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BIZBASH CHICAGO

EVENTSMEETINGS MARKETINGSTYLESTRATEGYIDEAS

Chicago

$4.95 WINTER 2010–11 BIZBASH.COM

BEST OF

2010The Year’s Trends, Event Launches, Smart Makeovers,

Ambitious Campaigns & Ideas to Steal

PLUS: Sponsor Integrations, Holiday Party Bites, Stylish Stages, Twitter Skepticism, 24 New Venues, Planners’ Favorite Trends & More

bizbash.com winter 2010–11 3

CHICAGO Volume 3, Issue 3Winter 2010–11 © 2010 BizBash Media

FROM THE EDITORS 6 Tracking the year’s trends

READERS’ FORUM 9 What was the best idea you saw

in 2010?

THE SCOUT 13 Wintry curtains made of ice 14 Passed bites for holiday

gatherings 16 Festive glasses and small plates

for rent 18 What are clever ways to integrate

trade show sponsors? 19 Innovative ideas for stage design 20 A new Chicago-based event

design and production company 23 11 ideas and products to have on

your radar VENUES 25 Four new Chicago venues EVENT REPORTS 28 Coast to Coast: HBO’s vintage

Atlantic City-inspired Boardwalk Empire launch party

30 Lollapalooza’s bigger and better space, food, and sponsor activities

31 The Women’s Board of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s balloon-fi lled 50th anniversary bash

32 From Miami: Thrillist’s branded hotel and weekend getaway

34 The Botanic Garden benefi t’s modern revamp

35 The Loyola Founder’s Dinner’s fabric and lights

36 From Toronto: The fi lm festival’s opening-night hockey-themed party

38 Macy’s Glamorama fashion extravaganza

39 Hendrick’s old-timey bartender croquet tournament

40 From Los Angeles: The Lacma Resnick Pavilion’s dreamy debut

42 Green City Market’s 2,000-guest Chef’s Barbecue fund-raiser

43 From Boston: Mass General Hospital for Children’s Aladdin-themed Storybook Ball

45 Subway’s post-conference gala’s three fresh pavilions

47 From Washington: Glenn Beck’s 300,000-person Restoring Honor rally

51 Best of 2010 The top trends, ideas, designs, and

events that shaped this year

THE DIRECTORY 70 New venues

TED KRUCKEL 72 The limits of social media

On the Cover Clockwise from top left: A touch screen game at Samsung’s Vancouver Olympics pavilion, photo by Grant Harder for BizBash; a fl ying machine at Red Bull’s 2010 Flugtag tour kickoff in Miami, photo courtesy of Red Bull; cellophane chandeliers at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s summer dance, photo by Tay Kaune; digital grafi tti at the re-opening of Chanel’s SoHo New York store, photo courtesy of Tangible Interaction; a white neon installation at the opening party for the Hermès men’s store in New York, photo by Clint Spaulding/Patrick McMullan; an artistic interpretation of Lexus’s new hybrid car at the company’s Dark Side of Green environmental debate in Miami, photo by Red Eye Productions

ON BIZBASH.COMComprehensive local venue and supplier directories

The latest industry news

Local sites for Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami/South Florida, New York, Orlando, Toronto, and Washington

During TBS’s fi ve-day Just for Laughs comedy festival—where 100-plus comedians performed in 17 venues around the city and suburbs—Cedric the Entertainer presented his “Urban Circus” at the Chicago Theatre. The show included an appearance by Jerry Seinfeld. Mobile billboards and the theater’s marquee advertised the festival. Joe Montegna, George Wendt, and Robert Smigel performed “Da Bears Movie Dat Wasn’t” at the Park West. Lucha VaVoom, a show in which Mexican masked wrestlers perform acrobatic feats, also took place at the Park West. More photos and details are on BizBash.com.

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Chad KaydoNEWS EDITOR Courtney ThompsonSTYLE EDITOR Lisa CericolaASSOCIATE EDITOR Anna Sekula

CHICAGOEDITOR/BUREAU CHIEF Jenny Berg

LOS ANGELESEDITOR/BUREAU CHIEF Alesandra Dubin

MIAMIEDITOR/BUREAU CHIEF D. Channing Muller

ORLANDOEDITOR/BUREAU CHIEF Mitra Sorrells

TORONTOEDITOR/BUREAU CHIEF Susan O’Neill

WASHINGTONEDITOR/BUREAU CHIEF T.J. Walter

ART ART DIRECTOR Joey BouchardASSISTANT ART/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Carolyn Curtis

