UK technical production has always been classed as the ‘Best in the World’, but why? 

For so long UK techs and production managers have been shipped worldwide to support global events, even in areas where there is sufficient local crew, including the U.S. 

It all comes down to respect. The UK technical production industry is highly regarded in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. 

As a UK technical production company, we are contracted to support events on a gobal scale. From conferences to concerts, exhibitions to fashion shows, we are the go-to technical production experts for many global event companies.

Where budgets allow, we will always opt to use our own technicians and for good reason – they are genuinely the best! 

We’ve worked with local crew throughout the world – from Barcelona to Sydney, New York to LA, Copenhagen to Tokyo – and we know that there is a stark difference between UK technical production and other regions.

To really understand why we see more UK technicians and production managers at international airports than any other country, let us explain the back story and why that has led us to where we are today.

We’ve got the Edge on Creativity and Innovation

Creative set design and architectural lighting design is paramount in the UK. We’ve gone from projecting onto buildings to immersive drone displays. Making an impact with technical production is where we have the edge.

But great creative minds are just the start of it. You need the tools, the training, the skills and the attitude to be the world’s best!

Superior Kit has Played a BIG role in our Journey to World’s Best

At the risk of being generic – and let it be known this doesn’t apply to all of us – but as a universal rule, UK technical production companies are known to invest in high quality technology that is engineered to be reliable and offer high-performance.

In the past, we’ve had the kudos on supplying our international neighbours with top quality equipment that won’t fail you on a live show, nor waste valuable time when rigging. 

Advanced programming capabilities have also attributed to our quality output. For years the UK has been the known as the experts in dynamic stage lighting, effects, AV, and video production. 

Class leading in every respect is the ethos embraced among much of the UK technical production community. It doesn’t make us the cheapest, but our global clients have come to respect and expect our high standards.

The UK has set a precedence to rest of the world on adopting high standards for lighting, sound, rigging and power equipment. 

As a result, other markets around the world now invest in superior kit. The difference is, we’ve been ahead of the game for so long, the UK has generations of experience in technical production, which brings us on to our next topic – training and skills… 

Training and Skill is the UK Technical Production Way of Life

The fundamental reason UK technical production is the ‘Best in the World’ is to do with training, skill, and attitude. 

Theatre and the arts are one of the UK’s biggest industries. Figures show that before Covid, the UK event sector was worth £42.3 billion. Our desire to put on a good show goes back centuries. Think of Henry VIII and his jesters and Shakespeare. 

As a country that is clearly passionate about entertainment, the arts are a major part of UK education, with schools and colleges that specialise in the subject. As a result, we don’t just produce great entertainers, we also nurture behind the scenes producers and technicians. 

Most UK technicians and lighting designers will have been involved in technical theatre at some point in their schooling. That’s where they get the bug.

The next stage is harnessing that passion, and because the UK is so respected within the global industry, we have capacity to train our home-grown technicians to a high standard. 

Wannabe technicians can follow their passion as part of their higher education. There are many colleges that specialise in theatrical production and digital media. Alternatively, students can learn on the job as an apprentice. 

Since the pandemic, we have unfortunately lost a lot of technicians to other disciplines, but the passion among the younger generations remains. They will ultimately be the driving force behind upholding the reputation of UK technical production. 

Passing on the technical skills batten is half of the requirement to becoming a great technician. The next part is the work ethic, which has been key to the UK’s technical production success story.

Attitude is Everything

The attitude of ‘only your best is good enough’ is something we Brits are taught from the moment we start school. 

As a result, we don’t often blow our own trumpet and we won’t be satisfied until we have tried our absolute hardest to achieve top results. We go above and beyond to achieve greatness. Consequently, the UK produce the finest technicians and production experts.

Our nature and our knowledge of the industry gives us the edge. We don’t stop until a job is done and done well.

Planning and preparation is a lot to do with our attitude. At TPP, our mantra is ‘Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.’ 

Therefore, site visits are crucial to the planning process. This is not always a necessary procedure recognised by overseas technicians and production managers. From our point of view the event must always start with a thorough site visit of the venue to ascertain access, dimensions, facilities, power supply and safety. This allows us to assess all risks, prep for deliveries, plan and accurately quote for the equipment, crew, travel and accommodation. 

With this level of preparation, we can ensure the costs stay on budget and the results are as expected, if not better.

Even in The Face Adversity, We ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’

Covid has presented the worst downfall in the history of the events industry. Not being able to work in a live environment was inconceivable for many. Jobs were lost, businesses went bankrupt, technicians moved on to other industries. Desperate to carry on the day job and provide audiences with content, UK technical production accelerated into the world of virtual and hybrid events.

In the face of adversity, the UK technical production industry embraced a virtual audience. As a result of our innovative approach during adversity, the UK event industry is bouncing back with vigour and TPP is preparing for several international events this year!

In Summary, Why is UK Technical Production the Best in the World?

The long and short of it is that with UK technical production companies offer a higher production level, value, quality kit and world-renowned expertise.

We have embraced the industry, owned it and taken it to new levels of innovation and creativity, but we’re certainly not an industry to rest on our laurels. 

Discover more about TPP’s international technical production services – call us on 01264 889 934 or drop us an email at info@theproductionpeople.com.