Team Member of the Month – Chad Goldberg

October 28, 2014/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

A Youthful Inspiration Within the Warehouse

Rock The House has always been a company that looks at its own employees to grow and take on leadership roles. We embody the spirit of advancement from within the organization. With a constant growth, we make sure that when new employees join the team they are the right fit. In this special case, we were able to groom one from the beginning.

Chad Goldberg is one of the younger employees at RTH. So young in fact, we helped with his Bar Mitzvah only four short years ago. On his special day he got a taste of what it was like to party with RTH and couldn’t let it go. He has now been with the team for two and a half years. Chad believes in teamwork and knowing that events cannot come together single handedly.

“My favorite part of being part of this team is knowing that I can always rely on any other member of the team for help and to get our assigned job done efficiently.

Being part of the RTH team means, a lot since it is such a unique job. I get to come to work every weekend and see a tremendous amount of talent all come together and do what we love. Being part of the RTH team is like being part of a second family; we spend so much time together that we all get to know each other very well.”

Production Manager Ben Allison strongly believes in Chad’s abilities. So much so that he even lets him take the lead on some warehouse work.

“Chad is a motivated, self reliant, team player. He does what is needed to get the job done and supports his co-workers, all while soaking up anything and everything he can learn. He is important because seeing a young face striving for so much and achieving, inspires and motivates others. I hope that people can draw from his positive attitude and leadership mentality.”

Chad began at Rock The House as a shop assistant. Performing manual labor such as moving road cases, sweeping the shop, wrapping cables, and every other task you can image in a production warehouse. His perseverance has pushed him to where he is now. A lot can happen in two and a half years, and with his head held high, Chad will become even more valuable as years go bye. His passion for event production is unmatched when it comes to his age group.

“The thing I enjoy most about contributing to clients events is seeing their initial reaction when they walk into the venue and putting forth my best effort to make it an enjoyable, memorable event.”

We truly enjoy having Chad around the shop and office. He is always eager to help out and his thirst for learning will take him far.

COSE Small Business Pitch – A Shark Tank Style Event

October 22, 2014/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

COSE Small Business Pitch Showcases Ohio Entrepreneurs

ABC’s Shark Tank started in 2009 with investors looking to find the next big thing. It has garnered a following of entrepreneurs, dreamers, doers, and people who truly believe in themselves and their product. Average people with an idea they brought to fruition come into The Tank and pitch their concept to a panel of businessmen and women who have proven success in their respective fields. Some times the Sharks believe in the entrepreneur’s dreams and invest, and often times they pass on the commodity of these business hopefuls.

Fast forward to 2014 and The Council of Smaller Enterprises, also known as COSE, can attest that people want to see business competition, and they are making it happen for the third year in a row. The setting may not be the glitz and the glam of TV network studio, but a safari themed oasis in Sandusky, Ohio known as Kalahari Resorts & Convention.

COSE brings their Small Business Convention to Kalahari every October and the COSE Business Pitch Competition is one of the highlights of the convention. After several months and a few rounds of competition, the finals are set in a similar style to SharkTank. The prizes vary from $5,000 for third and fourth place, $10,000 for second, and a grand prize of $20,000 to the first place winner.

Rock The House provides audio, lighting, video, and our social media wall known as SocialCast to the three-day convention. During this time we get to showcase what we do best while enjoying the stories of other small business in the Northeast Ohio area.

This year brought out four very diverse finalists – Brewnuts, Colby Featherbottom’s Custom Sound Machines, Consult Mango, and The Digital Mosaic.

Each of the company’s leaders is allowed 15 minutes to present their product to a panel of judges, answer questions from the judges, and field a Q&A with the audience. After that hour has passed, the judges gather to discuss to select a winner for the $20,000 prize.

The first pitch was from Eric Vennaro of Consult Mango. Eric and his company have a strong belief in the education for international students wanting to learn in America. Consult Mango is an advertising platform that helps colleges and universities post ads and create content on international social media.

