Welcome to our exclusive interview focusing on the vibrant world of nightlife. Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with an industry expert who has carved a successful path in the nightlife scene. Let’s introduce our guest:
Ricky Vento – VIP Manager & Artist Relations for E11EVEN MIAMI.
Thank you, Ricky, for joining us today. Let’s dive straight into our discussion about your exciting career in the nightlife industry. How did you first become involved in the nightlife industry, and what drew you to pursue a career in this field?
Born and Raised in the City of Miami, growing up I always wanted to get involved in the criminal justice system and get a bachelor’s degree, however through college I started working at high end restaurants and gained a passion for the hospitality industry after discovering my natural feel for the business I knew eventually I would end up working at a nightclub but really didn’t know what I would be doing. I had no clientele and never worked a nightclub before that. I landed my first Job at story as a server assistant and a few months after that I got hired as a Host at E11EVEN, Thanks to my twin brother Luis Vento, and my bosses turned older brothers Rob Crosoli (Director of VIP) & Zac Bouch (Director of Guest Development) I was given an opportunity of a lifetime to show my passion and willingness to be successful in this industry. Then I started developing a passion for music and taking care of high-end VIPs, Artist, Celebs, etc. After going all in on nightlife and through the guidance of my superiors and peers I was able to grow both as a person and as a host. Little by Little I started moving up in the company and became one of the VIP managers for the club as well as dealing with Artist Relations and building relationships with some of the top people in the Music/Nightclub industry.
Nightlife is often associated with entertainment and excitement. As a nightlife entrepreneur, what aspects of the industry do you find most fulfilling and rewarding?
Personally, I think the most rewarding and fulfilling aspect of the industry is the experience we get to give the guest, people come to these venues to enjoy life, escape reality, celebrate a special occasion or milestone in their lifetime, or even just for a casual drink. That’s what so special about E11EVEN, we’re a worldwide destination where everyone is welcomed and we keep a “Welcome Home” Mentality, so whether you’re spending $10,000 or just enjoying a cocktail at the bar we treat everyone the same and are truly appreciative of every guest that walks through our doors and chooses to spend a night out with us.
Before we continue with the interview is there anyone you would like to thank in specific or anyone that has helped you develop your career throughout the years?
Yes, of course! I wish I could name everybody that has had an impact on my career throughout the years but unfortunately, we’d probably be sitting here for a long time. Firstly, I’d like to thank my brother Luis Vento who is my twin and got me the job at E11EVEN MIAMI when I was just 21 years old. I’d also like to thank my direct supervisors Rob Crosoli, Zac Bouch, and Miguel Gasca. Zac and Rob first hired me with 0 experience in the hosting side of the business, but they took a chance on me and gave me an opportunity that would change my whole life, although these are my bosses our relationships have grown to where I’m like a little brother and with that comes tough love but I wouldn’t have grown to the person I am today without their guidance. I’d also like to thank Gino LoPinto (Operating Partner) , Daniel Solomon (Operating Partner), Derick Henry (Operating Partner), and Frances Martin (Operating Partner) as well as Dennis DeGori ( Owner and Creator of E11EVEN MIAMI) – All the partners at E11EVEN have pretty much seen me grow from a young kid to an adult and they’ve always guided me from wrong to right and through learning comes mistakes but they never gave up on me. Gino is someone who went from someone I just saw as a boss to a father figure as well, we speak almost every day and sometimes it’s not even about the business but just about life itself. Lastly, my two colleagues Joe Pliml and Nick Manca who are the other two VIP Managers for the club. We all have different personalities and ways of managing the VIP Services team, but we all complement each other in different ways – we balance each other out to say the least.
Nightlife is known for its constant evolution and trends. How do you stay ahead of the curve and anticipate the desires and preferences of your target audience?
I think success and staying ahead of the curve stems from being different and by being different I mean is not being your usual “Hard to get into” Nightclub. Let’s face it when you walk up to a door at a nightclub it can be intimidating and plenty of times you don’t know if you’re going to get in. At E11EVEN, everyone is welcomed our door host greet everyone with a smile and welcome everyone in. we are also really industry friendly, so we invite our friends at other establishments to stop in for a drink or some food after work given, we are a 24 hour venue we are the perfect place to come blow off some steam, celebrate, or just stop by for a nightcap.
