RIC KIRBY

Founder, Creative Director
and Event Manager

Ric Kirby, Shocking Orange, is a “well-seasoned” creative director, producer and production operations manager. In his twenty-five years in this industry, he has served in a variety of capacities for industrial shows and meetings designed for an extensive, well-respected list of clients. He specializes in large-scale multi-dimensional events.

In 2009 & 2010, Ric served as a Creative Director & Command Centre Operations Manager for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Torch Relay. His responsibilities included design, development and production of the creative assets and direction of the 189 shows created to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic Flame into cities & communities spanning the globe and host country, Canada. For the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, he served as a member of the Executive Producer’s “Fast Team” responsible for rapid response and resolution of situations arising during the ceremony. He was assigned to Athlete’s Protocol responsible for organization, transfer and the formal Procession and seating of the Athletes.

In 2010 & 2011, Ric served as the Operations Manager for the production of a major international pharmaceutical firm’s first “All Hands” International meeting. He was responsible for organizing & coordinating the communication stream, management and reporting of 14 separate production teams to the Executive Producer. He designed standards and protocols unifying the production team members and established a communication hub for the universal flow and access of information for the team as well as the client.

Early in 2006, he served as the Creative Director/Show Director for the Inauguration of Timothy M. Kaine as the 70th Governor for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 1993, he was one of fifteen producers selected to produce the Inaugural Ceremonies for the Inauguration of William J. Clinton as the 42nd President of the United States of America. In 1997, he served again as a Coordinating Producer for the second Inauguration of President Clinton. In 1996, he conceived and produced the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Founding of The United Nations

In the spring and summer of 2006, Ric served as a Lead Producer for the Opening Ceremony of Gay Games VII held in Chicago’s legendary Soldier Field. A heralded international event that employed a production team of over 300 professionals, engaging 1400 performers, featuring the participation of more than 12,000 athletes from over 80 countries before an audience of over 45,000 spectators. For his work, Ric was nominated for the coveted ISES Special Event award in the category of Best Spectacle.

From 1999 through 2000, he served as a creative director & coordinating producer responsible for New York City’s yearlong Millennium Celebration that culminated in the internationally televised Millennium New Year’s Eve from Time Square festivities.

Ric also specializes in the design and execution of custom corporate teambuilding/philanthropic projects. Over the past ten years, he has led and participated on projects that

• Rebuilt two impoverished elementary schools in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas

• Designed & installed numerous community parks & playgrounds in the US and Canada

• Designed & installed children play/recreation areas in regional hospitals

• Rebuilt homes in the devastated flood regions of the U. S. Gulf coast

• Built & shipped 10,000 good will packages to military personnel serving around the world

• Rebuilt & rehabilitated numerous food banks, homeless shelters, battered women’s homes, AIDS Hospices and camps for the blind, chronically ill and physically challenged throughout the North America, Latin America & the Caribbean

He has had the pleasure and honor of producing the speaking appearances of a wide and distinguished list of prominent personalities, and has produced and staged concert performances by internationally renowned and celebrated artists. 

He is a graduate of the University of Texas system with a B.A. in English and B.F.A. in Theater and has an M.F.A in Arts Management from the University of Miami. Ric is a proud member of the Lambda Chi Alpha International Fraternity. When not traveling the globe on exciting adventures, he resides in the sleepy east coast beach town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware in the United States.