Mark Irish
- Lifestyle Director
- Tennis Professional
- Pickleball Instructor
- Comedy Entertainer
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Video: Creative and Fun Events
Mark Irish
Miami Beach Marina
239-919-6242
Introduction
Mark Irish

Dinner Key Marina
Miami, FL
AskMarkIrish@gmail.com
239-919-6242

Dear Hiring Manager,

Any club manager or social committee who has employed other people for any length of time has dealt with their fair share of employees who cannot hit the ground running, plan events with a poor member response, and/or spend valuable resources on events that don’t produce the anticipated response from the membership.

I’m sending you this letter precisely because you don’t want to hassle with any of that at your community. No doubt you have enough challenges on your hands already. I can contribute with proven and tested club activities, experience and expertise. I learned how to plan and manage events from working at one of Atlanta's most prestigious clubs, a 55+ Community in Naples, and an HOA with over 1,000 upscale condominiums in the Miami area.

So here’s what you need to know about me:

For 10 years I served in many roles at a very prestigious country club in Atlanta as their Lifestyle Director, Fitness Director, Tennis Professional, and Aquatics Coordinator. In addition, as a former Lifestyle Director in SW Florida, I have a large list of vendors. I am intimately familiar with the various groups which typically reside within your community.

When I’m not working, I’m constantly refining my craft through on-line courses, Social Media Groups for Event Professionals, seminars and professional associations.

I have produced excellent quantifiable results at my previous clubs and current employer, generating increased participation, memberships, and revenue. At one club, I generated $70,000 in upscale strategic partnerships.

As an innovative Activities Director, self-starter, skilled problem solver, effective leader, and team player, I believe you will find my background is a good fit for your community.

When it’s time to promote the event, I can market the events so they are well attended. I have intense curiosity and like to figure out what makes each event work or find out what is missing to make next year’s program even better.

Would you kindly review the attached resume and I’ll be happy to provide you with samples of past programs.

I offer you over 20-years of award-winning experience planning events. In addition, I am also a USPTA Pro 1 certified tennis professional and pickleball instructor and have owned and operated an event company.

I possess the qualifications to make a difference in your community.

I welcome the opportunity to speak with you regarding this position in your organization.

Best,
Mark Irish
Professional Summary
Award-winning Lifestyle Director with over 20 years of experience planning and producing resident and member programming for country clubs, 55+ communities, and large HOAs. Proven record of rebuilding dormant lifestyle programs, growing resident participation, and managing events to budget. Certified tennis and pickleball professional with a deep bench of entertainment, catering, and production vendors across South Florida. Skilled in social media, e-mail/SMS marketing, sponsorship development, and cross-department coordination with sales, fitness, and F&B teams.
core competencies
●    Event Planning & Production    ●    Vendor & Sponsorship Relations    ●    Budgeting & Cost Control
●    Resident Club Development    ●    Social Media & E-Marketing    ●    Tennis & Pickleball Instruction
●    Committee & Board Relations    ●    Volunteer & Staff Management    ●    Fitness & Amenity Oversight

professional experience
 Lifestyle Director | The Point of Aventura HOA — Aventura, FL    Apr 2020– Present

Rebuilt the lifestyle program at a large, culturally diverse high-rise HOA after a three-year vacancy in the role, launching a full slate of resident programming on a break-even budget during ongoing COVID restrictions.

●    Converted underused outdoor spaces — spa entrance, and pool fountain area and green space on the lanai into regular event venues, including monthly Yappy Hour pet socials, Diva Days, Comedy Nights, and themed Food Truck Nights.
●    Produced tribute band concerts, a Candlelight Concert Series, and guest speaker events; grew attendance by promoting through video, e-mail, newsletters, flyers and social media.
●    Wrote governing rules, regulations, and budgets for the newly re-established Lifestyle Department and negotiated vendor contracts covering insurance, fees, and load-in logistics.
●    Family Activities, Bonfire Night (hotdogs, marshmallows, entertainment), The Fairytale Ball (Boys suits, Girls dresses or Disney Princess costumes), Pumpkin Carving, Holiday Entertainment and Date Night Comedy Night for the parents.
●    Served as part-time Tennis Professional, teaching evening lessons, organizing round robins, and coordinating trips to professional tournaments.
●    Managed booking, contracting, and on-site execution for private resident events in community ballrooms and meeting rooms, from initial consultation through clean-up.

Lifestyle Director & Tennis Professional | Del Webb Naples — Ave Maria, FL    Nov. 2019 – Oct. 2020
Directed lifestyle programming and amenity operations for a 55+ community, growing the number of active resident clubs and activity groups.
●    Created signature events including Gator Sips and a Pirates & Mermaids Pool Party, and led resident seminars on hosting virtual gatherings.
●    Partnered with the sales team on prospective-resident tours and new-member orientations, contributing directly to new home sales.
●    Coordinated community-wide programming with the Ave Maria Master Association and Maple Ridge; tracked participation to measure program success.
●    Staffed and managed the fitness facility; taught tennis and pickleball lessons.

Part-Time Event Producer & Entertainer  2017 – 2019
Produced corporate events and parties while providing full-time caregiving support for Mother who had cancer and Father dealing with dementia.

Business Owner at Upscale Creative Events    2007 - 2017
●    Planned Events, Trade Shows, Sales Meetings for Fortune 500 corporate clients. I 
●    Performed corporate comedy shows throughout United States and Europe.

Tennis Professional / Lifestyle Director / Fitness Director | Druid Hills Golf Club    1997 – 2007
●    Initiated and led the club's activities program, fitness center, and aquatic program through a major club renovation.
●    Lifestyle Role: Provided concerts, lectures & seminars, Holiday Programming for the membership
●    Fitness Role: Managed Fitness Staff and Aquatic operations.
●    Tennis Professional Role: Private & Group Lessons, Round Robin, managed USTA League Teams.

educational & certifications
●    B.S., Recreation Programming & Administration — Ferris State University

●    Marketing coursework — Davenport University

●    Walt Disney College Program, Business Management — 

●    USPTA Certified Tennis Professional (Pro 1 Rating)

●    Certified Pickleball Instructor

Personal Development
Tony Robbins Seminars

Online Classes & Workshops
Internet Marketing Workshops
Social Media Workshops (Twitter, Face Book, Blogs)
Pay Per Click Campaigns (Google Advertising)
Auto-responders
Website Design

Professional Organizations
Meeting Planners International (M.P.I.)
International Brotherhood Of Magicians (I.B.M.)
International Special Events Society (I.S.E.S.)
community involvement
Boy Scouts Of America - Scout Master

Wheelchair Tennis League Instructor

After my twin sons became Eagle Scouts they could no longer attend Scout meetings, unless they were in a leadership role. So their senior year in High School we spent Wednesday evenings preparing meals for the homeless.

In My Mom's Name
My Mother was a bus driver for over 30 years and often volunteered at school functions.
After her death, I started donating magic shows where the proceeds went to pay for any students unpaid lunch bill or PTA special projects.