Corralling the Chaos

Zack Grant, CEO of SEAS Productions , joins us to share his insights on the immense value of events industry education for transforming businesses and elevating events. ⚡️ Key takeaways: Understanding the Industry: The events industry is often misunderstood by those outside of it. We discussed the intricate details and challenges involved in creating epic experiences, and how we can work to educa...

Our guest Mark Eicher, product manager at LASSO, shares insights on improving live event production. With 15+ years of experience working with major companies, he emphasizes the importance of efficient workflows, avoiding costly mistakes like outdated processes, and designing scalable processes that integrate new team members. ⚡️ Key Takeaways: Don't get trapped in the "we've always done it this...

Huong Nguyen, CEO of Shiloh Events, shares insider tips on aligning events with client goals. Learn how she measures qualitative and quantitative ROI to guide clients in making informed, budget-conscious decisions about event formats and activities. Guest Information 🎙️ Huong Nguyen, CEO & Founder of Shiloh Events Shiloh Events 🚀 For more insights and hot takes, join the top 1% of forward-thi...

Joining us today is Clay Sifford, CEO and Founder of LASSO. We examine the inventory and logistics challenges faced by event companies, exploring obstacles like lengthy proposals and unreliable brokers that hinder efficiency. We'll also discuss the importance of accurate, onsite progress tracking and address privacy regulations and cyberthreats. Our conversation dives into legacy systems, cloud mi...

In this episode, Angela dives into the hidden costs of workers' comp and shares four important questions to ask yourself that could be eating into your margin by 2-3 points. 5-minute Assessment: 1. What is your experience mod?  An experience mod is basically what is your rating relative to others in the industry. 2. What is your loss ratio? Calculate your loss ratio by dividing what you've paid ou...

Nicole Carson, the director of event production at Warner Music Group, joins us on this episode of Corralling the Chaos, bringing nearly two decades of experience in the entertainment industry to share her valuable insights and expertise on executing high-stakes events. Nicole and Angela dive into the unique challenges of managing musical events, covering topics such as balancing the artist and au...

Seth Macchi, CEO of LEMG, explores the challenges and opportunities within the event production industry. He sheds light on the importance of prioritizing people for business growth in this field. Drawing from his own experiences, Seth emphasizes the crucial role of valuing and caring for employees within companies. He provides valuable insights into the industry's needs and recommends involving t...

Jeremy Elliott, General Manager at PSI, dives into the lesser-known challenges confronted by Canadian production companies compared to their American counterparts. He highlights the significance of work-life balance, the value of building and maintaining industry relationships and what it takes for a young event tech to succeed in the industry. 🚀 For more insights and hot takes, join the top 1% o...

On this episode of Corralling the Chaos, guest host Jess Cook speaks with Sierra Thompson, VP of Business Development at Evntiv., about the importance of the moment of impact in events. Sierra emphasizes the value of connecting attendees to the mission and creating an immersive experience. They discuss the post-pandemic era and the rise of hybrid events, as well as the potential of AI technology t...

In this episode, Angela sits down with J Ocana, co-founder and COO of Reaction Audio Visual in California. With a background in technology and almost 20 years of experience in the event industry, J shares his insights on competing on value vs. price, leveraging automation, and the need for a bigger voice in the industry. 🚀 For more insights and hot takes, join the top 1% of forward-thinking event...

In this episode: Jess Cook interviews Will Curran, founder of Endless Events, as he shares his expertise on personal branding, successful event marketing strategies, embracing technology, sustainability, inclusivity, and event design. Key Factors for Success Importance of having a great team and creating a flexible environment to facilitate scalability. Endless's documentation process using tools...

In this episode, LASSO's own heads of sales and marketing Anthony Zhang and Drew Brucker share their insights on how to create a scalable engine that generates predictable revenue for event companies. They discuss the best practices and strategies that can be implemented to ensure a steady growth of revenue over time. What we're talking about:  Everyone in your company should know who your ideal c...

