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We See Big Game Fun, They See Dollar Signs

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By RICHARD MULLINS

rmullins@tampatrib.com

Published: January 29, 2009

Did Robert De Niro just walk into the restaurant?

And is that Paris Hilton there drinking champagne with Tiger Woods? And did six Playboy Playmates just saunter to the private lounge?

If those A-list celebrities really are in Tampa, it's likely at a Super Bowl party, and it probably was months in the making, with dozens of managers, promoters and staff all toiling in anonymity to create a temporary atmosphere of sheer luxury and celebrity glitz.

All for a profit.

Yes, dear partiers, some "parties" are in fact well-orchestrated, synthetic environments that Disney could envy. This is the world of the professional celebrity party.

"The Good Life Experience" three-night party this week at The Venue restaurant and nightclub took 10 months of planning and will probably attract 1,200 people each night, with ticket buyers paying between $800 and $14,000 over the course of three nights.
Ticket buyers can pay for upper tiers of "experience," such as some time on the couch chatting with a supermodel or yukking it up with a celebrity comedian.

Tampa will host a half-dozen such parties during Super Bowl week, although dozens happen each night in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas or Miami, each with its own spectrum of A-list celebrities, athletes and musicians.

For example, most "celebrity" parties are run by production and entertainment companies that contract a nightclub or restaurant, and in turn hire promoters to advertise the event and ticket companies to handle access. Caterers, valet companies, liquor vendors, photographers and anyone else providing a service all sign up as contractors.

It's common for top-level parties to cost $1 million to $2 million to produce.

Talent companies can provide a number of models for each event. For example, the Ana D Productions company is sending six Playboy Playmate models to "The Good Life Experience" with entertainment packages costing $14,000 for champagne, eight passes to pre-parties and access to a "VIP playmate lounge," with professional photography.

Celebrities who show up or host such events are often paid handsomely just to appear. It's not superficial. It's just smart business.

Why?

"If you're a personality who is able to bring in 200 or 2,000 people who pay thousands of dollars at a party, you should be compensated," said Michael Bilello, a publicity agent handling exposure for "The Good Life Experience" party.

In America, the rich and famous can be paid to be rich and famous - for a living.

Adding to the revenue flow, big-name corporations pay sponsorship fees to have their products used in the party.

Party producers and Hollywood agents orchestrate the crisscrossing contracts for exposure and party time. It's not uncommon for some celebrities to attend four such parties a month, if not more.

A party like "The Good Life Experience" appears to be a profitable mix of social event and entertainment production. It started with the Bay area's own Ronald Lamont "Winky" Wright, the current light middleweight boxing champion, who is friends with Deion Sanders, a former NFL cornerback, and finally, perennial celebrity Sean "Diddy" Combs.

The three came up with a three-day party around the Super Bowl, with themes for each night: tonight, a boxing theme in honor of Wright; Friday, a football theme for Sanders; and Saturday, a pure luxury environment for Combs.

The restaurant hosting this party, The Venue, will likely make a profit from the event. The real value, however, comes over time, said Rob Uzzillia, executive chef and partner of The Venue.

"For us, this is a chance to get exposure on a national level," he said. "That's something that builds and builds for months into the future."

Each night, P. Diddy will hold court in a second-floor "bird's nest" lounge that overlooks the entire scene. To go meet him up there requires attendees to buy another level of "experience."

That is, unless you're a personal friend. In that case, it's just being social - like a party.

Reporter Richard Mullins can be reached at (813) 259-7919.

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