In order to create truly extraordinary events, there are few things more important to consider than your venue. The choice of venue influences how your audience feels immediately upon entering the space and sets the tone for the entirety of the event experience, setting the groundwork for whatever happens next. At Wizard Studios, we’ve been lucky enough to partner with some of the most awe-inspiring venues around, and our events have always brought out their best.  We asked our very own Shawn Cooper, Director of Sales at Wizard Studios, to show us how the best in the business brings out the best for some of our city’s most iconic venues. 

• How Do You Collaborate with an Iconic Venue? 

“We work very closely with each venue to make sure we are exceeding their clients expectations with the quality of products, event planning expertise, creative services and price,” Cooper says. “But more importantly, we are a proponent of the venue, helping clients develop an interactive and immersive experience.”

Cooper’s approach and process is nothing short of extraordinary, with a fierce attention to detail. “We start this process with creative calls where we try to understand the vision each client has whether it’s a corporate event, social event, or a brand experience. We create descriptive narratives, clearly curated decks showing what each component will look like, and spend the time with each client making sure each element is necessary and contributes to the ‘wow’ factor.”

But achieving that “wow” factor takes planning, creatively and logistically: “We also work closely with the venue to make sure we are aligned logistically and keep the venues in the loop so they understand the needs of each client and the fabricated components and technology that we will be providing. We work hard to create efficiencies at each venue allowing us to execute each event efficiently and effectively.” 

And on top of it all, Wizard Studios has the capabilities to get each and every aspect completed in-house. Cooper tells us that Wizard Studios, has “a full fabrication shop, scenic shop, and some of the best event technology in the industry. These capabilities along with world-class talent has been the key to our success as well as our key differentiator. We are not showing up with cases and gear, we are carefully curating experiences that our clients and their guests will never forget.” Now that’s Wizard Studios magic!

• What was Wizard Studios’ First Iconic Venue Experience?

“We were contacted in 2013 by the management of the newly renovated Tavern on the Green in Central Park,” Cooper says. “We were honored they came to us to assist with the technology integration as they were preparing for their grand reopening in April 2014.” 

Wizard Studios was asked to provide the highest quality of staging, lighting, sound, and staff to the restaurant’s newly implemented programs. “Tavern on the Green wanted people to feel like they were at an event that was created for each guest, optimizing the audio and visual experience,” Cooper explains. Because of that great success and many others to follow, Wizard Studios was made the exclusive production partner with Tavern on the Green, producing countless iconic events and unforgettable experiences.

• How Has Your Vision and Execution Changed as You’ve Grown as a Company?

“Over the past few years, Wizard has implemented an agency approach, offering more to agencies and tremendous value to brands, companies, and social clients,” Cooper tells us. And he’s not wrong: they’ve grown immensely in becoming a one-stop-shop for all event needs. “There was a time when we only provided technical services but now we have a full creative team, guest services team, fabrication team, designers and client services to ensure every detail is scrutinized and each event is executed perfectly.” At this point, there’s truly nothing Wizard Studios can’t offer to ensure a world-class event!

• What’s In Store for the Future of Wizard Studios’ Iconic Events?

The future is bright solely because Cooper has his eyes on the relationships and people behind the events, and that’s what makes the venues and their events excel. “As we continue to grow, the most important thing is customer satisfaction and our ability to consistently exceed expectations,” he says. “After months and sometimes years working with brides and planners, it's so rewarding to watch a perfectly executed event unfold. Watching brides walk down the aisle, watching as people get to meet and interact with celebrities, raising money for those in need and transforming spaces into truly immersive experiences is what we live for.”

So what’s next? “We are so fortunate to have such an amazing team and will continue to grow the Wizard family with world class talent who are aligned with our core values and who strive to over deliver on our promises.” They’ll continue to work with Tavern on the Green, Ellis Island and Liberty Island, Prince George Ballroom, The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, ASPIRE at One World Observatory, Press Lounge at Ink 48, Russian Tea Room, Convene Venues, Inside Park, Viceroy and The Roof at the Viceroy, Chelsea Stages, and more, but for now, it’s keeping the venue and their customers at the center of it. 

Driven, humble, and exceedingly competent, Cooper showcases just how capable and thorough Wizard Studios’ event capabilities have become, ensuring that every venue is celebrated in its own unique way. In the aftermath of COVID, Cooper’s job has taken on a new dimension of problem-solving, but he has not faltered in creating innovative solutions for both the iconic venues we work with and individuals that attend them. 

If you’re looking to leverage Cooper’s expertise and wisdom, contact Wizard Studios today to help us create your iconic event of a lifetime!