UD Profile
Party Planning, Jamaica and the Allure of the Rooftop

If you didn't know it already, you know it now: partying is a serious business. So right before Oscar weekend we caught up with Tony Schubert, whose company, Event Eleven, has thrown some of the biggest and liveliest parties to hit the jaded palate—from converting a club into a disco roller rink to throwing a 10,000-person "Block Party" for ESPN (slightly bigger than your last guest list). Here Tony tells UD about LA versus NY, the Oscar events not be missed, and who is the biggest partyer of them all (surprise, surprise).

UD: What are the three most essential ingredients for a well-planned event?
TS: Good people, good lighting and good drinks.

UD: You once hosted a $6 million, weeklong private party in Jamaica. What's a week-long party like?
TS: It's extremely tiring. I built a runway over the pool, I built a boxing ring on the sand, I turned a restaurant into a Moroccan disco. You know, these guys wanted to come and party 24 hours.

UD: How are LA parties different from NY parties?
TS: New York is 90% social, 10% celebrity. It's the reverse here in LA.

UD: Is there something you'd like to see more of in LA?
TS: The one thing LA lacks is great rooftop spaces. We did that once for the Catwoman premier, on top of the Arclight parking structure. I think there's just something really fantastic about an outdoor party on a rooftop.

UD: So what are the notable Oscar parties this year?
TS: The bigger ones that happen each year are the Elton John party, Vanity Fair's event at Morton's, and Us Weekly's. There's the big Patrick Whitesell and Mike DeLuca event that's the big after-after-hours party that ends at 7am. The Governor's Ball that happens after the Oscars at Hollywood & Highland. Those are all the big staple events that happen each year.

UD: Where are you going after the Oscars?
TS: Good question...I have an invitation to Elton John's event. It's a nice night; certainly everyone who has won stops there. It's very laid back. And since it's right across the street from Morton's, you have a lot of people walking back and forth in the midst of paparazzi trying to follow.

UD: Who would you say the most consistent partier is at the Oscar parties?
TS: I'd probably say Paris Hilton—I'm sure she'll be at every single one of them.

UD: Shocker. Who would you rather have at your party: the Lohans, the Hiltons or the Olsens?
TS: It's not out of the norm to see a Lindsay or a Paris or the Olsen twins at an event that we do. It's almost as if it's expected. For me, I prefer the out-of-the-norm people who don't go out: the Jack Nicholsons, the Sharon Stones, the Brad Pitts, the Angelinas.

UD: Who do you never want to see at your party?
TS: Wow. There's certainly one person that I absolutely hate. And I will never say this person's name...but I'll give you his initials: B.D.