Minecraft SMP Optimization & Futuristic UI

My survival-economy SMP is already running a healthy mix of role-play story lines, custom items, and plenty of NPCs, but performance and polish are starting to show their limits. I want a seasoned Minecraft... (Budget: $30 - $250 AUD, Jobs: Animation, Backend Development, Game Design, Game Development, Game Programming, Game UI, Minecraft, UI / User Interface)