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.
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