The Show Must Go On by Bash Creative

The Show Must Go On by Bash Creative
  • 5.0 (3)
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The Show Must Go On is an Event industry relief valve with real expertise underneath it. Hosted by Bash Creative’s executives, Annalee Hagood-Earl and Danielle Leeke, the podcast brings event professionals together for honest, funny, and insightful conversations about what it actually takes to produce corporate events. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the realities of today's event production and dives into the how of every event. Listeners get practical advice they can apply to their own work while feeling seen, understood, and far less alone in the chaos. A trusted guilty pleasure for people across the event industry, listeners come for the stories, stay for the honesty, and leave with sharper instincts. This podcast will make an event professional think, “Finally, someone said it.”

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    Environmental Design for Events with Lauren Montgomery

    Lauren Montgomery holds a BFA in interior architecture, has over 15 years of experience in hotel design, large-scale scenic, and brand activations, and has designed environments for Coachella, Neutrogena, Huda Beauty, Spanx, Lemme, and Bala. She's the founder and creative director of The Design Birds. It is one of the first agencies to offer white-label environmental design services to event producers and creative teams. In this episode, Lauren breaks down how interior architecture training shaped the way she approaches event environments and why great experiential design starts with technical precision. She and Danielle talk about 3D renderings and why nearly every client now expects them, how AI is being used in design iteration, guest journey and spatial flow, the principle of constraint, and what it actually means to design a space that works once people are moving through it. Lauren also gets candid about building The Design Birds around a lane most agencies weren't offering… Design only, no production. She goes into how this focus made her the go-to creative partner for producers who need their events to look as good as they execute. Find resources and more from this episode at: bash-creative.com/podcast Join the Event Enablement Community: https://bash-creative.mn.co/ Attend Event Enablement Academy: bash-creative.com/event-enablement-academy-2027/ Work with Bash Creative: https://www.bash-creative.com/contact/

    Environmental Design for Events with Lauren Montgomery

  2. Sep 25

    Scenic Fabrication + Environmental Design with John Murray

    The polished environments guests see at events are the result of a lot of unseen work. In Episode 8 of The Show Must Go On, Danielle sits down with John Murray, president of John Murray Productions and one of the Bay Area’s most experienced scenic fabricators. Over more than 35 years, John has built physical environments for brands including Meta, Google, Intel, LinkedIn, and Databricks, along with institutions like the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum. John walks through what it takes to turn a creative concept into something that can actually be built, transported, installed, and experienced. They talk about scenic fabrication, material testing, scale, venue access, wayfinding, timelines, sustainability, and why production teams need to think about the full life cycle of a build from the beginning. There are also lessons from decades in the field, including why seamless scenic almost always has a seam somewhere and one of John Murray Productions’ favorite shop rules: “Don’t hose the next guy.” For event producers, scenic designers, experiential marketers, and anyone curious about how event environments move from rendering to reality, this episode offers a practical look inside the fabrication process. Find resources and more from this episode at: www.bash-creative.com/podcast/ Join our community, Event Enablement: https://www.bash-creative.com/enablement-early-access/ Learn from event experts in our live 6-week virtual course: https://www.bash-creative.com/event-enablement-academy-2027 Work with Bash Creative: https://www.bash-creative.com/contact/ Speak on our podcast by emailing: podcast@bash-creative.com

    Scenic Fabrication + Environmental Design with John Murray

  3. Sep 22

    Event Security + Risk Management with Shaw Amirghassemkhany

    Impeccable event security happens when guests barely notice how much monitoring is happening around them. In Episode 7 of The Show Must Go On, Danielle sits down with Shaw Amirghassemkhany, founder of Shaw Management Group. Shaw started his company while attending UC Berkeley and has spent nearly 30 years building a nationwide security operation supporting events, businesses, residential properties, construction sites, and large gatherings. Shaw breaks down event risk assessments, weapons detection, security technology, contingency planning, duty of care, and the role strong security teams play before guests ever arrive. He also shares stories from the field, including relocating an event after a power outage and identifying a potentially harmful electronic device during guest screening. Throughout the episode, Shaw explains how safety and hospitality can work together to protect people without disrupting the guest experience. For event planners, producers, operations teams, and anyone responsible for event safety, this episode offers a practical look at what goes into strong event security. Find resources and more from this episode at: www.bash-creative.com/podcast/ Join our community, Event Enablement: https://www.bash-creative.com/enablement-early-access/ Learn from event experts in our live 6-week virtual course: https://www.bash-creative.com/event-enablement-academy-2027 Work with Bash Creative: https://www.bash-creative.com/contact/ Speak on our podcast by emailing: podcast@bash-creative.com

