A Quick Guide to Understanding the Roles of Your Project Manager, Technical Director, and Production Manager
When you step into a ballroom or conference hall on show day, everything looks effortless but behind the scenes, dozens of specialists have spent weeks (and often months) designing, coordinating, and building that seamless experience.
Event production is a highly collaborative process. Every person on the team has a clearly defined role, from the Project Manager who steers communication, to the Technical Director who engineers the systems, to the Production Manager who keeps everything running smoothly on site.
At AVT Productions, our teams are structured to deliver white glove, high touch event experiences that run flawlessly from planning through post show. Here’s a look at who’s who and what each role does to make your event a success.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project Manager
Your Project Manager is your main point of contact with the person who sees your event through from concept to completion. They manage internal deliverables, coordinate production meetings, and communicate all changes to orders, budgets, and client requests.
They’re responsible for keeping the project on schedule and ensuring every stakeholder has what they need. This role is pre-production focused, meaning they’re actively managing details and expectations before your event even loads in.
At AVT Productions, Project Managers are the link between creative vision and technical execution. They ensure alignment across every department, so what’s promised in planning is delivered perfectly onsite.
Production Manager
The Production Manager oversees all internal and external production logistics. They coordinate departments, manage vendor and venue relationships, and ensure the production plan is executable within the space, schedule, and budget.
Once onsite, the Production Manager becomes the heartbeat of the operation calling the plays, resolving issues, and keeping the show running on time.
Senior Production Manager / Executive Producer
For larger scale programs, an Executive Producer or Senior Production Manager oversees the entire show at a higher level, supporting the Project and Production Managers and ensuring creative, technical, and logistical elements align with the client’s objectives.
They manage the overall event flow, oversee cue calling and rehearsals, and provide executive oversight for both preproduction and live show phases.
Production Assistant
The Production Assistant (PA) supports the Project Manager, Production Manager, and Stage Manager with administrative and onsite tasks. This can include distributing schedules, collecting presenter assets, tracking deliveries, and managing client or crew communication as needed.
SHOW MANAGEMENT
Stage Manager
The Stage Manager calls the cues of the show. They develop the show flow and coordinate transitions ensuring smooth handoffs between presenters, videos, and panels. During live sessions, the Stage Manager communicates with the technical crew and ensures each cue fire at the right time.
Assistant Stage Manager
The Assistant Stage Manager supports onstage logistics: helping presenters, moving scenic elements, and relaying communication between the stage and control teams.
TECHNICAL DIRECTION, DATA & GRAPHICS
Technical Director (TD)
The Technical Director is the engineering brain of your event. They design the technical layout, including CAD drawings, 3D renders, and system schematics for audio, video, lighting, and power.
They work closely with the Production Manager, and department leads to ensure all systems are integrated and tested for a seamless experience.
At AVT, our TDs also handle onsite crew coordination, technical oversight, and quality assurance ensuring what’s been designed on paper performs flawlessly in the room.
Data Systems Designer / Engineer / Technician
These specialists handle everything related to signal routing and switching ensuring that all laptops, cameras, graphics, and video feeds reach the right screens at the right time.
They configure complex show systems, test redundancy paths, and monitor playback quality during your event. For smaller shows, a Data Technician may manage one or two output destinations, while larger events may require a Data Systems Designer to oversee multiple sources and signal flows.
Graphics Engineer / Operator
The Graphics Engineer operates presentation systems, ensuring all slides, videos, and content display correctly. They monitor multiple versions and backups, doublechecking every transition to maintain a polished experience.
When a Graphics Designer is part of the production, they’ll also create and format visual content, making last minute changes when needed.
DESIGN
Scenic Designer
Our Scenic Designers conceptualize and build scenic environments from branded stage sets to screen surrounds and custom backdrops. They work with CAD drawings and renderings to visualize how scenic elements interact with lighting and video.
Lighting Designer
Lighting Designers are responsible for preproduction lighting design, fixture selection, and programming. They balance creativity with functionality ensuring that every presenter, product, and stage element is perfectly lit for both in person and broadcast audiences.
Audio Systems Designer
These engineers design the audio coverage for your event, determining speaker placement, delay systems, and coverage maps to ensure balanced sound throughout the room.
AUDIO
Audio Engineer
The Audio Engineer oversees sound for the event, mixing microphones, videos, and playback sources in real time. They ensure every word is clear and every cue hits on beat.
Audio Technician
Supporting the Audio Engineer, these technicians help with setup, patching, troubleshooting, backstage support, manage microphone radio frequencies and micing up presenters
LIGHTING
Lighting Engineer / Technician / Assist
Lighting Engineers operate larger, more complex lighting systems, including intelligent and moving fixtures. Technicians assist with setup, focusing, and alignment ensuring visual consistency across the entire event space.
VIDEO
Video Director
The Video Director leads the video department and camera crew. They call camera shots, manage angles, and ensure smooth switching between feeds.
Video Engineer / Technician / Camera Operator
This team sets up and operates all video systems including playback, recording, and live switching. They monitor audio levels, timecode, and image quality during the show, ensuring every frame looks perfect on screen.
ONSITE SUPPORT & BREAKOUT TEAMS
Stagehands, Riggers, and Electricians
These are the skilled crew members who handle the physical setup: unloading trucks, rigging truss, installing lighting and video equipment, and ensuring everything meets safety and technical standards.
Breakout Leads and Technicians
For conferences with multiple rooms, breakout teams manage smaller AV setups, ensuring sessions start on time and technical systems run smoothly.
WHY THESE ROLES MATTER
Each role plays a crucial part in transforming your vision into a flawless live experience. Without dedicated specialists in each discipline, even the smallest oversight can lead to major issues on show day.
By partnering with AVT Productions, you’re not just hiring “an AV vendor.” You’re gaining a fully staffed, experienced production team that understands the precision, timing, and creativity required to deliver executive level events.
From CAD drawings to cue calling, every layer of the process is handled by professionals who know exactly what it takes to produce a show that feels effortless to your audience because it’s been engineered that way behind the scenes.
Ready to Meet Your Team?
Let’s design your next event with a full production team built for success.
Contact AVT Productions to get started.
