Kriti Mehrotra
If you have ever dreamed of hosting a party where you were not solely responsible for everything from providing the energy to managing drink service, then Cabana Boys Events is for you. Many might deem hiring professionals for casual gatherings a bit excessive, but if you wish to create core memories and have an unforgettable experience without any stress, why not? That’s precisely what founder Nelson Brooks conveyed during his feature on ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ season 17 episode 9, all the while hoping to secure funding from the Sharks to expand his business to new heights.
Cabana Boys Events: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
It was in August 2020 when Nelson Brooks decided to establish a party-focused company on a whim to earn some extra cash while having fun, unaware it would turn his world upside down. His motto has always been to “live life with an exclamation point,” so once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and he recognized that everyone indeed has limited time, he kick-started his business. His aim was to bring charismatic professionalism to hospitality while also ensuring a safe space for those wishing to celebrate and let loose, with his primary target being bachelorette weekends.
Cabana Boys Events reportedly garnered success early on, enabling them to focus on birthdays, brunches, divorce parties, game nights, holiday events, house parties, and pool parties, too. They did admittedly struggle with their hiring a little owing to the nature of the industry, but Nelson has since asserted that they have been able to largely maintain proper, professional standards. After all, while their Boys are entertainment, hospitality, as well as vibe service providers, they are not adult entertainers, babysitters, drivers, errand boys, grocery shoppers, or strippers. The founder’s own professional experience likely played a major role in the quick implementation of operational boundaries since he has spent his entire career in the business/commerce industry.
Having always had an interest in commerce, Nelson enrolled at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (class of 2012). He served as a tour guide on campus for at least two years before graduating to hone his people skills before starting his career as a Sales Representative-turned-Field Manager at Alliance Beverage. He worked there for three years prior to being a Technology Account Manager at Oracle, a Strategic Sales Director at Spredfast, and a Business Development Manager at Local Measure.
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Cabana Boys Events: Where Are They Now?
Cabana Boys Events aims to be the go-to team of party hosts across the nation, so it comes as no surprise that they have been doing their best to grow at every step of the way. That’s why they currently offer almost every service imaginable for gatherings, including amateur photographers, bartenders, butlers, champagne sprayers, hype men, models, party game organizers, Spotify DJs, and even lotion applicators. All a client has to do is plan their event, hire the company, and supply the products/refreshments, and the Boys will do the rest with utmost charm, energy, and professionalism. That’s because all of them would be background checked, insured, licensed, and thoroughly trained — the safety of clients in their celebratory space is the business’ utmost priority.
In other words, Cabana Boys Events promises to set an unforgettably fun tone for any party they are hired for, currently accepting bookings and operating across 11 markets. They are: Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego in California; Destin, Miami, and Palm Springs in Florida; Savannah in Georgia; Austin in Texas; Charleston in South Carolina; Nashville in Tennessee; and Scottsdale in Arizona. According to Scottsdale, Arizona resident Nelson’s own account, he manages his company remotely since he can only be in one place at a time, but he does know they have successfully hosted over 7,000 events as of writing and presently have nearly 150 employees.
Cabana Boys Events has four different brands under its banner: Cabana Boys, Cocktail Boys, Cocktail CowBoys, and, most recently, Cabana Girls. While the Cabana Boys offer services for casual events, the Cocktail Boys is a more traditional bartending service, catering primarily to charity galas, corporate events, holiday parties, and more. As for the Cocktail CowBoys, they are billed as the ultimate party hosts with a cowboy theme, whereas the Cabana Girls are geared more towards male events such as bachelor parties. We should mention they have been affiliated with Bravo, Brides, Business Insider, Peacock, Stag & Hen, and The New York Times over the years.
Coming to the Cabana Boys Events’ pricing, they charge between $450 and $700 for a two-hour party for up to 30 guests, which includes them sending 2 Boys. While the lesser amount is for the brand of Cabana Boys, the maximum amount is for the Cabana Girls. Similarly, they charge between $675 and $1,050 for a three-hour party and between $900 and $1,400 for a four-hour party, respectively. However, for groups of up to 7 individuals, there is an option to book 1 Boy for 90 minutes at massively discounted rates. Moreover, the company even offers services such as Bagel delivery for $235 in some cities, Bar Crawl for roughly $55, and Brunch Boys in the range of $650 to $800 for two hours.
