Frequently Asked Questions
Who is BlackOak Technical Productions?
BlackOak Technical Productions is a full service, full scope technical production company based in Chicago, IL. We provide lighting, audio, video, staging, producing, and emerging technologies for meetings, celebrations, weddings, and experiences. While we are a distinct brand, we are part of the Kehoe Designs portfolio that is operationally integrated and part of one big team.
How did we get started?
With a vision from Tom Kehoe, read more about OUR STORY.
Why did we branch off to a distinct division with a different name?
We wanted to make it easy for our clients to choose the high level of design and service they know and expect from Kehoe Designs specifically for when they need production services or require working directly with a production company.
Which clients do we work for?
Our favorite client to work for is someone looking to take a fresh approach to their event in pursuit of something beyond anything they have done before, we love to help with that! Typically, we are working for an end client, event agency, or an event planner.
How do we help our clients?
Provide innovative technical, digital, and media tools underscored with a mind towards design and strategy for our client’s highest profile live experiences.
What venues do you work in?
We have worked in hundreds of venues across the country and love to work in venues we haven’t worked in yet. Everything from hotel ballrooms, special event venues, museums, tents, vacant land, warehouses, production facilities, boats, steel mills, convention centers and so many more. Even moving trains.
Have a challenging venue to work in? Give us a call, we love it.
Can you walk me through this quote/proposal?
Definitely, we are happy to talk you through any proposal or quote you have received. Even if it is from one of our competitors.
Set up a time with someone on our team HERE.
Who is part of the company? What does the specific team I will be working with look like?
We have an awesome team brought together by a passion for the work we do for our clients. Each team member, from Producer to Crew Member, will work relentlessly to be bold in our design and kind in our approach. You will meet your team during the first call with us and your Producer stays involved for the whole project to be there each step of the way.
What is the process like?
First, we focus on understanding your needs and goals of the event and then we focus on designing the right approach for you. We then share this approach with you to then align on priorities and budget. Once priorities, design, and budget are aligned, we can move into the planning phase to secure the best crew and gear for the event. During the production phase onsite, we are there making sure all is going smoothly during setup and beyond your expectations during the event.
Can you send me a price?
Yep, we would love to talk pricing with you and would be happy to send you an estimate or a specific proposal based on a scope of work. Book a time now to talk to someone on our sales team and we can typically provide a rough estimate on the initial call or within 24 hours of our initial conversation.
What are the best ways to reduce this budget?
There are a lot of options to adjust your proposal to balance the needs of the event and the budget, it’s a part of every sales process we work on for a client. Typically, we look at adjusting the scope to ensure the budget is going to the main priority points you have and then reducing the other items to be more economical. There are often adjustments we can make to the production schedule or the scope that your producer can share to get your budget in line with your goal.
How does my quote compare to this other quote I have?
There are so many different pricing approaches, levels of gear, and unknowns in each event that it is hard to give a blanket statement about how one quote compares to another. We recommend asking each company you have bidding to review the proposal with you to walk you through how their quote and approach compares to the other quotes you have.