Overview of Event and Technical Services

The O'Connell Center offers event and technical services as a production support service for a variety of athletic, educational and entertainment events at the University of Florida. These services are available to any University of Florida organization. Other state educational institutions, governmental agencies and non-profit organizations are selectively served when equipment and staff are available, with priority given to University of Florida functions.

Production services range from producing small events to major concerts. Small events usually require only one person to operate and transport equipment and include:

• lectures
• one to four input PA systems
• movie projections, tape recordings
• press conferences
• other small speaking engagements

Intermediate size events require a supervisor, production lead, and a crew to set up, operate and transport the equipment. Some typical intermediate size events are:

• outdoor movies
• sporting events
• mini-concerts
• large lectures

Large scale productions require not only a full crew and production lead, but generally a lighting director, electrician, sound engineer, and production coordinator. Such large events include:

• Gator Growl
• paid concerts
• major free concerts

Major events are normally cooperative production efforts with other companies or University agencies. In providing these services, the O'Connell Center represents the University of Florida, ensuring compliance with University and state policies, procedures and safety regulations. Security services are linked to production services on medium and large events. Protection of equipment and personnel is vital to the operation of an event on stage and back stage. Security services also extend to crowd control and parking security. At times, security is used for major events at which no production services are required. Security's main goal is to protect people and equipment from harm by adherence to University rules and regulations. Security is instructed to obtain police assistance when difficult situations arise.

The Event and Technical Services staff is made up primarily of OPS student employees guided by full-time employees. The entire Event and Technical Services support staff consists of approximately 250 to 300 student employees. Ten to twenty students work for Event and Technical Services in key positions such as Security Chief, Electrician, Director of Ushers and Changeover and House Electrician, and various supervisory positions.