"I shrunk invitations to the size of a
business card, making them easy for
people to carry around, and branched
out to different networks. We trans-
formed the venue into a lounge atmos-
phere with leather couches and hand-
passed hors d'oeuvres. Over 700 people
came. It was an absolutely wonderful
time."

qi How did it grow?

A "I hired people to take e-mail

addresses at events and grew a list to let
people know about the next one. At
first, I had a party every two to three
months. It was a lot of trial and error,
but it was great.
"Now I have wonderful sponsors
who help me finance — while they
access more clients — like Ferrari in
Novi, Seth Golden at SEE Eyeglass
Company in Birmingham and L'uomo
Vogue in West Bloomfield."

(-4 Now how often are parties offered?
A "We organize a large event about
once a month at different venues with
different themes."

G? Describe some of your events.
A "We've had a Saturday Night Fever
party and a Studio 54 party. In May, we
had Rok'n the House at POSH in
Ferndale. We'd take an old song, like
"Another One Bites the Dust," and mix
it with, say, a Britney Spears tune for a
blend of rock, hip-hop and house music
that I've only seen in Miami. We
changed all the decor, and on the main
level we offered free drinks and hors
d'oeuvres until 11 p.m. On the down-
stairs level, we had a percussionist with
bongos. It was a fantastic montage with
different atmospheres upstairs and
down.
"In August, we had Ferrari on the
Rocks II in the banquet center of the
Reserve at Big Rock in Birmingham.
We had a Ferrari exhibition on display,
a cocktail reception, dancing and a fash-
ion show provided by Dolce Moda in
Royal Oak. About 150 guests turned
up; it was a fantastic event.
"And every Thursday, we have an
executive happy hour at the Corner Bar
at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham,
with free sushi from 7-9 p.m."

enjoys a reputation with the food critics
and the locals alike for serving the area's finest
seafood, fresh fish, aged cuts of beef,
poultry dishes, and homemade pastries.

Where do you get your ideas?
A "I travel often to cities like South
Beach and Chicago. I'm always looking
to bring in ideas with a twist that appeal
to everyone."

"One of America's Best Restaurants."
-Gourmet Magazine

"Steve & Rocky's ambitious menu
sizzles with talent and experience."
-Jane Rayburn,
Detroit News Food Critic

6? How have you applied your entrepre-

neurial experience to your role with YAD?
A "I'm social co-chair with Jordan
Glass [of West Bloomfield], so I help
YAD spruce up their e-mails, plan
events and promote them to increase
event attendance. YAD keeps the
Jewish community thriving, and it's a
great outlet for Jewish singles to meet."

"They are proud of the way their
food comes out of the kitchen and
they should be. I rate them **5, ( - *."
-John Tanasychuck,
Detroit Free Press Food Critic

What kind of people go to your gather-
ings?
A "Young, upwardly mobile profes-
sionals, primarily between the ages of
25-35. The most important part of any
event is the crowd. I've been fortunate
to create environments that draw
diverse and friendly people. It's a fun,
feel-good environment."

What's coming up?
"I'm
working on an all-day Yoga
A
Expo that will showcase local yoga
schools. As a Kung Fu student at the
Chinese School of Martial Arts in
Berkley, I promote healthy living. One
hundred percent of the proceeds will
benefit charities."

"Two chefs blend talent and the best
ingredients for a stunning new
`downtown' Novi eatery."
-Rick Bohy,
Hour Detroit Magazine

43150 Grand River, Novi • 248.374.0688

57

0vvetifeha

Which charities do you work with?
"We
give proceeds from ticket sales
A
and private donations to charities such
as Children's Hospital of Michigan in
Detroit and [Chicago-based]
forthefallen.org , which raises money for
families of soldiers who have died in
Iraq. We have upcoming charity events
with Kids Kicking Cancer in Detroit,
Common Ground Sanctuary in
Bloomfield Hills and McCarty Cancer
Foundation in Berkley."

.2??)

Weddings

,2? ,

Social Events

Corporate Events

ea&

qi What about the future?
A "I recently opened a new branch of
the [events] company geared toward
corporate contracts. That was my origi-
nal vision."

Visit www.capitaleventproductions.corn for
more information on upcoming events. ❑

Bar g Bat Mitzvahs

901,14, at-

THE SKYLINE CLUB

248.350.9898

041

SKYLINE CLUB

Eyed:dished to 1988

Southfield, Michigan

JNPLATINUM • OCTOBER 2005

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