Meet The Team

Owner, Rob

 
We’ll I guess I am the lucky guy that started all of this. We really had humble beginnings, I remember it like it was yesterday… The vision started out 10 years ago. I really had no idea what Encore was capable of, all I knew is that I wanted to give clients more of a personalized experience. We started out down in Central Florida (Duke Productions) working in some of the larger amusement parks. We took those contracts back to Michigan while growing the company with word of mouth. We eventually transitioned into Encore Entertainment & Productions. We built a website, before we knew it, Encore was ranked #1 in the search engines for every keyword. At first we only offered DJ entertainment. Eventually this branched off into lighting design (before uplighting became the cool thing to do). A year later we started manufacturing a color changing photo booth design. Within 2 years our collapsible design was patented, making me an official inventor. Since we were offering so many services we decided to combine companies under one brand… Encore Event Group was born.

I’ve never been afraid to try something new. For example, our booths don’t just look like a high-tech machine, the exterior changes color while producing AMAZING picture quality. We also have clients that call us up everyday looking for lighting design that hasn’t been done before. Since some of these creations don’t exist yet, we sometimes have to custom fabricate solutions. Over the years our shop has grown to include plasma cutters, welders, even vinyl plotters! This equipment was used during the prototyping stages of our photo booths, we still use it regularly for various projects. I enjoy the challenge of surpassing client expectations, it’s what gets the adrenaline pumping. If we were to give you the same boring booth every other company offered, why would anyone want to book with us? I guess this is one of the reasons for why Encore has expanded into so many specialized areas!

My favorite band of all time would have to be Led Zeppelin. True story, my parents named me after rockstars; Robert after Robert Plant and my middle names James Patrick after Jimmie (James) Patrick Page. I also had the chance of a lifetime to see both Page/Plant perform at their world tour in 1995 (it was my first concert). I used to be an avionics maintenance technician and received my bachelors in business administration from U of M with a concentration in Supply Chain Management. In my spare time I train mixed martial arts (Brazilian JuiJitsu, Muay Thai), and enjoy spending quality time with those that are really close to me.

The way I have always looked at it is that we become family after the end of your event. No matter which package you decide on, you’re in GREAT hands;

•  We rent our patented Chameleon Booth, which looks amazing
•  We push the creative boundaries with lighting design every weekend
•  We even DJ weddings for other DJs… no joke

I am extremely proud of our team, they work very hard to get high-fives/hugs/handshakes from clients. We value your business and treat your event as if it was our own. We are looking forward to giving you and your guests the experience of a lifetime…

Office Manager, Nicole

 
Most people call me Nicci, and I’m the office manager here at EEG. If you call up our main number, 9 times out of 10 you will get me! The most rewarding thing about working in the office is planning your event from the initial phone call to your satisfaction survey. It’s really exciting to run the photo booth at events and interact with guests. I love hearing positive feedback from clients I’ve been working close with. For example, you can see me hugging a recent bride in the photo on the left lol! It always amazes me when you have a vision and we deliver the ‘WOW’ factor…

I previously taught early childhood education, which was great for helping me grow my communication skills. I use those same skills everyday to build relationships with clients and vendors. When not in the office, you may find me trying to cook a new exotic dish, spending time with my fiance, our puppy Levi, Maine Coon cat fuzzy & our amazing daughter Jordan. Clients mean a lot to us, and we couldn’t feel more honored to take this journey with you.

Talent Manager, Sam

 
What’s happening?! My name is Sam Darish. I love music. I grew up with it and it has been a passion of mine since i started humming classical tunes at the age of 3 (No joke!). My first ever CD was a collection of Sci-Fi hits (i.e. Star Wars themes and many more) and I could identify them all. Since then my musical tastes have grown to include just about everything there is to hear, from metal to jazz, from techno to Celtic, from classical to Australian aboriginal and everything in between. I also attend the University of Michigan-Dearborn (Go Blue!) but I grew up in a Spartan household, so don’t hate! I am majoring in Computer Science with a Minor in Marketing.

I have been working for Encore for over 3 years now, and I love it! My favorite part is being able to give my all to people and controlling the lighting with the music. Another great aspect is the joy that music generates. Music transcends all language barriers, and its joyful movement is definitely an awesome thing to behold. I love meeting new people and being able to communicate with all kinds of people from all walks of life.

Back to music. I also play a number of instruments and dedicate a lot of my free time to composing, recording, and producing music. My favorite instrument would have to be the drums. It is one of the most primal instruments. It is simple, yet can be used to create the most intricate rhythms:

Some of my instruments in a nutshell
Violin - 14 yrs
Bagpipes - 9 yrs
Didgeridoo - 8 yrs
Guitar - 7 yrs
Drums - 6 yrs
Bass - 5 yrs
Keyboard - 1 yr
Musical Production Software - 5 yrs

Full-Fledged Talent, DJ Reimel

I’ve been DJ’ing professionally for over 15 years, working with different types of crowd all over the world. I’ve mastered the art of blending genres, from current pop to the great classics, creating an infectious mix of music to keep your dance floor packed all night long.

With such a vast knowledge in music, I consistently garner accolades from my progressive approach. Creating innovative environments through music is a rewarding challenge. I’ve learned a great deal about crowds, venues and how to package it together in a style we call “Encore”. Those experiences help me to find the identity of your event by creating a unique experience through live performance.

Making you happy with music is my main goal. As I would always say, “I love to work with people who are in celebration mode, it makes my job easier and more enjoyable.” It would be a beautiful privilege to be a part of your once in a lifetime event!

Full-Fledged Talent, Kevin

 
Hello! My name is Kevin Waltz and I am a huge lover of friends, photography and all things music. Currently, I am a Marketing student at Wayne State University and enjoying it very much. Besides going to school full-time, I also enjoy socializing and taking 35mm photographs with friends. Most of all, my strongest passion lies with music. Collecting vinyl records has always been a hobby of mine with favorite tunes spawning from the 60′s and 70′s soul and classic rock genres.

My favorite part about Encore is working with music and seeing a room transform with lighting within a matter of hours! My main passion also leaves me with a lifelong title of being a musician! Playing for a number of years in a jazz band throughout high school, I began playing electric bass guitar. It was a great experience and I continue to love jazz music to this day! From there, I now play blues guitar in a band in the Lansing, Michigan area. Playing in this blues duo for a little over two years, my band has played venues including Mac’s Bar and (Scene) Metrospace in East Lansing.

Electric Bass - 5 years
Guitar - 2 years
Music Production Software - 3 years

Photo Booth Specialist/Lighting Designer, Jaleesa

 
My name is Jaleesa Hilliard. I joined the Encore team because I enjoy interacting and meeting new people and I thought that this job would be a great experience. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, listening to music, spending time with friends, and dancing. I attend University of Michigan and my focus is in Business with a minor in Spanish. I absolutely love the work environment I am in! It is very fun and welcoming, but professional all at the same time.

I enjoy having the experience to try new things and this job has opened many doors for that. I get to light up beautiful events, transform rooms with drapery, and help guests photobooth! It is amazing how many things you can do with the lighting. Encore gives you the best experience you can possibly have from the entertainment business and it’s awesome.