Industry Innovators 2022: Masha Berenboym

Photo: Courtesy of Masha BerenboymMasha Berenboym is the CEO and founder of Artists Creating Entertainment (A.C.E.), a staffing and entertainment agency focused on avant-garde ideas and customized experiences. She's based in Los Angeles.

How she got her start: While attending Cal Poly Pomona for her hospitality degree, Berenboym took a position as an events manager with the historic Culver Hotel. "The role gave me access to studio lots and introduced me to working with on-site filming production and events," she remembers. "From there, I went on to Viceroy Properties as an events manager at the Avalon & L'ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills, followed by my last in-house position at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills."

While working in event sales, Berenboym "saw the opportunity to create an entertainment company capable of things beyond what I was seeing as the industry status quo," she explains. "I am a trained dancer, and entertainment is at the heart of what I love to do. And so I took a risk and decided to run with it, becoming an entrepreneur 10 years ago—and never looked back." While many of her events involve NDAs, some of her favorite public-facing ones include her team's two years working on Freeform and Disney's Halloween Road. "We built out a five-day character activation featuring some of the most beloved Halloween Disney movies that interacted with guests and kept them engaged, and contributed a lot of material for social user-generated content," she says.Photo: Courtesy of Artists Creating Entertainment

What sets her company apart: "My company, A.C.E., stands for Artists Creating Entertainment. In the name, we are all artists," she says. "We are passionate about what this art means as an attendee at an event. We want to create a fully immersive experience."

Berenboym and her team make a point to work directly with agencies or clients throughout the concepting stage, helping them come up with the idea and knowing exactly what type of talent fits that vision. "We create custom garments, and can build out the experiential world in ways that go far beyond the tried and true," she says.

"I loved an event we did in Seattle during Pride month," says Berenboym. "It was a block party where we provided a parade of choreographed dancers, stilt walkers, kids' dance teams, roller skaters, bands, and a DJ. It was all about love and connection, which is one of A.C.E.'s core pillars."Photo: Courtesy of Artists Creating EntertainmentBerenboym has also made it a point to expand beyond social events and into the corporate and experiential worlds. "[We're] always challenging ourselves on how we can go beyond the industry standards and immerse the guest into a world that meets the client's goals—whether that's pure entertainment, product integration, a philanthropic cause, or a community-building exercise," she says.

What innovation means to her: Innovation means constantly searching for the next big thing, Berenboym says. "We make sure to hire from a variety of backgrounds so that our collective creative powers span a wide range of capabilities. There’s always something new that’s evolving, and we’re excited to be the ones to bridge the gap on ROE (return on experience)," she explains. 

Her favorite thing about working in events: "The incredible clients and colleagues I now call friends," she says. "Knowing that we can create magic by using all of our strengths in different capacities makes it so worthwhile, each and every time."

Back to the full list: Industry Innovators 2022: 13 Standout Event Vendors to Know About