Party People: How We Make Millions from Having Fun
Putting the ‘fun’ into the fundamentals of entrepreneurship
For millionaire David Jamilly, life’s one big party – literally. Now for the first time, the entrepreneur reveals how he and little sister Kim built up one of the UK’s leading event management companies from scratch.
Party People is the inside story of London-based Theme Traders, which for the last 21 years has been behind some of the capital’s biggest, brightest – and most memorable – parties.
Today, Theme Traders is a multi-million-pound events empire with some of the biggest celebrities and corporate brands on their books. The company has helped orchestrate events for the likes of Virgin, band Iron Maiden and even the Queen, for her 80th birthday.
It’s a far cry from the late 1980s when David and Kim, who both left school aged 15, were earning a crust by organising children’s parties dressed as a spaceman and red elephant.
With some hastily-found props, inspired ideas and a hell of a lot of hard work, the siblings quickly established their reputation as the premier purveyors of note-perfect parties, whether it be by design or happy accident!
For as David shares in this refreshingly-honest ‘warts-and-all’ read, success comes as much through mistakes and lessons learned, as first-time triumphs. The ability to think on your feet also helps, as one particular anecdote concerning a painted crocodile and an unexpectedly green-coloured swimming pool attests to.
David has a wealth of similar stories to share, along with invaluable hard-earned, practical insider tips on all aspects of party planning, making the book ideal for budding entrepreneurs, aspiring socialites and events management professionals alike.
David said: “Working in the exciting, ever-changing world of parties isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle, and I never stop feeling privileged to be part of it.
“Through Theme Traders, Kim and I have learned a fantastic amount about business, parties and ourselves and it’s a real buzz to be able to pass on some of that knowledge in this book.”
A unique mix of autobiography, business guide and events ideas book, Party People will inspire, inform and entertain in equal measure. Easy to read, hard to put down, the incredible story of Theme Traders takes in boom times and hard times, champagne highs and lay-off lows, to show how making your fortune can be great fun in the process.
Party People: How We Make Millions from Having Fun – the Inside Story of Britain’s Biggest Events Empire by David Jamilly and Tammy Cohen (Indepenpress Publications), is available now, priced £8.99. Visit: www.indepenpress.co.uk | Buy From Amazon
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David Jamilly co-founded Theme Traders, the renowned London-based party planning and prop hire company, in 1990. Growing up in the ’70s, he became heavily involved in theatre, music and throwing great parties. A philanthropist throughout his life, in 1988 David founded POD – a charity that now holds 2,500 parties a year in children’s hospital wards and hospices throughout the UK. Two years later, he founded Business Theme Traders, which is now a market leader worldwide. In 2010, David appeared on Channel 4 series Secret Millionaire. Party People is his first book.
