Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Booth.
Hi Jeffrey, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been (unofficially) putting together events for as long as I can remember. What started in college as a way to pay the rent by throwing parties for $5/cup eventually morphed into various full-fledged businesses. While I was putting together smaller events before this date, my first official large-scale event was in the Fall of 2006, which started my junior year of college at the University of Albany. I majored in business, concentrating in finance and marketing, but I excelled in marketing, which was a perfect fit for throwing events. I can still remember the line down the entire street to get into the party at my house that Fall, as I probably had to turn away 200 people. I thought I would get a ticket for some violation, like blocking the sidewalk or a noise ordinance, but I never did. I probably put together another 6 to 8 events in college, and I didn’t know it then, but I was getting valuable real-world experience.
My goal was to always go into finance/Wall Street. Still, having graduated in 2008 in the middle of the largest financial collapse in history, this path wasn’t likely for me anymore. After being in limbo for about 6 months trying to figure out what to do (the job market was horrible then), I had an idea to help other people find jobs. I knew demand was high, and creating a service for these people could be successful. I taught myself multiple coding languages (I’ve always been a fast learner) and coded an entire job/social networking platform from scratch. While it ultimately wasn’t successful, this again taught me valuable skills such as social media, digital marketing, SEO, and web development that I would need in the future.
At this point, I decided to move to Charleston, SC (my sister already lived there) to escape those 6 month winters in New York. I got a job running a large e-commerce site for a local company, where I became an expert in social media, digital marketing, and web development. In 2013, I started a digital marketing business doing precisely these things, but I still didn’t find this work very fulfilling as I found these trades very isolating. After meeting more people in Charleston, I began throwing events again with mostly just friends. I enjoyed doing this, and with social media blowing up during this time and the skills I had already acquired, it was a perfect storm.
I started a local kickball league with a friend in 2015, which satisfied the social aspect I was missing in my other work. About two years later, in mid-2017, I started an event company (Blue Steel Promotions) that focused on smaller-scale events, working with local bars and restaurants. Fast forward to 2023, and I started a full-fledged large-scale immersive events company (Red Devil Events), bringing unique experiences to the Charleston and Tampa markets. Later, in 2023, I also launched a nonprofit (Crawls for Paws) focusing on smaller-scale events as I did with Blue Steel, giving it all back to the community!
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
It definitely could have been smoother. My biggest weakness is being too trusting of people; as a result, I have been taken advantage of by people I have worked with previously. However, I’ve found it’s best not to dwell on it, and everything is a learning experience. The best you can do is avoid making the same mistakes again!
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Red Devil Events?
Red Devil Events focuses on large-scale immersive events. The goal is to make someone feel like they’ve walked into a different world, like walking into a movie, when they walk into an event. My favorite part is visualizing and planning these events and marketing them. I do not like sitting out in 100-degree heat for hours trying to put up decor and props, but you have to do it sometimes! I’m known for my marketing ability and outside-the-box thinking. Some of the best compliments I’ve ever received were before an upcoming event I had even taken place. Many people message me saying things like “Your marketing team is phenomenal,” or “How do I get a job with your marketing team? Best I’ve ever seen”. Little do these people know, it is just me doing everything now. Those compliments make me feel great and like I connect with my audience. Brand-wise, I’m most proud of throwing 3 (yes, 3!) large-scale events within 2 weeks of each other in 2 different states (Florida and South Carolina). These events were the infamous Barbie Parties in St Pete, Tampa, and Charleston. The Barbie Party was my first large-scale event under Red Devil Events, and the outpouring of support and compliments was incredible. The event was also featured in a national publication, Page Six! I want readers to know that I’m always working my hardest to make sure they have an enjoyable time at my events. The world is so depressing nowadays I will always try my hardest to let my customers escape reality for at least a few hours. If you’ve never been to a Red Devil event, please give us a try!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
This will sound extremely ironic, but the most surprising thing that most people don’t know about me is that I’m introverted. I know. It’s a perfect fit for putting on events with 1,000+ people. LOL. It’s true, though. If you see me at one of my events, I likely will only be talking to a small group of people (even if I’m in a crisis). I prefer to sit back and let everyone enjoy themselves! I also love animals. Elephants and turtles are my favorite, but I also love dogs. This is why I started my nonprofit (Crawls for Paws), which donates to helping animals in need.Also, people often ask me where the name Red Devil Events came from. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not because of a devilish theme/people misbehaving/having fun/etc; it’s named after my dog, Mikko! He’s a Vizsla (like a red/orange GSP) and is a devil. If you look at my logo closely, his face is hidden in the logo!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://reddevilevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reddevilevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devilparty
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RedDevilEvents
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@reddevilevents
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@reddevilevents
Image Credits
Reese Moore, Rook Barber, Justin Falk
