Maggie Swisher is no stranger to the magic of Hollywood—and movie industry events. A decade ago, Swisher moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles after finishing college, and shortly thereafter, she was heading up the event department for New Line Cinema. Since then, she has run high-profile studio gatherings like premieres for Sex and the City and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, press events like a worldwide junket for After the Sunset, and award show parties, including an Oscar viewing bash at the Pacific Design Center the year The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King took home the gold.
She recently launched her own event management and production company, Swisher Productions. Early clients include big names like Comcast Entertainment Group, Fox Searchlight, CBS Films, and the Weinstein Company, for which she recently planned a party at Comic-Con for the film Piranha 3D. Swisher says her strength is in her company’s teamwork. “Each event requires the assembly of a select team that caters specifically to the needs of the client, event, and branding initiatives. We continue to cultivate fresh and imaginative ideas, and we are constantly challenging ourselves and incorporating the next big thing—like the hottest DJs, event-friendly twists on food trends, interactive stations for guests, the latest venues and locations, and cutting-edge design—to keep our events different and interesting,” she says. “We cut the drama and work hard and never lose sight of the end product.”
Among the events she’s done for Comcast was a party for the E network’s 20th birthday atop the London West Hollywood, where the many moving parts included a live performance by Kelly Rowland on a bridge above the rooftop and aerialists above the pool. Comcast Entertainment Group’s executive director of special events, Wendy Schellinger,
 says that Swisher is meticulous and thorough. “Maggie has mastered the unique skill set of listening to all your needs, wants, and dreams for an event and facilitating the reality of it all for you from start to finish,” she says. “She’s as ridiculously talented and driven as she is warm and compassionate.”
“Our vision is simple: Life’s short, have fun,” Swisher says of her style. “Events are the pinnacle of a corporate product launch, and each event needs to be handcrafted with this in mind. We try to imagine everything from the client’s perspective as well as from the guest’s.”