    Event Security + Risk Management with Shaw Amirghassemkhany

  4. Sep 14

    Event Contracts + Negotiation with Nathan Howze

    Contracts are part of nearly every event, but understanding what they actually protect can make the process feel a lot less intimidating. In Episode 6 of The Show Must Go On, Annalee sits down with attorney and partner at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Nathan Howze, to make contracts and negotiation more approachable. Nathan is an expert at advising businesses on contracts, negotiations, risk, and other legal realities that naturally come with complex work. He also knows Bash’s world firsthand, which keeps the conversation grounded in real event scenarios. Nathan breaks down the contract terms event professionals should understand, where negotiation can make a difference, and why asking the right questions can lead to stronger agreements. They also cover payment terms, liability, force majeure, confidentiality, scope, and the importance of clarity between partners. There is plenty of real-world context too, including vendor agreements, hotel negotiations, and lessons learned from producing complex events. For event planners, producers, business owners, and anyone who regularly reviews vendor or client agreements, this episode offers a practical introduction to event contracts and negotiation. Find resources and more from this episode at: www.bash-creative.com/podcast/ Join our community, Event Enablement: https://www.bash-creative.com/enablement-early-access/ Learn from event experts in our live 6-week virtual course: https://www.bash-creative.com/event-enablement-academy-2027 Work with Bash Creative: https://www.bash-creative.com/contact/ Speak on our podcast by emailing: podcast@bash-creative.com

    Event Contracts + Negotiation with Nathan Howze

  5. Sep 8

    Experiential Design + Guest Psychology with Tome Wilson

    What makes an experience actually stay with someone after the event ends? In Episode 5 of The Show Must Go On, Danielle sits down with Tome Wilson, Bash Creative’s futurist and Senior Manager of Event Innovation. Tome has spent more than two decades working across live experience, technology, education, and human behavior. His work spans Disney, Subaru, Comcast, Xfinity, the Olympics, and Universal. He also holds a master’s in themed entertainment and has spent years teaching the next generation of event professionals. They explore how environmental design shapes what guests feel, notice, and remember. Tome breaks down guest journeys, emotional architecture, thresholds, and sensory design. He also shares why the best place to start is by asking, how should the guest feel when they leave? The conversation dives into active listening, creative judgment, and the grit it takes to turn an idea into a memorable experience. For event planners, experiential designers, corporate event professionals, and anyone interested in guest experience strategy, this episode offers a practical look at designing events around human behavior. Find resources and more from this episode at: www.bash-creative.com/podcast/ Join our community, Event Enablement: https://www.bash-creative.com/enablement-early-access/ Learn from event experts in our live 6-week virtual course: https://www.bash-creative.com/event-enablement-academy-2027 Work with Bash Creative: https://www.bash-creative.com/contact/ Speak on our podcast by emailing: podcast@bash-creative.com

    Experiential Design + Guest Psychology with Tome Wilson

  6. Aug 31

    AV Production + Event Logistics with Mike Kuhlmann

    What does great AV production actually require behind the scenes? In Episode 4 of The Show Must Go On, Annalee sits down with Mike Kuhlmann of Got Light, who has spent 30 years in the events industry and helped produce nearly 2,000 events. During his time with Got Light, Mike has helped grow the company, expand its capabilities beyond lighting into full audio and video production, and lead some of its largest and most complex projects. They unpack the logistics behind strong AV production, why rehearsals and technical site visits matter, and what happens when production partners are not planning together. Mike also breaks down the roles of lighting, audio, video, rigging, and technical direction so emerging event professionals can better understand how each piece contributes to the live experience. And because this is The Show Must Go On, there are stories. Mike shares what happens when weather turns a hilltop event into a mud pit, how Got Light pivoted during the pandemic, and what it takes to respond when a CEO decides to make a last-minute entrance on water skis. For anyone looking to better understand live event AV production, this episode offers a practical look at everything that keeps a show moving. Find resources and more from this episode at: bash-creative.com/podcast/ Join our community, Event Enablement: https://www.bash-creative.com/enablement-early-access/ Learn from event experts in our live 6-week virtual course: https://www.bash-creative.com/event-enablement-academy-2027 Work with Bash Creative: https://www.bash-creative.com/contact/ Speak on our podcast by emailing: podcast@bash-creative.com