PHOTOPHOTO EDITOR Jeeyun LeeASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Amber Knowles

COPY & RESEARCHASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR Claire HoffmanEDITORIAL INTERNS Caralyn Greif, Jessica Flores

CONTRIBUTORSEDITOR AT LARGE Ted KruckelWRITER AT LARGE, LOS ANGELES Irene LacherCONTRIBUTING EDITORS Michael O’Connell, Mimi O’Connor, Brendan Spiegel, Erin Souza, Ellen Sturm NizCONTRIBUTING WRITERS Meryl Rothstein, Andi Teran LOS ANGELES:

Rosalba Curiel, Shilpa Gopinath TORONTO: Amy Lazar, Erin Letson WASHINGTON: Adele Chapin, Walter NichollsCOPY EDITORS Libby Estell, Josh WimmerCONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Vincent Dillio, Roger Dong, Nick Ferrari, Emily Gilbert, Dan Hallman, John Minchillo, Alice and Chris Ross, Keith Sirchio BOSTON: Aviran Levy, Patrick Piasecki CHICAGO: Mireya Acierto, Tyllie Barbosa, Barry Brecheisen, Eric Craig, Jeremy Lawson, Eddie Quinones LOS

ANGELES: Matt Armendariz, BEImages, Jessica Boone, Nadine Froger, Line 8 Photography, Zen Sekizawa, Dale Wilcox MIAMI: Joseph Cancellare & Associates, Matthew Horton, Moris Moreno, Elizabeth Renfrow, Mitchell Zachs TORONTO:

Gary Beechey, Jill Kitchener, Henry Lin, Emma McIntyre, Nicki Leigh McKean, George Pimentel WASHINGTON: Tony Brown/Imijination Photo, Stephen Elliot, FotoBriceno, Powers and Crewe

EDITORIAL OFFICES21 West 38th St., 13th Floor, New York, NY 10018phone: 646.638.3600, fax: 646.638.3601

CHICAGO BUREAU312.436.2525

LOS ANGELES BUREAU310.659.9510

MIAMI BUREAU1450 NE 123 St., North Miami, FL 33161305.808.3535

TORONTO BUREAU2453 Yonge St., Suite 101, Toronto, ON M4P 2E8 416.425.6380

CONTACT USEditorial Feedback and Ideas: [email protected] Invitations, Press Releases: [email protected] Listings: [email protected] Inquiries: 646.839.6835, [email protected] Subscriptions: bizbash.com/subscribeSubscription Renewals: bizbash.com/renewReprints: Dani Rose, The YGS Group 800.494.9051 ext. 125, [email protected]

BIZBASH MEDIAC.E.O. AND FOUNDER David Adler PRESIDENT Richard AaronBOARD OF DIRECTORS Jonathan Adler (CHAIRMAN), Richard Aaron, David Adler, Beverly Chell, Martin Maleska, Todd Pietri

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Clark Street at North Avenue 312.642.4600 www.chicagohistory.org

WHERE BUSINESSMEETS CLASS.Whether you’re planning a daytime meeting or an evening celebration,

the Chicago History Museum offers a sophistication and elegance

you won’t fi nd anywhere else. Spaces include reception, conference

and breakout rooms, as well as an auditorium—all with access to our

exhibition galleries. To host your event at the Chicago History Museum,

call the Events Department at 312.799.2254.

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING Robert FitzgeraldCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER David Micciulla

MARKETINGMARKETING MANAGER Aram FischerMARKETING ASSISTANT Michael Marvin

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATIONDIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION & AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Rebecca Pappas AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER William O’DriscollNEW MEDIA COORDINATOR J.P. Pagán

EVENTSSENIOR EVENTS MANAGER Sheryl Olaskowitz

OPERATIONSVICE PRESIDENT, CONTROLLER David LevineSTAFF ACCOUNTANT Shahla NasSENIOR DEVELOPER Wei Zheng

BIZBASH NEW YORK21 West 38th St., 13th Floor, New York, NY 10018646.638.3600, fax: 646.638.3601PUBLISHER Jacqueline GouldADVERTISING DIRECTOR Lauren StonecipherASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, NATIONAL VENUE GUIDE/ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER,

BIZBASH BOSTON Andrew CarlinACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Erica Fand, Kristie Hudson

BIZBASH BOSTON617.340.3914

BIZBASH CHICAGO312.436.2525PUBLISHER Susan BabinACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Julia Kearney

