ROCKstar of the Month of March: Jeremy Guffin

March’s ROCKstar of the Month is Jeremy Guffin! Jeremy started out with Rock The House as a load-in/load-out team member and, through hard work and dedication, has worked all the way up to being a Project Manager. He’s a creative individual who loves working here because every day is different and he thinks his coworkers are awesome!

“At first, I just needed a job, but I stayed in the event industry because it’s a dynamic environment and it’s always changing. I love that I’m never bored! I find it so rewarding that before, during, and after the events we produce, I get to see the smiles on clients’ and guests’ faces because of what our team has done.” – Jeremy Guffin, ROCKstar of the Month

In Jeremy’s 6.5 years of working at Rock The House, he’s been involved with many different events in a few different roles. Among his favorites are the AAble After Party, S.W.A.P. (Students With A Purpose) event, State Chem event, Industry: The Product Conference, and Zippity Zoo Doo. When asked why these are his favorite events, he said he loves these ones especially because he had the opportunity to be very creative in his design. Any chance to be expressive and technical is his forte!

A Few Fun Facts About Jeremy Guffin:

  1. Favorite guilty pleasure song? Anything by Taylor Swift
  1. Favorite song and/or artist? Foo Fighters
  1. Favorite movie? Christmas Vacation
  1. Favorite TV show? Ozark
  1. Favorite pre-event snack? Chipotle
  1. Favorite post-event snack? Usually, leftovers because nothing else is open that late
  1. Favorite cartoon character? Cartman from South Park
  1. Biggest fear? There’s not much I’m afraid of; I’d go skydiving with snakes on a plane into a volcano right now.
  1. Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled? I’ve been to a lot of places, but Toronto was probably the coolest. It was so culturally diverse! You can visit 20 different places in one day and bus passes are cheap so it was easy and fun!
  1. How do you take your coffee? With coffee in it
  1. If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Turning water into coffee

“Jeremy continues to challenge himself and those around him to do better and learn more. He is always looking for better ways to serve our customers and make our technicians job in the field as easy and efficient as can be.” – Ryan Durfee, Production Manager

When he’s not at Rock The House, he can be found playing with his dog Roxie (ask for pictures if you get the chance) or enjoying the outdoors with his fiancé. If he’s not traveling for work, he’s often traveling to perform with the barbershop chorus he’s a part of, The Men of Independence.

The biggest things Jeremy feels he’s gained from working at Rock The House are confidence and leadership skills. We believe that’s exactly what makes Jeremy such an awesome team member to work with and produce ROCKin’ events with!

Congratulations to Jeremy on being March’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with ROCKstars like him to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

March Madness AV Rentals

The recent time change may have thrown us off a tad, but it hasn’t dissuaded our March Madness excitement! In just a couple days, Selection Sunday will signal the start of the tournament. Are you ready for it?

Throwing creative, customized events is our thing here at RTH; we love rocking weddings, mitzvahs, corporate events, non-profits, and many, many more. But did you know that we do audio visual rentals too? Whether you’re planning a phenomenal March Madness viewing party or an exciting basketball-themed mitzvah, the RTHAV team has you covered!

If you’re thinking, “I don’t know anything about audio visual rentals,” don’t panic! Our team of highly-trained professionals can help you choose the right AV rentals for any event. With the increasing amount of people coming into your business for these tournament games, you’ll need to be prepared. If your sports bar or restaurant needs a bit of an upgrade to accommodate this, you can add more monitors and speakers to allow accessible viewing and listening to all your patrons. Wanna go bigger? With LED panels that can be configured to any size, you can give your guests a front row seat to all the on-screen action.

Hosting the party at your house? If that’s more your style, let us help you craft a smaller-scale production with our cutting-edge audio visual rentals. We can install state-of-the-art surround-sound in your home to make your partygoers feel like they’re sitting in the stands watching the game. If you want to be “a part of the action,” Rock Shots, the ultimate basketball pop-a-shot rental, is a fantastic go-to. You can watch your favorite team play as you engage in your own friendly competition with your guests during half-time. It’s a great way to ensure that your guests are entertained even when the action stops on the screen. It’s just another way we do it right and make it ROCK for our clients!           

Need help planning your ROCKin’ get together? Let Rock The House Audio Visual be your guide as we take your party to the next level! Contact us today to secure all your AV rental needs.

