Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie McAdams.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Natalie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a mom and an entrepreneur. I have a 9-year-old daughter and I am the Owner and Executive Producer of Namevents, a special events company that I started in 2002. Here’s the story of how I got here…
I grew up in Texas, attended the University of Texas undergrad and law school. From my earliest recollection, I wanted to live on the West Coast so I accepted a job in San Diego. After practicing for two years, I realized my profession didn’t feed my soul so I relocated to Aspen, Colorado.
New to town, I was recruited as a volunteer for this quirky ski race called the 24 Hours of Aspen. My role was to oversee the 12 teams of international skiers during their week-long stay in Aspen. At the end of that stint, the producer of the event asked me to co-produce the following year and I realized that I had found my calling.
Several years later, I was skiing and working on a world cup ski race and met a gal who worked for Major League Baseball. She offered to connect me to their LA-based production company and soon thereafter, I was relocating again and my LA journey began.
After rising to Vice President at PPW Inc and with seven Super Bowls, seven World Series and All-Star Games and two US Opens behind me, I launched Namevents in 2002.
Although we are a full-service company working on a wide range of events in the entertainment, corporate and personal arenas, my passion is event production in the not-for-profit sector. My favorite thing to do is to help emerging non-profits create and brand a new or growing event.
Great, 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?
The struggle for me is always in balancing it all because my clients want me. So it’s been a challenge to execute existing business while cultivating new clients. It’s a quality problem to have… And fortunately, much of my business is repeat and word of mouth.
But beyond that, there is the art of balancing life and work. As a single mom of a nine-year-old, I want to spend quality time with her. As a yogi, I want time to meditate and practice. As a friend, I want time to relax and recharge. Plus, I have a restless nature that wants to travel.
Combining all of this with a somewhat workaholic personality is truly a challenge indeed.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Namevents – what should we know?
Namevents is full service but I think what sets us apart is threefold.
First, it’s the people. We are intimately involved in each and every event we produce and nothing escapes her attention to detail. And further, it’s our vendors. We have close relationships with the best in the business and our relationships run deep.
They show up for us and they value our business in a way that is reflected financially to the client.
Second, since we are so active in the not for profit arena, we are cleverly creative. So regardless of your budget, we pay attention to how we are spending your money and we do it in an effective way. Particularly if you are a charity b/c donors don’t like to see wasted dollars. But beyond that, I think all people appreciate clever creativity.
Third, we are capable of building an event from the ground up in a way that distinguished us from many event planners. That’s why we consider ourselves producers. We can locate empty space, create an infrastructure using tenting, subflooring and carpeting and then install lights, sound, video and style the space above and beyond handling the logistics of the food and beverage, guest arrival and flow and entertainment. Namevents is a full-service production company with over 20 years of experience in the greater Los Angeles area.
I am most proud of my work on the annual City of Hope Music & Entertainment Industry events. This annual event honors someone of significance in the music industry and features one of their artists in a live performance. These events showcase the honoree so they are always stylistically unique and the talent is top notch. In addition, each event raises between $3.5 – 8 million annually.
On the flip side, I am equally proud of the work I do for smaller non-profits to help them brand and develop their signature events. Examples of this are the Splash Bash for the Samburu Water Project, Magic Makers for Camp Kesem and the Fiesta Cubana for the Pasadena Museum of Contemporary Art.
If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?
Nothing. 🙂 I think it’s all a part of the journey. Growing up in Texas taught me the art of hospitality and my mom instilled in me a passion for giving back. My legal education helps open doors and enables me to negotiate contracts.
My time in Aspen led me to my calling and remains a special place for me to decompress and recharge. My daughter keeps me young and teachable.
And learning through the school of hard knocks has developed in me the thick skin necessary to survive in this super competitive industry in Los Angeles.
Contact Info:
- Address: 12016 Clarkson Road Los Angeles, Ca 90064
- Website: www.namevents.com
- Phone: 310-996-1030 or 310-963-6387
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @namevents
Image Credit:
Line 8 Photography, Jeanette Rahill, M.Hart Photography, Ariel Ip
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