Community Highlights: Meet CJ Wilson of A Production Company, LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to CJ Wilson.

Hi CJ, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
When I was 22, every organization I was involved with wanted tourism. Kansas needed tourism. We didn’t have mountains or oceans, so no one wanted to visit KS. This resonated with me and stayed for years because I set the featured image, I LOVE KANSAS! As I continued to pursue my career in Music Festivals, it made me travel a lot. I wanted to be in Kansas, my home, to help tourism grow, as I had heard so many times, and I am a woman, and it was important to me to make a difference and give back to our community. So, I started building the dream of my festival that I owned myself. With all the knowledge I have gained over the last 22 years. I knew that we could do it. Music Festivals near us increased their economy by 8-9 million dollars annually. Bringing people from all over the country to the festival became my goal. New money from tourism to our area, and I wanted to achieve that goal. So, I formed a company at 45, a mom of 4 kids, with a full-time job pursued the dream of making Kansas a Music Festival People would come to from all over the world! A Production Company, LLC will produce a 2-day Music Festival for our area called THE DAM JAM at Lake Afton with 10 national bands, camping, cornhole, car shows, beach parties, after-parties, and more. And, of course, being 70% woman-owned, we wanted to make a difference in our state, but we also wanted to empower women so that a dream can be achieved no matter their age or sex. And as we enter our 2nd year, we have sold tickets in Florida, Wisconsin, Arizona, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and more, which makes the dream alive and well. Goals are being reached, and we hope to be here for 20-plus years, growing and bringing more to KS for quality of life and more opportunities allowing us to show all tourists a piece of KS and encourage them to return, all the while boosting our economy.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not smooth. We have had people who failed at a festival previously, so we were mending bridges. The fest was a success. It was the management that destroyed the show. We had to raise funds, and only some saw this as the answer to tourism as we did. But this team pressed on. We have overcome location changes, support, no support, and work, a lot of hard work. In 10 days, we build a city at the lake and then tear it down, which comes with obstacles to the day of the show. So, the struggle is real, but we prevail.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about A Production Company, LLC?
A Production Company, LLC is the company that produces: The Dam Jam, which is a Major Music Festival Moving to Lake Afton, KS, just South of Goddard and West of Wichita, Kansas. The Dam Jam 2023 will be a 3-day event, offering a private party on Thursday for Sponsors and campers only. Festival goers can enjoy 5 days of camping, morning yoga, hiking trails, water paddling, boating, National entertainment, sand volleyball, beach parties, after-parties, a car show, and many other activities. The extensive marketing plan includes goals for reaching over 3 million through cross-marketing: print collateral, television, target marketing online, social media, billboards, newsprint, and more. The Dam Jam controls onsite social media before, during, and after the festival. Utilizing the onsite Mega screens, which flank two sides of the stage, for Artist performances, Sponsorship flashes, and Social and Live action feeds. Sponsorship is available. Tickets are available. Fun is available. Info is on our website at www.thedamjam.com.

What do you think about luck?
Good luck with relationships! Sponsors and ticket buyers become part of our show; they don’t just attend, so the luckiest part of my business life is the great relationships I have developed. Bad luck entrepreneurship is not for the weak. The struggle is accurate, and there is so much to do, and when you own it, there are no sick or vacation days.

Pricing:

• Tickets entire event of $135 will increase.
• Day Tickets of $90 will increase.
• Sponsorship starts as low as $750.
• VIP comes in all Sponsorship packs.
• VIP Tickets of $315 will increase.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thedamjam.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_damjam/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedamjammf
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-wilson-29b3812/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_damjam
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedamjammusicfest