A brand new chapter, thankfully, with a lot of the same cast!

Starting February 5th, Robert A. Severini will become the first-ever Managing Director for Cerbelli Creative + TwoFortyThirty.

As many of you know, I began my career in catering and events in the late 90's (yes, I finally hit forty years young this year!). However, starting next week, I will dive into another area within our amazing industry of #nycevents, full-service event planning, and large-scale event production.

Seven years ago, I wrote a blog called "What being a 'Workaholic' has gotten me thus-far... " The blog starts with me talking about stress and anxiety while saying "...I'm 33 years old, single, in debt, and can't sleep. But hey, life isn't so bad; right?" Do you know that right after writing that, I got a new job and met my wife? Fast-forward to today, you can see that with all my dedication and focus, along with a lot of hard work, and some luck, while balancing in some much-needed "quality of life" (the most important words out there!), I am fortunate enough and blessed to be where I am now.

While overseeing the intricacies of Cerbelli Creative 's daily operations, along with some visionary planning necessary for long-term growth, I will also be leading to the continued success of TwoFortyThirty , a vintage 1894 firehouse in the heart of Chelsea/Hudson Yards that has been transformed into an upscale, turnkey, intimate event space.

For those of you who may not be aware, Michael Cerbelli and I met many years ago but started to become very close when I became the General Manager of Elegant Affairs in 2012. Romeo Auer and I were even part of the team that catered his and Denise Tavarez-Cerbelli 's wedding at the original The Glasshouse in Chelsea. Since then our personal and professional relationship has grown, and our conversations about the industry we all love have evolved and become much more extensive.

I could go on and on about the plans for the team at Cerbelli Creative , but as you know, you will be able to see all that live, right here on #LinkedIn over the next few months! At this time, I'd love to say #THANKYOU to EVERYONE who has been a cast member throughout my story. From bosses to colleagues, to supporters and friends, without each of you I would never be in this opportunistic position that I am so grateful to be in, so thank you!!

During my time at Relish Catering + Hospitality and Celebrate at Snug Harbor , back to my days overseeing events for the Wildlife Conservation Society and New York Zoos & Aquarium Events & Catering , each of the past 7+ years of my career has been moving 10x faster than any of the first eighteen years ever could.

My time at the 'zoos and aquarium' was not only fun but also allowed me to finally meet many of you in person, mostly at our fantastic marketing events;

• New York Aquarium, 450-guests - "Evening with the Sharks" ( Steven Rosen ): https://stevenrosenphotography.shootproof.com/gallery/7552909/
• Bronx Zoo, 750-guests - "Day OUT of the Office" ( Andre Maier ): https://andremaier.passgallery.com/-bronxzoo2019/gallery
• Central Park Zoo, 900-guests - "Event Planners’ Night Out" ( Andre Maier ): https://andremaier.passgallery.com/-centralparkzoo2019/gallery

While my time at Relish allowed me to get back into partnering with some fantastic and #uniquevenues throughout NYC! Claudine Revere and Relish have given me TWO fantastic opportunities within my career; both of which gave me a platform to catapult myself into great endeavors. Thank you, again, for the trust and support along the way!!

Next steps...

Come February 12th, the team at Cerbelli Creative and I will be flying out to Catersource + The Special Event Show in Austin, Texas to not only network with our amazing colleagues from across the United States but to also be front row for "MICHAEL CERBELLI’S: THE HOT LIST?: 2024 " - Will we see you there!?

After that, I guess you will just have to wait and see (hopefully firsthand)!

"We become a better person through self-growth and facilitating the growth of others." ~ Patrick McGinley & Robert A. Severini

cc: Meagan Shipley, CMP , Olivia Casabianca , + Jenna Feintuch