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Crystalline chandeliers added drama to the museum space. Rashida, Prince’s traveling DJ, spun dance tunes.
Ladies’ Night
It’s hardly surprising that BlackBerry is marketing its new
shimmery pink PDA to female consumers—and the L.A. launch
party targeted that group, while some guys snuck in for a peek.
BLACKBERRY’S NEW PINK PEARL is most recognizably different from past PDA models for
its pearlescent, girly hue. So naturally, the L.A. launch party on January 31 was dominated by the
Chalkboards color pink. The guests, a celebrity-driven female crowd tagged as “sophisticated ladies” on their
encouraged invitations, were asked to show up with a “best girlfriend” in tow. Still, a significant number of
guests to write
men—including Jeremy Piven and Nick Cannon—made it down (or past) the pink carpet, which
messages.
was flanked by oversize pink lamps. The party took over the Architecture and Design Museum,
directly across from the new Broad museum on Lacma’s campus, which would launch with a
much-anticipated gala of its own the following week.
Working with Shelly Sofer, director of public relations for
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, Harrison & Shriftman trans- BlackBerry’s Pink Pearl
Launch
formed the relatively raw party space into a candy-colored room,
Catering Kathleen Sacchi:
PHOTOS: SKY CASSIDY/RED DAWN MEDIA FOR BIZBASH
with confections in glass jars decorating a giant white shelving unit
The Fine Art of Catering
at the entryway to punctuate the sweet theme. Bartenders mixed DJ Rashida
pink cocktails using a Tab energy-drink-like mixer—appropriately Flowers Silver Birches
Furniture Eventmakers
called Go Girl—and servers clad in pink Converse sneakers and Invitations Alpine Creative
skinny ties passed hors d’oeuvres and desserts tinged with pink, Group Inc.
including California rolls made with pink rice, and rose-flavored Lighting JFox Event Lighting
Production, Design, PR
macaroons. Harrison & Shriftman
Modelesque singer Alice Smith sang a short, soulful set with Rentals Town & Country
a retro sensibility, and Prince’s DJ Rashida spun modern dance Event Rentals
Sound Rhythm & Sound Inc.
music from her booth. Prince himself even made a brief and low- Valet Crystal Valet Parking
Pink hues tinged desserts and
key appearance in the crowd, during which all photographers were Services
hors d’oeuvres like California rolls. Venue A+D Museum
ushered outside. —Alesandra Dubin
bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008 57
Chef Guillaume Burlion provided a buffet of salads, paella, and dessert.
A scant 84 guests gathered for
Paper’s luncheon in celebration of The spare decor included white
Lindsay Lohan and Jeremy Scott. linens and bright flowers.
Hold the Liquor
Paper magazine’s multifunction lunch for Jeremy Scott and post-rehab Lindsay Lohan was an
alcohol-free kickoff to Fashion Week, as well as a showcase for its host venue’s major upgrades.
PAPER MAGAZINE’S Diesel-sponsored lunch for Lindsay Lohan and French-fusion kitchen of the hotel’s Paris-trained chef, Guillaume Burlion.
Jeremy Scott to celebrate the March fashion issue was a perfect storm of Indeed, the Sunset Marquis’s spiffy new design was all the decor the party
hipster marketing. For the troubled young diva, the event helped craft her needed, save for the infusion of peonies, poppies, and roses in springy
new sober-but-still-edgy image: The media fussed over her barely dressed shades of coral and yellow.
cover photo by designer Scott, but the lunch was alcohol-free, reportedly Capping a 20-year project that was delayed by the terrorist attacks of
because of Lohan’s newfound sobriety, although handlers wouldn’t con- September 11, 2001, and unexpected construction problems, the Sunset
firm that. The March 4 lunch also unofficially kicked off L.A.’s Mercedes- Marquis unveiled 40 new villas in a parklike setting—surprisingly tranquil
Benz Fashion Week, which ran March 9 through 13. And it was the first given its proximity to busy Sunset Boulevard. The new villas join the dozen
headline-making event at the Sunset Marquis Hotel and Villas as the venue already there, which got upgrades, as did the hotel’s existing 102 suites. The
finished a $20 million renovation. venue is clearly courting bicoastal media magnates with its new, $7,000-a-
What do all of those purposes have in common? All roads lead night presidential suite, which features a private screening room as well as
to bicoastal überpublicist Kelly Cutrone of People’s Revolution, who a dining area for 10, an executive office, two bedrooms, and three fireplaces.
planned the event with Paper editor-publishers Kim Hastreiter and David Designer Oliva Villaluz, whose clients also include Raleigh Studios, created
Hershkovits. All the players are clients of Cutrone’s (even L.A.’s listless the contemporary look in a boutique-hotel-friendly earth-tone palette. PHOTOS: PIPER FERGUSON FOR PAPER MAGAZINE
Fashion Week, which hired her as a consultant to help whip it into shape), Also new is the balmy indoor-outdoor restaurant where the party took
except for Lohan—who’s repped by Cutrone’s former intern and business place. The sides of the patio drop down to
partner Jason Weinberg. form a blue-tiled fountain, which empties Paper Magazine’s Pre-
“This was a really great way to get the ball rolling,” Cutrone said. “This into a koi pond topped by a bridge. The Fashion Week Luncheon
was the perfect way to get everybody out of Paris and into L.A. early [for expansion also includes the new Bar 1200 for Lindsay Lohan and
Fashion Week] and start to set the tone for the festivities.” (the rechristened Whiskey Bar), a new spa, Jeremy Scott
Eighty-four guests, including media types and up-and-comers cel- and a recording studio. The hotel’s 17-year PR People’s Revolution
ebrated in Paper’s pages, gathered for a seemingly endless buffet of salads, general manager, Rod Gruendyke, oversaw Venue, Catering Sunset Marquis
Hotel and Villas
paella, cold salmon, and desserts, served in the patio restaurant by the the expansion. —Irene Lacher
58 bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008
YOUR NEXT
GREAT IDEA
STARTS HERE
Los Angeles
Convention Center
06 05 08
Shutters on the Beach set the scene for IFC’s after-party.
The DJ booth was scribble-free as the party started. Sticky notes covered a bar.
Independent Thought
IFC’s after-party following the Independent Spirit awards encouraged guests to express
themselves using sticky notes and Sharpie pens at the logo-packed beachside bash.
FILM INDEPENDENT HAS BEEN honoring indie movie greats with its acting with the decor,” said Eways, who returned for her third year as project
annual Spirit award ceremony for 23 years, and certainly, no cable chan- manager. “At a lot of other parties, guests aren’t willing to go the extra step.”
nel has a more obvious tie to the nonprofit’s independent spirit than the Organizers spent two days creating collages for wall displays and
Independent Film Channel. IFC began broadcasting the afternoon event fronts for the bars and DJ booth. They layered poster images for IFC series
12 years ago, and for a decade it’s kept the party going by throwing an after- and documentaries with press clippings and blank sticky notes branded
bash: the IFC “Party Celebrating the Spirit of Independent Film.” with the channel’s logo. More blank sticky notes were placed on cocktail
The IFC after-party offers young film-industry folk an opportunity to tables, along with cocktail glasses full of black Sharpies. By the time the
indulge in their favorite form of recreation: networking. The award ceremony party ended, around 8 p.m., guests had doodled and scribbled their way
takes place over lunch in a Santa Monica tent within spitting distance of the across the installation. Some did their own branding, writing their blog
Pacific Ocean, and for most of that time, guests are seated. When the tent addresses, and others commented on the day’s proceedings with snippets
folds up (figuratively, that is) around 4 p.m., about 1,000 guests—nominees, like “I love Rainn Wilson.” (Wilson served as host of the proceedings.)
winners, and friends and advertisers of IFC—convene at the nearby Shutters “The IFC brand is fun, edgy, and intel-
on the Beach hotel, where the channel hosts its lively branding op. ligent,” Burack said. “While our party cel- IFC’s Independent Spirit
At the February 23 bash, which stretched across the hotel’s entire ebrates the Spirit awards and independent Awards After-Party
downstairs function area (consisting of two ballrooms and a lobby), the film, this year we also wanted to highlight
PHOTOS: JAMIE MCCARTHY/WIREIMAGE
Catering Catch
IFC logo was ubiquitous in the party’s design—on wall displays, on the our original programming and original Design, Production David Stark
sticky notes that were elements of the displays, even on little flags attached documentaries, and this was reflected in Design and Production
DJ Samantha Ronson
to toothpicks in the mini burgers and silk-screened on the chocolates. the decor. We used the artwork from our Lighting Entertainment Lighting
Branding wasn’t the only concern of the party designers. Lauren Burack, programming to serve as the backdrop of Services (ELS)
IFC’s vice president of promotions and events, and Niki Eways, who pro- the party and added in the interactive ele- PR MPRM Public Relations
Rentals Classic Party Rentals,
duced the event for David Stark Design and Production, collaborated on ment so that our guests were able to express Greenroom
interactive decor this year after guests made off with inflatable sea creatures themselves and be active participants.” Venue, Catering, Parking
Shutters on the Beach
from last year’s design. “That planted the seed that it’s a crowd open to inter- —Irene Lacher
60 bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008
Following the concert, guests stepped into the hotel’s Gold Room
for hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and live and silent auctions.
Auction items on view included trip details on
posters and designer dresses on mannequins.
