Eugene Lavatman Socially Exposed

The club formula seems to be working to an extent never imagined and the hype is working. Rarely is the plan deviated from but at one point or another, marketing entities will seek out the edge to set themselves apart from the other guy, and certainly the new kid on the block.

Eugene Lavatman, has been producing and marketing events for the past 12 years, and has established himself as one of the top nightlife marketers and operators in Brooklyn. His Manhattan clients range from culinary hot spots, to late night staples like Lavo, 1Oak, and WIP. Lavatman through his company Socially Exposed, leveraged grassroots promotions, emerging artists and public relations to build successful brands; while ensuring that their market positioning and the products/services they provide are relevant to the demographic they seek to serve.

His SoundCruise series this summer provides sea breezes and major DJ talents. They start at 5pm and have you back before midnight giving patrons enough time to head to familiar haunts. As rival clubs vie for DJ talents in a musical chair type frenzy in order to bring in more patrons, Lavatman has been thinking outside the box. Hipness as we knew it may return to the club world as we know it.

Nightclub & Bar (NCB): Why this event is different than all the other promoted events?

Eugene Lavatman: You can take a vacation without going on a vacation. Ripped pillows, feathers in your face, dancing on chairs, screaming your lungs out. What makes this party different is we have a 20 million dollar yacht, a 7 foot zebra that is not afraid to get wet, and a Hudson River view of the Manhattan skyline. We started SoundCruise due to a lack of new original venues. We were looking for a place where experience was king, and booking Bob Sinclar + Drek Martinez was definitely a great bonus. Electronic dance events are not just about the music; it’s the energy that makes your best memories.

NCB: What are the challenges facing promoting outside of Brooklyn?

Lavatman: In Manhattan the competition is more organized. Venue owners have higher expectations. The competition can outbid you in almost everything, from recruiting sub-promoters, and locking in venues for weekly contracts, to hiring internationally recognized DJ talent. Expenses are higher, budgets are bigger, but nevertheless owners still expect quick return on investment. “Just a smaller fish in a bigger sea.”

NCB: Can a party feel underground in legal spaces?

Lavatman: A party can’t feel underground in a legal space. If I may paint a picture: I attended a party in Mexico a few years back. Location was 45 minutes away from civilized society (Playa Del Carmen), no cellphone service, down a beaten path requiring off road travel, and a taxi driver warning, “there might not be a taxi for the way back”.  I was in the middle of the jungle in a 19th century abandoned Mexican ruin, in requested Native American dress code delving into electronic music my ears have never heard. That is what comes to my mind when I think of “underground”.

NCB: Why Bob Sinclair as opposed to other choices?

Lavatman: As mainstream electronic dance music becomes saturated, many top artist become yesterday’s news, one must reinvent in order to stay ahead of the curve. Bob Sinclar’s new album showcases two emerging house music sub-genres: Electro Swing and Latin-House, both promise a great future. At the end of the day, this is a boat party during sunset hours, and Bob’s musical style brings perfect energy and vibe to the boat. 

NCB: Who is going to be there? 

Lavatman: Music driven, vacation seeking, fun loving, pillow ripping, table dancing, water gun shooting characters.

NCB: What does the word hipster mean?

Lavatman: The best written definition of the term “hipster” can be found on “definitions are too mainstream, hipsters can’t be defined because then they’d fit in a category, and thus be too mainstream.”


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