Who wasn’t impressed with the grandeur of Luan Santana’s DVD? Or haven’t you heard about the efficiency of Só Track Boa festival in its functional structure? The next edition, which will take place on the 26th and 27th at the Interlagos racetrack, will have more than 200 professionals dedicated exclusively to access control. Everyone who works in the events sector knows the renowned Raquel Boletti and her company, NightShift Operations, which has revolutionized the market, raising the quality of experiences and becoming one of the main enablers in the sector.
Graduated in Radio and TV, Raquel started her career as a producer of television programs, including Programa do Gugu, Play Tv and Record Internacional. However, it was in 2014 that she entered the world of events. At the Haute agency, currently recognized as a reference in the market, Raquel was responsible for the development of the access control sector. Realizing the potential to expand the business, she founded her own production company in 2018.
Nowadays, NS Operations, as it is widely known, is present at the biggest festivals in Brazil, such as Só Track Boa, Time Warp, Cercle Brasil, Rock Brasil 40 anos and Réveillons no Nordeste (Let’s Pipa, Emoções, São Miguel do Gostoso , Trancoso).
The differential of NS Operations is in its team. All professionals are hired on an intermittent basis and have an Operational Health Certificate (ASO). They undergo a training process to operate the specific systems for each event, in addition to receiving training and qualification to act in a coherent manner and in line with the profile of each occasion, ensuring high quality operations. The NS Operations team has more than 80 permanent employees and 250 on a rotating basis. In addition, it is made up of bilingual professionals (English and Spanish), Libras specialists, wheelchair users, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, transgender people, women (who represent more than 70% of the team) and black people. We have an extremely diverse team”, explains Raquel. Check out the interview!
As CEO of NS Operations, what is the vision behind the company and what are its main goals?
For me as CEO it’s not always easy to be behind, as I spent years effectively in the operation and still continue in most events I always like to observe from afar! I don’t expect our staffs to be like me, but that they understand the essence of the company, which will always focus on the customer and excellence in service… We are always mentioned and recognized for this! For me an event is not just another event but the event!
Today our main objective is to remain in the market as a reference in excellence in access control and to conquer some more areas that we already do, even if less frequently than access control. Another goal is to continue expanding beyond SP. We already hold events in other states and the objective is for NS to have the same recognition for excellence that it has within the state.
How did you start your career in the events sector and what motivated you to create your own production company, NS Operations?
I have a degree in Radio and TV, and I worked for a few years in some TV productions, such as the Gugu program on Rede Record, the Rockoala Program on Playtv and some programs on Record Internacional. I’ve always worked with the entertainment industry. A few years later, a friend asked me to work at an events agency, Agência Haute (today part of the Umauma holding). There I took care of the control department of all the agency’s events. After a few years, I noticed a shortage of manpower for this sector and recognized that it was one of the most important sectors of the event, not least because the reception of customers is the first experience that the customer has at the event and being well received changes all views. of the event.
I decided to develop my own team and after several conversations with producers in the area, I founded NS Operations, today we are a reference in the event market throughout Brazil. I have already received several messages from producers in other capitals asking for training and qualification for their teams.
What are the main challenges you faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry and how did you overcome these difficulties?
Working in a predominantly male sector is like facing a lion a day. Nothing that a dose of patience and great arguments can’t solve. The biggest difficulty I find is the lack of confidence of male leaders and the inflated ego of not accepting a command from a woman. I’ve had events where I needed to hire a male assistant to make things easier, I’ve had to prove with books and studies that what I was producing was indeed the right way to go, I’ve had to carry crates and boxes because teams of porters did not accept female orders, I have participated in meetings where the director did not refer to me, I only talked to my male assistants, not to mention the harassment I suffered that resulted in the loss of my contract because I did not give in.
The phrase I hear the most is “could you call “The” responsible?” or “Can I speak to the guy who runs this place?” … many do not accept that the person responsible for the event is a woman.
