STAGETIME PRODUCTIONS - Key Persons
Cory has worked in the event field for since 2011 years including projects like the Ice Castles at MOA, Food Access Summit, the Walk to End Hunger and over 200 other events all over Minnesota and out of state as well! Cory has experience in the following: auction, registration, ClickBid online bidding, coordinating, conferences, galas, walks/runs and team building. Cory is particularly interested in electronic bidding. He excels in helping clients learn the numerous features of ClickBid and enjoys working events both locally and nationally. Cory's outgoing personality and dedication to working non-profit events makes him a valued member of the Stagetime team. Whether he is the lead on an event or a costumed character, Cory truly loves what he does! Our staff and clients are some of his favorite people.
Jackie's 20+ years in live events runs the gamut - corporate, non-profit, festivals, conferences, one-day, multi-week, indoor, outdoor - she even managed an Ice Palace for 3 weeks. And she haaaaaates cold weather!
Jackie's career started out in civic festival land, working for the St. Paul Winter Carnival. Next, she tackled the corporate + convention universe at Design Group, and then shifted to the non-profit sector at Children's Cancer Research Fund, where she managed the production of two key annual programs; leading committees, soliciting sponsorships, developing communication campaigns and managing event + show logistics.
In 2011, Jackie took a leap of faith and started Plate Spinner Productions, so that she could balance family + work in the best way possible - working from home! Sample projects include managing the University of Minnesota presence at the State Fair; producing (and planning!) multiple non-profit galas in the Twin Cities, producing groundbreaking + grand opening events for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board; producing the annual Taste of the NFL and numerous Super Bowl 52 programs, and producing a number of events for corporations around town - Target, Best Buy, Boston Scientific and UNFI to name a few. She has a unique skill set as a planner + producer, so she can shift as needed to accommodate budgets and client needs.
In 2020, she joined forces with the State of MN + North Star Events, and was a leader in the COVID-19 testing + vaccine roll-out and implementation across Minnesota. From October 2020-April 2022, she proudly served (w/ countless frontline heroes) alongside her friends at the MN National Guard as the Logistics Lead at the Inver Grove Heights testing site.
When Jackie is not working events, you can usually find her in the Starbucks drive-thru, helping out at her family's food truck, running around a Mpls lake, or taking in a local concert with her family + friends. She loves the Twin Cities in the summer!
Job Titles:
- Event Planner / Project Manager / Auction & Registration Manager
James has been an event planner since 2010. He has worked with Stagetime Productions since it's inception.
James went to school for graphic design. He started his career in advertising design and then expanded into website layout and design, video editing and additional graphic design work, including logo design, full color catalogs, banner/poster design, and digital design including PowerPoint and social media. James also worked with a publishing company designing advertisements and had been with them for 16 years.
James started his event career as a volunteer for the several non profits galas. After a couple years, he started taking lead positions with the silent auction and found smoother and more efficient ways for them to achieve a more successful fundraiser. In 2003, James was one of the first people to join Stagetime Productions, working as a stage manager, graphic designer and silent auction coordinator.
Some of his biggest projects to date are the Experience STEAM (event planner), Walk To End Hunger (event planner), A Night to Bel13ve Gala (registration lead), SuperBowl Live 52 (assistant producer) and Diamond Awards (auction lead). He enjoys the ever changing, always challenging, environment and finds satisfaction working with both non profit organizations and corporate clients to produce extraordinary events.
Jess Wright has been in the events industry for over 13 years. She has planned and coordinated galas, conferences, peer to peer fundraisers and more. Jess has been working with the Stagetime Productions team since 2016. She prides herself on being a ClickBid guru and silent auction expert. Some of Jess' biggest events to date include The Great Girl Gathering for Girl Scouts RV for over 100,000 people at the Mall of America, The Uptown Art Fair for over 200,000 and numerous gala's and peer to peer events at local non-profits. Jess loves working with stagetime clients to assist with their auctions and ensure they raise top dollar for their important causes!
Job Titles:
- Creative Director
- Member of the Stagetime Team
In addition to an extremely successful career as an stage, television and film actor (Thin Ice, Best Man Down, Farmer Of The Year, The Public Domain and Factotum), James has also served the business community as a creative director for both Jack Morton Worldwide, an international leader in branded live events, and Periscope Advertising, the Twin Cities largest independent ad agency, where his client list included Target, General Mills, Arctic Cat, United Health Group, The Minnesota Twins and Boston Scientific. The former Artistic Director of Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop, James is also the founder and co-owner of Out of the Blue, a speaking/training and entertainment company, as well as a co-producer and partner for Casting Spells Productions, a theatrical production company, based in the Twin Cities.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Stagetime Team
- Producer
Job Titles:
- Event Planner / Project Manager / Registration Manager
Manda has worked in the events industry for over 15 years. She has planned and coordinated galas, conferences, weddings, fundraisers and more! She also works closely with her community athletics groups to plan and run their fundraising events and tournaments.