BIZBASH FLORIDA1450 NE 123rd St., North Miami, FL 33161305.808.3531PUBLISHER Ann Keusch

BIZBASH LAS VEGAS702.425.8513ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jane Yoo

BIZBASH LOS ANGELES310.659.9510PRESIDENT Elisabeth FamilianPUBLISHER Hofi te HuddlestonSENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Mandana Valiyee

BIZBASH TORONTO2453 Yonge St., Suite 101, Toronto, ON M4P 2E8 416.425.6380ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Michael Braun ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Joshua Harris

BIZBASH WASHINGTON202.684.8743PUBLISHER Shelley Golinsky

CHICAGO ADVISORY BOARDMarty Balogh, DIRECTOR OF MEETINGS AND TRAVEL, AMERICAN BAR

ASSOCIATION; Deborah Borsum, PRESIDENT, THE MEETINGHOUSE

COMPANIES; Tina Carlson, PRESIDENT, IVAN CARLSON; Beth Costello,

OWNER, THE PERFECT PARTY; Maureen Dunphy, DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL

EVENTS, MOTOROLA; Katie Ellis, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, EVENT

ARCHITECTS; Kathleen Esterquest, DIRECTOR OF SALES, KEHOE DESIGNS;

Sally Favia, DIRECTOR OF SALES, APPLE VACATIONS; Sarah Finlayson,

CONSULTANT, REBEL GLOBAL EVENTS & REVEL DECOR; Gail Steffen Garcia,

OWNER, PERALTA GARCIA SOLUTIONS; Ann Hickey, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM

DEVELOPMENT, MAYOR’S OFFICE OF SPECIAL EVENTS; Susan Katz, DIRECTOR

OF CORPORATE EVENTS, TRUE VALUE COMPANY; Daniel Laubacher,

EVALUATION PROGRAM MANAGER, NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY;

Robert Neubert, DIRECTOR OF CATERING SALES, HILTON CHICAGO;

Kristy Polzup, EVENTS & COMMUNICATION MANAGER, DIAMOND; Jack Scafi de, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, CORT EVENT FURNISHINGS; Andrew Schorr, PRESIDENT, IN THE LOOP; Dick Smith, CHAIRMAN, IACEP; Jodi Wolf, PRESIDENT, PAULETTE WOLF EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Marketing and Advertising Programs: [email protected]®2010 BIZBASH IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF BIZBASH MEDIA INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

BIZBASH

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I hate the word trendy. It’s one of those terms that can say more about the person using it than the thing it’s supposed to describe. For some people, what’s trendy is what’s already too popular; for others, it’s the new thing they don’t quite understand yet. For many, trendy suggests something is inauthentic—people always seem to pronounce the word with a note of condescension.

It’s like when someone says, “You’re so hip!” They think they sound self-deprecating (“I can’t keep up with fashion/music/whatever!”), but often it’s a backhanded compli-ment (“I don’t have time for such silly things, but it’s cute that you do!”).

The fact is, what you consider trendy often depends on where you are on the coolhunting/early-adopter scale. (My apologies if you fi nd those terms equally ob-noxious.) As connotation-ridden as trendy is, often its meaning is too hard to pin down. So the word is banned from these pages. (See also: party planner, fashionista.)

But you’re likely to fi nd its root, trend, here a lot. We—the editors and you readers, too, not to mention your guests—are obsessed with trends. We want to know what’s current, what’s new, what we need to move on from before everyone else is doing it, what we need to move on to. The nature of the event business requires you to stay on top of what’s happening in food, design, entertainment, technology, art, theater, and pop culture, so you can create experiences that feel current and ahead of the curve.

Identifying trends was our prime directive in putting together our Best of 2010 package. In ad-dition to showcasing some of the cleverest ideas

we saw, we wanted to tell the story of this year for the industry. What were the obsessions, co-incidences, and innova-tions that characterized

events in this particular moment? How did the top minds adapt to the new products, cultural infl uences, and economic constraints of the day?

We hope the 15 pages of photos, case studies, and comments from industry folks—and the stories in the rest of the issue—tell that story, from food trucks to social media to event makeovers, and give you some ideas for 2011 as well.

There’s also value in questioning some trends, as Ted Kruckel does in his column on the unproven marketing value of promotional Twitter messages.