The second pitch came from Shelley Fasulko of Brewnuts. Shelley began her company with fiancé John Pippin about a year ago. By combining two of America’s favorite things, beer and donuts, you can bet Brewnuts is one sweet deal. They are putting a whole new spin on bar food, and hope to open their permanent location in Ohio City next year.

Thirdly came Ryan Schoeneman of Colby Featherbottom’s Custom Sound Machines. Ryan believes in creating custom guitars at a lower cost and a quicker turn around time. His pitch fits perfectly with a city like Cleveland – the heart of Rock and Roll.

Finally came Natalie Bauman of The Digital Mosaic. Natalie is bringing her innovative approach of video storytelling to families, senior living facilities and senior communities. Her app will help catalog family stories, one moment at a time.

The judges came back from recess, and offered advice to each individual before selecting the winner.

Tied for third place and each taking home $5,000 were The Digital Mosiac and Consult Mango.

After a moment of suspense, Brewnuts was announced as the second place winner of $10,00 and Colby Featherbottom’s Custom Sound Machines became the COSE Small Business Pitch contest winner of $20,000.

Each leader was gleaming with joy for their prize while the handshakes and congratulations came bustling to each of the four contestants. The night is surely a memorable one for each company, and each business is sure to thrive in the coming year.

Team Member of the Month – Sean Tyrrell

October 1, 2014/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

A Helping Hand When You Need It the Most

Rock The House is a living, and breathing machine. The people within the company are always going to keep the heart beating and the joints moving. Every so often we bring on an employee who takes us from a jogging state to a full on sprint. That is exactly the bolt of energy that Sean Tyrrell has given to keep up our pace.

Sean has been with RTH for a little bit over a year now. He considers this a team and rarely calls his tasks ‘work’ since someone is always willing to help out. Holding a mantra of being friendly to everyone you meet while working has led him to some memorable events. Being a dancer and a production technician gives him an unique edge as an entertainer.

We asked him his favorite memory from working at Rock The House:

“I was working photo magic at a Mitzvah but it didn’t stop me from dancing with some of the kids at my booth. The other dancers started a dance circle to show the kids what they’ve got. The looks on all the kids’ faces were priceless. I was called out to the floor and I did a slow motion head-slide that slowly sped up with the song. The atmosphere of that party was unreal!”

It wasn’t until the begging of this summer that Sean really proved he had what it takes to be in the spotlight on the dance floor and behind the scenes. He stepped up to take the lead on show load-in/outs, danced on high profile events, and operated photo systems for high profile clients. Many people may not see the depth in those tasks, but Sean understood how it was a direct reflection of Rock The House and how people see us.

Our Creative and Talent Coordinator, Ryan Konikoff, added his impression of Sean:

“Sean is the kind of guy you want working next to you, he’s fun and upbeat, but understands the company and clients’ goals and works towards those while keeping a positive demeanor. With a higher than average amount of bookings over the last summer, he has made himself available to help the team either as an onsite tech or staying late in the warehouse to make sure the shows are prepped and ready to go.”

A year ago we could not see how lucky we were to have Sean on our team, but now that he is here, we can’t thank him enough. We are always looking for the next rising star and a year can tell a lot about the people you have working for you. Sean proved he has what it takes to be a high profile member of the Rock The House team.

What Is An Industry Leader?

August 19, 2014/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Challenge Accepted

When it comes to the definition of what it means to be an industry leader, it might not be what you think. Many people think that the term is designated for those who are the largest companies or have the most popular services. That’s not really what it takes to be an industry leader. Being an industry leader means you are committed to innovation, education, growing the industry as a whole and thinking about a larger picture bigger beyond just your company.

