“The Pet Sounds Playback Experience you produced was great. It was cool being able to look back and remember making that very special album. Everyone was great and I think the fans loved it.”
Brian
Wilson
Grammy Award Winning Musician, Producer, Songwriter
The Beach Boys / Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee
“I worked closely with Doug on a core team that developed a nationally-recognized food and culture festival in NYC called Harlem EatUp! Doug led the sponsorship team and procured a list of blue-chip partners that included Citi, Aetna, Bordeaux Wine Council and Time Inc. Doug is passionate about networking and curating the right mix of sponsors to embrace this unique festival. His positive energy and creative contributions have been a great asset to our executive team.”
Marcus
Samuelsson
Award-Winning Chef/Restaurant/Author
Chairman
Marcus Samuelsson Group
"You had flawless execution at the event. It flowed without confusion or chaos which is a result of the preparation and thought that went into every detail from Doug and his team. If I had to fill out a survey and say what you excel at, it’s that you gave us brand recognition without having to monitor you as we’ve had to do with previous sponsorships. This was refreshing and made our partnership much easier."
Albert Ruiz
Southwest Marketing Manager
JetBlue
“Doug, you worked hard to understand our product and helped bring it to life by weaving it into the right activities in a natural manner. The interactive lunch in the CIA kitchen with Todd English was awesome! Seeing people with flour-covered hands wave over the Bing Food & Drink app to avoid making a mess of their screen was amazing and exactly what we hoped for. I cannot imagine a better event to showcase our product.”
Melissa Powell
Senior Manager PR
Microsoft
“I hired Doug to build a sponsorship team that would sell the live events platform we were producing for our parent company, Time Inc. Doug joined our agency at a critical post-acquisition period and quickly developed the systems and architecture for our sponsorships sales division. He was integral in developing strategies for tickets, marketing and merchandise. He hired and managed the team and ensured that the event programs we developed with iconic brands like People, Entertainment Weekly and Sports Illustrated were on track. Doug’s amazing network and knowledge of the sponsorship industry helped us quickly align with brand targets for our ecosystem of events and festivals."
Scott
Cullather
Founder, Global Managing Partner
INVNT, a Time Inc company
“Thank you again for your role in producing our exclusive events at Flavor! Napa Valley. As you know, we’ve hosted A LOT of client events and these two stood out as the best I’ve ever been a part of. The intimacy and feel of each location was amazing. You packed a one-two punch for our best clients that was worth its weight in gold!”
Brian D. Riley
Managing
Director, Private Banking & Investment Group
Merrill Lynch
"Your willingness to accommodate our specific needs and tailor our activities to our strategic vision and business plan was truly appreciated. You went way beyond the call of duty in your guidance. The additional marketing opportunities that you were able to secure provided us with a platform of far greater value than we could have achieved for the dollars we allocated for this unique event. Most importantly, you really came to understand our business and managed the process as an integral part of our internal planning team."
Nasry Michelin
CEO
Aetna Better Health of New York
"Doug looks to forge creative relationships that benefit all parties, not just satisfy his agenda. He knows how to push when he has to, and he gets away with it because he sincerely works toward mutually beneficial ends. Doug listens to what the client wants, focusing less on what he may be trying to sell, which I believe is a big reason for his success.”
Herb Karlitz
President
Karlitz & Company
“Meritage took on a difficult ask and hit it out of the park. I asked them to turn around a new festival activation build in less than four weeks for two upcoming, large-scale music festivals. The build they created was beautifully crafted, brand aligned and better than anything I could have imagined. The staff Doug hired was great from production to the brand ambassadors. Doug is both well connected with festival promoters and someone who thinks about the small details including data capture and measurement, which is key at these live events.”
Kaley Nelsen
Brand Manager
Hangar 1
“Our Inside Access loyalty program offers our card members unique events and unparalleled access to the worlds of food, wine, sports and entertainment. The Brian Wilson Playback Experience of 'Pet Sounds' at the famed Capitol Studios was one of the most unique events we have ever offered. The connection between the artist and our card members was invaluable.”
David Gold
General Manager
JPMorgan Chase Card Services
“You’ve been beautifully transparent with me. You came in with a flexible sponsorship program, and that’s what I needed.”
Christine
Weisenberger
Experiential Managing Director
Barilla
"I wanted to personally thank you for your persistence with inviting us to participate in the inaugural year of this festival in our area. It was beyond our expectations. Thanks for also constantly watching out for us to ensure the best exposure for our brand. You and your team did a great job. Their attention to detail to ensure a good activation was greatly appreciated and it showed in the final result.
Kim
Reeves
Owner
Maserati of Tampa
"It was a very special and memorable day for our Cardmembers. We know first-hand the level of planning that an event of this scope takes and appreciate your attention to our sponsorship of the festival. The Los Angeles Center Studios offered the perfect open and inviting space for our Cardmembers to enjoy and experience Martha Stewart's newest products, the best food, wine, interactive classes, seminars and exclusive local samplings from LA's top restaurants. The day was filled with delicious options and people loved meeting Martha!"
Maris Segal
Agency for Inside Access From Chase
“I want to thank you for making our recent client events in Napa our most memorable ever! The feedback we received from our clients was extremely complimentary on the theme, venue and quality of the food and wine at both events. Doug, we feel that you and your company listened and produced exactly what we wanted to achieve: access to top tier events custom designed to fit with what our clients are looking for. It’s a pleasure to work with someone that truly understands the high net worth market and what we at Merrill Lynch PBIG desire in terms of client events.”
