Meet Ralph Desuse | Wedding Expo Organizer/ Founder of ExpoExecs

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ralph Desuse and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ralph, what do you attribute your success to?
My first business as a floral & special event decorator was taking off, so I decided it was time to expand my customer base. As I began to brainstorm how, I saw there was a bridal show a few cities away, so thought it’d be a great idea to attend as a vendor. I gained a lot of business from that bridal show, so of course I started to attend them more regularly. The problem was the distance – I didn’t like the idea of having to travel so far to attend a bridal show. That brought me to the thought of holding my own bridal show locally, to see if I can attract other cities to Temecula Valley. As my journey began, I reached out to Pala Casino and inquired about renting their 20,000 sq ft convention center. I still remember the service manager asking me, ” Why should we rent our space to you? This is a billion dollar property… what if your show flops?” I remember knowing very little and just responding, “I’ll do the best I can to make sure it doesn’t.” Lo and behold, my first Kiss The Bride Show was held in 2003; I had sold over 100 exhibits and it was the largest expo that this side of Riverside and North County San Diego have ever seen. From then on out, I knew the expo industry was the place for me, and I later expanded into a variety of markets. Long story short, Kiss The Brides Expo is now a nationwide held event.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been a professional wedding show producer since I was 23 years old holding large size wedding conventions. My bridal shows are held in Southern California and nationwide where I connect wedding professionals with engaged couples. The convention consists of the top wedding professionals from photographers to videographers, florists, wedding planners, beauticians, travel experts, wedding venue representatives and more. Couples are able to interact and gain inspiration from these wedding professionals who will later book their services. Wedding planning can be stressful, however my attendees have been able to plan their entire wedding all under one roof at Kiss The Brides Expo. My productions also include a high profile fashion show featuring gowns, dresses, suits and tuxedos from local and national brands. I try to make my wedding expo fun for our guests, so couples can expect to compete in a number of challenges to win prizes from our sponsors. These contests will include the Battle of the Brides, Kiss Your Bride Kissing Contest, Kiss The Bride Cake Dive, Wedding Trivia and more. It does something to you as a producer when you can watch your paid attendees have so much fun. Watching them find relief in finding the right vendor also brings me joy as well. I feel like a professional matchmaker sometimes for businesses and brides. As to how I got started, that’s a funny story. I didn’t go to college, in fact, I thought I was going to be a grocery clerk for the rest of my life. I worked as a produce clerk and there were times where I had to handle the floral department as well. I saw how much money the floral department was making from weddings, so I decided to start my own floral company with a partner. It blew up quickly, and one day things changed; I received a call from Pechanga Casino Resort (one of the largest casinos in the U.S.) who requested 100 gift baskets for an event. I agreed to the order, though I’ve never made a gift basket in my life. I was scrappy. I sourced a wholesaler, and called a bunch of friends to help me make them. I made $10,000 from that order, which at the time was a CRAZY amount of money. It was then when I decided to go all in on the wedding industry. As I slowly transitioned, that’s when I started Kiss The Bride Show in 2003. From there, I took my production from city to city. Now, Kiss The Brides Expo is one of the most sought after wedding shows in the West Coast. It wasn’t easy for professionals to put their trust in a young producer, and I recognized that. They had to trust me to attract as many couples to attend the showcase. Fast forward to what keeps me busy now, and it’s without a doubt my wedding shows. Given that it took three to five years to gain the right footing with my events, I’m very fortunate to have a reputation for packed bridal shows, a high success rate for exhibitors, and many long-term relationships with repeat exhibitors. If someone reading this takes one thing from my story, it’s to never give up. Don’t let anyone tell you that you won’t make it, because people will. I remember when one of my high school teachers walked into the grocery store I worked at and said, “this place will be good for you, don’t ever leave.” Though I had no degree, I had tenacity and a hustle mentality. If you’re honest and take care of your clients, then nothing can stop you. Once you gain the trust of your customers, it spreads like wildfire. Who would have thought that in 2022 I’d be awarded with the Directors Cup, at the Bridal Show Producer International Conference, which is the most distinguished award to be given to a show producer. I’ve also served as a Keynote Speaker at the Wedding MBA (the world’s largest wedding conference). I truly feel blessed to work with such great people, and I give thanks to Jehovah God each and every day. My wife and my family have been my support system through & through. If you’ve ever seen the movie Greatest Showman, I like to compare myself to Hugh Jackman’s character; he starts with a vision and then executes it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Anytime I have friends or family visiting, it’s important to take them to Yamashiro’s, which is hands down the best sushi restaurant in Los Angeles, CA. The views are impeccable along the hillside, the drinks are always the best… I don’t know another place that compares. Plus, Billy Rogers is one of the managers who always provides an experience for my group of friends. Outside of sushi, you can’t come to LA without visiting both Santa Monica and Malibu, which can be accomplished in one day. The Malibu Country Mart offers shopping & dining, and is steps away from the beach. If you want the full California experience, Malibu always delivers. Plus, it’s common to see celebrities there too. There’s also a hidden gem in Wine Country, Temecula, which is like a little Napa Valley. It’s home to dozens of wineries such as, Wilson Creek Winery, South Coast Winery, Ponte Winery, and the list goes on. The wine selection and tastings are absolutely amazing, and the ambiance, music and food makes it perfect for large groups. Safe to say, if you’re coming to town to visit me, you know you’re in for some good food and drinks!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to give a shout out to Conference Sales Director, Sutisa Spellman, from Pechanga Resort & Casino. I’ve worked with Sutisa for over a decade and I appreciate her confidence in me when it comes to my event ideas & visions. Not only have we worked together on my wedding expos, but on other events such as, Off Road & Boating Smash, Men’s World Expo, and Health & Fitness Expo, just to name a few. I know that I can rely on the team at Pechanga Resort & Casino for any visions that I feel would be a hit for Southern California.

Website: kissthebridesexpo.com

Instagram: @kissthebrideshowca

Linkedin: RalphDesuse

Facebook: @kissthebrideshow @kissthebridesexpo

Image Credits
Stephy Wong Photos