www.masbakersfield.com

Iconic clients make IKON the ultimate special events company

larger view

As the business name suggests, the people behind IKON EVENTS — a special events planning company — aim to make an “iconic” impression on all their clients and prospective clients.
Two former Lamont residents, Kenneth Hall and Daniel Carrillo, started the family-owned business two years ago.
Hall is the creative director and designer, while Carrillo works behind the scenes as the company’s construction specialist.
Later, Carrillo’s sister, Irene Mendoza-Terrazas moved back to the Bakersfield area from San Diego and joined the IKON EVENTS team as its bookkeeper and Hall’s administrative assistant.
Many of the trio of 30-something’s family members are also recruited to pitch in on tasks, so it truly is a family-owned business, according to its owners.
IKON EVENTS hopes to become a company synonymous with the best of the best when it comes to creating a spectacular, unique look for that special occasion — whatever it might be.
“Anytime anyone even thinks the words — corporate event, party, celebration, wedding, quinceañera, even funeral — we want to be the first name that they think of,” said Irene Mendoza-Terrazas.
She and Hall were among the 25 vendors who participated in the MÁS Quinceañera Expo 2009 June 14 at East Hills Mall.
Hall decorated the stage used as the Expo’s fashion runway and provided general design for the event’s entire “look.”
The pair also manned their own vendor booth that featured a wide variety of floral designs, tablescapes, lighting options and sample color schemes — all visual elements created by Hall so potential clients could get a better idea of what IKON EVENTS offers.
One of the displays incorporated an all fuschia and black-and-white polka dot theme — including balloons attached to the chairs  — to show how IKON EVENTS can transform a plain dinner table for 8-10 into a classic, yet fresh look.
“This pink & black table design shows what we refer to as an ‘elegant, yet young’ feel — since we’re here for a quinceañera event, we wanted to show people an option where the teen girl and her mother could meet in the middle,” said Mendoza-Terrazas, a mother herself to three daughters and one son on the way.
Another display took the elegance factor a bit further with its pewter flatware and plate chargers, along with an overflowing burst of flowers as a multi-level centerpiece.
That creative centerpiece — with its bright orange Gerber daisies thrown in to keep the “fun” in the floral — is what keeps the overall look from getting too stuffy, according to Mendoza-Terrazas.
And the varying heights of the floral design were accomplished via a typical example of Hall’s penchant for seeing everyday items in an out-of-the-box way. The device that made those multi-levels possible: Grandma Hall’s silver pie holder.
This is just another example of Hall’s creative juices and how he finds the extraordinary in the ordinary.
“Clients never get anything stale with us,” said Hall, who attributes his eclectic design style to living his adult life in different parts of the U.S., including Washington D.C., Delaware and Chicago, and seeing a wide range of creative interpretations.
“Why would I want to design something you’ve seen a million times before? IKON is about finding a new look for every event, to customize it for the person at the center of that event — I try to get in their mind, find out their personality,” he added.
Making the client happy is the No. 1 goal for IKON EVENTS — and so far, so good.
In fact, Hall keeps in touch with his former bridal clients, often hearing back from them post-reception.
“They will send me a note letting me know that everything looked just the way they wanted and more — that means a lot to me, my clients mean a lot to me,” Hall said. “For me, they become like family.”
Also family for Hall, of course, are his grandparents Ken and Barbara Hall, who raised him.
Ken Hall is a longtime professional photographer in Bakersfield, so it would appear that the creative genes certainly run in the family.
As just a young boy, Hall would accompany his grandfather to weddings where he, too, would shoot photos and develop an eye for those visual cues.
“But he definitely has his own style,” said Barbara Hall of her grandson’s present-day line of work.
Especially in these tougher economic times, the staff at IKON EVENTS is mindful of the budget constraints their clients face and make their rates very competitive as a result. They even offer payment plans.
“We want everyone to look to us to make their occasion even more special. We want Bakersfield to know that with IKON, not only will they get fair pricing, but our service will also be superb, always with their interests in mind,” said Mendoza-Terrazas.
Hall agreed, saying his clients’ wishes become his commands.
“Planning an event, designing the look — that doesn’t revolve around me, that revolves around the client,” said Hall, who offered a recent 8 p.m. consultation appointment with a client because of her hectic work schedule. “I work around my client’s schedule, which becomes my schedule.”
Of course, for people who love to create, it all comes back to breaking through those artistic barriers, making a vision come to life.
Mendoza-Terrazas sees this on a regular basis in Hall.
“Kenneth wants to live his passion — he is a creative genius and to get paid to create and do what he loves is just icing on the cake,” she said. “He really wants to be able to create beauty, and the grander the scale, the better.”
How iconic …

IKON EVENTS
Now located in East Hills Mall
Free consultations
Phone:
661-578-2224
661-345-1309
661-903-0278
e-mail: ikoneventsinfo@gmail.com