Full Service Event Production
Over the past two decades running music venues and being involved in a multitude of projects, I have been in the center of thousands of events. There are innumerable moving parts, tasks and processes that blend to make the machine run right. And, perhaps more importantly, there are many intangibles that you must recognize, respect, and feed in order to maximize the experience for every person who comes through the door.
I have hands-on experience across the board. I’ve surfed the crest of the wave of many once-in-a-lifetime, home run events, and I’ve also scrambled to salvage in the midst of many tough nights. And I’ve learned from the best, working alongside amazing individuals in two of the best live entertainment marketplaces in the world.
Sample skill areas:
- Pre-production, budgeting, vendor sourcing, and advance work
- Location services; scouting, evaluation and permitting
- Onsite event management and stage management
- Bar operations and management including off-site / catering events
- Scheduling, workflow, and infrastructure for diverse history of events
- Specific knowledge of sound, lighting, and projection systems
- Strong vendor and crew relationships and management experience
- Video production including event videography and live content presentation
- Fluid, practiced decision making, troubleshooting, and calm presence under fire
Helping to develop residencies and recurring events has been a big focus in my programming history, particularly at ND. They provide an impact point for a community where relationships and connections form in the environment of a shared interest or passion. I’ve been lucky to work with some amazing producers, hosts, and curators for events such as Encyclopedia Show, Nerd Nite, Austin Poetry Slam, Bedpost Confessions, Dorkbot, The Good Music Club, Short iNDies, Juegos Rancheros, and more.
Promotion and Branding
I have developed a broad skill set in promotion and marketing. No matter the budget, it’s about reaching the audience with a message that is interesting and effective, and doing it with the resources available. From social media to street teams to community partnerships to relationship building with bloggers, spreading the word is an integral part of the process. Here are some posters / images from events at ND Austin:
Over the years I have also been fortunate to participate in the creation, development, and launch of several great brands. Each scenario involved a dialogue with principals from amazing design firms – Action Figure, RECSPEC, TKO, Wall 2 Wall (Pittsburgh), as well as peers on my own team, working together to take concept and vision and make a tangible icon or campaign that represents them. For me, these conversations happen best over a beer, with laptop screens full of inspiration, a good amount of gesturing, and at least a couple of mentions of the batsignal.
Here are some logos / marks I have been involved in birthing:
Poetry Slam Producer / Curator
I spent fifteen years immersed in the world of Poetry Slam on the local and national level. Here’s a quick list
- Host / curator / Slammaster for Austin Poetry Slam, producing hundreds of shows focused on a weekly series, community outreach, and many ancillary events.
- Co-Directed the 1998, 2006, and 2007 National Poetry Slam festivals.
- Spent many years on the Executive Council of Poetry Slam, Inc., the organization that governs slam on the national level, and served two terms as President during founding father Marc Smith’s leave of absence.
- Developed and launched a web portal, slamchannel.com, focused on slam performance as digital content.
- Co-Directed / Produced a feature length documentary, Slam Planet: War of the Words, which screened at ten film festivals.
- Developed a Reality TV show concept and treatment, Speak For Yourself, based on slam.