Inside Miami’s Most Jaw‑Dropping Luxury Events

In this episode of The Marty Davis Show, host Marty Davis sits down at the Mondrian Hotel on Biscayne Bay with Miami‑born event producer Frank Bustamante, better known as Mr. B of Mr. B Hospitality. Frank pulls back the curtain on how ultra‑high‑end events are really built, from 10‑person board meetings to 3,000‑guest museum takeovers and last‑minute Ferrari activations during Formula One week.​

Meet Event Producer Frank “Mr. B” Bustamante

Frank started in hospitality at 17, working the front desk of a major Miami Beach hotel and instantly falling in love with creating memorable guest experiences. After years traveling up to 200 days a year for global hospitality roles, a family tragedy in 2018 pushed him to rethink his life and ultimately launch Mr. B Hospitality at the urging of a client who hired him for his first independent event in San Diego.​

Today, his firm designs and produces high‑profile events for Nespresso, Ferrari, the Latin Grammys, and major corporate and entertainment clients, blending creativity, logistics, and heart into meticulous, stress‑proof experiences.​

What This Episode Covers

• How Frank turned a front‑desk job at 17 into a global event career and then his own firm.​

• What it’s really like to produce events for brands like Ferrari, Nespresso, and the Latin Grammys.​

• How he reads a room, manages “uh‑oh” moments, and never lets clients see him sweat.​

• Why food, flow, and local culture are non‑negotiable in great event design.​

• How he balances an intense seasonal schedule with boundaries and personal downtime.​

• The mindset and skills he teaches the next generation of event planners.​

From Hotel Front Desk to Mr. B Hospitality

Frank describes his first hotel job as the moment he knew hospitality would be his life, captivated by the art of travel, the joy of taking care of people, and the privilege of being part of their memories. Over time, he moved from front‑of‑house roles into event production and large‑scale meetings, eventually realizing that constant travel—around 200 days a year—was no longer sustainable after a painful family event.​

When a client asked what he would do next and offered him a budget and brief for a San Diego event, he replied, “Give me 24 hours,” and within a day Mr. B Hospitality was born, proving how one vote of confidence can catalyze an entire entrepreneurial chapter.​

Treating 10 Guests Like 3,000

Whether he’s producing a 10‑person board meeting or a multi‑thousand‑person gala, Frank insists on the same detail‑driven mindset. For small groups, that means knowing exactly which pastry the CEO prefers or what Starbucks drink an assistant loves, ensuring the first moments in the boardroom feel seen and cared for.​

At the other end of the spectrum, large‑scale events require the same philosophy multiplied—precision in seating, timing, food, and service—so that every guest, from C‑suite leaders to celebrities, feels the event was designed with them in mind.​

Delivering for Ferrari in Seven Days

One of his proudest projects was a last‑minute Ferrari activation during Miami’s Formula One week, when a hotel partner called just seven days out with a big vision and no time. In a city where vendors are usually booked solid that week, he:​

• Set realistic expectations, explaining what could and could not happen given the timeline.​

• Leveraged deep relationships with trusted vendors to secure decor, linens, tables, branding, and production elements for 200 high‑profile guests.​

• Co‑created a vision with the client that respected the brand’s prestige without promising impossible “chandeliers from palm trees.”​

The result was a fully branded, high‑impact event delivered in seven days that left the client thrilled and reinforced the value of experience‑backed honesty.​

Fixing Food Failures and Reinventing Concession Culture

Frank is obsessed with food as a central part of the guest experience and uses it as a diagnostic tool. While working the Swim Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center, he noticed a constant stream of attendees picking up Uber Eats orders in the lobby, a clear sign the in‑house food was failing.​

Rather than accept it, he:

• Sat down with the convention center to rethink their F&B offerings specifically for that show.​

• Pushed to replace bland options with nearly a dozen local eateries like The Salty Donut and Sushi Maki, bringing a “flavor of Florida” into the venue.​

• Focused on dishes that looked appealing to the eye, not just functional, knowing people eat first with their eyes.​

Now, attendees are greeted by recognizable, high‑quality local brands and visuals—coffee, avocado toast, sushi—that set an entirely different tone from the moment they register.​

Managing “Uh‑Oh” Moments Without Breaking a Sweat

Frank shares multiple “uh‑oh” stories that show how experience and calm improvisation save events:

• At a VIP celebrity dinner with carefully planned entrée counts, a last‑minute executive reshuffled the entire seating plan an hour before doors, destroying the kitchen’s plated meal chart.​

