Christy Bareijsza – CEO & Founder
As one of the most sought after event planners in the Metro NY area, Christy Bareijsza has been responsible for detailed party planning and venue consultation since 1999. Christy is known in the industry for her constant creativity, fresh ideas and commitment to surpass client expectations. Her reputable and distinct combination of talents have helped her create a multitude of memorable events for a long list of corporate and celebrity clients including the A&E Television Networks, Bombardier FlexJet, Canyon Ranch Spa & Resort, IMG World, American Express Departures Magazine, Brown Forman, Radio and Television Personalities.
As a former Vice President of Corporate Events for one of North America’s top financial firms, Christy has gained vast experience in negotiations, event and sports management, hospitality, audio/visual and venue consultation. A graduate of Hofstra University, she has also enhanced her educational background with a Certification in Meeting Management (CMM), Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Certificate in Meeting and Event Management from New York University. Her experience has helped mold the finest relationships with industry vendors and orchestrate a wide array of high profile events to create unforgettable memories with style.
David Feinsod – Director, Production
David Feinsod has more than two decades of highly successful event production and management experience, working and producing a variety festivals, concerts, trade-shows, and corporate events throughout North America. His diverse event background and attention to detail has given him strong project management skills, including scheduling, coordinating logistics, and allocating resources and staff for optimum performance.
David’s history of working in the special events industry includes accolades such as World Youth Day, Denver Broncos Super Bowl Parade 1998 & 1999, June Fest Las Vegas 1992 to 2000, Cabo International Jazz Festival, Isle of Capri Casino Black Hawk Concerts & Special Events, The James Blake Foundation’s Serving for a Cure and Andrea Bocelli: Amore Under the Desert Stars Concert & DVD filming for PBS. David’s myriad of experience, calming demeanor and consistent strive for perfection is the ideal compliment to every production.
Elliott Stares – Public Relations
Elliott started his career at Hill & Knowlton, one of the world’s largest global PR agencies, in London in the early nineties, where he managed UK accounts for adidas’ sponsorship of David Beckham, the Pan European launch of Gillette’s Mach3 razor, as well as the International Tennis Federation, Rugby World Cup, Cricket World Cup, Barclays Bank, PetSmart, Vauxhall Motors and Proctor & Gamble among others. Elliott also brokered and ran Gillette’s sponsorship exploitation campaign for the first ever 500mph rocket-powered motorcycle that broke the world land speed record on the Salt Flats of Utah in the U.S. Elliott became European Communications Director for Beijing’s successful 2008 Olympic Bid, coordinating 6 European agencies and reporting directly into the Beijing Municipal Government, Sports Minister and International Olympic Committee.
Since forming his own PR consultancy, ESPR, in 2002, Elliott’s first project brought him to the U.S. with England’s Football Association, to launch CareerSports International in Miami – America’s first European style soccer academy, providing a gateway into the European leagues for America’s talented youth.
In 2003, ESPR launched Zalia Cosmetics, the first line developed for Latin women. Elliott ran the media office for Zalia, which launched with select Victoria’s Secret Beauty stores nationwide. Elliott spearheaded the brand PR while acting as the personal publicist for the founder of the line, Monica Ramirez. In 2004, Elliott launched CIFALC School for the Performing Arts in Miami, the first Spanish-acting school for the telenovela industry. Elliott generated consecutive front-page business features for Remix Hotel Miami, the annual music technology showcase during Miami’s Winter Music Conference, and has spearheaded national media relations campaigns in South Florida for Smirnoff, Pontiac, Chevrolet and for Sony Ericsson and its Night Tennis initiative in Miami, during the Sony Ericsson Open Tennis Championships.
Since establishing his own national PR firm over an 8-year period in Miami, Elliott was recruited by the Miami Dolphins that brought him onboard to spearhead the entertainment and lifestyle PR for the announcements made in conjunction with some of today’s biggest recording artists, including Jimmy Buffett, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Marc Anthony/Jennifer Lopez, 2009 American Idol Winner Kris Allen and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, as part of the Miami Dolphins’ season campaign.
