Event Production

• Launch Parties
• Holiday Galas
• Receptions
• Sales Meetings

• Workshops
• Roundtable Discussions
• Conferences
• Press Conferences

Whatever kind of event you have planned, one thing’s for certain: when the curtain goes up, yours is the leading role. Your part? Why, that of “Gracious Host Enjoying Own Event,” of course! Making sure you get to stay focused on that role is where I come in.

After all, behind every successful event stands at least one person on 24/7 Murphy’s Law Watch. Constant vigilance is key. For, as exhilarating as event production may be, managing the process is a high-wire act that leaves little margin for error. High-stakes work such as this demands a diversity of talents, from poise under pressure to a dogged attention to detail. Yet even that will only get you a B. What does it take to land that coveted A+? Imagination…

Background
It was in San Francisco, as the dot-com industry finally regained its stride and the Web 2.0 movement was born that I learned how to stage A+ events. This, mind you, was a time when there was an event to hit practically every night of the week.

Yet what I noticed in attending these events was this: they were all just so alike. So much so that, asked a week later which party was which, I’d have been hard-pressed to tell you. Talk about a missed marketing opportunity! That’s why, when I had the opportunity to organize my company’s first launch party, I was determined not to make that mistake. The result? A party that led the San Francisco Chronicle to proclaim, “Web 2.0 Par-tay: Who said geeks don’t know how to party?!” and lit up the blogosphere with raves, kudos, and a flashflood of flickr photos. Many even said it was the best party they’d been to since the dotcom bubble burst…

My Secret Sauce
What made it stand out? Well, it sure wasn’t by having a bigger budget than the other guys. Yes, while it may have been one of the events that year to shout, “We’re back, baby” to a community just emerging from the nuclear winter days of the dotcom crash, one lesson we’d all learned was this: thrift was the new black.

I believe our success that evening came down to this: with every detail, we managed to capture and externalize the very essence of the brand. And this has been my calling card as an event producer ever since. To see some examples, click here.

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