Photo: Courtesy of Ty Kuppig
How he got his start: "Architecture was my first love. Then theatrical design. Then film. And finally… special events—which truly captured my heart.
After studying architecture at Columbia University and theatrical design at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, I had my sights set on production design for film. But on one fateful night, my interest in events was magically sparked. I recall an evening in New York, when I passed the most incredibly designed storefront, staged with vibrant lighting, immense floral arrangements, and bold furnishings, and thought, 'Whatever this is—I want to be part of it!'
As it turns out, it was an event agency. The next day, I returned and persuaded the owner to give me a chance and I was thrown into my first event project—assisting with a 10,000-guest corporate celebration. From there, I worked with several different event firms before ultimately creating my company, TYGER. It’s been love ever since!
My passion for events is no simple coincidence though. Designing and producing events requires the conceptualization and planning of architecture, the emotion of theater, and the visual storytelling and orchestration of film. I see events as a unique crossroads of all my loves, where one intersects with the next, to create captivating experiences and lasting memories." 
"The best events depend on a thoughtfully crafted experience that functions seamlessly on every level," he says.Photo: Courtesy of TYGER Productions
What sets his work apart: "My background in architecture, theater, and film is unusual in the event industry and provides me with a very unique perspective. The best events depend on a thoughtfully crafted experience that functions seamlessly on every level. Creating something that just looks good in photos and on social media is not enough. Thus, my focus is not on just creating stunning, impactful visuals, but more importantly on meticulously choreographing the entire guest experience, leveraging the aesthetics of movement and appealing to all five senses.
My team and I pair that ethos with a focus on the highest level of white-glove service for our clients. Our events—whether they be for popular public-facing brands or private clients of note—are highly personal experiences, and we continually strive to raise the bar to surprise and inspire our clients and their guests."
What innovation means to him: "Innovation is the result of an evolution and exchange of ideas–it does not happen in a vacuum. It requires referencing the past, nodding to the present, and looking forward to the future. My favorite aspect of innovation is taking concepts from other areas (fashion, hospitality design, technology, media, etc.) and reimagining them within the context of events to elicit new emotion and unexpected impact." 
TYGER Productions works with a mix of public-facing brands and private clients.Photo: Courtesy of TYGER Productions
Memorable moments: "One of our all-time favorite events we have produced was a 250-guest destination wedding in Reykjavik, Iceland. Inspired by the rugged landscape of the country juxtaposed with the poise and elegance of our clients, we created a concept that played on this dichotomy. Examples included the imperfection of an undulating ceiling treatment of over 3,000 feet of hand-cut fabric made to resemble the rolling clouds of an Icelandic storm juxtaposed with dozens of modern, perfectly spherical crystal chandeliers. Precisely set dining tables with manicured floral arrangements were paired with wild branches dipped in antiqued brass tones.
To complement our transformation of the space, I curated an eclectic menu for the evening with Leifur Kolbeinsson, executive chef and owner of Kolabrautin, one of the city’s top fine dining restaurants. Before guests were seated for a refined four-course dinner paired with exceptional European wines, they were treated to a playful mix of canapes that brought in both Icelandic and American influences, including reindeer sliders with foraged berry chutney and classic New England-style lobster rolls.
In addition to balancing the right design and cuisine, the project was logistically complex. We discovered early in the planning process that there are very limited resources in Iceland for events of this scale, so we opted to leverage our in-house inventory of luxury decor pieces and packed a 40-foot-long shipping container to the brim, shipping the majority of the decor for the celebration across the Atlantic from the U.S. to Reykjavik and back on a commercial freighter. This process required customs brokers, coordination with the Icelandic government, and land and sea logistics teams on both sides (not to mention a number of sleepless nights). 
The wedding featured a ceiling treatment made from 3,000 feet of hand-cut fabric, juxtaposed with dozens of spherical crystal chandeliers.Photo: Courtesy of TYGER Productions
His biggest hope for the event industry: "That events will more and more be seen as invaluable opportunities for creative expression and thoughtful storytelling, which also create moments of childlike wonder and awe-inspired excitement."
