Spotlight: David Stark, Event Planner

(Robin Hood foundation event by David Stark)David Stark, event designer and planner to the glitterati, recently gave us the insider’s scoop in the world of party planning and shared nuggets of his design philosophy.  We had been following Stark’s impressive career:  his clients include major foundations, institutions, and movers and shakers such as Michael J. Fox and Rachael Ray. 

(David Stark)An example of his exciting designs is the sneaker tornado – seen in the photo above – created for an event for the Robin Hood foundation.

Stark wanted to create a display that not only caught the guests’ attention but also reflected the client’s purpose.  The donated sneakers were eventually taken down and distributed to the needy. 

(New Yorkers for Children event by David Stark)Asked where he finds his inspiration for his designs, Stark mentioned looking at artwork, nature, fabrics, lighting centers and hardware stores.  Stark started out as an artist - graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design – and always relied on his art background for his ideas. He fell into event planning by helping out his friend at creating floral displays. One of his clients said to him: "You know, David, it doesn't have to be all about flowers".  After that ephiphany, he started creating displays out of all kinds of things. Check out his display of paint cans for Benjamin Moore below.

(DIFFA event for Benjamin Moore by David Stark)His thoughts on:

Clients:  “You want to be able to take your client on a journey. Most of them crave a creative experience.”

Stupid ideas: “I like stupid ideas…I like to turn them into something unexpected.” 

Rejection:  “I don’t take offense if a client doesn’t like my ideas – I’ll just use them for my own bar mitzvah!”

How to top his last design:  “I don’t really think that way.  I won’t create a big orchid extravaganza because most people have already seen that. I'll create something different."

Stark also reminded budding event planners:  “Don’t forget that it’s a service industry.  You’re there to help the client. And let’s face it – most service industries need improvement!”

The discussion was part of a series of workshops hosted by Apartment Therapy.  If you are interested in attending any of the events, please visit their site.