September Team Member of the Month: Maria Elena Massucci

September 1, 2012/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Elena – Team Member of the Month

Our clients might not have met our Event Consultant, Elena, but, rest assure, she has impacted their event. Elena’s position exists to ensure that none of the important details of our client’s events are missed. All the notes from meetings between our clients and event specialists are organized and streamlined for our entertainers and event production team by Elena. This ensures that nothing in the heads of our event specialist stay only there!

As Rock The House expands it’s offerings, Elena’s position becomes more and more important. She makes sure that our DJs, MCs, dancers, lighting designers, production managers, videographers, and technicians are all on the same page. Her job is to make sure our staff has everything they need to succeed. Her work is the bridge between planning and doing. This extra step in planning gives Rock The House a big advantage.

In addition, Elena also sources our client’s special music choices while organizing our extensive song library. She makes sure that our entertainers have the music they need in order to create the special moments they have dreamed. These songs range from ethnic songs to the really unusual and she makes it happen.

Creative & Talent Director, Ryan Konikoff explains why Elena was chosen for the Team Member of the Month this September:

“We are wrapping up the summer wedding season here at Rock The House and weddings tend to be the most detail oriented events. These events often involve many team members, an detailed agenda, music choices, and floor plans. Elena has made this the smoothest wedding season yet for our entertainers and technicians. During the May through September season, Elena’s work load nearly doubles. In spite of this, she didn’t miss a beat. She calls clients, makes recommendations and talks to our staff to make sure that expectations are met then exceeded.”

Elena describes her role best:

“I really enjoy being a part of someone’s special day, even if it is behind the scenes and they may not know me. If I can make someone’s day as special as I would want mine to be, I’ve succeeded and we’ve succeeded!”

Atlantic City DJ Expo 2012

August 20, 2012/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Continuing Education in Pursuit of Excellence

Rock The House Entertainment attends a variety of conferences and events all over the country each year. One of the most important trips is to the DJ Expo put on by DJ Times. This year the event was in Atlantic City and Matt, Shawn, and Travis had the opportunity to attend this conference and trade show with some of the best in the entertainment industry in attendance.

Being able to learn from the best in the country means our client’s events will benefit from a larger pool of experience. Upon their return to the office Matt, Shawn, and Travis debriefed the team on what they learned and how we can improve for our clients. This was Travis and Shawn’s first appearance at this conference and their experiences differed because of their unique backgrounds.

As a DJ and MC for over 9 years, Shawn was inspired by watching and listening to the top Masters of Ceremony in the country. Attending the DJ Times 2012 DJ of the Year Competition inspired him to plan on competing in future competitions. Travis recently started with the company as both a Client Cordinator and DJ. A big takeaway for Travis was just how different each client is and ways to get to know them better in order to create a more personalized event.

With over 400 companies and 2,000 in attendance, it was also impressive that Rock The House was able to give back to this community with our combined experience. Shawn even won the freestyle dance competition! One powerful quote from the event really impacted our team: “You have one chance to get the picture right, to capture the emotion, to create the signature moment”. This is why we are committed to always growing and learning…our clients’ events are THAT important.

Cleveland DJs Celebrate Their Own Bat Mitzvah

August 10, 2012/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Northeast Ohio Event Entertainment Company Turns 13

Have 13 years gone by already? Rock The House Entertainment Group has grown from a handful of dedicated DJs in Cleveland to one of the biggest Event Entertainment & Production companies in Northeast Ohio in 13 years.

This year’s holiday party for our staff was a true coming of age event. In a year with many new full-time positions created, almost 1,000 events served, and many new part-time team members coming on board, we have a lot to be thankful for. Our holiday party really reflects the culture of the company. Awards were given and the year was reviewed but at the heart of this night…there was a family who make FUN a priority.
Our team includes experts in DJ / MC Entertainment, Lighting & Sound Production, Photo Booths, & Videography for Weddings and Bar / Bat Mitzvahs as well as Corporate & Fundraisers. If you are interested in YOUR next party being as fun as ours was for ourselves…contact us at www.RTHgroup.com

Rock The House Holiday Party 2012

August 7, 2012/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Party For A Living / Live To Party

Once a year we get together to celebrate another year of successes in the only way we know how…with a blow out party. On paper, this event probably sounds like your holiday party. We had drinks, food, dancing, and awards. Sounds normal enough, right?

