March Madness is fast approaching, and we’ve pulled out all the stops for 2010.

Shopping for a wedding? Or perhaps you’ve already booked with Cutting Edge Entertainment? If you are still looking for Disc Jockey Entertainment and your wedding is in the month of March, you don’t have to look any further.  We are offering a 40% off discount to our traditional wedding package for all wedding receptions in the month of March, 2010.

Naturally travel expenses would apply should you happen to be outside the Philadelphia area, but if you’re in Philly, Bucks or Montgomery County it’s a great bargain.  No hidden tricks, the same customer service, the same great DJs, just at a 40% less price.

Just click here (HERE), fill out your contact information, or call to set up a consultation with one of our staff, and find out what we can do for you!

Again, this promotion is only good while supplies last, and applies to our traditional package. Travel fees may apply outside the Philadelphia area or in Center City.

My name is Craig Sumsky, and I am the Director of Cutting Edge Entertainment.

I like the term ‘Director,’ because I think it best describes the role I play in the company. I am many other things, like an owner and a founder of the company (there were two, and now there is one), but wearing the ‘boss’ hat has never been something I’ve relished. I can probably count on both hands how many times I have had to evoke the “because I’m the boss” phrase, and more than to my credit, I think it’s simply because I’ve been fortunate enough to hire well. I have never been comfortable with referring to myself as someone’s boss, but instead prefer to introduce employees of the company as people I work with.

So, for starters, our blog is going on two years now and I realized that although I’ve authored quite a few posts that make up this blog, I had yet to actually blog about myself.  I guess I wasn’t sure where to start, so probably best I start at the beginning, how I became a DJ, and how Cutting Edge Entertainment came to be… so here goes.

I started my journey into world of entertainment as a DJ at Jamison Roller Skating rink in Bucks County back in 1983. The rink transformed into a teen dance party (called J.R.’s) on Friday nights, and the house was packed every weekend with kids from local high schools, and although I was originally hired for the skate nights, I inherited the teen dance when the veteran DJ didn’t bother to show up. Let’s just say I learned to be a quick study, and being a DJ seemed a natural fit. I already had a love for all things music, so in that regard I was right at home, but even more thrilling was the rush of the crowd reaction. I remember when Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ was first released, and how the whole place screamed when we first played that track. From there on in I was hooked.

In my freshman year of college (1987) I had left J.R.’s, and got a job doing mobile DJ work with a company on Bustleton Avenue in Philadelphia called ‘Fascinating Rhythm.’ It was there I began to hone my skills. I brought on a friend – Joe Quinn – who would become my partner in crime (and later in business) for the next decade. Our stint at Fascinating Rhythm was short lived, as we went on to work at bars and nightclubs in both Bucks County and Philadelphia.

I had a college internship at WPST in Princeton, New Jersey, but would later have the privilege of sitting in with Philadelphia radio greats like Pierre Robert (WMMR) and Harvey Holiday (WOGL) for some ‘extra credit.’ My mind was like a sponge, and I just couldn’t get enough. I often worked seven nights a week, and watched trends like ’sports bars’ and ‘post modern’ come and go. I was there when Delaware Avenue (now Columbus) first evolved into a nightclub mecca, spinning at one nightclub while now famous Philadelphia DJ Robbie Tronco would be spinning at another right across the street.

So many bars and clubs from those days have since died off or closed. Places like Binney & Flynns, The Aztec, The Fizz, Bleachers, Club Zadar and The Bank are mere memories, but were once part of a Philly club scene that thrived and flourished, spawning DJ’s like Robbie Tronco, Moe Green, DJ Johnny S, Chaz Paris and DJ Beercans. They made the Philadelphia club scene in the early to mid 1990’s, and many of them continue to DJ today.

It was at the height of that era that Cutting Edge Entertainment was born. I’ve tried to inject much of my own wisdom, knowledge and experience over the years into the company but alas, it had a mind of it’s own. I could never have predicted the industry changes, but as it changed Cutting Edge evolved, and I just followed it’s lead. With a constant influx of young talent and fresh new ideas, C.E.E. has easily made the transitions necessary to stay on the ‘cutting edge.’ I may have been the spark, but the cast and crew of the company have been the fuel to the fire.  It is to the C.E.E. staff over the years (past & present company included) to whom I owe a never ending debt of gratitude for their hard work, loyalty and dedication.

What started out as a DJ company has grown to include dancers, vocalists, musicians, lights, multi-media and much more.  DJ, Entertainment or Production Company, we have almost outgrown such restrictive definitions to become a hub of talent and energy that has and will continue to leave a footprint, one that I could have never envisioned back in 1994.  Cutting Edge Entertainment has been the launch pad for so many talented professionals who have gone on to make careers in the entertainment industry that I am in awe of their collective accomplishments.

In many ways, I am grateful that they would choose me as their ‘Director.’

K.C. KoKoruz – a colleague of mine from Chicago – recently told me “The staff of Cutting Edge Entertainment definitely drink the Cutting Edge Kool-Aid”, to which I smiled, laughed to myself at the reference and said, “Oh Yeah.”

