Optimum is a premier event management expert for large-scale music and entertainment festivals and sporting events. We are leaders in bar and beverage management, merchandise management, vendor coordination, catering, and sponsorship sales. Optimum is committed to providing an honest and transparent approach to all of our events and partnerships.
Optimum specializes in multi-day events, multi-venue events, and logistically-demanding locations. Our management team thrives in these environments with a positive and upbeat attitude. We pride ourselves on having solutions for the most complex challenges.
Optimum Events & Entertainment strives to become the preferred strategic partner for event promoters. We allow promoters to focus on the big picture, while we focus on increasing profitability, driving sales, and enhancing the consumer experience. Our professionalism is unparalleled and our client satisfaction is unmatched.
The Team
Ted Wenninger, Managing Director
Ted joined Optimum in 2013, bringing his expertise of sponsorship and sales to the rapidly expanding company. With a decade of experience with SnowBall Ventures, the Vail Valley Foundation and InStadium, Ted’s roots in the industry run deep, even on a national level. A veteran of large-scale multi-sport and multi-day festivals, Ted’s onsite management and composure are unmatched and his resourcefulness is well-respected. The years spent at InStadium in his native Chicago provided Ted with a broad understanding of the ins and outs of media, while also starting him down the path to generating effective corporate alliances as part of successful events.
Nick Rader, Managing Director
Specializing in large-scale event operations and corporate sponsorships, Rader’s experience includes more than ten years with Vail Resorts and the Vail Valley Foundation alongside an impressive portfolio of nationally and internationally recognized multi-day events. Rader’s tireless work ethic and pragmatic approach uniquely position him as a well-respected leader in the events industry. Having received his MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Rader combines his event experience with strengths in marketing and strategy. Currently residing in Charlottesville, Virginia, Rader heads up the company’s east coast office.
Alex Ballesteros, Project Manager
Alex brings many years in restaurant and bar management skills to Optimum Events & Entertainment as the staffing and operations manager for large-scale events. Alex studied graphic design at the University of Arizona and is in fluent in Spanish and French. Previously a partner at VibeRides, Alex joined Optimum in 2014 and quickly rose to the managerial team with hard work and dedication to producing the highest quality results, no matter the size or scope of the project.
Shelley Woodworth, Personnel & Marketing
With a background in event marketing and media relations, Shelley began her career as a communications skills trainer in New York City. Returning to her native Colorado, she became the marketing & PR director at the Vail Valley Foundation, where she wore many hats to work within all aspects of event production. From event imagery and copy-writing to media operations and sponsorship fulfillment, from athlete and artist relations to asset management and circulation. In 2012, Shelley created Onyx & Company, Ltd., a boutique firm that specializes in marketing, media and production.