Oh Captain, My Captain
You want the guy steering the ship to keep his cool, right? At Bartha, our production managers are the point of contact for the client, and yes, they captain the ship beautifully.
“When they think it’s easy, we’ve done our job,” said production manager Jeff Smith.
Without exception, our production managers have worked in just about every position on the crew. Jeff first joined us as a lighting tech. He led that team for a number of years before moving into a production management role about 10 years ago.
Jeff and his peers coordinate a huge team of both Bartha-ites and onsite players. Jeff ticked off the list on his fingers: “There’s the A/V crew, the local labor and stagehands building the stage, the people setting and turning the room, the decorating company, maybe an event planner, the venue, and our common client.
“A big part of my job is making sure everyone on the crew understands what we’re trying to do and what the client’s vision is, make sure they have what they need to get the job done—and then get out of their way.”
As a seasoned “captain,” Jeff said he’s always surprised to hear from clients that other production partners may not listen as closely to the client’s needs as his team does.
“I try to be really conscious that this event theirs, not ours. We’re there to help give them the vision they want for their attendees. It’s what sets us apart from those other companies.”
And it’s what makes a Bartha partnership the right partnership.
