The events industry can have many unique challenges, but can also bring an infinite number of exciting possibilities. Even going abroad for international work has its own set of challenges such as laws, language barriers, and infrastructure. On today’s episode of Backstage we speak to Eric Hagström, Senior Project Manager for Alford Media, to get a better sense of these challenges and best practices for putting together an international event.

One of the biggest issues an international show brings is units and values. The U.S. still uses the imperial system of measurements, but going almost anywhere else in the world will require working within the metric system. This combined with a language barrier can often create hurdles on the path to seeing a show come together.

Despite having several unique challenges, working internationally can also bring amazing opportunities. Working with others from across the globe can open up a wealth of knowledge about the events industry from a new perspective. “From logistics to acoustics, even the most seasoned veterans have the ability to learn from others,” Hagström said.