Published: Monday, November 8, 2004
LYNNWOOD - Terry
Quick often lives up to his last name, as he did last week to pull together
several events to mark the opening of Alderwood mall's new shopping areas.
By Thursday
afternoon, he was hoping to sneak in a nap. But he also was in a good mood: The
day's opening ceremony went off well.
All it took was
planning that began in late September and countless hours of preparation and
setting up.
"When it's all
done, it will last maybe 10 minutes," Quick said.
But as president of
Entco International, he's used to that. The professional conference and events
firm, based in Lynnwood, specializes in planning and producing everything from
concerts to corporate parties and grand opening spectacles.
The firm also
represents some entertainers, including a range of musicians and a stable of
celebrity look-alikes ranging from Elvis Presley to Bill Gates and Ozzy
Osbourne.
Despite the stress
involved in pulling together big events, Quick said the variety keeps it fun.
"Someone once
asked me what job I wanted to do, and I said the day something becomes a job, I
want to quit," the Mill Creek resident said.
Quick got started
in events planning after years in the entertainment business. He first played
in small bands while growing up in Montana in the late 1950s and early '60s.
From there, he got into booking, then managing and producing shows.
He started Entco 18
years ago and has since built an international clientele.
"The secret to
this business is planning, good contacts and having people trust you, and also
being detail-oriented," Quick said.
The challenge, he
said, is to produce an event that meets the client's expectations, budget and
deadlines.
Locally, Entco has
annually produced a children's parade at Bellevue Square on the day after
Thanksgiving. The company also works often with events at the Washington State
Convention and Trade Center in Seattle.
For the opening of
The Village at Alderwood on Thursday, Entco worked with the mall's owners and
managers to plot out what entertainment they wanted and then figured out how to
make a dramatic opening ceremony.
The result, for the
14,000 to 20,000 shoppers who saw it, was a dramatic curtain opening at the
main entrance to the mall's addition. As that occurred, an ensemble of Asian
drummers and flute players began playing from a stage high above the crowd.
The few moments of
entertainment involved arranging everything from making sure the city of
Lynnwood's fire marshal was happy with the plans to coordinating the setup of
the stage and making arrangements with subcontractors. In all, between 50 and
100 people were involved with the entertainment, which continued all weekend at
the mall.
Though thousands of
people probably enjoyed the different acts and events, few knew Entco was
responsible. That's good, Quick said.
"You do an
event like that, something goes wrong, and everybody knows your name," he
said.
But if everything
goes as it should, few will know who arranged it all.
Neil Morris,
Entco's specialist in artist management and special events, said he doesn't
mind staying behind the scenes.
"The rewarding
part is the end of the night when the guy comes up and thanks you because
you've made him look really good," Morris said.
Reporter Eric
Fetters: 425-339-3453 or fetters@heraldnet.com.