Manda has been working with the Stagetime Productions team since 2022. She thrives on working through the details to create a successful and seamless event, prides herself on her problem solving skills and works to develop strong relationships with all of the clients she works with. Manda is an event planner, project manager, day of coordinator and registration lead, but is happy to work with clients on whatever their needs may be.
Job Titles:
- Creative Director
- Member of the Stagetime Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Stagetime Team
- Producer
In Mike's 40 year career in theater, television and event production, he has performed nearly every position on and off the stage and in front and behind the camera. With this experience, he is skilled at coordinating all aspects of a production. In 20 years as Video Producer and Creative Director at StoneArch Creative, he produced and directed national and International events for 30 to 3000 attendees with clients that included Medtronic, Ceridian, Novartis, Ecowater, Unisys, and Gap InternationaI.
Mike joined the Stagetime team in 2018 to assist with Super Bowl Live and has since produced several productions becoming a bit of an event logistics specialist. When not involved in a Stagetime event you will find Mike building things, gardening, hunting mushrooms or serving up tropical tiki cocktails.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Stagetime Team
- Producer
Monica Birrenkott has worked in the theater and event worlds as a lighting designer, LED video technician, stage manager and producer for over ten years. She had the opportunity to tour as a lighting technician and programmer with various national music acts including Slipknot and Pretty Lights before settling into the Minneapolis event world. Although, theater and stage management will always be her first love. Monica is excited to be a part of the Stagetime Productions team and be a part of the great events we produce.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Stagetime Team
- Producer
Nicole has 15+ years of experience as a live event professional, including producing, directing, writing, creative development, hiring/casting, and project management. Her many projects include conventions, festivals, galas, and international tours.
Nicole's career started in family entertainment, bringing big brands to life on stage, at events, and in theme parks. With former coworkers like Muppets and Microraptors, she is an expert in adapting to each client's needs. Some other partners Nicole has worked with include Universal Studios, Nickelodeon, Sanrio, Sesame Workshop, Hasbro, and the USO.
Job Titles:
- Event Planner / Project Manager / Registration Manager
Robin has worked in the events industry for the better part of 25 years. She was a talent agent for comedians and speakers in the college market for over 15 years and over the past 10 years has planned numerous events including galas, conferences, races, concerts and more.
Robin joined Stagetime Productions in 2016 and absolutely loves to work with clients and the Stagetime team to put on events that educate, entertain and inform. She loves the energy of an event and prides herself on problem solving, attention to detail and making people smile. You will often see her leading registration at events and recently managed an event with over 1,300 attendees. She also handles some major events as the Event Planner and/or Project Manager.
"I love helping our clients and guests have a successful event! I love that they can look to us to provide the support, experience, and know-how so that they can truly be present with their audience. I love what I do, and it feeds my heart in so many ways."
Job Titles:
- Owner
- Producer
- Owner, Producer )
Shannon began her career as the Entertainment Manager at Valleyfair Amusement Park, where she wrote and produced over 50 shows. She was a member of the 1992 Camp Snoopy Grand Opening Team at Mall of America, where she was the Director of Entertainment for 5 years.
Shannon then spent 5 years at Jack Morton Worldwide, an international communications and events agency. She managed the Target account, working on the opening of Target House II and the Torino Olympics.
Shannon founded Stagetime Productions in 2003, a full-service event planning and production company. She was the Director of Operations and Logistics for Super Bowl Live and the Director of Operations and Development for the Winter Carnival Ice Palace. She was also the Executive Producer of the MN Sesquicentennial Statehood Weekend and the show producer for the National Senior Games Celebration of Athletes Ceremony at CHS Field.
Shannon produced the 2015 Centennial Celebration for the Twin Cities United Way, the MN Twins Diamond Awards, Capella University Commencement Ceremonies, the Children's Hospital Gala, as well as the Forum on Workplace Inclusion Conference, the Food Access Summit and the Walk to End Hunger.
Shannon is an accomplished musician. She plays trumpet with Brio Brass and 1 st Things 1 st and is the pianist for Showstoppers, a Cabaret show that tours throughout the United States.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager
- Event Coordinator / Silent Auction Manager
Todd-Allen has worked as a Project Manager at various companies for 18 years and has worked in the event industry for 10 years. He has worked with Stagetime Productions as a Project Manager and Event Coordinator for 9 years. He specializes in silent auction coordination and onsite management as well as volunteer management and electronic bidding.
Todd-Allen started his career in project management for a large advertising agency where he worked for 5 years as their Special Projects Team Leader. He then went on to work as a project manager and Special Projects Team Leader in the vending management and mortgage industry.
Todd-Allen started in events as a volunteer for several non profits, focusing on their silent auctions and volunteer management. In 2003, He started working with Stagetime Productions, where he works as an Silent Auction Manager and Electronic Bidding Consultant, as well as handling onsite logistics and speaker management. Todd-Allen also works as a freelance contractor with Capella University, working with their Events Department for the last 5 years. He oversees various projects and travels throughout the country to assist with monthly residencies and commencement ceremonies.