ROCKstar of the Month of February: Kyle Kloetzly

Our February ROCKstar of the Month is Kyle Kloetzly! Kyle is a big picture thinker with thorough attention to detail. As Corporate Account Manager, he’s always thinking about each piece of the puzzle and how they all come together to execute a successful event. Though he’s only been on the RTH team for about 5 months, he’s been an ambitious and innovative team member whom others can rely on to make incredible things happen.

“My favorite part about being on the Rock The House team is that I get to be creative. I get to work with some truly imaginative people and we get to put that talent into the work we do for our clients. We partner with some really fantastic organizations that are doing great things in the community, so to help them achieve those goals and their mission is so rewarding. Seeing it all come together is an awesome experience for us.” –Kyle Kloetzly, February ROCKstar of the Month

A Few Fun Facts About Kyle:

  1. Favorite guilty pleasure song? My wife has me listening to The Greatest Showman soundtrack. There isn’t one song from it I could pick, I just find myself randomly listening to it all on occasion.
  2. Favorite song and/or artist? “Hotel California” by The Eagles
  3. Favorite movie? Return of the Jedi
  4. Favorite TV show? The Office
  5. Favorite pre-event snack? Pretzels
  6. Favorite post-event snack? I find myself going to Taco Bell all the time
  7. Favorite cartoon character? Boris Hauntley, he’s the dad character from Vampirina which I watch with my daughter. Very fitting for me!
  8. Biggest fear? Snakes
  9. Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled? My wife and I went to Grenada, an island in the Caribbean, for our honeymoon and that was really cool and different
  10. How do you take your coffee? Just straight up with some cream
  11. If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? I would find a way to clone myself to do multiple things. There never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done, so this would eliminate the problem!

“Kyle’s grown by learning as much as possible, as quickly as possible. He’s a sponge and almost never makes the same mistake twice. He’s crushed every goal we’ve put in front of him. He is truly a ROCKstar. He has an affinity for our clients and takes amazing care of them. He’s responsive, attentive, and most of all, builds solutions with their needs in mind.” – Matt Radicelli, Founder/CEO

When Kyle was younger, he never saw himself going into the live-events field but, now that he’s in this industry he loves it! His favorite event so far has been the Allstate Conference because the team was able to put together unique planning elements and be very creative. It gave him the chance to work with and utilize the full power of the Rock The House team on all sides of the project. In the end, the team put on an amazing event and the client was really happy!

When he’s not here working to produce another spectacular event, Kyle can be found running after his 1-year-old daughter or spending time with his wife. If he isn’t doing that, he’s most likely watching sports (he’s a big Detroit Red Wings fan!) or spending time with his dog.

Congratulations to Kyle on being February’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with ROCKstars like Kyle to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of January: Kirby Schmieding

January’s ROCKstar of the Month is Kirby Schmieding! Though Kirby is newer to Rock The House, she has already made a big impact on the team and in her role as a Photo Host. Whether she’s spreading positivity to her teammates or stepping up to take on new tasks, she is always putting her best self forward at RTH!

“I like working at RTH because everyone is so nice and it’s such a fun job! My favorite thing is going to new events every week and doing a different thing. You get to broaden your horizons and I really like that.” – Kirby Schmieding, ROCKstar of the Month

While she began working at Rock The House simply because she needed a job, it has now blossomed into much more than that. The ever-changing and exciting world of live events has allowed Kirby to learn new things and use different parts of her brain each and every day – which she loves.

A Few Fun Facts About Kirby Schmieding:

  1. Favorite guilty pleasure song? “Be Alright” by Dean Lewis because I just love Dean Lewis so much
  2. Favorite song and/or artist? Right now it’s one of my friend’s songs, “Lilac” by Joey Liechty
  3. Favorite movie? The Martian
  4. Favorite TV show? Outlander for sure
  5. Favorite post-event snack? If it’s super late, probably Taco Bell because it’s the only thing open. I am a vegetarian, so I can only eat like 3 things there, but it’s still so good.
  6. Biggest fear? Spiders
  7. Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled? Australia for 3 weeks in 8th grade for a leadership program.
  8. How do you take your coffee? I don’t drink coffee. My favorite tea is all of them. Black tea has a little caffeine in that’s perfect for events.
  9. If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? Oh my gosh, I would be a shapeshifter because I could turn into a polar bear when it’s cold. And I could fly! That’d be so cool.

