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ROCKstar of the Month of April: Kristen Milius

April’s ROCKstar of the Month is Kristen Milius! She began at RTH as a photo host and has worked up to be our awesome Photo Manager! Kristen always brings new ideas to the table and continues to improve the department’s efficiency, technology, and training resources. We are lucky to have her guidance and creativity at the forefront of the RTH Photo Department.

“It’s really awesome getting to be a part of something bigger than myself and watching our events come together. Guests are always so appreciative and I enjoy seeing them have a good time. I especially love working at non-profits events. Knowing the event we’re working hard for is for a good cause makes it twice as worth it.” – Kristen Milius, ROCKstar of the Month

After studying photography at Kent State University, Kristen joined the RTH team as a photo host. Each day and event is different here and she loves that. “I’m able to spread my wings and take risks but know they have my back at the same time.”

A Few Fun Facts About Kristen Milius:

  1. Favorite guilty pleasure song? Anything by Kesha
  2. Favorite song and/or artist? Blink-182
  3. Favorite movie? It depends on my mood, but I’m a big Keira Knightley fan; Pride and Prejudice is probably my favorite
  4. Favorite TV show? Gilmore Girl
  5. Favorite post-event snack? Drinks with friends
  6. Favorite animated character? Ariel from The Little Mermaid
  7. Biggest fear? Falling from extreme heights
  8. Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled? I studied abroad in Florence, Italy and I loved it, can’t wait to go back
  9. How do you take your coffee? Black
  10. If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? I would instantly go from one place to another so I can travel all over the world

Kristen’s growth has covered so many facets of her job here. When Kristen started at RTH in May of 2014 as a photo host she instantly found a passion for the job but was still younger and newer to the world of event photography. Over the past 5 years with the company and in the past few years as the Photo Department Manager, it’s been wonderful to see her grow. She’s grown in areas such as staff development, as she has built one of the tightest and best-trained teams within the company, and product development, as a part of the acquisition team and roll out of new products within the department. – Ryan Konikoff, Chief Operating Officer

Kristen has worked at RTH for about 5 years now, so she’s seen some spectacular events. Her recent favorite was the NRP event in which she had the opportunity to visit San Antonio for the first time and create a photo mosaic, which was one of our most technically advanced and customizable photo experiences to date. Getting the chance to travel to new places and be pushed out of her comfort zone are just a couple of the many things that Kristen loves about working at RTH!

When she’s not at Rock The House, you can find her cuddling with her pup, Jax, or wedding planning (she recently got engaged to one of our technicians, Sean!) We are all so excited for Kristen’s upcoming nuptials, and many of us are wondering what photo experience she’ll choose for her own wedding!

Congratulations to Kristen on being April’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with ROCKstars like her to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of March: Jeremy Guffin

March’s ROCKstar of the Month is Jeremy Guffin! Jeremy started out with Rock The House as a load-in/load-out team member and, through hard work and dedication, has worked all the way up to being a Project Manager. He’s a creative individual who loves working here because every day is different and he thinks his coworkers are awesome!

“At first, I just needed a job, but I stayed in the event industry because it’s a dynamic environment and it’s always changing. I love that I’m never bored! I find it so rewarding that before, during, and after the events we produce, I get to see the smiles on clients’ and guests’ faces because of what our team has done.” – Jeremy Guffin, ROCKstar of the Month

In Jeremy’s 6.5 years of working at Rock The House, he’s been involved with many different events in a few different roles. Among his favorites are the AAble After Party, S.W.A.P. (Students With A Purpose) event, State Chem event, Industry: The Product Conference, and Zippity Zoo Doo. When asked why these are his favorite events, he said he loves these ones especially because he had the opportunity to be very creative in his design. Any chance to be expressive and technical is his forte!

