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.

Team Member of the Month: Steve Tanruther

November 15, 2013/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

VP, CFO & MVP

rock the house

Steve is the true renaissance man within the Rock The House team! Having daily job responsibilities that range from chief advisor to founder/owner Matt Radicelli, managing the full financial state of the company, as well as being the IT guru and Technology expert. Steve also chooses to expand his role away from his desk by spending time in the warehouse, on events, and side by side mentoring staff members. He is one of the few people on this earth that that has the ability to walk his dogs and read 3 or 4 newspapers before breakfast, finish a very completed Profit / Loss Statement by lunch and then spend his afternoon 40′ in the air rigging chain motors for a large event in order to give the rest of the team a break, before a quick trip the Aikido Studio for a work out, a bite to eat at a new upcoming restaurant and then to House of Blues to rock out to a great band, and despite what Steve says about his dancing skills, anyone who has joined him for a night a Mega-80’s knows that he can bust a move with the best of them. We can’t even fit all of that in a sentence without it being a high run-on but Steve makes it all seem effortless.

October is always one of the busiest months of the year at Rock The House, and this year was busier them most. Steve made sure to embrace his role as SR VP by setting an excellent example for all staff by working hard to complete his day to day tasks and also stepping in to help all other departments. By participating in sales meetings, stopping to pick up equipment on his way from and too work, and helping to project manage events on the weekend he shows everyone that a title doesn’t exclude you from doing things outside your responsibilities. Through all this month he wasn’t just “doing” but he was stopping to teach, advise, and mentor newer staff members in the process working to build a stronger more well rounded RTH team.

We hope that staff members see what it is like to truly love what you do and to always keep your skills well honed. Steve spends most of his time in the office because that is where he is needed. Its second nature to jump in a lift to hang a lighting truss, mix a few microphones from a mixing console he has never seen, and has no problem helping with event positions that may not be the most glamorous, like running feeder, or packing a truck.

They say an elephant doesn’t forget, well we would put any elephant up head to head against Steve in a contest of institutional memory. He has been around from day one, and had a long career in AV before Rock The House. He is the guy on the team who had been there and done and makes sure we learn from the mistakes of the past. RTH Founder/Owner Matt Radicelli met Steve when he was leading the electric slide at a Twinsburg High School Dance in the early 1990’s. After a short conversation, Matt realized that Steve was also a touring sound engineer. For a company like Rock The House that spends almost even time working on Production and Entertainment you must have a leadership team that has spend time within each department. We at RTH also pride ourselves as a technology based company, and Steve makes sure to always stay on the cutting edge of technology from custom building the RTH server to managing all of the soft and hardware for all staff members, laptops, mobile devices, and work stations.

One question we ask ourselves of those we are considering for the Team Member of the Month is: “How does this person go above and beyond for Rock The House?” COO/Creative & Talent Director, Ryan Konikoff attempts to answer this one when it comes to Steve:

“If you would ask Steve this, he would say there is no such thing as going above and beyond, when something needs to be done, someone does it. If he is there he’ll do it – that’s how we grow and get better….so maybe that answers the question.”

Congratulations, Steve! You are the team member of the month on the busiest month of our busiest year…so far!

Best of Cleveland Contest

October 4, 2013/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Win 2 VIP Tickets Valued at $300

You can win tickets to Cleveland Magazine’s Best of Cleveland event on Friday, October 11, 2013!

For more information on Best of Cleveland, click here.

Here’s what VIP Tickets get you:

Your ticket includes include samplings from over 60 participating 2013 Best of Cleveland Winners, live music from the 2013 Best Bands, a souvenir photo courtesy of Beachwood Plastic Surgery and two (2) complimentary specialty drink tickets along with access to the Spa West VIP Lounge. VIP guests enjoy exclusive cuisine from select participating 2013 Best of Cleveland Winners, open bar, valet parking, mini spa treatments courtesy of Spa West, a swag bag with souvenir gift, and other VIP benefits.

Here’s how you win:

1. Take a picture of the Rock The House logo in front of any place or thing you think is one of the Best of Cleveland.

2. Post it to either:

Rock The House Facebook Page
On Twitter with this hashtag – #RTHBOC
On Instagram with this hashtag – #RTHBOC
On Vine with this hashtag – #RTHBOC

The most creative entry wins! Winner chosen on Wednesday, October 9th at 5:00pm.

