David Rapelje Email & Phone Number

Welland, On, Ca

Welland, Ontario, Canada

Business Owner /Production DirectorTNR Productions IncWelland, ONAs a Production Director at TNR Productions Inc., I am providing event management and production services to clients across corporate and non-profit sectors including special events, open-air music festivals, lavish weddings, and national level touring. Here, I conduct feasibility studies, managed site plans, and lead organizational and logistical aspects such as sound, lighting, staging, video, set design, décor, talent acquisitions, artist relations, ticketing services, catering, security, event staffing, marketing, promotion, media and public relations, sponsorship development, as well as fundraising, tourism, and corporate partnership development.• Empowered company to act as a key channel between multiple stakeholders by producing major events with budgets varying from $10K to well over six figures.• Secured, sustained, and served a portfolio of high-profile clients such as The David Foster Foundation, Canadian Olympic Committee, The Walt Disney Company, Niagara College, Mohawk College, The ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, The International Dragon Boat Federation, and Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Port Colborne Ontario Canada

EVENT OVERVIEW: 2020 celebrates the 42st Annual Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival, and TNR Productions’ 22nd year producing the Canal Days Concert Series. The Festival offers activities and attractions each Civic holiday weekend, for a four-day celebration of history and heritage along the canal in Port Colborne, Ontario. The Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival encompasses the entire community, with activities at a dozen different venues. The Canal Days Concert Series at H.H. Knoll Lakeview Park, features national level entertainment nightly.Each year more than 400,000 people visit the festival over four days with 30,000 fans attending the concert series. A source of great community pride, Canal Days is Port Colborne’s signature event, and it is the hundreds of local volunteers who work tirelessly that make this unique event Niagara’s premier summer festival. Some of the artists to perform were: Blue Rodeo, I Mother Earth, Finger Eleven, David Wilcox, Honeymoon Suite, The Trews, April Wine. KEY DELIVERABLES • Management of the Festival’s entertainment budget for the concert series and West Street Series• Build, structure, manage all offers for talent and contracts• Advance all logistics and technical coordination with contracted artists’ Tour Managers • All production management for the festival• Management of all 3rd party contractors and suppliers on site• Direct and manage all production staff and technical crews• Run Day of Show operations• Consult with marketing team on all artist-related aspects• Site planning• Day of Show management• VIP programs• Consulting as required

Lucknow Ontario Canada

EVENT OVERVIEW: Lucknow's Music in the Fields is an exciting country music festival tailored to friends and family in authentic, small-town, rural Ontario. It is a unique event in that 100% of all the proceeds are donated to the fight against Cystic Fibrosis and to fund organizations and charities in the community. It is situated at Graceland Festival Grounds, with camping space provided by local landowners, Music in the Fields offers a combined festival and camping experience. The event has grown from 1200 patrons in 2009 to over 8000 in recent years. One of the core values of the festival has been the community nature of the event. It developed from a Kinsmen event into one that is built upon the cooperative and supportive nature of the many other service groups and the community. The event offers camping, shuttles around town, food & drink, merchandise and, of course, the best country music festival the audience has ever experienced! KEY DELIVERABLES • Volunteer Recognition Programs• Initial event design and critical path from year 1-5• All talent procurement of A level country touring artists• Structure and produce all offers for talent• Advance all logistics and technical coordination with contracted Artists Tour Management • All production management for the festival• Management of all 3rd party contractors and suppliers onsite• Direct and manage all production staff and technical crews• Responsible for running Day of Show operations• Consult with marketing on all artist related aspects• Site planning• Day of Show management• VIP programsOF NOTE: The Lucknow Kinsmen are a completely non-profit community organization and all monies raised by these initiatives directly support charities, hospitals, schools, local and regional projects that help keep small-town Ontario "small-town" but with a big town feel. With the leadership of TNR Productions the festival has been able to donate in excess of 1.3 million dollars to organizations in need.

