Professional event planner Russell Lefebvrehas spent his life envisioning, designing and ultimately creating extraordinary entertainment experiences. Today with IMI, he continues to build on that legacy of luxury, one exquisite party at a time.

By Heidi Coryell Williams

Nestled along the edge of vibrant Cabo San Lucas, on one of the area's most swimmable beaches, stood the site of IMI Event Planner Russell Lefebvre's next great event. Many of his crucial supplies were not readily available, and in even shorter supply was time to ready for the grand event. It's difficult to imagine how one would begin to transform this empty, cinnamon shoreline into an upscale and all-together avant-garde venue.

Transformation, however, is Lefebvre's specialty. After countless hours on the phone and many long days on his feet, guests arrived for the first night of the Hacienda grand opening, amazed by the ambiance that had been created there.

Well-appointed, air-conditioned white tents -- trucked in all the way from San Francisco -- stretched from the beach to the manicured lawn above. Natural palm fences were built on site. Hand-blown glass vases, each filled with a simple flickering candle, were scattered in the sand after having been purchased from a local glass factory. A lounge, complete with sleek, low-slung sofas, welcomed guests to relax alongside crackling mesquite wood-filled firepits, custom built on site. And a local mariachi band and harpist alternately entertained guests, while a cosmopolitan collection of culinary offerings could have rivaled the menu of any five-star restaurant.

One part artistry, and one part ingenuity, with an uncanny knack for logistical solutions and using a lifetime of experience as his guide -- Lefebvre routinely masters the art of entertaining, conceptualizing and constructing one extraordinary event after another, with exacting detail. Bringing his trademark style of simple elegance to every party he plans, he is an architect of sorts. An architect of exquisite taste.

Bright, night ideas

It's well after midnight, and Lefebvre's classic cottage-style home -- in the coastal California town of Carmel by the Sea -- is still, save for the fervent scratching of pen against paper.

Early to bed, and early to rise, Lefebvre says that his best ideas often come to him in the middle of the night -- whether it's the next great party theme, the perfect parting gift or the long-sought solution to that nagging lighting problem. A small flashlight, a pen and pad sit at the ready on his nightstand for the imminent ideas that will arise between 9 p.m. when he generally retires and 5 a.m. when he customarily awakens.

An eclectic Asian-Cajun party theme was recently borne of one of these nighttime brainstorms. (Think jambalaya, sushi and sake served to the beat of musicians playing Zydeco.) He's solved innumerable seating problems, decor dilemmas and menu mishaps after midnight, as well. Lefebvre's mind is programmed to perpetually create and solve, and he is vigilant in creating new and innovative ways to entertain guests in luxury settings.

Part of Russell Lefebvre's magic is his uncanny ability to keep guests guessing about what's coming next. His signature event for IMI -- the Soiree at Pebble Beach during the AT&T Pro-Am -- is perhaps the best example of his ability to continually amaze party-goers. The massive tent -- custom built on the back of Pebble Beach's famed Canary Cottage -- is a virtual magician's hat. Hidden entrances, which Lefebvre has tucked in unexpected places, permit him to circulate servers from several unobtrusive entrances. Guests are assured that they will not be disturbed by the bustling waiters, who are eager to serve them new trays of remarkable delights. A trap door of sorts is built into the massive decking -- the construction of which he oversees year after year -- so that firewood, hidden just out of sight, can easily be retrieved and added to the firepits that burn around the clock. Guests can then enjoy the ambiance while entertaining first-class views of the Pacific and Pebble's incredible 18th green.

Crafting subtle elegance out of endless details is another big part of this party planner's magic. In a matter of minutes during recent Pebble Beach preparations, he worked with an electrician to accommodate an in-tent espresso station, met with security personnel to line up the event staff, and placed half a dozen phone calls to everyone from a waste management company and a refrigerator truck operation to -- no kidding -- Kevin Costner himself, whose band entertained guests at the Soiree.

Ask Lefebvre to explain how he achieved recognition among the ranks of the nation's top party planners, and he modestly admits that -- like those who are good in any given field -- a big part of his success has been the simple practice of being prepared: He puts almost as much effort into making a backup plan for his parties as he does into planning the party itself.

"My theory is: Anticipate the worst, and you won't worry nearly as much when it comes time for the event," he says. "Sure, I could improvise, but I like to plan. I was cooking dinner for my wife and son the other night -- I could have stopped by and picked up some steaks on my way home, but I'd rather get them in the morning so I can make sure that I get the best selects the market has to offer and then marinate them all day."

It doesn't hurt that he can cook everything from a homemade tortilla to a gourmet omelet to pecan raspberry pancakes over an open fire, thanks to some early experience spent cooking at an upscale camp outside Vail, Colo., in the Flattop Mountains years ago. So, even if the electricity goes out, an exquisite meal is never far away. "It should always be about the occasion and who you're with," Lefebvre concludes. "That way even if the souffle falls, it's still a great party."

Far and wide

Early on in his career Lefebvre began to accumulate the wealth of experience that informs him on all things food and beverage. He can quote the price of a tomato whether he's in Mexico or Tahoe. And he has the ability to discern the most reliable and distinguished vendors.

One and a half years spent in France helped lay the foundation for his now-expert knowledge of wine. He spent a third of those 18 months working at a vineyard in Burgundy. Lefebvre recalls, "I was stomping grapes, truffle hunting, basically learning everything I could as fast as I could about the business of wine and food."

Today, he is a full member of the English Guild of sommeliers, one of the most distinguished levels to which a professional sommelier can aspire. His mentors have included vineyard owners, chefs, sommeliers and restaurateurs. His clientele has ranged from The Rolling Stones to Jack Nicholson. At the beginning of his career, Lefebvre managed a group of resort villas in the Cayman Islands, making $75/week doing everything from fixing a leaky sink in a guest villa to spear-fishing for red snapper, kingfish and amberjack, then cooking it up for the evening's menu. The property next door to the villas was frequented by John Lennon, and the two became acquainted after running into each other while walking their dogs on the beach.

If he were merely a chef, Lefebvre says he would never have met half the interesting people, which is why he says his calling has always been clear: "I've always wanted to be out with the people, and although I'm a pretty good cook, I am not a chef. I just love to entertain. When you throw a party, it's always something different."