Low Res Image

Download the Rock The House logo below:

High Res Image

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Amy Van Duyne Joins The Rock The House Family

August 19, 2013/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Welcome To The Team

We’re proud to announce that Amy Van Duyne has joined the Rock The House family as the Executive Assistant to Founder/Owner, Matt Radicelli.

“This isn’t an easy position to succeed in.” Says Matt. “This job is all about keeping me moving as efficiently as possible. I’m really happy Amy chose to join our team. She gets it.“ says Matt.

Her job also includes “other tasks as needed” which will include design, market research, business analysis, project management, and anything else that will help advance the growth of RTH.

Amy describes it best, “I’m like a battery in a fan, I keep things running and it’s a lot easier than spinning the blades yourself.”.

Background

Amy earned her Bachelor’s in Education at Ashland University, then bolstered her special event resume with non-profit work for almost 4 years. During that time, she produced annual adult and youth conferences, organized national and international committees, and assisted the progress of a wide array of initiatives with only a limited volunteer support staff.

With a growing fascination with special events, Amy accepted a position in a floral studio; then decided to go back to school to earn a Certificate of Tourism, Convention, and Event Management. While studying in Indianapolis she gained valuable experience as a member of ILEA’s Indiana Chapter, working at Kahn’s Catering as a server, McNamara Florist, and managing a Pilates Studio.

After she earned her Event Endorsement, she was offered a position at Neil Leeson Decor Floral, one of the region’s most well-known and respected Floral & Decor organizations. Amy quickly worked her way up the ladder and eventually earned her position as Director of Weddings & Special Events.

“I really enjoyed working with the team at Neil Leeson. While I was there, I was able to help streamline the business, create internal and external controls, and really strengthen the brand. It was a really great team.” Says Amy.

RTH, Goals, & The Future

With aspirations of owning her own business, Amy decided to make a transition that would allow her to learn more about production and entertainment; areas she had not been exposed to.

Nick Borelli, Rock The House’s Marketing and Communications director adds, “I also chose a career here at Rock The House to learn more about live event production and entertainment. RTH has a really great culture; and for someone with Amy’s skill-set and drive, coming to work every day [at RTH] is going to feel like coming home – she fits right in.”

Most companies would think twice about hiring someone with aspirations of starting their own business but Matt sees it very differently:

“I’m an entrepreneur… and I have a lot of respect for anyone that wants to be in control of their own destiny – even if it means they want to start their own business. If we hire the right team members, compensate them fairly, and treat them with respect and dignity, there’s a good chance we’ll be partners in some sort of business endeavor someday.”

Amy is excited about the present but sees everything she does as experiences that are shaping her future:

“Working at Rock The House is a win-win. Not only does the company offer what I need to catapult my career goals, but I can also offer the team my knowledge and previous experiences that will help move the company forward as a whole. Whether I’m here for two years or 10 years, it is my goal to increase the company’s growth and make some great friends along the way.”

As a member of the ILEA Cleveland Board of Directors, Amy has already made a name for herself in the Cleveland event industry. She credits ISES with boosting her career goals by allowing her to network with the best in the industry, gain industry-specific education from peers, and connectivity beyond the region as a member of an international group of professionals.

Beyond Amy’s team goals, she has set personal goals for the next five years and beyond:

“One of my first goals is to obtain my CSEP (Certified Special Events Professional) designation. It is not only a symbol of professional achievement, but it also shows the respect and commitment I have to the industry.”

Rock The House has always been a company full of ‘Rock Stars’ who are hungry for new challenges and are committed to pushing the boundaries of what we can offer our clients. This is why we know Amy will fit in perfectly in our culture and help elevate everything she touches.

:: Congratulate Amy today on her new position, or connect with her to find out how she [and Rock The House] can help to make your next event ROCK! [email protected]

Rock The House Brings Conference To Cleveland

August 13, 2013/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Creativity Always Wins The Bid

The annual DJ / MC Entertainment conference “Think Tank” is held in a different city each year. The host helps facilitate an event that brings the best of the best in the world of event entertainment together to learn, collaborate, and celebrate.

