Org chart
The production branch is shown in depth, from the operations head to an event producer and the event managers, production executives and ground coordinators. Client servicing, creative, business development, logistics, accounts and HR are drawn one level down. Freelancers join on show days.
Levels and designations
| Level | Typical designations | Span of control |
|---|---|---|
| L1 Leadership | Managing Director, CEO | 5 to 7 heads |
| L2 Function heads | Operations Head, Client Servicing Head, Creative Head | 3 to 6 reports |
| L3 Producers and managers | Event Producer, Account Manager, Logistics Manager | 3 to 10 staff |
| L4 Executives and crew | Event Manager, Production Executive, Ground Coordinator, Event Designer | no direct reports |
Approval chains
| Request | Approval chain |
|---|---|
| Leave | Production Executive → Event Producer → HR Executive |
| Attendance correction | Ground Coordinator → Event Producer → HR Executive |
| Overtime | Production Executive → Event Producer → HR Executive |
| Reimbursement | Event Manager → Event Producer → Accounts Manager |
| Hiring | Event Producer → Operations Head → HR Executive |
How the structure works
The firm is built to deliver events on a fixed date. Client servicing owns the client, takes the brief and carries approvals both ways. Creative designs the theme, stage, decor and content. Production and operations turn the design into reality: an event producer owns delivery through event managers who run a show, production executives who build stages, sound and light with vendors, and ground coordinators who manage the venue on the day. Logistics moves material and manages the many vendors involved. Business development wins new work. Accounts handles client billing and vendor payments. HR supports a core team that scales up with freelancers and casual crew for each event.
How it changes with size
A small outfit may be a founder with a couple of coordinators who hire everything for each event. A mid-sized company builds client servicing, creative and production teams and a logistics function. A large event company adds separate divisions for weddings, corporate events and public shows, a fabrication unit, an in-house technical and rental inventory, and account directors over major clients. A big pipeline of events runs in parallel. Through every stage the event date is the fixed point everything works back from, and the core team expands with freelancers and crew as each show approaches.
Common problems
The work is spiky and mostly off site. Events fall on evenings and weekends, and the days before a show bring very long hours, followed by quieter gaps. Show days pull in freelancers and casual crew who are not on the payroll but must be coordinated and paid. Staff work at venues, not the office, so attendance must be taken on a phone. Comp-off for weekend and night work piles up. The steady fixes are mobile attendance for on-site work, comp-off and overtime rules for event crunch, and one event producer as reporting manager per crew member for leave and cover.
- Mobile attendance for staff working at venues, not the office
- Comp-off and overtime rules for evening and weekend event work
- Freelancers and casual crew coordinated and recorded separately
- One event producer as reporting manager per crew member
Set up this structure in ZeniaHR
- Create departments for Client Servicing, Production and Operations, Creative, Logistics, Business Development, Accounts and HR, so staff group by function.
- Add designations such as Ground Coordinator, Production Executive, Event Manager, Event Designer and Event Producer, and use grades to hold pay bands.
- Give every person one reporting manager, usually the event producer or function head, even when work is shared across events, and an HR partner.
- Set a flexible shift and use mobile app punches for staff working at venues on evenings and weekends, away from the office.
- Use overtime and comp-off rules for the crunch before shows and for weekend event work, so long hours are balanced fairly.
- Keep leave, corrections and overtime on the reporting manager then HR route, and add the operations head as a hiring approver above producers.
See it on your own data
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Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What is the organizational structure of an event management company?
An event management company is led by a managing director over client servicing, production and operations, creative and logistics. Client servicing owns the brief, creative designs the event, production builds and runs it on ground, and logistics moves material and manages vendors. Business development wins work, and accounts and HR support the firm. Large companies add divisions for weddings, corporate events and public shows.
Who does a production executive report to?
A production executive reports to the event producer who owns delivery of the event, who reports to the operations head. For leave and attendance corrections in ZeniaHR, the request goes to the executive's reporting manager and then to HR. Because events fall on fixed dates, the producer arranges cover before approving leave near a show.
How do event companies manage on-site and freelance crew?
Staff work at venues on evenings and weekends, so they punch on the mobile app rather than in the office, and comp-off and overtime rules balance the long hours before a show. Freelancers and casual crew join on show days, coordinated and recorded separately from payroll staff. Each person keeps one reporting manager, so leave and event cover stay with one owner.