Episode 92: The Art and Strategy Behind Unforgettable Guest Experiences

Jeff: Welcome back to the Elevate Your Event podcast. We talk about all the various ways you can make your next fundraising event better, or maybe high end, or maybe just super cool, or super techie. We're going to talk about all those fun things today. So in the video today we have Elise Neugebauer from the service team. And then we have a very special guest. We have Kimberly Tittle, Executive Director of 1540 Productions. Kimberly, thank you so much for coming on our podcast. Introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about what you do.

Kim: Sure. Thank you for having me. My name is Kimberly and I work at 1540 Productions. I am an executive producer, so I've been producing events for a very long time. I'm going to date myself -- over 20 years in the business, both in L.A. and New York, and then all over the place, internationally as well. I've been here for a little over a year, just celebrated my one-year anniversary with this company, but I've known 1540 for a very long time. Back when I was in the industry years ago, 1540 was always one of the biggest production companies in the business. So I've known of them for a very long time, and I'm really excited to be here. In addition to producing events, I also help manage all the producers on the team. We have about 15 producers within 1540, and I manage that team on a daily basis -- all the operations and such.

Jeff: So events -- when you say events, what kind of events are we talking about here?

Kim: We do a lot of social events. We do a lot of television, music, sports. We do red carpets. A lot of the red carpets that you see these days, you'll probably have been ours. We do a lot of red carpet events, galas, and a lot of experiential events where we bring in guests to really immerse themselves into the brands that we work with. Those are the main events that we focus on.

Jeff: That's awesome. I would say probably the vast majority of our listeners are probably in the fundraising gala space, but I think you probably have a lot of experience there as well and probably can also bring in from all of the other types of events you're doing some pretty cool elements.

Elise: Yeah, I think the creative side of things -- when you are at events, even if they're fundraising events, when you can throw in something new and different and creative, people get excited. They want to give more money too. So I think what you do could definitely play into a lot of our audience.

Kim: 100%. I think, and don't take this the wrong way, but an event is an event, right? We're producing events to achieve a goal, whether it's for the organization, for the brand, and for the guests. It's really also about the guest experience and making sure that that guest is having a great experience to then be able to build a community for the brand or the organization or the nonprofit or whatever that is.

Jeff: We talk about that a lot, the guest experience. Handbid has been around in this space since 2011, and over the years, the definition of the guest experience has always been an interesting conversation. We introduced technology into the mix, and the initial reaction was, "This is going to damage the guest experience. It's going to help me the event planner, but it's not going to help the guest." And we've always had the opposite opinion of that -- no, this is going to enhance the guest experience if you do it right, if you pick the right tech partner. So what's been your experience as you're chatting with your clients about the concept of guest experience? What's important to them? What do you feel is important to you as the planner, and where's the middle ground there if there is any?

Kim: Yeah, so you're trying to not only give the guests the experience and something that they're excited about, but you also have goals with your client, right? The client has their goals of what they want to achieve. So I think the middle ground is being able to listen to the client and really understand what the organization is trying to accomplish, and at the same time making sure that the guest is feeling like they are the number one person at the event. They're really being immersed in this event or this gala or whatever the experience is. It's important to make sure that the guest is having an experience from the minute they arrive to the minute they leave so that they can then go back and receive the awareness they need from the event, from the client, from the organization, and talk about it with their friends and their families. That then brings another piece to the organization and another community that the organization maybe didn't have before the guest was there. So I think it's this balance of making sure both sides are satisfied.

Elise: So what do you see as the things that are common mishaps or mistakes that organizations are making when you're seeing these events that you think need to be changed in order to enhance the guest experience?

Kim: That's a great question. I do think having the right team is a big piece of the event experience. You bring in the right people, the right partners. We always say that we've got partners on the ground with us. It's not just one person who's planning the event -- it's the partners that we work with who bring their expertise. So I think if organizations are maybe trying to do things themselves and not hiring the right people to help, that could be one downfall. And I know with fundraisers and galas and many events, you've got hosts and you've got entertainment. Sometimes the host is one of the most important pieces, and if that host or the MC or whoever that is -- if that person is not engaging or is kind of flat, or doesn't get the crowd or the attendees to embrace what they're doing, I think that could be a downfall. The people on the stage are super important to keep the guests involved and engaged.

