THE PARTY WIZARD
When high rollers get down, Miami-based events planner Barton G. Weiss usually gets the call. In addition to galas for celebrities and socialites, his $30 million company, Barton G. Weiss, choreographs big-bucks bashes for Fortune 500 sponsors of the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby, the U.S. Open, and other major sporting events.

AW: You’ve been called an “events visionary.” What’s your mission?
BW: We bring our client’s product to an entertainment atmosphere. That’s what these events are all about. You entertain, but subliminally, you’re giving the client’s sales pitch.

AW: How do these visions start?
BW: With a background check on the company. Who is the client? What’s their product and how are they perceived by the general public?

AW: Your company motto — “Never Repeat” — must make for a lot of pressure.
BW: That’s why I have bags under my eyes. But it’s like fashion. Events are fashion, food is fashion, and every year, I come out with my new spring line.

AW: What’s on your plate lately?
BW: We’re doing the Federal Express Orange Bowl and an off-site simulcast event for the Super Bowl. And we’re already working on the U.S. Senior Open for next June.

AW: Do you hang out at the parties you create?
BW: No. I make sure it’s executed according to my concept, and then I’m gone. I’m on to the next one.