<div><p><p>Did Robert De Niro just walk into the restaurant?</p> <p>And is that Paris Hilton there drinking champagne with Tiger Woods? And did six Playboy Playmates just saunter to the private lounge?</p> <p>If those A-list celebrities really are in Tampa, they're likely at a Super Bowl party, and the party probably was months in the making, with dozens of managers, promoters and staff all toiling in anonymity to create a temporary atmosphere of sheer luxury and celebrity glitz.</p> <p>All for a profit.</p> <p>Yes, dear partiers, some "parties" are in fact well-orchestrated, synthetic environments that Disney could envy. This is the world of the professional celebrity party, and it's a world unto its own.</p> <p>The three-night "Good Life Experience" party this week at The Venue restaurant and nightclub took 10 months of planning and will probably attract 1,200 people each of three nights, with ticket buyers paying between $800 and $14,000 the course of three nights.</p> <p>Ticket buyers can pay for upper tiers of "experience," such as some time on the couch chatting with a supermodel, ordering her champagne, or yukking it up with a celebrity comedian.</p> <p>Tampa will host a half-dozen such parties during Super Bowl week – though dozens happen each night in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas or Miami, each with its own spectrum of A-list celebrities, athletes and musicians.</p> <p>For example, most "celebrity" parties are actually run by production and entertainment companies who contract a nightclub or restaurant, and in turn hire promoters to advertise the event and ticket companies to handle access. Caterers, valet companies, liquor vendors, photographers and anyone else providing a service all sign up as contractors.</p> <p>It's common for top-level parties to cost $1 million to $2 million to produce.</p> <p>Talent companies can provide a number of models for each event. For example, the Anna D Productions company is sending six Playboy Playmate models to "The Good Life Experience" with entertainment packages costing $14,000 for champagne, eight ticketed passes to pre-parties and access to a "VIP playmate lounge," with professional photography.</p> <p>Celebrities who show up or host such events are often paid handsomely just to appear at such parties. It's not superficial. It's just smart business.</p> <p>Why?</p> <p>"If you're a personality who is able to bring in 200 or 2,000 people who pay thousands of dollars at a party, you should be compensated," said Michael Bilello, a publicity agent handling exposure for "The Good Life Experience" party.</p> <p>In America, the rich and famous can be paid to be rich and famous – for a living.</p> <p>Adding to the revenue flow, big-name corporations pay sponsorship fees to have their products used in the party. Such corporations pay for such access because entertainment magazines and blogs write about what those celebrities do – such as Paris Hilton text messaging on a new pink cell phone.</p> <p>If all turns out well, hordes of celebrity-watching Americans will follow in lockstep, boosting revenue for the sponsors.</p> <p>Party producers and Hollywood agents orchestrate the criss-crossing contracts for exposure and party time. It's not uncommon for some celebrities to attend four such parties a month, if not more.</p> <p>To be sure, some celebrity parties are just that – a party – because some A-list actor had a birthday, or will go to Europe for six months to film a movie.</p> <p>A party like "The Good Life Experience" appears to be a profitable mix of social event and entertainment production. It started with Tampa Bay's own Ronald Lamont "Winky" Wright, the current light middleweight boxing champion, who is friends with Deion Sanders, a former NFL cornerback, and finally, perennial celebrity P. Diddy.</p> <p>The three pondered what could be the best possible party around the Super Bowl and came up with a three-day party, with different themes for each night: Thursday, a boxing theme in honor of Wright; Friday, a football theme for Sanders; and Saturday, a pure luxury environment for P. Diddy.</p> <p>The restaurant hosting this party, The Venue, will likely make a profit from the event. The real value, however, comes over time, said Rob Uzzillia, executive chef and partner of The Venue.</p> <p>"For us, this is a chance to get exposure on a national level," he said. "That's something that builds and builds for months into the future."</p> <p>Uzzillia is still working out the menu, but he expects basic tickets to the party will include champagne, appetizers and such. The Cristal champagne, duck confit and caviar will flow rapidly.</p> <p>Each night, P. Diddy will hold court in a second-floor "bird's nest" lounge that overlooks the entire scene. To go meet him up there requires attendees to buy another level of "experience."</p> <p>That is, unless you're a personal friend. In that case, it's just being social – like a party.</p> <p>Reporter Richard Mullins can be reached at (813) 259-7919. </p></p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=41407680&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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