It all begins with you and your idea. Maybe you want to host the most awesome party to celebrate your best friend’s retirement; maybe you want the type of wedding that has the whole town talking; maybe you’ve been granted the rights to host a national sports tournament; maybe you need the perfect launch for a new business or product; maybe you have been tasked with organizing the annual leadership conference and failure is simply not an option.

Events mark a specific moment in time, memories that can last a lifetime. There are no do-overs; you want your event to be remembered for all the right things. - Don’t Fail!

When it comes to planning and managing events, perhaps this isn’t your first rodeo. You are organized and have successfully hosted events for family & friends and don’t want to give up complete control. - We’ve got you covered!

We can be there for you as much or as little as you want. We can control every aspect of the planning and execution or just be your co-pilot and crew. Perhaps you just need help getting started, you need a plan, and some ala carte services. - We’ve got you covered!.

What does this all look like? First of all, you can relax, take a breather. What’s new and perhaps overwhelming to you, is our stock and trade. As long as you have a date, and the further in the future that date is, the better. Along with the date, a general idea of the desired location, number of guest and the funds…we can get started. From the day of our first meeting, to the planning to the day of the event, our focus is on successfully bringing your dream into reality.

We start by providing you with a Statement of Work which describes your requirements, the specific activities, deliverables and timelines. Next, we provide you with a schedule which list all the tasks, who is doing what, at what time, how long it will take and how much it will cost. Long before the day of the event, you will have a complete plan, you will know how your event is going to be managed.

While we can legitimately say The Murray Group (TMG) has been in business since 2008; however, as a practical matter that is a little misleading. The Murray Group of North Carolina LLC was registered as a limited liability company on December 15, 2008, but we always did business under different names and provided different services at various times, most notably Image Magic Event Photography and Mike-on-the Mic DJ and Emcee services. In addition to other services we now provide, we are still a premiere event photography and videography company and Mike-on-the Mic still exist as well.

With that said, photography and DJing was never what we were all about. As soon as brides started asking us to recommend a cakemaker or caterer, we were in the catering business. As soon as concert promoters asked us about concierge services for their performers, we were in the VIP and celebrity concierge business. The same for corporate audio/visual, red carpet backdrop step-up and repeat, photobooths, aerial drone photography, tents and stage setup for outdoor festivals and stadium, and concert venue’s traffic control, etc. Having supplied various event services for nearly a decade, we were eventually asked to plan and manage events for our clients.

That was it! Whatever our clients asked for, we provided. However, it was only recently we took on the title event services. We don’t work alone; we support lots of people and lots of people support us. TMG benefits from partnerships with most of the top local venues, caterers, and other event services providers.

Who am I? My name is Michael Murray, I am the owner and principal operator of TMG. I am an ex-Army officer and nearly 20 years of experience managing corporate technology projects at fortune 500 companies primarily in the pharmaceutical and financial services industries. I am a PMP designated project manager certified through the Project Management Institute; I hold a Master’s Certification in Project Management from The George Washington University and an (MCSE) Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. I know how to plan and manage!

I am also an FAA certified drone pilot; this licensing allows me to fly my drone commercially at outdoor sporting, concerts and festival type events. I am a Managing Partner with Marathon-Photos based out of Hamilton New Zealand responsible for outdoor endurance sports events in the Southeast USA. I have provided DJ and catering services for numerous Weddings, Bar & Bat Mitzvahs, Quinceañeras, Sweet 16, Family Reunions and Sporting events, etc. I have played a part in some of the largest events in the Charlotte area, such as the AAU National Junior Olympics, NCAA East Regional Swimming and Diving Championships, Charlotte Marathon, Race For The Cure, Ramblin’ Rose Women’s Triathlon series, U. S. National Whitewater Charlotte event series, Richard Petty Republican Party fund raiser, Ballantyne Culture & Arts Festival, The North Carolina Azalea Festival, etc. In addition to servicing events, I have hosted my own events as well.

In a statement, we provide event services. How do we define events? We define events as those things private individuals, corporations and charities engage in to honor someone, celebrate an achievement, recognize a holiday, raise funds or to socialize and have a good time. While a family dinner or your kid’s soccer game is indeed an event, but the scale and scope does not require event professionals. We are Professionals!

There are Meetings, Conferences, Seminars, Trade Shows, Expos, Graduations, Banquets, GALAs, Parties, Festivals and Sports Tournaments. These types of require services; even major corporations don’t engage in these events without the help of event service professionals. Regardless of the type of event, they are similar in many ways and 2 things they all have in common; they need to be planned and managed.

o Event Promotions, Planning & Management

o Photography, Videography, Aerial Drone Photography

o DJ, Master of Ceremonies/Emcee

o Venue Setup/Teardown & Cleanup

o Catering

o Wedding Décor and Event Rentals

o Venue Crowd and Parking Lot Traffic Control

o VIP Concierge Services

o Live Musicians, Costume Characters, Face Painters, Games, Ponies, Inflatable Bounce House