5 ms·

Teen Promoter Raking in Cash w/Drug and Alcohol-Free Parties

50 points by J3L2404 16y ago

cshenoy 16y ago
This kid has gumption. It's nice when stories focus on the positives and not the negatives of everyday life.
twymer 16y ago
Training for college, I see.
endtwist 16y ago
A little irrelevant, but the top four comments on that article show a frightening lack of reading comprehension and racism.
- jawngee 16y ago
  That's most of the NY Post readership.
icegreentea 16y ago
Very nice. Good for him (really). With the setup he has, and the target demographic, he'll actually have parents making their kids go to these. But the next question (especially for the parents) is how many of the kids are going pre-drinking somewhere, and what's going on in the after-parties. Highschool wasn't that long ago, and I remember those grade 9/10 after-parties... (I have nothing against teen drinking. That would make me the biggest hypocrite).
- tomjen3 16y ago
  If he has professional bouncers, and zero-tolerance against drunks, pre-drinking isn't going to be that big an issue and as for after parties, that would be the parents problem (shouldn't they be picking up their kid?).
  - mtsmith85 16y ago
    "Shouldn't they be picking up their kid?" -- this statement, while probably spot on -- is anathema to raising children in NYC. The kids that go to these events? Are a-okay to walk home close to midnight. I would bet no parents show up at the end of the party to be picked up like at a school dance in the suburbs. (Ha. Oh childhood.) The kids who have parents that would pick up their kids? From my experience with my brothers and experience working with NYC kids -- they wouldn't be going to the party anyhow.
- mtsmith85 16y ago
  My younger brothers go to these events -- the whole point of these events is the pre-drinking and the post-drinking. And from things I've picked up (gotta love facebook), there may in fact be a bit of drinking inside the parties, too. (Not sure how much or if it is true.) Also, there is a certain indicator of "coolness" and reputation that comes along with being one of this kid's ticket resellers. I think it is an amazing idea -- this kid certainly has a lot going for him -- kids want to be his friends, kids want to be him, etc. Definitely somebody to watch.
smiler 16y ago
I love what he said - "My goal was to monopolize the teen party business in New York City". The guy didn't want to just have a little hobby business, he wanted to completely dominate it. Brilliant
- mtsmith85 16y ago
  I love when I hear statements like this. Because I don't want the guy who wants to do well. I want the guy who wants to win. I want the guy who wants to monopolize. That old, horrible, cliché about reaching for the stars and landing among them? Totally fits into play. This kid will, no doubt, have a bunch of competition in the next year. And he may never dominate the scene (well, more than he is right now), but I'd place my bets on the guy who is trying to dominate over the guy who wants to eek out a tiny slice.
jawngee 16y ago
Sorry to be the naysayer, but big deal. We were pulling 30-40K a weekend throwing raves back in the 90's. Ostensibly, they were drug and alcohol-free. cough I am curious how he is getting liability insurance for these events though at his age. I remember it being a bitch to get when I was 20. And what of security? We had to hire off-duty cops until it was found out that it was against the rules for the cops to do that.
- anonymous246 16y ago
  So it's not a big deal that he's making money doing the opposite of what conventional wisdom (and media) says sells, namely parties with the opportunity for underage drinking and drugs? Kudos to this kid+father for finding a way to make money doing the right thing.
  - jawngee 16y ago
    You're being naive if you don't think any of that is going on at his parties. Even at our parties, in a drug steeped culture, we'd give you the boot if you were openly doing drugs, selling pills, etc. As would most "above board" promoters at that time.
- leniholiday 16y ago
  Do ppl still make that kind of money today?
  - jawngee 16y ago
    Maybe, I mean that whole culture sort of died out and moved onto parties at clubs which has a very real profit ceiling. The biggest party I threw drew close to ~6K people at $30 a head. After expenses we cleared about 75K. All in cash, mind you. There are probably still parties that big in Europe and/or Asia, but in the states, it's all in clubs these days. That particular party was in the basement of a civic center and was relatively legit.
    - sedachv 16y ago
AndrewWarner 16y ago
I sent him an email about doing a Mixergy interview. Sounds like an enterprising guy.
RtodaAV 16y ago
Smart Kid with great parents.
aberkowitz 16y ago
It is fantastic that a high school student is enterprising enough to start a successful business. That being said, the feel good overtone of creating a drug / alcohol free environment ignores the freewill of party attendees.

