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This second installment of PILLARS of Production proved that things really do get better with age! The halls were filled with collaboration, enthusiastic participation and so many lessons shared. What incredible keynotes, breakout sessions and stellar panels with all of of our industry-leading Pro-ffesors.

  • LocationBowie House, Auberge Resort Collection
  • DateMarch 3-5, 2024

Speakers

CEO & Chief Creative Officer HMR Designs

Rishi Patel

Named one of the top Wedding and Event Designers in the world by Harper’s Bazaar, VOGUE, Brides and Martha Stewart Weddings, along with being recognized as Top 40 under 40, Rishi remains one of the most highly coveted event designers among discerning clientele and notable figures alike. An advocate for fully transformative design, he specializes in celebrations of all kinds – all while adhering to the firm belief that service and guest experience are the cornerstone to great events and the definition of true luxury. From galas, to weddings, to milestone celebrations, any event is in his wheelhouse.

An educational background in Finance and an MBA from Indiana University has afforded him the ability to lead the HMR team from a fiscal perspective – though it’s his artistic passion that allows him to design the fantastical events he is known for. As much of a creative visionary as an astute business leader, Rishi’s insistence on unconventionality has continuously transformed the landscape of event design while granting him the honor of designing events for some of the most notable figures, families and organizations in the world.

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Owner, Living Turkoise; Producer at Large, Preston Bailey Entertainment & Set Design

Nadine Jervis

The brilliant arc of Nadine’s journey took her from processing flowers to receptionist, to ultimately the Director of Preston Bailey Designs. As an event producer with over twenty years of experience, Nadine fancies herself an “old school fixer.” Her natural stamina under pressure and exposure to unique experts across the industry has informed Nadine’s approach to transforming fantasy into reality despite constraints of venue, time, and budget.

Seventeen years in, she remains a Preston Bailey employee at large, and the owner of Living Turkoise LLC, where she continues to apply and develop her unique skill set of being able to fit a square peg into a round hole. Her Board of Directors consists of Steve Paster, Marcy Blum, Frank Alexander…from them she continues to learn many invaluable lessons. She has worked globally with Norma Cohen, Elan Artists, and Jeff Leatham, among others, and is proud of the fact that she has prevailed against the NYC blackout, Hurricanes, NYC Hotel Unions, many a broken elevator, missing Chuppa legs, centimeters vs. inches and continues to charm international customs guys and work crews around the world in all languages – never losing sight that she is only as good as the last installation.

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Co-Founder, PILLARS & Founder & Creative Director, Todd Events

Todd Fiscus

Todd Fiscus is the fearless leader and creative director behind all Todd brand companies – Todd Events, Party! Dallas, and Avant Garden. His 30+ years of experience in the industry include full scale event production, floral design, hospitality sales and management, culinary art, interior design and consulting, restaurant design and ownership, event space and logistical consulting, and more. At the heart of each of his endeavors is the desire to make others feel the joy and zest for life that he does – through beautiful experiences that thoughtfully bring people together. No one has the ability like Todd to pair “personal” with “pretty” in a way that makes everyone feel special, seen, and celebrated!

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Professional Provocatrice & Executive Director, David Beahm Experiences

Christina Matteucci

Christina Matteucci (aka TeucciMama) has galvanized audiences of thousands with her compelling and utterly candid performance style. By reframing how to define & attain professional success, she’s earned the moniker Professional Provocatrice. As Executive Director of David Beahm Experiences NYC, Christina has spent over two decades traveling the world, executing unfathomably complex soirées––adventures that have inspired the stories and lessons she shares. Christina credits her rigorous theater training at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with her ability to conceive and produce lavish event experiences; she asserts that same education has been instrumental in attaining her stature as a sought-after public speaker.

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Owner, IMAGE Studios

Lonnie McGowen Jr.

Lonnie is a trusted Human Resources Executive with an established track record of proven success which focused on serving as the People and Culture strategist for a multi-billion-dollar business unit and Fortune 200 Organization. He began his career with Sherwin Williams and his most recent position was Vice President of HR.

His accomplishments include reducing overall turnover in key management roles in a time when labor shortages are a concern, increasing the number of minorities and women in key leadership roles to drive D&I efforts, and participating in the integration of several mergers and acquisitions. His latest venture involves ownership of IMAGE Studios an exclusive studio suite concept that provides modern, high-end spaces to entrepreneurs.

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Co-Founder, PILLARS & Destination Event Producer, Todd Events

Randi Ray

Randi Ray has been producing events around the world with Todd Events for over 15 years. She came to Todd Events armed with a Bachelor’s in Floral Design and a Master’s in Hospitality Management, and quickly developed the skills to oversee large scale event productions and specialize in destination event management. In addition to her role as an Event Producer, she led the Todd Events team as Todd’s #2, Executive Director overseeing event production, sales and development, hiring and training, and financial management.

