The Producers
Bryan Allen Events specializes in producing corporate events such as Concerts, Road Shows, Award Shows, Trade Shows, and many other events that end in ‘shows’. However, we are not the right people to plan your wedding or party… unless you want 6,000 strangers and a conference held on your special day. But, in all seriousness, we do pretty much everything else event related.
The Big Bang
VidCon is BAE’s biggest event thus far, so we are giving it an entire column on our website’s home page. This event is considered the worlds largest online video conference held annually in the LA area. The event attracts over 6,000 creators, enablers and viewers within the online industry. For three days the online community gathers to share knowledge, network and be educated in a continued movement towards revolutionizing media. BAE sits at the heart of the event ensuring it’s continued success.
Our Turf
We are located in lovely San Jose, California. Yet, our location does not limit us… Bryan Allen Events is an international event planning agency, meaning we’ll plan anywhere! Where ever you would like an event to take place, we will make sure it happens.
Welcome to Bryan Allen Events!
Feel free to check out more about us, the team or contact us directly.
The creation of Bryan Allen Events began with me, Carver Wright, a veteran in the events industry for 11 years. After working with the world’s top venues and hotel chains and participating in the most prestigious international events, my experience and passion for the industry gave me the inspiration to create my own business. Thus, Bryan Allen Events was born! Bryan Allen Events is based in San Jose, California, but, by no means, does that mean we only plan events in this area. We are an international event-planning agency, ready to take on anything!
Here, at Bryan Allen Events, we focus both on project management and strategy. We are eager and happy to brainstorm with you about every aspect of your event… down to the nitty gritty. We want to help you create your event and the experience that goes along with it.
It would be fair to say that I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I decided to start an event. My friends and I pulled off the first year fairly well, but not without a constant cloud of stress and fear of failure hanging over me. In our second year, Carver proved that he can handle just about any situation calmly and carefully. He anticipates problems, puts the conference first, and still manages to save us money at every turn.
Hank Green, founder of VidCon, EcoGeek and co-founder DFTBA Records
I have had the privilege and pleasure of working with Carver Wright for several years. He is an effective communicator and project manager. Carver is one of the most organized, innovative, efficient, funny and personable professionals I’ve met. He makes running an event look effortless. His attention to detail is impeccable, he is extremely results-oriented and is a delight to work with. Carver understands what it takes to get things done right, on time and on budget.
Lisa Beverly, Senior Events Manager, Adobe Systems
An Event Planner’s Life: Week one
No CommentsAuthor: sarahjefferis Posted On: April 20th, 2012 In: Lifestyle
I don’t know of many jobs that enable you to be in San Jose, California researching possible venues for an upcoming event in New York one day and then the next day be in Los Angeles, California at the Anaheim Convention Center measuring space for a giant ball pit (you know, the ones that you used to play in when you were little at McDonalds).
The job that enables me to do all of those things is an event planner. But what is an event planner and what do they do? If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that, I would have enough money to be able to retire… and I have only been working as an event planner for one week. Although, even if I could retire, I wouldn’t because being an event planner is amazing.
In my first week of working I have personally been located at my desk in San Jose, California. I haven’t left my desk unless I’m running down the hall to the kitchen to get more coffee, or getting up to switch from a desk chair to a pink exercise ball.
First thing I did when I started at Bryan Allen Events: learned how the coffee machines work, then located the nearest café just in case one of the two coffee machines (on this floor!) break. I always like to hope for the best but plan for the worst, and me not getting coffee in the morning would be a worst-case scenario. The rest of the first day was training, training, more training. The next day, was completely hands on training. I created things while the senior project manager looked over my shoulder and walked me through the processes. We created surveys, registration websites, invitations, and updated people’s contacts. The third day, was a lot like the second day, however the senior project was no longer sitting next to me. Thankfully she was a few inches next to me so that I could roll my chair or the pink ball right on over to her desk. The fourth day, although it felt more like the fourth week, I sent out all of the things that I had been working on to the rest of the team and got great feedback. The greatest thing about working for this company in particular is that everyone truly cares about the job as a whole, so no one is ever too busy to give feedback and help out (even if that isn’t specifically listed as one of their job descriptions). Now, we’re at Friday. Today will mark the last day of my first week as an event planner. I have to book flights to and from various cities like San Jose, Michigan and multiple airports in Southern California. Then I will try and contain my excitement for going to all of these incredible places in the next few months.
