By KJ Philp, May 2015 Issue. Meet the other winners here.

Gary Guerin, SWAY Events CEO and owner.

While SWAY Events has taken home an Echo Readers' Choice Awards for Sugar & Champagne, another of its charity fundraising events, this is the first for Dancing with the Bars.

Echo caught up with Gary Guerin, SWAY Events CEO and owner, following the April 9 awards ceremony and here's what he had to say:

Echo: You just made your 2015 DWTB contestant/cast announcement – any other exclusive details you care to dish at this time?

Guerin: We are excited about hosting the event at another awesome venue this year: Tempe Center for the Arts. There will be some new surprises to be announced soon.

Echo: Any changes from last season that readers should know about/watch for?

Guerin: Dancing with the Bars is now in Season 8. This year we are partnering and supporting the Aunt Rita's Foundation which both the production crew and cast are all thrilled about.

Echo: You've captured the community's attention year after year with DWTB, what is it about this event that stands apart from other charity fundraising events?

Guerin: I think most notably, with or without the charity component, Dancing with the Bars at the core is a compelling and entertaining event. It's been challenging and we've learned many lessons along the way, but I think we've found the perfect balance of philanthropy & entertainment. Based on experience, working on a large range of charity events, I will say that's no easy feat.

Echo: You were just at the White House … tell us what a typical day at SWAY Events is like? Where do these brilliant ideas come from and what else do you do that readers may not know about?

Guerin: There is no typical day at SWAY Events. We are in the business of delivering what's now & next; we have to keep changing as a company ourselves. I think the community knows us for our local involvement which stemmed from nightlife and charity events. We are so much more than that – we do corporate events and we have high-profile clients (which sometimes including an occasional visit to the White House). Like the community, we are extremely diverse and are making efforts to show off what SWAY is as a whole – more so in the very near future.

Echo: What's the best advice you've ever received?

Guerin: I think breaking the rules [within reason] has always been good advice. I also think taking all advice with a grain of salt is important. As the owner of a progressive company, sometimes I just follow my gut, no matter how crazy it is - that's what makes SWAY unique.

Echo: Any advice for community newcomers or the Susan Lucci's out there?

Guerin: Stick with it – do you. I don't think awards are a way of measuring success. It's more personal. What makes you feel successful is what's important at the end of the day. The awards come later.

Echo: Where can you be spotted when you're not spearheading the latest SWAY Events event?

Guerin: Oh geez, I feel like I am always working (and I'm grateful for the opportunities). When I'm not out and about or on a grueling traveling schedule, I'm at home. At my core, I just love to entertain. My partner Benjamyn and I actually designed and opened our own private venue we call "The Hangar". It's a place that I can do what I love while entertaining the people I love the most.

Echo: True or False: What SWAY Events does with the local LGBT community is just a fraction of your overall work? Explain.

Guerin: Totally True. Only about 75 percent of our company resume are things that are public. SWAY events has been honored to represent some top-notch mainstream brands all over the world. We will be launching a new website to show all the things SWAY has been part of over the last nine years – some definite hidden treasures, for sure. For me, the beauty is being able to bring back ideas on a local level that might not have a $1,000,000 budget, being able to work with clients and get scrappy using the same resourcefulness we use here locally in Phoenix.

Echo: What new and exciting things can we expect to see SWAY Events involved with between now and the 2016 Echo Readers' Choice Awards?

Guerin: We have been working on a handful of new concepts that will be announced in due time, but we have our hands in a lot of different options right now. I feel very fortunate to be able to be more selective in regards to the projects we work on, versus just what will pay the bills. You can still expect some SWAY signature events such as our Summer Pool Party, SWAGGER Awards, Dancing with the Bars and Merry on Melrose.

Echo: Here's a random one: Tell us about your earliest Echo memory.

Guerin: SWAY has had a very special relationship with Echo. A lot of people may not know this, but I quit the best job I ever had in my life to start SWAY and I spent all my savings doing free events for a year to prove I could. I was literally 100% broke not knowing how I would pay rent and trusting in myself versus a paycheck (in many ways I still operate that way). One of our first three events during that period was the Echo Readers' Choice Awards – I think we took it to a new level of excellence, I was so proud. SWAY went on to produce the Echo Readers' Choice Awards project for five years. The absolute best year was the Golden Globes type style we did at Wrigley Mansion. It was magical.

Echo: Is there anyone you'd like to thank? Shoutouts you'd like to make?

Guerin: I believe you are only as good as the company you keep and SWAY Events has surrounded itself with some very talented people. First and foremost, I would send a huge shout out to those that have worked with SWAY over the years. These are the people that are down and dirty, behind-the-scenes, deal with my crazy ideas, and still back me up because they believe in the brand: Natalie Cianciola, Helena Grayson, Cozette Phifer, Michael Demaree, Lindsay Fowler, Christopher Ayres, Michael Chesworth, Selina Vega, Katy June, Janelle Jorgensen, Stacy Louis and my parter, Benjamyn Gorsky (just to name a few). There are so many people, I'm sure I'm leaving someone out.