Today we’d like to introduce you to Gavin Keilly.
Hi Gavin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started out with a success career in Telecommunications and as a Financial Advisor. Then I asked myself the million-dollar question: what do I want to do with my life? (Gavin jokingly said) I am still figuring that out, but the answer was , “I want to make a difference in the world and not be a martyr in the process.”
I took a job at City of Hope as their Director of Development and EXCITEDLY hit 200% of goal. This was incredibly fulfilling, but they could not afford to keep me on board with the deal they offered me in the beginning. It was a very large bonus if I hit what they thought were unrealistic numbers. That being said, I was fortunate to meet Sharon Osborne, and she asked that I help her with a fundraiser for her Colon Cancer Foundation that she had just started. This event was definitely star-studded. We honored Justin Timberlake and Elizabeth Taylor and had Tony Bennett perform. It was also co-hosted by Sir Elton John. This list of who’s who, were certainly in the room. This was my entre into the celebrity world. I got Baum and Mercier to donate $5,000 watches to the top 10 celebrities, which included Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy who put the watch in his mouth, and this photo went viral and ended up in People Magazine, US Weekly, InTouch, and various other outlets. This is when the lightbulb went off that I could help brands grow by getting their product in the hands (or mouth in this case) of Celebrities. I found a way to help charities with almost every event we produce, as this is certainly a win-win for all parties involved.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have certainly been some struggles along the way, but this is the case with any business.
I had a BIG Celebrity. (I am at liberty to say her name) ask that a brand take down her photo because she didn’t like the way she looked. ** This has only happened ONE TIME in 20 years. The brand was not happy about it, but it was certainly better than a potential lawsuit. Luckily, it was as simple as just taking down the photo from their website. The brand still have 50 other great photos they could use.
We have had people try to crash our event. We have had a certain celebrity (I can say this person was on the Apprentice) try to steal product from one of our brands, who I then had to put on our “Do not Allow” list.
Finally, we had somebody by the name of _______ pretend that they were the real OSCAR Winning Actress when they RSVP’d with the same name, thinking we would not put 2 plus 2 together. Then when arrived they obviously were not who they portrayed to be. ( At least as a actor). In all these cases we had my great security guy, Patrick, handle the situation flawlessly. He has worked with me for over 15 years, and he knows how to be firm when necessary, but more often than not, he is sweet as candy.
Of course, COVID was our biggest struggle with no events taking place, we decided to open a shop at the Kimpton La Peer in West Hollywood. This lasted a good 3 years. It was a bit profitable, but not like our events. We were able to continue to give our brands exposure and press , during this time. We lost over $2,000,000 in earnings during this time, and learned a lot about loyalty, but luckily, we are BACK, and ALL is good now.
As you know, we’re big fans of GBK Brand Bar ~ Celebrity Gifting. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We specialize in educating brands on various marketing loopholes. We are known for giving back in the community and bringing awareness, as well as funds to various non-profit organizations. What sets us apart from any other company that TRIES to do what we do is that we genuinely care about the celebrities’ experience when they come to our Luxury Gift Lounge. We are always at a 5-star hotel or a place that is equivalent. From the moment the celebrity arrives, we assign a talent handler to walk them around to the various brands that are there and carry everything for them in what we jokingly call a big body bag… The handler also protects the celebrity from photos or interviews that they may not want to participate in. What also differentiates us is the quality of product we have at the lounge. We truly want to make it worth the time that the Celebrity takes out of their busy schedule. The total gifts received are valued in upwards of $100,000. We, at times, even allow a brand that is gifting a gift of $5,000 or more to each celebrity that attends to participate in our event, with no additional cash investment to GBK, just to make sure the overall experience is memorable. Finally, we definitely care about the Brand’s Experience too. We make sure we never miss a photo and the representatives in attendance don’t feel overwhelmed and are in a fun environment
We know you just finished Oscar’s and Critics Choice, with exciting attendees like , Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, Neil Patric Harris ,Brian Cox from Succession and many other great nominees . What’s next on your agenda this year?
GBK started with just producing Charity Events (GALAS), and in addition to the gift lounges we produce, we have this component of our business down to science. We are able to not only raise more than your typical event producers due to our connections, but we are able to build a tremendous amount of awareness. We have raised in upwards of $3 MILLION in one night, but our average Gala generates about $400,000-$500,000.
If you are interested in participating in any of these event as a brand
Contact:
- Website: www.GBKBrandBar.com
- Instagram: @GBKBrandBar
- Linkedin: Gavin Keilly
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 23: Eugene Levy attends the EON Mist Sanitizer Pre-Oscars Lounge presented by GBK Brand Bar at La Peer Hotel on April 23, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tiffany Rose/Getty Images for EON Mist Sanitizer and GBK)
Gavin with Usher
Gavin with Rachel Brosnahan
Neil Patrick Harris _Host of Emmy’s
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 13: Gavin Keilly and Angela Bassett attend POOPH Critics Choice Luxury Lounge Presented By LA SMILE & GBK Brand Bar at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on January 13, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Wilbert Roberts/Getty Images for GBK Brand Bar)
Doc rivers and Cedric the entertainer
Adam Levine and Gavin
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MARCH 03: Gavin Keilly and Mark Hamill attend GBK Pre-Oscar Luxury Lounge on March 3, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Maury Phillips/Getty Images for GBK Productions )
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MARCH 03: Gavin Keilly and Viola Davis attend GBK Pre-Oscar Luxury Lounge on March 3, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Maury Phillips/Getty Images for GBK Productions )
Photo of Lounge
