Charles Kay
Owner, President & Creative Director @Modern Event Furniture
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WORK HISTORY
Owner, President & Creative Director @Modern Event Furniture
Designed for events and built for rental, MEF is the leading industry wholesaler of versatile, functional and modular event furniture and décor. As a resource to the world’s top rental companies, event producers, venues and designers, Modern Event Furniture is now available through hundreds of dealers in more than 25 countries. MEF’s award-winning products and designs have been used from New York, to Montreal, Las Vegas to Honolulu, Montego Bay to Cabo and all the way to Singapore, for corporate and private events, product launches, major sporting events and award shows including; The Olympics, Superbowl, F1 Grand Prix, The Emmys, numerous celebrity weddings, fortune 500 companies, trade shows and more. Our collection more than looks the part, it is thoughtfully built with quality materials designed to work for the use and abuse of constant movement. Never before has a modern collection like this been custom designed exclusively for this industry taking aesthetic and functionality into equal consideration. Products are in stock and ready to ship from our warehouse in Miami or sold direct from our warehouse in China.See what makes us different at and visit our video series in China on our YouTube channel
SKILLS
ABOUT CHARLES KAY
I was the kid who loved taking things apart, reusing components, and building something new. I’ve always been a passionate dreamer and serial entrepreneur — if I had the time, I’d start a new business every day. That curiosity drives me to merge design, functionality, and efficiency in all I create.At 17, I launched Lithium, a clothing brand that became part of the 90s streetwear movement and was available in 18 countries. We were at the forefront of functional clothing, merging design and performance in ways that shaped how I approach every venture.My teenage start as a DJ pulled me into the event world, where I saw an industry full of potential for innovation. Over nearly two decades, I owned and operated full-service event rental companies including Luxe Rentals, Haute Coutellerie, and Gervais in three cities. Recently, through a joint venture, I designed and built a premier event venue, giving me firsthand insight into what clients and planners truly need.For more than 20 years, I’ve been designing and manufacturing event furniture while also designing exclusive events for discerning clientele, evolving into the MEF Design umbrella. Modern Event Furniture is our flagship international brand, supplying design-forward, functional furnishings to rental companies, venues, hotels, event producers, and experiential firms in 30+ countries. MEF Contract serves hospitality, cruise, and corporate projects worldwide. Mod Era Furnishings is our Canadian brand, showcasing 100% in-house production for residential and contract interiors sold through retailers. Charles Kay Design is my personal practice, creating high-end weddings and events through global sourcing and in-house fabrication.In 2018, we opened our own office and facility in China, and most recently built a sq. ft. automated factory in Montreal, Metal Expert Fabrication, equipped with robotics and advanced technology, allowing us to control every stage from engineering to finishing. With this scale and capability, we’ve become custom fabricators, able to bring ambitious ideas to life domestically and internationally — whether our own designs or our customer’s.Alongside me throughout this journey has been my wife Vanessa, my partner of 26+ years. Together, we’ve grown the MEF brands, as well as Pink & Brown, Prunelle.ca, and Eventgraphics, extending our passion for design into wholesale, retail, and print.What’s next? I continue to push the intersection of creativity, manufacturing, and experience. After more than 30 years, there’s still no shortage of ideas.
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