“Astounding” – MMP Entertainment Brings the Fiesta to Costa Rica for Melanie’s Masquerade Bat Mitzvah

When I was 16 and providing the entertainment for my first special event, a wedding at The Brownstone-… the thought of someday being flown out of the country with my team to perform and help a family celebrate life never crossed my mind. This whole experience reminds me of that saying from the lottery ads… “Hey, you never know.”

After one of the most logistically challenging events in the company’s history, second only to the Allen & Company Media Summit in Sun Valley, Idaho, I’m delighted to report that MMP’s first international event in Central America was a great success.

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Neil and Yasmin Kahn for over 10 years.   After meeting them on my first surfing excursion to Costa Rica, their family has become my family.  Neil’s mom and dad, Norma and Ken,  always invited me over on Friday nights for Shabbat and made me feel like I was home- even though I was 2500 miles away from Jersey. The funny thing is, from doing so many Bar and Bat Mitzvahs here in the states throughout  the past decade, I learned the prayers and was finally able participate in the blessings instead of just standing there quietly.

The joke is that I am an honorary Jew. Or, a Jew by occupation. Whatever you call it, one thing is for sure.  I’ve noticed that Jewish and Italian families are very similar.   Hospitality and friendship are made readily available to everyone they consider a fellow mensch or pisan.  When you combine the best of both these nationalities and put them together in a paradise locale like Costa Rica… Fuggettaboutit.   Mazel Tov & Pura Vida!  -Life is good.

After watching the kids grow up over the years, it was an honor to return to my second home and help produce Melanie’s Bat Mitzvah.  If you’ve seen some of the other events in our Bar/Bat Mitzvah portfolio, you know that we are extremely fortunate to work with some very talented and super-cool guests of honor.  Melanie kept the streak alive and then some.   Not only is she a gifted athlete, dancer and singer… she read her Torah portion in perfect English, Spanish and Hebrew!!! And as you can see from the photos, Melanie is also a beautiful young lady.

The celebration was billed as Melanie’s Masquerade.  It’s an excellent choice for a theme if you are looking to do something fun and different. We incorporated personalized  visuals on the big screen and  colorful masks for all of the guests to wear.  This really seemed to put everyone in  a festive mood when they walked through the doors.  *A mask can do wonders for a guest who has dance floor inhibitions.

One of the highlights came during the candlelighting ceremony.   We knew ahead of time that one of Melanie’s favorite cousins, Bailey, would not be able to make the trip out for the celebration.  No problem.   With the help of some pre-production and modern technology, Bailey made a surprise guest appearance via video after candle #12 when Melanie just finished saying how much she wished Bailey could be there. It was definitely a tweet-worthy moment that WOW’d Melanie and her guests.

When Melanie had time to reflect on her Bat Mitzvah the next day, she shared a comment that was a good indication that we did our job…  “My friends were blown away...  they all want to be Jewish now.“  I’ll take that.       -mp

On behalf of the entire crew, I want to thank Neil and Yasmin for setting up an awesome Kayak Snorkeling trip, a Canopy tour, and sunset drinks at the world famous Villa Caletas the day after the celebration.

Special thanks to Melanie’s aunt, Julie Kahn, for capturing and editing some of her personal video highlights and post-event testimonials for us.   What a nice gesture! …  Typical of the Kahn family.  Julie has been nominated twice for a National Emmy Award for her work on the children’s TV show, Zoom.  She’s also worked on PBS documentaries, independent projects and music videos for the Indigo Girls. (who happen to sing one of my favorite songs of all time, Closer to Fine).   Julie can reached at Julie.Kahn@me.com

I also want to recognize Steven Sandi and the staff from the Hotel Amapola.   They were instrumental in organizing all of the on-site logistics in the weeks leading up to the event and provided us with necessary assistance the day of to help facilitate a seamless production.

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Weddings of Distinction: Marcello Pedalino & Jason Jani Represent MMP Entertainment’s Signature Events Division at The Ashford Estate

The weather held out for a lovely day at the stunning Ashford Estate.

It was a pleasure to meet all of the Brides, Grooms and their families as they toured the manicured grounds and enjoyed the fine cuisine of Merri-Makers Catering. The tasting was an excellent opportunity to talk to everyone in more detail about their upcoming wedding receptions at the Ashford and other Weddings of Distinction properties.

I gave out first edition copies of my new article, “7 Ways to Bring The Wow and Have The Best Wedding Reception…Ever!” I’m happy to report that it was very well received.    Look for its public debut soon on a few select social media outlets in the Wedding industry.

We had a few minutes to take some photos with a couple of the other Weddings of Distinction preferred professional resources before the event began.   We’re looking forward to teaming up soon for some exceptional events!    -mp

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The EPMEN Wedding Entertainment Conference Delivers

From Allentown, NJ,  for the Ashford Estate tasting- to Allentown, Pennsylvania, for the EPMEN Wedding Entertainment Conference; this week is all about making Brides & Grooms happy and learning how to help them plan the reception of their dreams.

