It’s easy to feel like social media is the main pipeline for inspiration these days—even when our feeds start filling up with creators copying each other. For event pros, Pinterest and TikTok can be useful up to a point, but for truly creative and innovative designs, it’s important to gather inspiration from a wider realm in this vast, intricate world.
We asked some of today’s prominent event pros how they stay inspired. If you need a refresh on your own creative process, here’s what they recommend.
What designers do you admire or are inspired by, and why? (This can be from any genre, from event 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)
Many people do not know this, but Audrey Hepburn and Givenchy often teamed up, so those are two designers that I deeply admire. They were at the top of their game in fashion back in the day! Givenchy's designs were all about that classy, effortless vibe, and Audrey, well, she was the epitome of understated elegance in my book! I often try to design and dress around that concept. Most of the time, my clients ask for exactly that!
Another designer I admire is Preston Bailey. I remember when I first 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 still is an innovative approach to design and his ability to transform any space into a breathtakingly beautiful setting is unreal.
Jordan Heller (Suncoast Wedding and Event Leaders (SWEL), Owner/Event Planner, Sarasota, FL)
The Disney®* Imagineers™ are constantly inspiring my event design. They are the masters in creating an immersive experience from overall theme to minute details. From individual attractions to entire sections of theme parks, they use a blend of techniques that invoke emotion from all five senses. Their standard of design where they create sight lines so that a fairytale land and a futuristic land don't intersect and ruin the illusion is wild.
Kawania Wooten (Howerton+Wooten Events, Creative Director and Principal Consultant, Bowie, MD)
I am very inspired by the fashion stylist Law Roach. I admire his bold approach to crafting unforgettable looks for his celebrity clients. His fearless styling is a fusion of inspiration from his client's body of work, iconic looks of the past, and his own boundless imagination. There's no formulaic repetition in his work; rather, he tailors each look to capture the unique essence and individuality of his clients, ensuring that the spotlight shines on them, not on him.
Keith Willard (Keith Willard Events, Owner/Planner, Fort Lauderdale, FL)
I'm a big 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 that was shoved into lockers and kept his joy ... also, he is so open about his journey, that when he first started to do the TV show, his business almost had to close because everyone assumed they could no longer afford him. He really did pull the curtain back to showcase that persistence is the key to long term success.
Colin Cowie got his start by creating fun events for his troop! He was enlisted in the army and anything about war can wear down a person's mind, body, and spirit. He found ways to use materials on base to create themed nights that helped refill his troops' souls. And even though this idea of creating events was born out of necessity for an awful time in life, he used that experience to propel him to new heights!
Lenny Talarico, CSEP, CHE (Lenny Talarico Events, Owner, Las Vegas, NV)
I admire the work of so many diverse designers. One of my favorites for live event creative happens to be a friend and collaborator, Andy Walmsley—the Emmy Award Winning set designer for shows that include American Idol, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and X Factor.
In bespoke spatial design I love the work of interior designer Roger Thomas, known for his work creating 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)
I am intrigued by AI. I follow @TinkerTailorArt on Instagram. I find their ability to manipulate an architectural structure or a piece of clothing fascinating. I see the future of mood and story boards to be driven by AI. Anything you can think of can be replicated with just a few prompts.
Robin Selden (Marcia Selden Catering & Events, Managing Partner & Executive Chef, Stamford, CT)
I love the retro and playful design of Jonathan Adler. His humor and personality shine through his designs and his use of color is beautiful. I can say the same about the 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, which is something I strive to do with our food when given the opportunity by our clients to be playful like this.
Samuele Gallorini (Gallorini Giorgi Events, Wedding designer, Florence, Italy/Dallas, TX)
I truly love and am inspired by Italian furniture design and fashion brands like Gucci, Ferragamo, Yves Saint Laurent.
Sarah Chianese (Mangia and Enjoy!, Owner, Springs, Colorado/Hudson Valley, NY)
There are so many designers to choose from, yet the one I admire most and get the heartiest 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 spark every concept. From minimalistic to maximalist, nature provides me with every mood, structure, color, movement, and emotion.
Some fashion designers I admire and am inspired by are the romantic and architectural couture styles of Ralph Rucci and Georgina Chapman.
I am motivated by wedding and event designers with vast imaginations to create their client's ideal visions filled with everything from whimsy to ultra elegance, such as Alejandra Poupel, Preston Bailey, David Beahm, and the explosive color in Bruce Russell Events.
Traveling also plays a considerable role in my inspiration. Architectural inspirations heavily influence me in nearly every area of the world and global flavors. Between the buildings, farm bounty, aroma, and vibrant color of world spices, those three elements can create vivid imaginations, all merging into visions eagerly awaiting manifestation into a client's dream vision.
Sebastien Centner (Eatertainment Events & Catering, Creative Director, Toronto, Canada/Miami, FL)
Lately my biggest admiration is for new digital artists who are really pushing the envelope when it comes to large scale immersive environments, like Refik Anandol and Marco Brambilla. The work they are doing is groundbreaking and inspirational.
Shelly Tolo (Tolo Events, President, Seattle, WA)
Luly Yang is a fashion designer based in Seattle and she is very inspirational to our team. Natural elements inspire her elegant fashions, but she is also gracefully able to incorporate architecture into her fashion designs—which makes things exciting. We love to use the natural world and architecture for inspiration too, when given the opportunity. In the event world, we always love to see what David Stark is up to.
Teri Jakob (UPMC Pinnacle Foundation, Associate Director, Special Events, Harrisburg, PA)
I admire Kristin Banta and her use of colors, textures, and mix of styles while incorporating feelings and personalities into her designs. The way she incorporates the natural into the settings she uses, blending the scenery of mountains into the floral. She has been a huge inspiration to me for so many years. There is something so tranquil and yet invigorating about her designs. They are intricate and delicate, yet bold. You can feel the personal touches flowing throughout.
I am so inspired by Mary Crafts and her team at Culinary Crafts in Utah. They leave me in awe constantly. Their blend of joy through hospitality, food, and passion for life resonates in the work they do. Listening to Mary's podcast or scrolling through their catering Instagram is sure to leave me smiling and uplifted. I had the opportunity to talk with Mary in Austin this spring at the Catersource + The Special Event conference and speaking with her immediately touched my soul. She left a cherished impression on me.
Click here for part 2 of our Great Inspiration series!
