New(ish) Kid on the Block

A Special Event Industry pro returns, bringing his passion and expertise back to the islands

Photo: courtesy of 1311 Events

Jordan Rabe | Photo: courtesy of 1311 Events

1311 Events was founded by Jordan Rabe, whose family built the largest event rental company in Hawaii. Jordan spent his childhood learning the industry under the watchful eye of his father, Mike Rabe, who owned a prominent Catering company in Honolulu. After working in the family business throughout his young life, Jordan took over operations at Accel Event Rentals, until the company was sold in 2018. He stayed on as a consultant until the Covid-19 pandemic decimated the industry. “It was a tough time for everyone,” Jordan reminisces with a downcast expression. “So many friends and family in the industry lost their entire livelihood overnight. Tough decisions had to made. Stepping away from the industry during that time was hard, but necessary.”

Photo: courtesy of 1311 Events

Leaving the islands, Jordan moved to Orange County. California, where he ran operations for a corporate marketing firm. “It was… different” Jordan recalls, “after being in the event industry my whole life, it was an entirely new experience and I had the opportunity to learn a lot, but I wasn’t passionate about it. I missed home, and I missed producing events.” Eventually, as Events started to return, Jordan started to work the weekends in California’s reemerging event scene, as a side gig. “It really made me realize how much I missed doing events! I would sign up to bartend with various companies in California, just to get out and be involved in the industry again.” Once things opened up back in his hometown of Oahu, he knew it was time to come back. “I really wanted to start my own company, and provide a service that was beneficial to the industry here at home. I saw how hard people were struggling to find good products, where there was real passion and relationships with each other. I wanted to provide the level of customer service that people want and deserve, with the professionalism I had developed over the years. I think that is what 1311 Events is all about. Providing confidence for our clients in our professionalism and quality, to help the industry thrive.”