GBK Productions Gives Founder Gavin Keilly a Chance to Make a Difference

Gavin B. Keilly—founder of GBK Productions and the Official Celebrity Gift Bags LLC—knew that he wanted to work in philanthropy. After serving as philanthropy chair at his fraternity at Sonoma State University, he graduated and worked for a telecommunications company before becoming a financial advisor. From there, Keilly thought about what he wanted to do with his life and knew, “I wanted to make a difference, I wanted to help others but didn’t want to be a martyr in the process,” Keilly told LAsThePlace.com.

After working with City of Hope, Keilly launched GBK Productions, a company that began as a place to produce charity events and became a company that would be “helping organizations take their charities to the next level, fundraising, building their board, teaching a charity to not be a non-profit, but actually be a profitable company…”says Keilly.

He also began incorporating celebrities into his causes and ventures, the first being reality TV personality Sharon Osbourne. He actually helped the “America’s Got Talent” star start her Colon Cancer Program, and at an event, her famed rocker husband Ozzie Osbourne was photographed with a particular brand watch in his mouth.

“It was product placement, and so that’s how we started doing these gift lounges,” Keilly said. He explained that the celebrities coming to the lounges are photographed with particular brands, and those photos are used to promote the product through the internet and the client’s own website.

Another one of his first client’s was the one and only iconic musician Elton John. Keilly helped him with his annual Oscar event, and from there, doors opened.

“We started figuring out ways to think outside of the box, leverage relationships and teach nonprofits how they can tap into their resources to raise the most money possible,” Keilly revealed.

What just began in 2001 has grown into a large and well-known business for Keilly, and GBK Productions also has a GBK Weddings business.

“At the end of the day, we really try to help the organization, whoever it might be, take their business to the next level by incorporating a celebrity,” Keilly explained of GBK. “For better or worse, depending on how you want to look at it, celebrities sell and garner a tremendous amount of exposure for a brand.”

That’s where the exclusive gifting suites come in. Specific products, celebrities and media are invited to the events where all parties receive a chance to mix and mingle, celebrities are allowed a chance to discover new things and the product companies are given a nice amount of exposure upon celebrity endorsement.

One company actually did about 10 events with GBK in one year and found the press they received as a result garnered $2.1 million ROI.

“At the end of the day, for me, I can look at myself in the mirror and know that when I charge a client to participate in my events, they really are getting a tremendous return on their investment,” Keilly said.

One of the most recent events that GBK was a part of was the BET Awards gifting suite, where one product—Adult Chocolate Milk—participated and received ample exposure.

“Ludacris literally loved [Adult Chocolate Milk] so much that he wrote a song about it and is now agreeing to be on their billboards, promoting their brand new product for free,” Keilly said.

And like Keilly explained, “for better or worse,” celebrities sell, and he promises that his events will only have the top tier personalities for his clients.

“The one thing that we want to focus on is letting the best of the best celebrities into our gift lounges, which celebrities are going to generate press for our sponsors, because again we just want them to see that they got a substantial return on their investment,” he explained. “We try to take our events to the premiere level and always be the best gift lounge out there.”

When a charity is involved in an event, Keilly said that organization receives a percentage of the profits and several perks, an aspect of the company that he said other gifting suites have begun imitating, which he’s happy about, because it helps the charities.

Coming up next for Keilly are several events, including a substantial one in November for the CNN Honors Awards by Anderson Cooper, highlighting the Top 10 Humanitarians of the year.

“To me, that’s more exciting than doing the Oscars. Gifting the people that are really making a difference in the world and helping others,” Keilly commented. “[GBK] has given more to charity than any other gifting lounge out there.”

GBK Productions is also LA’s The Place #1 Top Pick in the Gifting Suites category for 2010.

For more information, visit GBK Productions at www.gbkproductions.com.

You can read about some of GBK’s many great charity gift suites here in LAsThePlace.com