How does NS Operations differentiate itself in the access control market and what are the aspects that contribute to the quality of operations at events?
We have 2 major differentials in the market, the main one being the training that teams receive to collaborate with the end customer’s good experience. Many of our employees are passionate about shows and events and I’ve always taught them that they should treat customers the same way they wanted to be treated at the shows and events they went to enjoy. We have bilingual and trilingual people on our team, as well as specialists in Libras. Furthermore, I always teach that communication is the basis of a good reception, I remember one time we held an event at the Arca space (Vila Leopoldina) and there was an Arab client who traveled all over the world to enjoy this event in all capitals of the world, this time he had a ticket problem and could not access the event,
Another differential is the reception we have with the team, I have already lost many jobs for not having a “beauty standard”. I’m tattooed, I have colored hair and I wear an undercut. Our team is made up of Lgbtqiap+, black people, women, 60+, Pcd and so on… I believe that our efficiency has nothing to do with our appearance.
Could you share some of the main achievements of NS Operations and outstanding events in which the company has been active?
We have great achievements in our curriculum, I can mention mainly Só Track Boa, an event by the entourage agency for more than 35 thousand people. The Cercle Brasil event that took place in Rio de Janeiro last year. We did 3 years of New Year’s Eve in Pipa, where we exchange bracelets for 6 days of partying on paradisiacal beaches in the Northeast (Pipa). The Luan City and Surreal that happened this year I also consider the company’s great achievements. And I cannot forget the Pagode do Chuvisco that has been growing with each edition, we are already in the eighth edition of the project.
How does NS Operations value diversity in its team and what is the importance of inclusion and representation for you?
Our motto is “We are not a Model Company”, we do not carry out our castings according to race, appearance, religion etc. Our staffs are chosen for their experience, for their ability to perform the requested function. We never ask for photos, only full name and document number. That’s enough for us. We don’t put a face to your name. We have already turned down several requests due to specific appearance requirements. At NS everyone has a place and a voice!
We are proud to include in our casting people 60+, PCD, LGTB and all those who are willing to work. We treat everyone the same and believe me, our staff are as important to us as our customers. We are proud to say that yes we are a humanized company!
What are the services offered by NS Operations at events and how does the company stand out in customer service and in the execution of operations?
We are an event production company specializing in access control. We are experts in Customer Experience (UX), being recognized for being excellent at it! Our team is trained and qualified to operate any type of validation. We are able to operate and know all the ticket booths, turnstiles, etc.
But in addition to access, we offer several other services such as: staff accreditation, guest accreditation, VIP lists, cabin service, public orientation, backstage control, store operation, event exit operation (water change), document verification , verification of the Covid Vaccine (it was very important during the pandemic and in the post-pandemic), wristbanding, SAC, VIP CARE list (Exclusive and closed events), headgear, among others.
What are NS Operations’ future plans and how do you intend to continue contributing to the events sector in Brazil?
I joke with my assistants that the future of NS is always the following weekend, as it is the most distant future that our crazy lives allow us to think about, but jokes aside, NS wants to be a reference in Brazil in everything it already does in SP.
We are being hired for projects that cover several states in Brazil and I think this will be our gateway to conquering our space in other states and in Latin America.
We love diversity and we want to work with different cultures, different PEOPLE. This is our dream, not just to be hired in other states, but to have staff from other locations and learn from them. This mix of cultures is the face of NS!
But beyond that, NS would like to make the people who work with events more professional, providing training, sharing experiences, training more people who work in the field. Open doors for people who want to work with events and don’t know how! We want to avoid bad experiences with customers and for that it is necessary to train the people who serve them. We already do this with our staff and would like to expand these trainings and experiences.
End situations like staff working long hours without breaks and without food. As said before, NS treats everyone like family and this is something that is sorely lacking in event companies. We know our staffs by name, we know their history! And expanding this type of treatment certainly reflects on the excellence of the events we operate.
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