J. Riccardo Benavides

(he/him)

J. Riccardo Benavides is the Founder and Creative director of San Francisco-based Ideas Event Styling. His iconic signature of extravagant and unconventional styles is recognized globally for transformative event décor designs with interactive and innovative productions.  

After graduating from the Rudolph Schaeffer School of Design, Benavides crafted special events and holiday displays for Hyatt hotels in the Bay Area. This role offered him the space to hone his craft and piqued his interest in creative opportunities beyond the world of hospitality. After working his way up the ranks at Hyatt, Benavides made the leap and launched his own design firm in 1992. 

In the 30 years since the birth of Ideas Event Styling, Benavides and his team have been producing large events in both the non-profit and corporate worlds internationally. Non-profit events include galas for the San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Ballet, Asian Art Museum, De Young Museum, Queen Sofia Spanish Institute in New York City, and the San Francisco Ballet at the Churchill Museum in London. Corporate clients include Google, Meta, and Salesforce, as well as numerous other companies around the country. Coming full circle, Ideas continues to serve in a variety of capacities with the St. Regis, Hyatt Regency, Four Seasons, Saks 5th Avenue, and Neiman Marcus in San Francisco.