Event Production

John Gazette

“KLA Is where passion meets innovation to create something special.”

John was raised in West Bloomfield and Novi and then went on to school at Michigan State University. He started working at KLA as an intern between his junior and senior year of college. He then graduated from Michigan State with a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications. After graduation, John started working with KLA full-time and is now the Director of Audio/Visual Productions. The group has received multiple awards from Michigan Meetings + Events Magazine as part of their “Best of” awards for their AV and Event Production work.

John is the official Game Day DJ for the Detroit Lions! He has a passion for music; he enjoys playing, mixing, and experiencing live entertainment and concerts. His other interests include snowboarding, golf, hockey, and traveling.

Neil Sever

“Our clients become believers.”

From presidents, pop stars and the pope, to music festivals with 100,000 fans and keynote addresses with 100 guests, Neil Sever’s passion is achieving audio perfection that presents clients at their best. As events production manager and front of house (FOH) engineer at KLA Laboratories since 2005, Neil and KLA’s experienced production staff work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that the intricate audio/visual systems they rent, design and implement for events run smoothly. Equally valuable to clients is the preparation, grace under pressure and immense skill exhibited by Neil and his team when inevitable glitches do occur, which are assessed and corrected immediately.

Neil, who was associated with KLA for 10 years prior to joining the company, has grown the department by over 500% in the past 11 years. He also works closely with KLA’s other divisions to implement innovative wireless solutions and systems to enhance the event experience for attendees.

Since the age of three when he starting playing drums and piano, Neil’s first love has always been music. Both on and off the road, he has installed PA systems, mixed sound for internationally-renowned artists and performed in a band since his teens.

Andy Barker

“There are no problems, just solutions.”

Andy was raised in Flat Rock, Michigan, where his audio career began in 1995 while working with his dad during high school. After high school, he attended Western Michigan University. While in college, he was the head Sound Engineer for the Jazz Department and earned his Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Management. After college, he worked for several A/V companies as a freelancer before joining another A/V company as their Rental Manager for 12 years.

Andy had worked with KLA Laboratories before and knew several employees in the A/V Group. He had previously been sub-contracted by KLA for the Detroit Music Awards as the Lighting Director. He made KLA his home in 2018 and is the Manager of Audio/Visual Productions. He oversees the A/V and Event Production technicians, is responsible for all lighting projects, and assists with installation designs for audio, video, and lighting. He has his level 1 and 2 certifications with QSC Q-SYS and Dante.

Andy enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, woodworking, and photography. He is always excited to tell people about KLA and their 91-year history.