“I often find it difficult to explain my job to friends.”
After a weekend onsite at an event and a friend asks, “How was your weekend?” I’m never quite sure where to begin. When you are spending long, late hours working in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment so closely with your colleagues, it often becomes so all-consuming that it takes a moment to fully process. One moment, you’re coordinating a 350-person transport schedule in the middle of the desert; the next, you’re chasing down a missing sculpture for an 800-person gala in central London. It’s a whirlwind of schedules, spreadsheets, supplier calls and a lot of coffee—so when someone casually asks, I usually just say, “Eventful,” and leave it at that.
The “Calm” Before the Storm
In the weeks up to any event there is a lot to do. Checking and re-checking every detail, supplier logistics and the Event Book, (a.k.a the “Event Bible”) – the onsite guide containing everything from client face sheets and confidentiality agreements to fire evacuation plans and what to do in a flood. The run-up always begins with early mornings, arriving first onsite to let the different teams of suppliers (production, design team, florists, musicians etc.) into the venue. The essential morning coffee – the lifeblood of an events producer – and making sure the event office is a functional war room. First crisis of the day? Bridal bouquet on the wrong side of the Riviera? A guest needing last minute gluten-free champagne? Bring it on.
Showtime Approaches
No two events are the same, but the process in the crucial weeks before is generally consistent. Supporting all suppliers with all necessary information, staff, and equipment is key. Questions arise like: is the stage rigging safe to operate? What if it rains? Have we checked guest sight lines? Then, in the final days and hours, it’s fewer questions and more checks—ensuring everything runs as planned. Venue walkthroughs are critical to align all departments: testing technology, checking security, guest flow and inevitably communicating last-minute changes.
The delicate art of problem-solving with a smile is what fuels the remaining few hours; whether it is dealing with eleventh-hour requests or making sure the client remains stress-free.
The Main Event
Final checks complete, the doors open and on goes the calm façade as guests arrive. Every guest is looked after, the bride and groom are in perfect hands, and all food and drinks are running seamlessly. Clients from now on do not have to worry about a thing.
Behind the scenes, our team finds the balance between attentiveness and invisibility— resolving issues quietly, and making the entire experience feel effortless.
But equally important is remembering that it’s a party—so having fun with it, keeping it light-hearted and smiling (sounds obvious, but) makes a huge difference. We sometimes collaborate with incredible headlining artists and showstopping performers, so in those rare moments of peace, why not take a second to take it all in? Especially after the months and months of planning. One thing I am proud to say I’ve heard a lot from people who have worked with Sauveur is the care that is put into making sure all involved are looked after properly. And that is down to the energy the team brings, but ultimately it’s down to preparing for every eventuality because then no one loses their head on the day, figuratively or otherwise.
We are fortunate to work with some of the best suppliers in the UK and abroad. With a great team around you, you focus on the task at hand and while things can go wrong – a broken goods-lift or an unforecast downpour in the Med – they can always be fixed and/or pre-empted.
Then at last, that magical moment arrives when everything comes together: guests are happy, the client is smiling with their favourite cocktail in hand, and you can’t quite believe it’s actually happening… And then… sure enough, something happens and you quickly realise it’s not over yet and the broken glass, loo checks, and guest questions are waiting!
Goodbyes
Yet all the best things come to an end. Once you’ve made sure that all guests have made it out safely and to the right place without mysteriously vanishing into the night you can deal with the final logistics, supplier breakdowns and venue close. All the while, the internal reverberating buzz of the evening continues to bounce around your sleep-deprived head. Then, we arrive at the bittersweet moment of standing in an empty venue after another successful event.
Aftermath
The adrenaline slowly wearing off, it’s time for the all-important next-day team debrief… this is where the real behind-the-scenes stories come to light – laughing over the unexpected moments and near-disasters that we somehow pulled off. A mix of relief, pride, and an ever-growing to-do list for the next event. It is here that I come to realise why it is so hard to explain to my friends what I do. It is this strange addiction to onsite whirlwind, the inevitable surprises, the formidable strength of a good team and for some reason the exhaustion. Since no matter how much work it can be, we keep coming back for more.
And just like that, the countdown to the next big event begins.
Ned
One thing I am proud to say I’ve heard a lot from people who have worked with Sauveur is the care that is put into making sure all involved are looked after properly.