St Catharines, Ontario, Canada

At FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, I served as a member of the founding senior management team by directing building operations, financial performance viability, venue rental programs, volunteer and staff assignments, security, customer services, concessions, events scheduling, and production services. I directed a team of 15 full-time and 140 part-time associates and volunteers.• Partnered with the Diamond Schmitt Architects on the acoustical tuning and design of the venue to deliver patrons and entertainers with an optimal awards-winning listening experience.• Negotiated and secured all the establishing Collective Agreement with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees that is considered one of the best nation-wide.• Headed the merger of the Brock University Arts Programs with the venue, which allowed students to use both the venues as working educational and performance spaces during the academic year.

Calgary, Canada Area

I was recruited by Sonco Gaming to accomplish the project from scratch to completion that included supervision of commissioning phases and required production and systems for the venue. As an Executive Director of Entertainment, I managed the purchasing of $1.5M in production and consulted with the architectural firm to ensure building design and venue functionality. I administered a $5M talent budget while fostering relationships with major entertainment agencies in the USA and Canada. I collaborated with the marketing department to devise and execute all aspects of event marketing as well as developing signature events for the property and branded experiences.• Pioneered the venue staffing model and drove succession planning through recruitment and training and development of successor that became the Executive Director.

Moncton New Brunswick

As an Entertainment & Production Manager at The Molson Centre, I was engaged throughout the construction phase, administering all aspects of the entertainment program that included talent procurement, marketing, box office, and venue operations. I was charged with recruiting both full-time and part-time staff for the venue.• Developed the venue as a viable market to visit for international touring artists and agencies.• Boosted local promotions by cultivating a partnership with Elite 1 MMA through integration into the venue and increase the number of Elite 1 MMA shows with the full use of in-house production and venue. Secured a valuable deal that saw Elite 1 MMA shows broadcast throughout North American on The Fight Network.Previous experience as Production Manager with Fallsview Casino and Resort General Manager - Students Centre and Programming with Niagara College

Niagara, Ontario, Canada

VENUE OVERVIEW: The Fallsview Casino is the largest gaming entertainment complex built in Canada at a cost of one billion dollars. The entertainment and retail section of the complex has 100,000ft² of floor space. The Avalon Theatre at Fallsview Casino is its state-of-the-art performing arts centre. Built to accommodate just 1,547 guests, the design of the Avalon Theatre creates an extremely intimate entertainment experience, with the furthest seats less than 30 metres/100 feet from the stage. The Avalon Theatre was designed to be infinitely flexible. All 1,000 seats on the floor and mezzanine areas can be removed or re-arranged, thus allowing for various seating plans and configurations, including banquet style, classroom style, dance floor and raised runway. The stage can even be converted into additional seating, creating a four-sided seating plan for events such as boxing and concerts in the round.KEY DELIVERABLES Appointed to the prominent position Production Manager to take full control over the commissioning of the new 1,500 seat unoccupied theatre from the general contractors. Led the operations team of 10 full-time Technicians, 50 third party contract professionals and 3 full-time Associates in organizing and delivering to large audiences an impressive array of legendary entertainers. Performances held in an intimate environment considered to be one of the best equipped facilities of its kind in North America. Researched and secured state-of-the-art staging, sound, lighting, and operations equipment from suppliers across the world, Wrote RFQs and RFPs totalling $4 million as the facility’s equipment required replacement or improvements. 2006: Awarded prestigious Canadian Country Music Association Venue of the Year - Fallsview Casino’s Avalon Ballroom

Welland, Ontario, Canada

Responsible for the daily operation of the both Niagara College Student Life Centers for a total occupancy of 700 patrons. Required to implement and carry out policies and directives approved the by the Student Centre Management Committee. Oversee daily activities of fifty plus staff and two Assistant Managers. The development of the annual operating budget and controls for usage in excess of $750,000. Programming of two live event programs over two campuses ranging from stand up comedy, educational, cultural, and national touring acts. Developing, recommending and implementing sound programs, policies and procedures while working within the college system.

M.S.(Ed), Education Counselling

Activities and Societies: Recipient of full graduate scholarship over two years at Niagara University, Certification, Non-Violent Crisis.

Bachelor Of Arts, Psychology And Sociology

Activities and Societies: Certifications, P.A.D.I. Advanced Open Water Diving, Brock University, St. Catharines ON

Gmt Diploma, General Military Training

Diploma, Law And Security Administration

Activities and Societies: Certification, Standard First Aid, St. Johns Ambulance, Welland ON Vice President of External Affairs - Niagara.