Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Burbank.
Hi Jennifer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started off as a Basket Baby. I was literally left in a basket at a church in Seoul, Korea, and raised in an orphanage for a year before I was adopted by an Italian-American family in Boston.
I graduated high school at 17 and was accepted into some of the best universities in Boston. Instead, I took out a student loan and headed to Florida State—which, at the time, was the number one party school in the nation. My priorities were party first, education second. But looking back, I was learning the ‘art of the party’ before I even knew it was a career.
After college, I landed a nightmare job in Miami as an advertising coordinator for a mail-order catalog. It had absolutely nothing to do with advertising, and I hated every second of it. Within a year, I relocated to San Salvador to serve as a Creative Director for a medicinal honey and health supplement company. It was an amazing experience because I had opportunities there that I never would have found in the States, but my real dream was to own my own business.
In 2003, I moved back to Miami and launched FNOM Recordings, a music entertainment company. I eventually began collaborating with The Womb, a multi-media broadcast company. You could see the DJs playing in the window as you walked down Washington and Lincoln Rd. I helped them launch KRIB.TV, their hip-hop counterpart, and produced a show called FNOM Worldwide where I’d go to events and interview performing artists.
In 2005, I interviewed The Digable Planets. They were talking about their European reunion tour, and as a fan of their music I just mentioned they should do a show in Miami. They said, ‘If you can make it happen, let’s go.’ I wasn’t expecting that response, and for some reason they just assumed that I had the capabilities to produce their show. At the time, I had absolutely no event planning experience. I just knew I wanted to do it and figured I was smart enough to find a way.
To fund it, I took out an equity line on my condo—which, of course, I would 100% advise against doing today. I booked the IO Lounge in the Arts District, which back then was a very sketchy neighborhood. I decided to throw the event during the Winter Music Conference, which catered to electronic music, not hip-hop. It went against the grain, but my gut said it would work. On the night of the show, the line wrapped around the entire block. It looked like a massive success, but I ended up losing a lot of money because we mismanaged the door. I was completely deflated because I worked so hard to make that event happen, but I came to the realization: no one in their right mind would have given a rookie that much responsibility. I was a one woman show that produced an event with no experience. It was an invaluable education from the school of hard knocks. I lost money, but I learned how to build an event from top to bottom because I took the risk.
I doubled down in 2006, scaling up to a hip-hop festival at Revolution Lounge in Fort Lauderdale. I figured since there were no hip-hop events during WMC in Lauderdale, it would be a slam dunk. I financed it with another equity line—again, not advisable—and worked day and night. The night of the event, I walked into a 3,000-capacity venue to find maybe 100 people. It was a complete embarrassment and I lost over $30,000, which was a lot of money to me at that time. It was a massive failure and I felt like my life was over, but it led to the headliner asking me to be his manager. That opened a door to a new chapter I never saw coming.
That opportunity took me to Vegas in 2006, where I reincorporated as FNOM Entertainment. We focused on artist management, talent booking, and events, booking everyone from Ice-T to Raekwon and Method Man. In 2007, I co-produced the City of LV Hip-Hop Culture Festival for at-risk youth. We had a star-studded lineup and Red Bull as a sponsor. But working with the city meant endless red tape; our promotions didn’t even get approved until two days before the festival. My heart sank when only 50 kids showed up to a 1,500-capacity plaza. Another disaster. I had called in every favor I had for an empty room. I started to doubt if events were even my calling, not realizing I’d just made a connection that would eventually lead to a long-term event partnership.
When the market crashed in 2008, I had three properties upside down. I was so far in debt I was forced into bankruptcy. I had zero savings and had to dissolve the company. It was a terrifying time, but I refused to take a 9-to-5. I studied the power of the subconscious mind and applied it to my daily life, slowly changing my world. I’d manifest a random project just in time to carry me over to the next month. For years, it felt like I was spinning my wheels, never knowing where the next paycheck was coming from.
