Hidden Gems: Meet Dan Wilson of The Perfect Event / American Transportation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Wilson.

Hi Dan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2007, I began a venture to create an event company that not only planned events but also owned all of the services necessary to facilitate the event itself. That has led to what is now The Perfect Event, Inc. [TPE]. TPE is the only event company of its kind in which the company will plan the event (Corporate, Wedding, College, High School, Festival, etc.) and then provide nearly all of the services in-house.

Outside of the robust event planning department (~15 event planners), the company also owns/operates:

– Multi-million dollar audio/video/lighting inventory with full production staff
– PPO licensed security department w/ roughly 70 security guards on staff
– Directly employed/contracted DJs, Photographers, and Videographers, including in-house editing
– Transportation company (American Transportation) with nearly 200 Vehicles*
– Wholesale contracts with nearly 100 venues located in Southern California, Las Vegas, and Arizona

In total, The Perfect Event produces roughly 600 events per year and is currently pursuing acknowledgment from the Guinness Book of Records to be recognized as the world’s largest event-planning company.

*American Transportation was purchased by The Perfect Event in 2015 with one location and 20 vehicles. Due to the rapid growth of American Transportation (200 vehicles and 4 locations), ownership decided to separate the entities. Both companies still maintain common ownership, and American Transportation is still the direct provider of transportation for the events produced by The Perfect Event.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As a 23-year-old setting out to create a “One Stop Shop” for event planning and production, it seemed like such a simple concept that a company should also own all of the services that are necessary for planning events. Of course, at that age, it is easy to overlook the amount of working capital, financial/time investment, and staffing needs that are required to accomplish such a task.

The company was able to become what it is now through cyclical monetary re-investment in growth. Profits were poured back into the company and not taken out by ownership, and through the snowball effect, it has perpetuated the growth that the company now experiences.

The company(s) now jointly employ over 300 staff members. Even though the collective revenue is pushing the $30MM threshold, ownership still believes in and effectuates taking profits and re-investing into the company as opposed to pulling them out for personal gain.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
It is difficult to find a niche. We believe that what we have created is unique in and of itself. Many companies abuse the tagline of “One Stop Shop,” but few can actually live up to the slogan. What sets our companies apart is that we do live up to the moniker more than any other company that we have come across in the industry.

After all, have you ever heard of an Event Planning company also owning a Security Company, A/V Production Company, and a Transportation Company in order to utilize these services for the events themselves?

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
The diversity and fast pace of the city fit our team well. We thrive in this environment as we produce such a high volume of events every year (>600 events per year).

As with most people living in LA, traffic is always a hazard that needs to be pre-planned around.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ThePerfectEvent.com | www.BusAmerican.com