M&M Entertainment-BarMitzvahs.com of Boca Raton Florida has been voted the
#1 DJ Entertainment Company in the southeast by HotWireMedia.com
(the following article appears courtesy of the HotWireMedia.com winter e-newsletter.)
Michael Cohen

If your looking for High Energy Entertainment for your son or daughters Bar/Bat Mitzvah, these guys know how to party!

M&M Entertainment of Boca Raton, Florida, was 1 of 15 DJ entertainment companies in florida that were nominated in the "Best of the Best DJ Service", an annual Barmitzvahs.org award.

I contacted all the entertainment company owners and employees by phone, and followed up with video appointments and email interviews. I visited their web sites, and researched company information on the internet. I spoke to previous clients, and their children. I traveled over 1500 miles in 45 days to see these companies in action. These affairs took place in Temples, Homes, Marriotts, Country Clubs, Yachts, Restaurants and even in Pro Player Stadium.

Though it was hard to get a credible figure concerning the amount of parties each company does throughout the year, M&M Entertainment winds up doing far less parties than one would imagine.

The following is part of the phone interview I had with the President of M&M Entertainment, Eric Cutler:

Q - How long have you been in the Bar Mitzvah Entertainment Industry?

A - About 8 years now, I was dancing in a club in Boca one Friday nite, and the owner of Hart to Hart Entertainment, Matt Levy approached me with a job offer. I danced at Bar Mitzvah parties for about 2 years, and then MCeed and worked in the office until they closed, I think it was 1995. Matt taught me this business and I am very grateful.

Q - Did you know that in a state where there are more than 100 Bar/Bat Mitzvah events on any given Saturday night, your company ranks one of the least worked compared to your competition?

A - 100 a night! I don't think so, on any given Saturday night?

Q - I meant any given Saturday night during season.

A - I know what you meant, it's just not what you said. I worked for a very successful entertainment company from Long Island, New York. They did as many parties as they could, and they did a lot, maybe 15-25 a weekend. They opened a South Florida office several years ago, and I worked every weekend. Some weekends, I would do a night party on Friday, a day party on Saturday, a Saturday night party, and a Sunday day party. I will not do that to my entertainers because I cannot expect them to perform at their best under those conditions. And M&M clients deserve the best.

Q - Was that to much for you?

A - Your missing my point! That company closed their office! They are out of Florida! The quality of there shows did not live up to client expectations. Clients complained. I know this because I not only was a dancer and MC on parties, I also worked the office answering phones, and selling parties. I heard client complaints, and I have not forgot them.

Q - Is this Hart 2 Hart Entertainment we're talking about here?

A - No comment. I have learned from others mistakes. Quality over Quantity, my father taught me that.

Q - What is your relationship with the local competition like Hart 2 Hart Entertainment & Platinum Gold Entertainment?

A - Hart 2 Hart closed there Florida office several years ago because there parties were not living up to there NY reputation. Phil Rose and Platinum Gold Entertainment are under pressure to step up and compete with the innovation M&M Entertainment brings to the Bar Mitzvah entertainment industry. Instead of Platinum Gold Entertainment providing competitive entertainment services and pricing, Phil Rose and Platinum Gold Entertainment have resorted to slander by telling Platinum Gold Entertainment clients as well as M&M Entertainment clients that M&M Entertainment has declared bankruptcy. Several former and future clients have called asking if this bankruptcy rumor spread by Phil Rose and Platinum Gold Entertainment was true. The president of Platinum Gold Entertainment, Glenn Goldklank thinks it is fair game to lie to discredit the company I have worked so hard to build over the past 10 years. If Phil Rose, Glenn Goldklank and Platinum Gold Entertainment are comfortable lying to clients about M&M Entertainment declaring bankruptcy, I would assume they are lying to clients about there entertainment services as well. I have hired a law firm to represent M&M Entertainment in this matter. The law firm of BRINKLEY, MORGAN, SOLOMON, TATUM, STANLEY, LUNNY & CROSBY of Fort Lauderdale mailed a "CEASE AND DESIST " letter to Glenn Goldklank of Platinum Gold Entertainment on 9/6/06, and as of 9/22/06 has not received a responce. Platinum Gold Entertainment, like Hart 2 Hart cannot compete with M&M Entertainment because those companies lack the creativity, talent and resources compared to an industry leader like M&M Entertainment and BarMitzvahs.com.

