Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Melo.
Hi Kelly, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have been in the events industry for my entire working career. I’ve always known that I wanted to produce events and have had the opportunity to jump around in my roles throughout the years. My journey started in high school, managing fundraisers for a nonprofit organization. From there, I segued into corporate events as an internal planner and then found my legs in production. Starting in logistics management, I worked on many galas, corporate road shows, product launches, and large-scale general session productions. I quickly became interested in the show production and tech side of the business and so I cultivated my skillset to round out my services. Its been 27 years and I continue to challenge myself to learn and grow.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been smooth, but it has been a learning experience and a continued opportunity to grow personally and professionally. The biggest challenges always come from the unknown elements. Events are living breathing entities with a million opportunities for challenges to pop up along the journey. Every challenge is a learning opportunity and I’ve gathered a lot of knowledge along the way. This career has turned me into the most resourceful human that I know.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The short answer is… I produce and direct live shows. In pre-production, I work with the client to develop shows creatively and visually with the goal of engaging the audience. Using the vision, I bridge the gap with tech and talent to bring the show to life. I write the technical cues and manage the content that plays during show. Onsite, I run rehearsals and call the cues during show.
I am most proud of the Ellison Institute Rebels with a Cause event that I produced a few years ago. After intricately planning every painstaking detail of a gala dinner with The Red Hot Chili Peppers headlining, we were forced to move locations on day 1 of our 4 day install. Finding a new location and sourcing the infrastructure to support that event was the biggest logistics challenge of my career. The event went off without a hitch and we raised over $12 million dollars that evening.
What sets me apart from others is that I don’t believe in failure. I take great pride in my work and I absolutely will do everything in my power to ensure success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kellymelo.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellymelo/
