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ROCKstar of the Month of November: Jaime Kravitz

November’s ROCKstar of the Month is….Jaime Kravitz! When Jaime started at Rock The House eight months ago, she immediately fit right into our ROCKstar family. Whenever Jaime is behind the microphone, whether it’s a mitzvah, wedding, or corporate event, we know the event is in good hands! We are so lucky to have her as one of our leading entertainers!

November Rockstar of the Month - Jaime Kravitz

In her time at RTH, Jaime has grown quickly and tremendously. No matter the event, she takes great care in making her clients and events her top priority. Before heading to an event, she always makes sure she has a clear understanding of all the necessary details in order to execute the event perfectly.

While Jaime works all sorts of events for Rock The House, she shared that her favorite event to date was emceeing Michael and Adam’s wedding in September! She loved that the dance floor was so packed, there was barely any room for her! 

A Few Fun Facts About Jaime Kravitz:

  • Most Relatable Cartoon Character? “Linda Belcher” from Bob’s Burgers — sing-talking is Jaime’s favorite!
  • Guilty Pleasure Music Genre: Country
  • Favorite Post-Event Snack? Pretty much anything! Jaime says she “eats like there’s no tomorrow” after events
  • First Thing She’d Buy After Winning The Lottery? An “Around-The-World” plane ticket
  • Favorite Thing About Being on the RTH Team? The RTH crew is truly a TEAM! I feel so lucky to work with such talented, fun, like-minded, hard-working individuals who are dedicated to making every single event ROCK!

November Rockstar of the Month - Jaime Kravitz

Nothing brings me more joy than to make people happy. At the end of the day, it’s a dream job bringing smiles and laughter to our clients and their guests.” – Jaime Kravitz, ROCKstar of the Month

When Jaime’s not working she can be found hanging out with her cat, traveling, spending quality time with friends, trying new things, or teaching herself the ukulele! Jaime is a natural entertainer at heart and we are so glad to have her on the RTH team. Our events would not be the same without her!

Jaime is a ball of energy and has quickly become part of the RTH family.  While she has only been with us a short while, her previous experience and overall attitude towards events truly incapsulates the ideal image of a Rock The House entertainer.” – Ben Allison, Director of Human Development

Congratulations again to Jaime on being November’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with Jaime at 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: Bryan Wolbert

This October we’re excited to showcase Bryan Wolbert as our ROCKstar of the month! Bryan has been with Rock the House for almost three years now working as an audio technician on our production team.

RTH Rockstar Bryan Wolbert

Bryan has grown alongside Rock the House over the past few years and has truly shined as we have continued to add more and more hotel and corporate events. He is regularly found supporting Cleveland’s many event centers and ballrooms, meeting and surpassing client A/V needs and expectations.

A Few Fun Facts About Bryan Wolbert:

  • Favorite Movie? Blade Runner
  • Most Relatable Cartoon Character? “Bender” from Futurama
  • Guilty Pleasure Song? Careless Whisper
  • Favorite Pre-Event Snack? C’mon is that even a question…Chipotle!
  • Favorite Thing About Being on the RTH Team? The bond with coworkers and how we can always joke with each other. We have a great team!

RTH Rockstar Bryan Wolbert 2

“It’s nice to be recognized for the time and effort you put into your job. It’s not ultimately needed but nice to be noticed for your hard work.” – Bryan Wolbert, ROCKstar of the Month

Bryan’s family is what motivates him to be his best and when he isn’t at work or Chipotle, he can be found spending time with his two sons, Clay and Evan. Bryan is a cherished and respected member of the Rock the House family and our events would not be the same if it wasn’t for all his incredible hard work and dedication!

“Bryan has been with the team for roughly two and a half years and quickly moved to one of our top Audio Engineers. He is a hard worker with a ‘get it done’ mentality that pushes teams to make it home before Chipotle closes.” – Ben Allison, Director of Human Development

Congratulations again to Bryan on being October’s ROCKstar of the Month! Interested in working with Bryan at 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 May: Brian Raymont

This May we are happy to shine the ROCKstar of the Month spotlight on Brian Raymont, one of our many talented MCs! No matter what happens while he’s at an event, Brian is always ready to adjust and puts nothing before the event and needs of our customers.

RTH ROCKstar Brian Raymont

Specializing as a wedding MC for Rock The House for 3 seasons now, Brian’s enthusiasm on the microphone captivates the audience’s attention at every show and ensures that the energy of the room is always at an all-time high. Working hard to facilitate his events and keep all scheduled formalities on time week in and week out, both Brian’s organizational and interpersonal skills are among some of the best on our team.

