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It has been a trying time for all of us over these past few months. 

We need to stay connected, now, more than ever. 

You and your company still have a story to tell. You still have a message for the world, and people still need to hear it.  

So how do you tell that story? 

The world around us has been changing fast, and live events are changing with it. Everywhere you look events are going virtual, and companies are struggling to stay relevant and engaging. 

We have turned our focus to virtual storytelling to help our clients create captivating and professional, live streamed events. 

We are employing the same principles and polish we’ve always put toward our live, on-stage events, to create the best experience possible for your audience.  The technology is out there, so it’s really just how you employ it that makes all the difference.  These days, everyone says they can live stream, but to do it well, really takes some experience. 

We’ve been streaming our live events for years. While this new, virtual environment might be intimidating to some, it’s been a pretty seamless transition for our team.  

The principles behind virtual storytelling are similar to bringing stories to the stage. Virtual Events still need to be viewed with the same meticulous consideration of every aspect, from what technology is implored, to the content, to audience experience.  

We can help you integrate the technology and platform that best suits your needs, tells your story, and fits your budget. With a wide range of options out there, and everyone trying to adapt to this virtual climate, it can be overwhelming to know what the best approach is for your event. 

We can help you cut through the noise and to choose and implement the platforms and methods that are right for YOU. 

We are all adjusting to this strange new world, but if we work together, we can continue onward and forge ahead to brighter days.

We all still have stories to tell. 

We’d love the opportunity to partner with you and help bring your story to life!

When managing and executing an event, you need a partner who sees gaps you don’t—and offers solutions that could have otherwise caused setbacks. You need an adviser who keeps you focused and isn’t afraid to give honest feedback.

You need what you didn’t think to ask for: a mentor.  

However, in event production, mentor-mentee partnerships are rare. Instead, these relationships are often transactional. That’s because most production companies are forced to focus on scale before substance. Typically, clients at all levels of the corporate ladder have been trained to consider their production companies as vendors, not advisers.

At A+A, we’ve always believed that superficial relationships lead to superficial results. That’s why we work to cultivate deeper partnerships with clients, and view our role as that of a coach, partner, and mentor at every stage of planning and production.

It’s an approach that embeds us with our clients and allows us to be far more than just coordinators. As mentors, we use our expertise to make smart suggestions and guide clients through the often-arduous task of executing an event.

This begs the question: what makes a good mentor? While many of the guidelines for one-on-one mentorship also translate to lasting business partnerships, we’ve found a few unique characteristics that define our approach to mentorship:

Respect each person’s unique expertise

We have a deep knowledge of all things event production, but we also ​know what we don’t know​ (and aren’t ashamed to admit it). We’re comfortable guiding clients to the best venue, technology, and approach to managing and orchestrating their event. After all, that’s what a mentor ​should ​do. But we also know that our clients are the experts and authors of their company’s story. We manage the logistics and operations ​around the story so it resonates with their audience.

Be honest, even when it’s awkward

We’ve long joked that we’re not afraid to tell our clients when they have spinach in their teeth. And that goes far beyond the occasional salad mishap. We’ll give our clients real, critical feedback—on their presentation style, on their wardrobe and, more broadly, on the best ways to utilize their budget. We’re not the type to sugarcoat or placate; instead, we believe that honest conversations foster trust and result in the best event—and the best audience experience.

Bring out everybody’s best

Good events, like good stories, aren’t something you easily forget. But in order to create a moment your audience remembers, everyone has to be invested in the days and weeks that lead up to that moment, and clear on the goals that get us there. As mentors, we do everything possible to encourage our clients’ success, removing the barriers that get in the way of the best outcome. This means we stay out of the spotlight and give our clients the tools and encouragement they need to bring their ideas to life.

At A+A, mentorship matters. It helps us be the honest partner our clients need—and the voice in the room they didn’t know they were missing. As guides, we can give our clients the attention they truly deserve—and give each event the consideration it needs to make a lasting impact.

Our ideal clients aren’t always the biggest, flashiest brands. They’re the companies with a singular purpose and passion. They’re driven by what they know – and they’re not afraid to admit and delegate what they don’t.

These types of organizations have taught us a valuable lesson that determines how we do business and how we work best: surround yourself with smart people and let them be your guide.

Be a specialist – and be okay with it. It’s the mindset Steph adopted when he founded A+A Productions and the philosophy that’s fueled our client partnerships in the 20+ years that followed. Just as we don’t believe we’re experts in everything, we don’t think our clients should be either.

Instead, we’ve learned that the sooner you embrace your area of expertise and find the partners that free you up to do whatever it is you do best, the more successful you’ll be.

For us, that’s meant keeping our core team of producers, directors, and project managers small, and bringing the right experts from our broader network to each project. This flexible approach to show management allows us to be embedded with our clients at every level.

We integrate with event planners. We work side-by-side with creative teams, IT departments, and even CEOs. At every stage, we solve what our clients can’t and plan for surprises and setbacks they’ve never thought of.

Your Partner, Your Proxy

Our approach has kept us intentionally niche and intentionally picky about the brands and businesses we choose to work with. Not everyone wants a mentor. And not everyone wants to put their trust in someone wholeheartedly and direct their focus elsewhere.

But when you do – when you find a partner who can be your proxy and understand the interrelatedness of every component of your live event – you can focus on what really matters: your message.

What You Gain When You Get Out of Your Own Way

We’ve produced hundreds of events over the years. Sometimes they’re streamed to an audience of millions, and sometimes they’re intimate and private – a single speaker engaging with a small audience. While the message is never the same, our method of communicating it is.

We take care of every aspect of production – from lighting and sound design to wardrobe and set construction – so you can focus on what your audience should hear and remember.

That message is what your audience will walk out the door talking about. Whether you’re unveiling a new product, service, or way of thinking about the world, you want the right people to hear and agree with your story. And, most importantly, you want to remove all the distractions that stand in the way.

When you over-engineer your event, you risk making it a spectacle, not a story. It’s why so many brands fail at live events, intent on upping the “wow factor” of their keynote or annual meeting without first honing their message.

Do you want your audience to be dazzled by the spectacle but forget every word you said? Nope. You want them to remember your clear, compelling, concise message. At A+A, we create environments designed to work with – not against – your message. That’s what you gain when you can step away from the chaos of production planning, leave the decisions to someone else, and let your story truly be the star of the show.

For the past 30+ years, we’ve stayed mostly behind the scenes. We’ve helped companies launch new products and unveil new ways of doing business. We’ve coached executives as they fine-tuned their messages. We’ve coordinated, we’ve planned, and we’ve considered every detail of corporate live events.

Today, as we officially launch our new identity and name, we’re reinforcing the most important part of these relationships: the and.

We’ve been lucky enough to partner with some of the world’s biggest companies. But it’s never been about us. It’s always been about the relationships we’ve created and what we can accomplish together.

For us, the and in A+A Productions represents our team being embedded with clients at every level. It’s about our in-house team and our extended group of talented engineers, producers, and directors. It’s about considering both the technical details of your event and the audience who’s seeing and responding to your story.

As we embark on this next phase of our journey, we’re so excited to reintroduce you to our company, our approach, and our unique way of bringing your event – and your message – to life.