ANDREA SHIRK is the leader of a new kind of live event crew. As President + CEO at Rock Lititz, + Rock Nashville Andrea focuses on building a uniquely collaborative, state-of-the-art live event destination. Her dedicated team has been breaking new ground within the industry as the campus continues to grow. Andrea comes to Rock Lititz with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and multiple product development and program management roles in her resume, having worked in leadership programs at both Lockheed Martin and Bose. In 2013, Andrea took the lead at Rock Lititz, where shows could come from around the world come to practice, train, build and structure their tours, and where crews come to learn, grow and find their production community. She can't wait for the opening of the second specialized campus, Rock Nashville

DAVID ‘5-1’ NORMAN has experienced a successful and varied career in the live event industry for over 35 years. With a keen eye for detail and a strong ability to troubleshoot, David has worked as a Tour Manager, Tour Accountant, Production Manager, Tour Director, Promoter Rep, Studio Recording Engineer, FOH Engineer and more. He has toured with various genres of musical acts such as Prince, John Legend, Avicci, and many others. He’s currently the Production Manager | Tour Accountant for Tyler, the Creator. In recent years, David has also grown into a sought after teacher in the industry leading classes on Music Business at several colleges and universities. With various speaking engagements and mentor positions, he is committed to helping the next generation of industry professionals build for a strong future.

ÉMILIE F. GRENIER wants you to forget, for an instant, where you are. Using the real world as her canvas, she weaves narrative threads with traces of augmentation to create magical spaces, instilling her work with a quiet sense of wonder. As Head of Creative at Thinkwell Studio Montréal, Émilie leads her teams to create large-scale multi-sensory experiences. Working over the last 15 years in a range of platforms, she is drawn to the possibilities that technology offers less to wow, but to create meaningful work that will last generations, whether in a glass box, or ephemerally in our memories.

Joelle Gonzalez is a solution-oriented designer for scenery, props, and events, and is based in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from UNCSA in 2022, earning a B.F.A in Design and Production, with a concentration in Scenic Design for live entertainment. She has been diligent about expanding her skillset, spending a year with Blue Man Group Astor Place, apprenticing at the After Hours til Dawn summer stadium tour, and working as a props manager and dramaturg in the New York theater scene. In 2025, she designed the ExperienceLive event space at RockLititz, and is looking forward to meeting future professionals.

LAYNE LEWIS has been in business management for over 7 years and works with internationally renowned musicians and entertainers. With a focus in Touring Business Management, Layne specializes in tour budget and income auditing, tax mitigation, post-tour reconciliation, and more. After graduating with a Bachelors of Arts & Sciences in International Affairs, Layne toured with various high-profile musicians worldwide and worked directly for many US based music festivals, before transitioning into her career at NKSFB in the Tour Department.

MELODY TSENG began her career as a production translator in Asia and has toured for over 10 years with artists such as Armin van Buuren, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande and most recently Demi Lovato. Mel has worked on a range of projects from EDM festivals to arena tours and even corporate activations. Now, as an Associate Creative Producer at Fireplay, with a BFA in fine arts and fashion design, she draws on her diverse experiences and unique multicultural understanding of the industry to enhance the live events that she creates.

RACHEL PFENNIG HALES is the Sr Global Manager of Brand + Content at Rock Lititz + Rock Nashville where she focuses on creating a voice for the company, building live crew culture between campuses, and helping put on cool events-- like this one! She grew up a “theatre kid” before finding her niche in live event production, an industry she loves. Rachel was able to start her career touring around the world with the Black Eyed Peas, and then with Lynyrd Skynyrd. She has been with Rock Lititz since it opened. Always a fan of a classroom, Rachel has BAs from DePauw University, an MA from National University and an MFA from Goucher College. Make sure to check out Tour Book, Rachel’s unique, nonfiction look at backstage concert touring.

Vinnie Ferra is a seasoned live entertainment and touring executive with a mission to make touring more enjoyable for artists and their crews. In 2016, he co-founded The Beehive to translate artists’ creative vision from the studio into unforgettable live experiences. Clients range from developing acts to global superstars including Halsey, Gracie Abrams, Rosé of BLACKPINK, Lizzy McAlpine, Gryffin, Masego, T-Pain, Bebe Rexha, blackbear, among others. As a musician himself, Vinnie has spearheaded multiple Saturday Night Live performances as musical director and has played in famed venues such as Madison Square Garden and Red Rocks.

Zorita Dorsey brings over 15 years of extensive experience in event production, having contributed to major events such as the MTV VMAs, Global Citizen Festival, iHeartRadio Festivals and Concerts, NFL Super Bowl, and NBA All-Star Weekend. Currently, she serves as the Festival Director for Philadelphia's 4th of July Festival and as Executive Producer for the America 250th PA Commonwealth Concert Series. Additionally, Zorita is an adjunct professor at Drexel University's School of Entertainment Arts Management.