A Few Fun Facts About Brian Raymont:

  • Favorite TV Show or Movie? The WWE Network… Especially old school legends like Hulk Hogan, The Rock, and Macho Man Randy Savage.
  • Favorite Song: “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey (“I’m an old soul… An 80’s baby!”)
  • Favorite Musical Entertainer? Billy Joel
  • Most Relatable TV Character? Doug Funny from “Doug”
  • Favorite Snack Before or After An Event? None – “I usually don’t eat right before or after events… I’m often too busy focused on making sure everything on the show goes right!”

RTH ROCKstar Brian Raymont 2

“At every event I do, I treat it like game 7 of the NBA Finals; You’re never gonna get another chance to have a perfect wedding and to go for the gold. Anytime I get to work with our other great entertainers… Or anytime you can win a game 7 and have a great night, you have it made. It’s the best job in the world.” – Brian Raymont

When not performing with Rock The House on the weekends, Brian prefers relaxing and spending time with his wife Erin. Additionally, Brian also serves as the Assistant Atheltic Director at Padua Franciscan High School and has received both his Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Studies and Master’s Degree in Arts in Education and Sports Administration during his time spent at The University of Akron.

“The lengths Brian goes to guarantee our clients’ satisfaction are unmatched. That surely has something to do with the constant praise we get from past couples who have worked with him.” – Ben Allison, Director of Human Development

Congratulations again to Brian for being awarded ROCKstar of the Month for May and for being an invaluable asset to our team! Interested in working with Brian for your next event? Contact our team of event professionals to get started today! Photos courtesy of Kelly Crews Photography and the Rock The House Photo Archive.

ROCKstar of the Month of April: Clay Sullivan

As we slowly ramp up into our busy summer season, we find it only fitting that RTH Technician Clay Sullivan is awarded our April ROCKstar of the Month award! Clay is currently a student at Kent State University and has been a part of the Rock The House family for about a year now. While ROCKstar of the Month is usually reserved for more of our veteran ROCKstars, Clay’s knowledge, skill, and diligence make him more than worthy of this title.

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“Clay has an incredibly strong work ethic and is always a team player. If you have something that needs to get done, Clay is definitely the guy.” – Ben Allison, Director of Human Development

Clay is an audio pro and does many different tasks, including assisting with working sound for Rock The House Live!’s band practices and live shows. Holding near and dear to our world-class customer service standards, Clay is known for doing whatever it takes to make our clients’ events a success each and every week!

A Few Fun Facts About Clay Sullivan:

  • Favorite Group or Artist? The Foo Fighters
  • Favorite Movie: The Shawshank Redemption
  • Favorite Snack? Salted Almonds
  • Most Relatable TV Character? Ben Wyatt from “Parks & Recreation”
  • Favorite Thing About Being on the RTH Team? “Getting to do different things every day!”

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“I really enjoy working with such a diverse group of people, and learning skills that will help me with my college major: Digital Media Production.” – Clay Sullivan

We thank Clay for all the hard work he puts in at every time he’s with our team, and congratulate him again on his ROCKstar of the Month award! From miscellaneous shop tasks to live event production, Clay is always eager and ready to help out any way he can!

Interested in working with Clay for your next event? Contact our team of event professionals to get started today! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

Today’s Bride 2017 Wedding Show Recap – I-X Center

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Every January, Today’s Bride gathers up some of the biggest vendors in Northeast Ohio for their annual I-X Center and John S. Knight Center wedding shows! Being one of the largest in the state, this show is known to attract thousands of engaged couples, so our team took our booth to the imagination’s limit, showcasing exactly what RTH Weddings can make possible for their special day!

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As you can see from the picture above, our 2017 bridal show booth was bigger and better than any booth we’ve ever done at any previous show! Recreating the double-decker design we executed last year, our team spruced up our setup by doubling the number of display monitors, adding fog to accent some fun lighting elements, and literally topping it all off with our own DJ Mattitude that mixed live for couples from the top of the booth! The award-winning booth also featured a massive banner that displayed the signature RTH logo, as well as some of our favorite wedding photos, which was all suspended from the ceiling of the facility for all of the show’s guests to see! While all this was taking place high in the air, another team of wedding professionals could be found below helping couples and answering any questions they may have had about their upcoming nuptials.

