For the 2026 Chicago Electronic Music Conference, Stage Hands was brought on to collaborate on the conference’s networking segment, Meet The Professionals.
Photography by Travis Barron
ABOUT THE ACTIVATION
Stage Hands joined this year’s conference as a programming collaborator for the Meet The Professionals segment; a part of the conference’s programming designed to help attendees build real connections with community members actively working in and around music.
We curated a list of professionals to include, and invited a total of six of our peers from the community to add to CEMC’s existing curated lineup of producers, photographers, DJs and more.
Attendees were able to connect with the featured professionals who offered insight into their experiences working in and around music, entertainment, and events.
FEATURED PROFESSIONALS
Andrea Garcés, Creative Director / Producer / Stage Designer, Sonidos
Cat Sanchez, Co-founder and Talent Manager, 3V Agency
Taila Howe, Festival Producer & Programmer, Chicago Underground Film Festival
Sophia Castro, Event Photographer
Olive Haugh, Program Manager, Stretch Metal
Evie Goldwasser, Field Marketing Specialist, Monaco Cocktails
SCOPE OF WORK
Suggest 4-5 industry professionals who align with Stage Hands’ mission, especially from industries and communities that are often underrepresented
Curate group of professionals through categories or themes that would be most helpful for attendees (stage hands, lighting, event production, managers, agents, media, community organizers, etc.)
Contact and coordinate (Stage Hands) suggested contacts in booking for the program and introducing to CEMC for next steps
Consult with the CEMC team to help define and develop the “Meet the Professionals” / career-focused offering of the conference
Promote CEMC 2026 to Stage Hands following (Examples: SHCC discount code for sales / 2-4 free tickets to award following, shared IG posts, etc.)
*Additional value brought to partnership through sponsorship introduction to CEMC Artist Installation
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