Businessness in the Community that Support the Community
Male Uwear, Bill Kelley and Venue Supply, Erotic Cabaret at 25, financial advisor Jonathan Denning, Hans Payan Art Gallery, Concierge Travel, The Nest returns to the Island, realtor Gordon Goss.
TAKE A CHANCE Male Uwear, located at 415 Westheimer, once again charitably celebrates the holiday season with its annual Holiday Big Basket fundraiser. By donating one buck per ticket through December 19, customers have the opportunity to win, appropriately, a basket filled with merchandise and gift certificates from Male Uwear. Other local supporters have also contributed, including Cordua Restaurants, Bering & James, Berryhill Baja Grill, Starbucks, South Beach Night Club, Eclipse Sunless Tanning, and others.
Proceeds from the sale of tickets will benefit programs of Bering Omega Community Services. The drawing is scheduled for December 20. Details: 713/527-8499, www.maleuwear.com.
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PARTY ON Having a holiday party but barely know how to plug in your CD changer? Popular local nightclubs, Meteor, South Beach, and Rich’s, have all called on the audio, video, and lighting expertise of Bill Kelley of Venue Supply.
With more than 20 years of experience designing high-end entertainment products, Kelley works with customers that include clubs, bars, restaurants, DJs, bands, retailers, interior designers, events companies, party planners, and just about any commercial venue that depends on the latest innovations in lighting and sound.
“I have always enjoyed the challenge of marketing the latest innovations to my customers, many of whom share a common goal to draw and keep a crowd and to stand apart from the competition,” Kelley says. Details: 1-866-988-3683, www.venuesupply.com.
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COME TO THE CABARET A leader in providing sometimes-naughty-but-always-nice apparel and accessories to Houston’s more discerning shoppers, Erotic Cabaret celebrates its 25th anniversary this season.
The famed boutique opened its original shop at 1222 Westheimer on October 16, 1982, in Montrose with only 600 square feet.
“I was just at the right place at the right time,” says owner Bonnie Willis. “It could have only happened in Montrose.”
A quarter of a century later, the Montrose location has expanded to 3,600 square feet. Erotic Cabaret now has an additional satellite store at 6509 Westheimer.
Both locations, plus the store’s website, attract customers ranging from students purchasing costumes to “senior citizens looking for items to spice up their romantic lives,” Willis says. Details: 713/528-4565, www.eroticcabaret.com.
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MONEY MAN Jonathan Denning, a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, says his practice is experiencing tremendous growth due to his depth of knowledge and sharp insight to financial planning matters.
Specializing in retirement, estate, and tax planning, and how those issues affect our community with a strong track record for helping clients reach their goals, Denning says he puts his clients’ minds at ease because they know he understands the challenges they face. Details: www.ameriprise.com.
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WORK OF ART The most recent addition to Montrose’s many art spaces, the Hans Payan Art Gallery, is a small and inviting space within a 70-year-old house. Located at 2016 Dunlavy, the gallery is designed to resemble a blank canvas, says Payan, the owner and curator. The gallery’s first group exhibition, The Dream, includes works from 12 artists from numerous backgrounds. Details: [email protected].
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TOPS IN TRAVEL Concierge Travel now books more RSVP Vacations trips than any agency in the world, Kim Gustavsson, vice president of sale and marketing, has announced. “It is a true testament to customer loyalty as well as the work that the staff has done in the past seven years,” Gustavsson says.
Concierge Travel began booking RSVP Vacations in 2000 and has since grown to have an international clientele as well as clients from all parts of North America. Last month, Atlantis Events announced plans to acquire RSVP Vacations, which was the first company to offer cruise packages marketed to gay and lesbian travelers. Concierge also handles Atlantis excursions.
In addition to RSVP and Atlantis Events, Concierge works with Zoom Vacations and other tour operators. Details: 713/661-2117, 877/775-9616 (toll free), www.conciergetravel.cc.
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GALVESTON GOODIES The Nest, the boutique and design studio in Galveston, has reopened for business in the historic Strand area, at 525 22nd St., proprietor Mikel Reper has announced. The space hosts the works of more than 200 vendors with furniture, accessories, gifts, candles, body care, jewelry, and more. Details: 409/763-5415, www.nestgalveston.com.
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GOOD GOSS Gordon Goss, a real-estate professional with Century 21, says his business philosophy is to offer superior service on an individual basis in order to develop a loyal customer base.
“These customers would not only consider me their personal real-estate agent,” he explains, “but would also have the confidence to refer me to their friends, relatives, neighbors, and business associates.”
Goss also chairs the Hollyfield Foundation, which helps secure equal rights and treatment for sexual minorities and to be an advocate in the fight against AIDS. He has served on the board of directors since 1994. Details: 713/829-2302, www.gordon-century21.com.
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