Jeter's Birthday Delights High-Profile Friends

Sharlee Jeter, sister of New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, decided she would throw a big bash for her brother's upcoming 33rd birthday. It was a lot like all of our birthday parties, except that her guest list included high-profile athletes—Andre Agassi, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, and several others—as well as some actors such as Mark Wahlberg. She selected Floyd's nightclub at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa as the site of the event. Despite an effort by the venue to keep it exclusive and private by adding heavy security, tons of people still showed up.For the second straight year, Frank Clemente and Lynn McGhee of conceptBAIT were called to handle the event planning, production, lighting, and linens. The creative duo answered the call by creating areas within the space that were both intimate and luxurious. These spaces were outfitted in black and white leather seating or beds provided by Room Service. And thanks to Clemente and McGhee's creativity, all the furniture contrasted—where there were white pillows, there were black couches, and vice-versa. The duo also hung fabric chandeliers, each with three floral balls suspended from the bottom, from the roofs of these makeshift VIP areas. Vanda orchids were added to make the sections pop with color. Each one of these exclusive areas had its own private dancer and butler-type attendant. Throughout these spaces, trussing units were erected to stand upright in varying sizes, and each was topped with overflowing palm fronds and floral botanicals that spanned close to three feet in diameter on all sides. These were then pin-spotted and lit from within by color-changing LEDs.

Clemente adds: "The colors of the night were black, white, and silver, with touches of lime, purple, fuchsia, orange, and yellow, which really made the place stand out. Overall, the space looked very industrial with a sophisticated edge. But we also wanted to make the event as inviting as possible, so pretty much anything that guests asked for was provided to them."

ConceptBAIT also constructed a stage that stood four feet off the ground, built up with 10 feet of trussing, and uplit in LEDs that changed colors to the beat of the music. The entire stage's background was draped in black, and risers created focal points with the DJ being the almighty curator of the night over all the guests.

Additionally, conceptBAIT brought in its floral advisor Nina Paugh, who suspended florals from chandeliers, lamps, and the ceiling, as well as from giant spandex funnel tubes. These hanging florals included bells of Ireland, pin-cushions, agapanthus, oncidium, forsythia, cymbidium orchids, vanda orchids, liatris, and fun wire in metallic accent colors. Plant Directions Inc. contributed to the effect with tropical foliage that created a lot of nooks and made the spaces seem very lush.

Brett Patterson of the hotel's administrative staff helped coordinate everything else—from the catering, bar, and entertainment to the video, sound, and valet service. Several guest rappers and DJs, as well as some go-go dancers, were brought in to entertain the Jeters and their guests. Over the stage, two dance cages hung suspended—one over stage right and one over stage left—for a while, before moving downward toward the stage. When they finally landed, fashionistas were posing in them. Guests enjoyed these entertainers so much that most didn't leave until well into the next morning.

—Albert del Toral