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Rock The House (RTHAV) is also proud to partner with Today’s Bride from a production standpoint, providing audio, lighting, and even staging for their fashion shows! With a total of six different shows happening in only two short days, our team worked diligently to ensure that everything was handled for each show throughout the weekend. Rock The House MC Nick Duve hosted all of the fashions shows, welcoming guests with opening remarks and announcing the various models’ outfit styles and show sponsors (American Commodore Tuxedo and Miller’s Party Rental), while DJ Flightz kept the high energy music pumping through the speakers the entire time. Guests were awed by a stunning light display, which proved to be an exceptional accent to the luxurious dresses and tuxedos the models ROCKED as they headed down the runway.

 

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Our team also spent some time with Kenny Crumpton and FOX 8 News talking about some of the cool new products we had for couples at the show! The first item was also featured on top of the RTH Weddings show booth; The new Touch Screen DJ System, which allows couples to actually SEE their DJ mix live before their eyes, and even encourages them to get into the mix and play a few of their own songs! The second spotlight item this year was our Mirror Photo Booth, which is an interactive, state-of-the-art photo station that captures guests’ memories as they stand in the reflection of a full-size mirror! This novelty also prompts users to doodle and sign their masterpiece once it’s taken, and allows the photos to be printed live on-site, sent digitally via SMS or email, or directly posted to a social media account on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other popular platforms.

Check out a full recap of the Today’s Bride I-X and John S. Knight Center shows from last month above, and see exactly what the RTH team is capable of accomplishing. From weddings to fashion shows, and every event in between, Rock The House can do it all! To learn more about how you can work with our team of event professionals, visit our contact page by clicking here!

RTH Signature Event: The Duve Wedding

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Rock The House makes dream weddings a reality for hundreds of couples each year. However, it’s not every day that one of those couples is a member of our team! A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of helping our own Marketing Manager, Nick Duvé and his husband, Stephen Duvé, celebrate one the best nights of their lives in one of the greatest weddings productions we’ve ever put on.

As a former DJ and Host at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and a connoisseur of ‘Fairytale Weddings’, as well as his time spent with us at Rock The House, Nick has seen just about any wedding possibility you could think of. That all being said, Nick had gathered plenty of ideas for his own wedding throughout his years in the industry… and he had all the resources to make them happen. With the help of Meredith Masaveg of Rain Wedding Planning, Nick and Steve began planning their big day.

“This wedding was much more then just about Steve and I. It was about celebrating all of the friends and family who have helped us along our journey. We wanted to give them an experienced they will never forget and with the help of some very talented vendors, and I think we accomplished that”. – Nick Duve

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The Duvés decided that the Akron Art Museum was the perfect location for both their wedding ceremony and reception to take place. An already stunning venue, Rock The House provided full production and lighting work throughout the museum, while our sister company Selective Sound Entertainment provided ceremony services, with Vice President “Jay R.” Rich as the officiant and first DJ. Chairs the wedding and reception were provided by Be Seated. After the ceremony guests were invited onto an outdoor dancefloor for cocktail hour, before stepping inside the newly-transformed art museum for the dinner reception.

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A beautiful ceremony is only complimented by an unbelievable reception, and that became no clearer to guests than when they first stepped inside the building. After a 5-star dinner provided by Driftwood Catering and frosty desserts brought by Mason’s Creamery, guests were personally invited once again onto the outdoor dancefloor by Nick and Steve for their first dance and formalities. However after a short time of dancing, guests were stopped by RTH MC Sparky B. and invited back inside the building for a very special surprise from Nick and Steve. The Duvé’s weren’t done quite yet.

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When guests arrived back inside, they were in awe to see a Vegas-inspired dance club, which had been in plain view the whole time, but simply hidden behind a wall of drapery! The perfect light show was coordinated by an RTH lighting designer as Sparky B. continued to hype up the crowd! Lights were only the beginning, as the Duvés surprised their friends and family with music by celebrity DJ Brian Dawe of VH1 & MTV! The night to remember was all captured on film by Matt Reisinger of Elite Entertainment, and still-frame images were shot by Marc Anthony & Tony Ryan Photography. Special thanks also go out to L’Nique Linen Rental, Nikki’s Perfect Petal Designs, Paul Mitchell the School: Cleveland, and Justin Campbell from the Akron Art Museum, who all did their part to make the day a success for the Duve’s! You can find more pictures, and videos from the Duvé Wedding by following the hashtag #HereComeTheDuves.

