Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamison LaGuardia.
Jamison, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Originally growing up in Bedford New Hampshire, I received a scholarship to attend the University of Miami in Coral Gables Florida and moved down at the age of 17 and attended from 1994-1998 having a duel major in Music Business and Studio Performance and Recording Techniques. During my final year at school I began interning at Island Records in the A&R department which led to work after school ended. While attending school I was always working side jobs in the bar, restaurant and eventually in the nightclub industry in the Coconut Grove area. I ended up moving to South Beach after graduation and began working at two of the legendary venues on the beach called Shadow Lounge and Liquid Nightclub. Around 2001 I was fortunate enough to get a job as Regional Event Manager with Playboy Golf which peaked my interested and got me excited about the event industry. I ended up staying with Playboy for 8 years as a R.E.M. in the South Florida marketplace and was able to segue my involvement to become the Director of Marketing and Events at three venues located at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood Florida. I worked directly for Pangaea Lounge, Gryphon Nightclub and Passion Nightclub until around 2010 when I was presented the opportunity to move back up to New England and take over as Director of Marketing and Events at Royale. Since moving back, I have been fortunate to be involved with multiple new venues and projects since then, but still call Royale my home on a daily basis.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The most difficult challenge I have faced, has been packing up and leaving everything I have built and learned and all contacts I have made not once but twice and move to a complete unknown. I am a firm believer in taking risks and change is good, but this was absolutely one of the most intimidating things I have ever faced. The unknown is always scary but really can push you as a person to make yourself better and stronger and brings out things you didn’t know you were capable of. I highly recommend doing it at least once in your life!
Please tell us about Royale Entertainment Complex.
Royale Entertainment Complex has been quite a phenomenon over the years. Originally built in 1918 as an opera house, my owner took control in 1985 as the famous Roxy Nightclub and has progress throughout the years as always being one of the top venues in the city. In 2010 I was part of a team that came in and did the original renovation of the venue and rebranded and relaunched as Royale brought it to another level of operating. We have since been fortunate enough to get out of solely being in the nightclub mentality and more into the Entertainment Complex by providing world class live music concerts, DJ’s and corporate / private events on any night of the week. I have focused more on the private events aspect and changed the old way of operating events and taking the venue into a newer, sleeker and cleaner format. We have recently gone through our second renovation spending over a half a million dollars on a makeover from floors, to LED panels and screens, carpets and painting etc….
We pride ourselves on our team we have here, and I feel this makes us stand out more than anything. We have some of the best people in the business involved here from all different ways of life locally and throughout the country. I am a believer in having the best team possible in whatever job you do.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Growing up in New Hampshire where life was a lot slower. Playing in the neighborhood and staying out till the sun went down riding bikes and playing. Things were safer it seemed and technology was still up and coming. We had lots of friends and didn’t wear helmets when we rode out bikes!
Contact Info:
- Address: 279 Tremont St, Boston MA
- Website: www.royaleboston.com
- Phone: 617-338-7699 x202
- Email: jamison@royaleboston.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/royaleboston
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/royalenightclubboston
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/royaleboston
Image Credit:
Natasha Moustache, Conor Olmstead
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