The Phoenix – 2023

In October of 2021, I sat outside at restaurant in Phoenix, AZ. The sun was shining and we had just completed our first event since suspending operations due to Covid restrictions. To be honest, I was hanging by a thread and I wasn’t sure if we would be able to come back after being shut down for so long. Everything had changed and maybe it was time to close up shop and move on.

Seeing people together once again and forgetting about the troubles in the world for awhile made me think maybe there was hope that we could safely bring in person events back again. Maybe we could rebuild, but so many questions remained.

I’m a person who believes a much higher power guides our life. I often ask, “Okay God, what do you want me to do?” That day I was asking that very question. Then I realized where I was, Phoenix.

If you know the story of the Phoenix, it makes sense. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians described a mythical bird called the Phoenix, a magnificent creature that was a symbol of renewal and rebirth. According to legend, only one Phoenix lived at a time. Just before its time was up, the Phoenix built a nest and set itself on fire. Then, a new Phoenix would rise from the ashes.
I had my answer. It was time to get to work on rising from the ashes.

In 2022, we resumed full operations. It was slow going convincing clients it was safe to do events again. The first six months of the year was groundwork and getting the gears turning again. By the end of 2022, we had completed 32 events. The goal was now to go from surviving to thriving.

2023, marks our 15th year in business and I’m so happy to share our event team has now completed 100 event productions so far this year. It hasn’t been without challenges and it hasn’t been easy, but I want to thank every person who has helped make it happen along the way.

As the clock winds down on 2023, we aren’t slowing down. We still have some incredible events we are working on for our home city of Pittsburgh as well as 2 concerts and events in 6 states before the end of the year.

I’m thankful, grateful and hopeful for the days ahead. The madness in the world weighs heavily and I hope we can all learn to live together in peace and work toward renewal and rebirth for all.