BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Building Your Dream Team
Your career is built on more than the work you do—it’s built on the people you do it with. This conversation explores what it really takes to build a strong, sustainable crew and professional network in the live-event industry.
We’ll talk about building cross-disciplinary connections, understanding the difference between colleagues and friends, nurturing relationships over time, and setting clear expectations that help teams work better together. In conversation with Earl Neal, Josh “Dude” Marcus, and Loren Zimmer from Jason Aldean’s crew, we’ll dig into the relationships, communication, trust, and shared expectations that can turn a group of coworkers into a crew you can count on.
SPEAKERS
Earl Neal
Earl Neal is a Nashville-based tour and production manager who has served as Production Manager for Jason Aldean since 2021. He also works as Artist Production Coordinator for the Nissan Stadium main stage at CMA Fest, advancing artists and coordinating visiting production.
Neal began his career as a front-of-house and monitor engineer, spending nearly two decades working with artists including Aerosmith, Rod Stewart, Andrea Bocelli, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, and Lenny Kravitz. His work earned multiple Parnelli and TEC nominations, including a 2006 Parnelli Award for Monitor Mixer of the Year. He transitioned into production management with Patty Loveless and The Band Perry before working with Kid Rock and Peter Frampton, earning the 2015 Parnelli Award for Production Manager of the Year.
Today, Neal runs Live Event Production Services, LLC, and is developing TourNex, a software suite focused on the planning and logistics of touring.
Josh "Dude" Marcus
Josh “Dude” Marcus is a seasoned Stage Manager and live entertainment professional with 20 years of experience bringing productions and events to life. Throughout his career, Josh has built a reputation for strong management, thoughtful leadership, and exceptional organization, with a focus on creating successful, collaborative environments both on and off the stage.
His experience in live entertainment has given him a unique ability to coordinate people,production, and logistics while maintaining focus in fast-paced and demanding environments. Josh is also passionate about community and believes that strong relationships, teamwork, and leadership are essential to creating meaningful experiences.
Josh holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Middle Tennessee State University.
Loren Zimmer
Loren Zimmer is a Nashville-based audio professional and audio crew chief for Jason Aldean. A graduate of Northeast Community College, he began his career after joining the United States Air Force Band in 1998, where he worked across live sound, recording, television, radio, and broadcast production. His work on the Band’s Veterans Day television specials earned him two regional Emmy Awards.
After retiring from the Air Force in 2019, Loren moved to Nashville and joined Spectrum Sound. Since then, he has worked as FOH engineer for Reba McEntire and led audio teams for artists including Sam Hunt and NEEDTOBREATHE, along with numerous corporate and music events. His career has taken him from the studio to the stage and the road, giving him a broad perspective on the technical and leadership sides of live production.
Ryan Smith
MODERATOR
Ryan is the Regional Manager of Artist Relations at the Shure office in Nashville, TN. In 1993, he started at Shure Headquarters in the Customer Service Department, joined the AR team in 1995, and moved down to Nashville in 2001. Some of the artists Ryan works with include The Who, Maroon 5, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Lawrence, Jason Mraz, Jon Pardi, Brett Young and many more. Ryan has over 30 years of performance experience, playing drums, percussion, and singing in various groups and genres.