The breakthrough finally came in 2012 when I produced the VIP parties for The D Hotel launch. It’s hard to believe it took me seven years to have my first real event success, but that set off a chain reaction. I incorporated FNOM Worldwide, my third company. That same year, FNOM became the Event Logistics Partner for Red Bull, thanks in part to the relationship I had made years prior at that ‘failed’ youth festival. We began producing the Official VIP Pre-Parties for Floyd Mayweather’s matches at the MGM Grand Arena from 2012 to 2016. Through those parties, I met Constellation Brands, and we began producing their annual Corona Super Bowl Party—which became their largest corporate party in Vegas. From there, business snowballed through word of mouth and referrals.
In 2020, the entrepreneurial rollercoaster took its most volatile turn yet. As the pandemic outlawed the event industry, my ‘life force’—and my revenue—hit a wall. For nearly two years, I maintained company overhead with zero incoming event income. This was a period of forced evolution. I treated the lockdown as a strategic pivot point, securing our Women-Owned and Minority-Owned Business Certifications and diversifying into emerging markets like crypto to stay ahead of the curve. I prepared for a world where events might never look the same, but when the world finally opened up again, the demand was unprecedented. By fortifying our infrastructure during the downtime, we were among the few ready to spring into action the moment the gates reopened. We have since scaled our staff and expanded our Las Vegas headquarters into a 15,000-square-foot facility, proving that in the event world, the best way to predict the future is to build the foundation to survive it.
This past October, everything came full circle. We officially took on the Event Logistics for Red Bull in the Miami market and set up a new facility in Doral. Today, we facilitate the needs of national clients on a bi-coastal basis. I’m proud to say that after starting in Miami all those years ago, we’ve finally come back with FNOM East Coast.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As mentioned above my life has been a rollercoaster! But I started out in a basket, and I’ve learned that in business—just like in life—it’s not about how you start out; it’s about having the perseverance to stay in the game until you finally get the win.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about FNOM Worldwide?
FNOM Worldwide is a full-service experiential events and logistics masterplanning agency serving some of the world’s most recognized consumer brands. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Las Vegas—with a newly opened Miami office—FNOM works on more than 200 events annually and is known for seamlessly integrating creative design and logistics to deliver large-scale brand experiences. The portfolio spans Super Bowl and Formula 1 activations, concerts, industry conventions, private corporate events, and large-scale brand experiences. FNOM provides end-to-end services, including creative direction, event design, logistics, production, and on-site execution, setting the standard for innovation, efficiency, and excellence in the industry. The Corona Gameday Super Bowl series has featured performances and appearances by 50 Cent, Ludacris, Nelly, Lil Jon, Steve-O and Jerry Rice, among others, as well as official Mayweather pre-parties at the MGM Grand Garden Arena attended by celebrities like Magic Johnson, Dave Chappelle and Denzel Washington.
In a field historically dominated by men, FNOM is a woman owned national event logistics firm. “I believe more women should be in this business”. “We’re natural communicators, organizers, and planners—skills that give us an edge in both creative strategy and operational execution.”
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What do you like best about our city?
What I love most today is the cultural maturity the city has finally stepped into. When I left in 2006, it felt like a ‘small town’ that just happened to have big buildings and a beach—it was beautiful, but it lacked the artistic and intellectual layers it has now. Today, seeing the growth of the Design District, the evolution of Wynwood, and the gravity of Art Basel—it makes Miami a world-class contender. For someone in event logistics, the infrastructure has finally caught up to the ambition. It’s no longer just a ‘beach party town’; it’s a global stage.
What do you like least about our city?
The logistical friction is the toughest part. Between the traffic and that intense summer rain and humidity, you’re always in a battle with the elements. Having spent so much time in Vegas now, I got spoiled by the dry heat and the fact that you rarely have to deal with mosquitos. Coming back to Miami, I can’t wear perfume or scented products! As an event professional, it’s something you always have to plan for—you can have the most beautiful outdoor setup, but if you don’t account for the elements, the experience suffers. You definitely have to develop a thick skin—and a lot of patience—to thrive here.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fnomworldwide.com
- Instagram: @fnomworldwide
- Twitter: @fnomworldwide
Image Credits
Bronson Loftin – Bio Pic
The rest are selfies/my own phone.