This year, Think Tank member, Rock The House, created a video as our pitch to be the host city for this important event to our industry. Sure, we could have created a Powerpoint presentation and simply listed what makes Cleveland special…but that’s not our style. We’re in the creativity business and that’s how we won the hearts of these business owners.

There may be cities that shine a bit brighter than Cleveland, but none of them would welcome these event professionals with more open arms.

Team Member of the Month: Kurt Wick

July 8, 2013/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Behind The Scenes Support

You probably won’t see Kurt at your event but he is making an impact on your party! Kurt has been with Rock The House for over two years and he has made a big difference in how we operate as a team. His supporting role across multiple departments allow the rest of the team to stay focused on their core objectives. His main job duties are to assist in employee compensation and benefits administration. Making sure our team members are taken care of financially by assisting human resources and accounting is an amazingly important role that touches everyone at Rock The House.

Kurt contributes to every department at RTH as described by VP/CFO Steve Tanruther:

“Kurt has introduced a level of analytics to our sales team that will provide them greater clarity into the trends that affect our market. He has also spearhead all of our employee benefits administration.”

Steve went on to say this about Kurt and his impact on the team:

“He has years of comprehensive analytical experience working in production scheduling and employee compensation. He’s always asking when and how he can help when he sees others in distress. He even helped some employees with their personal taxes in his spare time.”

We asked Kurt one memory he had of his time at that Rock The House that stands out and he gave us this great response:

“My favorite memory is actually a recurring event. Every morning, no matter how good or bad of a mood I am in, the first people I see at RTH always puts me in a better mood.”

Kurt is a perfect example of a true team player and what it takes to succeed at Rock The House.

April Team Member of the Month: Mychael DeLano

April 3, 2013/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Big Impact In A Short Time

Mike has really been on a roll lately! Since joining Rock The House last August, Mike has become the regular DJ for Founder / Owner Matt Radicelli. Being in that position takes a lot of leadership to make sure everything is just as it should be when Matt arrives to perform. Mike has done a great job working with other new staff members to make them feel at home and is always working to take his skills to the next level.

What make him a great example to the rest of the team is that he gives 110% at every show and is always pushing himself to improve as a performer. He is in “GO MODE” from the minute he walks in the door to start his shift straight through when the last piece of gear is scanned in when he returns to the office after a show.

RTH’s Ryan Konikoff has this to say about Mike: ”

“Well anyone that can keep Matt happy is important to the whole RTH Team! We’re looking forward to him working with other MCs in the summer when Matt isn’t in the field as often. He has been working hard to prepare to join the wedding team and also is very excited to ROCK some proms.”

We asked Mychael what being part of the Rock The House team has meant him. Here’s what he said:

“Being part of the Rock The House team has meant a lot to me. I’ve always thought doing something like this would be pretty cool to do since RTH entertained at my High School Homecoming and Prom. Now working for Rock The House has given me so much growth and experience that I never imagined getting this early in my career. Its even helped open other doors for me.”
“One of my favorite Rock The House memories comes from a Bar Mitzvah at Richmond Force Indoor Sports. It was one of the bigger events I had worked on at the time. It was one of the longest days I’ve had. We spent more time preparing and getting the event together then the event actually lasted but it was so much fun. But I had a blast and would definitely do it all over again!”

Great work ethic + love of Music + love of entertainment = A GREAT RTH DJ

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!”

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.

Welcome Travis!

June 19, 2012/in All Posts /by mhadder4561

Meet Our New Client Coordinator

Rock The House Entertainment Group continues to grow! Our new full-time team member is Travis Rose. Born in Concord, Ohio (where he still resides), Travis is a graduate of Bowling Green State University from the class of 2008. Formally the Director of Student Activities at Lake Erie College, he has been instrumental in event development and logistics for the school. Travis loves an environment of learning and he plans to do just that with Rock The House.

“I’m excited to join a company filled with experts in event production and entertainment”, says Travis. “I have a winner’s attitude when I take on any challenge and I feel like I’ve been given the tools to win at Rock The House”. Travis is easy going as well as detail oriented. These traits will be perfect for the position of client coordinator. He will become intimately involved with the specifics of each event making sure that our process is easy for the customer as well implemented smoothly for our production and entertainment staff. He’s excited at the prospect of working with our clients to develop their visions and create truly unique events.

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