President & Founder Howard Givner is the President and Founder of Paint The Town Red, Inc., a top New York special events & meeting planning firm that handles over 400 events a year, from meetings for 30 people to mega events for 6,000. Since its inception in 1988, the company has worked on over 5,000 events. He has been quoted or profiled in over 24 different publications and newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, Time Out NY, USA Today, New York Magazine, Fast Company, Inside Edition, Ladies Home Journal, & Crains NY Business, for having his finger on the pulse of the meetings and events industry. He has even appeared as a guest on The Apprentice. Howard serves on the Advisory Board of Special Events Magazine, the international trade publication that is the standard bearer for the event industry. As a recognized expert in special events, Howard is a regular columnist in Meeting News, Special Events Magazine, The Meeting Planners’ Handbook and other industry periodicals on the subject of event planning. Column topics have included: Gauging Capacity in Alternative Venues Hiring Off-Premise Caterers Logistics of Layout and Crowd Flow Making Events Work in Lofts Planning Company Holiday Parties Event Planners’ Guide to Surviving a Recession Dealing with Difficult Clients Speaking engagements & appearances have included: Meeting World: Seminar: “Contingency Planning for Special Events” The Apprentice: Episode 12: “Renting Out the Penthouse for a Special Event” MPI / NYAMA: Seminar: “Making Your Event Unique” Meeting World: Seminar: “Challenges & Rewards of Alternative Venues” Bizbash: Panelist: “A Day in the Life of an Event Planner” Nat’l Public Radio: Commentator: “Republican National Convention’s Impact on City Events.” Inside Edition: Guest Commentator: “9/11’s Impact on Events” WCBS Radio: Guest Commentator: “Trends in Corporate Events” WCBS Radio: Joe Connelly’s Business Report: “Small Business Sales Tactics” Court TV: Guest Commentator: “How to Avoid Event Disasters” Howard holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife and two children reside in Westchester. Aside from event planning, his interests include hiking, ice climbing and writing.