Lucasfilm continue to take a look at their events team, this time focusing on their events specialist Michelle Phung who was on the ground at this years Star Wars Celebration Europe to help oversee the many activities.
Phung puts more value on her working relationships than almost anything else. “I have to trust people and let them do things, because I can’t do everything,” she says. “We’ve worked with so many people where we brief them on the information, We set them up for success.” An event on the scale of Celebration is entirely dependent on the connections between collaborative teams, not least of all Lucasfilm and ReedPOP, the event’s on-the-ground producer. Phung admits that “on event days, it’s whatever goes. Whatever comes up, that’s what I get called for.
“Events people understand what it’s like to live this kind of life,” Phung continues. “I’m not an anxious person. I feel lucky that I don’t get anxiety talking to other people. I know how to compartmentalize and prioritize in my brain without getting anxious.” Even in the midst of a frenzied day on the Celebration floor, she can still take time to enjoy the moment. “I walked by the online stage when Hayden Christensen came out,” she recalls. “Hearing the fans go crazy and be so supportive was really cool. It speaks to the community that we have at Celebration. Everyone feels the love and support and it makes me feel great that we help create that community. I feel that’s what Celebration is known for. It’s a warm and welcoming place for fans.”
Looking ahead, Phung is especially excited to help take Celebration to another part of the world in 2025. “It’s a great opportunity to go to Japan,” she says, “where we do have a strong connection with fans, but there’s also room to grow and become as big as Europe and the U.S. I’m Asian and I love Asian culture and Japan. We’ll get to dive into the authentic Japanese experience. With the time we have, we want to lean into the culture and what they do with Star Wars. It’s a different take and it’s unique. Celebration Japan should be authentic.”
No news as yet on when those Celebration Japan tickets will be on sale, but as soon as they are we’ll bring you all the details here on the site.
