Since its start in 1997, Fun Palace Entertainment learned the benefits of promoting clients and artists day-to-day through the rigors of touring and artist management that gained fan and follower allegiances via a grass roots approach. This vision continues today through social media and e-marketing, making a direct connection to fans and client-followers with a human touch. Fun Palace Entertainment provides a potent capability of servicing a national audience using cost-effective means with fast response to fulfill client needs.
In 1997, artist manager Jack Bookbinder and tour manager Gene Bowen founded Fun Palace initially to support the legacy of the late singer-songwriter JEFF BUCKLEY worldwide with the support of the Estate of Jeff Buckley, Sony Music Entertainment and the utility of a ground-breaking website www.jeffbuckley.com. The operation began by offering Sony's warehouse overstock of unused promotional material (posters & point of purchase items) FREE to fans who just paid shipping and handling. The Jeff Buckley Music product line expanded to a wide assortment of merchandise and memorabilia supporting charity auctions. Fun Palace also served as a technical and archival consultant for PLAN B ENTERTAINMENT (Brad Pitt) in the development of a Jeff Buckley film project. Fun Palace’s artist management division represents cult-rock act OURS (Dreamworks/Universal), and has represented Black Beetle and The A.M. (including members of Jeff Buckley’s band), and trip-hop meets honky-tonker Greg Garing (Revolution/Warner).
Throughout the 2000’s, Fun Palace became the exclusive Fan Club Merchandiser for internationally renowned NYC rockers THE STROKES. With the Alone, Together fan club, Fun Palace exclusively serviced band-designed/written newsletters and merchandise to worldwide members with a variety of unique products (t-shirts, DVDs, magnets, shoelaces) designed and personally selected by the band. In addition, Alone, Together offered a new concept now commonly known as fan club pre-sales for The Strokes concerts. This success led to Fun Palace representing a fan club for singer-songwriter/pianist BEN FOLDS (Epic) for several years.
In the 2010’s, Fun Palace expanded to being social media launch specialists/consultants for entertainment oriented companies such as BRIGHT ANTENNA RECORDS (OMD, The Wombats). In present day, Fun Palace has expanded support services and business consulting to corporations in the diverse areas including:
Social Media Management, E-Marketing, Branding, Content Curation and Developmentfor:
>Communications Engineering Management (CEM) - a solutions provider for interactive multi-media technology, smart building infrastructure, audio/video consulting and smart home technology for residences.
>Masque Sound & Recording Co., a leading sound reinforcement equipment company for Broadway’s biggest shows.
On-Site Festival Accounting for:
Jamaican Jerk Festival-NY - “New York’s Biggest Caribbean Food Festival” delivering an enjoyable family-oriented experience of the highest quality to patrons at Roy Wilkens Park, Queens, NY
Rock Fest Concerts / Rock Fest 80’s-Florida - Celebrating the nostalgia and history of the greatest decade in rock music with two days of live performances of the era’s top acts plus VIP experiences.
Fun Palace also continues to support activities of the ROAD RECOVERY FOUNDATION [a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization promoting the benefits of healthy living to young people through the power of music via industry professionals whose lives have been affected by substance abuse] by donating merchandise fulfillment and logistical coordination services to the foundation. Fun Palace has been active charitable participants with the merchandising start-up Soberwear, and separately, charity auction campaigns with E-Bay/Missionfish, PledgeMusic, CrowdRise, Charitybuzz, offering rock music memorabilia and working directly with such notables as Gibson Guitars, Duran Duran, Slash, Peter Frampton, John Varvatos, among others, raising thousands of dollars for the non-profit organization.