I have been excited and honored to help bring over 500 events to life across the last 20 years. From a modest beginning as a karaoke host on the weekends during college to performing as an emcee, moderator, and DJ in front of crows of thousands of people, no challenge has been too big or too small for me to tackle.
Whether you are looking for: an Emcee to help provide an instructional or educational “face” an event from start to finish; a Moderator to effectively guide a panel, discussion, or other live experience; or a DJ to play music, read and react to a crowd, and keep a party going strong from start to finish, I am confident that I can provide what you need.
Here are the three primary areas I find myself asked to be a part of, along with some details about the skills I have to be effective in each area:
FAN EVENTS & CONVENTIONS
Having hundreds if not thousands of people coming together for a large-scale event can be daunting for organizers – the last thing you want is for your presentations, panels, and live fan experiences to be boring or not go according to plan.
This is where I come in. You’ll need someone enthusiastic, who can keep both a crowd entertained and on-track – and any celebrities or “talent” engaged and excited about your show as well!
Check out these photos & videos from fan events I have helped moderate in the past.
Indy PopCon – Tara Strong Panel
NBA – Indiana Pacers Fan Jams
Major-league sports organizations love to “give back” to their fans by creating unique experiences where fans can interact with the stars of the teams, and I’ve been able to help the NBA’s Indiana Pacers host a “Players vs. Fans Trivia Challenge” where lucky fans got to meet and go head-to-head with some of the great players in franchise history. This type of event definitely needs a strong moderator presence to keep things “on the level” and moving smoothly.
Facebook Live Events
This is one of the newest forms of “fan interaction” out there – an online-only event with “live” feedback directly from viewers! Check out this video, an example of a weekly “live auction” I do for online sales powerhouse Comics Elite, the largest Facebook comic-book retailer.
FESTIVALS & COMPETITIONS
Whether you expect a few dozen people or a few thousand, organized festivals and competitions usually have a lot of “moving parts” to them: performances, presentations, panels, and several other words that may or may not start with the letter “P.”
The strength in what I do as an Emcee at these events lies not only in the entertainment factor needed to keep audiences engaged, but also in having a strong grasp of the logistics of the event, to ensure that things run on-time and without any major hiccups that can being embarrassment and financial issues to the organizers.
Here are some festivals and competitions that I have been a part of:
CarmelFest – Large-Scale Outdoor/Community Event
I was asked in late 2016 to be the Emcee for CarmelFest, a large outdoor festival with three entertainment stages and several acres of arts & entertainment festival across a 2-day period every year during the 4th of July holiday. I’m honored to be asked to return to the show every year since, to handle lots of the logistics for the festival, including announcing all acts on all stages across the two-day event.
Newspaper Article: “CarmelFest Adds Entertainment Host”
Check out the CarmelFest promo video below:
Bishop Luers-Midwest Show Choir Invitational (Organized Competition)
I have also been honored with the distinction of emceeing the Bishop Luers-Midwest Show Choir Invitational for the last 15 years. The Luers-Midwest Invitational is the first-ever and longest-running show choir competition in the world; I was lucky enough to be a student at Bishop Luers H.S. and a four-year member of their show choir, The Minstrels, as were my parents before me. Now in its 45th year, the competition draws high school talent from all over the nation.
CORPORATE & SOCIAL EVENTS
For 20 years, I have been humbled every time a company, a couple, or a family entrusts me with the task of creating the perfect entertainment environment for their event. Whether it’s a beautiful wedding (small and intimate or large and a-rockin’), a fun private party for friends or family, or an impeccably-planned corporate event, the key function you want from a DJ/Emcee is someone who is dedicated enough to give you 100% effort from the planning phase all the way through the last song of the event.
So many people who call themselves DJs are out to do the “bare minimum” to collect their paycheck: create a generic playlist, make a few cheesy pre-written announcements, and spend the rest of the event hidden behind their equipment, “running out the clock.” Avoid these non-professional types and work with someone like me, who has created a proven track record of being just as invested in your event’s success as you are.
I’ve had the honor of helping bring to life over 500 weddings, private parties, and corporate events. I’ve felt like a part of people’s families, I’ve been invited into people’s homes, and I’ve worked side-by-side with companies like the NFL, MTV, the NBA, ComicsElite, the PGA, Mercedes-Benz, IndyCar, and more.
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