The 'Osmosis' crew, (from left) Deane Shepherd, Phillip Palmer and Jermaine Brown, hangs out at the Pure Nightclub. - Colin Hamilton/freelance photographer

So today Flair is pleased to showcase the hip and hunky movers and shakers of the hot events, as well as a list of tips and reminders for your safe and fun-filled Independence weekend in Negril, Westmoreland.

The future for the party hearty is in safe hands and creative minds. There is a young group of party promoters on scene dedicated to providing top-class fun and entertainment for their crowds. And, as reported in our newspaper over the years, parties...

Phillip Palmer, Jermaine Brown and Deane Shepherd could be called the three musketeers. Together they form Mad Circle Entertainment, a group of friends and business partners who put on 'Osmosis' - one of the hottest super-inclusive parties in St Andrew.

Palmer and Brown attended Wolmer's Boys' School and partied a lot with others friends. As such they got the name Mad Circle. In 2002, Shepherd formally joined the group.

Palmer was an entertainment coordinator at the University of Technology with responsibility for planning parties. In addition, he often threw birthday parties,further propelling his popularity. Palmer told Flair that a friend approached him one day with the idea of partnering to put on a party. With Brown, Jeremy Owen and Colette Morrison, they came together and 'Osmosis' was born in 1999.

First 'Osmosis' party

The first 'Osmosis' party was held at a pool in Beverley Hills and catered to a much-smaller crowd. It was not as glamorous with that super-inclusive vibe; nonetheless it was fun-filled. Today, the party has evolved into a classic experience and has a following of thousands.

Though each member has a separate day job, Palmer - the operations manager at Area Area Salvage and Contractors; Shepherd - a director at Blueprint Consulting and Brown - an information technology consultant at Iconsult, together they create one of the most sensational summer parties.

They have all been involved withparty promotions for more than 12 years and all agree that party promotion is not as easy as it looks. Take away the glitter and glamour and it is hard work; gaining sponsorship is one of the most difficult tasks.

The group says 'Osmosis' represents a quality upscale party experience and especially with the current financial crunch, there is a challenge to maintain high standards at a reasonable cost.

Extremely challenging

"It is extremely challenging every year to find creative ways to attract sponsors. It is one of the most critical aspects of the planning phase and given the problems of the Jamaican economy, it is always a hard task," said Shepherd.

But there is always sweet reward in the end as a number of sponsors have been consistently partnering with Mad Circle Entertainment.

Palmer adds that inflation has impacted the business of party promotion, forcing discounts to patrons attending the events.

As with any job, there are bitter-sweet moments in the business. Brown says one of their best yet worst experiences of the 10 years was with the December 2008 party.

Tedious planning

"After tedious planning, the party was set to have a different hype level than previous years. But, two days before the event, a section of the venue was taken back and we no longer had a sky box area so patrons did not get the full service we had intended," said Brown.

Despite the setback, Brown said the show recorded one of the biggest turnouts ever. The party itself was great but the promoters were disappointed because their vision had to be altered.

Usually, there are many factors that make a party successful and the concept of the party is right up the on the list. The Mad Circle guys say every year they pride themselves in putting more structure to their planning, inclusive of brainstorming sessions for four to five months.

"We take a look at what's going on in entertainment in Jamaica and around the world. We interview patrons who liked the event and those who did not. This approach helps us to come up with something relevant to 'Osmosis' that helps us connect with patrons' needs," explains Shepherd.

Party promotion

No doubt, party promotion may be lucrative, but that is not the only motivation for the partners of Mad Circle Entertainment because most times the 'profit' breaks even.

"We do the parties because we love it and we are just a bunch of fun-loving friends," said Palmer.

Currently, none of partners in Mad Circle Entertainment is married and each sees himself with a family and a successful individual businesses in the future.

Photo shoot done at Pure Nightclub.

Currently, none of the partners in Mad Circle Entertainment is married and each sees himself with a family and a successful individual business in the future. - Colin Hamilton/freelance photographer