Getting Personal - Steve Kemble
Television personality and events guru focuses on staying relevant
Published in January 2010 Departments
Television personality and events guru focuses on staying relevant
Success doesn’t come easy in the events world. It takes hard work, long hours and dedication to make it, and the constantly changing styles and trends require an ever-steady finger on the pulse of the world. This is true even for renowned event planner and television host, Steve Kemble, owner of Dallas-based Steve Kemble Event Design.
Event Solutions managed to get him to sit still long enough to answer a few questions about his life, work and everything in between.
What was your first job? My first event job after college was doing campaign events for the U.S. Senate campaign of U.S. Congressman Jim Collins (Republican from Texas).
Who is your favorite musician of all time? Mick Jagger, I love his sense of style.
What event that you planned are you most proud of? The opening of Pioneer Plaza in downtown Dallas. I got to run more than 60 longhorn steers down the streets of downtown Dallas. It was amazing!
When flying, do you carry on or check your bags? Most of the time, I try to FedEx my bags. They pick them up at the house and deliver them to my hotel hassle-free, with no airline fees! If I do take my bags on a plane however, I check four bags and bring three carry-ons.
What is the last movie you saw? Father of the Bride. I love Martin Short as the wedding planner!
Which hotel do you most like to stay at? The Peninsula Chicago. The staff and service are unmatched anywhere in the world!
Do you have any pets? I have a West Highland Terrier named Jack and a Scottish Terrier named Ruby. They are the two most spoiled dogs in the world, but the unconditional love they give me every day is amazing!
Currently, who is your favorite musician? Keith Urban. I sat next to him on a plane and we talked all the way from Boston to L.A. Funny thing, I asked him what he had on his iPod and he said Coldplay, not country.
At what hotel do you most like to plan an event? The Ritz Paris.
Do you ever watch reruns of your television show? No, I am always too busy working on the next show.
What is your favorite dessert? Anything chocolate with a dollop of whipped cream.
What will be your New Year’s resolution? My New Year’s resolution is the same every year: to continue working on being a better person and to find and make the time to give back.
What is the best thing about being on television? Television has opened many doors for me in the expansion of my brand and has enabled me to meet a higher level of clients with bigger expectations for their events. I love challenges!
Are there drawbacks to being such a public figure? I am a fairly private person, other than my small inner circle. Being a public figure has exposed sides of me I’ve never shown to the outside world. Yet, I do understand and accept that this was my choice and comes with being a personality in television and radio.
What words of advice do you have for others in the event planning business? When you become successful, it is a daily challenge to stay successful. To stay successful, you need to constantly strive to be yourself and stay ever relevant.