Amber lighting bathed the walls and stage in the Crystal Ballroom,
which was used for the live concert as well as dinner.
A Knight’s Tale
In keeping with the group’s Spanish-tinged musical performance on gala night, the L.A. Chamber
Orchestra’s annual benefit took its inspiration from the pages of Cervantes’s Don Quixote.
WHILE JOYCE FIENBERG, chair of the Los Angeles Chamber Room before a troupe member with a booming bass voice informed guests
Orchestra’s annual concert gala, admits that the event’s “basic elements that their presence was requested in the Crystal Ballroom for the evening’s
pretty much remain the same” every year, she credits the evening’s tradi- musical performance. There, guests found a sea of seats adorned with
tion of attracting prominent guest artists with keeping it fresh and exciting. orange slipcovers and sashes and a stage uplit in amber hues.
“Our very first event, we had [violinist] Hilary Hahn,” says Fienberg, who The same actor went on to herald the different phases of the night with
has overseen the benefit for the past five years. “We’ve had incredible guest his distinctive voice, calling for guests to step into the Gold Room for an
artists because our music director [Jeffrey Kahane] is so wonderful and so hour-and-a-half silent and live auction; warning them when they had only
positioned in the world of classical music.” a few minutes left to bid on items; and, finally, ushering them back to the
At this year’s fund-raiser on January 26, classical guitarist Christopher ballroom, which had been transformed dur-
Parkening joined Kahane and members of the orchestra in perform- ing the auctions for dinner and dancing. Los Angeles Chamber
ing a selection of Spanish-flavored music—a fitting selection given that Orange linens complemented the slip- Orchestra’s “Night of
the consul general of Spain, Inocencio Arias, and his wife, Ludmila covered chairs, which were reused for the Knights” Benefit
Winogradow, co-sponsored the event. Selections included traditional dinner, and clusters of ginger and soft pink Design, Production Smash
Spanish Granadinas, Rodrigo’s “Canconeta,” movements from Warlock’s roses sat on tables and decorated towering Event
Entertainment Mora’s Modern
“Capriol” suite, and Telemann’s “Don Quixote” suite. tabletop candelabras. “We spent a lot of Rhythmists
Fienberg collaborated with Smash Event’s Gerry Huffman to produce time finding a candelabra that was appropri- Flowers Patterson’s Topiaries,
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF LEE SALEM
the benefit’s “Night of Knights” theme, which drew its inspiration from ate, because we wanted it to have this very Pots, and Teas
Lighting Shine Lighting
the musical program, channeling the world of Don Quixote and 16th- medieval, wrought-iron-y, kind of Spanish Linens BBJ Linen
century Spain. ironworks feel,” Huffman said. Guests PR Rogers & Cowan
Sound Complete Production
Upon entering the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, guests met a troupe of apparently appreciated the arrangements, Rents
actors dressed in 16th-century garb, some outfitted to resemble principal clearing every single table of the smaller Trees Boulevard Greenhouses
characters from Cervantes’s novel, including Dulcinea, Sancho Panza, the bunches and even stripping candelabras of Venue, Rentals Millennium
Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles
Don himself, and his horse. Guests sipped sangria in the hotel’s Tiffany floral accents. —Rosalba Curiel
bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008 61
Snow fell on the models during their
final walk at the Monarchy show.
Smashbox artists offered makeup touch-ups in the
lobby, at a brightly colored booth in shades of purple.
A clear tent covered the check-in
area, which also housed a short
step-and-repeat wall.
Wendy Creed designed Mercedes-Benz’s Star Lounge
to include crystal chandeliers and Ultrasuede sofas.
L.A. Story
While critics pointed out its flaws, L.A. Fashion Week did offer some eye-catching, earth-minded ideas.
IMG’S MERCEDES-BENZ Fashion Week in Los Angeles is not known New Jersey-based supervisor for brand and lifestyle events, Natascha Wolber.
for the high-fashion drama that other cities like New York and Paris supply, “Our theme is reflections, so this lounge is all about reflective surfaces, bold
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SILVIA MAUTNER (STAR LOUNGE), BIZBASH (ALL OTHERS)
and it’s gotten some unfavorable press for its relatively lackluster appeal and oversize looks, and [Creed] really brought that to life.”
and reliance on skin exposure and B-list (or worse) celebrity. Nevertheless, As to L.A. Fashion Week’s diminutive nature relative to New York (whose
the local happenings, which ran March 9 through 13 at Smashbox Studios fashion week Mercedes-Benz also sponsors, along with Miami’s), Wolber
in Culver City, did include some attention-getting entertainment, decor, said, “We realize that we are working with really different environments, and
and gifts in an environment packed with earth-minded ideas. we respect L.A.’s individual appeal. New York has this seriousness to it; here
For its production, IMG focused on eco-friendly objectives along the I would call it a little bit more playful and casual. It’s a wonderful contrast.”
themes of reduce, reuse, and recycle. A fuel-efficient locomotive transported As for the fashion shows themselves, the Green Initiative Humanitarian
production materials to Culver City, the production team built the tents show presented by the Gallery L.A. featured eco-friendly looks from a variety
at Smashbox using materials and staging structures that will be reused of designers on a bamboo-lined runway. Guests scooped up gift bags from
for future events, and organizers donated the vinyl signage to the William Maine-based sponsor Sea Bags, which makes totes from recycled sails.
Good Company, which will turn it into accessories to benefit Goodwill. Picking up the “Streets of Scandinavia” theme of its collection,
Sponsor Mercedes-Benz entertained guests in the Star Lounge at Smash- Monarchy’s fashion show featured a runway covered in a decal that looked
box, with production and design by Wendy Creed. Smashbox cofounder like a cobblestone street, complete with “Monarchy Collection”-emblazoned
Davis Factor’s photos hung in the space, which featured mirrored coffee manhole covers. When the models took their final walks, snow fell on the
tables, Ultrasuede sofas, crystal chandeliers, and abundant white hydrangeas. catwalk in a production feat rare among L.A. fashion shows.
“We try to change the lounge every year in every city,” said Mercedes-Benz’s —Alesandra Dubin
62 bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Selected from www.MasterplannerOnline.com––the only source for thousands of
exclusive fund-raisers, openings, and major events planned for the upcoming year.
Club. Tarzana. 323.857.0080 Kodak Theatre. Hollywood. 323.856.7768
MAY 2008 17 Venice Family Clinic JUNE 2008 14 Greater Los Angeles Zoo
Venice Art Walk and Auction. 11:00am. Association
1 Lupus LA Food fair, art auction, self-guided tours, 1 Assistance League of Southern 38th Annual Beastly Ball. 6:00pm.
Orange Ball. 6:00pm. Dinner, auction, live entertainment, and art activities for California Chaired by Kimberly Emerson Marteau.
and entertainment. Honoring Daniel kids. $50. Westminster School. Venice. Third Annual Los Angeles Concours $1,000. Los Angeles Zoo. 323.644.4771
J. Wallace, Richard Donner, and 310.392.9255 d’Elegance. 10:00am. 350 classic
Lauren Shuler Donner. Beverly Wilshire and exotic cars, vendors, food, and
Aquarium of the Pacific
Four Seasons Hotel. Beverly Hills.
18 Tower Cancer Research beverages. From $25. Rose Bowl and
Ocean Conservation Awards Gala.
310.652.7770
Foundation Brookside Golf Course. Pasadena.
6:30pm. Chaired by Mike Walter
Tower of Hope Gala. 6:00pm. Dinner and Mariclare Suomi. Black tie. $600.
323.469.1973, ext. 239
2 Para Los Ninos and entertainment. Honoring Dr. Barry Aquarium of the Pacific. Long Beach.
12th Annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration. Rosenbloom, Dr. Peter Rosen, and Share Our Strength 562.951.1606
6:30pm. Dancing and entertainment. Rabbi David and Eliana Wolpe. Chaired Taste of the Nation Los Angeles.
Gilmore Adobe. 213.250.4800, ext. 506 1:00pm. Restaurant cuisines, cocktails,
15 The Actors Fund
by Nancy Mishkin and Elizabeth Drucker.
12th Annual Tony Awards Party.
$350. Beverly Hilton Hotel. Beverly Hills. champagnes and wines, entertainment,
AltaMed Health Services 3:30pm. Hosted by Florence
310.288.1755 and live auction. From $125. Media Park.
Commitment to Family Gala. 6:00pm. Henderson. Cocktails, silent auction,
Culver City. 949.481.7792
Dinner and entertainment. $300. Beverly 20 Broadcast Music, Inc. dinner, and live feed from New York
Hilton Hotel. Beverly Hills. 323.889.7317 56th Annual BMI Pop Awards. 7:00pm. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, of the Tony Awards. Honoring Tommy
Nancy Davis Foundation for Honoring Daryl Hall and John Oates. Medical Genetics Institute Tune. Chaired by Jomarie Ward and
By invitation only. Beverly Wilshire Sports Spectacular. 4:00pm. Silent Ted Abenheim. $200. Skirball Cultural
Multiple Sclerosis
Four Seasons Hotel. Beverly Hills. auction, children’s carnival, dinner, and Center. 323.933.9244, ext. 33
15th Annual Race to Erase MS. 6:00pm.
