Leadership

Cheryl Kranz

Director of Event Services, Equinox Creative

Cheryl Kranz, CMP, spearheads the special event and event marketing efforts at Equinox Creative. An innovative designer, she is adept at integrating key messages into every aspect of an event.

Cheryl brings more than thirty years of experience in orchestrating meetings, conferences, trade shows, special events and domestic/international incentive travel for Fortune 500 corporations, non-profit organizations, small businesses and private individuals. Her expertise includes event design and logistics, global meeting planning, consultative sales and management of client relationships.

Operations Co-Chair for first Taste of the NFL for Super Bowl XXVI in Minneapolis 1992
1997-2007 Minneapolis Riverfront District Programs and Promotions Board Member
Programs Committee for Minnesota Chapter of ISES 1998-2000
Mill Ruins Park Development Advisory Board 2000-2002
Minneapolis Steering Committee for Grand Excursion 2004
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Volunteer of the Year award 2002
Meetings, Minnesota's Hospitality Journal Advisory Board 2001-2003

Andrea Bach

Event Specialist, Après Party and Tent Rental

Andrea Bach is the lead event specialist at Après. She has been the leader in bringing the world of special events to new levels during her 16 years in the event industry. Her talent spans from private wedding to large corporate galas that have earned her numerous industry awards and recognition.

Some of her most recent events have included:

President George Bush Fundraiser in private home
Opening of the new Walker Art Museum
Opening of the new wing expansion at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Opening of the MN Public Radio, celebration of renovation of building
Opening of the New Guthrie Theater
70th Anniversary of Lifetouch Photography
50th Anniversary of Twin Cities Public Television

Jon Iannazzo

Event Specialist, Atmosphere Events

With more than twenty years experience in the Special Event business, Jon is a welcome addition to the Atmosphere team. After his early entrée in catering operations, he spent almost ten years as a décor firm account manager, focusing on design, coordination and production of corporate events. Rounding out his experience in the industry, he has focused in recent years on event equipment elements that provide the framework for all special events. He has emerged as an innovative local expert in custom structure and staging needs.

Recent event successes include:

Opening of the newly expanded and renovated Walker Art Museum
White House event needs in Minnesota during the 2004 Presidential Campaign
Event services for both the national Republican and Democratic Committees
International Vendor Meeting for Target Corporation
Cruiser Yachts annual dealer meetings

J.J. Jeska

Principal, MSP Resources

Joan "JJ" Jeska has more than 25 years experience creating and delivering unique and memorable events.

JJ has managed many worldwide incentives and diverse citywide events. She produced and developed a "Ride and Drive Program" for Porsche Audi, an ongoing project that extended to arenas and racetracks across the U.S. She also served on the Super Bowl steering committee.

JJ established MSP Resources with roots at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International airport, where the company managed major inbound groups. Over the years, she has managed, mentored, and created unforgettable events, while maintaining and building strong relationships with suppliers.

She continues to develop and support relationships with Fortune 500 companies and sustains a reputation for delivering high-quality services.

JJ has earned a master's and doctorate in event planning -- through experience!

Carolyn Vinup

Founder, HPSS Global

Carolyn Vinup is an event producer, certified Feng Shui consultant, holistic professional, speaker, teacher and wellness agent. She has been in the event and entertainment industry for more than twenty years. She has produced corporate events, grand openings, holiday parties, personal celebrations, fundraisers, wellness experiences and provided logistics for large scale projects.

Carolyn is very creative, a master at brainstorming, and a big picture person who knows how to capture the minutia details. She integrates her knowledge of Feng Shui, space clearing and sound work into the events she produces. She understands how color, placement and positioning, textures, shapes, music and flow impact the overall experience. Her overall mission is to help people find ways to create conscious spaces and celebrate life through experiences that add happiness, joy and fun to their lives.

Tess Wald

Designer, HPSS Global

Tess Wald is part of the HPSS Global production team. HPSS Global and Tess Wald Productions collaborate on all kinds of events and large scale projects.

Tess Wald Productions (TWP) brings people's visions to life and is the top creative design company in the Washington, D.C. area. For more than twenty years, TWP has been the pre-eminent set design and production management company for clients seeking exciting, creative, and original products and services. TWP core competencies include scenic design and construction, creative development, technical production, production management and graphic design.

Nationwide and internationally, TWP continues to hit the mark for clients with designs and productions that speak the perfect language, send the right message, and impact the targeted audience. TWP has the experience to bring the meeting in on time, in budget, and on target. We design and produce with a passion to capture your dream and manifest it in the most authentic way.

TWP takes great pride in the range of clients we have worked with and the long-term relationships we've developed with many of them. Whether we are designing sets or producing events for major corporations, labor unions, political parties, conventions or conferences, rallies, broadcast television, video, government agencies, professional associations, exhibit displays, special events or any other industry, we value collaboration and creative teamwork.

Michael Vennerstrom

President, Equinox Creative

Michael Vennerstrom has been impacting audiences for over 35 years. A veteran meeting producer, Mike has filled many roles during his career, including executive producer, creative director, writer, designer, technical director, technician, media producer, PowerPoint operator and forklift driver. He is the rare individual who is as comfortable discussing strategy in a corporate boardroom as he is loading trucks in the warehouse.

Mike began his career as an award-winning theatre and television Lighting Designer. In both freelance and resident positions, he was involved in hundreds of theatre projects during a period of 13 years. In 1988, Mike was hired by a leading performance improvement agency as Technical Director of Business Theatre. His leadership and communication skills brought several rapid promotions, being named Executive Producer in 1992.

In 1995, Mike created Equinox Creative with a vision for a nimble, audience-focused meeting and event management company dedicated to creativity and customer service.

Alan Weleczki

Founder/Creative Director, Alan Michael Design

Alan Michael is an award-winning, nationally recognized designer and creator of inspiring corporate logos and identities, print brochures, web site design, event logos, event communication print elements and event web design.

The breadth of Alan Michael's experience spans 26 years working as an Illustrator, Designer, Art Director and Creative Director for a vast array of Fortune 500 consumer and business-to-business clients. Alan Michael has built his reputation on creating exquisite marketing design coupled with integrity, open client communication and dependability from project initiation to fulfillment.

Alan Michael Design has the unique ability to transform "a concept" into stunning visual graphics and effective, memorable marketing material that meld fine arts, graphic design, and marketing content.

In 1990 Alan Michael founded Alan Michael Design. For the past 17 years, Alan Michael has owned, operated and been the lead Designer/Creative Director for Fortune 500 corporate clients based locally and nationally.