We protect high-stakes moments from communication failure, coordinate the details, and deliver clean, reliable sound so your event runs smoothly.
Great events are not just gear and volume. They are planning, coordination, and a team that stays calm when timelines shift. If you want, we take the audio details off your plate so you can focus on your people.
We built Stone and Oak by listening first. We set a goal of 500+ local customer interviews and started documenting patterns from real organizers, venues, and internal teams. What we heard over and over was not "we need louder speakers." It was "we need fewer surprises and better coordination."
Before we scaled services, we interviewed real organizers and venue teams to learn what actually breaks events. The patterns were consistent: stress usually comes from unclear expectations, last-minute changes, and technical details that are not owned by anyone until it is too late.
Planning gaps show up as awkward dead air, feedback, and delays
When systems fail, the room loses focus fast
Organizers do not want to babysit production
Trust is earned through preparation, attitude, and calm execution
An IT manager told us the hardest part is not the gear, it's reliability and having to babysit complicated systems during an event.
"It becomes a game of 'will it work today.'"
"Once things go down, you lose the focus in the room."
A venue leader explained that event teams often under-communicate needs, which leads to last-minute surprises and a room full of people waiting while someone scrambles.
"Most of the time, it's the same thing. It's lack of preparation. It's lack of communications."
"150 people just twiddling" (while AV issues are being fixed).
"Audio visual starts with planning."
"Soundcheck should be solid, auto-programmed and s***."
An organizer told us the biggest frustration is not knowing if the vendor will care, listen, and stay calm when something changes. Once they hired Stone & Oak Audio:
"Honestly, I just don't trust any other sound providers."
"My problems being solved before they are a problem."
"They are calm and collected. They just got it done."
A marketing leader described how technical failures can become a reputation problem that outlives the event itself.
"We had several technical difficulties at a national conference and it really hurt the reputation of the conference."
"If you show you genuinely give a d*** about the success of the event, it goes a long way."
When production fails, the cost is rarely just technical. It's reputation, trust, and the emotional moment you worked hard to create. Liaison-led means someone owns the details end to end. We carry the coordination so you are not chasing people, guessing timelines, or reacting to last-minute surprises.
One point of contact who owns the audio plan from start to finish
We ask the questions most people forget to ask until event week
Presenter and performer coordination before event day
Clear timing for walk-ups, videos, transitions, and key moments
Calm problem-solving that keeps the room focused
Backup-minded execution so the event does not depend on luck
This is what "hospitality-first production" means to us: we make the process feel easier, not heavier.
Stone & Oak Audio is owned and led by Russell Sickler. Russell and Cody Loomis started the company in 2020 after years of working together around live sound, churches, events, and community production needs.
Owner, Founder & Event Production Lead
Russell Sickler owns and leads Stone & Oak Audio from Greeley, Colorado. He started mixing live audio in 2006 and has spent years behind the console for churches, fundraisers, fairs, concerts, public gatherings, and community events across Northern Colorado.
At Stone & Oak, Russell leads the planning, setup, and show-day audio. He works with organizers before the event to understand the venue, audience size, speakers, bands, schedule, and the parts of the day that need extra attention. On event day, his focus is simple: make sure people can hear, the crew knows the plan, and the organizer has one less thing to chase.
Russell also serves on the Boulder County Fair Board, where he supports entertainment, logistics, operations, security, sponsorships, and vendor planning. He is currently completing an MBA through Oneday, using Stone & Oak as his live business project.
What Russell handles:
Co-Founder & Production Collaborator
Cody Loomis helped launch Stone & Oak Audio in 2020 and played an important role in shaping the company's systems-first approach. Cody is no longer an owner, but he remains a dear friend and trusted collaborator on selected Stone & Oak gigs.
Stone & Oak is better because Cody helped build it, and we are grateful for the role he continues to play when he joins us on shows.
If your event has presenters, videos, walk-up moments, or multiple segments, the liaison work is where things get easier.
Non-profit events and fundraisers
Municipal and community events
For-profit and corporate programs
Start with an instant estimate. Then we confirm details on a quick 15-minute call.