Ivory-colored tablecloths, shiny silverware with a hint of dazzling sparkle, golden-ribboned chairs, and banquet décor you could only imagine seeing at your rich friend’s wedding… It was a going to be a huge charity event. One of our very first non-profit fundraising galas! As established corporate event planners, it was a big step in diversifying our portfolio and expanding our expertise to non-profit organizations. We were excited to help produce a fantastic cause awareness video with a $5000 budget! We couldn’t wait to show all of our 400 guests the dedication we put into this production. There would be high-profile attendees, corporate sponsorship executives, and the fundraising generosity in the room depended on this critical video reveal. We were nervous. Being out of town, we couldn’t hire our usual audio-visual experts. Nonprofit charity organizations prefer local partnerships with vendors as a kind extension of community support. We knew it would be the most critical piece of the night so we prepared it in every format imaginable…MP4, MOV, AVI, you name it, we made it and kept backups. We tested audio-visual and lighting services with our technician repeatedly. Synched and resynched the presentation script until sound and screen testing was flawless