Event and project management

Everything that makes pre-opening difficult applies, on a shorter runway and with less margin for recovery: dependencies that block each other, suppliers who confirm late, a guest experience that has to work first time, and a date that was announced before anyone checked whether it was achievable.

The difference between an event that works and one that merely happens is almost always planning that was done eight weeks earlier, not effort applied on the day.

What I do

Critical path and production schedule. Every task, owner, dependency and deadline, built first and maintained throughout.

Supplier and vendor coordination. Selection, briefing, contracting and the single point of contact that stops five vendors making six different assumptions.

Entertainment and artistic sourcing. Talent appropriate to the concept and the audience, sourced through people I have worked with rather than through a directory.

VIP and guest experience design. The sequence a guest actually moves through — arrival, hosting, service, departure — designed rather than assumed.

On-site production management. Present on the day and through the event, running it and resolving what goes wrong, because something always does.

Post-event review. What worked, what cost more than it should have, and what to do differently next time.

Who this is for

Hotels and venues running flagship events, brands launching in-market, owners opening a venue who want the launch handled properly, and organisers who need hospitality delivery at a standard their guests will notice.

The experience behind it

Entertainment programming and large-scale venue operations at Cove Manila at Okada Manila — a 900 square metre venue with a team of over 180 — and entertainment programming across Roberto’s in Dubai and Amman. Most recently, banqueting and event operations within a nine-outlet division at SLS Dubai. The full background.

I worked with Fabio Marzano for my fundraising music festival with Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike. I partnered with Okada Manila to cater to my VIP attendees who demand a level of international luxury that only an experienced professional could provide. The event was successful and our VIP attendees were very satisfied, largely because of Fabio’s attention to detail and his experience in dealing with elite clients. He is excellent at crisis management and troubleshooting problems. I would gladly work with him again.

Common questions

What size of event do you manage?

From intimate VIP hosting through to large-scale events with multi-vendor production. The determining factor is complexity rather than headcount — an event with six interdependent suppliers needs more management than a larger one with two.

Do you source entertainment and talent?

Yes, through a network built over twenty years rather than through directories. Sourcing is matched to the concept and the audience, not to whoever is available.

Are you on site during the event?

Yes. On-site production management is part of the engagement. Planning an event and not being present for it is how avoidable problems become visible ones.

What does the engagement deliver?

A critical path with owners and dates, supplier selection and coordination, run sheets, guest experience design, on-site management through the event, and a post-event review. Scoped per project.

How are engagements structured?

Fixed scope agreed in advance, phased against milestones. Scope is driven by event complexity, supplier count, and the length of the planning runway.