Our Team

Co-Founder Sean Hughes loves everything about the event industry and especially enjoys sharing his experience with the rest of the team at aVenue.  He’s more of a behind-the-scenes guy, but he still loves the soiree.  You can usually catch Sean with his trusty sidekick and office mascot – Winston, his loveable Golden Retriever.

Co-Founder Ashley Miller (aka Rose) serves as the Chief Venue Guru at AEG, managing relationships with our 35+ Venues across Orlando, Nashville, Tampa and Minneapolis-St Paul. Ashley has been in the event industry since moving from her hometown of Pottsville, Pennsylvania (the home of Yuengling!) to Orlando back in 2007.   Ashley thrives on creating unforgettable parties at the most exceptional venues. Ashley leads the AEG team with a positive, proactive approach and teaches by example that first impressions are, in fact, the most important characteristic of a sales professional. Understanding that every person is a potential client is what feeds her enthusiasm to apply that idea to unique venues!  ‘Rose Knows’ that the sign of a successful event is when you can’t wait for the next one! 

Megan graduated in 2018 with a Degree in Event Management from the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality and joined the AEG team that same year. Creativity is her absolute passion, and she loves to adapt and impress her clients and team. Working in the event industry, she has learned that those who are successful are the ones that can take a concept from an idea to reality, and exceed expectations in the meantime.  She works with several clients on multiple company events throughout the year, and she would love the opportunity to get to know you and build that same relationship!

Everyone who knows Fran knows that she comes with a lot of passion, honesty, and a heart full of love for creating lasting relationships. She loves telling the history of the pineapple and truly believes that spirit of hospitality lives in each person’s generosity and warmth of spirit. Fran earned her BA in Human Communication while exploring the hospitality industry. She was welcomed to the AEG family serving as the Operations master. When she’s not streamlining processes and working on fun projects, Fran’s wiping her kid’s nose, listening to Audiobooks, and searching for her next favorite local brew.

Rachael graduated in 2016 with her Bachelor’s in Event Management from UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Since then, she has dedicated her time towards all that the event industry has to offer: catering, hotels, CVB’s, conventions, event planning, and event execution. She found her passion by working behind the scenes as an all-encompassing Executive Assistant, which also includes bookkeeping and human resources responsibilities. Rachael and her husband Adam, have a beautiful boy Benjamin, who is an absolute joy in their lives! On the weekends you would find them laying out at the beach or at Disney World.

Annalise is a true Florida Native, born and raised right here in Winter Park, FL. She tends to bury herself in her work, maybe that’s why she became an FAU Owl! She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and since then, has been utterly fascinated with event planning.  Growing up, she was always the friend who loved taking charge of planning her group’s trips and activities. She is extremely enthusiastic and proud to have the opportunity to plan successful events and make her clients happy!

Amber Connole graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Degree in Event Management. She is a charismatic, focused and driven individual, with a creative eye, ambitious goals, and a positive background. She is an activator who uses her creativity and influence, to build relationships and create memorable events. Working the past 8 years in the industry, she has gained valuable work experience that helps her go above the set expectations and be ready for any challenge that comes her way. She loves to make charcuterie boards as well as share them, and yummy food that she tries via her blog. She’s an avid Pokemon Go player that enjoys music, dancing and visiting her home, The Cayman Islands when she isn’t working.

Sarah Southern graduated from Butler University with a Bachelors’s Degree in Marketing and Spanish. Her passion for exceptional organization, attention to the details, and event planning has lead her to the AEG team as the Wedding Venue Planner. She is a lover of Excel and streamlining processes to take the headache out of event planning. When she’s not making your event come to life, she loves to cook new recipes, paint, and watch movies with her husband Parker.

Michaela McDonald graduated from York College with a degree in Business Administration. Since then she has transformed an industrial warehouse into a fully operating event venue business with her family in Pennsylvania. She found her passion for helping couples envision and design their special day in a unique venue. She moved to Orlando in May 2021 with her husband, Warren and cat, Tuna. She excitedly joined the aVenue weddings team as Wedding Sales Manager and looks forward to learning everything about Orlando weddings! When she’s not working she’s sipping coffee, thrifting or spending the day on the beach!

Cortney is a recent graduate with a bachelor’s degree in marketing from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. She has a drive for storytelling that helps and inspires people. After joining aVenue Event Group last year as an intern, Cortney eagerly stayed with the marketing team after graduation!  She currently works remotely in Illinois, but that doesn’t stop her from doing what she loves: connecting with others. You can now expect to find her in the digital world- working on the best ways to help people like you… conceptualize your next event & make dreams come true!

McKaylie is originally from Utah, where she spent her time hiking, attending concerts, snowboarding, dancing, and traveling. She started college at UVU studying Emergency Management to become a Paramedic Firefighter. After traveling abroad and backpacking Europe she decided to make the move to Orlando Florida in 2016. After moving to Florida she found her passion in the hospitality industry and decided to transfer to UCF and study Event Management. After working at several resorts around the Orlando area planning resort and company-wide events she decided to take a leap into the Wedding venue industry. Working with the AEG team has been a dream and a passion of hers and can’t wait to help make your event something spectacular!

Megan is a recent graduate of the University of Central Florida where she studied Integrative General Studies with an emphasis in Event Management. Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Megan was a World Championship Irish Dancer, and recently retired from the sport after a professional residency at Walt Disney World. As she competed around the world, the spectacle of large-scale and international championships captivated her with the industry. She is excited to be joining the AEG family, and can’t wait for the opportunity to help curate and create once-in-a-lifetime experiences for every client who walks through the door!

Yolanda was born and raised in South Florida. She graduated in 2018 from UCF with a bachelors in Arts & Humanities. Since then she has loved working unique job positions that welcome creativity. Whether it is decor, planning, setup, or administration, she is always enthusiastic about helping her clients bring their vision to reality. Her desire to also perform and her appreciation for aesthetic organization pushes her to go above and beyond the expected to create overall satisfaction. She is a team player who thrives to leave a positive lasting impression on everyone she works with and she can’t wait to help make memories that last a lifetime!