EP 108: Creating Immersive Event Experiences with Opus Event Rentals

Positioning review: Minor adjustments made. Reframed one prescriptive statement to descriptive framing. All other content is naturally experiential and observational, reflecting the guest's firsthand experience in event design.

Jeff: Welcome to Elevate Your Event, your favorite podcast for transforming fundraising events. Join us weekly for expert tips and creative ideas to make your next event a standout success. On today's episode of Elevate Your Event, we're stepping into the world of experiential design, where thoughtful rentals, lighting, and creative builds can completely transform a space. Jeff is joined by Nejde Parsonge, co-owner of Opus Event Rentals, who spent 20 years helping nonprofits turn ordinary venues into unforgettable guest experiences. From walk-on-water pool covers to immersive sponsor entrances, Nejde shares how intentional design can elevate your mission, engage your attendees, and make your event truly memorable. Let's dive in.

Jeff: Welcome back to the Elevate Your Event podcast, where we talk about all the various ways that we can help you possibly make your next fundraising event better than the last one. And we've got a special guest today. I want to introduce Nejde. He is one of the co-founders of Opus Event Rentals based in the Southern California area. And he's been in the space for 20 years. So he's got a lot of experience in terms of events and obviously seen a lot. And so I love to have you introduce yourself really quick, Nejde, and then let's dive into some great conversation we can have about event rentals.

Nejde: Yeah, certainly. Good morning, Jeff. I'm glad you have me on. My name is Nejde Parsonge. I'm co-owner of Opus Event Rentals. And like you mentioned, I've been doing this for about 20 years. I love creating new and exciting spaces and getting creative to engage as many attendees as possible that attend these events.

Jeff: So you and I were just chatting before we got the podcast going, specifically about your business and kind of what you do. Why don't you share with our listeners here, share with them specifically what you guys rent, what kind of services you provide in the event space?

Nejde: Certainly. So we do offer the typical sort of furniture and tables and chairs that most other party rental companies offer, but we do offer other items and other services that are not as prominent in other companies, which are flooring, which really accentuates certain spaces. We also cover pools, which we've used in certain events to sort of create that wow effect when you walk into a space and you're able to walk on the water. And you can also have decals and logos that are within that space as well to sort of express your mission and your goal or what you're trying to express to all of your attendees.

Jeff: Very cool. And I think you probably started to expand into those areas because as you're going to these events and you're trying to help these organizations, whether it be a corporate event or a charity fundraiser, you're trying to help them enhance the overall environment, the look, the experience. You're probably saying, wow, it would be really cool if I could cover that pool, help these guys out, and then those things start to become a little bit more commonplace.

Nejde: Yeah, like we had talked about before we started the podcast, people want to move away from the hotel ballroom as much as possible. So when you have a donor that's willing to lend out their space, they have a nice beautiful backyard, but they have a pool in the middle of it. You can use that pool as part of the event to either have people walk on there, to create a photo opportunity, or to have something on there that expresses whatever the mission for the nonprofit is to show. That way it becomes memorable. When people go home, they remember it a month later when that letter comes in the mail asking for a donation, they're like, oh yeah, I remember that. And they're willing to write that check.

Jeff: Yeah. This is just kind of a continuation of some stuff we've talked about over the last several podcasts, which is how can you switch up some of these events. To your point, let's get out of the hotel ballroom. For some folks, that's the best place to have your event. And if you feel that way, great. What we're talking about is if you've kind of sat down and said, God, I really got to change something. Is it the venue? Some of the things we've talked about on past episodes -- like, well, find some sort of really cool but maybe not a conventional event space. And then is that the kind of conversation you get in with folks? Do they walk in and say, I want to do my event here, how would you make it look good, how would we lay this out? Is that the conversation you're having?

Nejde: It typically is, yeah. And when you walk into a space -- because you're dealing with people that obviously are not in the events industry -- when you walk into a space, you yourself, with years of experience, can sort of close your eyes and imagine what you could turn this space into. And for us, it's being able to express that to the client and say, hey, this is what we can do. Here are two ways we can transform this space to better engage the people that are going to come into it. And being able to express that to them so they have an understanding of what your vision is, and sort of try to align it with their vision and also their mission as a nonprofit. You have to create a balance between those.

Jeff: Yeah. A balance between vision, and that can include the theme, right, and what type of look they're looking for. And then I would imagine budget.

Nejde: Certainly. Definitely a part of it, as always, in any event. But like I always say, you try to take your budget, whatever it might be, and then utilize that budget as efficiently as possible where you accentuate certain things. You don't need to spread out your whole budget and try to change everything. Use it to do certain things. So if you want to create an experience for the guests, then let's create a couple little areas where they can interact with something -- where they're playing miniature golf, or they're doing a little dance in front of a camera, or whatever it is so they can have something they take home with or an experience they remember. I think that's more important than trying to have the nicest chair and the nicest plates and the nicest sofas. You just use your budget wisely in certain areas, right? That's most important.

