The Power of Networking & the Event Production Network
As a business owner, navigating the ever-changing landscape of the live event production industry can be challenging. In an effort to find inspiration and collaboration, I turned to the Event Production Network (EPN). Their values of camaraderie, mentorship, and shared knowledge fit perfectly with my needs and the design of the network meant that we found a home with like-minded business owners. As of April 2023, Bespoke Audio Visual has been one of three Canadian members of the EPN for four years. Through this blog, I’d like to talk about our experiences and learnings with the EPN.
As the owner of Bespoke AV, I was looking for a collaborative network to help me learn about the shifting trends in the audiovisual world. I also wanted to draw on the success of the ownership group within the EPN because it is made up of giants in the live event business across North America. By joining the EPN, we expanded our reach across the US, Mexico, and Canada, collaborated with others in the industry, and gained mentorship from those who have been successful in the industry.
Benefits of Joining EPN
We have benefited from our involvement with EPN in three ways: shared knowledge, camaraderie, and the exchange of business. The network meets three times a year in different member cities, discussing business and industry struggles and sharing best practices. The events offer support, encouragement, literature, and experience. By being associated with the EPN, we benefit from many different perspectives, allowing us to avoid tunnel vision in our thinking.
One of the coincidental benefits of joining EPN is the opportunity to send business back and forth between members. We have executed shows in the markets of many EPN members and many of the EPN members have used our services when bringing their events into our market. This means that EPN members can save time and expenses by not having to travel while having the assurance of a reliable partner in their host site.
The EPN also offers their members the opportunity to send staff to meetings throughout the year where they can learn from their colleagues in the industry. We recently hosted the EPN at their 2023 spring meeting and shared best practices in equipment purchasing, workflows, unique technology, and processes. The network’s design, using regional boundaries (one member, one region), allows us to collaborate and share our collective knowledge with the understanding that we are making one another better.
Hosting the EPN
The 2023 spring meeting was the second time the EPN has been in Canada in its 15-year history and the first time Bespoke has hosted the network. Our responsibility as the host was to provide staff and equipment for the two-day meeting, meet and greet all the members, and host a tour of our facility.
Our facility tour was broken down into four groups, where they rotated through stations, with staff talking about some of the projects and processes they were working on. The tour covered discussions about our skills websites, the RFID processes, 3D printing, technical innovations, creative drawing, rendering techniques, and our virtual offerings including our streaming studio. Hosting the EPN was a real honour for us.
Lessons Learned from the EPN
Being part of the EPN has taught me four essential things about the industry:
- The power of a trusted network of friends and collaborators
- That independently owned businesses genuinely and deeply value their relationships with their customers.
- By using the power of the network, we are truly creative and innovative. We are larger than the sum of our parts.
- Technology evolves faster than any of us can keep in perspective. By leveraging the power and depth of the network, we can stay ahead of the technological changes in the industry.