Party Dreams Come True

by Lizzie Culverhouse
London Correspondent

Do you ever wish you could go out dancing until 2:00 am, with all your friends, in a cool nightclub, but without parents and teachers watching your every move? This was the dream of Justin Etzin, aged thirteen, from London, England. Sick of being told he was too young, he decided to do something about his dream. With money saved from car washing jobs, he hired out London's famous 'Ministry of Sound' nightclub for one night during his school vacation. Having sold only a few tickets to friends, Justin thought he was facing an embarrassing, not to mention very expensive evening. What happened exceeded all his expectations. 1800 young partygoers turned up. News was spread like wildfire from school to school. It was, Justin told me, "absolutely incredible", and eleven years later, It's still going on.

I met Justin at the offices of his company, Capital VIP in London. Now aged twenty four, he has built up a remarkable portfolio of achievements, including the organization of film premieres, product launches and corporate entertainments. However, he still finds time to host the country's best teen parties. So, I ask him, what is the allure of these dances? "Kids only have their end of year school dance to look forward to. My parties are a chance to meet people of the opposite sex, to hear great groups, win brilliant prizes, and generally have fun." But how, eleven years later, does he keep the party vibe hot? "We put energy into each one. We listen to what the partygoers want, and hire 'crewmembers,' kids from different schools, who keep us informed on what's cool, and what's not." But what about competition, I ask, surely others want a piece of this pie? "Every two months, competitors set up against us, but it just doesn't work. We're the original. We sell out every time, whilst they have to cancel at the last minute due to poor ticket sales. We even set up our own competition once, but the response was tiny. The only party teens are interested in are Capital VIP!"

He's not lying. I remember attending these packed parties, once rubbing shoulders with Prince William himself! They were what my friends and I looked forward to all semester, as did many others, having spent days in the