John Garberson

Bio:

Director (Semi-Retired) – Creative Backstage Group, Arizona
Founder of Creative Backstage (est. 2003; acquired by Pride Group in 2019)

Creative Backstage is an award-winning production company recognized locally and nationally for excellence in live event production. The company specializes in lighting, sound, video, staging, design, labor, logistics, and full event management for concerts, festivals, corporate events, galas, schools, government functions, weddings, and sporting events.

With over 35 years in the live event industry—rising from ground-level crew to building and leading a successful 21-year production company—John has helped shape Arizona’s event landscape. Many of the professionals mentored through Creative Backstage now thrive as business owners, touring personnel, and designers across the industry.

To support Arizona’s production community, he founded the Facebook group “Arizona Stagehand Work,” which connects more than 1,000 members with job opportunities and local companies. During the pandemic shutdowns, he also established the Arizona Chapter of the Live Event Coalition to advocate for the live event workforce.

Now semi-retired, his focus is on developing a new generation of production professionals through enhanced training programs in Arizona—bridging the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world event production.

Key areas of expertise include: lighting and production design, logistics, sales, networking, labor management, and vendor coordination. A strong advocate for education and mentorship, John believes that the future of the live event industry depends on sharing knowledge and experience with the next generation.