Diann Valentine, internationally acclaimed wedding, event and interior designer, has been in the industry for over twenty years. Her dynamic work speaks for itself, planning numerous event experiences for top-notch celebrities across the country. Valentine was recently interviewed by Black Enterprise – a very captivating online interview that caught our attention. Further, Valentine is WeTV’s “I Do Over” co-executive producer & event planner. Her schedule is so very busy – but she graced us with some of her time for a Q&A session and we are thrilled!

Q. What defines event design in Diann Valentine’s words?
Event design is about creative and seamless environments that transport people to a different moment in time.  Thematic events are cliché and a thing of the past. I
would prefer to study my clients so that I can create experiences that are simply reflective of their personal style and taste.  I believe in doing this by breaking all
of the rooms down to design an eclectic environment that uses furnishings, textiles, experiential devices and entertainment to establish a platform for a lifetime of
memories to be cultivated.

Q. What is the most challenging aspect of event design?
Budgets, budgets and budgets!  It doesn’t matter how much money my clients want to spend on their celebrations, I always have ideas that exceed their budget parameters.

Q. How big of a role does interior design play in developing event concepts for your clients?
The discipline and principles I have learned in interior design are an enormous part of my design perspective.  I view event space as an environment instead of just a party venue. Just like designing an interior space, I look to identify an ‘anchor’ or ‘wow factor’ for the space and then design all other elements around that one factor.  I also believe, like interiors, that no particular element of an event should overpower anything else.  It’s about creating an aesthetic balance in a space so that when guests walk in, they feel like the environment existed long before they arrived.

Q. You have set yourself as the authority figure behind your event brand and I love your web presence. How important is branding to you?
My brand identity is the core of everything that I am working so hard to build.  Diann Valentine is my brand but the brand is not Diann Valentine the person.  I see so many event planners selling their companies with pictures of brides and grooms and I am often perplexed. A photo of a happy couple tells me nothing about you, your company or your brand.  I do not show images of my celebrity clients on my website or in my portfolio.  Please do not misunderstand my gratitude for the many wonderfully-talented people who have entrusted me with some of the biggest celebrations of their lives.  However, my clients are not my brand but they are respectfully apart of my corporate portfolio.  I am very clear about what I am building and although there have been many detours along my journey, I am extremely focused with my eyes on the prize.

Q. I saw your interview clip on Black Enterprise and I was immediately impressed, in awe and extremely excited about your work and the mission you stay committed to! What advice do you have for someone who wants to do exactly what you are doing? 
Thank you so much.  It was such a pleasure to sit and talk about who I am and what I believe and what I represent.  SO many media outlets are only interested in my client list and I am very grateful to Black Enterprise for allowing me to have a voice.  With that said, my advice to anyone looking to chart a similar course is very simple.  I have followed three simple principles throughout my entire career. Right or wrong, I stay focused on these guiding principles:

1. I put my complete trust in my God.  I don’t really care what anyone else believes or what name they use to refer to as God. However, I know to be absolutely sure that you better believe in something that is bigger than you and bigger than your dreams and bigger than this world. That is the only thing that will get you through the tough times.

2. Believe in yourself.  I know that sounds like such a cliché, but you have to believe in yourself and your gifts and the dreams in your heart when no one else believes them.  It has also been a teetering balance for me to remain humble but put my confident self forth in the world. It does not matter how much rejection or failures I’ve experienced, I know that my future is STILL bright.

3. Hard work.  I have worked extremely hard and put in so many long and sleepless nights. I have also sacrificed a social life when I was younger, time with my daughter and family. I continue to sacrifice because I refuse to die with any regrets or unfulfilled dreams. Hard work is all I know!

Q. Have you ever produced an event in the Washington, D.C. area?
I produced a very large corporate event for Nike in the heart of downtown D.C., as well as a private event in Virginia. I have a client who owns a home in that area and this summer we have two small intimate weddings in D.C. and Richmond, VA.