I know that this is still a vague description of what an event planner is or does but pretty much it’s from soup to nuts. From booking a flight to creating a website to creating a mass e-mail to send out to upwards of 3,000 people. We do it all, trust me. I’ve been here for a week and I’ve already done more in these 40 hours than I ever though possible.
Inspiration in the Air: The Joys of Complimentary In-Flight Magazines
No CommentsAuthor: Jennipowell Posted On: March 23rd, 2012 In: Ideas
Working in events, travel is always inherently going to come into the equation at some point. Whether it’s to a conference, convention, site inspection, or staff meeting, the event planner can wrack up the frequent flyer miles like nobody’s business. In my particular case, my home base is Los Angeles but I often need to travel to the main Bryan Allen Events office in San Jose to meet with the team or sponsors for various events.
The flight is only a little over an hour, but I often find myself feeling restless or unproductive. Usually I can’t check e-mail or use my phone and a large portion of what I do, which is building content, requires interaction with other human beings. Unless they happened to get booked on my flight, that generally isn’t possible.
The obvious answer to this productivity conundrum is to read something. I’ve always been a voracious reader from the time I was 5 and started teaching myself to read with a book on tape of “It’s a Mystery Charlie Brown” (I’m also a life-long Peanuts fan), so the desire to read is always there, the more complicated part of the equation is WHAT to read, combining my desire to fill the flight time with the need to feel productive.
The answer ended up being surprisingly simple: I pull out the complementary in-flight magazine of whatever airline I happen to be on that day. Why this is preferable to a novel I might have brought myself is that I’m going in totally blind to the material. I would not have known that I’d be reading about the new section of Santa Barbara springing up called the Funk Zone, described as, “Spanish here, galvanized-metal there, brick warehouse on one side, California bungalows on the other – comes a steady stream of innovative businesses.”
Sounds like a place I might want to research as an innovative place for hosting corporate events.
And so by diving into reading material I didn’t pre-choose, with a focus on being productive, I leave myself open for inspiration. And it’s a great feeling when I find it. I recommend you try it on your next business (or even pleasure!) flight.
Event Planning’s Latest Trend: Pinterest
3 CommentsAuthor: Monicacarr Posted On: March 19th, 2012 In: Ideas
Over the years I have tried several methods of gathering photos and inspiration, whether it be for interior design, artistic style, ambiance/setting (I used to be a theatrical designer), or my own DIY projects. I have cut pictures out of magazines, printed pictures and pasted them into sketchbooks, kept gigantic picture folders on external hard drives, burned data CDs… you name it, I probably tried it. I never found a great way to organize it all – with several of these methods there was no way to add to what I’d already “finished” and there wasn’t an effective way to link back to the source with ANY of them.
Then I discovered Pinterest.
Pinterest is an online bulletin board where users can “pin” photos of things they like. Users can create several boards for different topics or themes. Once a photo has been pinned, you can add a link back to the source. Initially wary of the latest and greatest in social media, this is what captured my attention. I quickly realized that not only does Pinterest provide a clean, uncomplicated layout for my crafting inspirations, but also a fantastic way to visually display ideas for event planning.
Tips for Using Pinterest as an Event Planner:
Venues: You can create multiple boards if you regularly plan events in different cities, with photos of the spaces so you and your client can glance through the options quickly. Pro tip: include the capacity of each room so you can quickly exclude the venues that don’t meet your needs.
Attendee Gifts: Finding unique and useful gifts that would fit an event’s specific audience can be a struggle. This board is a great place to store those ideas that might work for future audiences, and also give the client suggestions for what’s out there.
Furniture: Most furniture rental companies have pages upon pages of tables, chairs, sofas, anything and everything. Create several furniture boards with different themes and links to the rental companies so you don’t have to sort through thousands of furniture pieces for every event!
Invitations: Event planners are always looking for innovative invitations. When you findsomething you like, pin it and link it for future reference. Bonus: You can even pin the event invitation itself if your event is open to the public.
Follow up: Pin pictures of your event and encourage attendees to do the same. This use of social media promotes your company AND your client. Win-win!
