Life & Work with Elizabeth Beard of Lebanon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Beard.

Hi Elizabeth, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a Middle Tennessee native, living most of my life between the Hermitage and Lebanon area. I am a graduate of Heritage Christian Academy and the first 16 years of my life I would have told you that when I grew up I was going to be the next female vocalist of the year. We dream big but need to also be a little realistic, so I shifted to my next dream. I have also been passionate about event planning, the thought of starting with a vision for an event and bringing that vision to life was always exciting. While in high school and college, I had opportunities to plan dances, community events, church youth retreats, benefit concerts, and special promotional projects at the movie theatre I managed.
While standing in a concessions stand line outside at a music festival in the middle of Florida, I met someone who was assisting a wedding planner in Nashville and she mentioned they needed help. I spent the next couple of years occasionally assisting in weddings downtown while working as an admin/personal assistant. I would still plan my own events and also make sure I still fulfilled my musical side by co-leading a local worship band and participating in community theatre.
During my time at the Capitol Theatre as the Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol in 2016, I got to know the director of Audience of One Productions, Angie Dee. It didn’t take long for us to discuss my love for event planning. When the production ended I got a call from her that the Capitol Theatre was looking for help with their events. She gave my info to the owner, Bob Black, and manager Danielle Piercey. A month later I was starting a new job helping with marketing and events at the Capitol Theatre in the downtown Lebanon square. The Capitol Theatre is a multi-purpose event venue. Our motto is, “A Stage for Any Setting.” The variety of events that have come through our doors is huge. Music Videos, comedians, movies, concerts, live theatre, weddings, proms, I even gave a tour to someone wanting to host an MMA fight on our stage.
I still sing, plan my own events, and do other creative projects on the side, but for over 8 years I’ve spent almost every day helping make sure that a renter’s dream event gets to become reality.
When I’m not working, I’m spending time with my husband who I have been friends with since 8th grade, inhaling salsa from Cinco, avoiding the laundry, and yelling at the TV when the wrong person was voted off on this week’s episode of Survivor.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When I started searching for an “event planning” job, finding a business that had faith in my skills and passion for events was difficult because I didn’t necessarily have the professional resume or formal training to show it. Fortunatley, word of mouth and having some great people stand by you can still be helpful from time to time.

On a more personal level, I’m a poster child for ADHD. I’ve had to do a lot of learning about myself, how my brain works, and the best ways for me to walk through each day so that I can still accomplish my goals for myself and others who are relying on me.

Also, let’s not overlook how much fun trying to manage an event venue in the middle of a worldwide pandemic is.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At the Capitol Theatre, I handle the marketing of our public events. We always have upcoming concerts, musicals, movies, and more to promote to the community. I work on flyers, posters, local ads, and trying to figure out the constantly changing social media algorithms. I also help with events. From the inquiry to the tour, floor plans, venue-specific details, and event execution.
In addition to weddings, I specialize in themed events. Need an “enchanted garden” themed prom? Done! Want your baby shower to look like you are walking into a woodland forest? Got it! Asking for a Game Night-themed rehearsal dinner or an old Hollywood Sweet 16 birthday? No problem! I love transforming a space making each event one of a kind. Middle Tennessee is blessed with lots of event spaces and it’s so fun to see the possibilities in each one.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Taking a job I didn’t have any formal training in could feel a little risky, but I knew enough about myself to know that I could continue to learn and have enough discipline to grow in the industry with events and marketing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://CapitolTheatreTN.com
• Other: [email protected]