Well let’s break down the differences between our party and yours:

Drinks – Full open bar. Choices put together based on requests by our team. Jello shots.
Food – HUGE buffet by the Mandarin Seafood Buffet.
Dancing – Professional dancers competing to see who has the best moves.
Awards – Award winners celebrated with high-fives and Jello shots.

Our company culture is the cornerstone of our success. This annual event is a great example of what makes our culture so special. Attendees included DJs, MCs, Lighting Designers, Sound Technicians, Dancers, Mangers, Event Specialists, Full-Time Office staff, and (importantly) their significant others. Everyone, regardless of position, came together for our most looked forward to evening of the year. We love what we do so much and it definitely shows on nights like this. Our DJs were picking songs and our dancers never left the dance floor. This isn’t a job…it’s in our blood!

If you are looking for that kind of passion for your next event, see what we can do for you – Rock The House Entertainment Group

Governor John Kasich at Ground Breaking Event

July 16, 2012/in Corporate Production /by mhadder4561

Your Corporate Sound Solution

Rock The House Entertainment Group had the pleasure of being selected by Oakwood Village Mayor Gary V Gottschalk as the sound engineers on the groundbreaking event for the expansion of Maines Paper & Food Service on July 16, 2012. This was an important event for Ohio and especially the city our offices are based in, Oakwood Village. 100 new area jobs will be created here in Ohio because of the work Govenor John Kasich and Mayor Gottschalk put forth. Maines is one of the largest privately owned and operated companies in the United States with an annual revenue of over 3 billion dollars.

Mayor Gary V Gottschalk has been working with us more and more on a variety of projects that include our lighting design, sound engineering, DJ / MC entertainment, as well as our photo novelties. In fact, this summer we’ve been working with his office on a summer student DJ class for middle school students. Having this strong relationship has made it easier for us to feel more connected to the immediate community we work in each day.

Providing one of our elegant podiums as well as running the sound for important corporate events is an area we take true pride in. Our sound technician ensured everything from the live rendition of “America The Beautiful” to the governor’s speech sounded clear and professional to all the guests in attendance. The next time your company has the need for sound services in Cleveland, Akron/Canton, Columbus or anywhere in Northeast Ohio, remember Rock The House.

Transforming A Tent With Lighting

July 8, 2012/in Cleveland Wedding Venue, Lighting & Drapery, Weddings /by mhadder4561

Kirkbrides North Canton Tent Reception

On July 7, 2012, Rock The House Entertainment provided lighting for a Kirkbrides Wedding Planners Reception inside an Everything Tented Tent in North Canton, Ohio. Those are the facts. Before that could happen, though, our teams worked together in heat of around 105 degrees for two days in order to get the perfect look our client was looking for. Creating a vibrant club-like atmosphere in the middle of a field doesn’t happen through magic. Our teams collaborated by working hand in hand to create a venue in tough conditions because we’re committed to creating the best event locations where and whenever our clients choose.

Kirkbrides really put together an exceptional team for a wedding reception. Setting up an beautiful outdoor reception venue for hundreds of guests is rarely easy but Kirkbrides knew who has the most experience doing it RIGHT and chose their partners accordingly. This is at the heart of what great event planners do. They know how to organize and coach a team of professionals that are right for the job. Knowing who has the experience, passion, and creativity necessary for the client’s needs is a difficult task that they don’t get enough credit for.

In addition to knowing who is needed to execute the functions of the event correctly, the Kirkbrides team did an excellent job with the myriad of details that this beautiful wedding had. Our lighting designer was on-hand for the entire event to create the specific vision of Kirkbrides and the client. In addition to our uplights, dance floor lighting design, decorative gobo lighting designs on the tent ceiling, gobo monogram on the dance floor, and generators for power, we also provided our elegant wedding reception chandeliers. These chandeliers are a great way to take an outdoor event to the next level of class as distinction.

Let us show you why we should be part of your team – Rock The House Entertainment Group

A Rock The House Success Story: Shawn Smutak

July 6, 2012/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Entertainer to Client Coordinator

Nothing makes us more proud than seeing a team member grow with the company; and Shawn Smutak is a great example of that transition. Shawn has been with Rock The House since 2003, and has been a part of some really big transitions that the company made over the last decade. Some of these transitions include two different office expansions, expanding services (event production to include lighting and staging), exponential growth in employees, as well as the addition of a corporate entertainment and production division. These are just some of the ways Rock The House has grown, in-part because of Shawn.