A Few Fun Facts About Jeremy Guffin:

  1. Favorite guilty pleasure song? Anything by Taylor Swift
  1. Favorite song and/or artist? Foo Fighters
  1. Favorite movie? Christmas Vacation
  1. Favorite TV show? Ozark
  1. Favorite pre-event snack? Chipotle
  1. Favorite post-event snack? Usually, leftovers because nothing else is open that late
  1. Favorite cartoon character? Cartman from South Park
  1. Biggest fear? There’s not much I’m afraid of; I’d go skydiving with snakes on a plane into a volcano right now.
  1. Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled? I’ve been to a lot of places, but Toronto was probably the coolest. It was so culturally diverse! You can visit 20 different places in one day and bus passes are cheap so it was easy and fun!
  1. How do you take your coffee? With coffee in it
  1. If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Turning water into coffee

“Jeremy continues to challenge himself and those around him to do better and learn more. He is always looking for better ways to serve our customers and make our technicians job in the field as easy and efficient as can be.” – Ryan Durfee, Production Manager

When he’s not at Rock The House, he can be found playing with his dog Roxie (ask for pictures if you get the chance) or enjoying the outdoors with his fiancé. If he’s not traveling for work, he’s often traveling to perform with the barbershop chorus he’s a part of, The Men of Independence.

The biggest things Jeremy feels he’s gained from working at Rock The House are confidence and leadership skills. We believe that’s exactly what makes Jeremy such an awesome team member to work with and produce ROCKin’ events with!

Congratulations to Jeremy on being March’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with ROCKstars like him to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of January: Kirby Schmieding

January’s ROCKstar of the Month is Kirby Schmieding! Though Kirby is newer to Rock The House, she has already made a big impact on the team and in her role as a Photo Host. Whether she’s spreading positivity to her teammates or stepping up to take on new tasks, she is always putting her best self forward at RTH!

“I like working at RTH because everyone is so nice and it’s such a fun job! My favorite thing is going to new events every week and doing a different thing. You get to broaden your horizons and I really like that.” – Kirby Schmieding, ROCKstar of the Month

While she began working at Rock The House simply because she needed a job, it has now blossomed into much more than that. The ever-changing and exciting world of live events has allowed Kirby to learn new things and use different parts of her brain each and every day – which she loves.

A Few Fun Facts About Kirby Schmieding:

  1. Favorite guilty pleasure song? “Be Alright” by Dean Lewis because I just love Dean Lewis so much
  2. Favorite song and/or artist? Right now it’s one of my friend’s songs, “Lilac” by Joey Liechty
  3. Favorite movie? The Martian
  4. Favorite TV show? Outlander for sure
  5. Favorite post-event snack? If it’s super late, probably Taco Bell because it’s the only thing open. I am a vegetarian, so I can only eat like 3 things there, but it’s still so good.
  6. Biggest fear? Spiders
  7. Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled? Australia for 3 weeks in 8th grade for a leadership program.
  8. How do you take your coffee? I don’t drink coffee. My favorite tea is all of them. Black tea has a little caffeine in that’s perfect for events.
  9. If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? Oh my gosh, I would be a shapeshifter because I could turn into a polar bear when it’s cold. And I could fly! That’d be so cool.

“Kirby hasn’t been at RTH very long but has immediately stepped up during busy season. She came to the photo department as an assistant, but her willingness to learn allowed her to quickly grow into working solo events. Her ability to take on new tasks and to do what’s necessary to get the job done has made her an asset to the team!– Kristen Milius, Photo Manager

Of all the events that she’s worked on, Kirby says her favorite was a corporate event on New Year’s Eve at Luxe Kitchen and Lounge because everyone was having so much fun! “After I take a photo, everyone is so excited to get their prints and have that fun takeaway from the events. And I like that, I like making everyone happy!”

When she’s not at RTH events, she can usually be found at The Houde School of Acting taking acting lessons and preparing to star in her next short film.

