Mike Millis is a true networker. Born in Brooklyn, the seeds for a future event coordinator were sown when he became involved in the production of campus events as a student at New York University. Millis studied journalism and broadcast communication, but he says that “somewhere along the line, I decided that it would be a lot more fun to create events than to cover them as a reporter.”
Post-graduation, Millis spent nine years in various creative and technical positions for a New York theater company, and three years on the editorial staff of Back Stage, the weekly trade publication for New York performing arts. Today, he designs, produces and coordinates special events through his own company, MX2 Design Force.
“My experience as a stage manager in theatre production has been very important to my work in events production,” he says, “especially in the area of what I always refer to as ‘personal diplomacy.’ And my journalism background has certainly come into play as I assist clients with press relations and PR for events.”
Friday evening, Millis will host a special networking event for Asian professionals in the fashion industry in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Held at Midtown’s Dong Hai Grill, the event will also be open to those who have an interest in networking within this industry sphere. When asked how he came up with the idea for this event, Millis says, “I suppose it came quite naturally to me that with all the connections I have made among Asian professionals in the fashion industry, I should try to do something substantial with them—something besides just inviting people to runway show after runway show.”
Friday’s special guest will be Julio Thillet, head of Jive Ninjas, a New York-based independent video production company that produces a live-action anime series and a Japan-inspired urban fashion line inspired by characters in the series. Millis sees this inaugural summit as an experiment for a big promotional event planned for next month: “When I speak with my Asian contacts in the industry, I experience a level of creativity and energy from them that suggests to me that we can create a lot of fun stuff together. The upcoming networking event is the first step in exploring the possibilities,” he says.
On future plans, Millis was asked recently by LIM College, the college of fashion marketing and merchandising in New York, to consult on a project promoting multiculturalism in the fashion industry, through which he hopes extend networking opportunities to students. He’s also planning to produce a runway show that will feature fashions from Asian designers, which might take place during September Fashion Week. Another event brewing is what he calls Night Market, based on the tradition of outdoor street shopping in Taiwan and other Asian countries.
“I believe that a lot can be accomplished through regular, directed networking efforts,” he says. Hopefully, this first networking event will be a start towards developing new talent, producing new experiences, and having a great deal of fun along the way.”
Join the network at Dong Hai Grill, 108 West 39th Street, between Broadway and Sixth Avenue, on Friday, May 14 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. E-mail Michael_Millis@msn.com to RSVP.
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