From the desk of Laurel Kazanjian, Associate Producer

Over the last two years, working at The Hype Agency has brought me from city to city for various events. From San Francisco just a few months into the job, to the Super Bowl in Houston, and most recently to Milwaukee, I have had the chance to see our programs through from starting phases to load out and have loved every minute of it!

One of my favorite parts of the job is working onsite alongside our clients and our staff. Helping with event prep, organizing giveaway items and uniforms, stapling training manuals, and buying snacks for our team for a week long activation are just a few of my favorite things. Whether it’s a street team in full uniform, a small 10×10 footprint or two story enclosed spaces, I love seeing our events come to life.

Looking back, I laugh at 18-year-old me who was afraid to fly by herself. Now, I prefer earning my frequent flyer miles flying solo. Regardless of who I am traveling with or the event I am traveling to; I have a few essentials that are always at the top of my list to guarantee a smooth transition.  Some may not be so obvious and others are must-haves for most people on the road:

1. My Nalgene bottle – you need to work around those airport liquid limits!
2. A good book – a mini escape on the plane when Wi-Fi isn’t an option
3. Statement jewelry – who knows when you may need to pull out your business casual!
4. Wristwatch – you have to keep up with schedules and itineraries
5. Portable Charger – great for when you’re working out of pocket and your work hours last longer than your phone battery
6. Planner – forever making to-do lists
7. Loofah – do you ever really feel clean without one?
8. Sneakers – in the case there is time to work out but also because there will always be long days on your feet
9. Bag of Tricks – your go-tos for everyday survival and to make hotel living a little bit easier
10. Band-Aids + safety pins – Target’s travel aisle is your best friend

For some events, I am only onsite for training and kickoff. For others, I am onsite from training to the last day of activation.  While I do love being in the action and traveling, sometimes life on the road as a traveling producer isn’t as fun as you’d think.  Living out of a suitcase and relying on snacks and restaurants that are open late can get tiring. Checking out Yelp is exciting at first but after your second trip to the Midwest, you get tired of the BBQ and fried chicken and pickles (or at least I did). I’m often not sure what type of food to look up or what is considered the local specialty. Most times, the day starts with coffee on the run and ends with late night eats in your hotel room or shared with fellow producers.

Working in the events world, there’s enough work to keep you going all day from sunrise to sundown and then some. While there are times that the workload may seem to be more than you signed up for, the ability to travel and experience different cultures and see your events come to life make it well worth it!