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ROCKstar of The Month of October: Kevin New

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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!

mhadder4561

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.

mhadder4561

Rock The House Annual Meeting A Huge Success!

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RTH Combines Fun and Humility to Beat Competition

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If your first thoughts once you realize you’ve been scheduled a 9 to 5 on a Sunday include the idea of cashing in one of your sick days, then you don’t work for Rock The House.

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From the moment RTH team members arrived at their annual All-Staff meeting, the stage was set for something more colorful than your typical yearly staff assembly. Team members, who on this day felt more like guests of honor, were politely encouraged to meet and greet with folks they hadn’t met yet over coffee and an array of breakfast muffins. 

For members like myself, it was a chance to put names to faces that – to that point – I had only shared emails with. For others, it was an opportunity to relive memories with someone they hadn’t worked with in a long time. Perhaps even as long as last year’s Annual Kickoff Meeting.

“The production team spared no time or resources when designing the audio, video, and lighting design. We do this for a living, but it was an exciting opportunity to put what we do into action for our own team.”  — RTH Founder & CEO Matt Radicell

Two giant video screens accented both sides of the elevated stage, and there was enough lighting to host a respectable New Year’s Eve party. The stage, which was at least two feet off the ground, looked more prepped for a rock concert than a company meeting. There were a half dozen sets of high-end, and very loud, speakers strategically scattered throughout the Event Hall of downtown Cleveland’s Red Space, the perfect setting for such an event.The stage also featured a see-through glass bowl that was introduced to members as ‘the question bowl‘. Throughout the day teammates were encouraged to write relevant questions with the provided pen and notepad and were promised an answer by RTH managers at some point during the day. The effect was two-pronged; it allowed the meeting to flow smoothly with minimal interruption, and it allowed every person in the room a chance to ask whatever they wanted and receive a genuine response before they left.

Red Space, created by Hot Cards is a unique open gallery designed to host a variety of different events. According to isescleveland.com,”This raw and open space is perfect for eclectic events looking for something different.” Red Space has hosted everything from conferences and weddings to art shows and wine tastings. It truly allows the client to dictate the setting. It was a perfect fit for Rock The House.

Now, Let’s Get Hands On

The all day affair didn’t just entail team building exercises and listening to speeches. Peppered into the afternoon activities was a little hands on training that proved to be very beneficial to rookies and veterans alike.

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Another point of the meeting was to stress the importance of attention to detail. Hanging drape is an essential component of a multitude of RTH shows, and a brief re-teaching course of how to do it was an inevitable stop along the map of the days activities. A recap of the terminology paired with some  secret tips and tricks allowed team members to pick up on a few things they either didn’t know, forgot, or just were never formally taught. The heights and weights of the drapes used in some shows can be substantial, and the short learning session can be considered a safety issue if nothing else.

Carnival Cruise Director Eric Brouman was brought in to offer some of the core values coveted by his employer. The theme of this interaction was to highlight what Brouman called ‘being on‘, stressing positive attitudes and professional appearances the moment team members walk into an event.  As expected, the similarities between the two entertainment company’s were bountiful. As part of his module, RTH members were split into two groups and instructed to come up with their own core values. After the lists were compiled each team voted on their favorite codes. A brief discussion and video recap highlighted Brouman’s segment.

While Sunday’s meeting had all the flair of a high profile party, the intent and attention to detail provided much more than your regular company meeting. We laughed. We learned. We focused our energy on one goal; being the best and becoming better.

Throughout the day it was apparent that Rock The House was a company built by people that genuinely care about their members. For myself it felt like more than just a typical work meeting, it felt like a celebration.