Q. What are three quick tips you can provide to create a simple and elegant tabletop on a tight budget?

1. Mix and match the china for an eclectic mix of patterns and colors.
2. Use fresh ingredients mixed with flowers to create an interesting tablescape that includes grapes or fresh lemons.
3. Lots and lots of candles…you can never use enough in my opinion.

Q. What makes you the most happy and why? 
My husband Damon Haley and my daughter Riann Valentine.  They are my rock and my salvation.  They support and pray for me. They make every bad day better and they believe in me. When the world has beat me up and I start doubting myself, they remind me that what we share is always enough!

To learn more about the fabulous Diann Valentine – visit www.diannvalentine.com.

We learned about Syzygy Event Productions after coming across this amazing photo (below) from an event they produced at the National Geographic in Washington, D.C. We had an opportunity to learn more about Syzygy and their leading role in event design. Check out the Q & A!

Q: Your company name is very catching, how did you come up with it?
Actually, we can’t take credit for finding the name. It was a suggestion from a fellow vendor.  However, we love the definition.  “Syzygy” is when the sun, the moon, and the earth are all in perfect alignment. We strive to have every element of our events fall into perfect alignment.  Plus, the word is fun to write – all the “Y’s” and curves – very girlie.

Q: Every artist has their own definition of “art.” What is your definition of event design?

Unlike art, event design must be practical.  The client influences our design deeply, but we try to incorporate a sense of our own style into each event.  Additionally, we have to show things in a larger scale or it will get lost in the space.

Q: We posted a MPI video that talks about how an event designer thinks – can you elaborate on this from your own perspective?

We think at a million miles an hourJ.  We have to balance the client’s needs and desires with the budget, the design, logistics of the venue, timing restraints and staff needs. Not to mention, we have to make it all look effortless.  Thankfully, we have a wonderful team to make each one of our events a beautiful success.

Q: We came across (on the web) an AMAZING event that Syzygy produced at the National Geographic which honored deep-sea explorers.  What type of man-power was involved to make this happen? *Note – I will include a photo next to this question

We started the design process about six months before the event. National Geographic was an incredible company to work with; very creative, while also liberating. They let us take the reins and design the event the way we had imagined. We began ordering and fabricating our custom products three months in advance. By four weeks out, our warehouse looked like it had been thrown into the ocean. There was kelp and seaweed everywhere. The actual installation took four days and we all got about ten hours of sleep that week.

Q: When your client and guests enter a room for an event, produced by Syzygy, what do you want them to feel?

I am glad you said “feel,” because we don’t sell products we sell feelings. Whether it’s a wedding or a corporate event, the event environment should give the guest a feeling. If it’s a wedding, it should be romantic.  If it’s a fundraiser, it should be inspiring.  If it’s a gala, it should be celebratory. If the environment we have created produces the desired individual feeling, we have succeeded.

Q: What are three quick tips you can provide to create a simple and elegant atmosphere on a tight budget?

1. Focus on lighting – it can make a world of difference.
2. Choose a couple of focal points. Don’t spread yourself too thinly because you get more impact by focusing on fewer things.
3. If you are looking for a designer to get involved, call them and ask what they have in their rental inventory.  If it isn’t custom, you can often get great pricing.
   

Q: No one person can do anything alone, whether it’s via partnerships, consultants, employees and the like. Please explain how important teamwork is, especially for event production.

We function like a family! We look out for everyone in our family and we lean on one another on a daily basis.  Our syzygy family is quite extensive— from our in-house scenographers, to the design/sales staff, the artists, the warehouse, the wood-shop, operations and every crew member that helps us from load-in to break-down.  It can be a stressful industry with extremely tight deadlines; we will all work incredibly hard.

To learn more about Syzygy Event Productions – visit their web site at www.syzygyevents.com.

Christine Brower is the president & CEO of C. Brower & Co Creative Events, an award winning event design & production company based in New York City that specializes in corporate and social events.  Christine has been a dear friend and colleague for over four years. She is extremely talented, truly genuine and the event designer extraordinaire.

Q: What is the C. Brower & Co. definition of event design?

