Teenage party planner produces MTV-esque events

May 12, 2009

One Kentucky teenager is proving that with enough creativity and party planning skills, anyone can put on a successful and professional-looking event.

Seventeen-year-old Eric Burse conceived and produces the Verizon Wireless Illumination Derby Ball specifically for teens, which is an official Kentucky Derby Festival event with corporate sponsors, the Courier-Journal.com reports.

"You see all these events on MTV like '(My Super) Sweet 16' and all these big huge celebrity affairs, but what if we had our own Derby event exclusively for teens the same caliber as the Grand Gala and Barnstable Brown party and Mint Jubilee?" Burse told the news provider about how he came up with the idea.

Last year the teen ball greeted its guests with a celebrity party theme with a red carpet, which included photographers and reporters. However, he also found a way to incorporate a buffet table and a scavenger hunt, a staple party game.

While Burse may have had a bigger budget than most, party planners interested in mimicking the exquisite events they see on television can use certain party decorations and creative lighting to make it a reality.