These days, it’s easy to feel like social media is the main source of inspiration – even if our feeds are filled with creatives copying each other. For event professionals, Pinterest and TikTok can be useful to a certain extent, but for truly creative and innovative designs, it’s important to gather inspiration from a wider range of this vast, complex world.
We asked some of today’s most prominent event professionals how they stay inspired. If you’re looking to freshen up your own creative process, here are their recommendations.
Which designers do you admire or inspire and why? (This can be any genre, from event design to fashion to architecture.)
David Merrell (AOO Events, Inc., CEO/Creative Director, Los Angeles, CA)
Kristin Banta (her different artistic perspective); David Stark (his bold designs); John Varvatos
Jaclyn Watson (Jaclyn Watson Events, Planner/Designer, Hyde Park, VT)
A lot of people don’t know this, but Audrey Hepburn and Givenchy worked together a lot, so they’re two designers I really admire. They were at the top of fashion at the time! Givenchy’s designs were all about that classic, effortless vibe, and Audrey, well, she was the epitome of understated elegance to me! I often try to design and dress according to that concept. Most of the time, my clients ask for exactly that!
Another designer I admire is Preston Bailey. I remember when I started in this industry over a decade ago, his designs always inspired me as to what I wanted to be when I “grew up” so to speak. Preston’s work was and continues to be an innovative approach to design and his ability to transform any space into a stunningly beautiful setting is incredible.
Jordan Heller (Suncoast Wedding and Event Leaders (SWEL), Owner/Event Planner, Sarasota, FL)
The Disney®* Imagineers™ constantly inspire me in the design of my events. They are masters at creating a complete experience, from the overall theme to the smallest details. From individual attractions to entire theme park areas, they use a mix of techniques that evoke emotions using all five senses. Their design standard of creating sight lines so that a fairytale land and a futuristic land don’t cross and break the illusion is wild.
Kawania Wooten (Howerton+Wooten Events, Creative Director and Principal Consultant, Bowie, MD)
Fashion stylist Law Roach is a huge inspiration to me. I admire his bold approach to creating unforgettable looks for his celebrity clients. His fearless style is a mix of inspiration from his clients’ body of work, iconic looks from the past, and his own limitless imagination. There is no formulaic repetition in his work; rather, he tailors each look to capture the unique essence and individuality of his clients, ensuring the spotlight is on them, not him.
Keith Willard (Keith Willard Events, Owner/Planner, Fort Lauderdale, FL)
I am a huge fan of David Tutera and Colin Cowie. I had the pleasure of interviewing them both on my podcast. Behind the veil. To hear that David used to be the kid who got put in lockers and still kept his joy… plus he’s so open about his journey that when he started doing the TV show, his business almost had to close because everyone assumed they couldn’t afford him anymore. He really lifted the curtain to show that persistence is the key to long-term success.
Colin Cowie started out by organising fun events for his troops! He was in the army and anything to do with war can wear down a person’s mind, body and soul. He found ways to use materials on base to organise themed nights that helped refresh the souls of his troops. And although this idea of organising events was born out of necessity during a terrible time in his life, he used that experience to catapult himself to new heights!
Lenny TalaricoCSEP, CHE (Lenny Talarico Events, Owner, Las Vegas, NV)
I admire the work of so many different designers. One of my favorites for live event design happens to be a friend and collaborator, Andy Walmsley – the Emmy award-winning set designer for shows such as American Idol, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? And X-Factor.
In the area of bespoke space design, I value the work of interior designer Roger Thomas, who is known for his work in developing leading hospitality designs for world-class venues such as The Mirage, Bellagio and Wynn/Encore Resorts in Las Vegas.
Melissa Brannon (Uncommon Events, Founder/Event Planner/Designer, Philadelphia, PA)
AI fascinates me. I follow @TinkerTailorArt on Instagram. I find their ability to manipulate an architectural structure or a garment fascinating. I believe the future of mood and storyboards will be driven by AI. Anything you can imagine can be reproduced with just a few prompts.
Robin Selden (Marcia Selden Catering & Events, Managing Partner and Executive Chef, Stamford, CT)
I love Jonathan Adler’s playful retro design. His humor and personality shine through his designs and his use of color is beautiful. I can say the same about artist, home and fashion designer Kerri Rosenthal. I love them both as they are both sophisticated luxury brands that bring joy to people when they see or experience them. That’s something I want to achieve with our food when our customers give me the opportunity to be that playful.
Samuel Gallorini (Gallorini Giorgi Events, wedding designer, Florence, Italy/Dallas, TX)
I love and draw inspiration from Italian furniture design and fashion brands such as Gucci, Ferragamo and Yves Saint Laurent.
Sarah Chianese (Mangia and Enjoy!, Owner, Springs, Colorado/Hudson Valley, NY)
There are so many designers to choose from, but the one I admire the most and get the most inspiration from is nature. From flowers to leaves, branches to clouds, mountains to hills, food to bark and water to animals, there is a wealth of inspiration to fuel any concept. From minimalist to maximalist, nature offers me every mood, texture, color, movement and emotion.
Some fashion designers I admire and draw inspiration from are the romantic and architectural couture styles of Ralph Rucci and Georgina Chapman.
I am inspired by wedding and event designers with imagination to bring their clients’ ideal visions to life with everything from playfulness to ultra-elegant sophistication, such as Alejandra Poupel, Preston Bailey, David Beahm and the explosive colors of Bruce Russell Events.
Travel also plays a big part in my inspiration. Architectural inspirations from almost every corner of the world and global flavors influence me greatly. Between the buildings, the harvests of the farms, the aroma and bright colors of the world’s spices, these three elements can create vivid imaginations that all blend into visions that eagerly await to be embodied in a client’s dream vision.
Sebastian Centner (Eatertainment Events & Catering, Creative Director, Toronto, Canada/Miami, FL)
Lately, my greatest admiration has been for new digital artists who are really pushing the boundaries of large-scale immersive environments, like Refik Anandol and Marco Brambilla. Their work is groundbreaking and inspiring.
Shelly Tolo (Tolo Events, President, Seattle, WA)
Luly Yang is a fashion designer from Seattle and a huge inspiration to our team. Her elegant fashion is inspired by natural elements, but she also has a skillful way of incorporating architecture into her fashion designs – which makes it exciting. When we get the chance, we also like to be inspired by nature and architecture. In the event world, we always love to see what David Stark is up to.
Teri Jacob (UPMC Pinnacle Foundation, Associate Director, Special Events, Harrisburg, PA)
I admire Kristin Banta and her use of colors, textures and mix of styles while infusing feelings and personalities into her designs. The way she incorporates the natural into the environments she uses and mixes the mountain scenery with the flowers. She has been a huge inspiration to me for many years. There is something so calm yet invigorating about her designs. They are intricate and delicate, yet bold. You can feel the personal touch everywhere.
I am so inspired by Mary Crafts and her team at Culinary Crafts in Utah. They constantly leave me in awe. Their mix of joy for hospitality, food, and passion for life is reflected in their work. When I listen to Mary’s podcast or scroll through her catering Instagram, I smile and feel good. I had the opportunity to speak with Mary in Austin this spring at the Catersource + The Special Event conference, and speaking with her touched me immediately. She left a lasting impression on me.
Check back next week for part 2 of our Great Inspiration series!