50 points by J3L2404 16y ago

cshenoy 16y ago

This kid has gumption. It's nice when stories focus on the positives and not the negatives of everyday life.

twymer 16y ago

Training for college, I see.

endtwist 16y ago

A little irrelevant, but the top four comments on that article show a frightening lack of reading comprehension and racism.

jawngee 16y ago
That's most of the NY Post readership.

icegreentea 16y ago

Very nice. Good for him (really). With the setup he has, and the target demographic, he'll actually have parents making their kids go to these. But the next question (especially for the parents) is how many of the kids are going pre-drinking somewhere, and what's going on in the after-parties. Highschool wasn't that long ago, and I remember those grade 9/10 after-parties... (I have nothing against teen drinking. That would make me the biggest hypocrite).

tomjen3 16y ago
If he has professional bouncers, and zero-tolerance against drunks, pre-drinking isn't going to be that big an issue and as for after parties, that would be the parents problem (shouldn't they be picking up their kid?).
- mtsmith85 16y ago
  "Shouldn't they be picking up their kid?" -- this statement, while probably spot on -- is anathema to raising children in NYC. The kids that go to these events? Are a-okay to walk home close to midnight. I would bet no parents show up at the end of the party to be picked up like at a school dance in the suburbs. (Ha. Oh childhood.) The kids who have parents that would pick up their kids? From my experience with my brothers and experience working with NYC kids -- they wouldn't be going to the party anyhow.
mtsmith85 16y ago
My younger brothers go to these events -- the whole point of these events is the pre-drinking and the post-drinking. And from things I've picked up (gotta love facebook), there may in fact be a bit of drinking inside the parties, too. (Not sure how much or if it is true.) Also, there is a certain indicator of "coolness" and reputation that comes along with being one of this kid's ticket resellers. I think it is an amazing idea -- this kid certainly has a lot going for him -- kids want to be his friends, kids want to be him, etc. Definitely somebody to watch.

smiler 16y ago

I love what he said - "My goal was to monopolize the teen party business in New York City". The guy didn't want to just have a little hobby business, he wanted to completely dominate it. Brilliant

mtsmith85 16y ago
I love when I hear statements like this. Because I don't want the guy who wants to do well. I want the guy who wants to win. I want the guy who wants to monopolize. That old, horrible, cliché about reaching for the stars and landing among them? Totally fits into play. This kid will, no doubt, have a bunch of competition in the next year. And he may never dominate the scene (well, more than he is right now), but I'd place my bets on the guy who is trying to dominate over the guy who wants to eek out a tiny slice.

jawngee 16y ago

Sorry to be the naysayer, but big deal. We were pulling 30-40K a weekend throwing raves back in the 90's. Ostensibly, they were drug and alcohol-free. cough I am curious how he is getting liability insurance for these events though at his age. I remember it being a bitch to get when I was 20. And what of security? We had to hire off-duty cops until it was found out that it was against the rules for the cops to do that.

anonymous246 16y ago
So it's not a big deal that he's making money doing the opposite of what conventional wisdom (and media) says sells, namely parties with the opportunity for underage drinking and drugs? Kudos to this kid+father for finding a way to make money doing the right thing.
- jawngee 16y ago
  You're being naive if you don't think any of that is going on at his parties. Even at our parties, in a drug steeped culture, we'd give you the boot if you were openly doing drugs, selling pills, etc. As would most "above board" promoters at that time.
leniholiday 16y ago
Do ppl still make that kind of money today?
- jawngee 16y ago
  Maybe, I mean that whole culture sort of died out and moved onto parties at clubs which has a very real profit ceiling. The biggest party I threw drew close to ~6K people at $30 a head. After expenses we cleared about 75K. All in cash, mind you. There are probably still parties that big in Europe and/or Asia, but in the states, it's all in clubs these days. That particular party was in the basement of a civic center and was relatively legit.
  - sedachv 16y ago

AndrewWarner 16y ago

I sent him an email about doing a Mixergy interview. Sounds like an enterprising guy.

RtodaAV 16y ago

Smart Kid with great parents.

aberkowitz 16y ago

It is fantastic that a high school student is enterprising enough to start a successful business. That being said, the feel good overtone of creating a drug / alcohol free environment ignores the freewill of party attendees.