Q - I noticed during the Goldberg Bat Mitzvah in Palm Beach, that your company differs from your competition in several ways. For starters, you guys don't play music on CD's. Every other DJ Entertainment Company I visited uses CD's, and 1 even uses records.

A - That is not accurate. Every Bar Mitzvah has a custom music CD made for that affair. That CD contains the Candle Lighting music, as well as song requests that the client has made on behalf of their child. Each VJ setup comes complete with 4 DVD players. DVD players not only play DVD's, but also play audio CD's. When a client books us with a video setup, DVD's are used. M&M stands for Music & Multimedia. Multimedia, meaning an interactive audio and visual experience.

Q - I thought that was wonderful how you have the TV's playing music videos.

A - They are not TV's, they are digital data monitors, also known as a Video Wall or Video Array. Video Wall sizes are 9, 12, 15, and 25 monitor sizes. We also have projection screens and LCD projectors. M&M employs very talented freelance producers to produce DVD sets for us to play and perform at our shows. Sets like Grease, Motown, We Are Family, YMCA, Jackson 5, Hot Hot Hot, Doo Wop are standard sets that you will hear at most Bar Mitzvahs that use a professional DJ company. M&M has the music videos for all of these songs, and our producers edit them together and record that "Set" to a DVD. The picture is crystal clear, and the sound is excellent. This visual experience adds to the excitement, and provides an atmosphere where our guests feel like they are part of the show. We also produce custom M&M sets like the Star Wars, and Lets Get Ready To Rumble Grand Entrances, Video Candle Lighting, and POP-UP Video Candle Lighting, Video Lip Service and Stop The Clip interactive kids games all produced on DVD. Of course, we play the music videos the kids are watching on MTV, and classic videos by Frank Sinatra, Bee Gee's, and Earth Wind & Fire. It is durring the summer months that M&M produces new Video Sets and makes equipment purchases for the coming season. Our sets change, and our equipment remains state of the art. M&M never does the same show twice.

Q - During my interviews with other entertainment companies, I realized that M&M Entertainment is the only company that provides this DVD multimedia option. Several companies offer projection screens, but none with video walls. Also, no other company uses DVD's. It seems the only material they would display on there projection screens is a photo montage. Your show by far was the most exciting and enjoyable out of all the other DJ Entertainment companies affairs I attended. Your setup with that video wall looked like something you would see at a concert. So this multimedia show M&M puts on, is it an option, or do all your parties contain video presentations?

A - First of all, M&M is truly an inovative, interactive, DJ entertainment company. We do an extensive amount of pre-production for every show. We know what will be happening, when it will be happening, and who will be making it happen, every step of the way. We also produce montages, but we produce DVD Montages, not VHS Montages. They look and sound much better, plus clients can make copies at home for friends and relatives.
I do not like to talk about other entertainment companies, but I will say, we are the best at what we do because we are the only one doing it! Call any other DJ entertainment company and ask them if they can provide the entertainment we have been providing for the past 4 years, they cannot. If they say they can, then they are not being honest. I know my competition very well and I know the last thing they would ever say is "no, we can't do that" because they understand that means they will not book that party. I feel bad for the uninformed consumer who doesn't know any better than to believe everything they hear. I know when those people have their party they are going to be disappointed.
Back to the question, as far as our multimedia show, our first 3 years it was an option. We had 4 packages, two were DJ shows, and 2 were VJ shows, VJ meaning Video Jockey, instead of Disc Jockey. In 2002 we are hesitant to book a DJ show on a Saturday night when the affair is more than a year away. This would mean having to turn away clients that want our Multimedia option, and M&M not being available because we are under contract for that evening. We can't just tell potential clients, "sorry we're booked up on that date, call so&so DJ company", because there is no so&so DJ company that does what we do, and that's what they want. We are the only game in town. The Multimedia Show is still an option, but we generally only book those types of parties on saturday evenings.
I love to do the Video Sets, with the giant screens, and Video Walls, it's a real production, and it is so much fun. The parties are always different. It was never like that when I performed for that other company in Long Island, every party was the same, only the guests and location changed.

