“Inside Live Events” was born out of a decade-long process of documenting Freeman’s internal practice. The book also protects companies and industries during rapid generational shifts.
“Freeman has been articulating and documenting our approach for over a decade, and it has been institutionalized internally. But there is no reference material for new hires, new partners or customers. The industry needs this book,” said co-author Bob Priest-Heck, former Freeman CEO and current board member. “If you are new to this industry and you read this book from cover to cover, you will have a good understanding of how it all comes together to plan an unforgettable event. It reveals what our industry needs Incredible skill sets and career opportunities.
Another co-author of the book is Carrie Freeman Parsons, chair of Freeman’s board of directors and founder of Freeman, Donald (Buck) F. Granddaughter of Donald (Buck) Freeman, who founded an event decoration company in 1927 that became one of the largest event companies in the United States.
Succession planning was also a major concern for the authors. “We are facing a retirement cliff, which means that a lot of the knowledge about how we do things will one day walk out of the building. To solve this problem, we need to document our institutional wisdom in the form of a reference book that can be used by industry professionals .In the process, we hope to attract new talent and new energy to create brilliant careers in the events industry.
live events framework
This book divides event production into four basic stages. Start, design a plan, develop a plan, review and improve. This makes the process easier for newcomers to understand.
While it explores how to design live experiences, it also explains that event planning is a multifaceted art that goes beyond mere aesthetics. It’s about creating immersive journeys that resonate with audiences, spark change, and have a lasting impact.
At the heart of the book are eight principles for designing live experiences. They are:
- Listen, learn and empathize
- Remember, time is of the essence
- sensory design
- Explore, experiment and invent
- Design for real-world bandwidth
- Inspire, inspire and connect
- Design the memories you want to create
- Construct a compelling narrative arc
“We wanted to create a relatively simple script that would help make every gathering that connects people more meaningful,” said Freeman Parsons.
Additionally, this book emphasizes the power of focusing on the “first three.” Define three approach key audience segments and write three short, insightful statements about the campaign’s goals and challenges.
