Artie Thompson has worn a number of hats in his chosen careers throughout the years, but the one that stuck and has brought him the most success as an entrepreneur is his event planning business- Artie?s Events. By establishing a reputation for exceptional service, Thompson has built and cultivated a business that has even earned him the patronage of the nation?s Commander-in-Chief, President Barack Obama.
Like many young people with aspirations of being an entrepreneur, Thompson moved to New York to pursue his dreams of becoming an actor, singer and dancer. He actively pursued those goals for eight years before making a decision to return to school for a degree in corporate and cable communications.
?I worked at a TV station for the City of New York and decided that television, in some respects, was not for me,? said Thompson.
Not long after this resolution, Thompson was urged by his life coach at the time to get into catering/event planning. Initially, Thompson said, he was against the idea but ultimately made the decision to go ahead into the industry. After spending some time working events his work ethic caught the eye of one of the largest catering companies in New York which then hired him and trained him thoroughly on the ins-and-outs of the business. He learned everything from set up to design and staffing to supervising.
Now, with 20-plus years of experience in event planning and catering and a successful company of his own, Thompson still finds joy in the fundamental aspects of the business.
?It?s the people, the clients that you build a relationship with. People don?t realize the amount of service that goes into event management. It?s always changing but it?s always the same,? said Thompson.
Thompson recalled some of his most notable events which included The Bloomberg Event on Randall’s Island, The Clinton Event at MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) and President Obama?s Seated Dinner & The Cocktail Reception. His favorite of all, he admits, was the Apollo Gala.
Thompson feels that when it is all said and done, he would like his legacy to be about the service he provided for others.
?[I?d like] that anyone who worked with me or with the client honestly got the feeling that I actually cared for their event and took great pride in producing it,? said Thompson.