“Kirby hasn’t been at RTH very long but has immediately stepped up during busy season. She came to the photo department as an assistant, but her willingness to learn allowed her to quickly grow into working solo events. Her ability to take on new tasks and to do what’s necessary to get the job done has made her an asset to the team!– Kristen Milius, Photo Manager

Of all the events that she’s worked on, Kirby says her favorite was a corporate event on New Year’s Eve at Luxe Kitchen and Lounge because everyone was having so much fun! “After I take a photo, everyone is so excited to get their prints and have that fun takeaway from the events. And I like that, I like making everyone happy!”

When she’s not at RTH events, she can usually be found at The Houde School of Acting taking acting lessons and preparing to star in her next short film.

Congratulations to Kirby Schmieding on being January’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with rockstars like Kirby to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of November: Nathan Albrecht

November’s ROCKstar of the Month is Nathan Albrecht! As a Service Technician, Nathan is our go-to when it comes to repairing gear and making sure everything RTH owns is fully functional and ready to ROCK! Luckily, Nathan loves working on multiple projects simultaneously and there is no shortage of that here.

“My favorite part of being on the Rock The House team is getting to do something different every day. Plus, there is an instant satisfaction to fixing things. It feels great taking stuff that doesn’t work, repairing it, and putting it back into use for the team in the office or onsite at events.” – Nathan Albrecht, ROCKstar of the Month

Nathan began his career with Rock The House about three and a half years ago as a part-time technician and worked his way up from there to become a full-time team member!

A Few Fun Facts About Nathan Albrecht:

  • Favorite guilty pleasure song? “Africa” by Toto
  • Favorite TV show? Family Guy or Rick and Morty
  • Favorite pre-event snack? Definitely Cheez-Its
  • Favorite post-event snack? Hamburgers/Taco Bell, because even though it’s so bad for you, sometimes it’s the only thing open that late at night
  • Biggest fear? Falling off a ladder
  • Where’s the most interesting place you’ve visited? Probably Florida
  • How do you take your coffee? Straight, like whiskey
  • If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Not needing to sleep

Nathan pushes himself to make continued improvements in his day-to-day workflow. He always strives to do his best and put out a quality product.” – Ryan Durfee, Production Manager

When Nathan’s not at RTH, you can most often find him enjoying the great outdoors or fixing something around the house. And when he’s not repairing things in the RTH office, you may find him onsite working as a Rock Shots host or Lighting Designer! Nathan is a team player that makes working at Rock The House better every day. If you need someone to count on, he will always deliver quality work.

Congratulations to Nathan on being November’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with ROCKstars like Nathan to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

PartyPalooza 2018 Recap

ROCKstar of the Month of October: Marissa Diaz

October’s ROCKstar of the Month is Marissa Diaz! While she has always excelled in her role as Executive Assistant to the COO, her responsibilities and skills have grown significantly in her four years at RTH. At any given time, you may find her coordinating large-scale event planning efforts, in the warehouse prepping, or on-site assisting with video and media content!

RTH Rockstar of the Month, Marissa Diaz

My favorite thing about being on the RTH team is the culture because everyone is a like a family member. It’s not like most workplaces where you just show up, do you job, and leave. On top of that, you learn something new every day… but it’s when you least expect it. For example, I came on board as an admin, handling paperwork and being an assistant, but now I’m also a content manager and handling on-site video. At Rock The House, you can choose your path and are encouraged to branch out and expand your knowledge. It’s an amazing place to learn, grow, and challenge yourself. – Marissa Diaz, ROCKstar of the Month

Marissa has a lot of experience being quick on her feet – literally and figuratively! As a dancer, figure skater, and instructor, she has spent years honing her technique as well as directing and producing Skate Dance Dream (SDD). Before joining the Rock The House team, she was also a researcher for IceNetwork.com and “Olympic Ice,” a figure skating show which covered stories during the Winter Olympics. After working on the show and producing SDD, she learned to troubleshoot a variety of situations that were thrown at her. And she felt the event industry was a logical next step!