David
Berger
Managing
Director, Private Banking & Investment Group
Merrill
Lynch
“Spirits Network enlisted Meritage Entertainment to drive brand partnerships by tapping into their extensive network in the BevAlc space. Their creativity and dedication resulted in expanding our relationship with Pernod Ricard and breaking the wine category with Gallo. Of particular note was Doug's enthusiasm for Spirits Network; taking a true deep dive into the business as both a customer and as a partner.”
John Gassner
Head of Business Development
Spirits Network
“Doug Richter is the most irreplaceable, creative, problem-solving piece of manpower I’ve ever been associated with. Doug travelled through at least a dozen countries with me and Barry White on our sold-out Icon Is Love World Tour, moving up to 60 people almost daily. We had to feed and house the entourage which Doug did seamlessly from continent to continent. Whatever you need accomplished, Doug will get it done calmly, professionally and economically.”
Ned
Shankman
Former personal manager and attorney
Barry White
"When I was interviewing experiential agencies to help grow our new live events platform at USA Today, Doug came to me highly recommended from a very important client. After meeting him, it was obvious his level of experience was exactly what we needed. Though we were initially discussing an internal sponsorship sales role, Doug quickly became involved in our operational discussions as a trusted consultant. His real-world background of producing successful live entertainment events proved to be invaluable and helped deliver multiple points of view from not only the consumer and brand sides, but production as well. Doug is intensely client-focused, with end-to-end thinking, breakthrough ideas and measured results. His ability to navigate large media companies and agencies, treating everyone as if they were the most important client, was incredibly valuable."
Craig Kaplan
National VP Brand Advertising
USA Today
“When working with Doug and his team at Meritage, we always know that the level of detail, organization and creativity will be a case study for the way agencies can expertly activate sponsorships with festivals like ours for mutually assured success. He is a partner through and through, understanding the festival’s production and logistical capabilities and pairing that flawlessly with the goals of his clients, aka our sponsors.”
Michelle Metter
Partner, Fast Forward Events
San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival
“I had the absolute pleasure of working with Doug and his Meritage team on a VIP-focused activation for his client, Stranahan’s whiskey, at the first year of our BeachLife Ranch festival. Doug is passionate, knowledgeable and very experienced in the event world – and always looking out for his client’s needs. The activation was custom built for our event and every detail was well thought out, from the details of the lounge to the specialty cocktail ice that was delivered daily and the ‘apres ski hour’ featuring potato chips and caviar. It was an incredibly welcome additive experience that made its mark among our VIP pass holders.”
Courtney Jamieson
Head of Partnerships
BeachLife and BeachLife Ranch Festivals
“Doug is about as a smart, knowledgeable and focused as a person can be. His understanding of sponsorship, marketing and event production matches anyone I have seen in the business.”
LaurieKirby
President
FestForums
“Doug has always been a leader, which he demonstrates daily with his non-stop creativity and endless enthusiasm to motivate others. He has always worked tirelessly at building and cultivating relationships in the entertainment industry which is an ongoing strength in his abilities.”
Herb Agner
VP
A&R / Product Development
Universal
Music Group
"Doug's creativity and attention to detail are unparalleled. He is very passionate about his work and was instrumental to bringing our vision at Harlem EatUp! to life. He really understood our goals and our messaging to ensure our presence at the festival was a success."
Jess Santini
Associate Director, Marketing & Communications
Havas Media
"Although we were just a small sponsor at Flavor! Napa Valley, Doug gave us his full attention, taking the time to strategize endlessly on what would be the best activation for us. His willingness to craft a partnership that worked specifically for us was fantastic. Doug has proven to be a real partner – smart, creative, flexible, strategic, incredibly fair, and always approachable."
Marnie
Braverman
VP Marketing
Health
“The task of hiring talent through agents, managers and labels can be a very painful and cumbersome process, but it’s a necessity to the events we produce. Meritage Entertainment has made the entire talent booking process seamless with their honest and strategic approach to talent curation, always helping us meet urgent deadlines. Their experience has helped us keep client expectations realistic by offering thoughtful talent lists with accurate fee ranges and a list of alternatives to combat scheduling conflicts and inflated pricing by the artist handlers. Doug and his team have become a key extension to our production team.”
Agency for Major Credit Card
"Doug brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to hunger relief and has been a tremendous collaborator in forging vital partnerships for The Campaign Against Hunger. His willingness to provide support and facilitate meaningful dialogue is commendable. His ability to bridge the gap in necessitating key partnerships that advance food equity is unmatched. Doug ensures that all stakeholders' needs and goals are centered. He is a great partner and supporter in the fight against hunger."
Dr. Melony Samuels
Chief Operating Officer
The Campaign Against Hunger
“Doug understands and brings a unique perspective to sponsorship opportunities from both the corporate and not-for-profit perspective and incorporates a creative angle to provide a unique, meaningful experience for those sponsors who sign on. His professionalism was refreshing, with his ability to have honest conversations about potential partners, their capacity and what he had to offer. He also willingly shared contacts professionally to further each of our goals. He is a closer!”
Robyn Stein
Director of Partnerships & Events
Citymeals-On-Wheels