Craig Sumsky
Director
Cutting Edge Entertainment

Photo by Kevin York – www.kevinyorkphotography.com

I have been a member of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives since about 2003, but I had my doubts about rejoining the organization this year. There were several reasons for my hesitation, but primarily I think it was somewhat of a bad taste I had in my mouth for some of the other ‘professional’ organizations in Philadelphia. In January of 2009 I had pretty much decided not to renew, but something changed my mind, or rather someone.

Adam Rineer, the reigning president of N.A.C.E. Philly, phoned me when he saw I didn’t renew. Unlike folks from some of the other organizations, Adam didn’t try to sell me on rejoining, and didn’t seem overly concerned with pushing me to make that monetary commitment to membership.

Instead, Adam simply asked “Why?”

My response was partly sarcastic, yet genuine at the same time. I said “Well, I’d be more than willing to tell you if you’ve got a few hours to kill.”

To which Adam cooly replied, “I’ve got an appointment in a few minutes, but can we talk after that?”

I was honestly taken by complete surprise. I agreed, and he phoned me back about an hour later.

I’m not sure how long it was that Adam and I spoke on that day, but from what I recall it was easily over an hour. Adam asked some questions, but did a lot of listening. He expressed genuine interest in not only the reasons why I wasn’t rejoining, but in the ways I felt the organization could improve. Adam cared what I had to say, and although he ultimately wanted me to come back to N.A.C.E. Philadelphia, he afforded me the time to communicate not only what I wanted to get out of the organization, but also what more I felt the association could do for all of its members.

At the conclusion of our conversation, I offered to renew my membership.

Adam Rineer is a great salesman, but more so, he’s a great leader. It was the fact that Adam was willing to take time for me that made me so willing to be a part of the organization he was the president of. I suppose that might have been the premise of my whole issue in the first place, and Adam reinforced for me the belief that N.A.C.E. was not just about the association or the membership dues, it was about the people and the professional relationships established in such an organization.

A leader’s greatness is measured by the willingness with which people choose to follow them.

Recently Adam moved to Houston, Texas and will be stepping down as chapter president very shortly. He will be missed. He has praised me when I deserved it, and brought me to bear when i needed to be. I cannot imagine him to be anything less than an amazing manager of people, as he is truly a people person. Adam did not command my respect, he earned it.

Good luck Adam, and Hail to The Chief.

-Craig Sumsky

Photo by Phil Kramer – www.pkphoto.com

Once upon a time – around 2004 – I joined a very prestigious organization called The National Association of Catering Executives (N.A.C.E.).  I remember my first N.A.C.E. event well.  I particularly remember a young woman by the name of Hillary Werner (vice-president of the organization at that time) who was kind enough to take me around and introduce me to a bunch of “Who’s Who’s” that were (and many still are) the movers and shakers of the event industry in the greater Philadelphia region.

Since joining N.A.C.E. I’ve gained some great friends, made priceless contacts, and learned a great deal. And while prior to joining I’d already been in the event industry for over a decade, being part of a professional organization has turned out to be an invaluable resource to myself, and my company.

Sometime in February or March of this year I was speaking to Adam Rineer, the current President of the Philly N.A.C.E. chapter.  I was bending his ear about my experiences with social networking and my wish that more chapter members would get involved.  Twenty minutes or so into the conversation, Adam suggested that I run an educational program on the subject at an upcoming meeting, and I agreed.  At first I was honored to be asked…

And then the panic set in.

I’ve always been an internet person.  From online games to YouTube to today’s social networking websites, I’ve always been a pretty serious surfer.  But doing and teaching are two very different things, and the prospect of speaking in front of my industry peers on a subject which I believed to be so important created quite a bit of (admittedly self-imposed) pressure for me.  Through my frequent activity on Twitter and Facebook I had learned a lot.  But the thought of distilling all that information into a one hour presentation seemed quite a challenge.

My first task was to choose my team, and I must say that I chose pretty well.  Staffing the right people for the right job has always been one of my strengths.  So choosing Mark Kingsdorf from Queen Of Hearts Wedding Consultants and Dave Williams from DVideography was a no-brainer.  Both of these guys know their stuff on this subject and were well-suited to bring a lot to the program.  As my moderator, I chose Justin Guarini (that’s right, the American Idol guy) who is also quite the Internet Guru in his own right.  And maybe just as important, I wanted this program to be fun-filled and entertaining as well as informative… after all, entertainment is what I do best.

So fast-forward to the big night.  September 15, 2009 at The Loews Hotel in Philadelphia, ‘Marketing On The Edge’.   I’m guessing that Adam Rineer, and N.A.C.E. V.P. of Programming Doug Quattrini (who was a huge help) included the ‘Edge’ part in the title as a reference to Cutting Edge Entertainment, but I haven’t had the chance to ask yet.

