CHRISTOPHER C. GRADY

**** ***** ****

Bellaire, TX 77401

512-***-**** / aca1az@r.postjobfree.com

CAREER SUMMARY

Years of experience in the entertainment and hospitality sectors as an event marketer and producer,

new business developer, and operations manager

In depth experience with customer service, strategic marketing, project and program management,

promotional development and implementation, fundraising, brand development & management,

calendar management, media relations, merchandising, inventory/purchasing, oral and written

communications with talent agencies and vendors, staff/intern hiring and supervision, contract

negotiations, corporate sales, talent buying.

OBJECTIVE

To transition my broad, profitable experience in the businesses of live music and non profit program

management to a role in the restaurant industry

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Texas Regional Director

Strive For College

Mar. 2013 Present

Houston, TX

Developed four university chapters of volunteer mentors and their executive boards through extensive

recruitment and training to partner with several Houston Independent School District high schools to

mentor in need students through the college application process, making it the most rapidly developed

region to date since the organization’s inception.

Sold platform to principals, college access coordinators and counselors as the strongest compliment to

limited resources dedicated to post secondary educational pursuits, while locating extraordinary student

leaders for Executive Boards on Houston area campuses to guide the near peer relationships that driving

Strive’s culture of empowerment.

Established individual and corporate donor database as well as Young Professionals Board and Texas

Regional Board, while managing the relationship at The Houston Endowment and The Michael and

Susan Dell Foundation.

Chief Operations Officer

The Texas Music Theater

Apr. 2011 Oct. 2012

San Marcos, TX

Oversaw all aspects of full scale event production and venue operations five to seven days a week for a

1,000 capacity multi usage venue, including live music for the collegiate demographic as well as

inventory/purchasing, profit/loss statements, staff hiring and supervision, and sales of corporate events

and private functions and all of their catering, seating and extra production needs.

1

Increased venue visibility and relevance through implementation of print, radio and social media

marketing strategies targeting the collegiate and young rural demographics and ticketed events catering

to the 28 55 year old professionals in San Marcos and the surrounding hill country.

Negotiated all vendor and artist agreements, performed all accounting duties relative to financial

settlements at the end of performances, closed all corporate sponsorship deals in the physical space,

developed and implemented email marketing campaigns, and was responsible for the oversight of the

venue’s online presence and all of its copy.

Sold all of the corporate events and social engagements, as well as mounting an aggressive campaign to

involve the presence of local and national brands in the venue.

Attended weekly meetings with ownership to assess budgetary considerations, marketing and

promotional efforts, new confirmations for live music events and private functions, and staff

performance to maintain exactitude of brand directives.

New Business Development / Operations / Marketing Strategy

The Parish Room

Apr. 2010 Apr. 2011

Austin, TX

Oversaw all aspects of full scale event production and venue operations five days a week, including live

music production, inventory/purchasing, review of profit/loss statements, staff hiring and supervision,

and sales of corporate events and private functions. Negotiated agreements with artist and corporate

representatives, and acted as venue liaison to South By South West’s Interactive and Music Conferences

for their formal showcases as well as various corporate clients using the facility for their respective

functions.

Reinvigorated the venue’s once sophisticated customer base in with an email marketing campaign that

targeted business travelers and tourists in the downtown area. Oversaw the redirection of the venue’s

web presence in the image of the room’s elegant aesthetic.

Attended quarterly meetings with general management and ownership to consistently evaluate

operations, marketing and promotional strategies, trends in profit and loss, and new business

opportunities.

The Flamingo Cantina

Jan. 2002 Mar. 2008

Austin, TX

Oversaw all aspects of full scale event production and venue operations five to seven days a week, while

negotiating artist deals and performing accounting duties for financial settlement on the evening of

performance.

Maintained the room’s existing brand identity by connecting with the surrounding Jamaican population

through extensive research of available indexes and creating and implementing targeted marketing

strategies thereafter.

Wrote all site content, oversaw maintenance of online presence.

Lucy’s Retired Surfer’s Bar

2000 2002

Austin, TX

(also held position of Operations Manager)

2

Reduced operational costs by 50% and created a popular touring destination for the burgeoning

national jam band scene that had yet to be recognized in Texas, as well as the earliest components of red

dirt and regional country musics. Increased quarterly profits by over 25%.

Overhauled entirety of existing in house sound and light system to provide superior customer experience

in an especially competitive marketplace.

Northwestern University

1991 1993

Evanston, IL

Director of Concerts and Speakers

For the last two years of college career, helmed the event production and programming of the campus’

musical entertainment in seven venues, ranging from a 300 capacity union bar to a 6,800 capacity

gymnasium.

Executive Director

Econocorps

2004 2010

Austin, TX

Created an organization whose goal was to serve as an advisory, educational, and mentoring body to

musical talents of varied genre regarding all aspects of their small businesses – accounting, booking,

licensing, marketing, merchandising, negotiation and promotion.

OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST

• Voice over talent for brands such as AMD, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Charles

Schwab, Richard Linklater’s “Up To Speed” web television series

• Fine Art blogger for Houston based website Glass Tire

• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Salesforce, Google Calendar & Documents

• Have completed 3 marathons and have my eye on some longer races

CONFERENCE WORK / ATTENDANCE

• SXSW Music (Executive Listening Panel – 2002 to 2011)

• Chicago International Film Festival (Production Assistant – 1991 to 1993)

• National Association of Music Merchants (Eden Sponsored Artist – 1997 to 2000)

• Americana Music Association Festival (Panel Speaker – 1999)

• Nat’l Assn. of Campus Activities National Conference (Registrant 1990 93, 2002 2008)

• Association of Performing Arts Presenters (Attendee – 2009)

• SXSW Interactive (Attendee – 2009 to 2011)

• TED Austin (2012)

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s of Speech (1993)

Majors: Communications Studies / Economics

Northwestern University – Evanston, IL

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