Do you have a favourite type of occasion to plan?

A private event. I truly believe that we create memories, first and foremost. It is not just about the event, it is about developing an experience, something to remember. We create the occasion for people to remember that special moment in their lives. We will study the couple and know exactly what they want to achieve in that event. We want it to be exactly what they envision. We want the guests to have excellent memories and experiences too. They need to go home with the right vision of the couple or the host or the brand.

I love corporate shows because you can be farther with creative shows. You can involve more tech and lighting for example. But we also do the same for a corporate event -- its all about the experience and the memories and the right vision and understanding of the brand and company.

With private events we try to minimize big technology bits and flashy parts because it is more simplistic and focus more on what is most important – the people.

What is your favourite part of the job? 

My favourite part is the set up. I love seeing my vision come to life. The night before the final day when everything is done and there is peace of mind -- that has to be my favourite. It is really amazing to see everything you have been working for coming together. The moment when it happens, life breathes into it. When the actual event starts everything is so busy that I do not get to enjoy it so much because I am working and making sure things run smoothly so I really like the night before when I can visualise and see that everything looks great. I love creating and conceptualising too. I love also getting immediate feedback -- you get to know right away if it went well or if it did not.

How do you deal with a difficult client?

I love challenges. I do not think that difficult clients who pose a lot of questions, or requests are difficult because it pushes me to think and be creative. The only time I get frustrated is when someone does not know what they want at all. When that happens I try to suggest my ideas and tailor it to their needs. I love to collaborate and combine our visions. When a client is pushy, it challenges me to be better. When a client wants a concept that is not great, or when I know it will not work…. I try to suggest a new idea that is consistent to that feel, but executed in a different way. I cannot promise something that will not work or look good so we find a way around it.

Where did you learn all about directing shows, and events planning? 

I started performing, singing, when I was a kid and so I was exposed to shows and performing arts since long time ago. I loved seeing how stage managers work, the lights, the direction and the planning that went into creating a production. That is how it all started. I started helping my uncle with his opera company after a while too. For a change, I applied to be a flight attendant and on one trip I found myself in the Philippines and the rest is history!

How do you deal with destination weddings? Planning must be very difficult when coordinating with teams in other countries. Do you like travelling part of the job? 

I love seeing the world - I super enjoy it. I get so many ideas while abroad -- my mind keeps turning. I like to bring ideas from abroad to the Philippines to experiment and play. With my job, I travel so often - while it may be tiring it is also something I have fallen in love with. You cannot base everything from pegs -- you need to experience it for real. It is challenging because when the event is destination, we are not there a lot of the time. So there is a lot of communication needed constant monitoring. I always have my phone, email and laptop so my clients and associates can reach me but it is still difficult when we are in different countries. I love being on the plane actually, because in those long flights, that is the only time that no one is messaging or contacting me. I can really get some good work done! 

I get to meet so many new people and contacts there which is great and helpful. I get to know so many suppliers and talented people. We end up being good friends with the suppliers and industry teams that we have worked with for months to plan an event. When I arrive to a new city I have to find caters, designers, florists etc, so there is a lot of research and networking that is needed. It is so exciting when there is a blank slate in a new country. I love meeting new people and making new connections. I don’t get scared when it is a new country and I don't know the connections. I take it like an adventure! 

We actually do not have partner firms or events companies that we work with in other countries. Everything is centralised here with Yaparazzi. We plan with the direct sources of, location, venue, food, catering, flowers etc ourselves! We do not use a local point person or depend on someone else.

How do you decide on what choices to go with for an event?

We do a lot of research. There is a lot of trial and error. We always look at so many options and experiment with so many things before choosing the final option. We really spend time seeking out what we feel will be best for our client and up to our standards. Never settle!

What challenges have you faced that have taught you something?

Biggest challenge is when we want to execute an idea but struggle due to resources in the country, for example. It is also challenging to convince clients to break out of a certain mold that they may be used to. It is also challenging when someone wants us to duplicate previous event concepts because we do not want to simply copy. We want people to trust us to create in inventive and new ways.

What do you do when you're stressed? Do you panic when something goes wrong during an event?

No, no you can never freak out in the middle of an event! I learned that panicking does not help my job at all because it makes the logistics and the event go downhill. You cannot lose it during an event. You have to face the problem and find a solution because if you start to freak out…. The event will suffer! Our team works well together because all of us tackle problems head on, we do not panic and lose focus. We have great synergy. It is more nerve wracking when the event is live then we may panic more than we usually do, but we always have plan A, B, C, D, E. We prepare many backup options.

Photographs by Ramon Mangila | Creative Direction and Styling by Monique Madsen | Location: Samba and Raging Bull in Shangri-La at The Fort