One trend we should all be happy to see is a growing sense of optimism for the event busi-ness. In a survey of readers we conducted online in September, 77 percent chose bullish responses when asked to describe the economic state of the industry. Meanwhile, spending appears to be rising: 41 percent of readers said their September 2010 budgets were up from September 2009 lev-els, 28 percent said their budgets were fl at, and 31 percent reported reduced spending.

For another take on ’10, we asked our bu-reau chiefs to describe 10 highlights in their markets—the groundbreaking local venues, new events, and innovative ideas that kept them excited about covering this industry at this time. You’ll fi nd their commentary on BizBash.com in December. —Chad Kaydo

ON BIZBASH.COM

10 highlights of 2010 from each of our local markets

From the Editors

In the Trend TrenchesHow do you sum up a year?

You could call the Ace Hotel trendy, but I call its restaurant, the Breslin, my favorite current lunch spot.

Thrillist’s party during the New York City Wine & Food Festival had a beer-and-bourbon theme. I’m a fan of both, but we’ve all seen enough bacon on event menus for a while, no?

Bring creativity to life with CORT’s exclusive Endless CollectionTM, a modular seating

system designed to fit any event space or party theme. With seating so versatile,

the possibilities are truly infinite.

Infinite ideas.


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Readers’ Forum “Dessert inside a balloon. Guests are

given a pin to pop and eat.”Bryan Rafanelli, owner, Rafanelli Events, Boston

“I’ve seen many events make use of the service staff to tie elements into the branding or theme. At Ubisoft’s launch event, [staffers wore] Revenge of the Nerds costumes with taped rimmed glasses, ‘Hello My Name Is NERD’ nametags, and bow ties. The servers have a lot of interaction with the guests and almost act as live, moving decor.”

Alison Slight, managing director, Candice & Alison Luxury Event Management, Toronto

“The increased focus on security and event- professional responsibilities after crashers made it into the White House last year.”Alison Bossert, senior vice president, special events, Columbia Tristar Marketing Group, Los Angeles

“One of my favorites ideas is the cheesecake ‘ice cream’ cone, where there is a soft center of whipped fl avored cheesecake inside a miniature sugar cone. It eliminates the intense labor of scooping out ice cream during an event, and you don’t have to worry about melting. Guests also love the surprise of biting into cheesecake instead of ice cream.”

Pasquale Ingenito, executive chef, Windows Catering Company, Washington

“Virtual events. I love the Virtualis Convention Center in Second Life. It is a virtual environment for trade shows, meetings, and even virtual banquets, dances, concerts, etc.”

Patti Shock, professor and director of distance learning, Harrah College of Hotel Administration, University of Nevada

“PDA marketing. More than ever, the event industry has taken to the PDA airwaves to promote and update events, meetings, and trade shows. Within seconds, text message updates can get to attendees. You also gain a database to market next year’s event.”

Dargan Watts, director, Birchmore Group Inc., Orlando

“I loved the Leukemia Ball’s use of handheld wireless devices. They were given to

bidders, enabling them to track their bids as the evening progressed.”Ron Bracco, creative director, events, Hargrove Inc., Washington

Compiled by Claire Hoffman

What was the best idea you saw in 2010?“Throughout the Remarkable Indonesia gala’s seated dinner, the event touched on different aspects of Indonesian culture. The fi nale of the evening was when every guest was brought an angklung—an instrument made of bamboo tubes—that played a single note. A music director on stage directed us in a performance. As we were playing, we realized it was an Abba song! The angklung was also a gift to take home.”

Barbara Blauhut, director of special events, WETA Public Television & Radio, Washington

“Showtime’s Nurse Jackie RX Games event concept. From the event title to the tournament activities to the idea of engaging and rewarding real nurses for the second-season launch, it was brilliant and certainly targeted to a deserving audience.”

Jenny Powers, vice president of special events, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Southern New York Chapter

SURVEY SAYSWe asked readers for their take on this moment in the event business. Here are some highlights.

Methodology: The survey was conducted online from September 13 to 23 via a link shared with BizBash email newsletter subscribers and Twitter followers. The data here represents responses from 1,023 people who identifi ed themselves as event planners (who work in-house, on their own, or at fi rms) or owners or employees of venues or industry vendors.

ON BIZBASH.COMMore survey results regarding budgets, holiday parties, and industry staffi ng levels

How would you describe the current economic state of the event industry?

Are you haggling over prices more or less now (September 2010) than you were a year ago (September 2009)?

How would you describe your feelings about your long-term job prospects in the event industry?

We’re fully recovered and back to normal.

We’re through the worst of it, and we have settled into a new normal.