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Founder, Skyline Tent Company

John Hingeley

John started tenting in high school and balanced a seasonal passion for tents and skiing before founding Skyline Tent Company at age twenty-four with his twin brother, Miles. He was then joined by a third brother, Jay, and a core team from inception that still works together today. John has grown Skyline into a national brand, where he and the team travel constantly and working with top Planners, Event Designers, and corporate partners across the US and beyond. He is committed to elevating the newest tent trends, yet always maintains a relentless focus on technical details and overall execution. Staying true to these core principles has led to enduring partnerships, meaningful friendships, and deep understanding of the tent industry.

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Co-Founder, PILLARS, and Director of Operations & HR, Todd Brand Companies

Laura Franks

Armed with an MBA and a background in retail management and consulting, with a side hustle assisting wedding planners, Laura joined Todd Fiscus over 25 years ago to help solidify and grow his first event production business. Since then, she has continued to develop and help manage multiple businesses with Todd, including retail, restaurants, hospitality & event consulting, luxury furniture rentals, and floral & event production. Laura’s focus is operational, financial, analytics, and team support, ensuring the structure is sound so that businesses and their people can create and flourish.

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Partner & Chief Operations Officer of See-Hear Productions

Tony Corley

Tony is the Managing Partner and COO of See-Hear Productions, a boutique special event design and production company that delivers premium event design, production, and fabrication services nationwide. Tony has 30+ years of management and leadership experience across many industries including Live Events, Engineering, Sales, and Retail and his educational background includes degrees in both Electrical Engineering and Business Administration. Tony has helped See-Hear Productions and other companies to develop and implement standard operating procedures horizontally across multiple business units and vertically through all levels of those units. Tony is passionate about engaging with people at their point of need and working to develop those around him into future leaders, inspiring them to reach their full potential in all of their endeavors.

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Founder, The Altars and Executive Creative Director, Black Book Ink

Sabrina Dee

Vision and adaptivity are the tenants of Sabrina Dee’s leadership style. She is an entrepreneur, creative director, and advisor working with companies and individuals worldwide to help them realize their visions for themselves, their people and their organizations. Converging creativity with commerce, her career stretches across several industries from luxury fashion and hospitality to sports and entertainment. From small startups to global brands, she’s had the opportunity to work with a diverse group of dynamic creatives, high performance leaders, scientists and everyone in between.

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Founder, Ironic Reports

Andrew Leavitt

Andrew Leavitt has over 20 years of experience in the live event industry, starting his early career producing and planning charity events, weddings, and mitzvahs, then moving into large-scale festivals and concert tours in partnership with AEG Presents / Goldenvoice and Live Nation. After years of producing live events, Andrew combined his passion for planning & event safety to launch Ironic, a Concierge Meteorology Service specializing in Event Meteorology, Event safety, and Risk Management.

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Hotel

Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection

Thank you to our inaugural hotel partner!

For reservations please call 855-683-4092 and reference “PILLARS.” Please note that rates are available for pre and post conference dates on a limited basis. We recommend booking early!

Schedule

Day One: Sunday, March 3rd
Cocktails & Bites brought to you by Bowie House

Welcome Party

Meet your fellow attendees and get ready for 2 days of fantastic growth.

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Day Two: Monday, March 4th

KEYNOTES + DEEP DIVE BREAKOUTS

Working breakfast & lunch included
7:30 am - 6:00 pm
Keynote

A Peak Into PILLARS 

Todd Fiscus, Founder of Todd Events

Exploring moments that examine historical in-field learning and how to apply the tools and SOPs that came from them.

Keynote

Burnt To A Crisp

Christina Matteucci, Professional Provocatrice & Executive Director, David Beahm Experiences

People-pleasing can lead to burnout. Hear empowering insights to be better equipped to strike a balance between pleasing clients and preserving your teams’ well-being in the dynamic, demanding world of event production.

Keynote

We Aren't A Family, We're A Team

Lonnie McGowen Jr. Owner of IMAGE Studios

Strategies for identifying and acquiring different types of talent, enriching the talent pool, driving innovation, fostering creative problem-solving, and propelling the organization towards its goals. It’s not just about hiring; it’s about building a dynamic, thriving ecosystem.

Keynote

Making The Mechanical Beautiful

Rishi Patel, CEO & Chief Creative Officer HMR Designs

Mastering the aesthetic alchemy of turning mechanically safe events into visually stunning experiences. Learn how to seamlessly blend function and form to create awe-inspiring, gravity-defying installations that don’t just meet safety standards, but elevate them into works of art.

Keynote

Plan For The Best, Plan For The Worst

Todd Fiscus, Founder of Todd Events & Andrew Leavitt, Founder of Ironic Reports

A conversation on emergency preparation and evacuation planning as we uncover the laws and guidelines that must be included in full event risk assessment.

Keynote

PILLARS In Practice: Orchestrating Exceptional Events

Nadine Jervis, Owner of Living Turkoise; Producer at Large, Preston Bailey Entertainment & Set Design

How to apply the PILLARS methodology across all elements of your production process to create magical events that defy the odds against budget restraints, mother nature, foreign policies, and more.

Keynote

The Perfect Back Of House

Todd Fiscus, Founder of Todd Events & Randi Ray, Destination Event Producer of Todd Events

How to start with a site inspection, develop a logistical plan including things such as power distribution, waste management, crew care, load-in paths, and other challenges for temporary event set ups.