310.289.6325 awards. Hyatt Regency Century Plaza
Dinner, live and silent auctions, and 16 Vista del Mar Child and
Hotel. Century City. 310.858.9217
entertainment. Chaired by Nancy Davis. 21 Valley Presbyterian Hospital Family Services
Co-chaired by Tommy Hilfiger. $1,000. Foundation 5 Ojai Music Festival 30th Annual Sports Sweepstakes Gala.
Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. 50th Anniversary Gala. 6:00pm. Hosted 2008 Music Festival and Symposium. 5:30pm. Chaired by Stanley Black and
Century City. 310.440.4842 by Jason Alexander. Honoring David W. 8:00pm. Participants to include soprano Bob Barth. $1,250. Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Fleming. $500. Broad Contemporary Art Dawn Upshaw and composer Steve Beverly Hills. 310.836.1223, ext. 238
3 Make-A-Wish Foundation of
Museum, Los Angeles County Museum Reich. Continues through June 8. Libbey
Greater Los Angeles 17 Geffen Playhouse
of Art. 818.902.2980 Bowl and Ojai Presbyterian Church. Ojai.
15th Annual Uncork A Wish Wine Opening: The Elephant in the Room.
805.646.2094
Tasting and Auction. 6:30pm. $150. 28 Constitutional Rights 8:00pm. Written by Donald Margulies.
Barker Hangar. Santa Monica. Foundation 7 First Star Geffen Playhouse. Westwood.
310.788.9474, ext. 138 46th Annual Spring Dinner. 6:00pm. Fifth Annual Celebration for Children’s 310.208.5454
Honoring Peter Liguori. Chaired by Rights. 5:00pm. Family carnival and
8 Petersen Automotive Museum 19 Center Dance Arts
Lou Meisinger and Tom Rothman. dinner. Chaired by Peter Samuelson.
2008 Cars and Stars Gala. 5:30pm. Second Annual Pool Party. Chaired by
By invitation only. Century Plaza $500. Ebell of Los Angeles. 310.201.5033
Cocktails, live and silent auctions, and Liane Weintraub and Peter Bacanovic.
dinner. $500. Petersen Automotive Hyatt Regency Hotel. Century City. Descanso Gardens By invitation only. Beverly Hills Hotel.
Museum. 323.964.6366 213.316.2107 A Toast to California. 6:00pm. The Beverly Hills. 213.972.3357
29 Reed International eighth annual S.E.E.D.S. (Supporting
10 Entertainment Industry Film Independent / Los Angeles
Book Expo America. 12:00pm. Trade Education and Excellence at Descanso)
Foundation Times
only. Los Angeles Convention Center. gala. Dinner, dancing, and silent
EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women. Los Angeles Film Festival. Screenings,
203.840.5507 auction. Descanso Gardens. La Canada
8:00am. 5k, health expo, and talks, and live music. Multiple venues.
Flintridge. 818.952.4391
concert benefiting women’s cancer Heal The Bay Westwood. 866.345.6337
organizations. Los Angeles Memorial 17th Annual Bring Back the Beach Gala. The Music Center
Coliseum. 310.322.3544 L.A. Alive! 2008. 6:00pm. Gala and 20 Los Angeles Philharmonic
5:00pm. Cocktails, dinner, silent and live
auction. By invitation only. 213.972.3328 Association, Music Matters
Friends of Cabrillo Marine auctions, and entertainment. Honoring
Hollywood Bowl Season Opening Gala.
Aquarium Don Corsini, H. David Nahai, and Tom 9 Blind Children’s Center 8:30pm. VIP cocktail reception, catered
Grand Grunyon Gala. 6:00pm. Cocktails, Unterman. $350. Barker Hangar. Santa Tom Sullivan Celebrity Golf Classic. dinner, concert and introduction of
silent and live auctions, dinner, and Monica. 310.451.1500 8:00am. Tournament followed by Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame honorees.
awards. Honoring Alisa Schulman- 30 UCLA Center on Aging live and silent auctions and dinner. Benefits music programs in public
Janiger, Southern California Gas Annual Icon Award Ceremony. 6:30pm. Riviera Country Club. Pacific Palisades. schools. Hollywood Bowl. 213.972.3051
Company, and Valero Wilmington Dinner, dancing, and awards. Black tie. 323.664.2153, ext. 342
Refinery. Black tie. $175. Cabrillo Marine
21 Jonsson Cancer Center
By invitation only. Beverly Hilton Hotel. 12 Professional Golfers’ Foundation at UCLA
Aquarium. San Pedro. 310.548.8396 Beverly Hills. 310.659.5517 Association 2008 Taste for a Cure. 6:30pm. Celebrity
12 Diabetes Research Institute 31 Chrysalis U.S. Open Golf Tournament. 7:00am. chefs, food and wine tastings, and
Foundation Seventh Annual Butterfly Ball. 5:00pm. Torrey Pines Golf Course. La Jolla. dinner. Honoring Kevin Reilly. Chaired
California Golf Classic. 9:00am. Chaired Chaired by Rebecca Gayheart-Dane and American Film Institute by Barbara Fairchild and Jon Holman.
by Ken Bernstein and Bob Bills. By Dana Walden. $1,000. Private Estate. 36th Annual Life Achievement Award $500. Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons
invitation only. El Caballero Country Brentwood. 310.401.9393 Gala. 6:00pm. Honoring Warren Beatty. Hotel. Beverly Hills. 310.201.5033
View the entire advance calendar—updated daily and custom searchable
www.MasterplannerOnline.com
Sports Illustrated presented the issue’s models
(albeit with more clothes on) during the event.
Up on the Roof
Inspired by 7 World Trade Center’s skyline views, Sports Illustrated built an
urban rooftop setting for its annual swimsuit issue party.
CELEBRATING SWIMSUITS in the middle of February may work well In fact, the event’s true theme was ogling the models themselves. Lines
for Sports Illustrated, but it presented some thematic challenges for the of middle-aged men formed at a green screen where the swimsuit models
February 12 launch party for the magazine’s iconic swimsuit issue. “We posed for mock SI covers, mementos that attendees could take home.
didn’t want to do the obvious thing and make it tropical,” said Ashley Morris, Some models mingled in the main party space, though most were in the
production coordinator for MKG Productions, which produced the party V.I.P. room—a section blocked off by N.Y.P.D.-style barricades—alongside
under the direction of Sports Illustrated executive director of event marketing sports stars Andy Roddick and Jeff Gordon. Throughout the event, screens
and athlete relations Christine Rosa and events marketing manager Kristen around the venue played video footage from the shoots, interspersed with
Leoce. So instead the team embraced its New York locale on the 52nd floor logos of the issue’s sponsors, Budweiser and Dodge.
of 7 World Trade Center, echoing the skyscraper space’s “We wanted the girls to feel accessible, so guests feel that they’re part
FROM NEW YORK 360-degree views (somewhat marred by the night’s of our swimsuit franchise rather than that
Sports Illustrated’s
snowstorm) and creating a rooftop feel for the event. they’re just looking at the issue,” Leoce said.
“Club SI” Swimsuit Issue
Beneath the exposed pipes and air ducts in the raw space were faux- The presentation of the models began Launch Party
brick structures and smoking silver chimneys, which mimicked the typical around 9.30 p.m., with a video starring Will
Audiovisual Production,
industrial structures found on New York City rooftops. The props conve- Ferrell and Heidi Klum, who have a spread Lighting PRG—Production
niently doubled as a place to rest drinks, while low black couches provided of their own in the magazine. The stage Resource Group
PHOTOS: JOE FORNABAIO FOR BIZBASH
seating. Due to the size and weight of the stage and other large props, continued the urban-rooftop motif with Catering Taste Caterers
DJ Sky Nellor
set-up was a multiday operation, so SI rented out the space for five days, a faux-brick wall as the backdrop; models PR BNC (Bragman Nyman
allowing MKG to move in the biggest props on a Saturday, when the office emerged from behind backlit screens Cafarelli)—New York
Production MKG Productions
tower was less busy. built into the wall. Introduced by a sports Rentals PTG Event Services
According to MKG, the decor concept was also meant to simulate the announcer, the women appeared—grouped Scenic Production Cigar Box
sensation of being on top of the world—a literal take on the way the 750 by the location of their shoot and wearing Studios Inc.
Technical Production Production
guests (mostly male staffers from the magazine and advertisers) were sup- dresses, not bikinis—to cheers and camera Glue L.L.C.
posed to feel being surrounded by such attractive women. flashes from the crowd. —Meryl Rothstein Venue 7 World Trade Center
64 bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008
Reminiscent of neon rooftop signs, the
magazine’s logo filled one side of the room.
Models mingled among Taking advantage of Dodge’s sponsorship, Sports Illustrated created a custom
the mostly male audience. booth for DJ Sky Nellor using real Dodge parts, including functioning headlights.
Plastered with images of Smoking metal pipes
the magazine, one wall supported the rooftop theme,
mimicked city scaffolding. doubling as cocktail tables.
An Xbox station for a Dodge
racing game added a less model-
oriented activity to the event.
bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008 65
The lower-level raw space at A magician was one of the
Halcyon House featured a long many entertainers completing
bar and large white banquettes. the evening’s circus theme.
Triple Play
To mark its list of leaders under 40, Washington Life put forth a
trifold evening of mystery and carnival behavior.
