Name: Massah David
Job Title:
Vice President of Events & Marketing
Company Name:
MVD Inc.
Industry:
Entertainment
Location: New York City
Job Description:
My job consists of creating concepts and handling production for all of our
signature events; which varies from the smallest detail such as the color
schemes and wording for our invitations to the location selection, décor, and
overall flow for our events. We produce gatherings ranging from spotlight
intimate dinners to large award after parties. It is my responsibility to
ensure that each affair is unique and personalized for our clients, which
include: The G.O.O.D Music Family, Def Jam Records, Entertainment Weekly, GQ
Magazine, AllHipHop.com, etc. In addition
to event planning, I also come up with ideas to assist with the branding and
marketing of MVD.
Length of time at job:
1 year and 7 months
How did you get into this
position? I
became interested in my current position while I was working as the Urban
Marketing Manager for TVT Records. I would always assist MVD with concepts for
each event, but after working on the 2006 G.O.O.D Music GRAMMY party it became
evident that event planning would be my dream job. After the GRAMMY event my
sister and owner of MVD, Miatta David mentioned my coming on board; within a
few months I was sent an official offer to head the events division.
Explain
the hardest aspect of your job: The most difficult aspect of my job is
dealing with a client that will not allow me to produce an event to the best of
my ability. It is typically a middle man that does not necessarily know nor
understand the vision of their superior and is afraid to present new options or
ideas to him/her. It becomes extremely frustrating because you end up with a
mediocre event that had amazing potential, but did not turn out the way it
should have because of a client that refused to listen.
What do you love the
most? The creative process is what I love most about my
job. Coming up with new and fresh concepts for each event, and watching my vision
come to life. I love creating a rare experience for our clients and their
guests, from the time they receive their invitations to the models greeting
them as they walk through the doors of the event; I always want to leave people
with something to talk about.
What is your greatest
accomplishment? So far my greatest accomplishment is
receiving a BizBash Event Style Award nomination for Best Invitation Design.
Even though we didn’t win, it was a great honor to be recognized by such a
powerful staple in the event industry; it is like a new artist being nominated
for a GRAMMY.
Where do you plan to go
in your career from here? From here I plan to expand our events
division, and broaden focus to entertainment as a whole i.e. film, fashion,
etc.
Offer a special quote or
jewel to somebody that wants to be in your position.
The best advice I can give to anyone wanting to be in this position would be to
intern. Hands on experience is the best way to learn and excel in any industry,
there are certain things you just can’t learn in a textbook or classroom.
Education/Experience
Level: I attended Howard University
majoring in fine arts, wanting to gain hands on experience in the music
industry I decided to leave Howard and move to New York. I entered the entertainment
industry in 2001 as an assistant for artist management company Family Tree/Miss
Boss Lady Ent.
In 2003, I embarked on the next phase in my career
by accepting the position as A&R liaison for Bryan Leach, Vice President of
Urban A&R at TVT records. Within a year, I transitioned from A&R to
marketing, where I found my true passion assisting with campaigns for TVT multi
platinum artists Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz, Ying Yang Twins, and Pitbull.
And I was quickly promoted to Urban Marketing Manager after only two years.
Your Years Of Experience:
1 year and 6 months as an event planner, 7 years total in the
entertainment industry
Professional Affiliations: N/A
Any professional groups
you are a member of: BizBash,
International Special Events Society
Final or additional
statements: Nope!