I hired EventScapes for design and production services for a private milestone celebration. While the initial creative concepts were appealing, the planning process became increasingly difficult due to persistent communication barriers and a lack of clarity regarding who was actually leading the design.
From the beginning, I specifically requested to work directly with Jay Wilber. Over the course of nearly two months, I repeatedly sought confirmation of his involvement and requested direct communication. Those requests were consistently redirected through an assistant, and my attempts to obtain clear answers about design leadership were delayed or left unresolved.
During that period, several clarification questions went unanswered, and requests for a site visit were postponed. It is extremely difficult to finalize a design plan for a venue when the lead designer has not personally reviewed the space. After repeated follow-ups, the designer ultimately attended -- but only after significant delay and persistent effort on my part.
I also retained an outside coordinator to help streamline communication. Unfortunately, that did not improve alignment between parties or facilitate the direct communication that had been requested. Instead of resolving the bottleneck, it prolonged it.
The result was nearly two months of lost planning time, mounting frustration, and a breakdown in collaborative momentum. As the event approached, discussions shifted toward rigid contractual positioning rather than solution-oriented problem solving.
Ultimately, I chose to terminate the relationship and execute the design and production independently with alternate vendors. The event was highly successful, which reinforced my belief that clearer communication, transparency, and accessibility from the outset would have prevented much of the conflict.
For future clients, I strongly recommend confirming in writing:
* Who will personally lead the design
* When site visits will occur
* Direct lines of communication
* Load-in access expectations
* Decision-making authority
Creative vision matters -- but responsiveness, transparency, and collaboration are equally critical in live event production. read more
