What Does An Event Production Manager Do? Learn About the Job from Mary Beth Kunz
Planning and putting on a successful live event involves many professionals in a variety of roles. One of those important roles is an event production manager. An event production manager acts as a project manager and takes care of every detail of an event — from the beginning to the end. Event production managers have skills managing teams of live sound engineers, lighting designers, stage riggers, and video production specialists.
From strategizing stage design with client account managers to arranging transportation to and from events to handling last-minute additions of staff and AV equipment at shows, it takes a very strong leader to handle the pressure. At Wired Production Group we’re thankful to have Mary Beth Kunz representing us.
Mary Beth is a graduate of Iowa State University. After almost eight years of event production management, Mary Beth joined our work family in the spring of 2019. Prior to coming on board, Mary Beth supervised event operations and logistics for 30+ athletic events and 20+ health expos nationally at Life Time. Her responsibilities included staff management, maintaining customer relationships, developing and securing event details — like contracts and permits — and positively impacting communities where the events were held.
Mary Beth manages our team of event professionals plus our national freelance staff with grace. She works closely with our COO, Aaron Wells, to ensure that our events are planned and executed as smoothly as possible.
When Mary Beth is not at work, she is important to many others in her life. She is one of seven children. She proudly wears the title “Aunt Mary” and loves spending time with all her nieces, nephews, cousins, and godchildren. She currently serves as a Music Minister at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hiawatha. She is actively involved in local sports clubs throughout the year and coaches one of her niece’s volleyball team. In recent years, Mary Beth has been involved with Habitat for Humanity as a service trip volunteer. Wired Production Group is proud to sponsor her as she travels to Trinidad this year. You can follow their travels online. If Mary Beth is actually home for any reason, she enjoys cooking for movie nights with her boyfriend, Matt, and spending time on the couch with her two cats.
Without Mary Beth as our Event Production Manager, we’re sure that we’d fall apart. Thank you for being the strength and smile behind our team, MB. We appreciate you!
Here’s what others have to say about Mary Beth Kunz…
“Mary Beth was definitely thrown into the fire, she started right as we were getting into our busy season. She was a great addition to the team, she has brought organization and consistency to many aspects of our jobs. She’s catching on quick and I think she will do just fine here :)” – Jesse Snyder, Lighting Designer
“Fearless, friendly and fun! Jumped right in last year and never looked back… So glad she’s joined the team, her attention to detail and caring attitude will take us to new levels.” – Billy Peifer, Warehouse Supervisor
“I’m a pretty needy office mate, so I appreciate MB putting up with me every day. She is creative, her laughter is contagious, and her heart is the size of the sun. She is the queen of creating efficiencies and she is a great listener for our staff and our clients. Her problem-solving skills blow me away and we are REALLY lucky to have her!” – Nicole Schroeder, Marketing Project Coordinator
“Mary Beth is a great addition to our team! Her level of organization and the ability to learn all aspects of the event world has been amazing. I’m so glad she is here!” – Amanda Snyder, Client Account Manager
“Mary Beth is constantly on top of organizing and ensuring that everyone is aware of when and where we’re needed. Intermittent alterations to schedules or run downs are communicated quickly. She’s a cool cat that can stay calm and collected under pressure. She can see the situation and make the right call when needed, all with a bright smile and the uncanny ability to make sure others feel comfortable and at ease.” – Steven James, Production Specialist Engineer
“I can’t imagine Wired without her. She single-handedly transformed how we manage and execute shows.” – Bruce Bingman, Client Account Manager
“MB hit the ground running and hasn’t looked back. With her background as an event professional, her attention to detail, and her incredible organizational skills, she is a great addition to our management team. Honestly, that girl has some mad skills! I, for one, am very glad to have another lady in the office!” – Kim Klein, Office Manager
“Organized, proactive, forward-thinking, and a really great person to name a few of her awesome qualities! We are fortunate to have you on the Wired Production Group team! Thanks, Mary Beth, for all you do!” – Doug Netolicky, VP of Business Development
“I can’t say enough good things about Mary Beth. She works hard every day, overcomes every obstacle and challenge thrown at her with expert diligence and demands excellence from herself and those around her. MB, as I like to call her, brings to the table a wealth of experience in the event industry and a unique management perspective that has been an incredible boon to our company. She seems to really enjoy what she does and is one of the sweetest people I know. Thanks to her meticulous organization, everyone at WPG owes a bit of their sanity to Mary Beth – even if it is at the cost of hers. Thanks, MB.” – Aaron Wells, COO
“Mary Beth joined the Wired team this past May and what a wonderful addition she is! She came to the team with a diverse background. Her willingness to jump in makes a difference as she leads by example. Her attention to detail is second to none. She has a great understanding of the value of processes and procedures that we have, and she has implemented many more efficiencies since joining our team. She is making a big difference to the way we approach projects. Her passion to be the best shines through every day in the way she approaches her work and her team. I am thankful that she is with us and I appreciate all that she does. Thank you, Mary Beth.” – Ron Rausch, CEO