Every time I meet with a client, it’s really important for me to find out what their likes and dislikes are. Pre-covid, it was always setting up personal time to meet, going to people’s homes, and spending a lot of time to get a sense of who they are and what they’re about. I could be in their environment and what they surrounded themselves with, i.e., was their taste Victorian, Contemporary, rustic, beach-oriented, do they collect artwork? I play off what they have and what they surround themselves with and ask (for example), “Do you want to use linen colors based on what you have in your home or is there a theme?” For this 50th surprise birthday party, we designed at a couples’ home, their home was filled with blues and silvers, contemporary and stunning. The husband was a surfer too and that is why we had this idea to blow up this beautiful photo of him surfing in the ocean and place it on a decorated easel for guests to sign.
When collaborating with clients, I’d have a mood board, but I’d also bring 2 or 3 prototype sample sets of colors, glassware, fabric. When it comes to food, the first step is to ask the client about any food allergies, dietary restrictions, I get a sense of the price point, and list of all those responses for our chef to work with. The crucial piece is bringing the client into the fold and letting them feel that they are part of the process. I want the client to be part of the process. I want them to be engaged and involved so we can build that trust and confidence together.
WHAT IT TAKES TO SERVE PERFECTION
Most of our clients have wined and dined in the most beautiful places, and myself and Chef Dennis have been doing this for so long that we know the amount of detail it takes to create that taste of perfection consistently: how important it is for your linen to hang flawlessly straight on the floor, how you don’t want to push the chair into the linen, the chairs are perfectly balanced, the silverware set perfectly.
For me, it starts when the guests arrive. For example, if there’s valet, the valet must be on time to greet the guest from when they arrive to the last guest leaving and getting into the limo. Their experience could be perfect all night but if the valet is late and someone has to wait 20 minutes, their entire night could be ruined. How does one make sure every person we bring on performs to perfection? It’s all about the relationship that I’ve built with the vendors. They know the expectations I have. I’ve been doing this for so long, that I know how many staff I need for X amount of people. If a client says, we need to cut back on staff or valet because the budget has swelled, I have to say that will compromise the event, but we can do a different centerpiece on every other table or just one linen on every other table instead of 2 linen with overlay. That way it doesn’t compromise the experience.
A SEAMLESS AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR CLIENTS
I love offering different options to clients. For instance, our Bar Service Convenience Package never ceases to amaze me. Some people don’t want to spend on a bar where we provide the alcohol, and so they’d want to bring it themselves. But what our clients forget is that they’re coming out of town, out of the country, and you need this many ice buckets of ice tubs to chill these drinks down, glasses, napkins, openers, and cups — and I’m happy to provide all of that. Our clients, go “I never thought of that!” They love the fact that they don’t have to worry about things like ice, cups, and openers.
We uncover what it is you’d like to do and provide an array of options: whether that’s a party bus to go to the strip and enjoy a pub crawl, or stay-in entertainment. We did an event with 45 people, all corporate, who were going to spend 2 nights inside the mansion they rented. They wanted off the strip entertainment, and I hired a fabulous headliner corporate magician from the strip who they loved. We had another mansion that had the perfect commercial kitchen so guests could come in and see what the chefs are doing for a more interactive, relaxed experience. Our chefs could invite them to come and taste or explain what they were doing. There are so many options we can do for you.
HOW WE’RE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER COMPANIES
My son who was in the business told me, “You know there’s nobody like you.” I said, “Josh, there are a million planners like me, the difference is me”. And I can’t speak for anyone else, but when somebody signs a contract with me they get a 110% of who I am and I will go to the ends of the earth for my clients that we more than sure satisfy their expectations. That’s what drives me. I’m a 3rd generation entrepreneur. I always saw the value in the relationships that are built with my parents’ clients and grew up to see that astute professionalism in the home and model of the integrity and ethics of what business is about.
There are so many industry buzzwords used today that are not supposed to be just buzzwords. Buzzwords come in and go. Our model of seamless execution never changes. It’s who we are, what we do, and who we believe in. When it comes to the food, Chef Dennis and I trust each other implicitly and I know whatever I sell, he’s going to back it up. When I came to Vegas from California, I could not find anyone who practiced the same farm to table cooked fresh on site method and I was disillusioned for quite some time until I found Dennis. That is another story, but we have a wonderful relationship, and together make for a world-class experience for our clients.
Written by Leslie Sellers
