When I graduated from college in San Francisco in the mid 90’s, I joined the Live Events Industry at the dawn of the dot-com boom. It was an exciting time working with executives from companies like Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems, and Netscape. At that time, moving lights and fog machines were standard equipment and we spent a lot of time jury rigging our legacy event gear to show off the incredibly advanced technology of our clients.
I worked in the Bay Area at a peak time for Creative Agencies. I had the privilege to work at Ray Bloch Productions, Carlson Marketing Group, and the Kenwood Group. I advanced quickly because I was great with budgets and schedules and collaborating with great creative minds. I got to work on some groundbreaking technological advances and learned how creative solutions are most effective with a strategic focus, a mindset I carry to this day.
In the early 2000’s I moved to LA where I continued my work in live events for entertainment, finance, and automotive clients. I learned how to manage spectacle and decor and how to transform a space with light and fabric. I also had the opportunity to work with A-list musical talent. During this time, I ran my first whole-property gig at the Mirage in Las Vegas.
In 2007, I relocated to Portland, OR to work with an agency on projects for Intel and HP (back to tech) and Adidas and VF Outdoor (Jansport, The North Face, Vans), where I learned to run apparel projects (slatwall, anyone?).
In 2008, the financial crisis really beat up the events industry. While we waited for the recovery, I worked in Web Development as a Project Manager for a couple of local firms.
As the economy recovered, I landed a job as EP at an agency called Opus in Beaverton. In my five years there, I went from running $5M in annual production revenue to over $20M annually on projects for AWS, Salesforce, and about every other technology company you can think of. Day trips to the Bay Area for client meetings were routine.
Salesforce and Amazon both had a major influence on how modern technology events are produced, and I am privileged to have been a part of that leadership.
Following a very busy run, I moved to the AV Production side to slow down and offer some leadership to a growing organization. I learned about equipment maintenance and logistics and the challenges that AV vendors face that we don’t often get to see.
When COVID hit, I led the company’s transition into the Virtual Events world. We knew we needed to reinvent ourselves and provide innovative solutions to stay in business. I’m proud to say that our efforts were often ahead of the rest of the industry.
Since the end of the pandemic, I am back out on the road, doing what I love to do – combine creativity and technology to inspire audiences and drive my clients’ success.
Working in the live events industry has provided me with a continuing education in technology, business, law, media, psychology, diversity, inspiration, and motivation, which I draw upon in my work. I’ve had the good fortune to do pioneering work with the best agencies and brands in the world on memorable and award-winning projects for audiences in venues all around the world.