Jeff: Amen. Bringing in the right partners. It is interesting in our world where it's not even just us. We come into an event and we can see you made a poor choice of a sound vendor, a poor choice of an MC, a poor choice of entertainment. Whatever it might be where you're like, if you want to have a streamlined, amazing guest experience, you've got to make sure you're investing in the right places.

Kim: And look, there are times behind the scenes it may not look as seamless as it does in front. That's always the case. In the back, people are running around like crazy. When you hear that microphone go wrong, it's like, "Oh, God, what's happening?" Behind the scenes, it might be a little crazy. The important piece of an event is that the guest isn't seeing any of that. The guest thinks that this was flawless.

Jeff: Yeah, if you want to see what's going on behind the scenes, just put a radio on.

Kim: Correct.

Elise: Pull back the curtain.

Jeff: So you mentioned best experience from when they arrive to when they leave. We've always seen that the arrival part of this tends to be the trickiest for charities especially. Getting people in the door, making it smooth. What are your tips and tricks there to improve the arrival experience?

Kim: I think it's having enough people at the arrival for sure. It's signage, making sure people understand where they're supposed to go, and not making it too complicated -- not having 10 different lines that people have to go through. I think it's streamlining it as much as you can. A lot of times we talk about technology and making sure that now we're doing check-ins on iPads rather than paper. Sometimes, depending on Wi-Fi, that can be a little tricky as well. But I think from the minute the guest exits their car, they should understand where they're supposed to go. There is signage, there are brand ambassadors, there are people guiding them, welcoming them. I think the welcome is a big piece of it too. You don't just want people to get out of their car and try to figure out where they're going. You want people guiding them throughout the whole experience.

Jeff: I love that. We've evolved that for my own charity fundraiser over the years. I actually think the guest experience starts before they even leave their house in terms of what information have you given them. What does the invitation look like? Where are they parking?

Kim: Yes. What do I wear? What the dress code is?

Jeff: But more so like what time should I arrive? Where do I park? Where is the entrance to the event? I've seen people try to open locked doors. And I've got a very good friend involved with a venue here in town, and we've talked about it -- this is not even related to a fundraiser, these are outdoor music concerts at a concert venue -- and the guest experience starts when they enter the parking lot. If they have a bad experience paying for parking, you've already put them in a bad mood. Now, it would be a shocker if your fundraiser was making you pay for parking, but either way, to your point, I pull up into the parking spot. Do I know where to go from there? Did somebody greet me? Is there proper signage? I get to the check-in area. What are you making me do? And look, there's a trade-off there, right, Kim? I mean, I need, as a charity, information from you because you're going to -- I want to open a relationship with you as a long-term donor in the future. So I need to know your name, your email address or your phone number. I may capture a credit card at the door. I've got to streamline that as much as possible.

And I don't want to create too many hoops. We've done check-ins where I'm handing them VIP bracelets, I'm validating their parking, I'm checking their coat. Too much. What are your dietary restrictions? I need to give you a special color-coded card you put on your plate. Or there's a station for each of those, which is almost more frustrating. It's like, I don't want to wait in line again. The name tags. Don't get me started on name tags and the fact that women have to put them on their polyester dresses.

Kim: Well, and to your point, there is a lot of information that you do need to capture -- the credit cards and the names. You want to be able to do that. But is there a different way to do that once they're inside the event maybe? Maybe you get certain information when they check in and then there's a different experience within the event where you're gathering some more information and they don't even realize you're doing it.

Jeff: Yeah, you layer it in. I think you're bringing up a very good point, and we talk about this a lot. Because our motto at Handbid is about the guest experience. Companies or organizations or charities using our software all use it for different reasons. Some of them are running a fundraiser and they're doing just a donation ask. Some of them have auctions. It's a variety of things. But there's a common denominator of how can I get some information about this user? How do I get their payment information? Because I want the exit experience to be as good as the entry experience. And the exit experience is great when I don't have to go ask for it and they don't have to line up at the end. That was the old model. That was the old paper model. And it's like, do we layer it in? Is it one of those things where I get them in the door quickly and then if they show interest in something, now I ask for a little bit more information? Or do I do it in advance? You're sitting on your couch, it's the day before the event, and I ask you to get prepped now -- download this app or go to this website, register your information. And you're all set. Put your card in and hit the fast pass. Then show your code when you show up to the door.