Jeff: So let me ask you about that then. What is the coolest feature you've added to an event? If you have more than one, give us a couple. I think the pool covers are pretty cool.

Nejde: I think a couple months ago we did some letters across a pool which was for a nonprofit for breast cancer awareness. We did their letters for their nonprofit across the water and it created a bridge in front of it. And guests could walk in front of it, take a photo, and then go off. And then the key was having that photo within a software system that attaches it with their email and their contact, and then you send it off. And that way you maintain a sort of contact with them beyond that event day.

Jeff: Yeah. So describe these pool covers. You're calling these pool covers, but it sounds like -- do they fully cover the pool or is there a way where you could cover just a part so people can walk into the middle of the pool or something?

Nejde: Yeah, any portion, honestly, any portion. It could be part of it, it could be all of it. We've done everything from fountains -- they had a TED Talk that was in L.A. at San Vicente Bungalows. They had a fountain in there, so we covered that with glass, and they had speakers for the TED Talk sit there. So it could be anything -- it's just a platform, essentially. It just happens to be on top of a pool. We can put a platform on anything. We've flattened out rooftops. Years ago, probably eight or nine years ago, we did a nonprofit organization that was on a rooftop because they got access to that roof and they were going to party until 2 a.m. They wanted to have a pretty big party. And the roof was uneven, so we flattened it out.

Jeff: That is so cool. Has there been anybody that's come to you with a vision and you've been like, yeah, we can't do that?

Nejde: I don't think so. I think as long as the budget allows, pretty much anything is possible within reason, within engineering limits, obviously. But it's pretty possible.

Jeff: That is so cool. Because I can tell you, I've met so many people involved in the event world who just have amazing visions of what they want. And they've always been limited by vendors that say, yeah, we can't pull that off. But it sounds like you guys have pulled off quite a few really interesting, very cool environments or solutions for people. So it's almost like -- in a sense, it's like Wonderland. I get to come in and say, this is what I want, and you guys can go create it.

Nejde: Yeah, that's the best part about this business -- being able to be creative. You get the creative aspect of it, which really makes it fun. And you want to be able to express that creativity through your work so that whoever does attend that event can sort of sense your art, essentially.

Jeff: Let's talk about lighting for a second, because I've seen in a lot of cases, especially when you get into the winter months and it gets way darker, that lighting can become an issue. So you spend all this money on this amazing tent and you put it up and it's got some really cool elements inside and not enough lights. Are you involved in the lighting design as well for all these things you guys are doing?

Nejde: We do. We do have lighting design as well. It's very key because it creates the ambiance of the space. So if you're too lit up or too dark, they're both bad. You want to have just the right amount of lighting. And then it's also about the color of lighting. Do you want it to be a little more amber color? Do you want it to be a little brighter? If you're doing an auction of some sort, it tends to work well to go slightly lighter, but if it's more of an intimate dinner or you have guests talking, it doesn't need to be that bright. You just need to have the stage lit up. And then there's also color involved because the color sets the mood. Color can also express whatever your theme is, especially for nonprofits -- your mission and what you stand for. So if your colors are all blues and greens, then you all of a sudden make the entire gala all red -- it doesn't match together. You have to have some sort of balance between what the nonprofit is and what they're expressing with the lighting, with the materials. Those are all really important.

Jeff: And so let's talk about the other elements you might put around. There might be pieces of art or other types of things that enhance the environment you're creating. Are you recommending and bringing those in also?

Nejde: Oh, certainly. A lot of it -- even the smallest little detail, from the giveaways to the pillows that are on the sofas, to the mugs, whatever little things there are. Because those are all opportunities for you to show your nonprofit or show your mission. You can have your logos on things. You can have your logos on walls so people can take pictures. Those are all things that people can take home with them. And that's how you stay relevant and engaged.

Jeff: So you're handling like, if you're putting out a bunch of sofas, you'll work with the charity to design whatever throw pillows go on there with their logo that even maybe some of the sponsors can take if they wanted to?

Nejde: Oh yeah, certainly. We encourage it because once we print something on a pillow, it's not like we're going to be able to rent that back to someone else. So yeah, we totally encourage it and we tell our clients, hey, if you want to give this away at the end of the night, you can give these away to whoever. It could be like one of those ticket purchase items where you just give it away at the end, some lucky winner of a raffle.

Jeff: Very cool. I got another question for you because this came up recently. I went to an event and the tent was beautiful, well lit, but it was outside on the ground -- no flooring. Are you a flooring guy or are you a put-your-tent-on-the-grass kind of guy? Or does it depend?

Nejde: It all depends. If you're going for the rustic look and you're not expecting anyone to wear heels or really nice shoes, then grass is okay. We do a lot of events that are in the grass as well. But for most events, we do recommend some sort of hardwood flooring because it is safer, number one. And it's a much cleaner experience for everyone involved.