A - I understand and agree, I felt the excitement that evening. I also noticed that you had more than one potential client visit you at the Goldberg affair I attended in Palm Beach, is that a regular occurance?

A - When clients are on the fence about hiring M&M, we invite them to the next affair in their area. Some potential clients from as far as Orlando and Daytona drive to Boca Raton just to see us perform for 5 minutes. It's understandable. They want to see what they are paying for. Our web site and video demo doesnt begin to show all we do and how we do it, seeing is believing. Oh, also, I always get the clients permission before I invite a potential client to visit their affair.

Q - Another element I feel that added to the excitement of the Goldberg affair, was that giant Saturday Nite Fever dancefloor, and that live simulcast you did, tell me about it?

A - If I recall, the Goldberg affair had our Club M&M Video Wall, which is 12 - 30" monitors, and M&M was doing the video production. The Goldbergs party was cool. Steven Goldberg loves all that high tech stuff we do, and he wanted it. It was only the second time we used the Saturday Nite Fever Dancefloor. It was custom built by us for a Bat Mitzvah in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan last month. The dance floor is modular, the largest size being 35' x 25'. The Goldbergs party room wasn't big enough for the entire dance floor, I think they had a 20' x 20' dancefloor. I am told that guests feel compelled to dance on it... so you could say it is an asset to any affair. We are always thinking of new ideas. I have wanted to build this lighted dancefloor for several years now, the time was right. Cost was a major factor. This Saturday Nite Fever Dance Floor cost M&M over $25,000, and thats just materials.
The Goldbergs also had our Video Candle Lighting option, which displays the friend or family member's photo on the video wall when they are called up to light the candle. Then, after they finished with the candle, the video wall would switch to a live shot from our videographer, the music would fade, and they would be handed an additional wireless mic to say a little something about the guest of honor. When they finished with their speech, the music would go back on, their photo would go back up on the video wall, and the crowd would cheer as they took their seat. That would happen for every candle. This really helps in large rooms with 200 guests or more. Guests with poor vision, or guests that are seated in the rear of the room get the most out of a live simulcast.

Q - It is obvious that you have some very talented people working for you. Where do you find talent like that?

A - My partner Nicholas is the technical one. He had a successful career in Audio and Video production, and brought that talent and creativity to M&M, along with his crew of producers and technicians from NYC. These guys are unbelievable, so very talented. Nick also produces the M&M web sites and keeps them up to date with recent photos and videos.

Q - Is that where you're from also, NYC?

A - No, I am from Philadelphia.

Q - It is obvious that you love what you do because you do it so well. What is the best way for a potential client to contact you?

A - I am in the office most weekdays, and can be contacted at 1-888-MNM-WEDJ or 1-888-666-9335. A lot of clients prefer to corespond via email. Our web site contains an interactive brochure with photos and movies from recent M&M affairs. Our web site is state of the art. The Candle Lighting song form is online, as well as event forms, online contracts, and price lists. Potential clients can also see a few client recommendation letters on our website. M&M Entertainment owns BarMitzvahs.com, we put alot of clients movies online, and some original productions to show clients what they can expect with a BarMitzvahs.com Bar Mitzvah. Seeing is believing. I do not know of any entertainment company posting there parties online for clients to watch.... we have been doing this for 3 years already.

Q - Thanks Eric for your time, I really enjoyed your party, and congratulations on being voted the Best of the Best DJ Entertainment Company!

A - No, thank you Michael, so do you have any children planning Bar or Bat Mitzvahs? (laughs)