So what technology trends do you see, or what technology flaws do you see, that you want to see changed or improved in events coming down the road?

Kim: I think, as much as we focus on technology, sometimes it does stumble a little bit. It doesn't always work the way we think it's going to work. The QR code sometimes, for some reason, it doesn't get into the system and you still have to have the people and the individuals there to help solve that problem.

Jeff: I think you're on to it. What I'm hearing you say is that technology is going to continue to evolve and improve, but it's got its limitations. And where it fails, you need people to pick up the pieces and keep things flowing. And I 100% agree with that.

Kim: I do too.

Jeff: So it was interesting. In your town is the Intuit Center. Have you been to it yet?

Kim: I haven't been inside of it yet.

Jeff: So I had a presentation from this guy, and this is all about the guest experience. If you want to see where things are going -- if you go in there to a game, you have to download their app and you have to register in advance. The more information that you supply in advance, the easier your entrance is. If you're willing to scan your face and register yourself and put your card in, you probably don't need your phone again. When you walk up to the entrance, they have facial recognition. They let you in. And then when you go to get a refreshment, you're already in there. Your card's on file. They know who you are. They see your face. I mean, it's crazy. Now, is it creepy? Maybe. But it's also kind of cool, right? It's the same at the airport. They literally just scan your face now.

Kim: Yeah. I've had that happen for sure. But there is -- you still have generations who aren't going to do that, right? You still have people coming to your events, your fundraisers, that maybe don't want to do all that on their phone. I know personally my mom would never -- she doesn't even put her credit card into any kind of phone or anything. She would never do that. So you do still have that limitation of not everybody is going to do that. So then how do those people have just as good of a guest experience as they're registering and coming into the event?

Jeff: I think for a period of time here, you got to straddle the fence. I've got to cater to a newer generation that's going to be comfortable with this, who would love to not stand in line when they arrive and literally walk through, scan their face, and be in. And then you've got this generation who will not be comfortable with this. And this actually came up when the guy from Intuit was talking about what they did. But they decided not to compromise on the app thing -- they said that's just going to be too hard for us. But Kim, you can bring your mom in and she's considered -- I think they call them teammates -- so you add teammates to your account in the app and then you're able to get them all in. They just have to accompany you in the door. They don't reap the benefits of being able to walk up to the beer aisle, grab two beers, and walk away with them. They're going to have to go through a check-in and checkout process, but they're fine with that because that's what they're used to.

But I think we sit around and talk about these things. We are talking at Handbid three, four, five, six years out. What is coming? What is the age range of the guests of the future? What are they going to be comfortable with? And how is technology going to grow and change? I mean, look at QR codes. QR codes have been around forever. But when did they get widely adopted? 2020. COVID.

Kim: COVID, right? So things just happen like that. And for us when we're thinking about events, we don't want -- we're not the type of people, and I think you probably don't want technology partners that are like, "We're just going to force technology on people because we think it's going to be better." We've got to find that balance for that guest experience. And it's always finding the balance with anything. It's figuring out who the organization is and how they want to use the technology. It's who your audience is. Is that the best way for this specific event? Maybe not. Maybe it's better for a different event. So it's not a blanket approach -- using this technology for everything is the way to go. I think it's really personalizing it and figuring out what the organization, the client, the guests want and how it's going to be the most useful.

Jeff: Yeah. How does it complement but not get in the way? Have you thought about that? One of the things that I think would be cool, which we haven't done yet at Handbid, would be aside from checking in and having the Handbid application or the Handbid site on my phone where I can donate or bid in an auction -- are there other things that you can do with technology that would complement what's going on at the event? So I'll give you an example. We had done a proposal for an organization that literally had this Meow Wolf type of experience, where I'm going through these various areas and they wanted technology to follow the user and complement it with, "Hey, you're now in this room. Here are some things that we want you to experience or engage with." Kind of location-based elements. Have you guys used any of that?

Kim: Yeah, I think there's ways of using AR, right? You're using that a lot where you go up to something and you put your phone up to it and it turns into something else and you can experience something different. We've done those types of things where you're going through an experience and the brand wants you to focus on one specific thing. So you put your phone up and then this amazing other thing happens that you don't see unless you have your phone and you're using the AR. So I think there's definitely ways to bring a brand to life even more. And there's a way to engage guests because -- I don't want to say scavenger hunt -- but there is an idea of that, right? You're going through an experience and what are the surprises and delights that you can find? And you can do that through technology, which you obviously can't do in real life. So there are definitely ways to bring those into an event.