The nightlife industry often operates during unconventional hours and demands a high level of energy and dedication. How do you maintain a work-life balance while thriving in this dynamic environment?
Honestly after 10 years of nightlife it’s something I don’t think of too often to be honest, you get adapted to it and you just have to accept the fact that the career you chose forces you to work at night and you’re not going to have the same lifestyle as someone working a 9-5 , however it’s something I embrace and sleep is something we’ve all had to sacrifice to excel in this field.
Collaboration is crucial in the nightlife industry, whether it’s with artists, venues, or fellow promoters. How do you approach building and nurturing relationships to create successful partnerships?
I always tell people “Just be yourself”- Networking is something that I believe you must want and care for. You can teach people a lot of things however building relationships and a network is something that must be passion driven and you must adapt to everyone’s personality, not saying change who you are but get to know your guest. Personally, I don’t consider myself as a person who’s the “life of the party” but just someone who’s very versatile and can have a great simple conversation with you about anybody.
The nightlife industry can be competitive and challenging at times. Can you share a notable hurdle you faced in your career and how you overcame it?
As I mentioned earlier, I’m a twin, my twin was in the nightlife scene earlier than I was and I had to build my own identity in the nightlife scene. I had to go from “are you Luis or the brother” to “Ricky Vento.”
You mentioned you also take care of all the Artist for the venue and deal with plenty of A List Artist and celebs, any tips you’d give to anyone trying to establish relationships with these types of individuals?
Yes, I often get the question “what do you even talk to these people about?” – truth be told they’re all different some friendlier than others but what’s worked for me is not really trying so hard to fit in. I’ll talk to them about regular everyday people stuff, and I think they appreciate that more than anyone knows. If you look at my Instagram, I hardly have pictures with celebs and that’s because I just didn’t want to be another “Artist Liaison” who just has a picture with every celebrity on the planet.
When did you first realize you not only had a passion for the hospitality industry but also a passion for the music / artist side of the industry?
Honestly, I’ve always been a fan of hip hop and I grew up listening to guys like Wayne, 50 cent, drake, and The Weeknd. I honestly never grew up having a passion for nightlife itself or anything of that sort everything just happened organically. I started taking care of the Artist/Music acts the venue would book and started exchanging contacts and it was just a domino effect. From Drake to the weeknd, to Travis Scott to J Cole to Cardi B, and just about any Hip-Hop Artist in the game, I can confidently say I’ve put myself in the position to have the network to reach any big artist there is, none of it would’ve been possible without the help of my co-workers. Some of the guys know how passionate I am when it comes to the music, and they go out of their way to make sure I meet some of these people even if they already have the relationship. We’re all about being a team and trying to help each other out both as individuals and as a whole.
In your experience, what are the key qualities or skills that are essential for success in the nightlife industry, both from a professional and personal perspective?
Treat everyone with respect and you never know who you can be talking to, build those relationships beyond them just reaching out to you to just come by the club. Make it to where these people text you to just talk about life or you text them just wishing them a happy birthday or asking about how they’re doing. Business will always be business, but when you built that trust with certain individuals it’s what separates you from the rest of the thousands of people they deal with.
To finish off the interview, What’s next for Ricky Vento? Any plans in store? What do you do on your free time?
Well, E11EVEN is still growing as a company, we have 2 Hotel towers in the making that will feature a Vegas Style beach club in Miami and Miami is a fast-growing city that’s still evolving. I look forward to my growth within the company as we have plenty of things on the horizon. On a personal growth type of thing, I’m working on a few things like my own talent agency and being able to plug the dots wherever needed. I’m also very skilled in tech I spend a lot of my time off on the computer learning new skill sets. Honestly, I consider myself a freelancer I’m very knowledgeable in the Crypto, web3, Trade options, and Finance field as well. In other words, I like to learn as much about everything as I can. With stuff like AI changing how we do things it’s always good to stay ahead of the game and technology is something that I honestly believe if you don’t keep up with, you’ll get left behind. In other words, its adapt or die.
Thank you, Ricky Vento, for sharing your valuable insights and experiences in the electrifying world of nightlife. We appreciate your time and expertise in shedding light on this exciting industry.
