This month, we’re excited to introduce you to Josh Cassarly, our Event Operations Hardware Manager. Our Event Operations team works alongside our partners before their events, as well as on-site, to offer assistance by providing and managing event hardware, developing efficient admissions processes, or simply offering an extra hand at the gate when needed. Since joining our team over two years ago, Josh has had a hand in overseeing the growth of the Event Ops team, as well as grown the scope of partners they’re able to assist every day.
Josh graduated from Columbia College in 2008 with a degree in Audio Arts and Acoustics, with a concentration in Live Sound Reinforcement. After graduation, he began working at Austin-based TV station KCWX-TV as the Master Control Operator, where he helped troubleshoot arising issues and set up technical product aspects for the switcher, recording devices, the complete audio system, and more. After two years there, Josh looked onward for new challenges, eventually moving back to Pittsburgh for the next step in his career. Knowing Josh had a penchant for live events and a background in customer service, a friend recommended he apply to the Client Support team at ShowClix. He excelled right off the bat.
Josh’s constantly developing experience helping our partners paired with his passion for live events led him to quickly become an invaluable asset to the ShowClix team, eventually earning the title of Event Operations Hardware Manager. Today, Josh continues to work closely with many of our partners, providing them with the tools they need to ensure the success of their events. When not at the office, Josh can be found exploring Pittsburgh or just hanging with the family.
As Event Operations Hardware Manager, what does a typical week look like for you?
It really all depends on what time of year it is and what events we have coming up. There’s a lot of forecasting going on no matter what. We really have to know what’s on the horizon and make sure that we’re prepared for it. During our busy time of year, we sometimes have to get creative with shipping solutions to get things from one place to another without any interruptions, which means there could be some long days and rising stress levels, but we always get the job done.
You’ve been at ShowClix for just over two years, and have since become very familiar with the various idiosyncrasies of your role. What aspects of Event Operations do you enjoy most?
Being on-site is always a good time. Things can get hectic, but that can be what makes it fun. You always get to meet some interesting people, and in what free time you have, you get to explore a new city. I don’t travel as much as some people on the team, so I always like to take advantage of that when I do go out on the road.
You’re constantly managing our hardware and keeping track of which partners are using what. How do you stay organized with so many physical assets to monitor?
I’ve been told before that I have a “Beautiful Mind” approach, as in, I scribble notes wherever I can. They make sense to me, but would most likely be useless to anyone else. I like to see things physically moved around on a list to help me visualize how hardware for events will be fulfilled. This is typically during high volume times when there is a lot of gear moving around. We also enter device numbers into an asset management system to let us know where things are once they’re shipped out of the office. This helps us track equipment and ensure that everything makes it back to us.
You’re often tasked with assisting our partners on-site and helping to ensure the event is running smoothly. What’s one of your most memorable on-site experiences?
I was on-site at the Boys and Girls Club Malibu Chili Cookoff in August, and the first day we were on-site to set up, someone very nonchalantly said, “Oh, there’s a fire. Hopefully they get it out”. We all turned to look up and a wild fire had broken out not far from where the event was. We stood there watching it spread very quickly as fire trucks and helicopters raced to the scene. Being from Pittsburgh you don’t see that kind of thing very often. Everyone else was from Southern California and just kind of ignored it. The fire was eventually contained and the event went off without a hitch. Definitely an interesting start to the event and one that was quite memorable.
What are you normally up to when not engrossed with event hardware?
If I’m not spending time with my wife, daughter, and bulldog Bootsie, you can find me going to shows or festivals in Pittsburgh. I used to live in Austin and Chicago before landing back in the Steel City, so the number of live music events here on any given day isn’t quite as frequent as those cities, but it’s certainly on the rise. Pittsburgh, in general, is on the rise! I always enjoy going out and trying new restaurants and breweries that are opening here constantly.