Jeff: Have you run into challenges, like we talked earlier, where people like your mom are not going to want to do that?

Kim: Yeah, but you made a good point. When you're with your kid or your child or a friend, they might do it. And you also have to make sure that the experience is not just good enough, but amazing enough that even if you didn't have that piece, you're still getting an amazing experience. You're still being engaged in some way. That's just an extra piece. But you do have to download an app. You do have to -- so you also have to look at all the pieces that go with it. How's the Wi-Fi? Because if you can't download the app and the Wi-Fi is bad, you're never going to be able to do this. So there's all these things you have to think of and a backup plan for, just in case.

Jeff: Yeah, hopefully up front. Do you see -- like, I've seen this with even my dad. He didn't know what I did, and then we were at an event and I showed him how to use our app and his eyes lit up and he's like, "This is what you do? This is really cool." He really adopted it. He'll outbid the best of them now. So I think there is a certain level of adoption if you can convince different generations. And maybe there are pieces of it that they will and won't do. Like my mom will never give you her credit card inside of an app. She'll never do it. So is there a way that she could download something and still get the experience she wants or that we all want her to have, but there's another way that she can give her information that makes her feel safer?

Kim: Again, I think it's this balance between the two. There is always a balance. And we see it even in high-end events -- and you do a lot of these -- where celebrities come and then we have a charity telling us they're never going to give you their information. Which is not always true. But you have to balance those things. How can I get a widely known movie star in so they can donate or bid? Because sometimes they want to bid on stuff.

Jeff: It's crazy. Amazing, right? But how can we do that and still protect their privacy and their identity? We come up with those situations a lot. And there are ways to do that to make your mom feel comfortable.

And it's not always -- it's funny. We profile people, and we do it in a good way. I can honestly tell you when someone walks up to check in, whether they're going to give me their credit card or not within the first five words that come out of their mouth. 100%. And that's okay.

Really, that becomes the charity's choice. This person does not want to give us a credit card number. Do you want me to turn on restriction on our software saying you can't bid or donate without one, or do you want to open it up and let them go? Because you don't want to lose that -- if that person does want to participate, you don't want to lose that at the end of the night.

Kim: Yeah, or chase them down for the next two weeks.

Jeff: Correct. Phone calls. There's definitely a tradeoff with that. But so you do a lot of corporate events, a lot for brands and other things that aren't charity related. Are there elements on the corporate side or the for-profit side that you would like to see charities adopt more of?

Kim: Yeah, I think it goes back to really what an experiential event is. You can bring pieces of that into a charity event. An experiential event basically means it's immersive, it's interactive. So are there pieces that you can bring into the event so that guests feel that they're a part of the experience rather than just watching the experience? How are you engaging them? Is there a way to engage them by -- nonprofits are all about community and building community, right? So how do you build a community even within that guest experience? Is there something that they all have to do together? Is there an art installation that everyone participates in and just gets out of their seat and does something that then creates something at the end of the night that they have for this specific event? How do you get them engaged rather than just watching what's going on around them? I know they're bidding and doing the auctions and things like that, but what else can they do for them to think, "Wow, that was a cool piece to this event. I really liked that." And, "I'm going to remember that this charity and this organization did this. This is amazing." And then go back to them and continue to follow them and get more awareness. I 100% think using that experiential piece could be a benefit in any of these types of events.

Jeff: I think it's a great idea. I mean, my mind's running through all of the various events we do, including my own, about how do you create it to be more engaging, a little bit more user interaction.

Kim: Interactive, yeah. And is there something even with the technology -- is there some kind of gamification in some way that you can do within the technology that gets people to not only bid, which is the goal obviously of the event, but something more fun that gets them engaged?

Jeff: And we have some charity clients that do elements of this, although I think you guys could help them take it to the next level. They'll do stuff like tag auction items and donations to various candidates, and then there's a leaderboard of that. Kim's in second place, so you're running around asking all your friends to bid on these items or donate here, trying to create some competition.

Kim: I like it. We do betting on a horse race at my Kentucky Derby event, and people tend to like that.

