Arlington, Texas · Operations & Production Executive

I build teams and systems that deliver — on stage, on the road, and behind the scenes.

Twenty-five years leading live-event production, program operations, and mission-driven logistics — from $100M production portfolios at Encore to a fleet of mobile science labs bringing STEM education to students who need it most.

Shane Slaughter Shane Slaughter, off the clock at the aquarium psst — hover
25+years in operations & production leadership
$100Mproduction P&L owned at Encore Global
40+producers, directors & coordinators led
14mobile labs delivered — 9 new builds, 5 renovations
About

Hospitality roots. Production scale. Builder's mindset.

My career started behind the scenes in hotels, where I learned “The Spirit to Serve” from the Marriott family of properties — anticipate needs, act with integrity, embrace change. Those values carried me through two decades in event technology and production, from running AV at one of Marriott's largest properties to directing a 40-person production organization and a nine-figure P&L at Encore Global.

As VP of Production Services at PRA, I led a national team of Executive Producers delivering complex corporate events for some of the world's most recognizable brands — sharpening how I think about standards, margins, and the craft of making enormous logistical efforts look effortless.

Today I'm doing the most meaningful work of my career: running fleet operations for Learning Undefeated, a STEM-education nonprofit that brings mobile laboratory experiences directly to under-resourced schools. I designed and built the technology systems inside our fleet of mobile labs — nine new builds and five full renovations and counting — and I own the operation that keeps them rolling, from routing and maintenance to the scheduling and dispatch systems behind the scenes.

Experience

A career built on delivery

Director of Fleet Operations

May 2024 – Present
Learning Undefeated · STEM education nonprofit · Maryland & Texas

Learning Undefeated delivers hands-on STEM education to under-resourced schools through a fleet of mobile laboratories. I build the labs' technology — and own the operation that puts them in front of students.

  • Designed and built the technology systems inside the mobile laboratory fleet — completing 9 new lab builds and 5 full renovations, from AV and interactive systems to power, networking, and lab infrastructure
  • Direct end-to-end fleet operations — scheduling, routing, maintenance, and driver management — for mobile STEM labs serving school districts across multiple states
  • Built custom operations tooling (live fleet tracking, program scheduling, driver and dispatch systems) in place of commercial software, at a fraction of the cost
  • Partner with program and development teams to maximize student reach per mile driven and per dollar spent

Vice President, Production Services

Aug 2022 – Oct 2023
PRA · Business events & experiential agency
  • Led a national team of Executive Producers delivering complex corporate events and brand experiences for Fortune 500 clients
  • Owned production standards, budgeting discipline, and vendor strategy across the production services organization
  • Partnered with sales and creative leadership to scope, price, and win large-scale programs
  • Mentored senior production talent and built repeatable playbooks for consistent, profitable execution

Senior Director, Program Production

2019 – 2022
Encore Global · Coppell, TX
  • Directed a large team of production directors and producers; responsible for P&L on a $100M production group
  • Developed production standards for live and virtual events and enforced adherence to performance and financial controls
  • Led the production team's transformation from a virtual operation back to a full live-event force post-pandemic
  • Managed replacement of the production group's order-entry system

Senior Account Manager

2010 – 2019
Encore Global · Coppell, TX
  • Responsible for execution of Encore's largest production accounts (over $7M)
  • Designed and produced events for Cardiovascular Research Foundation, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Intel, Pfizer, and E3
  • Earned multiple awards for event team and execution; consistently delivered and improved on financial performance goals

Director, Staging & Creative Services

2006 – 2010
AVHQ Meeting Services · Dallas, TX
  • Led a staging business unit responsible for $20M in revenue and $1M in capital inventory
  • Developed and implemented execution standards for production events
  • Launched the creative services division within AVHQ Meeting Services

Assistant Director, Event Technology

2000 – 2006
Marriott International · San Francisco, CA
  • Managed AV operations at one of Marriott's largest properties
  • Led a team of 12 full-time staff alongside a variable union workforce
  • Instrumental in improving event-technology capture rate during tenure
Capabilities

Two toolkits, one operator

Operations & Leadership

The discipline side: teams, money, standards, and the calm delivery of complicated things.

P&L Ownership Team Building & Mentorship Live & Virtual Event Production Fleet & Logistics Operations Vendor Negotiation Six Sigma / Lean Production Standards Accounting & Finance

Systems & Builds

The builder side: from the technology inside a mobile laboratory to the systems that schedule and track it.

Mobile Lab Design & Build-Out AV, Power & Interactive Systems Fleet Tracking & Dashboards Scheduling & Dispatch Tooling Workflow Automation AutoCAD Adobe Creative Suite Smartsheet & Office 365
Beyond Work

Off the clock

Community & Advocacy

10+ year member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). Former community outreach co-chair for Encore's Pride business resource group, advocating for social equality in the workplace.

Education

Information Systems, University of Texas at Arlington. A degree that took the scenic route back to relevance — and now powers the platforms I build.

Interests

Maker culture, culinary arts, travel, and a well-stocked reading list. If it can be built, cooked, or figured out on the fly, I'm interested.

Contact

Let's talk

Whether it's operations leadership, event production, or building the systems that make complex logistics look easy — I'm always glad to connect.

LocationArlington, TX