A floating ice queen welcomed guests to last year’s winter gala for Waterbury’s St. Mary’s Hospital. High above the entryway, the larger-than-life image greeted attendees by name and interacted with them as they walked into the party.
Like the great and powerful Wizard of Oz, event organizers were stationed in a booth behind the scenes, identifying people through a video monitor.
“It really wowed the crowd,” said Powerstation Events founder and CEO Al Vagnini. “They couldn’t believe that the person was talking to them.”
Immersive events are a Powerstation specialty. Company staff orchestrated every aspect of the evening — from the frosted branches and ambient blue lighting of the decor to the video screens, sound systems and entertainment for the evening.
“Our production division handles large-scale events and arena events,” said Vagnini.
No matter where you live in the state, chances are you’ve attended one of their events. Powerstation is the official in-house production provider to the XL Center in Hartford as well as Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Everything you see and hear at the Travelers Championship and Hartford Marathon is done by Powerstation. “The staging, the sound, the jumbotrons, the cameras, all that video content — we produce it,” Vagnini said.
Company co-founders Vagnini and Jon Marsh were high school friends who bonded over their passion for playing and producing music. After graduation, Vagnini trained as a sound engineer and audio technician while Marsh worked as a DJ. In 1983, the duo combined forces to start Powerstation Events.
“Michael Jackson and Madonna were big back then,” said Vagnini. “Bands couldn’t reproduce that sound accurately so DJs became the entertainment of choice for parties and wedding receptions.”
Powerstation moved from Waterbury to Naugatuck and then to Middlebury as it grew. When the company started to branch off into different areas of event services such as video production and photography, it moved its headquarters to Cheshire in 2002. They renovated their 16,000-square-foot facility in 2015. It includes meeting spaces for clients and workshop space with 30-foot ceilings.
“That’s where the magic happens,” said Vagnini. “We have everything we need to build an event — from trussing, staging and fabrics to lighting and sound.”
Vagnini said the business has been built on a combination of talent and technical expertise. “Our top DJ is celebrating 30 years with the company,” he said. “He does some of the most high-level functions in Connecticut.” When he’s not out entertaining, he works at Powerstation producing music, company advertising and doing voiceovers for the firm’s commercial work.
The opportunity for advancement draws people to the company and keeps them there. Amanda Vagnini was hired in 2005 as a receptionist and is now senior director of operations. She opened the design and decor division in 2010.
“We started with weddings and have moved into the big corporate functions,” she said. “We carry a theme throughout the entire event.”
The company is known for going the extra mile for clients — often literally. Powerstation saved a wedding at the Hilton Hartford during the October snowstorm of 2011 after the DJ from another company cancelled due to the weather. All the guests were staying at the hotel and they still had power. I-84 was about to close when the events manager called.
“We had a bulldozer plow the way to the warehouse and we put all the sound equipment in a Jeep,” said Al Vagnini. “My son Christopher went out and did the wedding.”
The number of Powerstation employees has increased by 30 percent this year. “We’ve expanded across the board, hiring everyone from front-office staff to DJs, decor, technical crew and administrative staff,” said Al Vagnini. The company also added to its fleet of corporate vehicles and opened a floral design division.
Al Vagnini and his wife Liz LaCava, senior director of business development, are being honored this year with the first-ever Sparkling Possibilities Award from HARC, an organization that supports people with intellectual disabilities. The list of charitable causes the family supports is extensive.
“Most nonprofits center a large number of their fundraising efforts around events. We donate our services to a number of organizations,” he said.
Al Vagnini describes the workplace as unconventional. “The atmosphere is very familial. You’re one of us, right away.”
Amanda and Christopher Vagnini met while working at Powerstation and are now married and expecting a baby. “A girl,” Al Vagnini adds proudly. “She’ll be the third generation at Powerstation Events.”