Jeff: Yeah, I'm sure that's a fun one.

Kim: And anything like the casino when you get to participate in a casino. Any of that stuff people enjoy. The guests get to interact with each other.

Jeff: Lip sync contests. We've done those.

Kim: Oh, geez. Yeah. I love it. So you obviously work with a lot of big teams, but some of our clients are very small teams -- one or two or just a couple -- and they maybe recruit some volunteers if we're lucky. What advice do you have for people who need to bring their entertainment and all the event planning stuff in-house due to budgetary constraints or just being small organizations?

Kim: I think there's a couple of things. I think there are certain things that they probably do want to bring from outside. They want to bring a production company to focus on maybe the lighting, the video, the audio. But there are things I think that in-house they can do themselves. Is it all of the branding, all of the signage? They know their brand the best. So take that on and do that in-house and just focus on those front-of-house technical pieces that maybe they know they don't have the ability to do. Really think through what can they do versus what they really need a partner to do. Do they know someone who can do flowers for the night? They don't have to hire a big florist. Do they know a caterer who can come in and help? A lot of these volunteers know a lot of people. So use that network and bring in those people.

We do big events and we have big teams. Sometimes we don't. Sometimes we still have small teams that we need to figure out how we're getting this done. One of the things I like to focus on is communication and organization -- that goes a long way with even smaller teams. Making sure everyone understands their role and their responsibility so that everyone's very clear: this is what I'm doing, this is what you're doing, we're having weekly meetings about it, we're making sure things aren't getting mixed. Because that's when you're going to find the things that are missing, right? Everyone's like, "Well, I thought they were doing that. I thought you were doing that." So being very clear, especially with those smaller teams, because there is so much to do, being very clear about what those roles are and continuing that communication with weekly meetings.

Jeff: So do you ever have to rely on the charities to deliver volunteers?

Kim: Yeah.

Jeff: And so what's worked there and what hasn't? What do you think are the challenges with that that make it more difficult to create this guest experience you're talking about?

Kim: The volunteers, obviously they want to be there. Whether they're getting paid or not, they're excited to be there because of the organization, because of what they're a part of. Making sure that they have all of the information is critical. It's not just showing up and being like, "Okay, you're going to go stand at the door and just say hi to people." There needs to be more of a -- not a training, but having a combination of the organization and the producer both having that conversation. Here's what we expect from an organization: "You're our brand ambassador for the night. You're helping us for the evening. This is what we want you to be able to tell everyone." But then from the producer side: "Not only do we want you to give this message, but here's how you should act. Make sure that you're greeting everybody." So it's a combination of the two. But sometimes volunteers are there because they really do want to be there, and sometimes they're there because they came with their friend and their friend was like, "Here, come with me." So you do get a little bit of maybe they're not as committed.

Jeff: Yes. Seen that.

Kim: But that combination of really giving them the information and getting them to understand why their role is so important in the evening -- they are a big piece of the evening. They can make or break it.

Jeff: 100%. And to really give them that information and let them know that they're a big part of this event and the success of the event. They're the face. They're right there with the guests. And look, they're free sometimes, right? But sometimes free can create issues if they don't show up on time or they're not properly trained or the expectations aren't set on what you need them doing. Because we see it a lot, right? You're at the front desk and you're running a check-in team and 10 people show up and they're like, "Hey, we're here to volunteer." And you're like, "Okay, well, who are you supposed to see and where are you supposed to go? Who sent you?" And they're like, "We're supposed to find Kim." And then they stand around. So if you're going to have volunteers, have a plan.

Kim: Correct. Have a plan. Have a map. Where are they standing? Where are they going? What is their job? And I think having them addressed all together -- having a team meeting before the event starts. "Here's what you're doing. This is your group. You're doing this. I'm going to take you over here and explain that to you." Volunteer or no volunteer, you still have to give them all the information.

Jeff: I love it. I agree. It sounds like your biggest thing from start to finish is organization and communication. And I think that applies to whether you're dealing with vendors or guests or volunteers. Are you guys the glue for all of the various vendors?

Kim: Yes. Yeah. Typically we're the ones who bring in all the vendors and we're the one managing them. 100%.

Jeff: I think that's really critical for those folks listening in. When you're putting an event together, you've got to make sure that you've got somebody coordinating and organizing these vendors because they have to work with each other.