Want Rock The House to make your dream wedding a reality? Contact our team of event professionals today to see what we can do for you! Photos courtesy of Marc Anthony & Tony Ryan Photography and The Rock The House Photo Archive. Videos courtesy of Rock The House and Matt Reisinger of Elite Entertainment.

ROCKstar of The Month of October: Kevin New

October is one of our busiest months of the year, so it’s only fitting that this month’s ROCKstar is one of our hardest working MCs, Kevin New. Finishing up his 14th season working with us, Kevin has been performing as an MC since he was 18 years old.

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Although Kevin has been performing for RTH for 13 years, his experience performing stretches back to his youth. Starting his entertainment career at 7 years old, Kevin worked at Six Flags Amusement Park as a boy, and even spent some time touring Italy for vocal performance! In addition to these experiences, Kevin would later take his talents to Kent State University, pursuing Vocal Performance in the form of a college degree.

A Few Fun Facts About Kevin New:

  • Theme Song? “Piano Man” by Billy Joel (But his favorite song would be “You Can Call Me Al” by Paul Simon)
  • If You Could Be A Superhero, Who Would It Be? Superman, because of his ability to fly!
  • Post Event Snack? I always stop at the Circle K near the RTH office for an energy drink and some Cool Ranch Doritos.
  • Who Do You Look Up To As An RTH MC? Is There Any Advice You Have For Future Entertainers? I try to take away nuggets of wisdom from each of our entertainers. Each MC is unique and seasoned, and I enjoy learning from each of them! That’s something I always tell our new entertainers; Don’t be afraid to learn by trying something new.

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Kevin was born in El Paso, Texas, as the 10th and final child of his family. With the age difference between him and his siblings spanning up to 25 years, time only continues to make the New family grow. As of now, Kevin has 34 nephews (not counting 12 great niece and nephews), and three children of his own with his wife of 6 years, Kellie.

“Kevin New is the consummate professional. Any client who is fortunate to have Kevin as their MC is in for a wonderful night. Kevin not only is a talented entertainer but he embraces concierge level customer service. Rock The House has been fortunate to have such a loyal and talented entertainer on the entertainment team for the last 13 years. Kevin has performed on over 400 events, and we look forward to watching that number grow as time goes on.” -Travis Rose, Talent Director

You can find Kevin any given weekday working his full-time job as Branch Manager for Dollar Bank in North Olmsted. A very hardworking individual, we appreciate all the work that Kevin does for our company and our customers! Interested in working with Kevin for your next event? Contact our team of event professionals today to get started!

Your Guide To A Hauntingly Good Halloween Party

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With the leaves falling from the trees and the summer heat drifting away, it can only mean one thing; Fall is finally here! With Fall comes pumpkins, football games, flannels, and of course, Halloween. As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, Halloween is the perfect time to throw some of the craziest parties of the year. As your friends and neighbors prepare by decorating their houses and making fun costumes, here is your guide to throwing a spectacularly spooky soiree they won’t soon forget! Putting on a Halloween celebration may seem like a monumental task, but really it can be broken down into three main facets: Lighting, Special Enhancements, and Entertainment. Luckily, Rock The House is not only able to provide you with all of these things, but we’ll even walk you through each step of the planning process! Here are a few of our ideas, if you dare to dream big!

Lighting:

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Lighting is a very powerful tool for any event you may be throwing because it allows you to not only transform the look of any space, but also the mood that is set by that space. Orange uplighting on a bare wall is a great way to give your guests a mysterious feeling as they arrive, or use it on some white drapery to make your own wall! Black lights are also known to set an eerie tone, and can be a great addition to any room’s design. While these lights are used to set the room’s general atmosphere, there are also advanced lighting options that will help bring your party to life after it kicks off! Strobe lights, hazers, and blinders are all great ways to turn your average room into a full-fledged Halloween production. Freedom sticks and gobos are some other good additions that can really bring a space together nicely.

Special Enhancements:

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Once you’ve got the lighting in place, it’s time to polish off your production with some extra flare. Fog machines are a great accent to our advanced lighting choices, or you can add some chandeliers to give the room a touch of aged elegance! Also don’t forget about any of our fantastic extra entertainment options, such as Rockshots, LED Ping Pong, Giant Foosball, and more! Our selection of games and extra activities are a great way to ensure that guests will stay entertained both on, and off the dancefloor!