We’re proud of the impact of our team on the event industry as a whole. From local positions on the ISES Cleveland Board of Directors (including the Vice President of Membership and the Incoming President) to being asked to volunteer on International committees, we’ve created an environment where giving back is part of our culture. Rock The House team members have been asked to speak at events all over the country because of our willingness to elevate the industry to new levels of achievement. Volunteering doesn’t stop there, our Marketing Director, Nick Borelli, has been asked to take on the responsibilities of Marketing and Public Relations for The SEARCH Foundation which raises money for event professionals when they need it the most. These types of volunteer positions are often thankless and have little impact on revenue all while being some of the most rewarding experiences in the carriers of our team.

We at Rock The House believe that leadership is not a position, its a state of being and a commitment to evolving. When we say we are an industry leader, its not to boast but a point of distinction and pride in our ongoing efforts to better everyone we come in contact with. The better our industry gets the more clients lives we can positively impact, and that’s why we do what we do.

Pictures from this week’s ISES Live in Seattle:

: SEARCH Foundation Board Members and ISES President, Kevin White, CSEP

: Recognizing 2013 ISES Brand Champions

: ISES Live Conference Volunteers

: 2014/2015 ISES Brand Champions

We Love This Testimonial!

July 25, 2014/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Turn Down Amore

This testimonial put a huge smile on our faces!

“Travis Rose is an incredibly talented event host who artistically drove the evening in exactly the direction we were hoping for. The progression from mellow wedding to dance club was subtle, yet impressive, making our event comfortable for all guests. Evolving from “That’s Amore” to “Turn Down for What” takes the steady hand of a gifted maestro.”

Knowing what makes our client’s events unique, understanding their tastes, and being committed to our craft is the reason for all our success. What works for one client will not work for another client! We have a diverse team of professionals who love what they do and our events speak for themselves.

Are you ready for #RockStarWeddings? Get in touch with us today.

Brides Take On The City

March 10, 2014/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

All Aboard The Bride Bus!

Personal Touch by Covesa put on this one of a kind event for brides to be. Instead of spending weeks driving around town, going from venue, to bakery, to entertainment facility, Covesa handles it all in one day.

The bus started out with thirty brides enjoying mimosas on as they headed out to Rock The House to see what we call the Demo Room. Part of our facility is dressed as a drab wedding hall where we show you how pipe and drape, uplighting, and monogrammed GOBO lights change any venue into an enchanted dream. Our Creative Director Ryan was on hand to get the brides into the reception spirit while teaching about all of our services.

The day continued onto multiple venues, bakeries, and even a stationary shop. Covesa really takes the guesswork out of who to trust in the wedding world. The brides on the bus all had a great time discussing wedding plans and sharing ideas.

Personal Touch by Covesa puts on multiple weddings each year. They are a company we truly enjoy working with and know we can trust. For wedding planning check them out and for top of the line production work, check out our website RTHGroup.com

Cleveland Business Connects – Connectors Choice Awards

March 1, 2014/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

And The Winner is…

Rock The House! This past February we were honored once again by Cleveland Business Connects. Their annual Connectors Choice Award ceremony honors all those in the event industry each year by recognizing outstanding work and dedication to events in Northeastern Ohio.

Rock The House is proud to announce our team won awards for Best Trade Show Company and Best Production Company. In addition to the team awards, the Cleveland’s chapter of the International Special Events Society (ISES) won two awards – Best Networking Event and Best Networking Organization. Rock The House proudly represents ISES with two members on the board.

This was the first time we won the award for Best Trade Show Company. Working with the COSE Small Business Convention last October is what helped us reach the summit as a trade show company. Held at the exceptional Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, the convention included a Shark Tank style pitch contest, multiple keynote speakers, and a trade show floor where many businesses presented their craft. In addition to the production for the main stage, the pitch event, and trade show floor, we provided everything from microphones to photobooths (most notably production for the 80’s dance party held for all attendees).

Our award for Best Production Company is one of the highest honors we could ever receive. Although it is not the first win of its kind, we are truly humbled by the credit CBC has given us. In 2013, our company grew exponential amount, and both these awards reflect our adoration for the event industry.

