What happens when a movie producer-in-training and an art school graduate/fashion director join forces? A very show-stopping event production team, that’s what.
For Josh Wood and Mimi Eayrs, the backbone of top event production company JWP, creating intelligent, polished events is basically like creating a work of art. That’s probably why they work with some of the biggest A-listers year after year. Wood, who comes from a movie production background, founded Josh Wood Events, now JWP, and began working with Eayrs, an art school graduate and fashion director, when both ended up producing a fashion show fundraiser. Since then, they've never looked back on creating artistic, meaningful events.
Take their recent fundraiser during Art Basel Miami, for instance. “CORE Miami: A Special Evening To Benefit CORE's Vital Disaster Relief Efforts” raised money for Sean Penn’s non-profit that has impacted 10 million people worldwide.
On November 30, guests joined Miami’s Soho Beach House to raise awareness and funds for CORE's global emergency response efforts, including Hurricane Ian recovery, ongoing humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, and urgently needed relief in response to catastrophic floods in Pakistan.
Lydia Fenet leads auction at the CORE Miami: A Special Evening To Benefit CORE's
Vital Disaster Relief Efforts at Soho Beach House on November 30, 2022 in Miami Beach,
Florida. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for CORE)
Roughly 220 guests attended the fundraiser, raising over $1 million. DJ Mia Moretti hyped guests as they entered the event’s red carpet and cocktail hour, and the gala space held iPads which showcased items for auction. Terrarium plants filled the room, and the menu that night featured pan-seared branzino filet and butternut squash tortellini. The live auction was complimented by performances from David Blaine, Anitta, and Wyclef Jean, among others.
Wyclef Jean performs onstage during the CORE Miami: A Special Evening To Benefit CORE's
Vital Disaster Relief Efforts at Soho Beach House on November 30, 2022 in Miami Beach, Florida.
(Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for CORE)
Events like this are typical successes for JWP, whose clients return annually and spread the word of their prosperous events.
Eayrs attributes their client base’s loyalty to the company’s values of kindness and genuineness. “Everybody on our team is kind. We are low-drama,” she says. “We get a lot of referrals from people that truly enjoy working with us.”
Their core team is small, about eight people, but the communication and relationships within the company are so respectful and authentic that it draws in clients and on-the-ground event workers alike.
“Generally the personal relationships from the talent side, the donor side, the client side, tend to be very positive, and then people just end up working with us again and again,” says Wood. “So those relationships I think started ten years ago, but then overtime we’ve tried to keep things very organic...we pay a lot of attention to those relationships.” By valuing internal and external relationships as well as authenticity, JWP attracts clients who then draw the right crowds and the right talent, an important factor in making smooth-running and enjoyable events.
When it comes to creating events, JWP aims to be polished and professional yet authentic and relative to whatever cause the event supports. Many of their events are high-end fundraisers, something JWP succeeds at due to a couple of factors: one, their established clients with annual events makes it easy to project into the future, and their fundraisers that come to life over the scope of a quick timeline come together due to good communication.
The other thing that helps is a unique certification that registers them with the Attorney General to produce and host fundraisers, allowing them to operate at a wide scope across several states, specifically for non-profits. This is something Wood and Eayrs recommend for event planners who specialize in fundraising, as well as having a thorough understanding of legal compliancy state-to-state. Even without the certification, they advise knowing the ins and outs of regulations in the states where fundraising events take place, so that planners can in turn accurately advise clients regarding expectations and event details.
JWP is proof that professional doesn’t have to mean impersonal. By combining their accreditation and know-how with genuine interest in their team, clients, and event causes, they create meaningful events for everyone involved.