RTH Rockstar of the Month, Marissa Diaz

A Few Fun Facts About Marissa Diaz:

  • Favorite guilty pleasure song? It’s a tie between Hanson’s “Where’s the Love” and S Club 7’s “S Club Party”
  • Favorite artist? *NSYNC
  • Favorite movie? Another tie… between Mulan and Blades of Glory
  • Favorite TV show? Alias
  • Favorite pre-event snack? Fruit by the Foot
  • Favorite cartoon? Animaniacs
  • Biggest fear? Failure. Also spiders… but I can step on them. I can’t step on failure.
  • If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? Teleportation because I hate waiting to get somewhere.

“While Marissa has always excelled in a support roll, she also saw a deficit between the capabilities of our amazing technical team and the opportunities our sales team was able to present to clients through the craft of video and GFX. To close that gap, she worked with our technical managers to learn the top softwares that we use for GFX, blending, video playback, switching and special visual effects, allowing her to better design shows with our clients that truly allowed them to come to life!” – Ryan Konikoff, Chief Operating Officer

RTH Rockstar of the Month, Marissa Diaz

Of the many events Marissa has worked on, she shared that one of her favorites was the Great Lakes region awards celebrations for Metro last year. “It was so fun to bring their region to our backyard and have a chance to show off Cleveland,” says Marissa. “Their company is known for creativity when it comes to company celebrations and it was definitely unique. We had the chance to coordinate two very different parties for their team – the internal awards at Tenk West Bank, which was 90s hip-hop themed, and the dealer awards at the Hilton, which was modern, classy, and very cool.”

When not at Rock The House, Marissa continues to ice skate and dance, working both as a coach and teacher. She also enjoys going to concerts and theater shows.

Congratulations to Marissa on being October’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with rockstars like Marissa to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of September: Michael Johnston

Congratulations to September’s ROCKstar of the Month, Michael Johnston! Over the last few years, he has grown from a dancer to a DJ and is now training as an MC. Whether he’s connecting with guests or engaging with his teammates, Michael’s positive energy and passion for his work shines through in all he does!

MICHAEL JOHNSTON, RTH ROCKSTAR OF THE MONTH

“My favorite things about being part of the RTH team are getting to work with new people at every event, getting to grow positive relationships with clients and fellow team members, and making sure our clients have the most fun possible! Plus, the friendships that I’ve forged while at Rock The House have brought a lot of happiness into my life.” – Michael Johnston, ROCKstar of the Month

While on the high school dance team, his director told him about an entertainment company, Rock The House, that needed dancers. “I didn’t know what to expect but if I got to dance, then that sounded great,” said Michael. “I ended up loving it and still love it.” Of all the events he’s worked, Michael still looks back fondly on his first event, which took place at a theater down in Columbus. “The kids and team were great, and we had a blast!”

MICHAEL JOHNSTON, RTH ROCKSTAR OF THE MONTH

A Few Fun Facts About Michael Johnston:

  • Favorite guilty pleasure song? “Everytime We Touch” by Cascada
  • Favorite song and/or artist? “You Rock My World” by Michael Jackson
  • Favorite movie? Power Rangers
  • Favorite TV show? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • Favorite pre-event snack? Snickers and blue Gatorade
  • Favorite post-event snack? Water
  • Biggest fear? That I’ll fail at something that I’m trying to do.
  • Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled? To Geneva, New York – they had really cool public art: murals and statue of a guy reading a book that you could climb on.
  • How do you take your coffee? I’m not a coffee drinker – I drink lots of water.
  • If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? I would be super fast because I’ve always loved the Flash.

When not at Rock The House, you can still find Michael doing what he loves: dancing! He also enjoys doing theatre in his free time and will soon be performing in Notre Dame College’s production of Frankenstein. When it comes time to take a break, Michael likes to relax and play video games like Madden.

“Ever since Michael started here at RTH, I saw a lot of potential in him. He began as a dancer and I noticed his energy, work ethic, personality and interaction with our guests. I knew that he had the tools and talent to play a bigger role at RTH. Michael does an amazing job connecting with our guests and as a team member, he is someone you always are happy to see on your event. I couldn’t be prouder of what Michael has brought to our team. I look forward to seeing Michael’s continued growth at Rock The House.” – Nick Duvé, General Manager, Entertainment Division 

Congratulations to Michael on being September’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with rockstars like Michael to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of August: Dominick Ferlito

Congratulations to August’s ROCKstar of the Month, Dominick Ferlito! Since joining RTH as a technician over two years ago, Dom has never stopped learning and improving his skill set. He recently worked a series of large-scale events and truly went above and beyond in his role, all while getting great feedback from his team members!

