The Event Nerd

08/03/2024

(quick) Story time.

About two years ago, Visit Dallas asked if I could hang out with a film crew and show them around Deep Ellum. For a night, I got to be on camera, hanging out with the inimitable Amon Focus and the Odyssey, a Miles Partnership Company crew, showing them some of my favorite places and laughing a LOT. We listened to live music at Deep Ellum Art Company, ate BBQ, drank Old Fashioneds at Dot's Hop House & Cocktail Courtyard, and stayed up WAY too late.

One year ago, my new friends at Odyssey, a Miles Partnership Company reached out and asked if I'd be interested in co-hosting a new concept travel show they were working on with Amon. We would travel around to places all across the country and experience the celebrations that make the country great (still). The goal was to show that, in communities small and great, we all have moments where we can and do come together to celebrate and that celebration is more powerful than division.

Six months ago I traveled to Mobile, AL for a VERY different Mardi Gras experience and the first episode in what will hopefully be a long-running series. With a full production crew and back-to-back 12-hour shoot days, we put together a pilot episode that I'm pretty proud of and hope you'll enjoy.

No clue where this goes from here, but hopefully we'll be showing up to more places where people gather to capture more moments that matter.

Happy Saturday, friends.

Witness the USA at its most celebrated in this travel show all about events. Episode 1 takes hosts Amon Focus and J. Damany Daniel to the Gulf Coast and Mobi...

05/17/2024

04/30/2024

09/01/2023

Throwin’ it back a year to the first EVER Salesloft event in Austin where keeping sales weird and fun(ky) was mission number one for attendees. Saleslove was designed to be more than just your average corporate conference.

How? By incorporating some of the hottest spots in the city. By modeling the look and feel to be that of a vibey music festival complete with concert-grade lighting and audio, an interactive house band, experience-driven activations, and even a fully customized walk-in music track for the CMO.

This marked the beginning of a b-e-a-utiful partnership with Salesloft that was followed by a ‘Saleslove On Tour’ roadshow this year and we’re not done yet…We’ll give you one hint: Mr. Worldwide, anyone?

08/23/2023

Welcome to our fully immersive day out with (a small fraction of) the Nerd Herd.
Obviously, we’re obsessed with curated experiences so we ventured up to Grapevine where we started our day with lunch at none other than the . We had a gorilla overlooking our table who would randomly pound his fist, perhaps in protest of his foodless robot life. The thunderstorms were what truly stole the show though, let’s be honest 🦍⛈️
Then we headed to the main event…wondering, wandering, and weirdo-ing around the magical exhibit where we were graciously welcomed by our homie who served as the artist liaison for the epicness that is ‘The Real Unreal’, an exhibition dedicated to finding yourself. If you haven’t had the chance to visit yet, it better be on your list. The works include tons of mindblowing and let’s be honest, trippy works from some of the best artists in DFW. We don’t want to spoil too much of its splendor, but we can promise you that it’s worth it and even better enjoyed post-rainforest cafe cocktail 🌴🖼️

08/18/2023

Earlier this week we headed to J. Damany Daniel's old stomping grounds of Tusla, OK to produce the global launch of Risha D. Grant's book, 'Be better than your BS”. It was legit. And that ain’t no BS.

08/08/2023

Hello, is this thing on? You bet it is. Did you know that we have a broadcast studio right in Deep Ellum where we can make your wildest digital event dreams come true? Whether it’s a smaller-scale webinar or fireside chat that you’re looking to spice up with a cool set design or a live global broadcast that requires digital breakout rooms and a main stage, we can make it happen 💥

07/24/2023

To say we were blown away by the dopeness that was Irving’s Sparks & Stripes Fourth of July event this year would be an understatement. In the scorching heat that is this (and really, every) July in Texas, we definitely put the sweat in the Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

This was a rad event to produce, and as always, our partners helped us bring the DFW sky to life. It was also made just a little sweeter knowing that we got to celebrate with our friends and family on the lawn for the (free) show. Thank you to the City of Irving for trusting us with this bold concept. How ‘bout we make it even more badass next year? 💥

Illumination Fireworks S**g Carpet Props Visit Irving, Texas FlyLight Drones Onstage Systems BEYOND Sly5thAve

