Tips from Event Exec, Al Weber
Top Event Management Executive, Al Weber shares steps to execute the perfect event
Curating top events and parties sounds easy but only a few in the industry rise to the top effortlessly. There’s a big difference between a party promoter and an event curator/executive. People like Sean “Diddy” Combs revolutionized the event and party game. After Diddy many people started elevating the event space genres. Events and parties became epic and unforgettable…when produced by the right team. There are levels to this. If you’re trying to put together something memorable and prestigious this requires a lot of knowledge, time, a great budget, and a professional leader to execute the process.
Al Weber is an event executive and sports/ entertainment mogul who has mastered that art of event curation. He knows how to execute unforgettable parties and events. Weber’s events are more of an experience than a party. He has distinguished himself above the rest and has learned the do’s and don’ts along the way. Before going into event curation, Weber was a top collegiate athlete who rubbed shoulders with all the right people. He has a great rolodex and nurtured his relationships over the years. This has allowed him to become one of the best entertainment event executives in the country.
Weber has curated events for many top celebrities and worked with different personalities. Some of his personal favorite events included those he had with Justin Combs, Bernice Burgos, Mimi Faust, Jagged Edge, Bow Wow and more. Weber says he was inspired to architect events by his friend Kevin Wales. This was the beginning of a successful dream. Still, it wasn’t until he was at the home of Sean “Diddy” Combs that he realized that he needed to dream bigger.
“I was in awe of Diddy’s surroundings and the level of opulence that he operates at. That really motivated me to think bigger. Sometimes you think you’ve reached a certain level but you’re just scratching the surface, said Weber. From that moment on, Weber took his company and dreams to extraordinary heights within Louisiana and all over the country. He recently did a mesmerizing event hosted by Bernice Burgoise Burgos which included the attendance of Councilman Byron Lee of Jefferson Parrish. The all-white party was so extraordinary people are still talking about it months later. So like most people we wanted to know how to execute the perfect event or party? An event that people remember forever. We invited Weber to visit 7th and Lotus to share his tips on how to produce and execute a successful event.
How to produce a successful and unforgettable event.
Create a budget. This is first and foremost. You need to know what you are working with financially before you begin anything. There are so many things and people to consider. You must have a planned budget and also leave room for incidentals and other expenses because sometimes you may have unforeseen expenses. Once that budget is created, try and stick as close as possible to it. Especially if you have an investor. You want to be able to make three times what you’ve put in so that you can pay back the investor and make a profit. Event curation is a business. It’s not something you do for popularity or just having a good time. You must have business sense and think long-term.
Set a Date! Give your potential guests and the public enough time to get themselves together for the most unforgettable experience. Set the date and time ahead of time.
Hiring the right team: Line up the best in each category. The event planner, Décor team, Staff, PR & Marketing because that is key. You can have the most incredible event but how will people know to come. Also if you want buzz after the event, you need a good PR team. You have to hire a host/hostess.
Think about your demographic and someone the crowd will enjoy and be entertained by. Go with your gut but research who motivates people to spend their money and come to events. DO they have a good social media following? A good team. Are they organized etc? You’re paying for all of this so hire carefully. Don’t forget about the DJ. They will set the tone. So get the best that fits your demographics.
Venue: Find the perfect venue in a location that caters to your demographic. Consider if it’s going to be a complete rent out of the venue or if it’s a club negotiating the door or bar profits.
Theme: Choose a theme yourself or have the decorator and PR person help you come up with something creative. You can do something traditional or something that stands out. Consider colors, a TV show, a film or a specific time in pop culture or a decade. Like a 70’s, 80’s or 90’s party. There are so many options. The décor is so key because the ambiance and correlation of the theme into the event can make or break your event. Your interior designer and decorator is important.
Food: Hire the right caterer or chef. Make sure they are organized and have great reviews. Ask around. Consider people’s diet choices. Vegan, non-vegan, seafood only or all of the above. Pre-tase the menu. You have to taste the food before you finalize a menu. It better be exceptional.
Invitation: work with your team to create a guest list including a V.I.P or celebrity list as well. The PR person is usually over the guest list, and they should have someone who handles the celebs and V. I. P specifically. No matter what status your guests are still treat everyone like V. I. P. That’s my specialty. I create an environment where people never want to leave or always want to come back.
Get invitations out on time. It’s best to go virtual with E-invitations and it’s organized. You see who RSVPs right then and there and you can do a presale of tickets.
When you have all of this together, have the publicist send out a press release announcing the event. Then have the assistants start sending out the invitations!-
For more tips and event consulting please contact Al Weber via instagram.