For me personally, event design is very much like art.  Often when I’m designing it’s like an artist with a blank canvas.   You can take the smallest and most ordinary thought or idea, develop it, nurture it, and translate that idea into something very extraordinary and quite spectacular.

Design has been an extremely special and important part of my life, so when I’m designing an event for a client, I take it very seriously.  I’ve been blessed with a gift that allows me the ability to translate the client’s vision and conceptualize it.   There is nothing more gratifying than bringing an idea to life, and watching that client be WOW’d by it.

Q: What do you like best about creating design elements?

I definitely like the process itself best.  I like the brainstorming of a small idea, allowing it to grow, and then running with it – developing that idea into something big and unexpected.  And best of all, the challenge to now physically create that idea, and the process that’s involved in that.

Q: You have a production team to help build your designs, what do you look for in a production coordinator?

In a production coordinator, I look for the characteristics of someone who is detail oriented, highly organized, not afraid to take charge when needed, and someone who carries themselves calmly, and listens and evaluates a situation before they react.  And most importantly, someone who can “see the forest for the trees.”  In this business, you have to pay a lot of attention to the details, but you need to be able to still see the big picture.

Q:What is one rule of thumb when it comes to executing any type of design for an event?

I’ll actually give you three because I think these are very critical.

Rule #1 – Never let the client see you sweat!  In the event world, anything that can go wrong will (like exploding vases –yes, that really happened on one event!), and you need to remain the picture of calm and composure in the face of adversity, think quick on your feet, be a problem solver and trouble shooter.

Rule #2 – No man stands alone!  You can’t execute your designs for an event without a solid team of professionals behind you, and I’ve been very blessed to have amazing, talented and creative individuals be a part of the “Brower Power Design Team”!  I can’t make the magic happen without my team.

Rule #3 – Communication is key!   I saved the best for last.  Communication is highly critical when executive design & production for an event.  You need to make sure you are providing the proper information to your team in order for things to run smoothly, efficiently, and on-time.  It’s important to share every last detail of the event, as well as what your and the client’s expectations are, so that your team has a true understanding of what their individual responsibilities are.

Q: We are moving into a social media and tech-centered era, how does this come into play with C. Brower & Co.?

I think social media is becoming a big part of marketing a business these days.  We are part of generation of people who are always in a hurry, and want to hear what are the latest and greatest happenings, in 140 characters or less!  People don’t have as much time as they used to, to hear a “pitch”, so social media can be used as a great tool, as you can instantly post pictures of an event you are working on, to facebook, twitter, linked-in and other social media platforms.  People can see your latest work instantly, as opposed to having to wait for an email or until you post on your website or blog.  We are also involved in a lot of group discussion pages on social media, and it’s really a great tool to gain more business, as oftentimes, colleagues posting in these platforms are looking for other vendors to work with.

Q: What was the most complicated design your team had to pull off?

I’d have to say the most complicated design we had was an event we had that was held in two locations on the same grounds area (the equivalent of three full city blocks away from each other), and décor was needed on both locations, as well as a showpiece made completely out of flowers (850 to be exact), that had to be moved from location 1 to location 2, all within a short window of time.   Our team was broken into two groups, with half to set up décor on location 1 and the other half at location 2.  We had a separate group of people to move the showpiece on a rolling cart as it weighed over 125 pounds.  The showpiece needed to be assembled onsite at the first location, then disassembled and brought back to the second location, and reassembled onsite there, all within a 45 minute period of time.   This was where Rule of Thumb #2 came in!

Q: I notice that you use a lot of hydrangeas for your events – which are my favorite, what are some of the other florals you like to use?

I do love hydrangeas because they are such a hearty, beautiful flower, but some of my favorite flowers to use in events are roses –there are so many different varieties and types of roses, and they each bloom out so differently from one another that they can create a really unique look.  I also love to use orchids, again for the same reason just stated, there are so many beautiful and unusual varieties – there really is so much you can do with them.  The possibilities are endless.

Q: What are three quick tips you can provide to create a simple and elegant table top on a tight budget?

Tip #1 – Props are your friend!

