John Daly

President
John Daly Inc., Santa Barbara, CA
www.jdalyinc.com    

BIO
Since the opening of his business in the mid-1970s, John has been on a steady rise to the top of the scale in the temporary environment design field. In fact, he has become known as the Guru of Special Event Design on an International level.  John and his company have traveled the world, designing and implementing creative, cutting-edge temporary environments. In his own words, John says, “he has worked for the best that demand the best”. In addition to his design background, John has owned and operated PRA Santa Barbara, and PRA Las Vegas, a destination management company. 

Over the years, John has had the pleasure of working with some of Hollywood’s most well known entertainers, celebrities, and others who are associated with the entertainment industry. Tom Cruise and Katie Holms called upon John to welcome the well known soccer football player David Beckham and his wife Victoria [ Posh|] to the United States in a Hollywood gala making the academy awards pale in comparison. They were so thrilled John was signed to do their first Open house for their new Beverly Hills mansion with a guest list that would WOW the most jaded of people. Will and Jada Smith also call upon John for their gala affairs of the greatest importance to them. Oprah as well as many other celebrities enjoy the magic John creates on a regular basis.  In addition, he has created events for past United States Presidents, as well as the State Department in Washington D.C. The Smithsonian Institute has also enjoyed his wizardry in design. When the Pope John Paul II made his North American tour, John was called upon to design the altar decor for the ceremonies, which were held at The Los Angeles Coliseum and Dodger Stadium. In the Corporate world, John has a list of client names that sound like a who's who in the business world boasting a full 25% of the Top 50 Fortune 100 companies as on-going clients.

John has been the proud receiver of many of the most prestigious awards given to individuals in his field. Year after year, he has either won, or has been nominated for the esteemed Gala Award, which is awarded every year for a multitude of categories. In 1995, John was awarded the distinguished “Gala Award of Excellence,” an award only previously given once. In August of 2002, John was inducted into the Event Hall of fame   For John, the recognition from his peers was one of the most rewarding experiences of his career.

John has been a part of the Special Events Industry for 46 years, and in addition, is a founding member and past Los Angeles Chapter president of ISES, the International Special Events Society.  He is also a founding member of the SEARCH Foundation, which assists in obtaining health services and support for individuals in the Special Events Industry. John served as chairperson for SEARCH from 1999 through 2002.  In 1993, John was recognized as a Certified Special Event Professional, CSEP. Finally, when John is not traveling for business or attending meetings for various foundations, he can be found speaking about the subject of the Art of Special Events.
 
In 2010, John founded The Key Class, an organization that teaches business etiquette and life skills to high school and college students to give them the competitive edge to obtaining jobs, advance in a career or gain college entrance.