07/03/2023

WHO 👏 LIKES 👏 FREE 👏 FIREWORKS 👏 Tomorrow we’re producing the Sparks & Stripes extravaganza in Irving, TX and you’re invited.
Grab ya kids, grab ya wife, grab ya pals, and come meet us at the Levy Event Plaza for an event of FIRE and MUSIC and FOOD. Plus a lil’ light and drone show to really spice things up.
We’re stoked to be working with the best of the best on this project:










Drop your homies name in the comments and get ready for the most fabulous Fourth of July celebration there ever was 🎆

06/30/2023

Imagine how much cooler a conference would be if you found yourself walking onto the floor of an indoor basketball court for a coffee and keynote, sitting atop a tile-lined swimming pool for a break-out session, and sipping your reception cocktail overlooking Millennium Park and Lake Michigan. Well, that was the reality for attendees of the On Tour event in Chicago.
The goal of the series was to create a more intimate and hands-on conference experience that also highlighted the unique flare of each destination. Selecting the spaces that hosted this series was a huge part of the fun.
While the official tour kicked off in April of this year, the genesis went back to last fall after producing SalesLoft’s first in-person conference since Covid. Collectively there were over 750 attendees over the course of the three events and proved to be a HUGE HIT in North America. That said, we’re pretty pumped to have something big brewing this fall. We'll see you on the road 😎
Salesloft

06/22/2023

Before the fireworks and the fun, there comes…the planning. The vision making. The pressure testing. The “Can we make this work the way we dreamed it up?” This week has been filled with site visits with all of the key players and partners who will be helping us turn this big ole’ field into a Fourth of July extravaganza.

BEYOND Illumination Fireworks S**g Carpet Props Onstage Systems J. Damany Daniel FlyLight Drones Visit Irving, Texas

06/21/2023

HEY YOU! Yes, you. How does a massive FREE Fourth of July party along the water sound? We are beyond pumped to be producing this year’s Sparks & Stripes Celebration hosted by . The best part? This isn’t just any firework show. The evening lineup comes complete with a drone performance, live music, and a ton of other stellar surprises in store💥
All you gotta do is mark your calendar and head to Levy Event Plaza on July 4th from 6 pm onward. Want to skip the stress of traffic and parking? Hop on the orange line straight to Las Colinas where you can walk without the hassle.
Drop your favorite fire emoji in the comments if we’ll see you there 🎇

06/14/2023

What are you doing to celebrate this year? Well...we have a better idea. How about you grab some friends, head to Deep Ellum (one of Dallas’ first desegregated neighborhoods), and soak up the splendor that is the ‘Griot, Telling Our Story’ a Limited Engagement Gallery right in the heart of Main St.
You guys are going to be BLOWN AWAY by the greatness that is this collection of Black artists' work curated by Jennifer Monet Cowley & The Imagining Freedom Institute.
WHEN: Every weekend in June. Thurs-Sat: 5-9 pm, Sunday: 12-5 pm
WHERE: 2646 Main St. Suite 100
When we were given the opportunity to help build this showcase of Black history, arts, and culture, we didn't think twice about being involved. Getting to build it alongside the Deep Ellum Foundation, the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, and the INAUGURAL JUNETEENTH ON MAIN BLOCK PARTY: Dallas, TX. made it even more special. Thank you, friends, for choosing to support such important and beautiful work.
J. Damany Daniel

06/06/2023

Load in and rehearsal day are running smoooooth for tomorrow’s Salesloft event at one of the swankiest, historic hotels in Chicago 😎
The Chicago Athletic Association hotel building was home of the Chicago Athletic Association, founded in 1893. This makes for some of the most unique event spaces including but not limited to: the old basketball court and a filled in swimming pool space.
Who’s been here before?! If you haven’t, you no doubt need to stop and check it out next time you’re in the Windy City 🏙️

05/04/2023

Next week, we're producing Visit Dallas's annual meeting, a big annual bash focused on bringing together the top minds and tastemakers in the city. They'll be spotlighting how dope of a place Dallas is and getting people energized to celebrate the city as the badass destination it is. We think an annual meeting can in fact be a party. Don't believe us? We dare you to come and see for yourself 💥
Last year, we brought in the South Oak Cliff HS marching band, a harpist, live art, and multiple performances…yep, we said performances...into a morning meeting. We promise there will be many surprises in store for this year. Go grab your ticket and we'll see you Tuesday: https://www.visitdallas.com/annual-meeting/ 🤝