Joel Cruzada – Creative Director, Branding & Technology
Joel Cruzada received his Bachelors of Fine Arts amongst the elite at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Visual Communications and has been a valuable asset in developing successful brands for major companies in a multitude of industries for over 20 years.
He has received many outstanding design awards including an Addy Award for an Environmental Design Instillation and has received multiple Silver and Gold Ardy Awards in the Hospitality Industry for his design and development of successful print and digital campaigns.
In 1993, he owned and operated a multimedia design firm which developed innovative digital and web applications for various industries including software and hardware as well as the medical and real estate industries. During this period, he developed innovative instructional programs as well as early websites for his clients across the country including, Abbott Laboratories, Sony and Digital.
To date, he has established successful brands and campaigns for hundreds of startup companies, sports athletes, musical artists and many existing Fortune 500 companies including CDPE, Wyndham Resorts, Marriott, Sheraton by implementing creative and innovative solutions from websites, applications, social media solutions and overall brand strategies and development.
Gerald Barclay – Video Production
Gerald K. Barclay, professionally known as Gee-Bee, is a veteran music video director, producer, writer and editor. His story begins after fleeing the devastating civil war in his native Liberia. He settled in New York City and graduated with a Communications degree from City University of New York. He gained early filmmaking experience in the early nineties on Abel Ferrara’s “King Of New York”, Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever” before enrolling into a mentorship under Emmy winning filmmaker Tony Lover at Liberty Studios. He then formed his own production company Gee-Bee Productions and went on to helmed over a hundred music video clips for artists such as Wu-Tang Clan, Master P., Snoop Dogg, Bounty Killa, Mystikal, Pig Pun , Ill & Al Skratch and The Gap Band.
Always one to reinvent himself, he sought new challenges, making a jump to the world of feature films. His first film, BLOODY STREETZ (originally entitled BLOODY CRISIS), was completed for a budget under a hundred thousand dollars and saw Gee-Bee take on the multiple hats of director, writer, producer, editor… even promoter. The gritty urban thriller won critical praise and a Vision Award at the 2002 Pan African Film Festival and was released through Artisan Home Entertainment. In 2001, Gee-Bee returned to his African roots and produced & directed another visionary and critically acclaimed feature length documentary, “LIBERIA: THE LOVE OF LIBERTY BROUGHT US HERE”, A touching and powerfully emotional documentary on the tragic aftermath of the Liberian civil war.
His most recent works, “Wu: the Story Of The Wu-tang Clan”, is a thirteen-year intimate portrayal of the Wu-Tang Clan chronicling the rise and fall of one of hip-hop’s most notorious groups and “Killa Hill, a timely and relevant message, delving into the mindset and conditions resulting from the drug epidemic and violence that plague a Staten Island neighborhood.
Marty Morua – Vice President of Sales
Although New York City is home, Marty Morua was born in Prague Czechoslovakia to a Czechoslovak mother and Cuban father. In 1991, post graduation from the New York Institute of Technology, Marty spent four years working as a senior residential real estate sales broker before transforming his career into a Wall Street broker in 1995. “Real Estate sales taught me the importance of listening and embracing a clients fears and hopes by making their problems, your problem.” From day one, Marty understood the emotional stresses and difficult decisions of a relocation and instinctively knew to treat each client as if they were a personal family member creating both a priceless foundation and everlasting impact on each individual.
Wall Street’s fast pace never swayed Marty from continuing to deliver exceptional and memorable service interactions with the Institutional money manager clients he serviced. Though he started as a trader on the Institutional trading desk, he was eventually selected to test the role of Senior Relationship Manager for TD Ameritrade. Being the rescuer of troubled and sometimes unhappy clients, Marty embraced the art of cementing long lasting kinships. Under Marty’s leadership and inspirational style of management, the service team he was directly responsible for successfully oversaw $15 billion dollars of client assets.
