Steve Abrams Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Illinois, United States

The largest free performing arts festival in the Midwest.

Based In Chicago, Global Services

Full-service commercial General Management Services and an Innovative and progressive arts management company that offers a broad range of talents and experts in the arts and culture community with a focus on performing arts. • Experienced commercial and non-profit theatrical and multi-genre producer and director• Artistic direction and programming consultancy• Board Relations & capital campaign/philanthropy consultation• Interim C-level Management, staff coaching, executive search• Contract review and negotiation strategies• Arts, artist and production management• Global artistic contacts• Touring, transfers, general and company management services• Concessions enhancement and customer experience enrichment• Event and fundraiser production• Bespoke and curated artistic and cultural tours• Press and social media consult• Program series creation and development• Commissioning and producing strategies and management • Relocation and housing services for incoming artists and groups• Best practices• Clients include: Illinois Coalition Against Handgun Violence, Urban Theatre Company, Chicago Children's Theatre, Navy Pier, Inc.,

At BLVE Consults, we believe in the process.Our mission is to create stronger organizations by building effective systems and processes and encouraging transformational leadership. BLVE connects you back to the mission and values of your work by building the structure necessary to make the space for creativity, ideas, and innovation. BLVE RECRUITMENT & TRANSITION SERVICESBLVE Consults recognizes the importance of solid and seamless staffing for any sized organization. With BLVE’s team collective experience of proven leadership and recruiting, BLVE’s Recruitment & Transition Services, led by Steve Abrams, can provide you with interim leadership and staffing, affordable recruitment services, and is also adept at filling in on day-to-day operations during periods of transition.

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Artistic Director/Producer for Chicago LIVE Again- Chicago's official welcome back to live performances featuring two stages, over 50 performances including Lyric Opera, South Chicago Dance Theater, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Broadway in Chicago, About Face Theater, Chicago Fringe Opera and many others, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL, Sept 2021

Chicago

Navy Pier has been an icon and popular destination throughout much of Chicago’s history and is the #1 leisure destination in the midwest. Centrally located in downtown Chicago, Navy Pier attracts over 9 million visitors annually, I served as its first Resident Artistic Director, helping to set the artistic vision as Chicago's cultural district through the creation of a center for local arts, increasing the cultural cache and extending the cultural lakefront and to continue Daniel Burnham's original vision of "the people's Pier," in part, through collaboration with Chicago's more than 600 performing arts organizations and artists.

100 S. Racine St., Chicago, Il 60607

Consulted on marketing, messaging, social media and brand development for one of Chicago’s premier arts organizations.

Greater Chicago Area

Since its launch in 2005, Chicago Children’s Theatre has cemented its reputation as the city’s largest professional theater company devoted exclusively to children and young families. CCT also offers a full roster of after school theater classes and summer camps. It also honors a strong commitment to low-income families and children with special needs and has pioneered immersive theater designed for children on the autism spectrum via its Red Kite Project, and recently expanded programming to address the needs of children with impaired vision or hearing and Down’s syndrome.• Senior leadership responsibilities charged with staff supervision, fundraising and strategic development of $20M capital campaign• Provided staff management, strategic planning and capital construction oversight for conversion of a Chicago Police Department shuttered station into a multi-faceted children’s theatre and educational center

Millennium Park, Chicago, Il

Senior leader with direct oversight in the artistic, educational and daily operations of a $7M annually budgeted multi-disciplined performing arts organization and facility. Worked closely with over 35 resident companies and over 200 performances and events annually. Responsible for multiple aspects of complicated, non-profit organization’s management, including supervision of department heads and director-level staff personnel. Managed a staff of more than 90 direct and indirect reports in multiple departments concurrently, including artistic, education, outreach, operations, production and facilities. Worked closely with Board of Directors and numerous subcommittees on special projects, events and capital issues. Bolstered management strategies and administrative policies that drove mission and advanced the artistic and financial goals of the organization. Established and forecasted annual operating, labor, production and capital budgets to ensure short and long term fiscal health.

Greater Chicago Area

Managing Partner, Rhumba Restaurant (1996-1999), Fusion Nightclub (1995-1999), Pumpkinhead (1998-2002, the Midwest’s largest 4-day Halloween Festival); Director of Training, Segal-Eslick and Associates; Manager/Trainer, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc.

Greater Chicago Area

As primary operating manager for an internationally acclaimed, Tony Award-winning regional theater, direct responsibilities included overseeing all aspects of daily functioning of three performance spaces on a campus spanning several city blocks while providing operational and production support to administrative staff of 70+. Created and designed lobby retail space with performance-related merchandise and educational materials and directed all concessions activities. Collaborated with Artistic Team on conceptualizing and executing unique lobby installations for each production, and was an integral participant in international and Broadway transfers, including Tony Award-winning One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in 2001.