I wanted to put together a little recap of my week of WrestleMania XL and the experience I had working on such a legendary event for my hometown. I had originally made plans to record a video to recap what the experience was like but since getting sick after working a week straight with minimal sleeping in between the days. It won’t be ready in time but I wanted to share how this major event in Philadelphia made me feel and how important it was for me to be there. I will post an update once the videos are edited and published (as I am working on a backlog of three videos on top of this WWE WrestleMania XL one). So hang tight, I promise it is coming.

I want to preface this blog post by saying while I was hired to work at this event. I won’t be sharing any details of the WrestleMania XL week - as that is proprietary to the companies that I worked for. I will however share my experiences and anything else I can remember to share as my brain was buffering majorly bad towards the end of the week.

Bianca Belair - WWE Talk - 4/03/2024

This was an event that was an added on last minute as Bianca Belair was announced that she was doing a WWE Talk here in Philadelphia. She was a gem and a wonderful role model to the little fans as she talked to them about empowerment, being a good person and just working hard to make your dreams come true. I started the day with a La Colombe coffee and some light bites and waited for the event to start. I have lost count of how many times I have had the pleasure to operate on a PTZ camera but it has inspired me to want to build a mini version of what they used for the live production events. It definitely takes a team to make these events work and create core memories for everyone in attendance.

David Onda was the moderator for the special keynote talk and let me tell you it is refreshing to see him ask questions that aren’t your typical “What’s the story behind your stage name” questions you see online. David had such a good cadence with his questions and it made my job easier that day. She was asked how her background in collegiate track and field had helped to elevate and set her a part in the WWE. Because it seems that many people who are inspired to go a similar route as Bianca. She makes it known that your path isn’t going to look and feel the same as your peers and that is quite alright. She is also a role model for younger fans as she lives and breathes her EST of WWE mantra every single day.

“The ‘EST of WWE’ it just means that I am a hybrid athlete. I’m not just good in one area, I’m not just good at one thing, I’m not just strong, I’m not just someone who can go in there and do flips and be a showcase athlete. I’m someone who can do it all. I’m not just average in different areas, I’m the best in every single area. So, I’m the strongEST, I’m the fastEST, the quickEST, the roughEST, the greatEST, the smartEST, I’m the bEST. All those ends in EST. So, I just see myself as being the absolute best in every single area that you can think of.” (Sportskeeda.com)

The mentality to be the EST of WWE can be applied to anyone as you can be the strongest, kindest, greatest, and whatever else -est words you can conjure up. Skies are the limit. Which encouraged me to keep being the best at all I do here with the at kismet +. co team. And helps me to understand that my ability to be a great leader comes from within. See core memories are made for sure here.

David Onda on X 

My experience in working in a production control room has been monumentally inspiring as I have been learning all about the technical side of camera operations and how a professional grade PTZ camera works. I learn something new and I get so excited to take notes down of what I am learning that day. In the side of loose pieces of paper; all of the tips, tricks and suggestions go in there. And since I am not able to replicate the same exact setting of what the production team has set up — I am excited to share that the same kind of PTZ camera controls and operations can be done in the comforts of your home studio or office.

Here’s the set up I am going for so that you too can have an affordable PTZ camera setup. I already own a Sony A7RII mirrorless camera so I would just need the sliders and tripod to replicate the motions of a PTZ camera on a track system.

• Edelkrone makes some amazing consumer friendly priced gear for your camera operating needs and the FlexTilt Max ($69) combined with the SliderOne V3 Motorized ($499) will give you similar results without breaking your budget. (For context purposes: the premium range of PTZ cameras from Sony can start anywhere between $6,500 upwards to $12,000)
• With this setup, you’re only looking to spend ~$568 on a similar tracking system for your livestreaming and behind the scenes needs. You can visit the website for more information on what the Edelkrone line of videography equipment. https://edelkrone.com/
• If you have a heavy-duty tripod (like ManFrotto) — you can pair either ones to your tripod for a professional look at an affordable price.
• I am still researching specs for a monitor to complete the setup for the HQ.

WrestleMania XL - Smackdown + Monday Night Raw 4/5 - 4/8

I got the opportunity to work WrestleMania XL this past weekend with Priority Pass holders. As I had mentioned this is just based on my experiences this past weekend and nothing else. So if you’re curious what made me nearly cry and how I hustled through a sprained ankle on before working the shuttle busses for Monday Night Raw. Keep reading on.

I should preface this by saying while I am not a huge fan of Pro Wrestling — I have the utmost respect for how amazing the fans have been this past weekend. They were and are some of the most passionate and community-driven fans I have ever come across. Regardless of what you are doing — there were moments where I couldn’t help but get swept away in the mania of it all. (See what I did there?!) I got to talk to so many fans and just overall help them have the best experience in Philadelphia while they are attending WrestleMania XL.

The fans I had on Saturday morning stuck with me as their shuttle coordinator til the very end and made me cry because they thanked me for the experience and for being such a rockstar. What a core memory for me because working events on the production side of things is sometimes a thankless part. But despite the delirium, the many times my brain buffered and the many times my sensory overloaded throughout the weekend. It was worth it. For some this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to come and see their favorites in such an iconic arena.

Swipe through for photos from working Smackdown, WrestleMania XL (both days) and Monday Night Raw this past weekend. I will for sure have a video of the entire weekend sometime before the month is over but if you’ve read this far. THANK YOU! Having decided to shift my career into something that makes me feel so good about the work I am producing. Has been a scary experience but it’s worth it.

