EJ Encalarde

President and COO of Festival Productions, Inc. – New Orleans

Eugenié Jones Encalarde serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Festival Productions, Inc. – New Orleans, commanding the operational execution of the nation’s most prestigious music and entertainment events. As senior coordinating producer, she has delivered the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Essence Music Festival, Bayou & Buckeye Country Superfest, NFL Kickoff at Jackson Square, Super Bowl Boulevard, and Presidential Inaugural Celebrations—establishing her as a defining force in large-scale festival production. Billboard recognized her influence by naming her a 2024 Touring Power Player.

As Coordinating Producer for Jazz Fest, EJ operates under the mentorship of Producer/Director Quint Davis, carrying forward the George Wein legacy at the heart of the American festival tradition. She leads comprehensive production planning, strategic team alignment, and post-event analysis, driving Festival Productions’ turnkey operations through cross-departmental initiatives, executive coaching, and agile team deployment across the organization’s high-caliber producer network.

A sought-after voice on festival management and the future of live events, EJ has addressed international audiences at the European Festival Summit and Future of Festivals in Germany, as well as FestForums and other industry panels. She lectures at Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business, where she develops the next generation of entertainment leaders, and serves on the advisory board of NOLA MusiCon. A Gallup-certified strengths coach, EJ brings three decades of mastery in project management, organizational leadership, and team architecture.

EJ’s mission: developing high-performing leaders and team builders who achieve transformation, fulfillment, and sustained excellence.