Event Pros Share Their Go-To Vendors for AV, Rentals, Florals, Swag and More

Looking for a new entertainment partner, a standout fabrication company or a clever swag idea? We asked event industry professionals throughout North America to share their go-to collaborators for events of all types.

Photo: Courtesy of Erica Taylor HaskinsErica Taylor Haskins is the founding partner and chief growth officer for Tinsel Experiential Design, based in New York, a team known for designing and producing events for the likes of Twitch, Spotify, L'Oreal and Condé Nast.

Mobile Tours: The last couple of years have necessitated creativity and innovation to bring events to life safely. In fall 2020, Tinsel produced very complex, nearly simultaneous national mobile tour campaigns for Pizza to the Polls and for Twitch's GlitchCon. We remain deeply grateful for the enthusiastic collaboration, agile problem-solving and get-it-done attitude of our mobile tour partners at RMNG and Lime Media, who between them, helped us fully customize and deploy over 300 rolling vehicles across the country within a two-week window. 

Entertainment: Tinsel is known for coming up with big, immersive event concepts, and of course, that extends to entertainment. For very outside-of-the-box performers, we look to Astarte Creative Entertainment. This collective of creative collaborators has provided everything from high-flying aerialists and stylized merpeople to stilt-walking mythical creatures and human candelabras, and so many other mesmerizing, imaginative moments.

Venues: Our team has produced events at innumerable venues across the city and the globe, but two of my favorite [New York] spaces we've worked in share uniquely religious and artworld roots. The first is the Cathedral of St. John the Divine with its scaling vaulted ceilings and local art exhibits. (And of course, the peacocks!) A very close second is Angel Orensanz on the Lower East Side, that's heavily gothic and gritty in all the right ways.

Photo: Courtesy of Jeffry RoickJeffry Roick is the director of McNabb Roick Events, an event design, production and management firm based in Toronto; past clients have included American Express, Chanel, NBC and Target.

Flowers: A florist is like the final stroke an artist puts on their painting. We are fortunate that San Remo is an artist that completes the painting for our events. Flexible, creative and reliable, they work with us as a team and always exceed our expectations.

Audiovisual Production: For almost 30 years I have relied on the expertise of National Show Systems to help us create memorable events. Without great lighting, an event is just a room with furniture. A blank palette becomes a piece of art with National. They understand our vision each and every time, making our job easier and always making us look good.

Rentals: A party isn’t a party without the accouterments. Since the inception of my business, Event Rental Group has provided exceptional service and attention to detail for our events. Anne has been a dedicated extension of our company and is always on hand to look after our order, make recommendations, suggest changes or simply be a sounding board to assist in creating the final product.

Photography: They say a picture is worth 1,000 words. There are not enough words to describe how Henry Lin can capture the essence of an event. He understands the details that make an event and is able to capture the mood and feeling that the guests experience, from the smallest details to the overall ambiance. 

“John Vo and his team at Whoopla are experts in creating scroll-stopping swag and mailers that help us bring brand stories to life through experience,” says Agency Guacamole’s Bilal Kaiser, who collaborated with the company on this swag for haircare brand Matrix.Photo: Courtesy of Agency Guacamole
Bilal Kaiser is the founder and principal of Agency Guacamole, a Los Angeles-based social media, PR, influencer marketing and event firm with clients including Redken, Biolage, OPULUS Beauty Labs and Baxter of California. 

Photo: Courtesy of Bilal KaiserSwag: John Vo and his team at Whoopla are experts in creating scroll-stopping swag and mailers that help us bring brand stories to life through experience. Even amidst all the challenges with the supply chain over the past year, we know we can always count on Whoopla as a partner in producing projects that are fun, memorable and creative. His team is truly always thinking outside of the box to come up with innovative production techniques—even in a crunch. 

Printing: Tom Kresnicka and the LA-based Verve Printing & Graphic team are our go-to vendors for high-quality decals, prints and other large-format graphics. Verve does an incredible job at creating high-quality prints coupled with high-quality service and experience. The Verve team is constantly going above and beyond to ensure our projects are up to the Agency Guacamole standard—even if that means printing and overnighting decals to New York with one day’s notice!

Flowers: For gorgeous floral arrangements, we always recommend Kerim from My Wedding Blooms. Whether it’s for a local client’s birthday or a brand event, Kerim always delivers incredible, luxurious arrangements that manage to encapsulate the brand identity perfectly. 

Photo: Courtesy of Bianca Knop and Kelly ThorpeBianca Knop and Kelly Thorpe are the founders of Wildfire Experiential and Events, a Vancouver-based experiential marketing and event agency with clients including Mercedes-Benz, Whole Foods, Nestle Canada and the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Custom Fabrication: Production Canada is an award-winning company that has helped bring our experiential marketing concepts to life for many years. Regardless of how off-the-wall or big or small our projects are, they always step up to the challenge and bring forward thoughtful designs and plans that elevate creative ideas. We have worked together on everything from custom builds to pop-up structures to traveling vehicles in locations across Canada, and we couldn't do it without them. 

Branded Merchandise: Patterson Brands is always our first call when we need custom branded swag, uniforms or gifting. They come to us with on-trend, unique ideas every single time. They are also not afraid of quick turnarounds and short timelines, often bending over backward to make things work. The team there always shows up with a smile and they truly are a dream to work with. 

AV and Event Production: Showmax Events is our go-to supplier for all audiovisual and event production needs. Their creative and innovative approach to event design ensures that every event we execute is flawless, polished and talk-worthy. It’s not unusual to brief them and then have the idea transform before our eyes during the site visit, as they always bring unique and practical suggestions. We also find it amazing that no matter how long the install or strike, the team is always in great spirits.