Photo Opportunity:

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Another special enhancement that is a must-have for any Halloween party is one of our many different photo opportunities! Photos booth options have become a new staple piece for guest interaction, and can be very appealing to those who may be a bit too shy to put their dancing shoes on. Not to mention that if you’re throwing a costume party, your guests will be itching to get a picture of themselves in their new attire! Add social media sharing, and guests can easily share their photos directly to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even have their pictures sent to them instantly through e-mail or text message.

Entertainment:

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When all the lighting and production work is done, you’ll still need to entertain your guests! Whether you prefer live entertainment or a good old-fashioned DJ, Rock The House is always ready to make your party ROCK! Our masterful DJ/MC pairs are trained to play for any kind of crowd, and our in-house, award-winning party band Rock The House LIVE is able to play a wide variety of genres from funk, to rock, to today’s biggest hits. No matter which option you prefer, you can be sure that all your guests will be out of their seats, enjoying themselves the entire night! As you can surely see by now, trick-or-treating isn’t the only fun thing you can do in October. Now’s your chance to throw a party so good, even ghosts from last Halloween will want to attend! Contact our team of event professionals today to get started, and mention this article and receive 5% off your Halloween event. Images courtesy of Google Images and the Rock The House Photo Archive.

Rock The House 2016 Company Party Recap

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Every week of the year, members of our talented team of entertainers exceed expectations to make events the very best experience they can be for our clients and their guests. For this reason, we have the Rock The House Family of Companies Party; a night full of awards, music, dancing, and soon-to-be great memories! As our way of showing gratitude for all the hard work our employees do every week, we present our 2016 Rock The House Company Party Recap!

The grand celebration took place on August 16th at Camp George Forbes in Beachwood, with dinner being served by Driftwood Catering. Over 110 RTH team members attended the party, which featured a variety of activities including a photo booth, an ice cream cart, and even a bonfire. While we appreciate every employee that comes to our annual company party, there are a few entertainers that deserve special recognition this year. A few of them include Faucet Award winner Nick Lockhart, Renaissance Man Award winner Travis Rose, and the newly-named Rock The House Employee of The Year, Nick Duve.

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Also, we would like to extend a special congratulation to one of our lead entertainers Shawn Smutak (Left), who was commemorated for his completion of 1,000 events! A similar award was presented to Selective Sound’s “Jay R.” Rich (Right), following his completion of over 1,500 events throughout his career. The night was closed out with our company-wide DJ Battle, where Matt “Mattitude” Novick was crowned as the winner.

Rock The House is a very unique company filled with many unique individuals, and we wouldn’t trade any of them for anything. Events like our annual company party help our staff grow closer together as a whole, and is the reason our company’s culture is unmatched by any of our competitors. Plain and simply, it is because our entertainers love what they do. Thank you to all our DJs, dancers, MCs, technicians, and executive staff members for all that you’ve done this past year! Great job team!

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Interested in working with our staff to make your next event ROCK? Contact our team of event professionals to get started! Photos courtesy of the Rock The House Photo Archive.

RTH Signature Event: MOCA Cleveland Art Gala

Each year, the Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) holds an annual fundraiser in which elite members of Cleveland’s community come together to support the arts. This affair, also known as the MOCA Gala, is a night full of laughter, conversation, and delicious food provided by Marigold Catering. Returning as proud production partners for the past 3 years, it was our distinct pleasure to provide audio, video, lighting services for this year’s MOCA gala!

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As event professionals who know the impact lighting can make on an event, Rock The House aspired to design a clean look associated with the gala’s main theme; “LEAP”. Led by Founder/CEO Matt Radicelli, the RTH team wasted no time designing a sky-like atmosphere, illuminating the normally-white room with light blue accent lighting, dabbled with the occasional cloud or two. Accomplished using uplighting and gobos mounted from overhead support beams, the final look left the white room appearing to have painted walls, with no distinguishable lighting sources viewable from the entrance.

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In addition to lighting, Rock The House also provided audio and video services, allowing key speakers to present with ease, as an overhead projector displayed visuals that may be relevant to any of the presentations throughout the gala. Truly a night to remember, Rock The House would like to thank all guests in attendance who came to show their support, as well as the staff of the Cleveland MOCA, The Element Band, and everyone else who made the event possible.

Interested in Rock The House’s production services for your next corporate, non-profit, or social event? Contact our team of #EventProfs today to visually stun your guests at your next event!