What Gives Live Events a Vibe that Hits?

When I tell people I design the “vibe” of a show, I usually get a half-smile. But the vibe ain’t fluff - it’s the emotional architecture of any event. It can inspire anyone in the audience to lean in, laugh, reflect, or walk away inspired.

I was just a kid obsessed with music when I joined Cybis through DECA as a high school intern in _____. I asked a million questions that few had time to answer, but I stayed curious. My passion turned into a DJ career that’s evolved into my current role as an audio director. Now I try to use every cue to help shape every live experience I work on.

Music Isn’t Background - It’s Blueprint

A few weeks before every show, I get a full script. They’re usually loaded with themes, timing, keynotes, transitions - everything. I comb through the details while listening to music (I’m always listening to music!), cross-referencing the show flow with my ever-growing collection of saved tracks. If you’re ever in a hotel lobby with me and I suddenly Shazam something - this is why. I’m still that kid obsessed with music.

Every event is a story; my job is to set it to a killer score. When the doors open, every track has to have intent - walk-in playlists, speaker intros, award stingers, sentimental underscoring. Music is emotion, and I try to curate it into something that jives with the director’s vision.

Sometimes I’m mixing live with a DJ console and adapting on the fly. Other times I’m off-site, prepping an “audio package” for another operator: a detailed script of music cues timed to the second. Either way, my goal is the same - make sure the audience feels exactly what the producer intends.

But why? Because when the audio’s off, the audience will feel disconnected. They might not know why, but they’ll feel it.

Building Big Moments, Backstage and Beyond

Cybis’ culture of creative collaboration has let me grow in ways I couldn’t have predicted. Over the last five years, I’ve taken on more technical director roles - things like managing diagrams, gear setup, logistics. It's project management, sure. But it’s also how I’ve learned to keep calm under pressure and solve problems before they cascade through the whole production.

One of the coolest things here is how cross-trained we are. I can lean on the lighting guy to teach me about LED walls, or step in to help troubleshoot a mic issue without stepping on toes. Everyone’s invested in making the production work. Nobody gets territorial.

We jokingly call it a “family-style” setup, but it’s the real deal. You learn by being in the room with other passionate and skilled people. That environment shaped me, and it's why I've stayed for 20 years.

From Intern to Inspiration

Of all the events I’ve worked on, the HOSA InternationalLeadership Conference is the one that sticks with me most. Thousands of future surgeons and healthcare leaders fill the room, fired up about changing the world. I walk out of those events feeling hopeful, just as much about the future of the world as about the show.

And that’s what matters to me. I grew up without a lot of inspiring voices around me. But at events like what Cybis produces, I see how a show can reach people at the exact moment they need it, especially when it’s done right.

The way I see it, events are more than flashy visuals and clever soundtracks (as cool as the glitz can be). They’re also ripples. They expand. I could be backstage queuing up the next song, but if someone in that audience leaves thinking differently, dreaming bigger, or believing in themselves for the first time. Mission complete.

The Power of Presence

So, what makes live events so effective? It’s the energy in the room. The crowd, the crew, yeah. But a single moment felt a thousand unique ways all at once? Zoom and Teams don’t have the bandwidth. A Cybis-run event does.

Audio might not be the whole show, but it amplifies what’s already there. And when everything clicks - the lighting, the pacing, the message, the music - it becomes something unforgettable. A vibe that hits. A story that sticks.

That’s why I do this work. Yup, it’s for the dope tracks. But it’s also to help build moments that matter for the people in the audience. And maybe even for the kid I used to be.

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