WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE RENTAL ITEM AT PEP, AND WHY?
They’re ALL my favorite!
IF IT WAS YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY, WHAT WOULD THE THEME BE, AND WHAT COLOR PALETTE AND PEP PROPS/DECOR WOULD YOU USE?
This is a real life question! I recently celebrated a milestone birthday and hosted a party, themed “Endless Jorge” that was a summer/beach/surfing event. All things I love about San Diego and spending my time here. We used lots of cool beachy woods, surfboard tables, VW bus accessories, and the colors were turquoise, yellow, whites and woods for a fresh surfer vibe.
TELL US ABOUT THE MOST UNIQUE EVENT THEME YOU’VE EVER WORKED ON.
I once had to transport a 12’ whale tail and 10’ octopus tentacles 3,000 miles to an event in Boston as a custom fabrication.
WHAT’S THE HARDEST THING ABOUT EVENT PRODUCTION?
Knowing what every flower is named.
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN WHEN NOT WORKING?
Traveling, snowboarding, surfing, wake boarding, cruising, and hiking. We are often in Mexico for our relaxation time – that includes my wife Kathy, and our two children, and wonderful friends alike.
TELL US YOUR BACKGROUND – WHAT’S YOUR STORY ABOUT GETTING INTO EVENTS, AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY & AT PEP?
I’m an alumni of UCSD, where I earned a Bachelors of Arts in Management Science in 1988. My journey in the event world began while I was still in college, beginning with California Party Productions on the event production crew. I later moved into Sales and drove revenue to the business. In 1990, I founded Pacific Event Productions with Larry Toll and Joanne Mera, and we worked together to build the PEP that I am so proud of. I’ve seen it go through many growth cycles (ups and downs!), and managed everything from the Sales team, Event Producers, Entertainment, Marketing and Business and Technology sides. Even after 40 years in this business, I still learn new things all the time, and still love to party.