It was as if people’s noses were pressed up against the window even before the inaugural BizBash Event Style Show began on Thursday, June 27, 2007, at the California Market Center in Los Angeles. Organized with military precision, more than 1,300 event planners received their credentials and started to mingle while waiting for the conference program to begin.
The first conference session of the day, "Event Career Paths That Supercharge Your Future," was packed with planners looking for hot career tips. More chairs were brought in, and still people were standing in the aisles to hear Cheryl Fish of High Rise Events and Charles Massey of Synaxis Meetings & Events Inc. share their war stories and give insight into how to get ahead in this competitive industry.
Fish, who in the early days of her career had to do everything herself, from operating glue guns to hanging drapes, told the crowd, “Surround yourself with people who will lift you higher. It’s all about networking. Spread your wings and meet new individuals!”
Massey fell in love with the hotel business as a kid and probably has the largest “Do Not Disturb” sign collection in the world. At age 18, he became a bellman. After college and his bellman days, Massey moved to California, began working in hotel sales, and involved himself with MPI and endless networking.
They ended the seminar with their take on the high-rated television game show Deal or No Deal – "Career or No Career!" It required audience participation and there was no shortage of volunteers. Out of the briefcases came ideas to push the envelope and planner creativity.
BizBash C.E.O. and founder David Adler welcomed everyone to the California Market Center’s Fashion Theater for the first part of the two-part general session "What’s New, What’s Hot, What’s Now?" entitled "The New Event Mecca: Downtown L.A. Comes Alive." He introduced the first guest of the day, former California governor Gray Davis, who knows something about events. Mindful of his audience, Davis was quick to note that in L.A. alone, there are more than 300 events every day, and more than five billion dollars of event planning spending occurs every year in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco.
LA Inc. president and C.E.O. Mark Liberman picked up on that theme. “We’re the second-largest industry in all of Los Angeles. We have 265,000 people that work in our industry. You bring people to events in our great city. It’s really great that we’re holding this meeting downtown, because it gives us the opportunity to show off. The changes are outstanding, as you look at all the building that’s taking place.”
He talked about how the Nokia Theatre and Plaza are opening in October, and with 40,000 square feet, they will be perfect for corporate and fund-raising events. “I look at it as the Times Square of the West.” Also in development is the ESPN Zone, with a dozen new restaurants. He noted, “ESPN is moving some of its operation from Connecticut to a new broadcast center here in L.A.” Additionally, Regal Cinemas is opening 13 new theaters in L.A. “We’ll start bringing premieres to downtown Los Angeles,” Liberman said. He concluded by telling the audience that at the end of 2009, the new JW Marriott Hotel and the Ritz-Carlton, with more than 1,000 new rooms, will complement the new and exciting venues. “I need you to think about downtown. Our city is really ready for all those that you will bring.”
Next up was the much-anticipated seminar "The Greening of Events." BizBash Media president Richard Aaron kicked things off by telling the audience, “It is exciting to be a part of the green initiative. It’s more than just something we read in the papers. The wind of change is here.” Elizabeth Wiatt, who serves on the board of Natural Resources Defense Council, a visionary environmental activist, was full of green ideas that inspired all of the listeners.
“We are not a group who insists on perfection. Nor do we want to sacrifice style with second-choice options. What we ask is that each and every one of us take at least some of the simple steps to reduce our environmental impact. From switching to post-consumer recycled paper products, to building temporary structures out of certified sustainable wood, we believe that the smallest steps begin to add up to huge impacts.”
She encouraged the audience to use a “think green filter” when planning events, and to visit www.nrdc.org/greenliving for more information.
"The Annual Trend Panel: Event Design, Production, Catering, and Entertainment" was moderated by BizBash Media’s Alesandra Dubin and featured John Campbell of Classic Party Rentals, David Fischette of Go West Events & Multimedia, Brent Bolthouse of Bolthouse Productions/ SBE, Vanessa Gonzalez of the Museum of Contemporary Art, and Michael Gapinsky of Along Came Mary Productions.
They all agreed that nightclub culture is seeping its way into parties, driven by events in Miami, Las Vegas, and New York. Hosts want more than just round tables and chairs, they want couches and seating and raised platforms to create a nightlife atmosphere, and that people believe they are throwing more than a party; they are delivering an experience. Gonzalez threw what she calls the "Basquiat event," and three years later, she still gets phone calls about it. “I wanted to connect with the artist. I wanted to re-create what the artist was doing in the ‘80s.” Even though youth drives what’s happening in pop culture, the panel’s event producers said that they try to steer away from fads, and instead try to wow clients with their own take on the trends.
The day’s conference program concluded with two concurrent sessions, the first of which discussed the art of "De-Stressing Your Event: Creating First-Class Guest Experiences." Guest speakers Hollace Davids, Judy Levy, Joan Willens, and Steven Rice all offered advice on keeping guests a top priority to ensure overall satisfaction while maintaining a hitch-free atmosphere throughout the event. Solutions were presented to challenges that often arise, such as backed-up valet service, endless buffet lines and speeches, and award presentation ceremonies that run too long. The latter session focused on "The Perfectly Branded Event Experience: How to Match Sponsors, Celebrities, and Honorees." Event-industry professionals Marc Friedland and Howard Bragman shared insight on how to arrange the perfect celebrities and sponsors to fit each event to ensure effective brand communication through every element, ranging from invitations and programs to final evaluations.
As the last sessions came to an end, planners found themselves feeling energized and inspired, ready to get their next event in motion. With all of the new great advice, innovative ideas, and solutions to often-presented challenges exchanged from industry professionals, it was clear that the day was right on cue with its theme—attendees were ready to Dream Big!