Some big names in the wedding industry were there to share their expertise with the attendees.  I brought back 3 pages of new ideas and reception enhancement techniques to implement into our upcoming events.

Special thanks  and kudos to Adam Skuba and the EPMEN crew for all of their hard work and hospitality.  -mp

Empathy and Excellence- Marcello Recommends: The Thank You Economy by Gary Vay’ner’chuk

The Thank You Economy is the “Good To Great” for the Crush It generation.

If they taught stuff like this back in college and my professors were dialed-in like @garyvee, I probably wouldn’t have dropped out.

If you’re looking for some personal literary stimulus or a great gift idea for a fellow entrepreneur, add TYE to your list.

Thanks again to my Signature Event partner, Jason Jani, for giving me a copy to read on MMP’s recent international excursion.

Continued success! -mp

A few Tweet-worthy quotes from TYE that were a bit too long for Twitter:

“In fact, no relationship should be taken for granted.   They are what life is all about, the whole point.  How we cultivate our relationships is the greatest determinant of the type of life we get to live. Business is no different.”

“If your organization’s intentions transcend the mere act of selling a product or service, and it’s brave enough to expose its heart and soul, people will respond.  They will connect.  They will like you.  They will talk.  They will buy.”

“Any company that gets so complacent it thinks everything is “fine” deserves to go out of business-  it literally means its leaders stopped caring.  A competitive company is always on the offense. Always.  Always.  Always.”

“Setting the tone and establishing a cultural foundation of empathy and excellence is essential to success in the Thank You Economy.”

So Raise Your Glass! A Toast to Alyssa and Vinnie’s New Year’s Eve Engagement Celebration at The Brownstone

This photo pretty much says it all… the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Penna sharing a moment in time filled with a few of my favorite things; passion, joy, possibility and contentment.

I’ve noticed a trend since the start of the new millennium.  When my clients were looking for the perfect date to celebrate a special occasion, especially a Wedding or an Engagement, they put New Years Eve right up at the top of the list for potential considerations.  Think about it:  1) Like any date that falls on a holiday, your guests will have the next day off from work. 2) Like Thanksgiving, all of your family and friends will already be in town visiting. 3)  Like any celebratory moment, you want to share it with all of your family and friends… *see #2.  4) And who doesn’t enjoy getting dressed to the nines once in awhile, feasting on gourmet cuisine, drinking fine wine and dancing the night away while celebrating new begininngs?   Exactly!

Not only were the VIP’s and guests full of year-end enthusiasm and positive energy, most were professionally coiffed as well.  The bride-to-be, Alyssa, owns a very successful salon in Hawthorne, NJ, called Blush.  And in case you’re wondering if anybody gets out of hand at a private New Years Eve celebration, the short answer is, ‘no’… especially when the groom-to-be is a well respected officer at the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department.

One of the highlights of the night took place about ten minutes before midnight.   Just about all of the guests had made their way onto the dance floor to watch a live simulcast of the Times Square ball drop on our plasmas. They were barely able to keep their feet on the ground as the anticipation for 2011 grew to a fever pitch.  This surreal vibe was intensified by the Red Bull-worthy tracks we were spinning.  They included custom remixes from my Signature Event partner, Jason Jani, and one of the hottest tracks of 2010… Raise Your Glass, by Pink.  I kept wishing that it was possible to bottle-up some of that feel-gooded-ness and share it with the rest of the world.

With a little help from my friends at Golden Note Entertainment, confetti cannons filled the air with a colorful display of paper rain drops.  Special thanks to Vinnie’s cousins, Joey D. and Gerry Siracusa for supplying the special effects and for their assistance with our production from start to finish. Additional thanks go to Gerry for sharing the cover photo for this entry.  I also want to recognize my good friend and production associate, Mike Wieder, who creates personalized visuals for all of MMP’s clients who treat themselves to our multi-media package upgrade. We made sure that Alyssa and Vinnie’s unique branding was tastefully visible at specific points of their reception.

Photo credit for all the candid pictures below go to Issac, MMP’s production supervisor for the evening.   He took paparazzi-stlye photos throughout the event and then displayed them our dual plasma screens during dessert to create a real-time montage.  As always, this premium service was a big hit and was enjoyed by all of Alyssa and Vinnie’s guests.

New Year’s Eve has become one of my favorite nights of the year.  Since I’m usually in bed by 9:30 pm, it’s now a great excuse to stay up late and ring in the New Year with style, class and of course… great company.  The Penna and Shackil families were a pleasure start off 2011 with.

Thank you for letting me be a part of such a memorable and exceptional evening.  Best wishes!  -mp

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