Community Highlights: Meet Ellyette (Elly) Iverson of Eji Experiences

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellyette (Elly) Iverson.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Santa Barbara (the beautiful paradise that I call home) but moved away for about eight years to explore, study, and work in different parts of the world.

Some of my adventures included studying environmental conservation efforts in Peru while bar-backing at a motorcycle pub, hitchhiking through Patagonia, joining a circus school in Thailand, and managing itineraries for important international guests at National Geographic in Washington DC while moonlighting at a resort hotel in the Hamptons…

I was hungry for adventure and got a full plate of experiences that helped shape who I am today and how I run my business.

I returned to Santa Barbara at the end of 2016 and had the opportunity to join the core team opening a new science museum in town, where I built out an event program filled with interactive exhibits and exciting innovative activities for children and adults alike. While at MOXI, I started producing pop-up events that ranged from secret venue parties to fantastical art exhibits.

In 2019 I decided to take the big leap, quit my job and start my own business, focusing on arts & culture events that explored new spaces and unexpected experiences. In that first year I created a massive spectrum of events, ranging from an experimental art projection show in an underpass with over 2,000 people passing through, to a mermaid pool party series at a hotel with “live mermaids”, day festivals with enticing line-ups of popular indie bands and DJ’s, fundraisers featured farm to table foods, even building out a series of edgy educational workshops for industry professionals (the client wants cannabis, you say? the do’s and dont’s of bud bars at your wedding…)

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In 2020, I was full steam ahead (with little sleep but lots of coffee) gearing up for a bigger, more exciting year of festivals and fundraisers, when the pandemic promptly shut down the event industry and I found myself grasping at a career that came to a full standstill among world-wide panic and community devastation. After the initial shock, I started thinking about what I could do to maintain my role as an organizer and creator, given that my main job of physically gathering people together simply could not happen for the time being.

With many (many!) trials and tribulations, I began building out a program of virtual events – finding ways to gather people from a range of remote regions to share music, dance, and art, to make DIY cocktails and charcuterie boards, to listen to celebrity interviews and raise money for important causes…any idea that presented itself – we produced it and made it a reality.

Emerging from the pandemic, I have narrowed in my focus, working primarily with local organizations that are doing amazing work that lends to good, sustainable change in our community – from regional groups building out more robust inclusivity efforts to non-profits that are feeding our neighbors with food insecurities, after-school programs providing academic resources and mentorship for our low-income students, and presenters that are bringing world-famous artists to our community.

Events can be so temporary and superficial, I feel better when they can provide a strong foundation for guests to financially support the long-term efforts of the organization involved, and we can all have fun while we are at it!

It’s always a challenge to find the balance between too much work and too little work, supporting the cause and needing the cash, trying new ideas and accepting less than stellar results, but I do believe that believing in your work and your clients is a strong place to start, and that’s a mindset I plan to maintain as my company grows.

We’ve been impressed with Eji Experiences, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Eji Experiences (pronounced /’edʒiː/ – [edg·y]) is a woman-owned, small-batch production company that takes the chaos out of hosting events, with creative solutions for busy organizations.

Using innovative planning + organized research, eji experiences specializes in fundraisers, festivals, concerts, + film production needs.

✔ Design + Communication ✔ Project Ownership ✔ VIP Concierge Service
✔ Vendor Coordination ✔ Volunteer Management ✔ Auction + Event Software

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I’m consistently grateful for the mentors, friends, and family that continue to support me in so many ways, but I want to take this moment to thank the vendors that consistently show up to make my ideas a reality.

Thank you to my amazing rental teams…Adam and the TACER team that move mountains to create event spaces, regardless of the weather or roads that need to be taken to get there. The Tent Merchant team, for always making miracles happen, even with devastating flooding ruining the showroom this winter. Ventura Rentals and Lucidity Collaborative for making practical tenting look so beautiful. Thank you to Bella Vista and Spark for being such bright lights (literally and figuratively…)

Thank you to the catering teams like Catering Connection and Savoir Faire and duo that can work out of (less than ideal) pop-up kitchens to feed delicious food to the masses. Thank you to the restaurant teams like Blue Owl and Acme Hospitality and Foxtail and Barbareno and Opal who partner with non-profits and provide food for popular community events.

Thank you to the logistics champions (like Marborg and Big Green and BlueStar Parking and Sweep SB) who make the messier parts of the party so clean and organized…

Thank you to my event creatives like Kym and Jon of Environment Makers and Tracey with ella & louie for donating time and resources to bring elements of magic to every space they touch.

Thank you to the music makers who practice and practice and collect thousands of hours of audio gold to create the perfect special soundtrack – DJ Frew, Darla Bea, Music by Bonnie, Gavin Roy Presents, Val Mar Records, DJ Suz, Chas Clouse, Chris Fosseck, Mezcal Martini, Spencer the Gardener, Jennifer Kloetzel and the talented UCSB student musicians (to name a few…)

And thank you to the event helpers that quietly make the process smoother, the daunting piles of tasks smaller, the rider more enjoyable – Amy, Ashlynn, Lena, Jinny, Elizabeth, Hannah, Davey, JT, Pops, Shannon, Frew, Dennis, Judi, Zoe, Warner, Raul, Zach, Camille, Laurel, Ohan, Merrillee, Pam, Jesus, Steven, Kevin, Doug, Tami, Marta, JP, Alex, Bix, Jessica, Mark, Warren, David, Vivian, Penny, Casey, Hillary – THANK YOU!

The list can go on and on but the story stays the same – these productions take a village and I am so grateful for the village I have around me…

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ejiexperiences.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ejiexperiences/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ejiexperiences 

Image Credits
Industry Workshop Photos by Zach Mendez Bread & Roses Photos by Abel Rico