THE ONLY INFORMATION invitees received prior to the January 31 Cuisine Caterers. For a more substantial meal, chefs in a room outside the
event for Washington Life’s “The Young and the Guest List” issue—pro- ballroom created made-to-order stir-fry, served in Chinese takeout boxes
filing notables such as gymnast Dominique Dawes, Fox 5 anchor Will with chopsticks.
Thomas, and Mayor Adrian Fenty and his wife, Michelle—was to arrive at At 9 p.m., guests headed for the buses, some still toting their takeout
the St. Regis hotel at 8 p.m. sharp. The rest was a mystery. To keep party boxes. As the bus traveled though Georgetown, partygoers tried to guess
crashers out, and to create a bit of drama, the magazine’s planners kept where it would stop: Café Milano? Morton’s? All wrong. At the Halcyon
the location a secret, transporting guests by bus to the real party spot (the House, a private two-level mansion overlooking the Potomac, a jester
Halcyon House), and then to a late-night after-party at the new Josephine greeted everyone as they entered.
Lounge on Vermont Avenue. Inside, French burlesque mannequins decorated the historic rooms, and
Keeping the event details under wraps was no problem, according to fishnet stockings covered vases. Guests could choose from a variety of sig-
Washington Life editorial director Katie Tarbox. With all the hype from last nature cocktails, including the aptly named
Washington Life’s “The
year’s party, she wanted to make sure the evening lived up to expectations “Young & Fab”—coconut rum mixed with
Young and the Guest List”
for the guest list of “350 future leaders in Washington under 40.” She Grand Marnier and pineapple and cranberry
Catering Design Cuisine
added, “This crowd travels to New York, L.A., and juices. The lavish array of food continued
FROM WASHINGTON they see hot things. They want to be at a hot party. with sushi, mini burgers, and goat-cheese
Caterers
Design, Production Events by
To think of a concept that’s new and fresh, it’s a lot of pressure.” quesadillas from Design Cuisine. André Wells
DJ, Halcyon House Sixth Sense
The logistics of having three parties in one night (and making sure The lower-level sculpture studio, down DJ, St. Regis Hotel Adrian Loving
no one missed the bus) did complicate things. “It’s like a ballet,” said the a long flight of wooden stairs, with floor-to- Entertainment Big Ray and the
evening’s planner, André Wells, who created a French circus theme for the ceiling windows and concrete floors, was the Kool Kats, Cast of Thousands
Entertainment Company,
night after six months of planning. “You have to be so organized,” he said, real stunner. Wells outfitted the raw space David London
holding up his four-page schedule. with a long bar and two large pillared white Flowers, Halcyon House
Janet Flowers Wedding and
After receiving their wristbands at the St. Regis, guests entered the banquettes with matching seats, while a live
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF JONAH KOCH
Event Designs
hotel’s ornate Astor Ballroom to find tables topped with shiny red-striped band played oldies. At the end of the night, Flowers, St. Regis Hotel Ultra
cloths and more than $5,000 worth of flowers from Ultra Violet Flowers, some unweary revelers boarded the bus Violet Flowers
Lighting Frost Lighting
including French yellow lilies and Holland tulips. Outfitted with flickering again for Josephine Lounge, and all carried Rentals D.C. Rental
Belvedere vodka-logoed votives, translucent bar stools, and a low S-shaped home gift bags stocked with swag including Security On Point Security Inc.
banquette (which proved to be a stumbling block for more than a hand- Prescriptives mascara, Clarins Paris sun- Transportation Reston
Limousine
ful of guests), the space included a jam-packed square bar in the center screen, and a cupcake from Georgetown Venues St. Regis Hotel, Halcyon
and offerings of shrimp wontons and vegetable potstickers from Design bakery Baked & Wired. —Adele Chapin House, Josephine Lounge
66 bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008
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Super Bowl
Shuffle
Household names (Playboy, Audi, and Victoria’s Secret
among them) descended upon sunny Scottsdale to host
a flurry of big-budget events before the February 3 game.
Here’s how they lured guests and media coverage.
By Courtney Thompson, with additional reporting by Dawson Fearnow and Nora Trulsson
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ALEXANDRA WYMAN AND THEO WARGO/WIREIMAGE
Girls, Girls, Girls at Maxim
Maxim’s Super Bowl bash at Rande Gerber’s new
Stone Rose lounge in the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
fulfilled expectations, with hundreds of pretty young
things donning teensy weensy dresses. In and around
Stone Rose, the party’s massive footprint was mostly
outdoors, spilling into the hotel’s main plaza and pool
area (and while heaters helped, the evening’s 40-degree
temperature was pervasive). Production for the event
was extensive—a temporary staircase was built to
facilitate traffic flow, as was a 45- by 45-foot dance floor
over the pool area and a 600-foot custom stage. DJ AM
opened for surprise guests T-Pain and Akon.
bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008 69
Super Bowl Shuffle
Playboy Goes Off the Beaten Path
In a move similar to its last two bashes, longtime Super Bowl weekend party host Playboy headed
outside of town to host its 2,000-plus guests this year. Held at the recently relocated Rawhide
venue in Chandler, some 25 miles from downtown Scottsdale, the resort-themed event, dubbed
Playboy’s Desert Oasis and Resort, was production-heavy, with a two-day build-out. Inside the
cavernous 52,000-square-foot tent, a gift shop vignette offered vintage-style (but real) postcards
that paid homage to Playboy and event sponsors. Dozens of bunnies floated through the party,
sporting the iconic uniform and posing with guests for pictures.
Ice Tricks at Vice
Vice the Party returned for its second year, taking over
the French Quarter-themed Venue of Scottsdale. The event
channeled a Hollywood Western look, accented by a live
performance from LL Cool J. The Coors Light-sponsored
ESPN’s Packed Party party featured a female model completely encased in ice
ESPN the Magazine returned to the Super Bowl with its Next Big Weekend party, setting (a trick whipped up by the people who previously froze
up shop at the 21-acre Scottsdale Performing Arts Center. Things kicked off on Friday David Blaine).
night, with Ludacris performing for some 800 V.I.P.s, while the next day, the event turned
family-friendly as the entire outdoor site hosted a sports-themed fair that was open to
the public. Interactive displays abounded—kids could test their mettle against 100 mph
fastballs, attempt to score hockey goals, or get temporary tattoos. ON BIZBASH.COM More photos and details from these and other
Super Bowl events
70 bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008
Fox Channels Palm Springs
The Fox network held its invite-only (and sponsor-free) party
inside a 24,000-square-foot tent in downtown Scottsdale.
The event donned a Rat Pack-era Palm Springs theme,
with a casino and a lineup of diverse entertainment and
performances (think aerialists, dancers, and the Cold Schott &
the Hurricane Horns band). The bilevel tent’s interior included
themed vignettes like the Bubble Lounge. One crowd-pleaser:
Audi’s Home in the Hills the Snake Babe, who entertained with an albino python.
Audi took over a private estate in Paradise Valley’s upscale
hills, offering celebrities and V.I.P.s a place to lounge. The
PHOTOS: STEPHANIE FAY FOR BIZBASH (PLAYBOY), COURTESY OF SARA JAYE WEISS (ESPN), COURTESY OF VICE THE PARTY, BIZBASH (AUDI,
Audi Forum mixed lots of mini-parties with cosponsors like
VICTORIA’S SECRET), COURTESY OF ANGEL CITY DESIGNS (FOX), COURTESY OF STELLA PHOTOGRAPHY/ELEVATION PHOTOS (DIRECTV)
Marquis Jets and Sony. The traditional Arizona home went
through a massive build-out, including the placement of
a 2008 Audi R8 atop a plexiglass truss in the pool. A major
facet to the Forum was a satellite location of Hyde Lounge.
Guests could access the 3,200-square-foot soundproof tent
via a path accented by illuminated glow balls.
A Beach Bowl
for DirecTV
DirecTV’s second annual Celebrity
Beach Bowl was simple in its
strategy: to pair retired and current
pro football players with eye candy
like Girls Next Door star Kendra
Wilkinson and Gossip Girl star (and
current It girl) Blake Lively. The
Spike- and Samsung-sponsored
event combined a pregame concert
by Josh Kelley with a 60-minute
game and a postgame concert by
Fall Out Boy. Ticket holders sat in
bleachers that flanked the sand
field, and a 50- by 40-foot stage
anchored the event’s footprint.
Victoria’s Secret’s Swag Suite
Super Bowl newbie Victoria’s Secret hosted a two-day V.I.P. salon at the
exclusive Sanctuary resort in Paradise Valley. Decorated like a V.S. boutique,
the suite featured its Very Sexy lingerie and makeup. Press and celebrities
could get their hair and makeup done, and a multitude of sizes meant
everyone got custom-fit goodie bags. On Saturday night, the V.S. angels
went head to head with the Playboy bunnies, hosting a 600-guest party at
Scottsdale’s brand-new Taste Ultra Lounge.
bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008 71
VIDEO
MAK ES THE
MARK ETING
STAR
e explosive gr
owth of o nline video off
ers a
ore buzz
Th
of opport unity to get m
virtual world s stories.
ere are five succes
from events. H
iegel
By Brendan Sp
rom text messaging to Facebook to blogs, new technologies offer a
F
seemingly endless choice of platforms for connecting with an audi-
ence and spreading news about events. And of all these media, online
video has perhaps the most potential to spread an idea or message
around the world.