News: You can use this board to showcase blogs and news articles with content related to the event planning industry.
Portfolio: Showcase your company’s history with photos and videos of past events.
Crowdsourcing: Need some inspiration yourself? Simply post a message calling for ideas on your pinboard and let the public help you out!
Most importantly, keep in mind to credit your sources properly if you don’t want to risk a copyright lawsuit. Now get out there and start pinning!
Family-Style Catering
2 CommentsAuthor: Carverwright Posted On: February 28th, 2012 In: Ideas
photo via Family Style Catering
We came across an article today on BizBash that suggested trendy and fun ways to cater an event. There was a mass of great ideas, but one that caught our eye was the idea of catering family-style (no, not buffet-style). Do you think family-style catering could be a messy and possibly awkward meal if you’re sharing with people you don’t know? Or is it the opposite, an ice-breaking dinner that will promote you to interact and allow you to share a meal with the people you wouldn’t have known otherwise? What are your thoughts?
Happy Tuesday!
Integrating Apps Into Your Event
48 CommentsAuthor: Carverwright Posted On: January 20th, 2012 In: Technology
Hi all! Danielle, here, from the BAE San Jose office! We just had a fabulous and successful event at CES last week in Las Vegas! GO IAWTV Awards! Now, we are back and enjoying a low-stress, 40 hour-max work week (I’m smiling).
Last week, as a preface to our inaugural IAWTV production, we held a cocktail party for the organization at the restaurant/nightclub, TAO Las Vegas. It was an outstanding success. The venue, being incredibly trendy and suave, went along well with the sleek iPad that we used to check our guests in to the event. Hey, we’re trendy, too! To do this, we had a custom registration app designed. Sounds complicated? It was actually quite a simple process…
It’s well-known that apps cost an arm and a leg to create, but web apps are completely different. Since a web application is based via website and then transferred over to fit a tablet or smart phone, it’s not necessary to hire a specialized app developer, a web designer will suffice! Our layout was simple and clean…
The app had literally 3 functions… to check people in by last name, to count the amount of guests already checked in and to view which guests had already checked in. Ta da!
Our inspiration for having apps integrated into our company’s lifestyle supports our idea of being a technology-forward company. A company educated on new tech and media says a lot about the company’s style, awareness and ambition. So keep educating yourself, it’s fun to discover the new gadgets out there!
Have a great weekend!
Hello world!
Author: Carverwright, Posted On: September 24th, 2011, In: Uncategorized
I officially wanted to announce the first Blog on bryanallenevents.com. This blog was created to write about any and all event industry related news. From updates to cute stories, we are going to do our best to include it all.
Here’s to blogging!
Our team at Bryan Allen Events has been built to reflect confidence, attention to detail and thorough work ethic in all the projects we attain. We are experienced and enthusiastic about producing and coordinating events. We live for the excitement of taking on projects and giving the events and our clients the utmost care. Each of our team members has extensive knowledge and poise in the industry while individually bringing something unique to the table.
Carver Wright- Managing Director
Carver started his career in events back in 2000, working at a boutique hotel in Santa Monica while attending college in Los Angeles. He then spent the last 10 years working for global regional sales chains and producing some of the largest international corporate events. Carver was Senior National Sales Manager at Las Vegas hotel, The Venetian, for 5 years. Carver then moved to the Bay Area to take the position of Operations Director at IncrediBull, where he produced multiple international events. Now, with Carver’s very own creation, Bryan Allen Events, he is producing the first and largest online video convention, VidCon, for a second year. Aside from work, Carver thoroughly enjoys a great movie, a large diet Coke and a bag of peanut M&M’s for the ultimate relaxation. Carver promotes health and high spirits in the work environment, ensuring all of his employees and clients are consistently happy.
Darrin Brown- Director of Business Development
Darrin is head of Business Development at Bryan Allen Events. Prior to joining Bryan Allen Events, Darrin worked as a business development and marketing consultant for several fortune 500 companies. His focus is online media, communications, and brand management. When he’s not working, he enjoys the great outdoors.
