“Look this event needs funding and more importantly a display of sponsors preferably from reliable sources.”
“Who do you have so far?” Donovan asked.
“Rim’s Athletics, County Trust Bank, and of course they’ll have a display of some vendors. I can’t use any of our modeling agencies or designers.”
“Of course not, they’re all involved,” Donovan agreed absently. I could already hear the wheels turning in his head.
“We need to show we’re backed by trustworthy organizations,” she pleaded.
“Hayes Enterprises is a private firm. We have no business sponsoring a fashion show for exposure.”
“And you don’t need it, either,” I mumbled from where I still stood by the window.
“Fine,” Claudia said. “I’d figured as much for Hayes Enterprises. But surely over the last few years, you’ve made millions for a large stack of accounts.”
“Those were privately managed and not up for display or commit to sponsoring,” I barked.
Claudia rolled her eyes. “We are all about being discrete and noncommittal aren’t we, Scott?”
I turned away from her.
“Look, I’ll leave this list for the two of you on what we ask per size and location of the ad,” Claudia was a relentless woman. She didn’t typically give up after merely ten minutes of a proposal. She laid it on Donovan’s desk, which he picked up and looked over.
“You’ve got quite a list of spots available.”
“Don’t get too excited over the little ones. Most of them are going to be vendors. We’re looking for sponsors to use in the main room and the tables, gift bags…”
My ears perked. “You don’t have them lined up yet?”
“No, that’s why I’m here. We still don’t have a gift bag sponsor, which of course would be the biggest. Someone willing to—”
“I meant the vendors,” I interrupted.
“No, we leave that part to the event coordinator.”
“Which is?”
“I’m not sure yet. Our go-to firm recently folded; Brightman.”
I gritted my teeth at the name. “And no one else comes to mind?”
“I believe the search for one is mid-flight.”
I couldn’t believe that there was only one event planning firm that came to mind for one of the biggest fashion events of the year. Starr-Bright Events were clearly on no one’s radar. And if no other firm seemed to be either, then they still had a shot. The job and the exposure might be just what we needed.
Donovan raised an eyebrow at me; the man always knew an opportunity where one presented itself.
I pushed off the window and walked over to the bar. Claudia’s drink choice was typically vodka. I scooped a generous amount of ice into a glass and added the strong clear liquid, then handed it to her.
“I’ll tell you what. Donovan and I will come up with two or three of one our biggest clients to sponsor the event. In exchange, you hire a firm I’ve recently signed on with to plan it.”
Claudia opened her mouth to protest.
“I just had them plan Donovan and Elaine’s party of over one hundred people and they did an astonishing job.”
Claudia eyed Donovan as if to confirm. “Thanks for the invite,” she mumbled. “Who is it?”
“Starr-Bright Events.”
