In an unexpected turn of events, I got the opportunity to serve as a volunteer on a production team for the Stellar Awards show. I was assigned to the blue carpet escort team where I was responsible for escorting talent down the blue carpet to meet with the various media outlets, transitioning them to VIP area and ultimately making sure they were shuttled to the show. This was a first time experience I’ll never forget. The highlight for me was the incredible people I met, the energy of the event and of course the opportunity to be in the midst of such amazing gospel artists!
This was a “behind the curtain” experience for me as I had never worked an award show before. I learned a lot at the Stellar awards applicable to events and life more broadly.
Here are five things that I found most exciting about my Stellar experience:
1 - Exposure to something new.
This was a whole new world for me.
I cannot recall ever wearing a headset and walkie talkie before yesterday (my closest experience was the chirp phone back in the day lol). In orientation, you are taught the communication protocols which are straight forward and clear. Don’t be shocked if you hear me speak “Go for Megan” into one of my airpods next week lol Run of show is completely different when you are in production verses getting mic’d up for one segment on the talent side. Now I officially have award show production experience - updating my resume tonight!
2 - The awesome people.
And no I don’t mean celebrities (although the ones I met were cool). I mean the team I got to work closely with. The production team was a collaborative, fun, get-it-done group. I was inspired by the sense of pride and commitment people exhibited to their roles.
I met some of the coolest artists, media reps and PR agents to do it! That made my job easier as everyone was able to work together to make this a great experience for all. I made some lasting connections.
3 - Celebrating the gospel greats.
Tye Tribbett won many awards including artist of the year. I was able to join the show at this point and watch him receive this award. His energy on the blue carpet all the way to the shuttle passes the vibe check. That made celebrating him and his six wins even more special! I got a chance to escort a few first time nominees and get up close and personal with some of the greats(I really wanted to see Shirley Ceaser and just hold her handbag…maybe next year). Seeing these artists in their element and be celebrated for the music they make that uplifts our souls was truly a privilege.
4 - The glitz and glamour.
The highlight of any awards show is the fashion! It was great to see the fashions on both sides of the blue carpet rope! Artists, media representatives and sponsors came to slay! I was working too hard to get a proper view of all the lewks to give a full rundown but some of my favorites were Erica Cambell and her daughters along with Mike and Natalie Todd.
5 - Lessons learned.
I learned a lot but a few reminders will stick with me for a life time.
Always be aware. In the escort role, specifically we were coached to be keenly aware at all times - location of your assigned talent, your position in videos/pictures and last but not least, your face. Processing situations sometimes comes with a reaction (My resting face is an area for improvement 🙃). All I kept thinking was “don’t become a meme, don’t become a meme!” (Time will tell lol)
Expect the pivot. The day before the show I went through two hours of orientation. Do you think that is what happened the next day? In the words of my dad, “Does a fish have knees?”. Global tech outage, surge in talent arrival, Las Vegas heat. All that was left was to go with the flow. Take nothing personal. Focus on results. Just as relevant in show business as in Corporate America.
No one role is more important than another in production. You need everyone hitting on all cylinders to make a production run well - positive attitudes and energy, knowledge of responsibilities, proactive communication and timely response. Seems intuitive but watching the pieces come together was fascinating. I got a rush by the whole experience (even though my feet are still in recovery!)
Kudos to Sonya, Selah, Kevin, Kaasha and the entire P413 production team for your work on another awesome event. It was an honor to be on the team!
Call to action: Find an opportunity that exposes you to an entirely different world. You never know who you will meet and what you will learn behind the curtain!
Standing by for Stellar 2025,
Megan.
