In every industry, there are those who follow a well-trodden path and those who carve their own. In the world of corporate event production, Mark Mallchok clearly falls into the second group. His journey began on the shores of Hawaii, surrounded by family, the arts, and a steady stream of community gatherings. Over the decades, he has evolved from child performer to co-founder of a renowned content and event company, blending creativity, technical know-how, and a people-first perspective. Recently, Mark sat down for a thoughtful conversation with Seth Macchi, where he shared his upbringing, philosophy, and what he believes the future holds for live, virtual, and hybrid events.
Roots of a Showman: Childhood in Hawaii
Unlike many who stumble into events later in life, Mark grew up immersed in them. Raised on the Big Island, his parents worked as librarians at a boarding school, integrating the entire family into campus life. From communal meals to stage productions and every club in between, he was attuned to group gatherings from an early age. Watching his mom work backstage in a professional theater sparked a lasting fascination with both performance and technical production.
This early exposure created an environment where putting on a show (school dances, plays, or sports events) felt completely natural. As Mark tells it, the lines between audience, participant, and organizer blurred. He wasn’t just a spectator; he helped with setup, planning, and backstage work. He found joy in seeing how pieces fit together to create something larger than the sum of its parts.
Discovering a Passion for Production
By high school, Mark was the go-to person for every event requiring coordination—choir productions, yearbook, theater, and sports photography. Initially, he imagined a future as an actor and pursued theater studies at Northwestern. However, college brought a realization: he enjoyed storytelling, directing, and production even more than being in the spotlight.
The shift from center stage to the control booth allowed him to reach wider audiences and shape the entire arc of the experience. It also offered a more stable career path, an increasingly practical consideration as adulthood approached.
First Forays into Paid Events
While studying, Mark began organizing student film showings and found his way into programming at major science fiction conventions. There, he gained hands-on experience in registration, programming, VIP coordination, award ceremonies, and art auctions. All invaluable training in large-scale event logistics.
One of his most colorful early paid gigs was as a street performer at a Renaissance festival. Sword fighting, jousting, and sweating through heavy Elizabethan costumes might seem worlds away from corporate meetings, but the lessons in adaptability, improvisation, and audience connection followed him into every production that came after.
Building a Unique Company
In 1992, Mark co-founded Brella Productions with Bernadette Burke. Their vision was clear: every project should be unique, offer opportunities to travel, and provide continuous learning. They found fulfillment in the ever-changing challenges of corporate work. Clients, industries, subjects, and audiences shift from job to job, keeping curiosity and creativity alive.
Initially focused on video, Brella naturally expanded into live events as clients sought the same innovation for meetings and conferences. Their early adoption of new technologies positioned them well for major shifts, including the rapid digital transformation of the COVID era.
Long before virtual platforms dominated, Brella was experimenting with interactive tools and remote production workflows. When the world moved online, they scaled rapidly, hiring talent from theater and live events and upskilling staff in virtual production. As live events returned, the team merged their expanded capabilities with renewed in-person energy, strengthening their hybrid expertise.
Learning from the Past
A prevailing theme in Mark’s philosophy is that performance experience is invaluable in events. Understanding the emotional arc of a show, supporting presenters, and communicating clearly all stem from a performer’s mindset. This shared language builds camaraderie among crews and empowers everyone to feel invested in the final product.
Every production, whether an internal meeting or a global conference, begins with story. What should the audience feel? What should they take with them? That narrative informs every decision, from flow to technical execution.
Virtual Events: Not Just a Pandemic Fix
Virtual and hybrid events are here to stay. For Mark and his team, virtual isn’t a lesser fallback; it’s a format with powerful advantages.
He points to a global client who expanded participation from about 40 to 65 countries during an all-virtual program. Attendance doubled and more team members gained access to content firsthand.
However, producing a compelling virtual experience can be more demanding than an in-person one. Viewers compare the output not to last year’s conference but to broadcast-level standards. Engagement tools, visual storytelling, and seamless transitions must all work harder to keep attention.
Hybrid events bring together the best of both environments but must be considered from day one. Content must play equally well in a ballroom and on a laptop screen anywhere in the world.
Elevating Engagement in a Noisy World
Technology that once felt groundbreaking is now expected. LED walls, real-time polling, immersive video… these alone don’t elevate an event anymore.
What does is thoughtful design anchored in human experience. Mark encourages planners to bring in creative and production partners early, before selecting a venue or platform. Alignment on purpose and story early prevents costly changes later and opens space for innovation.
He also underscores the vital importance of pre-production. The show may only last a week, but the success is built through months of planning, testing, and refining.
The Future: Connection, Intimacy, and Authenticity
Looking forward, Mark envisions more events, but smaller, more intimate, and highly focused on human connection. Knowledge is easy to access online, but trust, collaboration, and shared experiences are not. Corporate gatherings will increasingly be designed to nurture those deeper outcomes.
One of his favorite examples was a 120-person retreat near Barcelona where attendees stayed close together, shared meals, and built genuine relationships; the kind of impact that’s hard to find in sprawling convention centers.
As automation and AI reshape the landscape, Mark believes that human connection will only grow more essential. The drive to gather, share stories, and collaborate is at the core of every meaningful event.
For those seeking inspiration and strategic guidance to elevate their next gathering, Mark and his team remain committed to bringing a little magic to every production, whether on a stage in Hawaii, a ballroom in Bangkok, or a virtual studio connecting audiences across borders.
To listen to Seth and Mark converse, tune in here: