Friday, April 1, 2011

Bollotta Entertainment Featured Talent: The Cocktail Kittens


San Diego's official all female professional bar tending team is comprised of some of the best looking and most capable bartenders in San Diego, The Cocktail Kittens are trained professionals who exhibit a commitment to quality, service and the field of mixology.

Bringing everything they need to create great cocktails (except the alcohol itself) the Cocktail Kittens mix and serve with flair and finesse. What’s more, they add spice and allure, making any event one to
remember.

To book The Cocktail Kittens for your next event, call 619-295-3522 today.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Anthony Bollotta Is Named To SDSU Institute of Meetings & Events Advisory Council


Anthony Bollotta has been named to SDSU’s Institute of Meetings & Events’ Advisory Council. Initiated through an endowment donated by Patti Roscoe of PRA fame, the institute is being developed to educate and train students in the Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) program who want an emphasis in meetings and events. Currently the HTM program offers students a focus in hotel management.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Bollotta Entertainment Welcomes Intern Maryann Svaglinac


Bollotta Entertainment welcomes SDSU student Maryann Svaglinac to the fold. In it’s effort to support the Hospitality and Tourism Management School at San Diego State University, Bollotta Entertainment has hired the SDSU junior to intern on a part time basis.

In her position at Bollotta, Maryann supports operations and sales and reports directly to operations manager, Ray Roa. Next time you phone Bollotta Entertainment, take a moment to say hello to Maryann, who is quickly learning the ropes.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

APPRECIATION APPEAL: Bollotta Entertainment Offers Three Tips To Make Your Appreciation Events More Appealing


By Anthony Bollotta

The intent behind recognition events is noble; reward achievement so as to better cultivate a sense of appreciation, and ultimately lift morale. Yet many recognition ceremonies become so beleaguered by program inefficiencies, they are anything but morale boosting.

1) OMIT LONG SPEECHES & DESCRIPTIONS

Nothing kills a recognition event faster than the slow droning on of a long oration. Even the most good-intentioned speech… one brimming with superlatives, loses its effectiveness when it carries on too long. The same goes for honoree descriptions.

Bottom line? Keep speeches short and to the point, and try not to use the opportunity to educate or proselytize. When describing achievements, remain focused on high points and leave the rest behind. And unless you’re hosting a roast, leave the jokes there too.

Recognition speeches should be congratulatory and respectful. Keeping them short shows a general respect for people’s time and plays to their short attention spans. Short speeches also do a better job of recognizing achievements because they don’t barrel past the tolerance level of the audience. To ensure speeches are kept short, script and time the entire ceremony, and use a teleprompter to keep presenters on track.

2) INCORPORATE MUSIC INTO THE CEREMONY
Music is powerful… especially when an audience can relate to it. It can turn an otherwise boring recognition event into a joyous, memorable occasion when used correctly.

To do that, take the time to choose music appropriate to your group… happy, upbeat music that is celebratory in nature. Have the music edited if at all possible, and use it for award walk-ons. The best award walk-ons comment lyrically on the award or the honoree, thus providing another layer of fascination.

It is important to keep in mind when using licensed music that the presenting company should first obtain Music Performance Agreements from the three agencies that collect and disburse music royalty fees: BMI (http://www.bmi.com), ASCAP (http://www.ascap.com) and SESAC (http://www.sesac.com). These agreements must be obtained by the presenting company and are not the responsibility of any creative talent hired to provide live or recorded music.

3) GET EVERYONE’S ATTENTION BEFORE STARTING
We’re not talking about keeping an audience’s attention. That’s an entirely different topic. We’re talking about getting it. For some, this is the biggest challenge of all. Their audiences are unresponsive to VOG seating requests, or those that welcome presenters to the stage. For these types of audiences, starting the award presentation with some kind of catchy, upbeat entertainment or comedian emcee can help to garner focus and prepare people for what’s to come. But “grabbing” an audience doesn’t have to consume time. One can do it quickly and efficiently by employing a little creativity and taking some calculated risk.

Rather than the incessant, ineffective VOG pleas to quiet down, consider employing a specially selected sound effect to cajole the audience into paying attention. Sound effects come in many varieties and can be purchased for pennies at both the iTunes Store, and at www.sounddogs.com. At both outlets, you’ll find a plethora of categories to search through ranging from the audibly inane to the delightfully whimsical, and purchasing is easy.

Naturally, the trick is in picking the right effect, which is done best with a keen knowledge of your group demographics. Hone in on one that will support your message, or more importantly, your brand, and keep it short and succinct.

For help building your next unforgettable recognition ceremony, call our experts at 619-295-3522 or email info@bollotta.com

Friday, March 18, 2011

Anthony Bollotta To Write And Direct La Jolla Playhouse Honors

Anthony Bollotta has been selected to write and direct the La Jolla Playhouse Honors, which pays tribute to the Playhouse’s major philanthropic and artistic contributors. Hosted at the Playhouse itself, the show will feature performances by Law and Order’s B.D. Wong, and composer Amanda Green and Broadway’s James Iglehart. Jesse Tyler Ferguson, from television’s Modern Family is on tap to host the event, which will honor B.D. Wong, set designer Robert Brill and playwright Doug Wright. Scheduled to hit the Potiker Theatre on March 19th, the event is planned for a sell-out audience of La Jolla Playhouse supporters.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Bollotta Entertainment Featured Talent: ROBIN ADLER & THE MUTTS OF THE PLANET - Joni Mitchell Cover Band Brings Uncanny Sounds To Your Next Event

Vocalist Robin Adler, veteran of the Peter Sprague group, and her husband, multi-instrumentalist music producer Dave Blackburn, both lifelong fans of Joni Mitchell, have assembled a group of extraordinary musicians (the Mutts of the Planet, after a line from a JM lyric), to evolve fresh arrangements of well-known Mitchell standards such as “Woodstock”, “River” and “Both Sides Now”.

The music is presented along with illuminating details about Mitchell’s songs and the circumstances of their creation. The result has been a hugely successful series of sold out concerts prompting such audience testimonials as, “Robin's vocals were dead on,” and “Was it worth the 2,281 miles I traveled to hear it? Oh heck yeah!”

Friday, March 11, 2011

Anthony Bollotta Is Instructor of The Year


Anthony Bollotta is named Instructor of the Year for the third time since he began teaching in the Event Management Certification program at the University of San Diego. The honor comes from the students who evaluate each class in the curriculum program prior to completing them. Bollotta was previously named Instructor of the Year in 2003 and 2008.