Event Innovators 2016: Tony Conway

Photo: Lahcen BoufedjiAs one of the go-to event designers in the Southeast, Atlanta-based Tony Conway has planned corporate events for the likes of Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola, as well as gatherings for celebrities including Maya Angelou, Tyler Perry, and NeNe Leakes.

Conway, 60, is C.E.O. of Legendary Events, a full-service event planning firm launched in 1997 that also operates two venues. As the firm approaches its 20th anniversary, one way it has stayed fresh to loyal clients is by being able to reconceive annual events. One example is the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s annual Legends of Atlanta Roast. The benefit includes a dinner followed by a comedic roasting of four local chefs that takes place in the food bank’s industrial warehouse. Conway’s team is tasked with transforming the space into a restaurant environment inspired by the chefs’ restaurants—and taking it all down within eight hours of the event’s conclusion.

The design for the 2015 dinner was farm-to-table, so Conway’s team visited each of the four honorees to try and capture the feel of their restaurant. “We used lighted barrel chandeliers inspired by one restaurant and wooden farm tables inspired by another,” says Conway. “The evening begins with cocktails in the existing raw warehouse space and loading dock to give guests a feel of what the warehouse and operations look like, and to have them wonder where the dinner will be held. Then they walk into a beautifully designed restaurant for the dinner.”

Within his business, Conway encourages a collaborative environment. Recently, he had his team members swap jobs for the day—an idea adapted from his early career experience in the hotel industry. For one day, Conway had chefs move into the floral department, floral designers take sales positions, and sales team members take on production roles.

Back to the Most Innovative People in Events and Meetings list

Check out the Event Innovators 2016 digital edition