If you’re on a very tight budget, but still want to be able to impress your guests with a beautiful table top, there’s nothing more fun than having an interesting prop piece to use as your centerpiece.   Designers have access to a lot of interesting specialty items and props that the average consumer can’t always purchase at a retail store –oftentimes these prop rentals are less expensive than purchasing a full floral arrangement from the designer.  If you don’t have the budget to hire a designer, head over to your local Home Goods and find a unique lamp with a funky lampshade,  or  a candelabra.  Accent with some votive candles or a table runner, and voila…you have an elegant tabletop.

Tip #2 – Don’t buy fake flowers!

There’s nothing that screams “I have a tight budget” more than using fake flowers.  Many people don’t realize that they are actually spending more time and money putting together centerpieces using fake flowers than it would cost them to go to the corner store and buy a bouquet of real flowers.  Head over to Michael’s Craft Store, (and don’t forget to bring your 50% off coupon), get yourself a cylinder vase for $10, head to the corner store and pick up a bouquet of mixed flowers for $20, pop them in the vase, and there you have a beautiful mixed floral arranged bouquet.  Surround the bottom of the vase with groupings of votive candles and you just brought the arrangement to an even more elegant level.

Tip #3 – Never underestimate the power of fresh fruit!

I love, love, love the smell of a fresh cut lemon and I’m often inspired by its ever so bright and beautiful color.  An easy and inexpensive way to create a great tabletop arrangement is to fill assorted size cylinder vases with a mixture of whole lemons, limes and oranges, or each vase with a single type of fruit.  Set these vases atop a beautiful bright colored table runner.  Accent with small glass bowls or small cube vases, filled with that same fruit cut into small slices.  This way guests can taste the fruit it if they like.  The bright colors, sweet aroma, and taste of the fresh cut fruit will surely stimulate all the senses!

To learn more about C. Brower & Co. Creative Events – visit http://cbrowerandco.com/.

As an event professional – this has always been a question of interest. Most designers are artists – they start with a blank canvas and paint bold beautiful colors, objects, figures and whatever else comes to mind. Sounds easy? Maybe to the artist, but most people have a hard time creating a design that may come naturally to some.

We located this short video from MPI that talks about how event designers think. It’s quite interesting – and it’s fair to say that designers are definitely “right-brainers.”

Event Design Thinking

Is this how the infamous designer, Preston Bailey thinks? What designer wouldn’t want to be inside this master mind’s head as he paints his canvas! Preston’s work is amazing – he allows his guests to enter into another world.

Check out one of his clips – everything looks like a fairy tale.

Preston Bailey’s Signature Wedding & Event Design

Enjoy and tell us what you think!

Event design is the element and/ or theme of a special event that can make your client and guests say, “ooohh and ahhhh.” Design is a concept from imagination, from an elegant tabletop to totally transforming a room to make you feel like you are in fairy tale.

This month’s blog will focus on event design. We will conduct Q & As from leading event designers and provide some great resources that will help you to think creatively when working with your client on their event. There are tons of resources that can teach anyone how to develop a striking event design concept, but there is organic talent that lies within a designer who has the ability and creative eye to really develop something that be may unattainable to some people.

Below are a few event designs that are exquisite, simple and elegant. We also encourage you to follow our Pinterest account; we will pin more concepts on our boards. Feel free to pin your event designs as well.

Event Design: David Stark Design and Production

The cloud funnel is comprised of shoes!! Stark and his team constructed the sculpture for the Robin Hood Foundation’s Gala to help eradicate poverty. All of the shoes were donated after the event. Talk about unique and awesome!

Event Design: Marcel Schmalgemeijer

Set in Amsterdam’s Machinegebouw, or “Machine Building”, the event took place in what had once been the factory’s oil room. The balloons give the space a sense of childhood wonder, while the elegant place settings and classic seating lend a sophisticated touch to this wonderful party.

MLJ loves balloons:)

Event Designer: Camilla Svensson Burns Couture Floral and Event Design

The lighting and magenta florals produce an elegant setting for your dinner party. Beautiful and tasteful!