Breakout

You Don't Work For ME, You Work For YOU

Laura Franks, Director of Operations & HR of Todd Brand Companies & Lonnie McGowen Jr. Owner of IMAGE Studios

HR conversations around freelancer employment requirements, challenges, and things that can get you in trouble.

Breakout

By The Foot

Todd Fiscus, Founder of Todd Events, Rishi Patel, CEO & Chief Creative Officer HMR Designs, & Tony Corley, Partner & Chief Operations Officer of See-Hear Productions

Warehouse Analysis, Operations + Logistics: Understanding how to analyze the costs associated with your inventory, then pricing it accurately to make a profit and scale your business. Evaluate ways to create efficiencies in labor planning thru man power analysis and improving your operational systems.

Breakout

Catching Unicorns

Randi Ray, Destination Event Producer of Todd Events & Nadine Jervis, Owner of Living Turkoise; Producer at Large, Preston Bailey Entertainment & Set Design

The Perfect PM: Defining the traits, skills and requirements of an event producer that can enhance your team, and then understanding how to shorten training time and improving their ability to produce events successfully.

Day Three: Tuesday, March 5th

KEYNOTES + DEEP DIVE BREAKOUTS

Working breakfast & lunch included
7:30 am - 6:00 pm
Keynote

Fostering Flow For Brand Lift


Sabrina Dee, Founder of The Altars & Executive Creative Director of Black Book Ink

Assessing your brand’s vision for the future and how to build the team, the process and the creative to support that vision.

Keynote

Tools Of The Trade

Todd Fiscus, Founder of Todd Events & Randi Ray, Destination Event Producer of Todd Events

How to leverage the PILLARS Field Guide and train your team to implement the knowledge successfully.

Keynote

The Destination Hack

Carol Holmes, Director of Global Accounts at HelmsBriscoe

How to utilize resources such as HelmsBriscoe to make your life easier in destination venue selection, contract negotiation, group travel management, and more.

Keynote

Function Over Forms

David T. Denney, Principal & Founder of Denney Law Group

Gain valuable insight on how to prioritize your legal needs including the forms you rely on, client and vendor contracts, employee handbooks, contractor agreements, and internal policies and procedures that protect you, your employees, and your clients.

Keynote

Speaking Their Language: The Art Of Effective Communication With Production Partners

Todd Fiscus, Founder of Todd Events & Randi Ray, Destination Event Producer of Todd Events

How to build productive relationships that facilitate smooth operations through shared language and understanding.

Keynote

Unfolding The Canvas: Tenting 101

John Hingeley, Founder of Skyline Tent Company

Explore the various styles of tents along with their most beneficial applications, common challenges that occur, and other considerations when you step into the world of tent production.

Keynote

We Are All Sensitive Souls

Todd Fiscus, Founder of Todd Events, Lonnie McGowen Jr. Owner of IMAGE Studios & Laura Franks, Director of Operations & HR of Todd Brand Companies

Hear valuable insights defining discrimination and sexual harassment, so that you can create the right culture for your company amongst the industry’s cast of characters.

Keynote

What's Your Plan?

Todd Fiscus, Founder of Todd Events

How to stop being too busy running a business to plan for the business. Learn how to pause the daily grind, so that you can strategize for the future, scale up your business, reduce the workload to projects that make you happy, and work on your exit strategy.

Keynote

Wine & Wisdom: An Interactive Trivia and Q+A Session

Todd Fiscus, Founder of Todd Events, Randi Ray, Destination Event Producer of Todd Events & Laura Franks, Director of Operations & HR of Todd Brand Companies

Trivia twist on the traditional closing Q&A – test your knowledge and ask your burning conference questions!

Breakout

Big Budget Blooms

Todd Fiscus, Founder of Todd Events & Rishi Patel, CEO & Chief Creative Officer HMR Designs

Forget centerpieces, we’re going big! How do you plan for large-scale installations, that meet the design and budget. Calculating ever-changing floral costs, labor needs, and hidden costs.

Breakout

Power To The Partners

Randi Ray, Destination Event Producer of Todd Events, John Hingeley, Founder of Skyline Tent Company, Andrew Leavitt, Founder of Ironic Reports & Tony Corley, Founder of See-Hear Productions

From the initial inquiry to the smooth strike, what are the top tips for producing the events more smoothly with your vendor partners. We’ll dive into power, tents, risk management and more.

Breakout

Come Fly With Me

Laura Franks, Director of Operations & HR of Todd Brand Companies, Christina Matteucci, Professional Provocatrice & Executive Director, David Beahm Experiences, Carol Holmes, Director of Global Accounts at HelmsBriscoe & Nadine Jervis, Owner of Living Turkoise; Producer at Large, Preston Bailey Entertainment & Set Design

Collectively this group has moved thousands of team members around the globe. Working in remote islands, on the top of mountains, or in foreign countries can all provide another layer of complexity for your production process. Explore how to make it easier, more efficient and less costly.

Partners

Our conference would not be possible without the participation of our incredible partners. Thank you for helping us create this unique experience for the PILLARS FORT WORTH attendees.