Experience

• 

  Performa Tours Inc.

  • Greater Salt Lake City Area

  • President and Owner

    • Jan 2015 - Present
    • Greater Salt Lake City Area

• 

  NATIONAL EVENTS / BRIGHTSPARK EVENTS

  • Salt Lake City

  • President - Managing Director of Events

    • Feb 1987 - Jan 2014
    • Salt Lake City

    NATIONAL EVENTS / BRIGHTSPARK EVENTS, Salt Lake City, Utah 1987 to 2014Prominent national company providing music tours and festivals. A leader in bowl game halftime production as well as many other high profile event productions.Founder, Owner and President - Created and developed complete company structure to become a multi million dollar operation. Active in all areas of business management and operation. Engaged in creating and producing many different events for the student market and other markets. Active in business designs and data management to create a customer focused system of providing the best possible product. Involved in all aspects of day to day operations including sales, logistics, music production and delivery of all products. Personally acted as event director and coordinator at hundreds of events.Over 27 years of creating, selling and producing music events for public and private high school music groups. Involved in many high profile productions as well as many educational programs. Grew the business to produce over $5 million in annual sales and capture above average profit margin.• College Football Halftime Shows - Responsible for developing and producing hundreds of halftime shows for college bowl games. These events were highly successful and involved three areas of production: Halftime Show, Music Festival, and Custom Tour Package. Personally assumed the role of Event Director at many bowl games including the Holiday Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Freedom Bowl, and Outback Bowl. Was recognized for 27 years of halftime production at the Outback Bowl this year on January 1st 2014.• Spring Music Festivals - These music festivals were operated in all major US cities and provided groups with an opportunity to perform and be adjudicated for their performance. Was event director for the largest of all of the spring events for over 15 years, Toronto Music Festival.

• 

  Murdock Travel

  • Salt Lake City

  • Group Sales Manager

    • Jun 1984 - Jan 1987
    • Salt Lake City

    Largest travel agency in the western United States. Murdock Travel’s many departments included IT, business, vacation, group tours and LDS Church travel.Manager – Student Music Group ToursHired to create and lead a student travel division in the group department of Murdock Travel. Developed all the programs and marketing to launch this new division. Was instrumental in the areas of marketing, sales, delivery and customer service. • After the first year, recorded revenues for the division reached over $1 million in sales. Encouraged to grow team. Continued to increase revenue each year.• Initiated new tracking and cost controls which boosted profit margins over what other groups in the company had done. Helped to develop a customer data base system to use in sales as well as produce management financial reports. • Received yearly recognition for increased revenue and exceeding profit projections. • Completed a two year graduate degree in travel management at the Institute of Certified Travel Agents. Worked with incentive travel with various corporations in Utah. Was involved in two of the major trips produced for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

• 

  Heritage Festivals

  • Salt Lake City

  • Director of Sales

    • Apr 1981 - Jun 1984
    • Salt Lake City

    National and International provider of Spring Music Festivals and Bowl Game Productions.Founder and Sales ManagerManaged sales team and helped to create and sell large list of festival products. Instrumental in developing new markets and putting all systems in place to deliver the product. Was involved in setting up all office procedures and the infrastructure to manage sales. Became event director for many different spring events and also produced and directed multiple bowl game productions.• Festival director for events in Anaheim, San Antonio, Nashville, New Orleans and Toronto Canada. Helped sell groups to these and many other festival destinations.• Created a sales training program using the skills and education received from Southwestern Institute.• Helped to design and organize the tour operations department. Realized a dramatic increase in customer satisfaction and helped to put in place the customer survey evaluation reports.• Drove sales in the 3rd year to a record $6 million in revenues. Participated in management decisions and was helpful in growing a new bowl game halftime show concept.

• 

  Fiesta International Festivals

  • Salt Lake City

  • Director of Sales

    • Feb 1978 - Apr 1981
    • Salt Lake City

    Provider of international music festivals in Mexico City, Taxco and Acapulco.Senior Sales and Event DirectorWas responsible to sell and operate music festivals for choirs and bands in Mexico City. Was involved in marketing of products, negotiating tour components and securing venues and all other details of the festival. Other responsibilities included overseeing the successful operation of the tour while in Mexico. Oversaw the production and operation of the performances and school exchanges for the groups.• Instigated a sales strategy that boosted sales past previous marks through invitations and referrals. • Developed negotiation skills that proved helpful in many areas of my professional career. Initiated ways to track expenses and control costs thru visibility. • Brought company to status of largest provider of educational music groups traveling to Mexico. Received recognition from travel organizations and federal government in Mexico. Eventually recruited away to start a new company.