:22:15
Alfredo
And, my team, as well as any of my competitors out there, are in the marketplace all around the country. We're going to start in those areas. And just having that knowledge is really going to prepare you for a better conversation.
00:28:22:17 - 00:28:39:17
Jason
Yeah, I totally agree. And, you know, we have the same thing on our end. You know, it's like you wouldn't you wouldn't go to a real estate agent and say, oh, I'm looking for a house. Well, how much do you have to spend? I have no idea. You wouldn't go to a real estate agent and ask them, hey, I'm looking for a house.
00:28:39:17 - 00:28:55:09
Jason
And they say, well, how many bedrooms do you need? I have no idea. Right. You've at least thought some of these things through. And certainly you don't go to a real estate agent and say, you know, I want to buy a house, say, okay, well, what side of town or what city? And they're like, I don't know, you know, so there there is some thoughts.
00:28:55:09 - 00:29:13:29
Jason
Now I get it. You know, like I've, I've may have never done an event before, and I don't want to just throw out $50,000 because I feel like you might, you know, take advantage of me, but at the same time is, you know, and I'm sure you've done events that are easily $50,000, right? So it just depends on the experience that you're trying to create.
00:29:13:29 - 00:29:27:13
Jason
And like you said, you know, why are we doing this event? What's the outcomes that we're trying to, to get. And, and that should kind of, pepper in a lot of it. But, you know, there's a lot of things people don't think of like, you know, okay, are we serving food? Is it a sit down event?
00:29:27:13 - 00:29:45:05
Jason
Is it a stand down event or stand up event? You know, is, is it indoor, outdoor, or is there going to be additional entertainment, and things like that. So, you know, maybe is there kind of like a cheat sheet or a series of additional questions you'd recommend? Alfredo?
00:29:45:08 - 00:30:02:25
Alfredo
You know, I wouldn't say a cheat sheet because every event is unique, but there are a lot of the guiding principles that are the same. You know, starting off with your location, knowing your location, if your team or organization have decided, okay, hey, we're going to host this event in this location. Well know what the location kind of has.
00:30:02:28 - 00:30:23:20
Alfredo
If you go with the example I used in a moment ago out in the woods. Okay, we know we got to bring everything in, you know, so so be prepared. You know, I tell people in our industry, it's not the product, it's not the camera, it's not the tent, it's not the projector screen, microphone. Sadly, those are commodities in my industry.
00:30:23:20 - 00:30:42:29
Alfredo
I mean, you can find people that can provide you that equipment. Now, whether it works as well as the other guy, you know that that's going to be dependent on whether you're the person you're talking to. Right. But but I say those basic commodities because they can they can be found, you can find someone to provide you a stage, you can find someone to provide you that.
00:30:42:29 - 00:31:09:12
Alfredo
And once you know what you're looking for, it's really then the people. And my biggest asset that I have in my company are the people that work for me, you know, from the managers that help, work with my clients, you know, all the way through the whole planning process to the technicians and the setup crew that are out there building it, setting it up to the guys, then running and actually pushing the buttons, that is the expense.
00:31:09:12 - 00:31:33:09
Alfredo
And people sometimes take that for granted, you know, and I go, you know, this is a still job. This is not just some college kid or someone out there just pushing buttons. Yeah. Again, you know, it's a profession. And, just like in the PR world, just like all of us, you know, we hold to our profession, these people that work for me and like myself included, you know, it is a profession.
00:31:33:09 - 00:31:57:23
Alfredo
It is a job. It is a career. And so, you know, letting people know that, you know, these gentlemen and women that actually run the audio visual for my company. But as well as other companies or news outlets, it's all the same skill set. And that's what it is. They'll spend their entire lives running this equipment to make a good living, out there, depending on what market and places they live and work for.
00:31:57:23 - 00:32:20:01
Alfredo
But, you know, sometimes I think that's the number one hurdle I have to get people to realize is, hey, you know, it's the people. It's not it's not that projection screen. You know, an LED wall does cost money because it's new technology. But but it's the people. And I think that sometimes the hardest thing in my line of work that I have to get people to understand is when talking budgets, it's, it's that.
00:32:20:03 - 00:32:42:17
Jason
Yeah. Well and again, I think it comes back to, you know, doing almost 1000 events a year, you're going to have people who have seen this happen literally a thousand times before, and so they know how to fix it or how to turn it around quickly or whatever, versus, you know, asking your marketing coordinator to figure out how to start plugging in audio visuals and speakers and where to lay them out and place them, and how to hide them and disguise them.