Congratulations to Kirby Schmieding on being January’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with rockstars like Kirby to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of October: Marissa Diaz

October’s ROCKstar of the Month is Marissa Diaz! While she has always excelled in her role as Executive Assistant to the COO, her responsibilities and skills have grown significantly in her four years at RTH. At any given time, you may find her coordinating large-scale event planning efforts, in the warehouse prepping, or on-site assisting with video and media content!

RTH Rockstar of the Month, Marissa Diaz

My favorite thing about being on the RTH team is the culture because everyone is a like a family member. It’s not like most workplaces where you just show up, do you job, and leave. On top of that, you learn something new every day… but it’s when you least expect it. For example, I came on board as an admin, handling paperwork and being an assistant, but now I’m also a content manager and handling on-site video. At Rock The House, you can choose your path and are encouraged to branch out and expand your knowledge. It’s an amazing place to learn, grow, and challenge yourself. – Marissa Diaz, ROCKstar of the Month

Marissa has a lot of experience being quick on her feet – literally and figuratively! As a dancer, figure skater, and instructor, she has spent years honing her technique as well as directing and producing Skate Dance Dream (SDD). Before joining the Rock The House team, she was also a researcher for IceNetwork.com and “Olympic Ice,” a figure skating show which covered stories during the Winter Olympics. After working on the show and producing SDD, she learned to troubleshoot a variety of situations that were thrown at her. And she felt the event industry was a logical next step!

RTH Rockstar of the Month, Marissa Diaz

A Few Fun Facts About Marissa Diaz:

  • Favorite guilty pleasure song? It’s a tie between Hanson’s “Where’s the Love” and S Club 7’s “S Club Party”
  • Favorite artist? *NSYNC
  • Favorite movie? Another tie… between Mulan and Blades of Glory
  • Favorite TV show? Alias
  • Favorite pre-event snack? Fruit by the Foot
  • Favorite cartoon? Animaniacs
  • Biggest fear? Failure. Also spiders… but I can step on them. I can’t step on failure.
  • If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? Teleportation because I hate waiting to get somewhere.

“While Marissa has always excelled in a support roll, she also saw a deficit between the capabilities of our amazing technical team and the opportunities our sales team was able to present to clients through the craft of video and GFX. To close that gap, she worked with our technical managers to learn the top softwares that we use for GFX, blending, video playback, switching and special visual effects, allowing her to better design shows with our clients that truly allowed them to come to life!” – Ryan Konikoff, Chief Operating Officer

RTH Rockstar of the Month, Marissa Diaz

Of the many events Marissa has worked on, she shared that one of her favorites was the Great Lakes region awards celebrations for Metro last year. “It was so fun to bring their region to our backyard and have a chance to show off Cleveland,” says Marissa. “Their company is known for creativity when it comes to company celebrations and it was definitely unique. We had the chance to coordinate two very different parties for their team – the internal awards at Tenk West Bank, which was 90s hip-hop themed, and the dealer awards at the Hilton, which was modern, classy, and very cool.”

When not at Rock The House, Marissa continues to ice skate and dance, working both as a coach and teacher. She also enjoys going to concerts and theater shows.

Congratulations to Marissa on being October’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with rockstars like Marissa to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of September: Michael Johnston

Congratulations to September’s ROCKstar of the Month, Michael Johnston! Over the last few years, he has grown from a dancer to a DJ and is now training as an MC. Whether he’s connecting with guests or engaging with his teammates, Michael’s positive energy and passion for his work shines through in all he does!

MICHAEL JOHNSTON, RTH ROCKSTAR OF THE MONTH

“My favorite things about being part of the RTH team are getting to work with new people at every event, getting to grow positive relationships with clients and fellow team members, and making sure our clients have the most fun possible! Plus, the friendships that I’ve forged while at Rock The House have brought a lot of happiness into my life.” – Michael Johnston, ROCKstar of the Month

While on the high school dance team, his director told him about an entertainment company, Rock The House, that needed dancers. “I didn’t know what to expect but if I got to dance, then that sounded great,” said Michael. “I ended up loving it and still love it.” Of all the events he’s worked, Michael still looks back fondly on his first event, which took place at a theater down in Columbus. “The kids and team were great, and we had a blast!”

