Raul, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Short story: 2R Creative was started 18 years ago simply by one day me saying “I can do that,” and 18 years later here I am!
Long Story: At 19 years old, I had a part-time job working at the local Structure store in Dadeland Mall. Under my responsibilities fell any time we lent clothes out for TV or events. One day I had the idea to do a Fashion show at FIU to promote our fall collection.
I was a student there at the time, and I used the fraternity & sorority students as models in the show and made it a fundraiser for the United Way. After two successful shows, the university offered me the job of director of student events. Working at the university, I went up the ranks and was soon doing events for the president and the board of trustees.
People outside of the university started to see my work, and I began to get job offers on the side designing and producing events. Finally, the outside demand was great enough for me to quit the university and begin my own company with the university as one of my clients; thus 2R was born.
After ten years of designing and producing events, I launched my second company, Lavish Event Rentals as the premier luxury furniture rental company in Miami. I had accumulated so much furniture for my events in those ten years that I figured a company dedicated to renting them out was a logical and easy step.
Eight years after that, I have launched my third company, Accent Luxury Rentals. Accent is a tableware rental company dedicated to renting the highest end tableware (Versace, Hermes, Tiffany, Baccarat, Christofle) for private or corporate events. All the companies are based in Miami and work/ship nationwide…
Has it been a smooth road?
I do have to say, I have been very lucky and very blessed. Things have happened organically for me over the years without too many roadblocks.
The biggest challenges are always how we maintain the quality and control of our product when we are working out of state or out of the country.
Luckily, we have developed an extensive network of suppliers and subcontractors that we work with and rely on to help us achieve our client’s needs.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the 2R Creative story. Tell us more about the business.
We are 2R Creative, an event production/ creative concepts company. Although we have the capability to work on every kind of event, we have been specializing mostly in the luxury corporate field.
We do everything from completely conceptualizing and fabricating the launch of a new product to designing store windows and installations to designing and fabricating just one specific piece for a clients event. We are known for our cutting-edge/trend-setting design and approach to events.
What sets us apart is that we are one of the few companies with in-house capabilities. We control every aspect of the product from beginning to end which allows us to respond quickly to last-minute request and changes as well as ensure the quality stays consistent throughout.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
This industry is ever changing. It is based on change and evolution. Technology will be a leading factor in that. Drones will play a bigger role as will holograms and 3D printing.
I also see things getting more detailed and customizable. It isn’t just about a table and a chair anymore, its what kind of legs does the chair have, what fabric is the cushion, what’s the texture on the tablecloth, whats the stitching like, etc., etc…
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