In 2016, I took on my first role as a project manager, overseeing a local one-day music festival featuring a single stage with 6 musicians, including both DJs and rappers. Despite the relatively small scale of the event, the position came with a wide range of responsibilities that allowed me to cut my teeth on the many facets of event production and artist management.

To ensure the festival ran smoothly, I served as the primary point of contact for the musicians' tour managers, coordinating essential event logistics. I managed the artists' backstage hospitality, making sure their needs were met so they could focus on delivering top-notch performances.

Behind the scenes, I navigated the complex world of event permitting, securing the necessary approvals to host the outdoor festival. I hired and managed the security teams who kept attendees safe, and worked with the city to arrange road closures and parking meter reservations, minimizing the event's impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

From coordinating the rental and setup of barricades to overseeing the stage production setup and teardown, I wore many hats as the project manager. My attention to detail, communication skills, and ability to think on my feet allowed me to successfully juggle the many moving parts involved in putting on a memorable event.

While it was a small festival, my first experience as a project manager provided invaluable hands-on experience and ignited my passion for a career in orchestrating and executing projects. The skills and knowledge I gained laid the foundation for the impressive track record of successful events I have overseen since.