    AV Production + Event Logistics with Mike Kuhlmann

  7. Aug 24

    Corporate Event Food + Beverage Strategy with Tommy Halverson

    In Episode 3 of The Show Must Go On, Annalee sits down with Tommy Halvorson, founder and owner of The Fire Society, the hospitality group behind Foxtail Catering & Events, Radish Workplace Services, Tonic Beverage Catering, and Wolfsbane. With more than two decades of experience building hospitality businesses and executing complex events, Tommy brings an operator’s perspective to what great corporate event catering actually requires. They unpack why corporate event food and beverage should be approached as part of the event strategy. Tommy explains why caterers need to understand the experience you are trying to create and what separates an order-taker from a true strategic catering partner. The conversation also gets into one of the biggest misconceptions around event food and beverage budgets... That the food itself is only one piece of the cost. He dives into the realities that bringing a restaurant-quality experience to a temporary environment affects catering costs. And then there are the stories you only get from someone who has done the work. Like building nearly 400 delicate potato “nests” for a wedding and figuring out how to transport them 90 miles without destroying them. Find resources and more from this episode at bash-creative.com/podcast Join our community, Event Enablement: https://www.bash-creative.com/enablement-early-access/ Learn from event experts in our live 6-week virtual course: https://www.bash-creative.com/event-enablement-academy-2027 Work with Bash Creative: https://www.bash-creative.com/contact/ Speak on our podcast by emailing: podcast@bash-creative.com

    Corporate Event Food + Beverage Strategy with Tommy Halverson

  8. Aug 18

    Event Environmental Design + Guest Experience with Natalie Dalton

    What makes one event space feel effortless while another feels confusing, crowded, or disconnected? In Episode 2 of The Show Must Go On, Annalee Hagood-Earl talks with Bash Creative Creative Producer Natalie Dalton about environmental design and the subtle decisions that shape how people move, interact, and feel inside an event. The conversation goes far beyond furniture and décor. Natalie breaks down guest journey, wayfinding, floor plans, room sets, lighting, activations, site visits, load-in considerations, and the importance of designing for real human behavior. She also shares how travel, architecture, culture, and hospitality have influenced the way she approaches each event she engineers. At its core, this episode is about designing spaces with more intention. Because the strongest environments help people understand where to go, feel comfortable being there, and connect more naturally with the experience around them. Find show notes, resources, and more from this episode at: www.bash-creative.com/podcast/ Join our community, Event Enablement: https://www.bash-creative.com/enablement-early-access/ Learn from event experts in our live 6-week virtual course: https://www.bash-creative.com/event-enablement-academy-2027 Work with Bash Creative: https://www.bash-creative.com/contact/ Speak on our podcast by emailing: podcast@bash-creative.com

    Event Environmental Design + Guest Experience with Natalie Dalton

  9. Aug 10

    Event Budgeting + Production Management with Danielle Leeke

    What does it actually take to manage a corporate event from the inside? In our first episode of The Show Must Go On, Annalee sits down with Danielle Leeke, Director of Event Operations at Bash Creative, to unpack the systems, instincts, and decision-making behind strong event production management. Danielle shares how experienced producers think beyond task lists to manage the full picture of an event. From defining scope and managing stakeholders to building production timelines, tracking multi-million-dollar budgets, preparing contingency plans, and navigating last-minute changes, this conversation gets into the work that keeps complex events moving. Whether you are building your career in events, managing corporate events internally, or simply want a better understanding of what happens behind the scenes, this episode offers a practical look at how great producers approach the work. Find show notes, resources, and more from this episode at: https://www.bash-creative.com/podcast/ Join our community, Event Enablement: https://www.bash-creative.com/enablement-early-access/ Learn from event experts in our live 6-week virtual course: https://www.bash-creative.com/event-enablement-academy-2027 Work with Bash Creative: https://www.bash-creative.com/contact/ Speak on our podcast by emailing: podcast@bash-creative.com

    Event Budgeting + Production Management with Danielle Leeke
  • 9 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Show Must Go On is an Event industry relief valve with real expertise underneath it. Hosted by Bash Creative’s executives, Annalee Hagood-Earl and Danielle Leeke, the podcast brings event professionals together for honest, funny, and insightful conversations about what it actually takes to produce corporate events. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the realities of today's event production and dives into the how of every event. Listeners get practical advice they can apply to their own work while feeling seen, understood, and far less alone in the chaos. A trusted guilty pleasure for people across the event industry, listeners come for the stories, stay for the honesty, and leave with sharper instincts. This podcast will make an event professional think, “Finally, someone said it.”

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