About
Debby Rasson
- Trained
- NYU, Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, B.S. Event Management (2023)
- Worked in
- New York, Milan, Los Angeles
- At Mastercard
- 650+ events a year, up to 500 guests
Debby Rasson studied hospitality and event management and has spent the past five years on the operations side of events: the schedule for the day, the vendors, the venue, setup and breakdown, from the first venue search to the last guest heading home. At Mastercard she managed more than 650 events a year, and today she runs operations for Los Angeles venues including Savanna Rooftop and The Lillian. She has led staffing, logistics and operations on events for Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, American Express, Condé Nast, Vince Camuto and Barstool, and on premieres for HBO, Hulu and Peacock.
Her story
01 Studio 525, New York
On the floor
Her title was marketing, but on event nights she was on the floor: managing the space, handling vendors and keeping the day on schedule.
For your eventSomeone who has kept a busy night running on time while guests arrive, food goes out and the music starts.
02 David Stark Design and TERRAEVENTS, New York and Milan
Production
As a production assistant at David Stark Design, an event design studio in New York, she worked on production and project management. The same year she coordinated events at TERRAEVENTS in Milan.
For your eventShe knows how a room gets set, what has to arrive when, and how to keep a plan on track once the day starts.
03 Cushman & Wakefield, New York
Big days, many moving parts
As an event manager she ran more than 50 large on-site productions: planning, staffing, vendors and building logistics like access and deliveries. She was the main contact for clients and staff, and kept the paperwork straight, from contractor invoices to insurance certificates.
For your eventOne clear point of contact, and nothing slips through the cracks on the paperwork.
04 Mastercard, New York
End to end
For nearly two years she managed more than 650 events a year at Mastercard’s New York Tech Hub, for groups of up to 500. She coordinated room setups, furniture, signage, catering, sound and lighting, security and outside vendors, and was on site from setup to breakdown. She also ran offsite programs for 100+ VIP guests, and built the intake forms, calendars and checklists that kept it all organized.
For your eventShe knows what to ask a venue or vendor before you sign, and how to keep the host in the loop without piling on work.
05 Don’t Be Sour, Los Angeles
The venue side
Since March 2026 she has been Director of Operations for Don’t Be Sour, running day-to-day operations across its Los Angeles venues, including Savanna Rooftop and The Lillian. She manages events from booking to the post-event recap, leads the sound and lighting, security, cleaning and bar teams, and wrote the venues’ operations manuals. She also works on floor plans and capacity planning, and handles insurance certificates, contractors and setup and breakdown.
For your eventShe knows what a venue will ask you for, like insurance paperwork and setup times, and takes care of it before it becomes a surprise.
06 Designed by Debby, Los Angeles
Your event
Her own company plans birthdays, bat mitzvahs, holiday parties, themed events and private celebrations, and coordinates the day for hosts who have planned their own.
For your eventOne person who has handled every piece of this before: the venue, the vendors, the floor plan and the schedule for the day.
The record
2026 to now
Director of Operations
Don’t Be Sour (Savanna Rooftop, The Lillian), Los Angeles
2024 to 2025
Senior Analyst, Events and Experience Management
Mastercard, New York
2023
Event Manager
Cushman & Wakefield, New York
2023 to 2024
Production Assistant
David Stark Design, New York
2023
Event Management Coordinator
TERRAEVENTS, Milan
2021 to 2022
Marketing Associate
Studio 525, New York
Education
B.S. Event Management, 2023
New York University, Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality
How it goes
1
A first conversation
What the first call covers.
What this involves
- A relaxed call about the basics: the date, a rough guest count, the kind of event and the feel you want.
- What you want Debby to take on and what you would rather handle yourself.
- A comfortable budget range, so her ideas fit it from the start.
- Afterward, Debby follows up with how she would approach it and a quote.
2
The plan
The timeline, the venue and the vendors worth trusting.
What this involves
- Finding and booking the venue, or working with the one you already have.
- Choosing vendors: food, rentals, music, decor and entertainment. Debby brings options she trusts; you make the calls.
- Setting the overall look and a timeline of what gets booked when.
3
The details
Everything that happens before the day.
What this involves
- Regular check-ins as the day gets closer, so you always know where things stand.
- Vendor contracts, deliveries, floor plan, guest flow and kids’ activities.
- In the final weeks: confirming every vendor, arrival and setup times, and a written schedule for the day.
4
The day
Who is there, and what they handle.
What this involves
- Debby arrives before anyone else and oversees setup.
- She is the contact for every vendor, so nobody comes to you with a question.
- She keeps the day on schedule, handles anything unexpected, and stays through breakdown.
- You get to be a guest at your own event.