Meet David Beahm | Founder, David Beahm Experiences, designing and producing events around the globe.

We had the good fortune of connecting with David Beahm and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I come from the little mountain town of Luray, VA, the headquarters of the Shenandoah National Park. I think that’s why I’m drawn to Colorado. Your mountains are a lot bigger, but all mountains exude power on to your soul. There are constant teaching moments living amongst them.

My godfather lived next door and was, not only an amazing florist (he helped decorate the White House for the holidays when I was a kid, and happily, I later got to do the same, for the Clintons and twice for the Obamas), but he taught me the most special gift – how to make people feel special and heard. How to care, how to present yourself to the public (he would always don a flashy blazer whenever he stepped outside his shop), how to gently guide people out of their own way when I comes to choices, and treat them like a king or a queen. I think, perhaps no one place nor person made a bigger impact on me and how I proceeded into creating my own creative agency.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I don’t know if I’d call what we do “art” per-se because most of what we do is not to educate, nor agitate. What we do is gather hordes of really talented artisans to perform the magic of our craft in record time, in places that are unexpected (my favorite moment was when a bride’s uncle pulled me over and asked “what is this building when it’s not a wedding?” My response: “A field!” We were in a tent and he couldn’t tell it.

I believe the purpose of what we do is to not only entertain, but to excite and delight through whimsy and unique experiences that live in the soul of the memory long after the gathering has dispersed.

I come from a music/theatre/grand opera background where I learned, not only how drama is created through light, sound, smells and good timing – but also: how to be ON time. There is a “curtain up!” for every event and we have to be ready for the one night only experience (and anticipate every eventuality). That is where our craft comes in – and where the excitement of producing an event comes out. Having your client being able to totally trust that the event will be everything they could have ever dreamed, delivered on time, and exceeds all visual and experiential expectations, that’s why we do what we do. It’s not an easy task, at all. There are thousands and thousands of moving parts in a big event and we have to know what is to happen and when – and what to do when the unexpected happens – and in any successful event, something ALWAYS happens that requires us to “bob and weave” with aplomb and without the client knowing what had to be fixed.

When I started David Beahm Experiences 25 years ago, I called one of my good friends who owns his own business and asked “what’s the one thing I need to know?” He immediately responded “Only hire good people and only work for good people.” It has been our mantra ever-since and it has paid off in spades. Since I am a bit of a control freak and want to touch every client and know every element that goes into each event, I have not only made sure to keep our company small and tight, but only hire the best available in their specific fields of expertise. I would put my staff up against any out there. We are tight. They are treated well, paid well, are given freedoms to create and contribute and access to the client so that they can make sure to meet every desire. Because of this, we have very little attrition. Christina, my “number 2” has been with the company for 22 years now. I think that speaks volumes to what we’ve created, and to our longevity.

I think, if anything, we “artistically” take care of our client. Get to know them personally – what’s going to bring out the most emotion in them – and then deliver something very few companies can give them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Aside from Skiing? Aspen is the town I don my vintage Cowboy hat (though we can go get you a spankin’ new one at Kemo Sabe or Nick Foquet when we’re shopping downtown) – but – my favorite thing to do when I’m showing friends Aspen is EAT!

I love to headquarter at the Hotel Jerome because: 1. The Huveos Rancheros at breakfast are heaven, so is just enjoying breakfast in their beautiful Prospect, it is simply memorable. 2. You can walk to all the wonderful eateries from here. (Important side note: Before heading out for the day, make sure to grab the special smoked coffee drink at Felix Roasting Company)

My favorite places to take people are Cache Cache; Los Montanas; Madame Ushi; my constant go-to-happy place is Clark’s Oyster Bar. For such a small town, there are so many choices, you can eat a different place every night and be wowed every time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I need to shoutout to my staff (fondly known as #teambeahm).

Because producing at this level means moving thousands of pieces around the world in a timely manner without mistakes (and without forgetting anything! – many places we work hardly have a small food market, much less a flower supply, theatrical equipment store, nor replacement china, glasses or flatware.) The team is not only responsible for making sure all the pieces and all the creative partner/vendors get there – in one piece – but also making sure we return all the pieces from whence they came and returning the venue in better condition than they found it. It is a Herculean task that they perform, with aplomb, day in and day out. I’m not even sure how they do it, but I would put them up against any other producing team in the business! Maybe I should call them the #BeahmDreamTeam.

Website: www.davidbeahm.com

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