Lindsay Backer- Senior Project Manager
Lindsay was born and raised in the Bay Area. She graduated from San Diego State University with a B.S. in Events Operations/Management and snagged a second degree at Sacramento State in Finance. Lindsay’s previous experiences includes assisting events in the catering industry, producing Continued Medical Education conferences on cruises at MCE Meridian Conferences, and managing subcontracts at Lockheed Martin. Lindsay loves the rain, Paris and browsing bookstores with a latte in hand.
Monica Carr- Project Manager
Monica is a Michigan native. She graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor’s in Theatrical Design and Production. She was also educated at Brandeis University in Scenic Design. Monica completed the Michigan Film and Television Training Program. Her online presence led her to several opportunities in the recent years, including her position as Stage Manager and VIP Coordinator for VidCon 2010-2011 and LeakyCon 2011. She has worked with DFTBA Records and is also a freelance graphic designer, website designer and video editor. Monica enjoys knitting, reading dystopian novels and collecting stationary.
Jenni Powell- Content &VIP/Speaker Coordinator
Jenni is deeply involved in innovative online communities, dating back to becoming a central figure in the lonelygirl15 fan community, eventually working on the show with EQAL. She has worked on many popular web series such as the Microsoft-sponsored hit The Guild, Streamy Award-nominated With the Angels, and Comedy Central’s Atom.com standout The Legend of Neil. She wrote for entertainment site Tubefilter News and helped produce various transmedia entertainment projects around the Web. She was the Staff Producer for DeFranco Inc., which included producing BlackBoxTV. Jenni’s favorite president is Abraham Lincoln, which she states is influenced by her parents’ favorite pastime, Civil War re-enactment.
Sarah Jefferis – Project Coordinator
Sarah Jefferis recently graduated from Sonoma State University with a Bachelor’s in Communications, with an emphasis in journalism. Her background before joining the Bryan Allen Event’s squad includes working for a promotional marketing/branding company, and working for a newspaper as a writer and editor. She is passionate about helping others, learning new things and meeting new people. She loves to stay busy by watching movies, painting and spending time with friends and family.
Chrisia Perez- Office Coordinator
Chrisia recently graduated from Heald College with her Associates of Applied Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship. Growing up, Chrisia has always been surrounded by the Asian-American music industry and has seen, created and coordinated smaller events and showcases related to this industry. She brings her unique, perky, and creative mind to the table and is always willing to give a helping hand. Chrisia enjoys anything “Hello Kitty”, and a triple grande iced soy caramel macchiato upside-down.
Destination Research
What’s more important than location? Our team will guide you through the ins and outs of your destination, while researching every detail you and your clients could possibly want to know to ensure a successful and satisfied experience.
Site Selection
We will familiarize ourselves with the personality of your company and its cause in order to find the perfect site to host your event. We promise the best location suited for your show
Registration and Reporting
From initial concept to final design we are able to manage your event’s registration site, event communications and surveys.
Onsite Execution
Our planning and management skills give us the ease and confidence when the big day arrives. We can morph into every roll needed to ensure a smooth and successful event.
Budget Management
We monitor all spending and income sources to ensure your event stays on budget no matter what the size while maintaining full transparency of event costs. Don’t have a budget? We would be happy to build one out for you based on your event specs.
Contract Management & Vendor Negotiations
To make the production of an event smooth sailing for our clients, it is our job to make absolutely sure you are receiving the best of everything… price and quality. With over 11 years in contract negotiations we will ensure to take care of vendor contracts and agreements, manages vendor schedules and vendor needs while maintaining solid working relationships.
Project Logistics Management
In order to succeed at our job, we have to actually make this event run to its best ability. Our best tool is research in order to be prepared and confident about every detail. We break down the event beforehand…from scheduling, testing audio equipment and gift bag essentials, down to the number of pens and pencils you’ll need.
Exhibitor and Sponsorship Management
Collaborating with us means you won’t have to manage hundreds of exhibitors and sponsors. We coordinate all aspects including registration desks, exhibitor communications, special sponsor campaigns, booth placement/trade-show floor layout, contractor/decorator management and coordinate with venues for load-in and load out.
Website Development and Online Visibility
Our team will take charge of developing your event’s website and managing online visibility. We love to be creative and collaborate with our clients. Bryan Allen Events will create and manage newsletters, announcements, email blasts, social media platforms and websites revolving around your event.