“Videos provide an opportunity to engage the user in a way that text and images
MAHA VIDEO)
don’t,” says David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR. “For
events, that’s a fantastic opportunity.”
The ease, speed, and accessibility of YouTube and other video-sharing applica-
GLORIOUSL (YA
tions can help a video go viral in a matter of minutes, whether it’s broadcast from a
bedroom in Wisconsin or an airplane over the Pacific.
“Video is not new to the Internet, but it is growing rapidly for two reasons,” says
), COURTESY OF
Thomas Harpointer, C.E.O. of AIS Media, an Internet marketing firm. “One is the
growing popularity and availability of bandwidth. And the second is video sharing.”
YouTube, by far the most popular video-sharing site, now claims 55 million unique
ANSON VIDEO
users per month.
Whatever the content—streaming live video of conferences, highlight clips
from trade shows, marketing stunts that result in user-generated viral videos—the
M (BR
medium presents an array of opportunities for promoting events and widening
Y OF TODDEIT
their impact and audience. Event marketers are asking, “How do we extend the
value of events to people who haven’t attended?” says Roxanne Darling, co-owner of
BarefeetStudios.com, a Web development company. “With online video, there’s an
OTOS: COURTES
incredible untapped resource there.”
While your event video might not be the next “Obama girl” or “Britney boy,” it
does have the potential to reach thousands, even millions of eyeballs, at a fraction of
the price of traditional media campaigns.
PH
72 bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008
THE PRODUCT PITCH
While industry-specific events often have a very focused target audi-
ence, there is always potential to expand that audience online, because
THE STUNT any event that draws an in-person crowd likely has more interested
parties who aren’t able to attend. For this reason, many trade shows
are starting to embrace online video highlights—both professionally
Virgin America, the Stateside branch of the British-
produced and user-generated. In this way, product buzz that would
owned airline, has made YouTube a central part
previously have been limited to word-of-mouth excitement among a
of several marketing efforts. While the company
relatively small group of event attendees can now spread far beyond
was working to convince the U.S. Department of
the showroom floor.
Transportation to approve its airline application,
At the 2007 National Association of Music Merchants show,
the brand launched a
Yamaha’s new Motif XS electronic keyboard was a hit with attendees.
series of widely viewed RICHARD BRANSON’S Several fans posted videos of Yamaha’s demonstration on YouTube,
Web videos showing DAREDEVIL JUMP and the videos quickly attracted more than 150,000 views. (Yamaha
off its new planes’
Views: More than 49,000 also posted trade-show highlights on its Web site, but YouTube offers
sleek design and
Why It’s Popular: It’s fun
the potential for a video to spread much faster and further.)
high-tech entertain-
to watch a guy jump off a Don Morris, manager of Web services at Yamaha, says it’s hard
ment features. When
building. to determine which videos will take off online. “You never know what
Virgin premiered an
level they are going to happen at,” he says, “because it happens outside
onboard safety video
of our sphere of influence.”
starring quirky cartoon characters, the company
Of course, when the marketing is out of your hands, that can also
slapped it on YouTube, and the safety announce-
be a problem. Morris warns that this lack of control can be a double-
ment—so often ignored by frequent travelers—
edged sword: While you might get an unexpected
has now been viewed by hundreds of thousands
YAMAHA’S TRADE SHOW DEMO boost for a product, Internet buzz can also disturb
online. And when the airline held a “Victoria’s
the pace of your own marketing.
Secret in-flight supermodel pajama party,” there Views: More than 181,000
“NAMM is an industry trade show, and
was, needless to say, significant online interest. Why It’s Popular: Gives the first it’s not open to the public,” Morris says. “Some
Of all of Virgin’s diverse promotional events, look at a new product of these products won’t be sold for three to six
the daredevil antics of C.E.O. Richard Branson
months, so that can be a problem for us as well as
fit best with the YouTube aesthetic. When
for our dealers, because people may see these videos about upcoming
Branson rappelled off the Fantasy Tower at the
products and decide to not buy products already out there.”
Palms Casino to promote Virgin’s service from
Las Vegas to San Francisco, the stunt, produced Yamaha’s keyboard unveiling (featuring Stevie Wonder),
by Virgin America’s in-house marketing shop as recorded by a trade show attendee.
in concert with
A YouTube video of Richard Ogilvy PR, not only
Branson’s jump off a
drew hundreds of
Las Vegas casino tower.
live spectators, but
several attendees also filmed home videos of
the event, which were posted to YouTube and
have drawn almost 50,000 views.
Abby Lunardini, director of corporate
communications at Virgin America, says
traditional media strategy applies to Web
video, but the vast online landscape means
a Web video has to be that much more orig-
inal to grab the attention of online users.
“You need some news, something interest-
ing and slightly different,” Lunardini says.
“That applies to PR in general, not just
online. It’s just a higher standard in that
sphere, because [bloggers] are inundated
with info, press releases, and events, and
they are sophisticated.
“Because [our] planes look so differ-
ent and because we are doing some pretty
ridiculous PR events, we tend to just get
a lot of video blogs, trip reports, and
natural buzz, and then it gets out there
on YouTube pretty fast,” she adds.
bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008 73
THE FAN TIE-IN THE GOOFY POP-UP
In a joint marketing promotion to publicize the A marketing event that got significant buzz in both
2007 release of The Simpsons Movie, 20th Century the real and virtual worlds was Charmin’s 2006
Fox transformed 12 North American 7-Eleven stores and 2007 holiday promotion, in which the company
into Kwik-E-Marts, inspired by the parody conve- installed free public bathrooms in New York’s Times
nience store frequented by Homer Simpson in the Square. Accompanied by singers, dancers, and fun
fictional town of Springfield. facts about flushing, the quirky event, produced by
Because of the tie-in to The Simpsons, a long- Charmin along with experiential marketing firm
running show with a fervent fan base, the market- Gigunda Group and public relations firm Manning,
ing event had particular resonance online. Fan Selvage & Lee, brought in 400,000 visitors each year.
forums and blogs were abuzz with news about In a pleasant surprise for Charmin, several dozen of
where the makeshift those people were so tickled with the happening that
Kwik-E-Marts would THE SIMPSONS KWIK-E-MARTS they recorded it with handheld cameras and posted
be. When the stores the videos to YouTube—sharing Charmin’s event with
Views: More than 300,000
debuted in towns thousands more viewers.
from Bladensburg, Why It’s Popular: Latches onto an “The event was all about providing an opportunity
Maryland, to Bur- already mega-popular brand for the consumer to engage in the brand in a different
bank, California, and more unusual, innovative way,” says Dewayne
excited fans at each location walked through Guy, external relations manager at Charmin. “We
with handheld cameras and posted their videos put a lot of effort into making sure it was interactive,
online. As a result, a marketing promotion that and that lends itself to the visual media. Online video
might have attracted only curious passersby is not something we actively pushed—it happened
instead reached a worldwide audience of tens organically based on the consumer reactions.”
of thousands. Because Charmin’s event was inventive, one-of-a-
“It was really mystifying and exciting to see kind, and a little bizarre, consumers not only wanted
that we created an event that was so popular to check it out, but were also compelled to share the
we didn’t need advertising,” says Sterling experience with others. Whether they were amused,
Hayman, group account director at Tracy annoyed, or just confused, they were engaged enough
Locke Advertising, the lead firm among the to film a video, upload it, and share it with friends and
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF JOSHLEWIS (SIMPSONS VIDEO), COURTESY OF WTC3353 (CHARMIN VIDEO), COURTESY OF IMG FASHION (FASHION WEEK VIDEO)
ad and marketing firms that make up the strangers.
studio’s virtual in-house agency, FreshWorks. Darling says creating an online video that people
“We were only able to do 12 states, but the want to share is “all about the energy; it isn’t about
consumer-generated interest brought the the technology or the crafts-
event to many more people online.” CHARMIN’S FREE PUBLIC manship. It’s about, Does
The stunt was BATHROOMS that video in some way touch
A fan’s walkthrough popular on the Internet someone, so that they will
of a 7-Eleven Views: More than 18,000
because it was more want to tell people about it,
made over for Why It’s Popular: The over-
The Simpsons Movie.
than a typical market- and then those people will
the-top novelty effect
ing promotion; it was a want to tell people about it?”
happening that people wanted to see and be
a part of—whether it was in their hometown
or somebody else’s. “It was successful in A consumer’s video of Charmin’s Times Square stunt.
video because we created an environment
in-store that lived up to what would happen
if you stepped into a cartoon,” Hayman
says. “It wasn’t something you could just
describe or show with a picture.”
The event didn’t really focus on
7-Eleven or promote any of its products,
but by putting a unique spin on some-
thing many people already love, the chain
grabbed the attention of thousands.
“The mistake that most people make
with online videos is that they start with
the old rules of marketing—that you
have to talk about your service,” says
author David Meerman Scott. “But what
tends to work online is focusing on the
user. An online video needs to appeal
to them.”
