Hiring a professional event planner
Hiring a Professional Event Planner
Hiring a professional event planner is essential when planning an event with many moving parts. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, I started my company in 2003 after serving as Director of Special Events and Trade Shows for GSN, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Earlier in my career, I had the opportunity to work under Elaine Parrish, SVP of Marketing and Sales Distribution at GSN, who gave me my first major break producing a live game show at the National Cable Show in Los Angeles.
After taking a well-deserved break from the corporate world, I launched Gianna & Company in 2003. Since then, we have gained access to more than 4,000 private estates, mansions, lofts, and venues across Southern California.
I love what I do, and I believe in doing work that feels meaningful and purposeful rather than like work.
In addition, our clients include event producers, individuals seeking private estates for their events, and clients who need event planning support. Because of our production calendar, we take a limited number of planning events each year.
We take pride in helping clients achieve their goals while customizing each experience around their schedules, priorities, and budgets.
Here are my favorite planning and production tips:
1. Entertainment sets the tone
If you want a great party with dancing, choose a professional DJ, a live band, or a combination of both. Therefore, it’s important to clearly communicate the music style and overall vibe you want.
2. Photography and Video Matter
If photography and video are a priority, it is important to hire professionals whose work you truly trust and value. We have seen situations where timelines are not clearly planned in advance, which can impact the flow of the event.
For example, at one wedding, a photographer took the couple off-site during cocktail hour for an extended photo session and returned later than expected. While the intention was to capture beautiful imagery, it impacted guest flow and the timing of the reception.
This is why clear communication and a well-structured timeline are essential, ensuring both the guest experience and photography priorities stay aligned throughout the event.
3. Lighting changes everything
Lighting is one of my top priorities. When budgets are tight, I always try to protect this line item because lighting sets the mood and enhances the guest experience.
4. Be careful with toasts
Never allow an intoxicated friend or family member to give a toast. Unfortunately, when this happens, it rarely ends well and can impact the tone of the evening.
5. Hire a planner you trust
Hiring a planner is about trust and experience. Whether it’s a wedding, birthday, product launch, anniversary, or corporate function, events can become stressful quickly. Therefore, working with someone experienced allows you to relax and enjoy the celebration.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please call us at 310-994-7789.
About Gianna & Company
Gianna & Company provides a highly diverse range of expertise in special event and wedding planning.
Founded in 2003, our boutique firm is built on strong creative partnerships with award-winning professionals in the event industry. Our production team understands that successful events begin with listening carefully to our clients’ goals and budget requirements.
Gianna Provenzano, founder and CEO, has over 20 years of experience in special event production with access to more than 4,000 exclusive estates and mansions in Southern California.
Corporate clients include Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs International, Balmain, Credit Karma, Nissan, Target Enterprises, Inc., Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc., Yahoo!, Volkswagen of America, BMW, Target, and HSN, among others.
Early Career Foundation
I began my career as a coordinator in sales at GSN. Early on, my boss’s boss recognized my potential and promoted me into my first role producing a live game show at a tradeshow. That opportunity became the foundation of my experience in live event production and shaped the way I approach events today.
Those early lessons still apply today in private estate weddings and large-scale productions, where every detail must be managed in real time.