Verasoni Featured on NorthJersey.com
CLIFTON – The nation’s economic recession isn’t only affecting consumers during the holiday season, it has simultaneously compelled business owners and office managers to employ creativity in achieving a cost-effective celebration of their own.
As businesses continue to pare down excess expenditures this year many offices turned their collective attention toward annual staples like December holiday parties, with some companies deciding to shut them down altogether.
Jersey Street Furniture Rental, a party décor company located on Clifton Boulevard boasting high-profile clients such as Donald Trump and Bruce Springsteen, also found themselves forced to adapt to a shifting marketplace.
“With the recession, we knew that this year may not be as busy for holiday parties,” JSFR founder Steve Novich said. “A lot of our year-after-year clients weren’t booking and when we asked them what was different this year, they told us that they just couldn’t afford to pay a large holiday party bill when they were making cutbacks and people were losing their jobs.”
Novich said company employees put their heads together and came up with a concept: companies sharing the cost of one large holiday party, which would “drive down the cost-per-head tremendously.”
Companies with nearby offices, such as Metlife, Vicinity Media Group and Dieci Lifestyle Spa will take part in four “Bring Your Own Business” parties designed to offer a unique environment, harvest new business relationships and, most importantly, save money.
Last Wednesday, one of the four joint parties was held at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in West Orange.
Lori Chiazzo, a senior account executive at The Hip Event public relations firm, estimated there were between 75 and 100 employees from New Jersey companies MetLife, Verasoni Worldwide, Complements Two and the Clara Maass Medical Center.
“Overall the party went really well,” Chiazzo said. “People were having a really good time up until the end and it even went 30 minutes over[time] because no one wanted to leave.”
Abe Kasbo, Verasoni chief executive officer, said his company learned of the event through a Facebook network and called it a “perfect opportunity in this economy” to develop business while cutting costs.
Kasbo said the joint party saved the company hundreds of both “hard” and “soft dollars” allocated to plan its own event.
“I thought the party was great, and our employees enjoyed it,” Kasbo said. “The venue was fantastic, and the scene was lively. Having other businesses there presented a wonderful opportunity for us to network. I would certainly consider doing it again.”
Kasbo said the event actually provided immediate dividends as his company has since set up two meetings “with prospects” thanks to the get-together.
“While last year’s party let us celebrate with our current clients – whose business we really appreciate – this year we celebrated with future clients,” he added.
Kasbo said current clients received gift baskets this year in place of the holiday party held in previous years.
David Black, the chief executive officer of Vicinity Media Group, a Fairfield publishing company which produces lifestyle and business magazines, said the company will spend about 25 percent less on the joint party than the traditional holiday banquet.
Novich said JSFR began with two couches in 2006 and has blossomed into a full-scale event company catering to large corporate and social events.
