Since 1995, Club Papi has been a staple in the Latino community and as most partygoers will agree, the events you can’t afford to miss. Gloria Trevi, India and Elvis Crespo are just some of the big name performers that have graced the stage at Club Papi Productions. Promoter Jamie Awad is the man responsible for bringing these successful events to life and thanks to his hard work and that of his team, Club Papi attendees walk away with an unforgettable experience. Jamie and his team also produce the Latino stages at Long Beach Pride, San Francisco and San Diego to name a few. If it’s a Club Papi party, then it’s clear that the night is going to be a good one.

Big plans are in motion for New Year’s Eve. Can you let us in on some of the details?
Actually, this will be my first NYE off in over 17+ years and I am looking forward to that. We are doing two big parties that weekend in Sacramento and San Diego on Friday, Dec. 30, but on New Year’s Eve itself, I will be taking a much-needed rest on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico!

The parties in Sacramento and San Diego for Club Papi and Pan Dulce respectively will be massive year-end celebrations designed to thank our loyal followers for another amazing year of support. Of course, we will also have our two Pan Dulce San Francisco and West Hollywood events on Thursday, Dec. 29 for people to attend. So all in all, it will be a busy NYE weekend.

Club Papi always provides the best entertainment. Is there anyone that you’d like to see on stage at a Papi event?
There are many artists I would love to work with, starting with Monica Naranjo, but that is a long-term project on the plate for Club Papi and Granda Entertainment to try and produce. In the short term, I am hopeful we can work with Paulina Rubio this coming year, as we have been having some talks with management about featuring her at the gay Pride events. I would also love to work with Belinda and Belanova on a gay club tour.

What’s in store for 2012?
Club Papi Productions has some collaborative projects coming up with Latinboyz.com, as well as a big gay club concert-style tour with Mexican icon and singer Edith Marquez that I am really excited about. For 2012, and the gay club tours, we are focusing our attention on bringing artists that we can do longer 10-12 song shows. Our audience has been asking for these types of events, so Edith Marquez will be our testing ground for this concept. She is such an amazing singer and an absolute joy to work with, and I feel really positive about how this special concert tour will turn out! She is very committed to working with and supporting the gay community.

Look for us to continue to expand the Club Papi brand into some new cities this year, and stay tuned for our 15 year anniversary celebration of the Latin Dance stages at Long Beach and San Francisco gay Pride events.

Everything you touch turns gold. What’s the secret?
Boy, I wish that was the case. Club Papi Productions has been fortunate to have survived for over 16 years, because of the hard work our team puts into all of our events. Listening to your customers and working closely with the venues we use is the key to making sure that our customers' needs are addressed.

What’s the toughest part when putting on an event?
When venues we use don’t appreciate the value and money we generate for their business. That is why we’ve had to move recently from certain clubs because the standards we expect for our customers and for our success were not being met.

Pan Dulce, on Thursday’s at Micky’s, has been a huge success. Why do you think that is?
Pan Dulce at Micky’s has been one hell of an exciting ride. Even with the challenges of the tough economy and people in general going out less, Pan Dulce has managed to attract on most Thursday nights, 750-plus people to the party. Our customers know that each Thursday night, there is going to be 16-20 simply delicious go-go boyz appealing to all types of people. Having the best DJs in L.A. helps, as does our multi-level music format and great vibe the club seems to give off.

I also think that for Latinos there is a sense of pride being able to come to L.A.’s gayborhood and have a night to call their own that is one of the biggest and best in town. Can’t forget the crazy energy Ms. Lola, our host, brings to the party. The crowd loves her!

Anything you’d like to say to Club Papi fans?
Thanks for your continued support. It is very rare for a promoter to last as long as I have, and I owe that success to all those loyal people who come out to our events all over the USA and Mexico. Join us in 2012 as we take our production to the next level with amazing concepts and shows we know you will love!

Please be sure to check out their new site at clubpapi.com.