History
Kyle and Jena McLaughlin met while working at a nationally-renowned boutique experiential agency, producing high-profile festivals, parades, athletic events and promotional stunts for blue-chip brands across the US. After subsequent years leading some of the world’s largest and most beloved mass participation athletic events, they recognized a significant lack of quality management expertise in the sports & entertainment industry. The “Big” firms were too expensive and too generic to meet the unique demands of the space, and the disparate universe of independent contractors made finding the right partner a challenging task.
Parachute Group was founded in 2018, on the belief that clients experiencing real challenges required a partner with real hands-on experience. Since then, they’ve partnered with clients across the US and the world to provide customized solutions to help them transform their events & exceed their goals.
Get in touch
We want to hear from you— whether you’re a prospective client or an expert who wants to join our network, reach out:
deploy@parachute.events
the Team
Partner
Kyle McLaughlin
After cutting his teeth in the agency world, Kyle spent six years at New York Road Runners, overseeing production for the New York City Marathon and 55+ races annually. Following Hurricane Sandy & the Boston Marathon Bombing, he built NYRR’s industry-leading safety & security program from the ground up, and authored the industry’s first best-practice guide on safety for mass participation events.
From 2018-2019, Kyle led the successful turnaround of the global Tough Mudder obstacle-course event brand, delivering double-digit growth in customer satisfaction, sponsorship and group sales while reinvigorating a 10-year old household name.
Kyle is a globally-renowned speaker & lecturer, frequently delivering keynote addresses and customized content at industry conferences and private sessions around the world.
Experience
TOUGH MUDDER
CEO, 2019
SVP- North America, 2018
NEW YORK ROAD RUNNERS
2012-2018
EVENTAGE
2007-2012
Professional
• Certified Business Continuity Planner
• FEMA Incident Command System Certifications
• DHS Sports Sector Council, 2014-2018
• NCS4 National Advisory Board, 2014-2018
Partner
Jena McLaughlin
Jena leads Parachute’s operations consulting, bringing over 10 years of diverse live event experience to clients & partners. Starting her career in the production agency world, Jena produced corporate, civic and sporting events for Fortune 500 companies, blue-chip non-profits and beloved consumer brands.
Prior to starting Parachute, Jena oversaw all event operations for Bike New York, including direction of the TD Five Boro Bike Tour— the largest participant cycling event in the US with over 32,000 riders taking the streets of New York City every May.
Experience
BIKE NEW YORK
Events Director, 2016-2018
EVENTAGE
2010-2016