MICHAEL JOHNSTON, RTH ROCKSTAR OF THE MONTH

A Few Fun Facts About Michael Johnston:

  • Favorite guilty pleasure song? “Everytime We Touch” by Cascada
  • Favorite song and/or artist? “You Rock My World” by Michael Jackson
  • Favorite movie? Power Rangers
  • Favorite TV show? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • Favorite pre-event snack? Snickers and blue Gatorade
  • Favorite post-event snack? Water
  • Biggest fear? That I’ll fail at something that I’m trying to do.
  • Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled? To Geneva, New York – they had really cool public art: murals and statue of a guy reading a book that you could climb on.
  • How do you take your coffee? I’m not a coffee drinker – I drink lots of water.
  • If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? I would be super fast because I’ve always loved the Flash.

When not at Rock The House, you can still find Michael doing what he loves: dancing! He also enjoys doing theatre in his free time and will soon be performing in Notre Dame College’s production of Frankenstein. When it comes time to take a break, Michael likes to relax and play video games like Madden.

“Ever since Michael started here at RTH, I saw a lot of potential in him. He began as a dancer and I noticed his energy, work ethic, personality and interaction with our guests. I knew that he had the tools and talent to play a bigger role at RTH. Michael does an amazing job connecting with our guests and as a team member, he is someone you always are happy to see on your event. I couldn’t be prouder of what Michael has brought to our team. I look forward to seeing Michael’s continued growth at Rock The House.” – Nick Duvé, General Manager, Entertainment Division 

Congratulations to Michael on being September’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with rockstars like Michael to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of August: Dominick Ferlito

Congratulations to August’s ROCKstar of the Month, Dominick Ferlito! Since joining RTH as a technician over two years ago, Dom has never stopped learning and improving his skill set. He recently worked a series of large-scale events and truly went above and beyond in his role, all while getting great feedback from his team members!

RTH ROCKSTAR OF THE MONTH, DOMINICK FERLITO

“I like that I learn something new almost every day. Each day I get stronger as a technician and that’s because I work with great people that come from diverse backgrounds that make everyone a well-rounded technician.” – Dominick Ferlito, ROCKstar of the Month

Dom’s interest in production began while doing tech crew in high school and journalism in college. What began as an interest in audio evolved and, after joining the team at Rock The House, he began to work in lighting and some video as well. When not at RTH, Dom enjoys having a beer with friends or participating in his bowling and softball leagues.

A Few Fun Facts About Dominick Ferlito:

  • Favorite guilty pleasure song? “Summer Girls” by LFO
  • Favorite song and/or artist? Dave Matthews Band or Chance the Rapper
  • Favorite movie? Ocean’s Eleven
  • Favorite TV show? White Collar
  • Favorite pre-event snack? Chipotle
  • Favorite post-event snack? Sleep!
  • Biggest fear? Raccoons and all rodents
  • Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled? Last summer I took a month off work to travel in Europe and went to Caronia, Sicily where my family is from. That is, by far, my favorite place, but Florence is a close second.
  • How do you take your coffee? Black
  • If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? Flying because it’s faster than driving and who doesn’t want to fly?!

RTH ROCKSTAR OF THE MONTH, DOMINICK FERLITO

“Dom is a well-rounded member of the team and is always willing to take on a new challenge and step outside of his comfort zone. This is great in that while he is still learning, he is able to also teach some of those around him in different areas of what we do every day.” – Ryan Durfee, Production Manager

Congratulations to Dom on being August’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with rockstars like Dom to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of July: Anthony Miozzi

July’s ROCKstar of the Month is Anthony Miozzi. In just under a year, Anthony has evolved from a part-time technician to working as an audio engineer, learning video, rigging lights, and even getting certified to operate Sparkular!