04/17/2023

Do you feel that in the air? You know. The pep in your step. The fresh mindset brewing. Every year, it blows our minds that all it takes to turn your mood is sunshine and fresh air ☀️
Spring is such a stellar time for events because people are READY to bust out of hibernation and celebrate the turn of the seasons.
Here are some of our favorite spring productions from the vault🔐

04/06/2023

WHADDUP COLORADO? This week, we ventured to the mile-high city to launch the first stop of the Salesloft roadshow and it went off without a hitch.
When we travel for events, we try our damnedest to include our partners in the experience and make new friends along. Why? Because we know that together we are capable of creating magic. Next stop: New York City babbbbyyyy.

BEYOND Ace Exhibits Simply Mox

03/23/2023

Looking for one small way you can make a massive impact when it comes to event production? Incorporate the arts 🎨
Everyone will notice. Everyone will pay attention. Everyone will care. Experiencing art is one of the magical elements of being human. So why is it that when we show up to an event, the vibe immediately becomes “welcome to this corporate thing.”
That's a one-way ticket to ick that we are on a mission to avoid. So we bring in high school drumlines to hospitality conferences. We put live muralists on stage at anniversary parties. We create original compositions to be performed live as a walk-out song before a CEO's welcome speech. The list is endless.
You can make events memorable and everlasting with one simple ingredient: the arts 🎭
Read our full blog about the ten things we've learned about event production in ten years here: https://www.theeventnerd.com/ten-things-weve-learned-about-event-production-in-ten-years/

03/09/2023

The wait (from the weather delay, Texas you cray) was waaaaay worth it on this one.

03/08/2023

Most of our brilliance is because of the badass women we work with, plain and simple. Working in the events industry, you come across a lot of doers and dreamers and it’s quite the honor to be surrounded by so many legendary ladies. Happy International Women’s Day, today and every day🦸‍♀️

03/08/2023

This week has been a whirlwind and it's ONLY WEDNESDAY. Four cities in three days all in the name of scouting some seriously sweet sites that will house Salesloft's 'Saleslove On Tour' in the coming months. Pumped to be producing this roadshow concept that was spun off of an event we created together last fall in Austin. 'On Tour' events will be a fusion of product education and awesome networking opportunities for attendees💥
First stop: Denver 🏔️
Second stop: Chicago 💨
Last stop: Brooklyn 🌉
Wrapping up the site visits in Brooklyn hit close to home because J. Damany Daniel's roots are tied right back to that New York borough. Even if we only had time to grab a slice of pizza (or three), it's always a treat to romp around the old stomping grounds🍕
Can't wait to make some magic in these spaces. Salesloft, let's do this thing.

03/06/2023

WOW. What an absolute honor to have brought home the award tonight for event production of the year (over $25k)💥
We were up against so many top notch nominees and simply being in the room with the best of the best of the DFW events industry tonight was incredible in its own right 🙏
The event in that brought us home the gold? produced by yours truly for .
It took so many incredible people to help pull off such an epic, immersive, cultural experience. We’re talking music by the + . Spoken word poetry by . Dancing by . Original art by + . Food by + . The dopest Dallas venue . Lighting by + . Decor by . The list goes on and on.
Thank you to everyone who helped to make this event truly unforgettable. And now we have a permanent reminder of the bliss that was that day forever. THANK YOU , what an absolute treat.
:

03/03/2023

Let's talk lighting. Nothing sets a mood better than the right atmosphere and in the world of events, you have a VERY short amount of time to make a splash 💥
Lighting is one of our go-to ways to transform a space. Our job is to dream up the right ways to spotlight the most important elements in the room, and great lighting creates a visual guide when it comes to telling your story💡
Whether it's uplighting a badass piece of art, projecting visuals with lasers, or illuminating the stage juuuuust right so that the focus is in places people don't expect - lighting matters...a lot.
We're lucky to work with the best of the best over at BEYOND and Onstage Systems, who constantly bring our visions to brilliant life. Together we've told so many stories and created so many memories. From projection mapping historic buildings in downtown Brownsville, TX to interactive decor lighting synced up to complement a performance by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Questlove to a hundred glowing orbs creating a "starry night" overhead, we've done it all.
What can we light up next?