Photos by Lauren Scott for Claire Barrett Photography
Social distancing might be the phrase of 2020 and, without exception, every industry is exploring its effects and considering both the here-and-now as well as the short-term future. Sports stadiums are empty. We tune into Facebook Live to hear a message of hope on our Sabbaths. Events are cancelled or postponed indefinitely in many cases.
Jeff Brown, of Brown Hot Events, is the owner of a Los Angeles-based luxury event planning and management boutique firm, who’s quickly adapting his business to honor and respect the mandates of social distancing. Prior to mandated shelter-in-place orders in Los Angeles, his boutique firm designed and produced the Hennessy night with Oscar de la Hoya at the Hotel Figueroa in Los Angeles, which was designed to be an intimate, but luxurious, gathering.
“As an event producer, I find power and beauty in smaller events that allow me the opportunity to pack an intimate setting with details that will be appreciated. In a room of 1,000 guests, we focus on details from the shoulders and up – because that’s what people will notice; in an intimate setting that’s designed for 10-20 guests, we can focus on details from the floor and up. The details in a smaller setting will sing more loudly,” Brown said.
An historical part of luxury is access – access to certain goods, memberships, personalities and celebrities. “Hennessy (part of the LVMH brand) brought together an intimate group, paired with a living legend, Oscar de la Hoya – an opportunity and a point of access reserved for very VIP gatherings,” Brown said. “The evening felt warm, comfortable and relaxed, contributing to the level of luxury our guests and clients expect and deserve.”
For now, Brown, and most others in the event management industry, are looking at postponing any and all events until given the all clear. “When the time comes, and this has passed, I believe people will be ready to gather and celebrate again. Until then, the creative process continues as we work remotely with clients and brands.”