Anthony Miozzi, Rock The House Technician

“I enjoy being a part of and seeing something really cool come together, like when lights are timed perfectly with music or flawless screen transitions happen at a big conference. When a show goes well, it’s a great feeling and you always learn something. The ability to constantly learn new things is one of my favorite parts of this job.” – Anthony Miozzi, ROCKstar of the Month

Anthony went to school for Audio Engineering and has played in bands, so he’s very familiar with studio and live audio. But as someone who loves learning new things, he’s always looking to expand his knowledge of both the technical and performance sides of an event. When not at Rock The House, Anthony loves to play and write music of all genres and enjoys learning new languages – he’s currently learning over five of them!

A Few Fun Facts About Anthony Miozzi:

  • Favorite guilty pleasure song? “Me Too” by Meghan Trainor
  • Favorite song and/or artist? Avenged Sevenfold
  • Favorite movie? Thor Ragnarok
  • Favorite TV show? The Office
  • Favorite post-event snack? Protein bar and then sleep.
  • Favorite cartoon character? Archer
  • Biggest fear? Situational heights – I can go up on a mezzanine, but not a 12-ft ladder.
  • Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled? The 1000 Islands near Alexandria Bay, NY. It’s really pretty, and there’s an island in the middle of the lake that’s right on the border of the US and Canada. There’s a huge mansion there called Boldt Castle that’s really cool.
  • How do you take your coffee? With cream and chocolate syrup.
  • If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? Telekinesis –It would be fun to lift heavy things with my mind. So, if a car is parked badly in a parking spot, you could move it over and then be able to park next to it.

Anthony Miozzi, Rock The House Technician

“Since Miozzi joined the team, he has gone from helping out part-time in the shop and with load in/outs to being the main audio engineer for all the Rock The House LIVE! gigs! While we knew he had audio experience, he has blown us away with his skill level and his customer service! Not only is he always on time and works hard on every event, but he is also such a ball of positive energy! I don’t think there is anyone on our team that doesn’t enjoy working with him.” – Tricia Adams, Production Assistant

Congratulations to Anthony on being July’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with rockstars like Anthony to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

 

ROCKstar of the Month of January: Evan Guffin

New year, new ROCKstar! This month’s honoree is Evan Guffin, one of our Lead Technicians. Evan has been with Rock The House for over six years. Since joining the team, he has progressed from working as an audio technician to leading a team. He is willing to lend a hand to anyone in need and strives to make everything around him better.

Evan Guffin, Rock The House Technical Lead

Evan grew up around performance and performed as a kid, but eventually realized that he liked the behind-the-scenes factor more than being on the stage. His interest in the technical side of things even led him to study event production.

“Evan has excelled in and helped develop and mold our audio department in a positive way. He continues to make improvements on the look, feel, and sound of all of his events. His knowledge and attention to detail has given him the opportunity to project manage several Signature Events successfully.” – Ryan Durfee, Production Manager

Evan Guffin, Technical Lead at Rock The House

While Evan works in many areas and on many types of events, he shared that his favorite event to work on was the Cleveland Metroparks Centennial Celebration. “The Metroparks is a great organization and client of Rock The House,” said Guffin. “Their event was a great display of many of Rock The House’s audiovisual aspects.”

A Few Fun Facts About Evan Guffin:

  • Favorite guilty pleasure song? “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls
  • Favorite movie? Blues Brothers
  • Favorite TV show? The Office
  • Favorite song/artist? Foo Fighters
  • Favorite pre-event snack? Banana
  • Favorite post-event snack? Chips and salsa
  • If you could have a superpower, what would it be? I’d like to fly, I hate sitting in traffic.
  • What’s something not many people know about you? I’ve been drinking coffee since I was a little kid.
  • On that note, how do you take your coffee? Black.

Evan Guffin, Rock The House Technical Lead, Crowd Surfing

Yep, that’s Evan getting a “lift” from the RTH team!

