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"An early trademark of CPM LIVE! events is the grassroots networking and bonding that happens between the church tech attendees and expert speakers.... ” - Brian Blackmore, Editor-in-Chief & Publisher, Church Production Magazine, published by Production Media Inc., Cary, NC
Church Production Magazine hosted its first in a series of one-day intensive live events, part of its CPM LIVE! event series, on Aug. 2, 2016. “We are ecstatic and humbled by the feedback from attendees, our first event’s sponsors, and even our own staff that attended the first in our series of events at Tabernacle of Praise International outside metro Atlanta,” says Brian Blackmore, editor of Church Production Magazine, published by Cary, N.C.-based Production Media Inc., as well as editor-in-chief and publisher of the title and of sister publication Church Designer magazine.
Close-knit Cohesion
“An early trademark of CPM LIVE! events is the grassroots networking and bonding that happens between the church tech attendees and expert speakers,” Blackmore continues. “We wanted CPM LIVE! to fill a void in church production education, and to provide an alternative to the larger tradeshows and exhibit halls. The needs of those who work in the church are different. They’re looking for an authenticity, connection and learning experience that’s intimate and tightly focused, and we’ve made it our mission to fill that need.”
Event components include a general session, panel discussions, breakout sessions, Q&A time periods, demonstrations of technology within the specific production setting of each event venue, and a unique lunch-and-learn education and networking time.
Examples of the types of information gleaned in event sessions and discussions includes an exchange between Blackmore and Brad Lyons, technical director for Tabernacle of Praise as well as a representative for dB Audio & Video, with all attendees in the main sanctuary.
In one discussion, Lyons relayed, “Your first question in an upgrade should be: what do I need the system to do? And why do I need a new system?”
Blackmore gave the example of musical clarity and impact, saying, “If these are what you’re needing to achieve, you’d design a system differently than if you were simply designing for speech intelligibility.” And Lyons added, “It’s important to have the right system, but also to properly maintain that equipment, that system,” launching into specifics on how churches can get the best sound and, at the same time, maintain a system’s performance.
In yet another session in the church’s upgraded worship space, representatives from lighting manufacturer Chauvet Professional talked about the specifics of their LED lighting installation at the church, and why specific fixtures were chosen and placed to do specific jobs. As each lighting position and fixture was addressed, a lighting tech would activate the fixture and demonstrate its usage and effectiveness in real-time for attendees.
First event sponsorship
Sponsors of the Aug. 2 event included Chauvet Professional, dB Audio & Video, and Jands. While solid sponsorship is key in making the events happen and in securing expert professional speakers at the tops of their fields, it’s Church Production’s approach to the mix of sponsorship and educational offerings that stands out. Says Production Media Inc. Business Operations Manager and Director of Events Rebecca Stahlbusch, “Our goal is to offer quality education and an unforgettable networking experience for our attendees. That’s first and foremost.”
Blackmore adds, “Much like Church Production Magazine since its start 18 years ago, we realize that quality content is the hallmark of any successful media or educational venture—for our CPM LIVE! event attendees and for our sponsors, alike.”
