The Playboy brand doesn’t exactly titillate an association with charity and good-will, but that is exactly what Anthony and his business partners at The Prive Group, in association with The Hi-Line Group, are hoping to do for the United Breast Cancer Foundation through an event at the Playboy Mansion August 15, 2009.

Born from a desire to drive awareness and action among the many female models, he has hired for his Brazilian swimwear line—Copawear, Anthony chose a cause that hit close to home for so many of these girls, and thus the Hot Summer Nights event came to fruition.

After several years of deep involvement with Big Brothers/Big Sisters work as well as spending several grueling years in high finance, Anthony is now setting his sights on the continued development of his swimwear and fashion line, as well as staking out more ground in the event production and consulting business at The Prive Group.

In an Eventvibe.com exclusive we talk more with Anthony Bayer of The Prive Group about Hot Summer Nights at the Playboy Mansion.

Click Here for More info on Hot Summer Nights at The Playboy Mansion 8/15/09

Sobo:   Hot Summer Nights bills itself as a fundraiser for the United Breast Cancer Foundation Charity.  How did you get involved with this organization?
Anthony:   I was brought in to do a fashion show at another event at the Mansion in 2006 and I thought to myself that I could do an event like this with my friends.  I worked with another Breast Cancer charity prior but they really didn’t want to get behind the event at the same level that the United Breast Cancer Foundation committed to us.  The UCBF is really supportive of our work and does so much for us to help sell tickets, get the word out, and help us promote awareness.

Sobo:   Was it easy to get the celebrities involved?
Anthony:   Being a private party charity event at the Mansion, we have to work twice as hard to attract celebrities, because we are not an official Playboy event that is sponsored by Heffner himself.  We have to find people that really understand and support the cause personally.
       
Sobo:    I know you thank all your sponsors and celebs equally, but who has really stepped up above and beyond the call of duty?
Anthony:   Nikky Sixx from Motley Crue.  Nikky made it a point to find me and tell me that he really appreciated what I was doing.  After the event I looked at the pictures from our photographer, and from friends, and I swear I saw Nikky in every picture—with all of our sponsors, all the models, and attendees who are fans of his. 

Sobo:    It seems like a great night for a great cause.  What can people expect to see if they come to Hot Summer Nights?
Anthony:    I like to call our event a business event.  So many other events at the Mansion are parties and draw a younger crowd.  At our event you can bring clients to entertain and network without feeling like you’re at a rave.  It is a nice, intimate environment where you aren’t fighting lines to get a drink or move around freely.  We have a car show, poker tournament, live music, and beautiful girls from all around the world.

Sobo:    Now I understand you produced a fashion show last year featuring your line of swim and evening attire called Copawear.  How did that originate and how did that go?
Anthony:    A friend of mine and I went to Brazil and we had so much fun that we tried to figure out a way to go back for business every year.  This is how we came up with the idea for Copawear swim and evening wear (www.copawear.com).  The business is doing well, and we are really set on growing the brand.


Anthony at the 2008 Hot Summer Nights at the Playboy Mansion.  More pictures from past events at www.tpgphotos.com

Sobo:   How come there is no fashion show this year?
Anthony:   We decided that we since we did shows the last 2 years we would take a year off so that we could mix it up and keep it fresh.  Instead we are beefing up the stage entertainment by adding more live music acts so that we have something for everyone.

Sobo:   Tell me a little bit more about the car show.  Are the cars owned by celebs or are they from local dealers and for sale right on the spot for someone who wants an expensive impulse buy?
Anthony:   I have a social networking site for car enthusiasts, RPM Lounge (www.therpmlounge.com), and as my partner and I are really into cars we decided to bring this element to our event.  The concept has been really well received and we are continuing last year’s partnership with Beverly Hills Lamborghini.

Sobo:   I noticed you have a Poker Table.  How does that work?  Do players win cash or prize and what are the prizes?
Anthony:   This is a new element for us this year so we have added it to the car show area on the lawn.  Players need to register online by paying their table fee. We have a grand prize of a Caribbean vacation and the runner up gets a $5000 Lamborghini watch.

Sobo:   The idea of a cabana sounds great.  What do you get if you buy a cabana?
Anthony:   Basically it is really meant for our super-high end clients who are there to entertain.  You have the priviledge to drive your car up to the Mansion instead of having to take the shuttle bus.  There will be bottle of your choice serviced all night.  A designated hostess will take you on tours around the Mansion and make sure you have cigars or anything else that you desire.

Sobo:   Tell me more about the music and the lineup.
Anthony:   The event goes from 8pm to 1am with music playing throughout the night.  We have DJs from Jetset Music Group from the Bay Area, as well as Tila Tequila’s DJ, Roxanne Dawn.  In addition there will be live performances from Terra Incognita and former Baywatch star Angelica Bridges’ all-girl group Strawberry Blonde.

Sobo:   So for people who love what you are doing and want to keep an eye out for your other productions, what do you have coming up for the rest of the year?
Anthony:   We are doing another event at the Mansion Oct 17, in conjunction with the muscle car company MOPAR.  We have been developing this idea for a while, and there is a possibility we will do a fashion show, so if someone can't make it to Hot Summer Nights they have another opportunity in October.

Click Here for More info on Hot Summer Nights at The Playboy Mansion 8/15/09