At a fairly young age, Marty had his eureka moment embarking on a personal campaign in developing and perfecting his deeply rooted client relationship building skills. As he puts it, “Emotion does play a role in all major decision making and my talents in connecting on an emotional level allowed me to maintain long lasting alliances in all of my careers. I am humbled knowing I am also a rescuer of the sometimes fragile relations, and enjoy inspiring my colleagues to rally for the same cause”.
Audra Jackson – Executive Sales Manager
Audra Jackson studied at The University of Tampa, and holds a B.A. in Communication. Her diverse background includes five years of advertising sales to the Higher Education market, six years as the Personal Assistant to an NFL veteran, and three years’ experience in Event Planning and Management. Her heart for helping others lead her to Thai Nguyen, Vietnam in 2007 where she aided in several projects promoting community health, primary education, and sustainable livelihoods.
Generating more than 1.2 million in advertising revenue between 2009-2010, her recognitions include “Sales and Service Leadership”, “Sales Excellence”, and “Sales Team of the Year”. Focusing on the needs of her clients first, she prefers to take a laid back, consultative approach to every interaction. Audra currently resides in her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband Tim, and sons Isaiah and Ty.
Maria McCuen – Event Manager, West
Maria McCuen brings a spark to the event planning experience that is refreshing and inspirational. As an owner of an investment advisory firm in the Napa Valley for over 11 years, Maria understands the financial aspect of running a project on budget. She brings a practical perspective to the planning process. 2011 marks the fifteenth year that Maria has served as the Director of Artist Relations for two of the largest Christian music festivals on the West Coast. She heads up hospitality for some of the biggest names in the Christian music and speaking circuit.
The genesis of Maria’s background is rooted in real-world experiences. She is a veritable professional on-site problem solver. Her hospitality mindset has given Maria the unique ability to bring an energetic and positive perspective to any situation.
Samantha Jasanovsky – Event Manager, East & Graphic Design
Samantha Jasanovsky, recent graduate of Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design as well as a minor in Art History. Her Fine Arts experiences started early, while still attending the award winning magnet school Communications High School, Wall, NJ, she served as a graphic designer at Rizco Design, Manasquan NJ. During her college years, she interned with both Rock & Roll Photographer Bob Gruen and American Fashion Desiger Zac Posen, giving her insight into the worlds of edgy rock and roll and high fashion. Having traveled extensively throughout Europe, Samantha’s work reflects her studies of the art and architecture in cities such as London, Paris, Prague, Barcelona, and Amsterdam. Using these experiences and more, she brings to the Red Carpet Events team a young, fresh, artistic viewpoint.
Alex Smith – Event Coordinator
Alex Smith is currently in her junior year at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and plans to graduate in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in both Business Marketing and Management. Alex is gaining experience by volunteering her time coordinating events such as concerts, motivational speakers, debates, symposiums, and comedians for Slippery Rock’s program board. She has spent her past summers working for S.H. Bell Company who is currently the largest raw material warehousing facility in North America. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in sales while bringing a youthful enthusiasm to the company.
Bill Hortz – Strategic Account Management
Bill has more than 30 years of Sales Management, Business Strategy and Strategic Accounts experience with leading firms. His years of experience has led him to his strong belief, passion and advocation for Strategic Thinking and the Strategic Business-2-Business Account Process as major components of Business Strategy. This drive has led him to be one of only 80 professionals world-wide to have attained the Global Account Management Certification by both Columbia Business School and St. Gallen University (Switzerland), each leading business schools on their continents.
Bill loves working with professional teams and considers himself a “student of human nature”. Bill is well known for his enthusiasm, creativity and resourcefulness. He is married, with two grown children, living on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Bill enjoys reading, bicycling, spelunking, experimental theatre/performance art and traveling with his family.