When it comes to event planning, there aren’t many companies better equipped to create a one-of-a-kind experience than KB Creative Group. Operated by Khaleel Garcia, who serves as producer, and Bernard Love, who serves as creative director, the Atlanta-based production and special event coordination team specializes in artistic and creative direction. The company does work for some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. Their portfolio includes singers Melanie Fiona and Bobby V, apparel businessman Antonio Brown, and a slew of others.
Rolling out picked the brains of the creative figures at KB Creative Group and gathered insight on how the team remains at the top of their industry.
What is the mission of your business?
KB Creative Group is a production and special event coordination team that specializes in artistic and creative direction. The creativity, dedication and superlative work ethic at KB Creative Group makes each project a successful priority. Our goal is to leave a lasting and inspiring
impression on anything we attach to.
Describe your creative process in your business.
Our creative process always starts with us writing down the things we want to accomplish creatively, then what inspires us. Whether it’s a commercial, or a high fashion editorial spread, the concept always comes first and then we custom fit it to the scope of current projects.
What motivates you to be in your industry?
We are motivated to be in the entertainment and production industry mostly by the following:
- Motivating others
- The level of skill and attention to detail behind production
- The high demand in the entertainment & production industry in Atlanta, GA
What are the key technology business factors that are changing in your industry?
In the creative business we are in, companies are mostly getting booked on references through word-of-mouth, which is the fastest changing technology factor, especially with social media being on the forefront of all advertisements.
What are your favorite software programs you utilize for your business and why?
Some of our favorite creative software programs to use are: Photoshop and Adobe programs, Lightroom, Illustrator, Premier Pro and Effects. These programs enable us to “create,” making us innovators in our industry through our own creativity. From the business side of the house, we stick to the basics with Microsoft programs such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. These programs enforce our vision to stay clear through organization. We connect to the media and production industry through Cision, which is a database warehouse that enables us countless outlets of press and media connections that we are able to collaborate with for various types of artistic and creative direction.
Describe the social media strategy for promoting your business.
Our creative team created a “rollout” plan to drive website traffic up on our business website by captioning with each photo posted, “click the link in my bio,” utilizing the social media outlets Instagram and Facebook. Placing our website in the biography of our social media page profiles enforces a barrier to the public that shows we are about business. We also incorporated strategic changes in the way and times we post our work on social media, to adjust to what is known as “prime time” slots in the media world of posting.
Name three role models who inspire you in your industry.
Devon Franklin, former senior vice president of Columbia Pictures and executive at MGM Studio and currently CEO/President of Franklin Entertainment. Will Packer, who started Will Packer Productions and is more than likely the most successful Black producer of all time.
Lifestyle beauty expert Ming Lee. We’ve known her for a very long time and to see her progressions and success all done independently is truly inspiring and motivating.
Share two national brands that have a creative approach to business that keep them seen as a trend setter and leader in their industry. Please give examples with each creative approach.
We choose Ford as a national brand that has a creative approach to business and seen as a trend setter in their industry for quite a few reasons. When Ford announced producer and actor Boris Kodjoe as their new spokesman for their new model lineup, it changed the demographic for Ford to a whole other realm of consumer in the entertainment and production industry. Then, Ford became title sponsor on Fox’s number one viewed TV show, “American Idol.” Ford changed the technology in all the new vehicles, making them one of the most innovative vehicles on the road, with talk to text messages through the sync system.
We choose Google as our other national brand that has a creative approach to business and is seen as a trendsetter in their industry for a list of reasons as well. Google is the most visited website in the world! Any and all businesses that are accessible by the web are accessed through Google’s database. Google continually updates their databases and system and is extremely user friendly and innovative with changing the search engine pictures/gifs to match the season, time or year, events and/or holidays.
Name three creative icons that influence your approach to business and life.
Michael Jackson – His productions — whether it was a music video, concert or live performance — have always been influential to almost anyone in the creative world. He heavily influences a great deal of our live productions. His 1993 Super Bowl Halftime Show is by far the start of on-air spectacles. He was the first major artist to perform, and brought more views to the halftime show than the actual game. Also, two hours after his performance, his album Dangerous shot to the top 10 of the Billboard charts. This was before downloading, when one had to go out and purchase the actual album.
Hype Williams – He is one of the most influential directors of all time. He has been responsible for some of the most prolific music videos since 1994. Some of his work includes “California Love” by Tupac, “No Scrubs” by TLC, “Rock the Boat” by Aaliyah, and “Video Phone” by Beyoncé ft. Lady Gaga, just to name a few. He has three signature styles that he uses in his filming playing with different focuses and lenses, including use of the fisheye lens.
Yves Saint Laurent – Undisputedly the most prolific and influential designer in modern fashion history. He was the first designer to use non-European cultural references and showcase non-White models. He started classic trends such as the women’s tuxedo suit and mixed couture designer with ready-to-wear effortlessly. A true creative genius.
Describe industry conferences that you attend and why.
NAB Show in Las Vegas this spring. This conference is usually the home of the unveiling of the latest cameras and products. The American Film Market & Conference in Santa Monica, which is a great place to network with distributors. Sundance Film Festival in Utah to gain inspiration for an upcoming film and documentary we are in pre-production for. All of these conferences, along with training, will aid us in our next step of production and film making.
Describe your creative collaborations and importance of collaboration.
We collaborate with an armament of special groups of children through a division of KB Creative Group we created called KB Creative Kids. This division focuses on the importance of collaborating with special groups of youth through arts and crafts projects/workshops. We are proudly sponsored by the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and The Home Depot. The importance of collaboration between our three companies is most important for these youth to promote team building and collaborating in groups at a young age.
One of our most recent influential collaborations was with Luxury Footwear Brand LVL XIII (Level 13). CEO Antonio Brown has given us a platform unlike anyone else to showcase our special event production skills. We have done two major production showcases for his brand and worked on the most recent ad campaign, serving as creative directors alongside Creative Denn (NY). Collaborating with this brand was most fulfilling because of the way it ties charity organizations into the scope of production, creating the foundation of “giving back” to the community.
Anthony Supreme of RedAudio Filmz – This professional creative genius cross educated our team with industry knowledge in video production. These creative collaborations were most important as it lead us through our evolution in video production. Most creatives get their inspiration from other creatives. The saying “Two heads are better than one” serves very true in our line of work.
Finish the sentences:
Creativity is … being inspired to be different. Creativity starts with a vision and comes to fruition once it’s written.
The creative cultural of my company is … to pull from nostalgic moments in time to create even more remarkable memories.
Style and creativity are … combined forces that create one’s aesthetic.
Our creative voice can be seen and heard … through our website, www.kb-creativegroup.com, and the many community websites that we collaborate with through projects and outreach initiatives.
Subscribe to the KB Creative Group website, www.kb-creativegroup.com, for updates on special events in February &and March 2016. Follow the company on social media @KB_OfficialBiz and @The_BernardLove.
