Client: Self-Initiated
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Date: July, 4th 2021
Role: Founder, Producer & Host

In March 2021, while living in Los Angeles, the world was cautiously reopening. Businesses were still closed or operating with uncertainty and people were craving connection - but unsure how and when to gather again.

I decided to take a risk.

Without a client, sponsor, or production team, just instinct and belief, I rented a venue and began gauging interest from my target audience to measure both excitement and hesitation around returning to in-person events. The response was immediate. People were ready.

What followed was a crash course in resilience. A last-minute venue cancellation. Vendor uncertainties. COVID-era restrictions shifting in real time. Countless logistical pivots.

But the momentum never faded.

The event ultimately reached full capacity at 400 guests: the maximum allowed with an additional 250-person waiting list I had to turn away.

I remember standing at the venue, watching people laugh, dance, reconnect and realizing this wasn’t just an event. It was a release.

The concept was inspired by my very favorite holiday > 4th of July.. Celebration. Collective joy. At a time when the world still felt restricted, that’s exactly what the event symbolized.

The photos and videos reflect that it was my first production. They feel more amateur than my recent work, less polished, less refined. But they capture something just as important: the heart of it. The risk. The courage. And the beginning!

That day that changed everything.

It was the moment I understood that I didn’t just enjoy events. I was meant to create them!

Impact:

• 400 tickets sold (maximum capacity)

• 250-person waitlist

• Fully independent production during COVID-era reopening

• Sparked my transition from advertising into professional event production

What I learned:

• Risk creates opportunity

• Community appetite can be stronger than fear

• Production problems are inevitable. Composure is everything. Always have a contingency plan.

• If you can build momentum without resources, you can build anything