00:32:42:17 - 00:32:48:00
Jason
So, you know, I, I can definitely appreciate, you know, what you're describing in that regard.
00:32:48:02 - 00:33:09:23
Alfredo
Yeah, I know the ones I feel for nowadays. It's funny you mentioned marketing. I can honestly tell you I've seen the shift. Jason, ten years ago was the marketing coordinators and the people in the communications department out there running cables or doing stuff internally for corporate, companies that has now moved to the IT department.
00:33:09:26 - 00:33:26:07
Jason
Well, last time, my last time, I had an in person design, something that was, you know, easy for people to use and enjoy. It didn't go very well. So. Yeah. Yeah, I hear you on that. Well, Alfredo, if somebody is interested in connecting with you, they want to talk about an event or something like that. What?
00:33:26:08 - 00:33:28:19
Jason
What's the best way for them to get ahold of you?
00:33:28:22 - 00:33:45:28
Alfredo
You know, email is the best way to get ahold of me. You know, I tell people, as soon as we close the door of one event, we're opening the doors to start setting up another one. So, to your point, you know, we do about 800, 850 events a year. There's a lot of traveling in between there.
00:33:45:28 - 00:34:08:05
Alfredo
There's a lot of set ups and tear down. So, emails are always the best way. I do check them all the time. And I do respond and pride myself for responding to those emails. Cell phones can always be challenging because if you're in an environment where there's just not good cell reception, which is about 90% of the time, you know, the cell phones sometimes aren't always the best.
00:34:08:05 - 00:34:12:20
Alfredo
And I think, Jason, you know, you've called me in in a few ballroom setups before.
00:34:12:22 - 00:34:18:14
Jason
Yeah, yeah. So tell me, you're active on LinkedIn. Is LinkedIn a good place to get connected with you as well?
00:34:18:16 - 00:34:32:05
Alfredo
Yes. I do have LinkedIn tied in my email, so that is always a great way to reach out to me. Or website is also a great tool as well. Because the nice thing about our website, it's just not me. I have a marketing team that supports me there as well.
00:34:32:07 - 00:34:35:14
Jason
All right, well throw out your website and then we'll wrap up the episode.
00:34:35:17 - 00:34:46:08
Alfredo
Well. Thank you. Well, you can always find us at s s and dot net. And, Jason, I appreciate being here with you and your listeners.
00:34:46:11 - 00:35:10:15
Jason
Yeah, well, we're glad you came on. And I think, all of our, audience will learn something from this episode. They can turn around and apply in their own organization. And certainly as we're headed into the holidays and people are thinking about company parties and, and end of the year or new year announcements, maybe new product launches and things like that, you know, or hopefully, maybe an organization worthy organization receiving a big check that they will think of you.
00:35:10:15 - 00:35:30:19
Jason
And this conversation today. It's kind of a reminder to, you know, do what you do best and outsource the rest. As Bill Gates said, because you always want to make a good first impression by hiring outside trusted experts, whether that's for PR or whether that's for running an event. Right. So anyway, Alfredo, it's been great. And thank you to our audience for tuning in.
00:35:30:19 - 00:35:50:12
Jason
If you found value in this episode today, I hope you will share this episode with a, friend or coworker. So they can benefit from it as well. And if you love on top of PR, you're already a subscriber. Do us a favor and drop us a, five star review of our show. You can find how to do that in our episode notes from this episode.
00:35:50:14 - 00:36:02:05
Jason
And speaking of episode notes, we will put a link to, help you, access the resources we mentioned during the show and more specifically, how to get Ahold of Alfredo. Sure. He's such a nice guy and a good guy. He would be happy to answer any questions you might have, but with that, this is Jason Mudd signing off. Hope something great happens to you today.
00:36:02:05 - 00:36:57:26
Announcer
This has been On Top of PR with Jason Mudd presented by ReviewMaxer. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode and check out past episodes at ontopofpr.com.
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About your host Jason Mudd
On Top of PR host, Jason Mudd, is a trusted adviser and dynamic strategist for some of America’s most admired brands and fastest-growing companies. Since 1994, he’s worked with American Airlines, Budweiser, Dave & Buster’s, H&R Block, Hilton, HP, Miller Lite, New York Life, Pizza Hut, Southern Comfort, and Verizon. He founded Axia Public Relations in July 2002. Forbes named Axia as one of America’s Best PR Agencies.
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