74 bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008
THE
PROFESSIONAL
PRODUCTION
How to Go Viral
Not every successful online video is made by event 1. MAKE IT SNAPPY A video is not likely to get noticed
attendees with handheld cameras. Marketers who if it’s more than a few minutes long. “It needs to grab
realize the potential of Web video for enhancing an you right away, because people are more likely to share
event experience are also producing professional, it if they watch it all the way through to the end,” says
high-quality videos to complement their events. author David Meerman Scott. If you have too much ma-
In 2007, IMG Fashion launched a YouTube terial, the best bet is a series. “Instead of posting a 10-
channel to display videos from Fashion Week minute video, post five two-minute videos,” Scott says.
events throughout the world. Each video is a one- 2. QUALITY IS NOT ALWAYS KING Spend five minutes
to four-minute clip focused on a specific runway browsing YouTube and you’ll see that authenticity
show, collection, or after-party, featuring interviews trumps professionalism, and unpolished, uncut videos
with designers and celebrity attendees. Produced are more popular than slick, corporate-produced adver-
and edited by IMG and Smashbox Studios, the vid- tisements. “We’re at an unusual time in history in that
people trust the rough-around-the edges take more
eos capture both the glamour of the runway shows
than the polished, professional effort,” says Roxanne
and the frenetic energy behind the scenes.
Darling of BarefeetStudios.com. “Because we’ve all
The most-viewed Fashion Week video—a look been sold, you trust someone who is on site, just went
at designer Tara Subkoff’s Imitation of Christ line to the event, and has a fresh take.”
from last year—has been
IMG’s behind-the- 3. FILM SOMETHING PEOPLE WILL WANT TO SHARE
viewed more than 240,000
scenes videos from A video won’t be a viral success unless it goes beyond
Fashion Week. times, and more than 50 describing a product or showcasing an event. It has to
other videos have attracted offer the viewer something new or exciting that they’ll
similarly impressive numbers (although, admit- want to tell people about. “To make it viral, it has to be
tedly, none were nearly as popular as the clip of a funny, engaging, or unique,” says Thomas Harpointer
model falling through a hole in the runway—some of AIS Media. “We’re not going to just pass advertise-
things just work). ments on to our friends and family.”
For New York Fashion Week this past February, 4. MAKE SURE THEY CAN SHARE IT YouTube and
IMG teamed up with one of its sponsors, American similar video sites make sharing easy by including an
Express, to expand its online offerings. This year, embed code so that users can import the video to any
the videos were showcased both on a YouTube other Web site or blog with a simple cut and paste. “A
channel and on a separate site hosted by American lot of companies don’t understand the embed code
Express, with additional features such as live video and just put the video on their Web site and wonder
streams of runway shows. why no one is taking it,” Darling says. If you want your
video to be shared, post it directly to YouTube or an-
“Fashion Week is such a visual and exciting
other site that uses similar embed technology.
experience,” says Leslie Berland, director of public
affairs and communications at American Express. 5. DON’T FAKE IT “A lot of companies have gone online
“The live, streaming aspect brought that excite- and tried to disguise ads as humor. This doesn’t work,
ment to consumers in a way that wasn’t available because people are savvy and they can see through
that,” Harpointer says. There are plenty of videos that
before.”
are designed to look homemade and are not identified
For an event like Fashion Week, which already as advertising, but online users usually catch on to this,
draws interest from a huge number of people, which can result in embarrassing negative publicity
online video can bring the event to thousands of for companies who try to pass off a corporate video as
people who would be unlikely to attend the event homemade. If you have a fan-made video, that’s great.
in person. “It’s an insider industry event,” Berland If not, don’t pretend to.
says, “and the videos enabled consumers to experi- 6. LISTEN TO THE SOUND When filming events, don’t
ence the event as if they were industry insiders, forget that audio is just as important as video. “When
while also allowing the designers to connect with we look at a video, the brain will fill in the picture if
consumers.” it’s not perfect,” Darling says. “But if the sound is poor,
you’ll just tune that out.” She recommends purchasing
a video camera with a separate microphone input—a
FASHION WEEK VIDEO SERIES
feature many consumer cameras don’t provide.
Views: More than 1.2 million
7. REMEMBER: YOU NEVER KNOW The one thing
Why It’s Popular: Offers insider everyone agrees on is that by definition, it’s impos-
access to an exclusive world sible to predict what the next viral sensation will be. “If
there were a formula, a lot of people would be using
it,” Darling says. “Viral means there’s a mutation there,
and things take off in an unexpected way and no one
can predict it.”
bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008 75
Back From the Brink
Saved from cancellation when the writers strike ended two weeks before, the Oscars went on
with significant fanfare (albeit dismal ratings) and many of the standard parties (minus a few).
THE ACADEMY
GETS GOLDEN
PHOTOS: NADINE FROGER PHOTOGRAPHY (GOVERNORS BALL), STEFANIE KEENAN/WIREIMAGE (ELTON JOHN BALLROOM), MICHAEL CAULFIELD/WIREIMAGE (JOHN/BLIGE), DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/WIREIMAGE (GLOBAL GREEN)
Not long after they had walked the red carpet and watched a parade
of golden statuettes get passed around at the February 24 Academy
Awards, Oscar guests were again seeing red and gold—albeit in a very
different format—at the Academy’s official post-ceremony Governors
Ball. Sequoia Productions’ Cheryl Cecchetto, who produced the event
with ball chair Cheryl Boone Isaacs, chose the iconic and omnipresent
Oscar-night shades for the ball’s color palette as a subtle tribute to
the award show’s 80th anniversary.
About 1,500 guests, including winners Tilda Swinton and Javier
Bardem, filtered into the grand ballroom of the Hollywood &
Highland Center—a mere elevator ride away from the Kodak Theatre,
the site of the ceremony—and found it covered in red carpet with
gold runners and a gold inlay. Nine distinct seating areas featured
tables of varied decor; one section had gold-linen-covered tabletops
with Kartell lamps as centerpieces, and another had mirrored surfaces
topped with towering floral arrangements
Hollywood & Highland’s made with clusters of red roses paired
ballroom was covered with golden-hued orchids. Everything from
in red carpet with gold the chairs and tufted wall hangings to
runners and a gold the glasses and china matched the color
inlay, and glass globes scheme. (Red showed up on many of the
hung from the ceiling. higher-profile attendees, too, including
Mark’s Garden created presenters Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren,
centerpieces with and Katherine Heigl.)
15 shades of roses, and Inspired by watching a child blow
red wine glasses sat bubbles in a park, Cecchetto suspended
atop the tables. translucent glass globes interspersed
with firefly lights from
the ceiling. Guests sat
underneath the whimsi-
cal installations as they
dined on Wolfgang Puck’s
menu of truffled mac and
cheese and caviar-filled
baked potatoes, which
took a culinary staff of
350 four days to prepare,
and sipped Sterling Vine-
yards wine or Patron’s
“Red Carpet” cocktail, a
red-hued drink rimmed
with gold sugar.
Pink Martini appeared
on a raised orchestral
stage, as did DJ Jason
Bentley, who spun a
mash-up of film scores
and contemporary music.
—Rosalba Curiel
76 bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008
GLOBAL GREEN
STAYS ON MESSAGE
Global Green U.S.A.’s pre-Oscar bash isn’t an
award-season party in the traditional sense—it
doesn’t celebrate Hollywood. Instead, Hollywood
celebrates Global Green: Paparazzi shots of eco-
minded actors including Tate Donovan arriving at
the party on bicycles are pure gold for the group.
The media swarming around L.A. during award
season made the fifth annual bash at the Avalon
Hollywood on February 20 the year’s highest-
profile event for the Santa Monica-based group,
and the medium is definitely the message.
Event producer Beau Robb of Treehouse, along
THIS YEAR’S CHAMP:
ELTON JOHN
With Vanity Fair’s exclusive bash off the slate this
year, a new entity claimed the title of biggest
Oscar-night party (apart from the academy’s own
ball): the Elton John AIDS Foundation fund-raiser.
Sir Elton and David Furnish hosted the foundation’s A display in Avalon’s with Global Green U.S.A.
16th annual party at the Pacific Design Center, lobby showcased C.E.O. Matt Petersen
with Chopard and VH1 cosponsoring. The event energy-efficient and director of PR
raised $5.1 million—up considerably over last year’s fluorescent bulbs in Ruben Aronin, focused
$4.2 million, and by far a record. recycled-plastic shades. on one cohesive mes-
The gala event began with a cocktail reception, sage this year (rather
followed by a formal dinner and viewing for 680. than the multiple messages of green-product
After dinner offered by Mark’s Restaurant owner purveyors who had participated in previous years).
and chef Wayne Elias and co-owner Chris Diamond “Time to Act—Reduce Your Carbon Footprint” was
with their Crumble Catering team, guests bid on emblazoned on posters at the entrance as well
live auction items including Sharon Stone’s 1974 as on flat-screen TVs and behind the stage, where
Corvette and a world travel package patterned Michelle Branch, Damien Rice, Michael Franti, and
A bright palette of orange and pink dominated
after Oscar-winning film Around the World in 80 Oscar-winning songwriters Marketa Irglova and
the fund-raising dinner, where copious TVs made
Days. To cap off the night, Elton John and his band Glen Hansard (from the film Once) performed.
viewing available from all angles. Later, Elton John
performed for more than an hour, along with As the 800 guests entered the lobby lounge,
brought Mary J. Blige on stage to sing with him.
guests Mary J. Blige and Jake Shears of the Scissor they encountered vignettes such as the “enchant-
Sisters. About 200 more guests joined the dinner that could have been derailed by the writers strike. ed forest,” a thicket of bare branches dangling
group for the auction and performances. “The colors overall are just very happy and festive. energy-efficient lighting fixtures (compact fluo-
Foundation executive director Scott Campbell It’s an exciting time because the strike has just rescent bulbs encased in recycled-plastic shades)
tapped Virginia Fout of V Productions to produce finalized itself, and everyone is celebrating that. It’s with recycled glass mulch at their base. Nearby
the event again this year, her fourth go. Of all that’s kind of a twofold celebration,” Fout said. “Plus we was a living room assembled from Cisco Brothers
been made about the party’s significance in 2008, get a nice diverse group of people in the room—not Furniture’s sustainable collection. Upstairs, the
Fout said, “The thing to remember is that first and all celebrities, not all corporate America. It’s a con- designers assembled a V.I.P. lounge using sustain-
foremost we’re a fund-raiser, so on Oscar night scious decision to mix and marry different folks.” able teak couches, and carpet made from recycled
we’re unique [from Vanity Fair’s party].” She added, This year table prices soared to about $100,000. plastic bottles covered another lounge.
