Brandon Gilson '12 is the king of customized entertainment experiences. Recent clients of his business, The Best Seats VIP Concierge (TBSVIP Concierge) have joined Elton John onstage in concert. Others have met former first lady Michelle Obama, and in February 2020, 28 people joined TBSVIP Concierge at Super Bowl LIV.

The entertainment concierge service originated when Gilson was a marketing major at Lasell University.

"Students were always looking to go out and do things in Boston, and I had some cool connections. I started to leverage them," says Gilson. Four years of work in the corporate world helped build his network, but most of his partnerships came from "shaking hands and making my name known," he says.

Since its founding in 2012, TBSVIP Concierge has grown from a largely ticket-based service to a full-fledged concierge with infinite customized offerings in sports, travel, hospitality, music, and more. In the spirit of Connected Learning, Gilson makes it all happen with the help of Lasell University interns in marketing, video production, graphic design, and more.

"All of my Lasell classes were great," he says. "But, I'm also a firm believer that during internships and volunteer work, you'll meet people who can open new doors for you that wouldn't be there if you stayed solely in the classroom."

Rebecca LeBlanc '20, a video production major, has worked with Gilson for the past year to create digital video content while broadening her portfolio.

"I've learned what it takes to be able to push yourself and your agenda to spread your message, all through watching Brandon," she says. "He's always wondering what more he can do, and that inspires me to think outside the box and trust myself and my skills."

Today, more than 30 companies including Cedars Sinai, Great Horse, Bernkopf Goodman, Sotheby's, iMarc, and Partners Healthcare are on TBSVIP Concierge's corporate roster, which offers client access to everyone at those organizations. He likens the program to an employee perk with a substantial threshold of possibilities. Think: team outings with celebrity appearances, or family trips to Disney Parks with travel and hospitality managed from start to finish.

"We can customize any type of experience at any event you want to go to," says Gilson. "It can be anything from simply getting event passes to a concert to pulling up in VIP transportation to attend the Grammys. Often our biggest obstacle is that people think it is too good to be true."

With those big experiences comes a big responsibility to deliver, and Gilson stands behind every interaction he facilitates. "We've spent more than a decade working to build strengthen connections around the world," he says. "We leverage it for our clients based completely on that trust."