Producing Tomorrow’s Producers: Experiential Production Needs Consistency, Teamwork and Passion
Steve Abbott is an experienced senior production manager with over 14 years in the consumer events and experiential marketing industry.
Starting his journey as an office assistant at ITCH Agency, Steve quickly rose through the ranks, working with leading agencies such as LS Events, Wonder, Amplify, XYZ, and now Seen Presents.
Throughout his career, Steve has managed a diverse portfolio of high-profile projects, collaborating with renowned brands including Nike, Google, and IKEA, to produce large- scale festival site production at events like Field Day and Love Supreme to corporate events and exhibitions.
Today, Steve continues to push the boundaries of event production, delivering innovative experiences and making waves in the industry.
LBB> What advice would you give to any aspiring producers hoping to make the jump into production?
Steve> It’s all about experiences. Spend time with suppliers at their workshops – get that face time and onsite exposure. Watch how things come together, see what tech talks to what, watch a CNC programmer in action to really understand the process.
Also, never underestimate the value of a good drawing. Sit alongside your 3D designers and CAD gurus–learn their workflows, ask questions, and get familiar with the tools they use. The more you understand, the better you'll be at bringing creative projects to life.
LBB> What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?
Steve> Well, this interview would be incomplete if I didn’t mention AI!
For me, it’s less about learning how AI can improve event delivery and more about how it can enhance your day-to-day life. Ask yourself: can you apply AI tools to help you work smarter instead of harder? Can they help you reclaim valuable time? Any tool that helps you strike a better balance between work and personal life is a win in my book.
LBB> What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production - and why has that stayed with you?
Steve> There are three main things for me:
Consistency! You’re only as good as your last job. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true. You must give your all to every project, big or small. For me, this comes from my passion for the industry. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I genuinely want every job to deliver its absolute best.
Greatness can only be achieved through teamwork. Relationships are hugely important in this industry.
From a managerial perspective, you should try to draw out what people love and enjoy doing. If you can tap into someone’s passions and position them where they’ll thrive, you’ll not only help them succeed, but you’ll create something truly remarkable as a team.
LBB> When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion what are your team doing to address this?
Steve> Many agencies are turning to working with production houses and not building an in-house team. When your clients trust you to produce high-quality work your creative team has designed, it’s imperative that you have the skillset in-house, to help bring these concepts to life to ensure quality and retain control. Seen Presents is a young female-led agency that truly understands the value in building out our production team, whilst creating new opportunities and career paths for women in the industry. Last year, I'm proud to say, we hired our first female production co-ordinator into the team, with the hope of helping nurture younger talent, but also to bring more females into the production world.
LBB> And why is it an important issue for the production community to address?
Steve> Maintaining a diverse team brings new ideas and expertise to the table. It’s essential in our industry to ensure we’re constantly evolving, pushing creative boundaries and finding the best solutions for our clients. The production industry has long been perceived as a man’s world, lacking diversity–a stigma we are actively working to change.
Beyond hiring a permanent female production team member, we collaborate with a wide range of talented female production freelancers. We also work with a diverse group of suppliers daily, striving to make the industry more inclusive. Our goal is to continually broaden our supplier network, prioritizing partners who champion DE&I both within our industry and beyond.
Additionally, I am personally dedicated to building a strong production community within the industry. I co-own a Facebook group, which now has over 20,000 members and is widely recognised as a hub for support and collaboration.
LBB> If you compare your role to the role of the heads of production/executive producers when you first joined the industry, what do you think are the most striking or interesting changes (and what surprising things have stayed the same)?
Steve> There have definitely been some noticeable changes since I first joined the industry. For one, you don’t have to be the person working the longest hours onsite anymore – that’s a huge shift. The relationship between suppliers and agencies has also become way more collaborative; it’s less about driving prices down and more about collective responsibility. Mental health and wellbeing have come to the forefront–we’re much more aware and empathetic, not just towards others, but towards ourselves too.
The focus on sustainability has also shifted. For me, the desire to source reused and recycled materials, and donate them post-event, has grown. At Seen Presents, our team is highly aware of the responsibility to minimize waste wherever possible, making practical and realistic sustainability goals a priority in our events. Most recently, we collaborated with Wood Fashioners on TikTok LIVE Fest, where they not only supplied us with raw and recycled materials but also made sure to offset their carbon footprint, through the plantation of 50 trees in their meadow.
In amongst all the changes, the passion people have for this industry has stayed the same. There’s still that strong sense of community and love for what we do. And, of course, the client is still king and queen!
LBB> When it comes to educating producers how does your agency like to approach this?
Steve> Within our team, we divide and conquer in terms of education. We all have our areas of expertise, so we try to spread the knowledge around and learn from each other. For our latest hire – especially since she's a young production co-ordinator – I really try to bring her into everything I can. I strive to expose her to as many different aspects of production as possible, so she can get hands-on experience and see how the bigger picture comes together.
LBB> It seems that there’s an emphasis on speed when it comes to producing live events - but where is the space for up-and-coming producers to learn about (and learn to appreciate) craft?
Steve> It’s all about being involved and asking the right questions to gain that deeper knowledge. The key is really understanding the brief, so you can grasp what the client is looking for,
But at the same time, it’s important to remember that you can’t know everything. In production, you don’t have to be an expert in every area – surround yourself with specialists who can bring their expertise to the table. Leaning on people who know more than you in specific areas is one of the best ways to learn and really appreciate the craft.
LBB> On the other side of the equation, what’s the key to retaining expertise and helping people who have been working in production for decades to develop new skills?
Steve> It’s all about staying engaged and challenged. Working with the best partners keeps things fresh and gives you access to new ideas and approaches. Taking on the most interesting–and sometimes the most challenging–briefs push people to think differently and stretch their skills.
In general, it’s about getting out of your comfort zone and staying open to change. The industry is always evolving, so having a mindset that embraces growth and new experiences is crucial for keeping skills sharp and relevant, no matter how long you’ve been in the game.
LBB> Clearly there is so much change, but what are the personality traits and skills that will always be in demand from producers?
Steve> From my experience, the key traits for anyone working in production are:
- Determination
- Collaborative spirit
- Open-mindedness
- Industriousness
- Positive mindset
- Calm under pressure
- Compassionate
- Knowing how to say no!