“One of my favorite things about being on the RTH team is seeing the concept that a client has imagined for an event come together and then seeing their reaction to it when it is done.” – Evan Guffin, ROCKstar of the Month

When not at work, Evan can be found working out at the gym, enjoying craft beers, and spending time with his friends and family.

“Evan is someone who we know can handle whatever we throw at him. He personifies RTH culture by always being willing to step up and help out. He does what needs to be done and is more than willing to help anyone that asks!” – Tricia Adams, Production Assistant

Congratulations to Evan on being January’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with rockstars like Evan to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of December: Tricia Adams

As we wrap up 2017, we’re excited to end the year showcasing one of our hardest working team members, Tricia Adams! Since joining the RTH team almost 5 years ago, Tricia has grown from her role as a part-time dancer to take on the recently created position of Production Assistant. Although she hates being the center of attention, we couldn’t help but honor her this month!

Tricia Adams Rock The House Production Assistant - Black Tie Wedding Photo

Tricia is truly a force to be reckoned with! On a given day, you may find her tackling everything from production to staffing to rentals and more. “Tricia’s attention to detail and ability to see a project through to completion has helped streamline several areas of the production team. She is continuing to learn every day; her knowledge about what we do and how we do it has grown ten-fold.”– Ryan Durfee, Production Manager

A Few Fun Facts About Tricia Adams:

  • Cartoon character that best describes her? Margo from Despicable Me
  • Favorite movie? The Boondock Saints
  • Favorite song/artist? Norah Jones
  • Favorite pre (and post) event snack? Chocolate
  • Biggest fear? Taking life too seriously
  • Favorite thing about being on the RTH team? Getting to work with such a fun group of people!

Tricia Adams Rock The House Production Assistant - Donut Photo

“I find working for RTH rewarding because I get to be involved with so many awesome events in the city of Cleveland. It’s not just about the opening night of new local restaurants or massive parties, but also the charity events, fundraisers, and galas that show what Cleveland is really all about. I am lucky to be a part of it!” – Tricia Adams, ROCKstar of the Month

When not in the office, you may also find Tricia working a photo booth or striking an event. Of all the events she’s done, Tricia shared that she loved getting to travel to her hometown of Pittsburgh back in the day for events. “Getting to work with Matt and the A-Team and hanging overnight with an awesome crew makes those events stand out still to this day,” she said. When Tricia is off the clock, she enjoys spending time outdoors, drinking scotch, and going to yoga.

“[Tricia] has the capacity to see the bigger picture and make an early catch on potential issues. She has continued to push the responsibilities of this role and make our team better in the process.” – Ben Allison, Director of Human Development

Congratulations to Tricia on being December’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with rockstars like Tricia to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

Team Member of the Month: Kurt Wick

Behind The Scenes Support

You probably won’t see Kurt at your event but he is making an impact on your party! Kurt has been with Rock The House for over two years and he has made a big difference in how we operate as a team. His supporting role across multiple departments allow the rest of the team to stay focused on their core objectives. His main job duties are to assist in employee compensation and benefits administration. Making sure our team members are taken care of financially by assisting human resources and accounting is an amazingly important role that touches everyone at Rock The House.

Kurt contributes to every department at RTH as described by VP/CFO Steve Tanruther:

“Kurt has introduced a level of analytics to our sales team that will provide them greater clarity into the trends that affect our market. He has also spearhead all of our employee benefits administration.”

Steve went on to say this about Kurt and his impact on the team:

“He has years of comprehensive analytical experience working in production scheduling and employee compensation. He’s always asking when and how he can help when he sees others in distress. He even helped some employees with their personal taxes in his spare time.”

We asked Kurt one memory he had of his time at that Rock The House that stands out and he gave us this great response:

“My favorite memory is actually a recurring event.  Every morning, no matter how good or bad of a mood I am in, the first people I see at RTH always puts me in a better mood.”

Kurt is a perfect example of a true team player and what it takes to succeed at Rock The House.