Brett Hyman is the 39-year-old founder and president of NVE Experience Agency (NVE). He’s based in Los Angeles.
What my day-to-day looks like:
As the agency has grown to more than 200 employees producing 150-plus events per year, my role is now to run the day-to-day operations of NVE.
I spend three days per week on various Zoom calls working with the leadership of each department: production, strategy and communications, creative services, and accounts. I spend one day per week meeting with the leads of our business operations: finance, accounting, people and community, and operations. And I spend one day per week working with specialty division heads: content, influencer, PR and communications, and interactive.
My career journey:
NVE has been through a few incarnations over the last 15-plus years. After graduating college, I founded Night Vision Entertainment as a nightclub promoter in Hollywood. From 2006-2012, I promoted various parties while building our production capabilities. In 2013, I decided to leave the club business and focus the entire agency on experiential and event production, changing the name from Night Vision Entertainment to NVE Experience Agency.
Over the last 10 years, we've expanded NVE from being a traditional event and experiential agency to a multi-faceted creative marketing agency with a wide range of capabilities. Over the 10 years it took to build NVE, my secret formula was pursuing and hiring non-traditional talent who were hungry and had a high emotional quotient. As a result, I found incredible talent that developed and grew with the company, many of whom continue to thrive with us.
Hyman said that the Beats Music launch party was his most memorable event. "We were able to get 14 of the world's most iconic ‘90s hip-hop artists on one stage together for the first time ever—including Eminem, Dr. Dre, Nas, Diddy and Mase, Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube, Cypress Hill, Method Man, and Red Man," he explained.Photo: Courtesy of NVE Experience Agency
My greatest career accomplishment:
Crossing the $100 million gross revenue line in 2022 without bringing in outside capital or selling any part of NVE. I firmly believe that remaining independent will help NVE bring the most creative, memorable, and impactful experiences to people around the world. I also believe that staying fully independent will allow us to maintain the flexibility, autonomy, and trust in our team members that will help them thrive in their work.
My most memorable event:
My most memorable event was the Beats Music launch party where we were able to get 14 of the world's most iconic ‘90s hip-hop artists on one stage together for the first time ever—including Eminem, Dr. Dre, Nas, Diddy and Mase, Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube, Cypress Hill, Method Man, and Red Man. Being able to produce this show (and see it) was absolutely magical.
An impressive career accomplishment and stat Hyman's responsible for? "Crossing the $100 million gross revenue line in 2022 without bringing in outside capital or selling any part of NVE," he told BizBash.Photo: Courtesy of NVE Experience Agency
Some impressive stats I’m responsible for:
Aside from achieving $100 million in gross revenue in 2022, onboarding 200 employees and, of course, successfully navigating the pandemic.
What inspires me:
Two things: One, the opportunity to deliver meaningful and transformational experiences in people's lives through our work.
Two, the opportunity to support more than 200 team members in finding purpose in their career journey and belonging through our NVE community.
The advice I would give my younger self:
Attend as many events as you possibly can. That includes going to events that are not your own.
Attending other events allows you to connect the dots between what you are doing and what others are doing. It allows you to see the industry's full landscape and make new connections that can help your career evolve and grow.
My leadership style:
There are 207 full-time employees at NVE, but I directly manage 14 of our executives and business leaders.
My focus is on setting the template for NVE's values that can be applied at all levels of the agency. My management style is democratic—I believe in giving everyone in the room a voice, listening to all perspectives and opinions, and then making clear decisions with clear communication.
What’s next for me:
I'm focused on scaling our broader set of integrated capabilities, including, content, creator marketing, communications and PR, interactive, and more that are coming online this year.
My ideal day OOO:
My ideal OOO is traveling; and if I'm planning a specific day, it would be a day in the Gordes in Provence, France.
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.