Jeff: I was thinking about that. It just detracted from the environment a little bit for me and it actually attracted a lot of bugs.

Nejde: That's true. Yeah, it depends on where you are, but the bugs do come. But again, it goes all the way back to budget. So perhaps their budget didn't align for them to have a platform. So they went out and got the tent, at least made you feel comfortable within a space.

Jeff: Moving on to audiovisual. Are you working with AV companies?

Nejde: We don't do it specifically, but we do have companies that we work with that do audiovisual. We do a lot of LED walls currently -- that is a very popular add-on for events, especially for nonprofits, because it allows you to show videos. And it looks much nicer than just a standard old TV or a pull-down screen or a projector. With the LED walls, you get a lot more clarity, a lot more flexibility in the videos that you're going to show. And then you also can interact with it a lot better, because nowadays the LED walls are pretty awesome where you can sort of touch them and they interact with what you're doing. So if you have someone like a speaker up there, they can interact with the wall.

Jeff: Yeah, I'm just thinking through my own event. We have a big LED screen we use -- we do a Kentucky Derby event so people can watch it. But we've talked about when you enter the place, you're coming down this pathway and we just have sponsor yard signs in the ground. And I'm thinking, I would love to have an LED wall of all of my sponsors that you would walk past and then make that entrance a little bit more powerful. So yeah, I'm going to have to call you, Nejde.

Jeff: What about flowers and stuff? Are you involved in that? Do you work with local florists?

Nejde: We use mostly local florists. We have a lot of great people that we work with that do the florals. Because that's its own creative aspect that requires its own experience to know which flowers go in season, which flowers are best used with other combinations. There's a huge variety, and placement matters -- do you want flowers up high, do you want them lower? You definitely need someone experienced.

Nejde: I know you mentioned LED walls and sponsorships. We did one a couple weeks ago for a conference with all kinds of canned food companies. We have these LED furniture pieces, these LED cubes, and we line them up on top of each other to create a wall as you walk into the hotel ballroom. And each company has a logo on one of the LED cubes.

Jeff: LED cubes -- are you stacking them?

Nejde: Yeah, we're stacking them up. Sort of unevenly stacked -- so there's a stack of three, a stack of four, a stack of two, to create this entrance. And each one of the cubes had the 50 or 55 different vendors with their logo individually placed on it.

Jeff: I love it. Every sponsor is going to see their yard sign when they walk in, but if they were on the side of an LED cube, I think that would impress them.

Nejde: Yeah, it's key. It's all about the photo opportunity. Nowadays it's all about Instagram and photos. Half the guests stood there and took a photo. They're going to save that, tag that, tag the event. Which all perpetuates and allows your organization to grow and have a larger reach.

Jeff: So tell me, what advice do you have for listeners as they're thinking, all of this sounds amazing but I don't have the budget? Where do I start?

Nejde: The hotel is fine. If the budget is the hotel, then the hotel is okay. You just take your budget and pick the one or two things that's going to engage your attendees the most and focus your funds on that. Rather than trying to make everything perfect, have that one memorable thing your attendees will take home with them. Maybe you don't have to get the filet mignon -- get the chicken breast but have a photo opportunity instead. That chicken breast gets digested pretty quickly, but that photo stays with them.

Jeff: That's good advice. You have to think through what would really engage your guests.

Nejde: Yeah, you have to envision yourself being one of the attendees walking into that space. How do I want to feel when I walk into this thing?

Jeff: Do you guys have a portfolio online people can look at for ideas?

Nejde: Oh yeah, certainly. You can go on our website, opusrentals.com, and there's tons of photos there. On our Instagram as well. And we always tell our clients that if you saw something somewhere in the world that was really cool, bring it to us. Maybe we can help you duplicate it right where you are.

Jeff: I think it's awesome. We need an Opus Event Rentals in Denver for sure.

Nejde: Oh yeah. We have no experience in the snow. I would have to know where to start.

Jeff: Well, this has been an awesome conversation. I always enjoy chatting with folks in the industry that are helping organizations take their event and just make it amazing. For anybody in the Southern California area -- Vegas, Santa Barbara, L.A., San Diego -- how can they get in touch with you?

Nejde: They can reach out to us on our website at opusrentals.com or on Instagram. We have tons of photos there and they can browse through our catalog and reach out to me.

Jeff: All right. I'm waiting for you guys to open up a location in Denver. Let me know as soon as that happens.

Nejde: Yeah, I'll definitely look out for you.

Jeff: Good. In the meantime, thank you so much for what you do for the community. And best of luck with your business.

Nejde: Thank you, Jeff. I appreciate it.

Jeff: All right, we'll wrap up this episode of Elevate Your Event podcast. Until next time, happy fundraising. If you enjoyed our show, please take a moment to leave us a review. You can find us on Apple, Google, and Spotify. Don't forget to subscribe for more great content. And if you're a fan of video, check us out on YouTube. Until next time, happy fundraising.