In this episode, Huntly Christie shares insights and strategies for the event industry, including the importance of being the best opportunity for someone, knowing yourself and staying focused, and avoiding being swayed by the crowd. Key Takeaways: 1. Be someone's best opportunity.  2. Know who you are and remain focused. 3. Level up technical skills.   4. Don't let the crowd be your leader. 🚀 Fo...

Join us in redefining our payment expectations for evolving industries. Let's resolve the common misconceptions about low bill rates and challenge traditional practices that are no longer acceptable. 4 Common Bill Rate Misconceptions: #1: A low bill rate will result in a lower invoice from my labor provider. #2: The reconciliation process has no impact on your invoice. #3 Billing rules are not sig...

Jess Cook, who is the Head of Content at LASSO, has a conversation with Korey Troyer, who is the Business Development Director at Heard Global. They discuss how it's essential to balance the need for a sustainable work environment for event crew with meeting the expectations of clients. 🚀 For more insights and hot takes, join the top 1% of forward-thinking event professionals by signing up for th...

In this episode, Angela tackles a range of topics as she answers 8 listener-submitted questions about live events, providing insights on attracting top talent, growing revenue, minimizing risks, and more. Here's what you asked:  What is one thing you wish everyone knew about live events? Why does the live events industry need a tool that provides them one central place to work? Advice to help attr...

In this episode, Charles Eide, the Founder and CEO of EideCom, discusses the significance of establishing and maintaining company values and culture for driving company growth. What we're talking about:  Building a culture of creativity Company growth Community  Employee experience 

On this episode of Corralling The Chaos, Angela Alea hosts the President and CEO of MVP Collaborative, Kevin Danaj. What we're talking about:  How Kevin got a reputation for being a "servant leader" and what that means to him. The one thing event companies should stop and start doing this year. His creative vision for re-imagining the attendee experience in person and virtually. His hope for the l...

First: Background and Entry into the Industry Angela shares how she got into the live events industry. She explains how her interaction with the founder of a mid-size production company sparked her interest in the industry and its operations. Second: Changes in the Industry Over the Last 10 Years Angela discusses how the live events industry has evolved over the last 10 years, from being gear-focu...

Angela Alea talks with Ray Brock, director of safety services at Insperity. 🚀 For more insights and hot takes, join the top 1% of forward-thinking event professionals by signing up for the RoundUp newsletter.

Step-by-step process to find your perfect customer: Define who you want to be in the market. Ask “what is your business trying to accomplish this year?” Dissect your current customer base with a team of people. Formalize it, socialize it and realize it. Repeat this process and do it often. 🚀 For more insights and hot takes, join the top 1% of forward-thinking event professionals by signing up for...

What we're talking about:  The magic of live events and the impact they can have on audiences. Angela shares her experience of being inspired by keynotes and taking those stories home to share with her children. Eric talks about the Event Production Network (EPN), a networking group with a focus on community, trust, and shared knowledge, and why it is so important to him. The two also discuss the...

Drew Bucker, LASSO's VP of Growth interviews National Crew Appreciation Week winners to hear their stories and learn more about what makes them stand out in the live events industry. Award Winners:  Darris Taylor Ed Willock Frank Pestana Omar Colom Yatashah Backus Topics Covered: Advice for anyone curious about joining the live event industry Ways for event techs to level up their skills  The need...

Hi and welcome back to Corralling the Chaos. I’m Jess Cook — Head of Content at LASSO — and this week’s episode is a little different. We’ve rounded up our five favorite moments from the show this year, and put them together into one, insight-packed episode.    First up, we listen to Nancy Shaffer of the Live Events Coalition. Nancy shares why it’s important people understand what it really takes...

Angela's breaking down these 12 things you need to know:  Pay rules (overtime is paid daily instead of weekly.) The Sick Leave Act. The new OSHA requirements called AB 1775. California Employment Training Tax. Meal Penalties. The California Pay Transparency Law. There's also the Covid 19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Law. California Labor Code 64 0 9 0.6 a. SB 1343. AB five. Family Medical Leave Ac...