Kim: And that's also the beauty of having that person, because a lot of times that person comes with a lot of partners. We have our vendors that we like to work with and they really do become an extension of us, which means they're an extension of you. So we're going to band together. We're going to do whatever we can to make this event flawless. And if you've got that one person who's kind of leading that team, then we're all in it together. And then the organization doesn't have to worry about it. Those are the things they don't have to worry about because you've got us to take care of that.

Jeff: You're the one throat to choke, right?

Kim: Correct. But that's great.

Jeff: And not in a sinister way, but in a way that says, where do I need to go when there's an issue? Because in our event experience, whether it's my own event or just the ones that we've gone to at Handbid, where we've seen lack of coordination between vendors, you run into a bunch of problems. We've actually stepped in in the past and been like, "You know what, I'll go figure that out between those two guys."

Kim: Yeah, and you shouldn't have to. Your sound guy and your video guy -- I'll go deal with that because you really need to go focus on your guests.

Jeff: Right? And yes, I'm the mobile bidding company that's going to come in and be your glue for this. But somebody needs to do it. I think it's an important thing to consider.

Kim: And the organization has other things they need to worry about besides the lighting and the video and how everything is working together. That's our job. We take care of that.

Jeff: And let me -- we haven't worked together yet, but let me toot your horn a little bit here because I think that's the part that gets missed a lot -- the day-of operation of an event. Everybody's like, "Oh, I don't need to hire an event planner. I can plan my own event." And it's like, well, maybe you can and maybe you can't. But what are you going to do the day of your event? Are you going to be running your event or talking to your guests? It's just nice to have a partner where you can be like, "Please go deal with the food."

Kim: Right. And we're the ones then coming to you and making sure, "Okay, here's our run of show. Are we still on time? Are you good? This person now needs to get up on stage. Let's make sure we wrangle them." We do all of that so you don't have to. You're mingling with your guests. You're talking to your guests. You're there to be the face. We're not.

Jeff: And I think it gets lost in the ROI because, look, I'm going to appeal to a lot of board members that might be listening to this. I'm a board member of a number of nonprofits. And I will tell you that the event planner is not just a cost center. So for 20 years we ran our Kentucky Derby event. We hired a professional event planner for the first time last year. Can you believe that? So what do you think I did for 19 years? Or my wife, or all of the other board members running around doing our thing? We finally got to the point where the event is big enough, and after the one we did before that, I said I'm not doing this again. I am going to go nurture donors and go out there. And we'd hired mobile bidding staff -- there were elements of the event that were staffed, but there was no event planner coordinating everything. It was us. So we go to the board and say, "This is what it's going to cost for hiring an event planner." And of course they're like, "Well, why would we take on that expense?" And I'm like, because it's going to free us up to do all of these other things that we should be doing to increase the guest experience, improve the guest experience, increase fundraising, all of the above. And I'll be honest with you, for the first time in 19 years, I actually sat at the table I bought, Kim.

Kim: That's what you should be doing.

Jeff: I still had a radio. But at some point, I'll get off of the radio. The funny thing was, I gave it to one of the parents of the charity. He said, "I'll take that radio from you. You should really go enjoy yourself." That was a big mistake. He went off and got drunk and didn't answer anybody on the radio. Where the heck is Jeff?

Kim: The beauty too is if you've been doing this event for 20 years, you probably have partners that you like to work with, vendors and people who you trust. Just because you hire an event planner to do that doesn't mean you lose those people. They just become part of our team now and then we just help manage them and you don't have to.

Jeff: That is exactly what happened. And so I am here to appeal to a lot of people considering this. Event planners, look, they are gold for planning, there's no doubt about it. But the day of your event, if you're on the board and you're a working board member or you're part of the staff, you need to be dealing with your guests and their satisfaction, their happiness, their experience -- all of that stuff -- not "why is a microphone squeaking?"

Kim: Right. And I'll tell you, as a vendor -- I mean, we're usually hired as vendors -- I love working with a good event planner. It makes my job easier. I know who to talk to. Wi-Fi's not working. I know where to go. My volunteers don't show up -- take care of it. I have somebody. And I also know, knowing that you are paid to do this, I don't feel bad asking. Whereas if you're the head of an organization and I know you're stressed and I know you want to be out there visiting with your donors, I feel horrible for asking.