Working with event partners is where a lot of our success originates. Participating in ISES with industry leaders has been a benefit in and of itself, and being included with them for two awards is the highest honor. The award for Best Networking Event comes from a visit to Catan Fashions in Strongsville with Event Visionary, David Tutera. The event held 170 guests while David spoke about turning events into a lifestyle.

The Best Networking Organization award is one we are personally very proud of. Rock The House has been with ISES Cleveland since the beginning and we give a lot of our time in order to grow the prestige of this group. With two Rock The House members being committed to this volunteer organization, we could not be more proud of the successes of both organizations.

Thanks again to Cleveland Business Connect and ISES Cleveland. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners this year. To find out what puts Rock The House the best production company, visit our website – RTHGroup.com

Matt Radicelli Graduates Goldman Sachs 10K Small Businesses

December 19, 2013/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Education Never Stops

Congratulations to the Founder/Owner of Rock The House, Matt Radicelli, who graduated, along with 36 other small business owners, from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program this past Saturday, December 14, 2013. This program was created by Goldman Sachs as a $500 million program to unlock the growth and job-creation potential of 10,000 small businesses across the United States through greater access to business education, financial capital and business support services. Through a partnership with the City of Cleveland’s Office of Economic Development, Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), and the Goldman Sachs Foundation’s $15 million endowment, this program will directly impact the region’s economy in a variety of lasting ways.

During the past 12 weeks, Matt, along with a very diverse group of regional entrepreneurs, took classes across a gamut of management topics including HR, accounting, leadership, marketing, and negotiation with workshops curated by Goldman Sach’s team members. Matt was one of two graduates (along with Alec McClennan, president of Good Nature Organic Lawn Care) who were chosen by their peers to share their stories at Saturday’s graduation ceremony at Tri-C’s Advanced Technology Training Center. “My entire family both at home and at Rock The House were extremely supportive during the three month program”, says Matt. “I couldn’t have done it without their support and understanding. They are truly appreciated!”

Matt on the impact of the program on Rock The House:

“During one of the financial clinics, a quote was used on the video screen that said, ‘Anyone Who Can Be your Competitor, Can Be Your Partner’. That Ah-ha moment led to me offering to buy one of our competitors that very same day and we closed the deal to purchase Zone Entertainment 48 hours before I graduated from the program.”

“One of the most important roles of a leader is to spend a considerable amount of time on marketing and sales innovation. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program put me in a position where a regimented schedule gave me the opportunity to spend considerable amounts of time on the business.”

“All entrepreneurs have an inner need to create something from nothing or to continuously create and improve those around them. This program has helped to reinvigorate me and to remind me of the things that I really enjoy doing and that I need to delegate everything else.”

“The program allowed me to develop new contacts with other Cleveland-based entrepreneurs that also led to the creation of friendships with more than 40 people including my classmates and the program faculty and staff.” matt radicelli rock the house dis

For more information on the program, watch Goldman Sach’s video:

Event Expo 2013

December 12, 2013/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

We Rock The House of Blues at Event Expo 2013

Every October the best in the Cleveland event industry come together for Event Expo to show you what the “WOW” factor really means. This year, the House of Blues in downtown Cleveland welcomed dozens of vendors to provide you with a sample of Cleveland’s best food, entertainment, and expertise that will revitalize your outlook on how to plan an event.

Event Expo is the perfect opportunity for anyone one who is looking to organize a corporate event, wedding, bar/bat mitzvah, gala, or any type of celebration. The vendors ranged from catering, entertainment, venues, facilities, speakers, photobooths, DJs, plus much more.

As you walked down the stairs toward the Scene Stage at the House of Blues, you probably noticed Rock The House front and center. Each year we try to give you a taste of what you can expect at any of our events – top-notch customer service, state of the art lighting and sound, and a photo novelty to remember your event.

Rock The House is proud to work with many of the vendors attending Event Expo. To find out more about our specialties, visit RTHGroup.com

Rock The House Acquires Zone Entertainment

December 11, 2013/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Welcome To The Family

Photo by Making The Moment Photography on location at MOCA Cleveland

Rock The House Entertainment Group, Inc. is pleased to announce the acquisition of Zone Entertainment, a boutique entertainment company specializing in Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and school dances.

