Event Planner to the Stars EVENTIQUE’S DIANA CRISCI PRODUCES FOR PRESIDENTS, CELEBRITIES, AND CEOS
When Diana Crisci was a 20-year-old premed student at New York University, she sat her father down to break the news about her future. “I said, ‘Dad, I don’t want to be a doctor — get over it!’” Diana remembers, “He tried to negotiate and get me to go to law school, but I said no to that too.” Instead, Diana chose a different path. She landed a job as a part- time weekend bookkeeper while continuing her studies at NYU. The job was with her favorite restaurant, The Chart House, right on the Hudson River in Westchester County. She eventually convinced the general manager to host their first wedding. It was her first foray into event planning. At the time, she had no idea she’d soon be a national name, producing events for clients like Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, New York sports teams (including the Devils, Rangers, Jets, Giants, and Nets), Disney, nonprofits like the American Cancer Society, Make-A-Wish, American Red Cross, and even a nonprofit she “accidentally” created for Children’s Cancer Research — but she did have big dreams. “There was a show running on TV called ‘Hotel,’ and I loved the glitz and glamor of it,” she remembers. “I decided I wanted to work for a hotel, and eventually I did! I left Chart House and went to work for Hilton Hotels. That’s how I started my career in catering and events.” Today, Diana is a seasoned event producer with more than 25 years in hospitality, operations, and off-premise events under her belt. When she met Eventique founder Liron David, she was senior vice president of a catering company and he was an up-and-coming NYC event producer. They partnered on Eventique’s very first corporate event — and the rest, as they say, is history. Since 2014, Diana has served as Eventique’s Director of Events + Catering, bringing her experience and gravitas to bear for celebrity clients across the country. Over the years, she has worked with dozens of iconic musicians, chefs, actors, athletes, and politicians and accrued hundreds of stories, including this one from a Professional Golfers’ Association tournament she once planned. “No. 43, President George H.W. Bush, was the keynote speaker for that year’s host committee gala. I can still remember waiting for H.W.
to arrive with Secret Service and hearing, ‘The Eagle has landed’ when his car arrived on site,” she says. “That was a pretty cool moment!” She’ll also never forget Tony Bennett’s 85th birthday celebration, a concert at The Metropolitan Opera House followed by dinner in The Tent at Lincoln Center. “Tony performed duets with Aretha Franklin on stage at the Opera House, and of course brought the house down! But dinner only included one performer and an MC, plus hundreds of celebrities, including Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Richard Gere, and Whoopi Goldberg to name a few. The MC was Alec Baldwin, who opted to take that job instead of attending the Emmys — which he won that evening for ‘30 Rock.’ The dinner performer was none other than Sir Elton John! And yes, we served lasagna as the main course. I was working for Restaurant Associates at the time, and they used Tony’s mother’s recipe, of course, and got two thumbs up from culinary icons Martha Stewart and Lidia Bastianich,” Diana recalls. Some events are more than celebrations — they carry far greater meaning and impact. Earlier this fall Diana, her colleague Stefano Genova, and Eventique led the charge in producing one such moment: The launch event for the First Lady of Ukraine’s Olena Zelenska Foundation at the Metropolitan Opera House. It was a herculean effort, but the team pulled it off in just a week’s time, all while navigating the United Nations General Assembly. It was another star-studded evening. A host of celebrities attended for one reason: to support Ukraine. Over the years, Diana has presented dessert to Julia Child and served drinks to Arnold Palmer. Just recently, she also led the team in producing the Thurgood Marshall College Fund 35th Anniversary Awards Gala. “For the grand finale of this incredible event, the legendary Patti LaBelle took the stage. The green room was stocked with beverages and food, but there was no nibbling for Miss Patti. That’s how she stays so gorgeous.
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator