One of Keith Watson’s first events was a wedding in New York City’s legendary Central Park. Accommodating 600 guests, with performances from a Broadway singer and the bride and groom themselves, the wedding was a monumental moment in his life — not just because it was the start to his event-planning career, but more important, because it was his own wedding.
“It was a magical evening,” said Watson, owner of Keith Watson Productions. “It was the mid-`80s, and it was entirely in black and white — and this was way before that was even popular.”
Keith Watson Productions is a special event, design and entertainment company that creates innovative and unique experiences for corporate and personal occasions, such as weddings, nonprofit organization fundraisers and sweet-sixteen parties. Keith Watson Productions handles all aspects of an event, from the flowers to the design and entertainment, while partnering with local catering companies to provide food.
Originally from Alabama, Watson grew up on a cotton farm and was raised in a family of business owners. His mother was a caterer, and his brother owned a barbecue restaurant. After graduating from college with a degree in theater, Watson moved to New York where he pursued a career as an actor, singer and dancer and eventually met his wife, Roberta, an opera singer. Eventually his passion shifted to event planning.
“After I had my first kid, my dad pulled me aside and told me it was time to get a real job,” Watson said. “So I began working for a catering company and designing events.”
Using the skills he learned working for his mom’s catering business and the set design he learned in college, Watson worked for several event companies, including some in Georgia and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City where he was the director of food and beverage and special events. He started his company about 15 years ago.
“There came a time where I was working 60 to 80 hours a week,” Watson said. “If I was going to work those hours, I was going to work them for myself. I’m a risk taker, and that is what I decided to do.”
In 2004, he opened an office in Gainesville.
“Our children were at an age to get them out of the rat race in New York, so we decided to move to Florida,” Watson said. “We were thinking of moving to Orlando, but we came to Gainesville and fell in love with the education and the arts here and decided to relocate.”
Most recent, Keith Watson Productions opened a showroom in the Tioga Town Center, which includes window displays, furniture of Watson’s creation and THE ROOM, an upscale, full-service private dining area.
With a staff of about 20 full- and part-time workers, Keith Watson Productions has helped create some truly memorable events in Gainesville. For the fifth year in a row, it will design Noche de Gala for the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, and it decorated Emerson Hall for a Gator-themed Christmas party last year.
“Keith and his team are passionate about all the nonprofits they work with,” said Lesley Cox, administrative director at the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation. “He’s not just planning the event, he is also behind our mission and what we are doing. Noche de Gala is our signature fundraising event, and people always leave talking about it.”
Watson likes to have his hands on every event that passes through his company.
“My goal is to be at all of our events,” he said. “There are times that we have four or five spread around cities, but I have the best team in the Florida, and I trust them inexplicably.”
Apart from planning events in Gainesville, Keith Watson Productions also manages events across Florida, Washington D.C., Atlanta, New York City and Houston, among others.
For Watson, the goal for any occasion is to put the clients’ needs first and create a one-of-a-kind event.
“We really spend time thinking about the vision of the event and what the clients want their guests walking away with and talking about,” Watson said. “We think outside the box, and we work hard at not repeating themes. Our events stand out.”
Watson has as much passion for event planning as he did for performing in New York City.
“I absolutely love what I do,” Watson said. “I have a passion for quality, and I bring that quality to all our events. When I say we are the best, I mean it.”