The program was flawless, and although I rehearsed and rehearsed my agenda beforehand, I was pleased (and relieved) to see the program take on a life of its own.  As Adam told me afterwards, “You can judge the success of a program based on the level of audience participation” and there was certainly no shortage of that.  I can’t even pretend that I wasn’t “in my glory” that night as dozens of attendees lined up after the program concluded to tell me how successful they thought it had been, with emails and phone calls that followed for days after saying very much the same thing.

I have so many individual thank-you’s to acknowledge, but I’ll try my best to mention just a few…

To Adam Rineer, thanks for giving me the opportunity, honor and privilege to contribute and to share my knowledge with my fellow industry peers.  You will be missed when you move to Houston, and I wish you all the luck in the world.

To Doug Quattrini, without whose assistance the program wouldn’t have been the success that it was.

To my fellow panelists Mark Kingsdorf and Dave Williams, who more than being just fellow panelists, were moral support and good friends.

To Justin Guarini, I owe you one for this.  You were perfect.

To David Hall (Director of Catering at The Loews) for having me and making me feel welcome.

To Eddie Bruce for coming out and showing your support, it meant a lot.  And thanks for primping me before I went on stage, you are truly class-personified.

To my staff for coming out to show moral support, and for representing Cutting Edge Entertainment.  I am very lucky to have you on my team.

To Meryl Snow (Feastivities) for your audience participation… bravo.

To Brittany Campli, for teaching her Dad about the internet. 

To Hy Goldberg for your kind words after the program… that meant more to me than you will ever know.

To all my other N.A.C.E. friends and family, Thank you for your attendance, your support, and your friendship.

I hope to see you all online soon!

-Craig Sumsky

Photos courtesy of Drexel Hill Photography

Thanks to the September N.A.C.E. meeting sponsor Joe Pulcinella Photography

Follow Cutting Edge Entertainment on twitter – http://twitter.com/cuttingedgedjs

www.cuttingedgedjs.com

The Philadelphia Phillies suffered their greatest loss only 7 games into the marathon that they call the baseball season. No, a 4th loss was not added to their record, but a loss much greater felt that cannot be represented by a number. Legendary  Hall of Fame broadcaster, Harry Kalas, passed away at the age of 73.

My dream of becoming a broadcaster can be attributed to Harry the K. From a very young age, I began listening to the Phils with my dad, and the indescribable voice I heard sent chills through my body as each pitch was called. He never ceased to amaze me, and with every pitch that he announced, I became more eager to imitate one of his calls. As I grew older, and my appreciation for listening to a Hall of Famer grew, I began to take notice of just how special Kalas really was. At times, I would mute the T.V. and turn on the radio, just to hear him call the game, because Phils’ baseball is not the same without Harry calling every pitch.

During the 2008 playoff and World Series run, I made sure that I heard the final inning of each of the clinching games. I would call my cousin down in Florida (Harry can’t be heard down there) and put the phone up to the radio; together we would enjoy the magic that unfolded, as Harry the K made each moment more exciting. The Hall of Famer made each pitch feel like it happened right in front of you.

After a Phils’ game in 2007, I was fortunate enough to have met this renowned announcer. My friend Shane and I walked to the players’ parking lot, just hoping to meet anyone that we could; little did we know that we were going to experience something beyond our wildest dreams! My hero, my idol, the voice I had listened to for so long through the radio, was standing right there in front of me. My excitement could not be contained as I immediately struck up a conversation with him. After a long afternoon game, he took the time to speak with the two of us about the game he loved most. When asked how long he thought he would be in the booth, he jubilantly replied, “I still have plenty of years left in me. Don’t you worry about that.” Those words have never left my mind and the conversation flew to the front of my brain when I heard the news of his passing. Today, my friend and I reminisced about the time we met and spoke with this legendary man and tears filled my eyes. On that never-to-be-forgotten day I was honored to have Kalas sign my ticket. Today, that ticket has more meaning than any piece of Phillies’ memorabilia that I do now or could ever own. This head of the Phillies’ announcing family was an inspiration to all the fans, and I was lucky enough to have been in the company of that inspiration.

Dave Matthews said that, “It is easier to be left than to be left behind.” The fans now have the memory of Harry Kalas’ voice continuously playing inside our heads. It is really difficult to express the pain we all feel, realizing that when we hear that voice again, it will be that of a memory. His voice was unlike any other in this city, or in this country, and his voice shall forever be associated with the Phillies. He was arguably one of the most prominent Philadelphians in broadcast history. The memories he gave Philly fans will be cherished. A piece of our hearts was lost today when Harry passed. But true fans must be thankful that Harry was able to see the Phillies break the drought and the curse, and bring home a World Championship (the last call of which will forever be my ring tone). We lucky Philadelphians can be happy for Harry Kalas as he is now back where he was so happy, sitting next to Whitey. Harry Kalas will forever be missed, but his voice will forever ring out and be heard in the radios and homes of Phillies’ fans.

Now, I’m………outta here!

-Steven Foltz

www.cuttingedgedjs.com