This announcement marks a significant benchmark in the history of both companies and is consistent with the goals and trajectories of their individual growth. Rock The House and Zone Entertainment have very similar beginnings making the perfect storm for this partnership. Both companies have shown mutual respect over the years with very open dialogue.

Rock The House Entertainment Group, Inc. is the parent company that owns and operates the Rock The House, Selective Sound Entertainment, and now the Zone Entertainment brands within Northeast and Central Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.

Rock The House, an industry leading event production and entertainment company has rapidly grown since its inception in 1999. Rock The House has been recognized by the International Special Events Society, CBC Magazine, SBN Magazine, and Today’s Bride Magazine for unparalleled creativity and commitment to world-class customer service.

Founded in 2006 by Jeff Dick, Zone Entertainment has quickly become an entertainment leader in Northeast Ohio specializing in youth-based social events. Throughout the past seven years, Zone Entertainment has achieved a dedicated clientele, including many of Northeast Ohio’s largest public and private educational institutions, and exceptional growth in the areas of Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations.

As a boutique entertainment company, Zone Entertainment has prided itself in its ability to custom tailor each event to meet their guests’ specific needs, an extensive staff training program, and groundbreaking creativity within the special-events market. None of that will change; Zone Entertainment will continue to operate as an independent brand within the Rock The House family of companies with Jeff Dick remaining as President and overseeing all day-to-day operations.

Photo by Making The Moment Photography on location at MOCA Cleveland

Rock The House will independently continue as an industry leader promoting the RTH-branded, youth-based events inclusive of educational events, Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations, and community events. Rock The House will also further its agenda to expand operations and design efforts within the Corporate/Non-profit, Wedding, Production, Rental, Retail, and Installation divisions of Rock The House.

While both brands will operate independently within their respective locations, this acquisition will lead to higher quality and increased efficiency for clients of both brands. Through an expansion of specialty products and services, shared operational resources, and combined creative collaboration, both Rock The House and Zone Entertainment look forward to continuing to exceed clients’ expectations and bring new and reimagined special-event concepts to our region.

Matt Radicelli, Founder/Owner of Rock The House:

“While participating in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, I saw an inspiring quote: ‘Anyone that can be your competitor, can be your partner’. Over the last several years, Jeff has built a first-class company that is well respected in the event community. We look forward to fostering Zone’s continued growth. All of our clients will benefit from this acquisition… more energy, more diversity, and more creativity.”

Jeff Dick, Founder/President of Zone Entertainment:

“Both Rock The House and Zone have extremely talented professionals on each crew and bringing the teams together will create an ultimate recipe for success, innovation, and opportunity.”

“Keeping our guests’ best interests in mind, we are excited to be able to offer all of the positives this collaboration has to offer, while keeping the personal touch the brand has become known for. Zone will now be able to further expand its offerings to include RTH-exclusive products and services, provide a larger backup network if/when needed, and accelerate growth of the Zone brand and quality with the added resources Rock The House has to offer.”

For More Information:

About this executing acquisition: Call Rock The House’s Marketing Director, Nick Borelli, at 440.232.7625 or e-mail him at [email protected]

About Rock The House: visit RTHGroup.com

About Zone Entertainment: visit ZoneCleveland.com

About

Rock The House Entertainment

Founded in 1999, Rock The House is a leading entertainment and production company located in Oakwood Village, Ohio. With 120 members on the team, the Rock The House family of companies produced over 1,000 corporate, non-profit, tradeshow, social, and educational events in 2013. Rock The House is known for its principles of creativity and world-class customer service.

Zone Entertainment

Founded in 2006 by Founder/President Jeff Dick, Zone Entertainment has established itself as one of the region’s premiere entertainment and production companies. Specializing in high-end and innovative Bar/Bat Mitzvah events and school dances, Zone continues to exceed its clients’ expectations.