The Case for Structured Training: What Conference Producers Actually Need to Thrive
We sat down with Lorenza Schiaffino, a research analyst and management consultant with an impressive 20 plus years of experience working in market leading B2B events companies. Lorenza began her career as a conference producer and is well-versed in leading cross-functional teams, which is why we wanted to consult her expertise on a topic we’ve seen appearing in conversations across the industry: the importance of training the individuals who lead our events.
Conference producers can be the most inventive figures in the industry; however, conference production itself is rarely a planned career path. Lorenza admitted that she hadn’t even considered the possibility of conference production before her first job: “I didn’t even know such a job existed. I literally stumbled into it. And I would say that this is quite common to quite a large proportion of people who I know very well.”
As affirmed by Lorenza, the majority of conference producers fall into their career and learn on the job, but this shouldn’t be the case. The beginning of a career in B2B events is exciting and opens up so many prospects, but once that initial momentum settles, it can be hard to make progress and maintain motivation without a formal structure in place. With evolving event portfolios, launch events and shifting market landscapes, a conference producer’s role is one of the most ever-changing, and that is why a reliable training structure is so important.
Lorenza really emphasised to us the value of structured training, “Training on the job is not really the right answer. A well thought out and really nicely planned training plan is what they’re looking for, quite rightly so.”
The feeling Lorenza brought to us was this: training for conference producers isn’t just the ‘right thing’, but something that’s genuinely desired, and could become the deciding factor in someone accepting a role.
Structured training for conference producers is a strong foundation, but where does it begin?
Lorenza’s advice was to start from the basics, as despite the role of conference production seeming clear to those in the industry, those stumbling into it build their knowledge from the ground up: “You start with the backbones. What is conference production? How do you do the research? How do you get on the phone? How do you pose questions?”
Although setting the groundwork is vital, it isn’t enough to produce a high-value training scheme, especially in such an innovative industry.
The next step Lorenza pointed to was expanding conference producers’ understanding of what an event actually is: “The training modules need to evolve for producers to understand that it’s not just about content, content, content anymore. It’s about thinking about an event as a holistic experience.”
The idea of the holistic experience is why training is needed at every level, because for a long time, conference production was primarily about the agenda; if the agenda was comprised of strong speakers, relevant sessions and credible topics, then the event was considered a real success. However, the B2B events space has matured, attendees now expect more than a packed schedule. Delegates want to know what they’ll experience, the valuable connections they’ll establish and what they’ll learn outside of sitting down and listening to a speaker.
Training as part of the onboarding process is vital and can really draw talented people into your company; however, it shouldn’t stop there, and can become a key tool in retaining your most exceptional conference producers. “We spoke about it as a recruitment tool, but there’s a retention game that shouldn’t be forgotten.”
As conference producers learn and grow within their role, they’ll naturally want to progress, particularly if they feel like they’ve outgrown their current environment. Development is a strong sign of a driven producer, but it doesn’t have to equate to them leaving your company and going elsewhere. Training is not only a direct investment in them, but it presents opportunities they may have never before considered: “Senior producers hit a barrier where they feel they have command of their portfolio, maybe they’re mentoring or managing a junior producer, and where do they go? Not everyone wants to manage very large teams, but everyone wants to develop in their own way.”
Lorenza’s point is that progression doesn’t have to be leaving a role or company but becoming aware of how your current role could expand or change to fit your skillset. Implementing conference production training isn’t just a teaching tool, but a developmental one that could elevate your conference producers to the next level.
When reflecting on her own career journey, Lorenza spoke about her experience as a conference producer during COVID. When in-person events became impossible, the industry moved online, and despite the difficult circumstances, Lorenza welcomed the opportunity to learn a new skill: “We found that we actually enjoyed as conference producers becoming broadcasters. We retained those skills as we went back to live events.”
Although the situation arose unintentionally, Lorenza gained some valuable skills that she still uses today. However, conference producers shouldn’t have to learn a new skill out of necessity, but instead be provided with the chance to grow by their company.
Broadcasting wasn’t just something Lorenza enjoyed, but an experience she believes all producers deserve access to: “Producers should have a voice, more of a voice. After all, they own the intellectual capital of an event, so they’re able to speak to the content in a really knowledgeable way.”
The belief shared with us by Lorenza was that conference producers deserve formal training in public speaking and on-stage presence, not as a luxury but as a strong use of the skillset they already hold. This sentiment applies to training as a whole; it is not a nice-to-have, but a core element that is not being used enough. Conference production training can shape the quality of events, the strength of teams, and the future of the industry.
Visit Jackson Barnes Recruitment’s website www.jbrecruitment.co.uk to learn more about how we connect top commercial talent with world-class media and events organisations.
About Jackson Barnes Recruitment
Jackson Barnes Recruitment delivers international recruitment solutions within the events, media, and publishing sectors. Jackson Barnes recruits Graduate to MD level in the following positions:
• Sales – delegate, sponsorship & Business Development
• Editor
We recruit for organisations in the UK and overseas, with success in London, Dubai, New York, Singapore and Australia.