RTH ROCKSTAR OF THE MONTH, DOMINICK FERLITO

“I like that I learn something new almost every day. Each day I get stronger as a technician and that’s because I work with great people that come from diverse backgrounds that make everyone a well-rounded technician.” – Dominick Ferlito, ROCKstar of the Month

Dom’s interest in production began while doing tech crew in high school and journalism in college. What began as an interest in audio evolved and, after joining the team at Rock The House, he began to work in lighting and some video as well. When not at RTH, Dom enjoys having a beer with friends or participating in his bowling and softball leagues.

A Few Fun Facts About Dominick Ferlito:

  • Favorite guilty pleasure song? “Summer Girls” by LFO
  • Favorite song and/or artist? Dave Matthews Band or Chance the Rapper
  • Favorite movie? Ocean’s Eleven
  • Favorite TV show? White Collar
  • Favorite pre-event snack? Chipotle
  • Favorite post-event snack? Sleep!
  • Biggest fear? Raccoons and all rodents
  • Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled? Last summer I took a month off work to travel in Europe and went to Caronia, Sicily where my family is from. That is, by far, my favorite place, but Florence is a close second.
  • How do you take your coffee? Black
  • If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? Flying because it’s faster than driving and who doesn’t want to fly?!

RTH ROCKSTAR OF THE MONTH, DOMINICK FERLITO

“Dom is a well-rounded member of the team and is always willing to take on a new challenge and step outside of his comfort zone. This is great in that while he is still learning, he is able to also teach some of those around him in different areas of what we do every day.” – Ryan Durfee, Production Manager

Congratulations to Dom on being August’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with rockstars like Dom to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of July: Anthony Miozzi

July’s ROCKstar of the Month is Anthony Miozzi. In just under a year, Anthony has evolved from a part-time technician to working as an audio engineer, learning video, rigging lights, and even getting certified to operate Sparkular!

Anthony Miozzi, Rock The House Technician

“I enjoy being a part of and seeing something really cool come together, like when lights are timed perfectly with music or flawless screen transitions happen at a big conference. When a show goes well, it’s a great feeling and you always learn something. The ability to constantly learn new things is one of my favorite parts of this job.” – Anthony Miozzi, ROCKstar of the Month

Anthony went to school for Audio Engineering and has played in bands, so he’s very familiar with studio and live audio. But as someone who loves learning new things, he’s always looking to expand his knowledge of both the technical and performance sides of an event. When not at Rock The House, Anthony loves to play and write music of all genres and enjoys learning new languages – he’s currently learning over five of them!

A Few Fun Facts About Anthony Miozzi:

  • Favorite guilty pleasure song? “Me Too” by Meghan Trainor
  • Favorite song and/or artist? Avenged Sevenfold
  • Favorite movie? Thor Ragnarok
  • Favorite TV show? The Office
  • Favorite post-event snack? Protein bar and then sleep.
  • Favorite cartoon character? Archer
  • Biggest fear? Situational heights – I can go up on a mezzanine, but not a 12-ft ladder.
  • Where’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled? The 1000 Islands near Alexandria Bay, NY. It’s really pretty, and there’s an island in the middle of the lake that’s right on the border of the US and Canada. There’s a huge mansion there called Boldt Castle that’s really cool.
  • How do you take your coffee? With cream and chocolate syrup.
  • If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? Telekinesis –It would be fun to lift heavy things with my mind. So, if a car is parked badly in a parking spot, you could move it over and then be able to park next to it.

Anthony Miozzi, Rock The House Technician

“Since Miozzi joined the team, he has gone from helping out part-time in the shop and with load in/outs to being the main audio engineer for all the Rock The House LIVE! gigs! While we knew he had audio experience, he has blown us away with his skill level and his customer service! Not only is he always on time and works hard on every event, but he is also such a ball of positive energy! I don’t think there is anyone on our team that doesn’t enjoy working with him.” – Tricia Adams, Production Assistant

Congratulations to Anthony on being July’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with rockstars like Anthony to produce your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.