• Frank and his team scrapped their board, re‑mapped the room by hand, and reassigned meals table by table to maintain the promised restaurant‑style experience and keep vegans from getting filets.​

• At a 3,000‑person Frost Museum event, guests began piling buffet plates dangerously high, threatening to exhaust the food supply; he quickly coordinated with catering to bulk up high‑volume items like noodles, ramen, and pasta, preserving abundance and avoiding visible shortages.​

He uses these stories as teaching tools for younger planners: you cannot just stand in the back and assume all is well—you must **walk the room, watch the buffets, talk to the kitchen, and anticipate problems before guests feel them.**​

Designing Full‑Sensory, On‑Brand Experiences

Asked how he turns a venue into a full sensory experience, Frank always starts with budget and then works outward from what the space already offers. He looks at:​

• Architecture, sightlines, ceiling height, and focal points to decide where to emphasize lighting, color, and decor.​

• The client’s preferred color palettes and brand identity, weaving them into linens, backdrops, and centerpieces.​

• The flow of arrival, registration, food, programming, and exit, making sure every moment—from first impression to final goodbye cookie—feels intentional.​

For Miami events in particular, he infuses local culture through Cuban bands, Latin music, tropical colors, and food that reflects the city’s Cuban, Puerto Rican, Haitian, and broader Latin influences, giving guests a genuine “Miami vibe” rather than a generic luxury template.​

Training the Next Generation: Details, Empathy, and Humility

Frank emphasizes that event work is trial and error, and that falling on your face is part of the process as long as you learn. He teaches his team to:​

• Read subtle client cues and ask direct questions when they sense hesitation (“You love this space, but I see hesitation—what’s missing for you?”).​

• Treat every client interaction as if it’s the first, never shaming someone for not remembering a name or face.​

• Focus on the guest’s experience instead of their own need to be recognized, keeping ego out of the room.​

He considers every site visit and client meeting a “class” for his staff, explaining not just what decisions are made but why, so they internalize the thinking behind high‑end planning.​

ROI, Programming, and Knowing When Less Is More

Frank is blunt that if guests pay a premium ticket price and don’t feel “wow,” they will leave early—and tell everyone. Effective high‑ticket events must:​

• Deliver a clearly felt return on investment, whether through brand exposure, media, or deep engagement with a target audience.​

• Avoid long lines for food and drinks, which instantly sour the experience.​

• Use strong programming—compelling MCs, pacing, entertainment—to keep guests engaged from start to finish.​

He argues that when budgets are limited, it’s better to do something smaller and well‑produced than attempt a big‑talk, low‑execution spectacle with bad audio, weak visuals, and empty tables halfway through. In his view, simplicity, done right, often beats overreaching “opulence” that the budget can’t support.​

Boundaries, Burnout, and Loving Alone Time

Event season in Miami runs roughly from late September/October through May or June and can easily consume 24/7 if left unchecked. After early‑career burnout, Frank now sets firm boundaries:​

• After 7 p.m., he generally does not answer client emails or calls unless it’s truly urgent.​

• He prioritizes tasks day by day, accepting that not everything can be done at once and trusting that “the sun will come out tomorrow.”​

• He cherishes quiet alone time—reading, watching movies, or even dining solo—as a counterbalance to constantly giving his energy to others.​

This personal discipline keeps him inspired, present, and creative for the projects that matter most, including his volunteer work producing the Miami‑Dade LGBTQ+ Chamber’s annual gala and private milestone celebrations like Marty’s partner’s 50th birthday.​

Favorite Quotes and Concepts

• “Give me 24 hours and I will have something for you”—and Mr. B Hospitality was born.​

• “You never let them see you sweat. If your client sees you stressed, that’s a problem.”​

• “Every interaction, treat it as its first interaction—don’t make a client feel bad for not remembering you.”​

• “Less is more. There’s a beauty to simplicity that nobody really takes into account.”​

• “Miami is a vibe on its own. You can’t replicate it anywhere.”​

About The Marty Davis Show

The Marty Davis Show brings you behind the scenes with the entrepreneurs, creatives, and leaders shaping life and business in South Florida and beyond. Host Marty Davis—business lawyer, connector, and entrepreneur—dives into how guests turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones, blending practical strategy with stories of resilience, innovation, and heart.​

Episodes are filmed at iconic locations like the Mondrian Hotel on Biscayne Bay and are designed to help viewers learn, connect, and see new possibilities in their own work and lives.