Photo: Courtesy of Liron David
How he got his start: "My first event gig happened when I was in college at Boston University. I was asked to DJ a friend’s party; I made $500 as my first paying DJ gig and I got to make people happy. It was incredible. When I moved back home to NYC, I kept the DJ gigs going, and when I interned at the music PR firm Susan Blond, I had the opportunity to help with the Hot97 Summer Jam festival. That’s where I really fell in love with live event experiences.
Months later, I was asked by a friend to throw a company holiday party, including to DJ at the party. I couldn’t do both, and I had to make the tough decision in the moment to hire someone else to DJ. In the end, I made more money producing a party than spending a week DJing—but more importantly, I learned that being able to roam the room and interact with people was key.
About a year and a half after graduating from college, I started Eventique in 2006 and never looked back. I spend my time operating Eventique and leading large-scale global events as an executive producer, as well as building and launching premier event venues in New York." 
David is also the co-founder of Lavan New York, a series of unique events spaces in New York City.Photo: Courtesy of Lavan New York
What sets his work apart: "Being bold, moving fast, and winning together with our clients. Daring to dream and do things that have never been done or be willing to do them, and search those opportunities out, moving fast under tight timelines and strict budgets. The fact that we can win together as partners with our clients with a shared vision is tremendous. We get in the trenches with our clients using transparency and reality to help drive how we dream and work together in real time."
What innovation means to him: "Innovation stems from being bored with doing the same thing over and over again. Just because we might be doing the same job every day should not hold us back from stepping into the unknown, which brings risk. Most people have a low tolerance for risk. But if we’re not continuing to dream big, we live in a cut-and-paste world.
I go down rabbit holes and research what’s happening around the world as opposed to our local markets. Innovation is forced through cultures around the world and that’s a place of inspiration. The different verticals that we work in and produce for allow us to bring innovation from different industries to the other. Shared knowledge allows for innovation to occur. I think the way to avoid burnout in the event industry is to always chase new ideas, whether they land with a customer or not."
"It’s rare you get an opportunity to draw global impact into your local community—but when those opportunities come and you can give back, it’s most meaningful," says David, who produced an event in Central Park that commemorated the one-year anniversary of the attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.Photo: Courtesy of Eventique
Instead of going to Israel and supporting the communities affected by [the attacks], I chose to stay local and do my part in my local community, using my access and skill sets, which parlayed into producing some of the largest rallies and memorials post-Oct. 7 and working with city and state officials to produce these communitywide public gatherings for 50,000-plus people, plus over 100,000 people virtually.
This all came together in the one-year anniversary of Oct. 7, taking over Central Park for a program that created positive support for Jewish communities and beyond. It’s rare you get an opportunity to draw global impact into your local community—but when those opportunities come and you can give back, it’s most meaningful. Event producers have a social responsibility to use our access and our tools in a safe and impactful way to be purpose-driven and create a positive impact on the world we live in."
His biggest hope for the event industry: "From a business perspective, while the world around us is ever-changing through politics, technology, economy, security, health, and safety, it’s crucial that we never forget that people getting together in the right environments is always going to create a positive impact. It’s the responsibility of the event professionals to collaborate together and ensure that while budgets and politics are ever-changing and sometimes destructive, people getting together under the right positive environments using events as the driver should never be undervalued.
Events drive change. It’s not just about producing parties or a pretty stage; it’s about meaningful connections that drive momentum and hope for a better world ahead. My hope is that we’re not the first thing on the chopping block. Events should be considered less of a luxury and more of a necessity."