“In years past we’d have celebrities that would try Fout says the team behind the fund-raiser The event started five years ago as a rock show
to do both [parties], but they’d just stay there and never considered scrapping the party, even as the for Global Green’s friends, which was intimate
not come over to ours because the night gets long.” writers strike continued into February. She says enough that organizers called it “a friend-raiser.”
As for decor, the room featured what Fout called John had always planned to perform, which is This year the party raised $420,000 for a green
“an uplifting, feel-good, motivating look,” designed consistently a draw for guests no matter what the building project in New Orleans. “It’s gotten big-
by New York-based Antony Todd for the second status of the ceremony, and the fund-raising com- ger and better and [gained] more notoriety,” said
time. Gone was last year’s silvery palette, and in its ponent was too important to consider pulling the Monica Gilchrist, Global Green’s national resource
place was a sea of fuschia, orange, yellow, and gold plug. “Unfortunately, AIDS didn’t go on strike, and center coordinator. “Each year we get more press
with purple and green accents—apropos of the there’s still a need out there to raise awareness and and higher-level folks involved. It’s a very exciting
cheerful feeling in the room in light of a ceremony raise money,” Fout said. —Alesandra Dubin evolution.” —Irene Lacher
bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008 77
Musical Inclination
Offerings at this year’s Grammy parties included a commitment to zero waste, a mountain of
cupcakes, an army of circus performers, an all-star entertainer, plus a debut fashion show.
About 6,000 guests
The Grammy awards lure liers hung from the ceiling, and large-scale meandered about the
A ROCK OPERA FOR THE many of the biggest stars
in the music industry to
projections of vintage-European-looking cavernous convention
opera houses, streets, and gardens enveloped center space. Cindy
RECORDING ACADEMY one of the hugest, most
mass-market venues in
guests. A small army of about 50 costumed
dancers and performers from the troupe Lu-
Lauper and Natasha
Bedingfield performed
Los Angeles, Staples Cen- cent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque took to stages on the party’s green-
ter. And it can be said that the Recording Academy’s official Grammy af- throughout the huge space to mimic acts like hued stage.
ter-party is like that, too: massive, but still with an air of exclusivity, and serving tea and preparing in the boudoir.
with months of detail-oriented production behind the execution. On the Puck catered an eclectic mix of international buffet offerings, includ-
50th anniversary of the Grammys, the academy’s bash for 6,000 took to ing English stations (bangers, carved prime rib, fish, and mugs of ginger
the cavernous Los Angeles Convention Center on February 10 with a look beer), which advanced the European theme. When the doors opened,
that evoked the opera houses of old-world Europe, with a surrealist bent. crowds immediately formed deep lines for the buffets—a three-and-a-
Recording Academy vice president of production and process man- half-hour food-free telecast had taken its toll on appetites. The menu
agement Branden Chapman, along with academy staffers Rex Supa and took two months to plan and test, and five days to prepare.
Clay Upton, worked with the Mary Micucci-helmed Along Came Mary to With all the planning that goes into an annual event of this size, the
produce the spectacle, backed by a giant team, including Wolfgang Puck Recording Academy’s Chapman said that his group never considered
for dinner and dessert spreads and Angel City Designs for the dreamlike axing the party in light of the writers strike and that the cancellation
decor. Organizers estimate that more than 450 production crew mem- of the Golden Globes earlier in the season may have in fact led to “the
bers and 600 servers—plus kitchen staff—were on hand for the event. energy and the excitement being there even more so” for the Grammys.
“We knew the 50th was going to be tremendous,” said Chapman of So did the Recording Academy significantly increase its event bud-
the look he conjured, a departure from last year’s clubby, Asian-inspired get for the big 50th anniversary? Not exactly. “Our budget is approxi-
motif. Micucci, who has worked on the party for 11 years, added, “You al- mately the same,” Chapman said. “This party is on the same huge scale.”
ways try to upstage [the previous year’s production]. This year is edgier.” And that scale is undeniable. “People never want to leave this party,
At the red-dominated party, more was more. Giant crystal chande- because there is so much to do,” Micucci said. —Alesandra Dubin
78 bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008
WARNER’S WASTE-
FREE SOIREE
For all the talk about the event industry going
green, there comes along only the rare party
that takes all efforts to the extreme to put
forth a pure environmental message. Warner
Music Group’s Grammy after-party at Vibiana,
overseen by WMG corporate communications
vice president Susan Mazo, was that party.
The goal was to create a stylish event
that was carbon-neutral and resulted in zero
landfill waste—meaning no solid or hazard-
ous waste and no emissions. New York-based
Mazo got local agencies involved to make sure
that happened. “We approached the city of
L.A. to figure out how they could help us work
with them,” Mazo said. California’s Integrated
Waste Management Board, the City of Los
Angeles’s Bureau of Sanitation, Athens Ser-
vices, and other local companies and sponsors A clear tent covered
partnered with WMG on the project. Vibiana’s outdoor space,
Green efforts included carbon-offsetting while inside, potted
the event’s energy usage; using energy- trees stood under
efficient lighting, biodiesel generators, and lighting that mimicked a
recycled paper products; composting paper blue sky. Grass in simple
and food waste; and sending invitations arrangements (rather
printed on recycled paper and manufactured than towering flower
with wind power. (A stamp on the outside of bouquets, which become
the corrugated-cardboard invitation, created organic waste) sat atop
by an artist at Atlantic Records, warned “Invita- cocktail tables. All of
tion Enclosed,” lest potential guests mistake it the decor kept with the
for trash.) earth-minded theme.
The menu, sourced from four Whole Foods
markets, used only local California products.
Whole Foods also provided paper goods for the bathrooms. “This
party has much more of an L.A. focus. Instead of going to Whole Foods
corporate, we went to the local Whole Foods to work directly with
people who are affected, rather than trucking in from Texas or some-
where,” Mazo said. “Plus, it’s nice to work with some people in your
own backyard.”
While a slate of live performers and DJs provided music, noise
from the crowd often permeated the space, which is dominated by
hard surfaces. But the crowd turned its attention to the stage as kid
DJs Sara and Ryusei from Japan scratched in a crowd-pleasing set.
(Kindergarten-age Ryusei is so tiny that he had to stand on a box to
reach the low turntables.)
As for the decor, it supported the green theme, with potted trees
dotting the space and limited use of cut flowers, which were compos-
ted afterward. Mazo described the look as reminiscent of “an ethereal
forest—very earthy.” She added, “Nothing is single-use. Some trees are
live and some are props—but nothing has been cut down.”
“We’re composting everything we can,” Mazo added. “Things you
don’t even think about, like the corks from the wine bottles, can be com-
posted. It’s all easy things, but you don’t [always] think about them.”
Before it bowed last night, the party had even gotten the attention
of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. “[Californians] have learned that
we can help our environment while at the same time protecting the
PHOTOS: ALEN LIN FOR BIZBASH
economy and our lifestyles,” the governor said in a press release. “War-
ner Music Group ... is turning consumption into conservation on the
important pop culture stage.”
The event is part of a larger environment-friendly strategy for
WMG, which recently changed its CD and DVD packaging to include
postconsumer paper and is reviewing its greenhouse-gas emissions.
—A.D.
bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008 79
MusiCares’s red carpet
snaked through the
convention center,
where Dan Aykroyd
and Jim Belushi
appeared onstage as
the Blues Brothers and
MusiCares’s Person of
the Year, Aretha Franklin,
performed a three-song
set. Below left, Nicole
Khristine took over
Social Hollywood and its
new restaurant, Citrus.
Taylor Swift performed at the People and
Verizon Wireless tribute to Timbaland, which
took place at Avalon in Hollywood.
BEST OF THE REST
How Grammy party hosts enticed guests. (A sample: cupcakes and Aretha.)
On Grammy weekend, you can bet many potential guests had a ing time (and to drive up, instead of ascending by tram). The program
stack of invitations from which to choose. And the notorious sprawl included cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and performances by cartoon-
synonymous with Los Angeles only made it less likely that would-be ishly cute kid pianist Marc Yu and the new chairman of the Foundation
attendees could make stops at all of those events. So how did hosts D’Enterprise Montblanc de la Culture, Grammy-nominated pianist
pull crowds? Here are some of their strategies. Lang Lang. (Alas, come Grammy night, he would not take the prize.)
