Rodney Overby and John Blake, founders of R&B event company Urban Oasis, discuss how they, together with Dave Auld – owner of epic luxury vessel SeaDeck, have created the ultimate party experience…
Tell us about Urban Oasis Events and what exactly you guys are all about?
Urban Oasis is a crew bringing authentic R&B, hip hop, afro beats, island jams and reggae music events to Australian waterways and land-based entertainment spaces. We spark our unique creative perspectives expertise and passionate energy via our collaborations to deliver a total package to punters on our party boats Sea Deck Sydney and Oasis Brisbane.
When did the company start up and why did you decide to do so?
Urban Oasis came together in the spring of 2023 after a longtime friend of 30-plus years, Dave Auld, secured a few hot venues in Sydney and Brisbane to provide a platform to promote the urban flavoured culture. I [Rodney) immediately reached out to “the genius of the game”, big John Blake, to captain our journey and we became the triple threat! John is the brain behind all our achievements!
What’s business been like since launching it?
From the get-go Urban Oasis Events has been thriving in this entertainment industry due to the fact we collectively bring our creative combination of urban flava and luxury venues on sea and land to a diverse clientele who seek our point of difference and vibed nightlife experiences.
Why does Urban Oasis stand out from its competitors?
Our crew promotes a culture of unity in this area and don’t consider anyone competitors. We blend with others and produce a product to provide great, authentic vibes to every event we do because we are second to none. Period. The night life industry has always been a competitive market which became harder after those damn lockdown laws were introduced and forced venues and promoters to compete with each other. Our crew knew we had the edge to deliver the realness people wanted and needed.
What’s been your most successful event with the company so far and why?
Our most successful and enjoyable event was our grand opening aboard the luxury vessel Oasis Brisbane in 2023. We had an absolute ball, we came, saw and set a new standard for events, it was super satisfying. The party continues!
What advice do you have for MAXIM readers wanting to start their own business?
Plan: know your plans and stick to them.
Prepare: prepare to put in them hard yards and work.
Preserve: look after yourself and your team to preserve your business mindset.
Personally: build and nurture those personal and business networks for the long haul.
Positivity: always be positive and embrace the positives with your business.
What’s next for Urban Oasis? Do you guys have any exciting upcoming projects you can share with us?
All we can tell you is that we’re about to set the bar sky high with what’s coming.
We won’t leave any stone upturned to bring the best R&B, hip hop, afro beats, island jams and reggae
to the people. Come vibe with us!
THE STORY OF O
Rodney Overby (aka Rodney O) is an old-school Philadelphia, Pennsylvania born MC, voiceover star, DJ and promoter who came to Australia over 30 years ago. At the time he saw that the music, sports and entertainment industries didn’t have anyone like him. He modelled for Chadwick’s and Ursula’s agencies, created a radio show called Between The Sheets on 2DayFM and co- founded KIISFM with his Saturday night Block Party show featuring DJ Moto. He worked on the Fox network, started a basketball TV show called Fast Break on channel 10 and did a few years on the groundbreaking music and tech show Ground Zero with Ugly Phil and Jackie O.
Rodney then became the voice for the National Basketball League and court announcer for the Sydney Kings team, plus had a stint as the ground announcer with the Penrith Panthers rugby league team. His voice work also includes the Olympic Games, tennis Masters Cup, professional boxing, wrestling and some of the biggest advertising campaigns pioneering the use of urban flavours on TV, radio, cinema and online platforms. Moreover, he backed some of the biggest urban concerts and festivals in Australia and continues to do so with his Urban Oasis Events company.
Interview by SANTI PINTADO
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