Production Assistant

**Company **Velvet Entertainment part of Velvet Living Group of Companies

**Job Title ** Production Assistant (Live Events)

**Company Overview**

Velvet Entertainment is part of one of London’s leading event companies, producing extraordinary, tailor-made events for private and corporate clients for over 15 years. The company culture is unique - it is about the team and making sure they have an informal and fun but productive environment to look forward to every day. We want our employees to enjoy the challenges, the clients, colleagues, and the office environment. Standards are high, and exceeding expectations is paramount to success especially given the ambitious targets set forward by the Managing Director. Reaching these targets will require focus, discipline, enthusiasm, and teamwork.

**Summary**

**Production Assistant (Live Events)**

**Duties & Responsibilities**

The Production Assistant shall:
Play a key role in the execution of live events, focusing on creative, technical, and logístical elements (event design, build strategies, audio-visual and lighting production, logistics, partner sourcing, partner management, asset management, budgeting, negotiation, and client service).

Oversee resources to proactively ensure a high-quality service, while striving for continuous improvement and the most competitive rates

Be responsible for following department protocols for event planning, including development and presentation of on-brief client proposal

Work with the office team, warehouse crew, and external vendors in ensuring that all logístical needs for the event are understood and met

Identify necessary vendor/partner support, then source and manage accordingly, ensuring that all elements are appropriately incorporated into the overall event.

Assist with payments and processing of administrative duties

Track budgets and costs throughout each project and communicate changes to all relevant parties

Understand profit margins and effectively meet or exceed them

Onsite main point of contact for all aspects of production

Exhibit exceptional written and verbal communication skills with superb attention to detail

On-going reconciliation of all project expenses, including ensuring vendor invoices are accurate and client invoices reflect all approved event expenses

Provide solutions under high-pressure circumstances acting quickly to resolve problems as well as troubleshoot proactively before, during, and after the event

Evaluate outcomes and submit key learnings on all aspects of events, including client satisfaction, stock, transport, entertainment acts, equipment outcomes

Leverage event industry trends to identify cutting edge production elements

Work in collaboration with Director to analyse profitability on jobs

**Skills and Requirements**

The Production assistant shall:
Have relevant industry experience or qualification at degree level in a similar technical field.

Experience in booking and managing labour crews

Strong production competencies and technical skills

Well-developed project and time management skills as well as strong organizational skills

Eye for detail and with particular attention to delivering high-quality, error-free events

Anticipate project needs and proactively delivers

Build solid and reciprocal relationships with designated client contacts and vendors

Foster trust and open/honest communication with clients, internal teams, vendors and partners

Ability to meet tight deadlines and work well under pressure

Strong verbal and written communication skills

Ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks/projects demonstrating flexibility and adaptability

Ability to work independently without supervision, be self-directed and demonstrate initiative

Ability to work collaboratively with others for whom you have no direct supervisory authority

Excellent ability to establish rapport with others and ability to build strong interpersonal relationships

Exhibit good judgment and decision-making skills

Availability and willingness to work extended hours, including nights, weekends, holidays and be on-call as necessary

Understand and support the mission and values of Velvet

Knowledge of Microsoft Office software, including Outlook, Excel, Word and PPT, etc.

Knowledge across design software such as Auto CAD, Vector Works InDesign, Sketch, etc.

**Accountability**

The Production Assistant is accountable to the Managing Director and Director.

**Physical and Time Demands**

The Production Assistant position requires:
The ability to work full-time (40 hours/week) with periodic early morning/late evening and weekend work paid at overtime rates or recognised with time in lieu as detailed below

Overtime rates will be paid for time spent during non-office hours at meetings and client events that are considered confirmed and billable

Time in lieu will be granted for time spent during non-office hours at networking events, client meetings for unconfirmed jobs, and wh