A BIG DEBUT While other events were dropping off the award- LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Jewelry line Nicole Khristine took
PHOTOS: RON WOLFSON (MUSICARES), COURTESY OF NICOLE KHRISTINE, FRANK
season calendar, In Style and the Recording Academy unveiled a new, over the new restaurant Citrus at Social Hollywood on Thursday night
MICELOTTA/WIREIMAGE (SWIFT), JORDAN STRAUSS/WIREIMAGE (AVALON)
hot-ticket pre-Grammy fashion show and concert at Boulevard3 on to give 52 guests the first taste of chef Michel Richard’s short ribs and
Thursday, February 7. In Style fashion director Hal Rubenstein curated mini lobster burgers. The event gave that intimate group a peek at the
a colorful, high-energy fashion show, with designs from musicians- space, which wouldn’t open until the following night. (Another perk
turned-designers Beyoncé, Jessica Simpson, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer of the location: When the launch ballooned into a bigger party after
Lopez, Jay-Z, and Sean Combs. Rihanna performed a full-scale concert, dinner, it benefited from ease of access for folks who had also R.S.V.P.’d
complete with a troupe of four backup dancers, on the runway where for the In Style and Recording Academy fashion show and concert next
the models had strutted only minutes earlier. In a year in which many door at Boulevard3.) DJ AM, Grandmaster Flash, and Macy Gray joined
annual events were being eliminated in the wake of the writers strike, together to perform a turntable symphony.
the emergence of this significant new program—which organizers
FREE STUFF WITH PERKS Some naïfs might think the free stuff is the
said they’ll assess for annual potential—seemed like a natural merger
perk. But these days, swag-suite organizers are forced to do more to
of two industries for the parties involved. “We thought this was a nice
differentiate their lounges from one another (although the Grammys
way to bring the magazine to life,” In Style’s Cyd Wilson said. “This is
are not known for the proliferation of swag that, say, the Oscars
the perfect intersection between fashion and music.”
generally bring to town). The Recording Academy’s officially sanc-
A GORGEOUS VENUE The restaurant at the spectacular Getty Center tioned suite, now in its fifth year, took over Smashbox Studios in West
set the scene for Montblanc’s pre-Grammy party on Thursday, a rare Hollywood for four days of giveaways and pampering treatments,
opportunity for guests to make it up the hill after the museum’s clos- taking care to throw a few cool details into the free-stuff mix. Hard
80 bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008
Montblanc took
its pre-Grammy Crumbs offered mountains of
fete to the cupcakes at Sony BMG’s after-party.
striking hilltop
Getty Center,
where kid Models strutted in musician-designed
pianist Marc Yu looks at the In Style event, where
performed. Rihanna performed. The official
Grammy suites featured a grand piano.
Rock International lent costumes—including Madonna’s memorable to the Avalon Hollywood at 10 p.m. for an evening honoring producer
coned corset—which dotted the space, and a grand piano sat on the Timbaland. Guests (including Fergie, Paris Hilton, and Ludacris) walked
studio floor for anyone who felt moved to sit down and play. (We leopard-print carpets leading into the venue dotted with throw pillows
hear the spirit did move a few guests, but we didn’t witness it during and lampshades in the animal print, and snacked on tenderloin satay
PHOTOS: JOHN SCIULLI/BERLINER STUDIO/BEIMAGES (MONTBLANC), JORDAN STRAUSS/
our stop.) The Mondrian’s Skybar set up and staffed a central bar, and as well as sweets like tiramisu and cheesecake, while Paramore, One
Couch Nobelius produced. Meanwhile, another suite downtown at- Republic, Chris Cornell, and others took to the stage. Guests who stuck
tempted to draw guests by appealing to their sense of environmental around until the party’s end at 2 a.m. got to see surprise performer
responsibility and philanthropy: The Green With Music suite had an Missy Elliott both on- and off-stage—the hip-hop artist made her way
WIREIMAGE (IN STYLE), BIZBASH (CUPCAKES), DON NORRIS (GIFT SUITE)
eco-friendly bent, and benefited Katrina-relief effort Make It Right 9. to the middle of the crowd at one point—and hear Timbaland’s not-
so-kind closing remarks, which were peppered with choice expletives
ENERGETIC ENTERTAINMENT MusiCares’s 16th annual Person of the
aimed at Verizon and People for apparently making his “homeboy”
Year tribute drew 2,500 guests, including recording-industry execu-
wait in line earlier in the evening.
tives and artists, who flocked to the Los Angeles Convention Center on
Friday, February 8, for the chance to hear John Legend, Corinne Bailey
DECADENT DESSERTS Maybe it was a celebratory feeling that
Rae, Patti Austin, Fantasia Barrino, and other artists’ take on honoree
brought guests to Sony BMG’s after-party at the Beverly Hills Hotel on
Aretha Franklin’s classics. They also heard a performance by the Queen
Sunday, February 10. (The group had a few notable wins.) Or maybe it
of Soul herself, who sang “Chain of Fools” and treated attendees to “A
was the star wattage—Grammy performers Beyoncé, Carrie Under-
Woman Falling Out of Love,” a song off her upcoming album of the
wood, and Aretha Franklin were all in the house, where Clive Davis also
same name. Guests dined on braised beef short ribs, collard greens,
roamed. But it might have been the cupcakes, which were the talk of
and key lime pie—a menu in keeping with the singer’s Southern
the ballroom (seriously). Crumbs erected a giant shrine to its product,
roots—following a cocktail reception and auction that helped raise a
a multitiered serving tray under cover of a canopy bearing the bakery’s
record-breaking $4.5 million for the musician-support org MusiCares.
name. Cupcake-captivated guests ogled the wide variety of offerings,
GOOD TIMING Verizon Wireless and People magazine opted out of di- and noshed nearby. They were also welcome to carry out the sweets as
rect competition with other Friday-night biggies by opening the doors takeaways in plastic containers. —Rosalba Curiel & Alesandra Dubin
bizbash.com/losangeles may/june 2008 81
Special Advertising Section
Beyond
the Ballroom
Step beyond the ballroom in this special advertising section.
Hotels offer you a peek at some of their most unique event spaces.
Find the next great place for your receptions, meetings, celebrations,
and networking or teambuilding events. Beyond the Ballroom will
appear throughout the year as a special advertising section.
Special Advertising Section
Special Advertising Section
BEVERLY HILTON
The Beverly Hilton has
combined the excitement
and entertainment of Hollywood with
the elegance of Beverly Hills for
over 50 years. The “Star” is reborn
with absolute style and Mobil Four Star service since
the $80 million reinvention. With more than 60,000
square feet of upscale indoor and open-air event
space all on the lobby level, the hotel is home to many
notable annual events including the Golden Globe
Awards, Oscar Nominee Luncheon and the Milken
Institute’s Global Conference.
For all who crave wine and chocolate, Le Chateau is their castle. It evokes a classic
European wine cellar, yet is strongly influenced by key elements of modern Californian
architecture. With a cellar of more than 4,500 bottles of Central California Coast wines and
an indulgent line of Belgian chocolate, it has the right ingredients for a rich discussion.
Want to be on top of the world? The Stardust flows seamlessly from the floor-to-ceiling
Enjoy a fountain courtyard setting. Whether for a banquet in the bright afternoon or a glass panels on the interior to the open-air rooftop patio with awe-inspiring views
star-studded after-party, celebrating in the breeze-swept courtyard makes any occasion of the Hollywood Hills, making an event accommodating as many as 200 people a
special. memorable occasion.
Special Advertising Section
Some luxuries simply require the sun. By day, the Aqua Star Pool is reminiscent
of times past, when MGM’s spectacular swimming star, Esther Williams,
inaugurated it in 1955. By night, this beauty of a backdrop with a barefoot
elegance is the perfect paradise for mixing and mingling adjacent to Circa 55
restaurant and Trader Vic’s Lounge.
Looking for a corner of paradise in the heart of Beverly Hills to indulge in the sites
and sounds of the tropics and the colorful spirits of the ages? Then look no further
than Trader Vic’s Lounge at The Beverly Hilton, where the new home of the original
Mai Tai lives on. Same island escape, new poolside location!
Contact: Dee Doak, Director of Sales & Marketing Telephone: 310-285-1379 E-mail: dee.doak@hilton.com
Special Advertising Section
FESS PARKER’S DOUBLETREE RESORT
The perfect California
beachfront luxury resort
for events to remember. With the
stunning backdrop of the Santa
Ynez Mountains and panoramic
views of the Pacific Ocean, this 24-acre resort boasts
the largest and most flexible conference facilities in
Santa Barbara—the highlight of which is the Plaza Del
The Spanish Mission-style arches of the
Sol. Ideal for any open-air occasion, the Plaza and Plaza Del Sol with views facing west
Upper Rotunda can accommodate as many as 1,000 toward the harbor.
guests. This unique venue is truly memorable and
unlike any other on the California coast.
Overlooking the Plaza Del Sol, set for
an evening event.
View of the Upper Rotunda overlooking the
resort, facing west toward the harbor.
With indoor fireplaces and an outdoor patio overlooking
the ocean, the Reagan Room (adjacent to the Plaza Del An aerial view of the outdoor Plaza Del Sol,
Sol) is the perfect accommodation for banquets of as many with views of the ocean and mountains from
as 160 guests. the Upper Rotunda.