Shawn started with the company as a dancer and DJ, and as Rock The House expanded it’s horizons, Shawn became one of the company’s most requested MCs over time. His ability to take control of an event, work with other vendors, and his commitment to customer service made him a natural leader on events. Beyond his growth in his role as an entertainer, Shawn has achieved an Associate Degree in Interpersonal Communication at the University of Akron with a Minor in Sales Management. It’s this training, coupled with his years of show experience, that made him the right choice for his next role at Rock The House.

Shawn has been hired as a part of the full-time staff as a Client Coordinator. Because he has been the leader on hundreds of events with Rock The House, he is uniquely qualified to help guide our clients with their event’s needs. Being in the field as long as Shawn means that he understands what can be achieved and what is best for the integrity of the event. His recommendations come from the point of a true expert.

When asked what the most exciting part of this new position will be for him, Shawn did not hesitate. “The fact that I can now take part in the internal process of all of our events is exciting,” said Shawn. “Communicating with clients more frequently and building strong relationships is going to be really exciting.” We’re excited to be able to be at a point in our evolution that we can offer a real opportunity to our staff to be able to grow with us. Hiring from within is something that makes the management team at Rock The House really proud because it’s a great payoff for those who have sacrificed the most towards the success of our company.

July Team Member of the Month

July 2, 2012/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Evan Guffin: Technician

Evan has been with Rock The House just short of one full year and he has already made his mark. A hard worker with a real drive to learn, Evan has what makes the best of us shine. There is a difference between a “willingness to learn” and real drive and Evan’s got it. Beyond his job performance, he has quickly become part of what makes the Rock The House culture something special. He goes above and beyond and has an awareness of everything going on each day and not just the show he has been assigned to.

Our technicians are our lifeblood now in 2012. Rock The House may have started out as a DJ entertainment company but it’s grown beyond that designation due to the acquisition of talented technicians such as Evan. The success of our ability to grow can be attributed to their hard work. It’s not as glorious of work as entertainers (because they are rarely in the spotlight) but our tech team is just as important.

Production manager, Ben Allison, is impressed with both his adaptability to learn on the job as well as Evan’s attitude. “He is never negative and is always looking for a better way to accomplish his tasks”, says Ben. He also states that Evan’s easy going nature is refreshing during critical points in events where big egos would have got in the way.

Evan told us his favorite part of being on the Rock The House team is how we transform a venue for an event. “I love walking into a venue and knowing it’s going to be a completely different room by the time you’re event starts…then at the end, it’s like we were never there”, says Evan. What is all the more impressive is that Evan is also going to Full Sail University for event production. This means we are only seeing the beginning of what is sure to be an impressive career in creating event experiences.

Cleveland Event Entertainment Softball Challenge

June 29, 2012/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

1st Annual Rock The House / Jerry Bruno Softball Game

It’s summertime. That means shorts, hot dogs, and sports on a diamond. We decided this year to get our team together to play our friends at Jerry Bruno in a game of softball. Surprise, surprise…we have found out we have some real ballplayers. Between our all-staff meeting, holiday party, and now this event…we get to hang out with our ENTIRE team more often. This event was a huge success and we were able to raise money and can goods for the Cleveland Foodbank.

Check out this video to see the action:

Corporate Event Entertainment

June 22, 2012/in DJ Akron /by mhadder4561

Summa Health Systems Summer Party

SummaCare donated money to help give the University of Akron this world class stadium and now their employees get to spend a summer evening at the venue to celebrate a successful year. InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field in Akron, Ohio is truly a beautiful venue for a corporate holiday party. SummaCare insurance secured naming rights to the field through 2029! Their employees had the chance to play games, listen to our DJ’s music, dance, dine, and share a great night with their team members. Our event specialist helped them design an event that was both casual and laid back which is perfect for a summer corporate event.

In addition to entertainment and food, guests had the chance to have their photo taken with our Green Screen Photo Magic. Our technician made the whole experience that much more fun by guiding the guests and giving them suggestions for the photos. Out DJs, MCs, and Photo Technicians have years of experience with corporate event production From the simple to the grand, we can put together the team for you!