David J. Knee, 34, is the New York City-based chief operating officer and executive vice president of events, permitting, and entertainment company IDEKO and full-service events company NYFF Events. The two event partners merged and became sister companies in 2020.
My career journey:
Can I say that I attribute a great deal of my success to luck and circumstance? Of course I can. But there was also a tremendous amount of hard work involved.
I secured my first job in this industry through a referral. The company was a boutique advertising agency with a significant contract with General Electric, among other brands. I was hired as a procurement specialist. In my capacity, I learned the inner workings of how to run and support events.
Just over a year later, I decided it was time to move onto my next opportunity, so I reached out to 10 companies and scheduled four interviews in one day (not advisable, by the way). By my third interview, I knew I had found the role that would elevate me to the next step in my career. I spent four-plus years at this live events company serving as the business operations and development manager, where I played a significant role in the day-to-day operations and business development.
I ultimately decided to focus my attention squarely on business development, so I knew it was time to pursue another opportunity and my next challenge. I researched other companies and discovered that IDEKO was doing amazing work, and I immediately knew I wanted to be part of it. I contacted the team and was invited to interview. The interview began with one of the partners who, after a short time, invited his other partners to join us too. I was thrilled to accept the role of vice president of business development; and after some time, I realized that I longed to get back into day-to-day operations while continuing to build and develop our business, which is how I found myself as our COO. After five-plus years, I’m extremely proud of my contributions to IDEKO and NYFF and thrilled to find success in a role where I’m involved with day-to-day operations while continuing to interact with clients daily.
Knee has impressively closed more than $100 million in business throughout his career. Also noteworthy, the 60,000-pound billboard IDEKO assembled in the middle of Flatiron Plaza for Amazon and Calvin Klein (pictured).Photo: Courtesy of IDEKO
My greatest career accomplishment:
This transcends a typical career accomplishment. For me, I was proud to work with our CEO and CFO to navigate both IDEKO and NYFF through the pandemic and then be able to be a part of the organization’s best year to date in 2022. Knowing that we navigated the pandemic and came out on the other side even stronger is something that will stick with me forever.
My inspiration:
My wife and children are my biggest inspiration. I’m also very lucky that I love what I do. Being surrounded by such a talented group of professionals inspires me each day. Life is not without its challenges; however, knowing that I’m surrounded by such talented people keeps me going day in and day out.
My most memorable event:
I’m always asked this question, and my answer is always the same: There are so many amazing events I’ve had the chance to be a part of. That said, I’m a fan of creating memorable moments that live beyond the physical IRL experience. Additionally, although I love the brand work, I’m a fan of events that transcend one individual.
With that in mind, I think my most memorable event to date would have to be producing two days of programming as part of the grand opening of the Jackie Robinson Museum in Manhattan. IDEKO was tasked with the overall permitting, logistics, and production of the event series, inclusive of producing a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Varick Street in front of the museum, an opening night gala across the street—which included a custom tent, audio, video, lighting, staging, F&B, scenic, and more—and community day event with tons of cool activities for more than 2,000 children. Lastly, we produced a viewing party for the Jackie Robinson documentary, which included a panel discussion. Reflecting on my childhood, as an avid baseball fan and player, I remember writing a fifth-grade report on Jackie Robinson; he means so much to so many people, and it was an honor to be a part of such an important event and his legacy.
A time I averted a complete event disaster:
Our work is important, but we must also put it into perspective. I’m not a doctor, nor am I saving lives. So, whenever there is a problem to solve, I try to be fact-driven and solution-oriented. With that being said, we’re in the live events industry, and mistakes happen on a regular basis. It all comes down to how you handle each problem. As the event producer, if you become stressed, it will affect your team and make it difficult to maintain a solution-oriented environment.
With that in mind, one time we averted an event disaster was when I produced a PR event with Serena Williams. The event was starting, but her car was stuck in traffic five blocks away. In the events industry, timing is everything. I called and met with her team and asked what they wanted to do. Without hesitation, Serena Williams got out of the car, took off her high heels, and ran with me to the venue. It’s exciting when things come together, and it’s important to note that you aren’t in it alone when something goes wrong. There is a team of people working together to make something exceptional. It also helps when you have exceptional people like Serena Williams, who felt she had a duty to get to the event on time.
Knee has worked on a slew of eye-catching installations for noteworthy brands. Take the 30-foot-tall inflatable bear his team fabricated for Burberry (pictured), for example, or the 105-foot plane that he brought into Times Square to celebrate the TWA Hotel.Photo: Courtesy of IDEKO
Closing more than $100 million of business over the years. Also, building a 32-foot-tall umbrella for Netflix; a 60,000-pound billboard in the middle of Flatiron Plaza for Amazon and Calvin Klein; and a 30-foot-tall inflatable bear for Burberry.
I’ve also wrapped a truck with 11,000 baseball cards for Topps, hung a giant clock on the side of Tiffany & Co’s flagship store, brought a 105-foot plane into Times Square for the TWA Hotel, and got a rocket ship into Times Square for Virgin Orbit.
In addition, I produced Nik Wallenda’s Live Wire walk live in Times Square, have worked on events for three New York City mayoral administrations, brought the first 3D printers to Africa via my work with General Electric, and produced more than 50 IPOs throughout my career to date.
The advice I would give my younger self:
People need to understand that experiential marketing has only been around for two decades in its current form. The industry is constantly evolving on a yearly basis. So, the best advice I could give my past self is to take a minute to appreciate what you’re a part of.
I’ve certainly made mistakes along the way, but I don’t have any regrets about my career. I’ve had the privilege of producing events for some of the world’s most iconic brands, I’ve met the most amazing people, and I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world. I think we all get lost in the moment sometimes, and as I’ve matured throughout my career, I would say it’s more important than ever to appreciate the little moments.
My ideal day OOO:
Although rare, I think a perfect day is spent with my wife, Sara, and my two children, Emma and Gabe. It doesn’t need to be anything specific. I enjoy unwinding and spending quality time with them.
BizBash's 2023 40 Under 40 list is sponsored by VDA, a Massachusetts-based experiential marketing and event design agency that specializes in custom live, hybrid, and virtual experiences designed to drive business growth through client collaboration and creative thinking.
