Design Group Buys Interactive Games Vendor
Minneapolis-based event management and production firm Design Group has purchased the Minneapolis division of Lefton Promotions, an interactive entertainment company with headquarters in St. Louis.
Design Group president Nancy Jacobs said the purchase of a former vendor was prompted by her desire to turn her company into a “one-stop shop.” “Design Group has in-house floral, in-house production, in-house linen — we have all of that under one roof,” she explained, “so by bringing in Lefton, we only made our department stronger.”
With the acquisition, Jacobs said, Design Group will be able to include laser tag, casino games and interactive inflatables among its services. She added that her firm, which focuses on the corporate arena and produces approximately 700 events annually, is able to travel with the recently acquired interactive games, making the company a good choice for national clients.
Steve Reid of Lefton Promotions will join Design Group as sales manager. “I'm ecstatic to increase Design Group's ability to provide quality entertainment for both employee and family celebrations, as well as major corporate events, whether it be picnics, holiday parties or whatever their entertainment needs are,” he said.
Design Group
2912 N. Second St.
Minneapolis, MN 55411
800/616-6460, 612/522-6460
www.thedesigngroup.com
Lighting and Production Pro Launches Bluefin Events
Greg Poulos, formerly of Randolph, Mass.-based Advanced Lighting & Production Services, has launched Bluefin Events, a corporate event production company. The new firm, based in Belmont, Mass., supplies corporate clients with event planning, lighting, audiovisual production, trade show booth production and coordination of event vendors.
Poulos, who began his career in theatrical production and has worked in the event industry as a lighting technician, designer and event director, said his goal with Bluefin Events is to “bring back direct personal services to the client.” “I noticed most of the small and medium-size special events companies being bought out by large and very large national companies,” he said. “I noticed that a lot of clients were not happy — they were not getting personalized service. That bothered me.”
Poulos said Bluefin Events will concentrate on personalized service by catering to clients in the New England area. “We have a lot of local connections,” he explained. “After all, the principals [technical director Jay Duchin, creative director James Brown and CFO Diane Poulos] and staff, as well as our freelancers, have been working here for over 25 years. We know the venues and the locale.”
Bluefin Events
80 Oak Ave.
Belmont, MA 02478
617/489-7258
www.bluefinevents.com
NEWS & NOTES
Soquel, Calif.-based Mar Y Sol Event Productions has launched a new Web site, www.marysolevents.com. The site highlights the company's corporate and social event-planning services, which include local and international wine tours. Mar Y Sol Productions, P.O. Box 1689, Soquel, CA 95703; 831/479-4114; www.marysolevents.com.
John Micelli, former president of Orlando, Fla.-based Soundelux Showorks, has left the company to found Technomedia Solutions, also in Orlando. Micelli's new company specializes in the creation and integration of audiovisual media and technologies for location-based entertainment. Technomedia Solutions, 8734 Palm Lake Drive, Orlando, FL 32819; 407/351-0909; www.technomediasolutions.com.
Lundy's Special Events, based in Lexington, Ky., has been awarded a five-year contract to provide food, beverage and hospitality services to the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., home of the NASCAR Tropicana 400 and Winston Cup Series, among many other racing events. Lundy's Special Events, 1389 Pridemore Court, Lexington, KY 40505; 859/255-0717.
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