Jeff: Well, and we've filled in the gaps with bad event planners. We certainly have. I went to this event last year and we go up and I'm standing in the -- they had just completed a paddle raise. They're starting the live auction and the bar is closed and there's a bunch of angry guests. And I'm like, "Why is the bar closed?" "Well, I don't know because the event planner said it needs to be closed." I'm like, "Where is she?" "We can't find her." You know what? I was like, "Open the bar." I'm in charge now. These people are upset. I mean, I'm going to make an executive decision on behalf of the charity that the live auction is going to start and these people need a drink in their hand. They need to go back to their table and we need to get rolling here.

Kim: Yes. You never want a bar closed. And you never want a line at a bar. Ever.

Jeff: Oh, we've seen that. I think that should be the top -- we should do a whole podcast on what we've seen at events.

Kim: We should. "Never do this."

Jeff: Never put your bar right next to the check-in area.

Kim: Oh, no. We don't know what line you're in.

Jeff: No, no, no. It needs to be just far enough off where they can see it. That's the gold at the end of the rainbow right there. Let me get through check-in and get right to the bar. Anyway.

Kim: They beeline for that bar, 100%.

Jeff: And we're always like, why do they only put one bar in this place? Why are there only two bartenders? Why are they pouring kegs when they should just have bottled beer or canned beer and hand them? Anyway. All that stuff.

Kim: And that's, again, the beauty of us. We have those conversations and we're speaking on your behalf too. And we're experts. "Hey, you have a thousand people. This is what you need."

Jeff: And we'll lay it out for you and we'll make sure that it makes sense and that guest experience is exactly what you want.

Kim: Definitely. We work with you.

Jeff: Let's get our listeners to learn how to connect with you so they can make their next event's guest experience even better. For those folks that are listening that want to engage with 1540 Productions, how do they do that?

Kim: They can go to our website and they can give us a call. We have an info line so they can send us whatever they need. We'll get right back to them. Or you can also have them call me if you would like.

Jeff: And are you national, international?

Kim: So we have warehouses and offices based in New York and L.A. We are both coasts. We travel everywhere. We do international as well. But our base is in California and New York.

Jeff: Love it. Do you do virtual events as well, or is it all physical?

Kim: No, we'll do virtual. Everyone had to kind of pivot to that during COVID.

Jeff: We know that well.

Kim: Yeah, we do everything. And we work with any client to figure out what they need, what the best event for them is. We have clients come to us who don't know what they want to do. And then we will sit with them and actually brainstorm, come up with the creative, come up with the idea. They know they want to be at this place, at this time, but they don't really know what they want to do. We 100% do everything from beginning to end, from the creative to the execution.

Jeff: Love it. And so for those on the phone that are thinking, "Should I call them or not?" -- at what size of an event or type of event would you say an organization's ready to call you?

Kim: It doesn't matter.

Jeff: Doesn't matter?

Kim: No, it doesn't. And the beauty about 1540 is that we do everything in-house. Everything that you see, we build, we construct, we fabricate. We can build anything here in-house. So if your budgets are tight, it's really beneficial because we control that. We don't go to other vendors to build a wall or a step-and-repeat or anything like that. We do it in-house. If we need to work with budgets, we can do that. We also have rental furniture -- we have three warehouses here in L.A. that we can pull from and that we can work with you on. So big budgets, small budgets, we're here to help in whatever way we can. We'll make any of those budgets go as far as they can. And that's the beauty of this company specifically.

Jeff: That is convenient. Because we've been to a lot of those events where you see the trucks roll up and stuff's coming off and they've rented it from five different people. And then here's the best part -- when they're cleaning up and they can't remember what goes on which truck.

Kim: Yeah. You put all that on the wrong truck. Get it off that truck.

Jeff: Awesome. Well, Kimberly, this has been amazing. I think we've definitely helped our listeners learn a lot more about what the guest experience needs to be like.

Kim: Great. It was a pleasure to be here. Thank you so much for having me. The amazing support and gift that you give to board members and working board members and to staff the day of the event by taking so much off their plate.

Jeff: We love to do it.

Kim: We appreciate what you do.

Elise: We do. Thank you.

Jeff: All right, well, let's wrap up this episode of Elevate Your Event Podcast. Until next time, happy fundraising, guys. See you. Bye.