Elvira Grau was only nine years old when her family packed up everything they owned in their home in the Ukraine and moved to the United States, lured by the American dream. Grau, along with her parents, grandparents, and older brother, settled in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Times were tough. The family didn't know a word of English and had trouble making ends meet. If it weren't for food stamps and help from various Jewish organizations, they would not have been able to afford housing and would have gone to bed hungry most nights.
School was not easy for Grau, in part because it was later discovered that she had dyslexia. "I remember how frustrating it was to be pulled out of class every day to go to ESL (English as a Second Language)," Grau, now 40, divulges. "I really struggled."
Grau shared her story as we sat in one of the intimate event spaces in her Englewood, NJ, establishment, Space Odyssey. "I've been feeling very spiritual and Zen-like lately and brought that into this room," she explains as hundreds of votives flicker on an altar around Buddha statues of every imaginable size and color. She can handle anything and everything for each special event she plans, from entertainment, to the menu, to decor, in the 26,000-square-foot venue.
The Mother of Invention
Through hard work and tenacity, Grau made her way through school and landed a job with Blair TV selling "spot" commercials. An entrepreneur at heart, she went on to form her own public relations and marketing company and her clients included MetLife, AT&T, and MCI. She created strategic marketing and media plans for niche markets, primarily non-English-speaking groups. She was a 25-year-old single mother of a three-year-old son, Alec, when she met Emmy-Award-winning television producer Jim Grau, who had two children of his own, three-year-old Alex and five-year-old Brett. They merged families in 1998, when Elvira and Jim were married on the beach in the Hamptons. The two have a daughter, Leanna, who is now nine years old.
"I had four kids and no place to celebrate their birthdays that was clean and safe," she recalls.
As the saying goes: "Necessity is the mother of invention." Grau started searching for a site where she could create her own event space. Although many thought she was crazy, she was impressed by a dingy warehouse in an industrial area of Englewood, NJ.
Englewood's planning board twice rejected Grau's idea, but the third time was the charm as she got approval to move forward. She spent $2.2 million on renovations and in 2005 the doors of Space Odyssey opened.
"What you can do in this space is limitless. It's a combination of an elegant catering hall, a high-tech video arcade, and Studio 54," she says. "Although parts of my business exist elsewhere, the diversity of attractions and the multi-use space make my concept unique."
Highlights include a three-level playground, glow-in-the-dark bowling, a train ride, a 3,000-square-foot laser tag area, paintless paintball, a basketball court that doubles as a nightclub, and projection screens. All of this is surrounded by the hottest arcade games and lounge spaces. As her business evolved and high-end events took center stage, she contemplated getting rid of the playground and other games, but her corporate clients objected. "Many want to build team camaraderie as they give their employees the chance to act like kids again," she explains.
The events Grau plans can be as buttoned-up or over-the-top as the client desires. Space Odyssey hosts charity events, parties, corporate celebrations, and some of the biggest and most outrageous celebrity events. She recently planned a party that was featured on the Canadian television show Party Mamas. The episode features Grau creating an event complete with human disco balls, drag queens, wirewalkers, and aerialists.
Grau has also appeared on the Real Housewives of New Jersey because of her friendship with the show's star, Teresa Giudice. She was featured as the event planner for the birthday party of Giudice's daughter Gia, as well as for Giudice's housewarming party for about 150 guests.
Although she may appear fun-loving and zany on television, Grau is a serious businesswoman with a staff of more than 100. "I've created my business one party at a time. I provide one-stop shopping with the venue, menu, entertainment, decor, and staff," she says. "The possibilities are limited only by one's imagination."
Grau is in the midst of expanding her operations as she is in negotiations to open a similar facility in Port Chester, NY.
When planning corporate events, there are several questions that must be answered to ensure success, she insists: Who are you? Who will attend? What message are you trying to convey? What will happen in the course of the event?
Economic Engine
Grau has not forgotten the help organizations like the UJA (United Jewish Appeal) Federation gave her family when they were in need and is now doing her part to give back. She is extremely involved in the UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey and is a member of its women's philanthropy board.
Grau and her husband were recently honored by the Bergen Performing Arts Center, commonly referred to as the bergenPAC, for their achievements and philanthropic work within the community.
"The Graus have helped to revitalize and bring back jobs to the city of Englewood and Bergen County as a whole through the creation of Space Odyssey USA," read the statement released by bergenPAC.
Grau may work seven days a week, but she couldn't envision herself doing anything else. "I absolutely love what I do. It's a passion. Plus, I'm having so much fun," she says. "I want people, especially young women, to see that with hard work and perseverance you can achieve anything you desire."
For more information, go to www.spaceodysseyusa.net or call (201) 567-3810.
Originally published Dec. 1, 2010