We’re just starting to recover.

We’re still in the thick of the downturn.

4%3%

32%

41%

20%

It’s going to get worse before it gets better.

Haggling more

Haggling about the same as a year ago

35%

10%

55%

Haggling less

I’m cautiously optimistic.

27%17%

2%

54%

I’m terrifi ed.

I’m a little worried.

I’m very optimistic.

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

February 24-27, 2011

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13 bizbash.com winter 2010–2011

The Scout


To add a wintry look to end-of-the-year gatherings, Ice Bulb (877.423.2852, icebulb.com) offers decorative curtains made of frozen water. A machine cuts ice into gemlike cubes, which the company

hand-strings onto cables suspended from trussing. Curtains can be made in any length and height. If used indoors, the pieces last about fi ve hours; a con-

tainer below collects drips. Ice Bulb is based in Southern California, but works nationwide and in Canada. While pricing depends on the size of each piece, strands typically cost $140 to $180 each, plus more for assembly and delivery. —Lisa Cericola

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holiday party ideas

14

New on the Menu

Seasons’ EatingHere are fi ve passed bites for holiday gatherings of all types. By LISA CERICOLA

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Tourtière strudel with mustard pickle from Jamie Kennedy Event Catering (416.362.1957, jamiekennedy.ca) in Toronto

Cranberry maple salmon with pink peppercorn sauce in toast cups from Good Gracious! Events (323.954.2277, goodgraciousevents.com) in Los Angeles

Chocolate sorbet popsicles on a bed of crushed peppermints from Limelight Catering (773.883.3080, limelightcatering.com) in Chicago

holiday party ideas

Basil-breaded smoked turkey “fi ngers” with honey orange marmalade and pomegranate seeds from Great Performances (212.727.2424, greatperformances.com) in New York

Goat cheese lollipop truffl es rolled in crushed pistachios, sun-dried tomatoes, and other toppings from Windows Catering Company (703.519.3500, catering.com) in Washington

Photography by Josh Sears

holiday party ideas

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Toasting glasses, 85 cents, available in Southern California from Town & Country Event Rentals (800.899.2620, townandcountryeventrentals.com)

Ruby Braid glass,

pricing varies, avail-

able nationwide from Classic Party Rentals (310.764.0373 ext. 316, classicpartyrentals.com)

Paloma fl ute, pricing upon

request, available in New York from Party Rental Ltd. (201.727.4700, partyrentalltd.com)

Spiegelau champagne

coupe, $3, avail-able in Toronto from Chair-Man Mills (416.391.0400, chairmanmills.com)

For Rent

Serve in StyleMake end-of-year gatherings feel festive with these glasses and tasting vessels. By LISA CERICOLA

Bella gold champagne

fl ute, $1.95, available in

New York from Something

Different Party Rental (973.742.1779, somethingdifferentparty.

com)

Mini fry basket, $2, available in Toronto from Exclusive Affair

Rentals (416.759.2611, exclusiveaffair.com)

Voss clear plate, pric-ing upon request, avail-

able in New York

from Party Rental Ltd.

Teardrop spoon, $1.75,

available in Toronto from Chair-Man Mills

Mini leaf plate, 55 cents, available through-out South Florida from Atlas Party Rental

(561.547.6565, atlaspartyrental.com)Seven-inch oyster plate, pricing

varies, available nationwide from Classic Party Rentals

White oval tasting spoon, $1, avail-able in New York from Something

Different Party Rental

Small Plates

Champagne Flutes



A New Way to Fill SeatsCharityHappenings (charityhappenings.org), an online calendar of fund-raisers, now allows nonprofi ts to promote events and

sell tickets. Planners create a customized ticket-ing Web page with details about the event, plus

other information such as auction items or the organization’s mission. While the service itself is free, CharityHappenings charges 99 cents plus a 3 percent fee per attendee (up to $7.49) at the point of sale. For the time being, tickets can be purchased in American dollars, but the com-pany says a Canadian version is coming soon. —Lisa Cericola

From making unexpected use of celebrity spokespeople to employ-ing superhero statues, here are a few clever ways to increase sponsor vis-ibility at trade shows.

At America’s Beauty Show in Chicago, producers ensure that spon-sors’ presence extends beyond the show fl oor. “We work with major ex-hibitors to offer an overall program to incorporate within their trade show strategy,” says Paul Dykstra, C.E.O. of Cosmetologists Chicago and America’s Beauty Show. Besides their booths, sponsoring manufac-turers who exhibit are invited to brand key cards for hotels associated with the event. Sponsors can place products such as shampoos, conditioners, and face washes in attendees’ rooms at these properties.

