XLIVE is proud to present our first-ever list of Emerging Leaders in Event Tech. Our group of 2021 winners includes young event professionals — in both B2B and live events — whose innovation, creativity, and drive are pushing the industry forward. We will be featuring all of the winners over the coming weeks, and we’ll be keeping an eye out for what they do next!
After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Theatre Design and Production, Adam McCarthy worked for several years in theater production before moving to Chicago and taking a position in the lighting department at KEHOE DESIGNS in 2012. In late 2018, the department spun off into a distinct brand within KEHOE DESIGNS, called BlackOak Technical Productions, where McCarthy was named Managing Director.
In this role, McCarthy manages the team’s technical producers, project coordinators, and operational staff, and works with clients to develop and execute their programs and events according to their vision. In addition, he’s always exploring next-generation developments and thinking about how he and his team can help their clients take a fresh approach to their events.
When the pandemic hit, BlackOak Technical Productions, like most production companies, pivoted and started offering a more comprehensive range of services, including digital and media production and custom virtual event platforms. "We focused on listening to our clients and what they were looking for," says McCarthy. "The feedback allowed us to learn, develop, and adapt skills that would be most beneficial to strengthen our company for our clients and help prepare us for future disruptions."
Under McCarthy's leadership, the team at BlackOak Technical Productions was successfully able to execute 500 events last year, and they continue to stay up to date on the latest best practices as the industry emerges from the pandemic. "As the world changes and develops — we're reading, researching, paying attention to what's going on, and training our team every day to keep delivering on our clients' goals and expectations," says McCarthy.
He shares that some of the pandemic's most significant challenges have been the shortened planning windows and virtual engagement. Despite the difficulties, the company is using this opportunity to rethink its approach to staffing — particularly as the industry faces a labor shortage.
"You can draw a pretty direct line between a company's approach to staffing and hiring and the service that a client's going to receive," says McCarthy. "We've shifted our mindset to be thinking about staffing as an opportunity — how we recruit and retain the most talented and experienced team members to work on events for our clients."
When it comes to the future of events, he prefers not to make sweeping declarations. "Our events are now," he says, "and we need to decide what we want to do in the present time. Our clients span a wide range of industries and require different approaches to virtual, hybrid, and in-person events." McCarthy focuses on each event individually and how the BlackOak team can make it as memorable and impactful as possible given any circumstance.
"We're looking to build a modern production company where we become an extension of clients’ team, and as things change, we can flex with them," says McCarthy. "Our clients are confident in our ability to provide technical, digital, and media production at a high caliber — conveniently in one place."
McCarthy says that part of what draws him to events is the variety of experiences he gets to work on and create. "It's a captivating space to be in," he says, "because there's so much to learn, to see, and to experience. You get to meet so many people with interesting stories and make meaningful connections."
He notes that some of the best books he's read, which have helped in work and life, are “Sapiens” and “The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters”, and he also finds the Hidden Brain podcast valuable. In addition to reading, he also enjoys doing triathlons, cooking, and camping.