Portfolio categories: <span>Events</span>

Built Kick Off

I played a pivotal role in elevating our company’s annual kick-off event, Built Kick-Off (BKO), by leading the technical planning and execution. This year, leadership aimed to transform the event by moving it off-site to a professional venue with advanced audio/visual (A/V) capabilities and a more engaging atmosphere. Leveraging my previous experience with advanced A/V equipment from volunteer work in high school and college, I stepped up to direct the technical aspects of the event.

• Enhance the Event Experience: Transition the annual kick-off to a professional venue to create a dynamic and engaging environment for all team members.
• Deliver High-Quality A/V Production: Utilize advanced A/V equipment to improve in-house visuals and ensure a seamless broadcast for remote attendees via Zoom.
• Cost Efficiency: Achieve a high-caliber event without the expense of hiring external A/V companies, thereby saving the company significant funds.

• Technical Planning Lead: Took the initiative to lead the technical planning for the event, drawing upon my A/V expertise.
• A/V Technical Director: Acted as the technical director on the day of the event, managing both the in-house A/V setup and the live Zoom broadcast.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinated with various teams across the company and worked closely with the executive team to ensure all technical requirements were met.
• Resource Management: Optimized the use of in-house resources and equipment to deliver a professional-quality event without external assistance.

Challenges

• Complex Technical Setup: Managing advanced A/V equipment in an unfamiliar venue required meticulous planning and technical proficiency.
• Dual Audience Engagement: Needed to provide an exceptional experience for both in-person attendees and remote participants.
• Budget Constraints: Aimed to deliver a Fortune 500-level event experience while adhering to budget limitations.
• High Expectations: Ensuring a flawless execution under the scrutiny of leadership and the entire company.

Solutions and Achievements

• Flawless Execution: Delivered a seamless event that exceeded expectations, with smooth transitions and high-quality audio and visuals.
• Cost Savings: Successfully executed the event without the need for expensive external A/V companies, saving the company tens of thousands of dollars.
• Positive Feedback: Received overwhelming positive feedback from the executive team and employees, who were impressed by the professionalism of the event.
• Boosted Morale: The event energized the team and fostered a revitalized enthusiasm as the company entered a critical year for our product.
• Effective Remote Broadcast: Managed a high-quality Zoom broadcast that allowed remote team members to fully participate and engage with the event.

 

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Wildcat Week Concert

During my time at Abilene Christian University (ACU), I was selected as a Student Director for Wildcat Week—a seven-day orientation program designed to create community and promote school spirit among first-year students. Each Student Director is solely responsible for developing, organizing, planning, and executing a series of events. I was entrusted with one of the program’s most significant responsibilities: orchestrating the grand finale concert.

• Select a Relevant Artist: Choose a headlining artist who would appeal to a wide demographic of attendees, including first-year students, current students, and alumni.
• Create a Festival Atmosphere: Develop a “festival-style” environment to foster community engagement and keep attendees entertained throughout the event.
• Unite the Campus Community: Bring together current students and alumni to celebrate and welcome the incoming freshman class.

I was directly responsible for every facet of the concert, including:

• Artist and Venue Selection: Collaborated with university leadership to choose a suitable artist and venue that aligned with our objectives and budget.
• Vendor Coordination: Managed relationships with vendors for staging, audio/visual equipment, and other event necessities.
• Budgeting and Fundraising: Developed and managed the event budget, ensuring cost-effectiveness while delivering a high-quality experience.
• Marketing and Branding: Worked with ACU’s Creative Services division to develop a marketing plan and promotional materials.
• Event Execution: Oversaw all logistical aspects leading up to and during the event to ensure a seamless experience.

To elevate the event beyond a traditional concert, I drew inspiration from the renowned Austin City Limits Music Festival, branding our event as “Abilene City Limits.” We secured Jesse McCartney, a well-known artist and personal inspiration, as the headliner. To engage current students and alumni, I leveraged my leadership position on the Campus Activities Board (The Cabinet), which plans free events for students throughout the academic year.

Challenges

• Venue Crisis: Two days before the event, a pipe burst at our planned outdoor venue, rendering it unusable.
• Time Constraints: The last-minute venue change required rapid coordination and problem-solving under extreme time pressure.
• Logistical Complexity: Coordinating between multiple vendors, university departments, and the artist’s team to ensure all requirements were met.

Solutions and Achievements

• Emergency Venue Relocation: Anticipating potential issues, I had previously identified a backup venue and developed a contingency plan. Within 24 hours of the crisis, I coordinated with all parties to relocate the event seamlessly.
• Effective Communication: Maintained clear and prompt communication with vendors, university officials, the artist’s management, and my team to ensure everyone was aligned despite the sudden changes.
• Enhanced Event Experience:
  • Social Media Engagement: Organized a creative artist reveal on social media, dropping hints throughout the day leading up to a live announcement on Twitter and Instagram.
  • VIP Meet and Greet: Arranged an exclusive opportunity for students to meet Jesse McCartney, increasing excitement and engagement.
  • Professional A/V Production: Collaborated with 83 Entertainment, a local production company, to deliver high-quality audio/visual setups, including an IMAG package, lighting, and staging per the artist’s requirements.

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ACU Paint Fest

ACU Paint Fest was an event held by The Cabinet (Campus Activities Board) a campus-sponsored, student leadership group with a mission to increase student involvement and retention through free university-sponsored events. Ty joined The Cabinet during its first, post-pilot launch year. This presented unique challenges as there were not many established event ideas, and creativity among team members was of the utmost importance. Of the 8 Cabinet staff members, each was responsible for approximately two campus events. Ty chose to take on the largest event of the Spring 2018 semester dubbed “ACU Paint Fest”.

• Create a fun and exciting event that will lead to record breaking attendance for a unviersity sponsered function.
• Promote brand awareness and form brand identity for The Cabinet in its first debut year as a campus organization.
• Increase student involvement and retenition.

The event was a tremendous success on many fronts. Over 900 students attended the event, exceeding the target attendance of 500. The event helped The Cabinet gain a significant following among the student body and helped build the brand of the organization. Although hard to measure from a single event, student engagement and retention was up at the end of the semester as reported by the Office of Student Life. Feedback from students was extremely positive and many asked for the event to return to campus again. Among the things that needed improvement was the smell of the paint and the cleanup procedures.

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