Click here for Part I

Creating a rich, positive culture of entertainment for Baltimore’s brands and young professionals

Heidi Klotzman is the founder and CEO of HeidnSeek Entertainment. One of Baltimore’s premier event planning, hospitality, and brand promotion consulting companies, HeidnSeek provides entertainment, cultural programming, and marketing coordination for the city’s young professionals and emerging brands. The company has worked with numerous clients local and national, such as Johns Hopkins University, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Absolut Vodka, Uber, and United Way. Heidi is the daughter of Richard Klotzman, a legendary concert promoter who has worked with the likes of Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, the Jacksons, Madonna, Luther Vandross, Alice Cooper, and Diana Ross. Following in her father’s footsteps, Heidi has been recognized with various awards and honors, including listing as one of Baltimore’s “Most Influential Professionals” and a “Top Single” (Baltimore Magazine), “Queen of Clubs” (The Baltimore Sun), a “Top Professional Under 35” by (b newspaper and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation), a “Rising Star” (The Baltimore Business Journal and The Living Classrooms Foundation), and many more.

Heidi Klotzman spoke with citybizlist publisher Edwin Warfield for this interview.

EDWIN WARFIELD: Your newsletter has thousands of subscribers—how did it become the influential Baltimore-area digest it is today?

HEIDI KLOTZMAN: The newsletter began early on with Club One, and then into all the different lounges and bars that we threw concepts at—the singles events, business networking events, fashion events, live music events. The newsletter would be a way to get the message out each week to the subscribers that we had so far.

Being super workaholic is how I built the subscribers. I would be up all night, for years, in the beginning, from Friendster to MySpace to everything—every social network—I would send a little template message, which would say something like, “Hey, this is Heidi! We’re having a great event this weekend—we’d love to have you out. Are you free?” That kind of thing. Some people would be like, “Sure, I’d love to come.” Some people wouldn’t respond. And some people would, you know, hate you. And that’s fine. It’s just what it is.

But, on their email, I would ask for their permission to be added to the newsletter. Also, whenever they would enter the events, there was a disclaimer on the photo cards, and the passes, as well, that they would be added to the list if they signed. We had a lot of people adding that way.

I also had a large list to begin with, before I even started, from middle school. I mean, I collected friends. I see people as art. Some people collect art, and I feel like I collect people. It sounds kind of trivial and strange, but I actually think it’s very powerful to know people, to know who they are, to know where they’ve come from, to know what they like, to know what they don’t like, to know what their aspirations are. It’s the kind of market research that I do. It’s not quantitative; it’s getting to know them, through getting to know the relationships over years—friends, colleagues, friends of friends, et cetera—I try to really pay attention, whether it’s on Facebook or in person or LinkedIn, to what’s going on in people’s lives. That’s how when I connect people I can do it because I remember: “Oh, I was just talking of Sally last week and she said she was looking for this kind of opportunity, and then I talked to John this week and John would be perfect to connect with Sally.” That type of thing. I’ve been connecting people as friends, and as dates, and as business opportunities for years now. I love that part of it.

Q. Would you say that your large network is one of the keys to your business?

A. I think that having a large network and having an actual personal connection to it—I didn’t buy a list. I’m not a magazine, where people are subscribing to some brand. I’m an actual person. People are friends with me.

We’ve had contact through various ways throughout the years. I try to be very inclusive and hold uplifting events and hold charitable events and things that are positive and matter for the community. Yes, I think that that is a selling point for what I do in social media and events: When someone says, “I’m looking to expand the audience for my brand—can you work on their Facebook, their Instagram, their Twitter?” I say, “Of course. I can redirect my following to you” That’s what is so important because a lot of people, I believe, in social media companies or social media freelancers—they’re great at what they do. I have a ton of respect for everyone. But I think it’s an added value when you’re not just great at what you do, but you have this whole stadium full of folks.

Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn

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ABOUT OFFIT KURMAN

Offit Kurman is one of the fastest-growing, full-service law firms in the Mid-Atlantic region. With over 120 attorneys offering a comprehensive range of services in virtually every legal category, the firm is well positioned to meet the needs of dynamic businesses and the people who own and operate them. Our eight offices serve individual and corporate clients in the Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Northern Virginia markets, as well as the Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City metropolitan areas. At Offit Kurman, we are our clients’ most trusted legal advisors, professionals who help maximize and protect business value and personal wealth. In every interaction, we consistently maintain our clients’ confidence by remaining focused on furthering their objectives and achieving their goals in an efficient manner. Trust, knowledge, confidence—in a partner, that’s perfect.

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Edwin Warfield, CEO of citybizlist, conducts the CEO Interviews.

If you're interested in reaching CEOs, please contact edwin.warfield@citybuzz.co

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