Stephanie Jayko is a passionate creative and an accomplished event operations/production manager who is well known for her leadership of theatrical productions and live events. She specializes in corporate event management and high-profile productions.

How did you get started in the industry?

I actually came to the events industry from having worked in theater. I went to school for, and later worked in, production technologies and management for theater. I was mostly working as a Stage and Production Manager for different companies. While I was working as the Production Coordinator for a regional theater company, I was given the task of handling the production for their annual fundraising Gala. I got to be a part of the process all the way through from design to execution. It dawned on me after my second year doing this event, that of all the productions I was working on every year, the Gala was the one I enjoyed working on the most…and it wasn’t actually a theater production, it was an EVENT. I soon after decided to leave the theater world, and have been working in the events industry ever since.

What has been your biggest challenge as a woman in technology?

I’ve found the biggest challenge is getting people to take me seriously. Not only am I a woman, but I am also on the younger side. These two things put together make the uphill climb even steeper. Despite my education and extensive experience (which can be proven by my resume and portfolio at any time) getting the people around me to recognize my expertise is not as easy a task as it should be. I constantly get second-guessed, fact-checked, taught how “how things work”, or completely cut out of technical conversations altogether. It’s frustrating because I’ve spent so much time and energy learning and perfecting my craft, it would be great to be able to do the job without such hurdles.

How do you think women have an advantage in the technical world?

Women are (generally) better at multitasking and handling stress. And this is the ultimate advantage in the technical world, especially where events are concerned. There’s no telling when something might go wrong or change mid-show or any number of “oh crap” moments might happen. Being able to keep your cool, think on your feet and track changes through, all in the same breath makes you an invaluable asset to a tech team!

What is your favorite tech tool?

I’m a BIG fan of Show Flow! It’s a production software that keeps changes in event documents in one place and accessible to your entire team in real time. No more having to print 30 copies of the Run of Show or wondering if you have the most current version. Can you say lifesaver?!

What advice can you give to young women who would like to begin a career in production?

My biggest advice would be to get out there and DO! No matter what discipline you’re looking to get into, whether it’s specific like Audio, Lighting or Projection, or more broad like Production Management, get your hands dirty in every department. The more you know about all the different equipment, needs and uses for it all and how things work, the more valuable you will be to any tech team. Also, remember that any experience is good experience! Whether it’s a paying job or you’re volunteering, your resume lists where you’ve worked, not what you got paid.

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Today we start our new series, taking a look at the powerhouse women working in the technical side of events. And who better to kick off the series than our very own CEO, Heidi Brumbach? We sat down with Heidi to learn more about her experience.

How did you get started in the industry?

I grew up a dancer. I was lucky enough to work professionally in some great productions that exposed me to some very advanced technology. I also worked in venues with practically NO technology! But I learned production from both experiences.

What has been your biggest challenge as a woman in production?

I’ve had times when crew members that don’t know me assumed I couldn’t be in charge, because I’m a girl. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten that vibe, so maybe times have changed!

How do you think women have an advantage in the technical world?

As a woman, I think I’m more approachable to a lot of meeting planners than some of the techs. Having a CMP helps, too

What is your favorite tech tool?

My iPhone! I couldn’t live without it.

What advice can you give to young women who would like to begin a career in production?

Always learn. Keep your eyes open and watch how things are done. Get your hands dirty and be prepared to do some heavy lifting. Never wait for someone to do the hard work for you.

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Heidi Brumbach, CMP, CEO of Technisch Creative, has served five times as an Event Chair for the conference. She continued this role in 2018, as well as serving as the technical producer for the general sessions, bringing a crew of 20 Technisch Creative team members.

The presentation featured 3 large screens to span over 100′ and scenic pieces provided by Atomic Design, Inc., which became projection surfaces for 3D video mapping. We worked with content producers from Innovative Entertainment at the Opening General Session and Animatic Media for the Gala Awards (both pictured below) . We combined rear projection utilizing stacked Epson laser projectors for the main screens, and 20k Barco projectors on the front projection for the mapped content. The result was a bright, vibrant and sharp picture.

Our amazing video crew, lead by Robert Carson, integrated a 9th projector and 7 additional media sources for showcases during Michael Cerbelli’s: The Hot List, an annual feature that introduces top entertainment acts and products for events.

Overall, the sessions showcased the expertise of seasoned professionals from more than 40 sponsors under the direction of Technisch Creative. Over 2000 meeting and event industry professionals attended with a critical eye, collecting ideas for their own events. We were thrilled with the outcome and look forward to next year in San Diego!

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Ok, now down to what event planners really want to know, what does all this Power stuff mean to me? In Part 1 of the Power blog, we  touched on three-phase power. I’m sure you’ve had people tell you “I need a 200 Amp, three-phase, 220 service.” This means you will need three hot conductors at 110 Volts, capable of carrying a maximum of 200 amps on each phase, or leg. (A phase is also referred to as a leg, which is a single hot conductor.) The electrician will run cables from the service panel on the back wall (the one with the big Frankenstein-looking lever), to the distro. The distro will have breakers with amperage values, normally 20 to 50 amps. We achieve the 220 Volts by adding two of the legs together. The plug we use will have two hot legs, a neutral, and a ground. Any higher voltage is beyond the scope of this article and will be ignored. Now all we have to do is make sure we’ve used the equation for power to calculate our load (in amps), and we can connect our gear with relative ease and piece of mind.

At this point, a demonstration of the power equation would probably be in order. Let’s look at the real world and do a calculation using an ordinary household light bulb.

Example:         How much current (in amps) will a 120V 60W light bulb draw?

Using the power equation, we know that:

W = V x A      where W = 60W

V = 120V

With simple algebra, solving for A becomes:

A = W ÷ V

A = 60 ÷ 120

A = .5 Amps

Our household light bulb draws half an amp.

This may seem like an oversimplification, but it really is that simple. All electrical and electronic gear will have at least two, if not all three of the necessary variables marked on its case to calculate the load for that piece of gear. Add all of your loads together, and that is the size of service you need to order. By the way, make sure you leave yourself at least twenty percent for headroom. If you have a 20 Amp breaker, don’t exceed a 16 Amp load. From our example above, that’s the equivalent of 32 bulbs.

By having a basic understanding of power, the event professional becomes something of a “power” as well. You will be able to speak with confidence and authority at your next pre-con. Who knows, you might even show up the tech geeks. Good luck and never be afraid to ask a qualified electrician or technician for help if you don’t understand any of the concepts we’ve covered today. You can send an email to jim@technischcreative.com if you would like to discuss this subject in more detail.

Class dismissed.

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