The Team
GABE OFIESH
PRESIDENT, OWNER | Charlottesville, VA
Gabe started freelancing in the events industry in 2014 and over the years built a strong nationwide network of high quality independent contractors. Along the way, clients started requesting he assemble production teams for them and that’s how Blue Pallet Events was born. An avid cyclist and veteran of a few cross country tours himself, Gabe is an expert in logistics planning, site management, and staffing. Gabe feels most at home working from a production trailer or running/biking in the woods.
JT McGuinness
VICE PRESIDENT | New York, NY
JT is a forward-thinking event management professional with engaging leadership skills and a proven track record of producing successful turn-key events from concept through execution. With 15 prior years of event management experience before joining Blue Pallet Events, JT had served as a Production Director for international experiential event agencies, as the Head of Production for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, and as the VP of Live Events for Tough Mudder.
SAM ALLEN
DIRECTOR | New York, NY
Sam's career path in the events world began her freshman year of college when she chose Events and Meeting Management as her major. She jumped right in to producing small fun runs while still in school and enjoyed it. After graduating, she moved on to working for larger scale athletic events, music festivals, and conferences. Some of her favorites over the years include the Colorado Classic, the New York City Marathon, and Cycle for Survival. Sam’s passion for events extends beyond work; on the weekends you may catch her at a food festival, baseball game, or concert.
RACHEL POOCK
SENIOR MANAGER | Richmond, VA
Rachel’s love for events started when working game day operations for DC’s Major League Soccer team for a summer in college. After getting a degree in marketing she went back to the world of events; working craft beer festivals in DC for 2 years. She then moved to New York City where she spent 6 years at Tough Mudder producing large-scale outdoor events both in and out of the US. She enjoys finding efficient and smart ways to produce events while creating awesome customer experiences, there isn’t a problem she won’t shy away from. She’s not afraid to get her hands dirty and will take on any task to ensure the event is successful! When she’s not working you're most likely going to find Rachel outside going on a hike or a bike ride or just exploring somewhere new with friends; she likes to stay on the move!
PRISCILLA LIVINGSTON
SENIOR COORDINATOR | New York, NY
Priscilla was introduced to the events world by volunteering for cycling and road races. With over 6 years of event production experience, Priscilla loves to build genuine relationships while creating meaningful experiences for event participants. Prior to joining Blue Pallet Events, Priscilla was the Director of Racing & Operations at the Head Of The Charles Regatta in Boston. A former Division I rower, Priscilla can usually be found relaxing near a body of water.
EMILY BOTTIE
PROJECT MANAGER | Boston, MA
Emily loves helping organizations advance their missions and connect with their communities through events. Her career began as a Fundraising Coach at AVON 39 The Walk to End Breast Cancer and she has since developed engaging events and impact-driven fundraising campaigns for organizations including the American Cancer Society and Campus Compact. She excels at crafting successful fundraising strategies, recruiting and training volunteers, forging impactful partnerships, and planning and executing unforgettable participant experiences. When she's not working, Emily loves long road trips with eclectic playlists, reading, and thrift store treasure-hunting.
KARA HAHN
PROJECT MANAGER | Providence, RI
Kara has more than 13 years of experience in the event world holding leadership roles on national events like the AVON Walk to End Breast Cancer and various other bike rides, concerts, and conferences. She is well-versed in many dimensions of an event from volunteer recruitment to participant experience and programming to the overall production. Kara loves knowing safety protocols like the back of her hand, seeing a beautifully loaded event truck, and the magic moment when an event comes to life. She currently lives off coffee in Rhode Island with her husband and two kids.
BOBBY POTRYKUS
DIRECTOR | Denver, CO
With 15+ years experience in events, Bobby loves to help craft an event vision to life. He built a reputation for himself directing and operating nationally-recognized events such as Cycle for Survival, the Denver Oktoberfest, the Rocky Mountain Music Festival and Steamboat Food and Wine Festival. A former Division I athlete, Bobby enjoys soccer and running, as well as being in the great Colorado outdoors – where he continues to raise his own family.
ELLIE CORRELL
SENIOR COORDINATOR | Charlotte, NC
After graduating from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a Masters in Forensic Psychology, she shifted to managing a small business in NYC. She later found herself freelancing in events, where she grew to love the challenges of executing large scale events. Ellie loves to be on-site working with her hands and has a keen attention to detail. Outside of work, Ellie likes to host dinner parties, go hiking with her dog Beans, and is an avid reader.
LIANA NORMAN
COORDINATOR | New York, NY
Liana has been a passionate event professional since 2015 when she transitioned into events from the medical industry. From conferences to experiential events, she has orchestrated a diverse array of experiences. In 2022, she ventured into outdoor events, finding her niche in community engagement. The kinetic energy of gatherings fuels her drive. Beyond events, you'll find her hiking, camping, and swimming, immersed in nature's embrace. Vintage jewelry holds a special place in her heart, both as a collector and artisan, allowing for her creative escape.
CHRISTINE BOSCO
PROJECT MANAGER | New York, NY
Christine loves to hustle. During her 10 years in the events industry, she has honed her expertise in the production of large-scale endurance races and the creation of bespoke client experiences. Working on events as diverse as food festivals, triathlons, golf tournaments, and conferences, Christine knows how to exceed the expectations of a wide range of organizations and clients. Prior to joining Blue Pallet Events, Christine was the Event Director of the New York City Triathlon and New Jersey Marathon. She also has served as an international events manager for Google and an events and sponsorship specialist with The Wall Street Journal.
FREELANCE TEAM
AN INCREDIBLY TALENTED NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF SPECIALIZED TEAM MEMBERS
These longtime colleagues have a passion for producing successful events. They bring a unique personal touch that can only come from a group of people whose backgrounds outside of event producing include avalanche dog training and whitewater raft guiding. We’ve worked with many of them for almost 15 years and trust them to handle everything from guest-facing areas and stage management to asset inventory and route-marking.