Armed with 16 years of sales experience and a business card that reads “Event Planner/Nightlife PR,” Jamie Hess has earned a place on Washington Life’s “The Young & The Guest List.” He plans corporate and private functions and promotes events at downtown clubs like Play Lounge, Tattoo and Indebleu.
How have you prepared for your career?
I’ve been in sales my whole life, which is really what I’m doing now— before I was selling services and products, now I’m selling an experience. It’s all about trying to figure out what the customer wants and providing it for them.
In January you were dubbed “King of the Velvet Rope” by Washingtonian magazine. How’d that make you feel?
Well, it was flattering, but there are quite a few people who are higher up than me in the D.C. nightlife “royalty.” I’m actually a fairly humble and low-key guy. Lots of people notice that at my own parties I usually just sit in the corner.
Who have been some of the more interesting people you’ve met?
Lionel Ritchie. He was hilarious because he would only drink ice-cold champagne. We had to put it all on ice hours before he arrived.
What separates the D.C. social scene from the rest?
D.C. Is a lot closer of a community than other cities. Compared to all other cities that are transient [like D.C.], the nightlife population here has stayed very consistent. The people get along, and it’s a lot closer. If you go out to a bar in New York four Fridays in a row, you’ll see four different crowds. Here, you’d see the same crowd.
If you could give one word of entrepreneurial advice, what would it be?
Leave the ego at home, listen to the customers, and deliver what they want. Not what you think they should want.
