Big events, big problems.

• Author: Givens, Scott
• Position: Entertainment

WHEN PRODUCING live-broadcast events like the Super Bowl, Grammys, Academy Awards, or Olympics, it is not a question of if a setback will happen, but more a question of when. Complex, live events come with a high risk for technical malfunctions and unplanned "disasters." Planners need to have a system in place to prepare properly for countless mishaps and occurrences. The aim is to create events that appear to run seamlessly. In fact, that is the trick in live events: to find a way of delivering the broadcast with as minimal an impact as possible. If you do not see it, maybe it did not happen.

In the world of production, there always are things beyond our control, but the key is to prepare for challenges that are surmountable and provide the fastest response possible. Big mistakes are not limited to international stadium spectacles; they can happen at small-scale corporate events, too. With a proper contingency plan in place, production teams are one step closer to avoiding mishap. As with any large-scale event, problems will occur, but it is possible to strategize and create extensive contingency planning that allows the management team the capacity to tackle problems on the fly --in real time. Live events, such as the Super Bowl, come with an extra-high risk of technical malfunction and unplanned disasters.

For example, the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games' opening and closing ceremonies were produced using generated power with backup systems that did not affect London's electrical grid. That said, if all of London had lost its power, the shows would have continued thanks to independent and redundant power sources.

Things undoubtedly will go wrong--and break. The Super Bowl XLVII power outage at the Superdome in New Orleans was a huge failure but, in retrospect, the fact that producers were able to regain power and the game resumed so quickly is extremely impressive.

At the start of every production, planners should perform a comprehensive risk assessment to allow for every foreseeable issue that could affect the event. Planners then need to devise an appropriate solution and complete game plan to prepare for possible situations. Electric mishaps and technical difficulties are common.

During production, the planning team has to spend extensive time on contingency planning, working through every scenario, system-by-system, to create alternatives for any situation. The members rehearse each of these plans so that everyone involved knows his...