is one of the newest and most exciting performances to hit convention stages in years. With the power and integrity of a Beethoven symphony, the visual excitement and intensity of a major league sport, and a level of interactivity that brings every audience to its feet, STICKS OF THUNDER has taken the meeting industry by storm.

STICKS OF THUNDER was conceived when a handful of Fortune 500 clients asked music and film producer Curtis Pickering to create a production that would break all the rules. Designing a performance that could rev up 1000 employees in a hotel ballroom and leave them with lasting memories posed a big challenge to many, but Pickering said, “That’s simple. We’ll go back to the basics, the first form of communication for all humankind: drums.”

Combining the best of traditional percussion with rock and roll choreography and the urban-style use of everyday objects as musical instruments, Pickering succeeded in creating compositions that transcend conventional performance. STICKS OF THUNDER communicates with every audience without speaking a word.

For maximum impact, STICKS OF THUNDER recommends that each member of the audience be given a set of real, souvenir drumsticks. “The audience is an integral part of the experience. For a few exciting minutes, thousands are all drummers and share in the rhythm and excitement of the performance. It’s not something you sit and watch – it’s something you become a part of,” said Pickering. STICKS OF THUNDER’s producers can work with your team to order drumsticks customized with your meeting theme or company logo.

The success of this musical and theatrical venture was validated in 1997 when Meeting Planners International, a huge global organization, invited STICKS OF THUNDER to perform at the opening session of its 25th Anniversary Convention.  Pickering said, “Meeting planners are probably the toughest audience in the world because these professionals have seen and done everything. But I knew we had something when the Disney staff members in attendance asked if their pyro experts could join our show.”

Edwin L. Griffin, Jr., CAE, Executive Vice President/CEO of Meeting Planners International said, “The room was electric and everyone is still talking about it. Many members have contacted MPI to say it was one of the most engaging and exciting performances they’ve ever seen.  When they handed out the drumsticks everyone in the room became part of the excitement.”

Each performance can be further tailored to fit the audience through special request video and wardrobe. The STICKS OF THUNDER cast has performed as sales reps, manufacturing workers, psychiatrists, surgeons, chefs, commandos, Wall Street executives, bellmen, and many more.

STICKS OF THUNDER has performed for the likes of sanofi-aventis, IBM, JD Edwards, QUEST, AT&T, Roche Laboratories, Abbot Labs, Better Homes and Gardens, RJO Group, Meeting Planners International, U.S. Food Service, Bushnell Corp., National Association of Mortgage Brokers, Kansas City Great American Book Festival, Buzutto’s, Cross Media and The Jack Morton Company.

Let STICKS OF THUNDER take your audience by storm!