If you’re interested in working within the industry there are some wonderful resources to follow so that you can work with to gain experience and level up your career. I will say that it takes a lot of heart and soul to be an AAPI women working in a male dominated industry is tough. But have heart and just show them what you’re made of. And why you’re a force to be wreckoned with. Additionally, we will be working on doing pop up events and networking activities catered to your specific needs. Be on the lookout for that information. For now I am going to put my feet up and stretch my body a bit more.

You would know AJ Rafael’s name if you grew up in the era where musicians and singer/songwriter’s were household names. And you would get such a rush when they posted a cover of your favorite song. For me – AJ Rafael was that household name. I had saved his music video for When We Say (Juicebox) with Andrew De Torres on my favorites playlist 13 years ago. THIRTEEN YEARS AGO. So he’s been doing this for over a decade and he hit 1 million subscribers on YouTube 3 years ago (on December 28, 2020) and if I am being honest he should’ve gained that many subscribers earlier than 2020. But that is just how resilient and hardworking AJ is because this is what he really wants in life: to share his music and voice with those all over the world. And he’s in very good company with his sisters Jasmine and Justine and wife Alyssa Rafael. Plus he’s one of the OGs of the YouTube cover mashups. He’s up there with London-based band Bastille. And that is saying something. 

The Take Me Back Tour - East Coast Leg 

This is the first tour he’s going on in 9 years and I can’t believe that the tour is going to hit the East Coast. And I am stoked to make the drive up from Philadelphia to see him headline the Gramercy Theatre. I took a peek at the set list from the West Coast leg and I am so amped to see that there is going to be at least 16 songs (original + covers). Joining AJ will be Los Angeles, CA native and singer/songwriter NIEMAN who’s latest song Confidential will have you swooning. With hits like “Knots” and “Outer Space” – you’re going to have a good time. There’s a nod to my cousin’s hometown of Moreno Valley, CA in Rafael’s latest and tour namesake ”Take Me Back” - which is an homage to the nostalgia of YouTube days of past and the boy bands of the 2000’s, when social media platforms like MySpace and Tumblr reigned supreme. “I miss Saturday mornings. Dragon Ball Z…man life was so easy.”  I may have teared up listening to this song. You can watch the Wong Fu Productions music video for “Take Me Back” here. 

NIEMAN - “Confidential” + “Stick & Stones” + “Same Bed” 

Gosh if you would have told me that I would have added so many songs of Nieman’s music on my Spotify playlists I would have told you that I am not surprised, nor disappointed. With his buttery smooth vocals, and that R&B/Pop mood music – you’re guaranteed to be hooked and sunken into the smooth waves of his extensive music catalog. I had stumbled on his music when I was going through a huge transition in my personal life and just needed something smooth and easy on the nerves to listen to it. One relationship ending, closing a chapter on my professional career, a solo move into my own apartment, and healing sessions with a therapist later I am still hooked and am excited to drag my partner to his show later this month on the 25th at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City. It’ll be a fun night and judging by my calendar; I will be surviving off of caffeine, hopes and dreams, and a good home-cooked meal or two. (Mom I am kidding. I will make sure I get adequate sleep that night.) 

If you need a good primer on his music, you can definitely check out his This is playlist on Spotify because it has essentials like “Let Me”, “Why Do I Still?!”, and the song with Sarah Kang called “handbook”. You can listen to that playlist here: THIS IS NIEMAN 

If you were to have told me that I would get a chance to spend a windy, yet beautiful day with the ladies in my family. I would have said you have to be joking. But here we are, arm in arm, walking over to the Pennsylvania Convention Center coming from our favorite Chinese restaurant to spend the last day of the show together. This year’s theme “United by Flowers” had us spending a good amount of time taking in the sights and smells of the promenade as you entered Hall A. This year the layout was the same as year’s past but with much more spacing in between the exhibitions to accomodate for larger crowds. Last year the show floor was packed in like sardines and seeing everything in a relaxing manner was hard to come by. 

This year, however, they had planned for the large numbers coming in over the course of the week and a half convention. And the theming was thoughtfully curated by every exhibitor as they displayed unity within each of their displays. As you walk to the right, you will go through a road trip of sorts with displays paying homage to ways that the country comes together. Bringing flowers to one’s home, into a salon and on a road trip in a loved ones car. Is so special. And they captured that so elegantly in the exhibitions. 

The tulip garden was my favorite section last year and I am glad they brought it back this year. The pathways meandering through the varying colors and types of tulips made for a relaxing walk – and it transports you to another place in the world. And that is enough for me. 

There are a lot more to see in the Hamilton Court, with the facade of a martial arts temple is constructed so you can imagine yourself doing the same moves as the little monks that’s stationed around the grounds. You can see the winners of the many exhibitors in the many categories of the Flower Show. I was so excited to see that common house plants and many fruiting and flowering trees were amongst the winners. 

We were on a mission to grab branches of plumeria to root and grow but found out the seller had passed away and the family took time away to grieve. They’ll be back next year – we hope. But we ended up scouring the floor for some plants that we did not have in our growing collection. And was excited to go away with three plants. 

We ended the day with a walk over to the Makers Marketplace before heading back to our car in the parking lot by Cherry Street. I would have to say that this was a nice show to keep coming back to year after year. The exhibitions are bigger and better and the folks that are there are even sweeter than the plants and florals they have on display. 

Words x Photos by Meg Duong