Sponsors are also invited to host press lounges that surround the show fl oor, where they can speak directly to beauty editors who come

to the show. Key exhibitors are also able to sponsor so-called V.I.P. “clos-ing lounges,” or meeting rooms off the fl oor. In the rooms, companies can serve snacks or cocktails, show videos, and brand the space with decor of their choosing. Some com-panies have also opted to provide services, such as manicures or hair-styling, within the rooms.

In August, the BlogHer confer-ence drew about 2,500 bloggers to the Hilton New York, where the three-day event had a traditional trade show setup. “We really tried to fi nd creative ways to integrate our

sponsors, so they weren’t just a booth on the fl oor,”

says San Francisco-based director of events Lori Luna.

In addition to branding promi-nent signage, some BlogHer spon-sors used celebrities to engage the crowd, both on and off the fl oor. Sara Lee called on Top Chef star Padma Lakshmi to judge a sandwich-

making contest. Tropicana hosted a breakfast and enlisted spokesper-son Bruce Jenner—former Olympic athlete and currently on Keeping Up With the Kardashians—to pour its newest fl avors at a juice bar. “When they saw the reality TV stars, people went nuts, especially on Twitter,” says Luna. “We knew we’d get at-tention on blogs, but we also had 100,000 mentions on Twitter on the fi rst day alone.”

As director of strategic accounts at Reed Exhibitions, Lawrence Set-tembrini works with the sponsors of New York Comic Con, which takes place at the Jacob K. Javits Center. “It’s a fairly young show in a large building, and we initially had

concerns about fans fi nding their way through the [venue],” says Set-tembrini. “Our solution was to sell a sponsorship to a company that builds scale statues of superheroes.”

Producers placed the statues at key locations throughout the building, and referred to them in directions. “For example, we provide instructions to our conference and panel areas as such: ‘Head to the Superman statue in the north concourse, then take the escalators down to the fi rst fl oor,’” says Set-tembrini. “It’s a pretty simple concept that resulted in sponsorship revenue, helped our attendees navigate the building, and provided a photo op-portunity.” —Jenny Berg

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TICKETI NG

At the BlogHer conference, celebrities like Padma Lakshmi participated in events.

What are clever ways to integrate trade show sponsors?

New from rental company FWR Rental Haus (877.637.3744, fwrental.com), the paillette bar adds a shiny touch to events. The piece, which comes in

aqua and silver, can be confi gured as a 12- by 10-foot four-sided rectangular bar, or a 12- or 8-foot single-sided bar. For an addi-

tional charge, the paillettes can be used to spell out the name of a company or event. The bar is available nationwide, and pricing starts at $750. —L.C.

RENTAL

A SPARKLING BAR

ON BIZBASH.COMMore new products and services

19

Idea File

PROGRESSIVE STAGESHere’s a look at innovative designs from concerts, fashion shows, and other events. By LISA CERICOLA

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The MTV Movie Awards in June had a dynamic set with layered projection screens designed by Consortium Studios and lit by Triphoton City.

For a June fund-raiser benefi ting Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, Chicago’s Kehoe Designs created a platform with a giant, illuminated wall that framed a video screen.

At Marc Jacobs’s spring 2011 show, a lamp-shade-shaped bronze structure acted as the entrance to the catwalk.

For the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s annual awards in June, scenic designer Scott Pask made a backdrop shaped like Richard Serra’s sculpture “Torqued Ellipse IV.” Producers projected video onto a central cylinder and two wing walls.

For this summer’s National Scout Jamboree in Virginia, celebrating the Boy Scouts of America’s 100th anniversary, CorporateMagic Inc. created a 395-foot-long stage with three massive LED screens and eight fl aming cauldrons.


“I’ve been to Athens fi ve times in my life, but it wasn’t until last year that I actually got to see the Acropolis,” says Steven Valenti, founder of All Things Party (847.234.4200, allthingsparty.us). The fi rst time Valenti headed to the ancient city, he was a senior in college, working for Lake Forest-based planner Bruce Southworth. Valenti was assisting with events such as a private anniversary party in Athens, which entailed chartering a cruise ship for 116 guests and retracing part of Ulysses’s voyage from the Odyssey. Soon after graduation, Valenti began working with Southworth full-time, and then spent 16 years there, starting as an assistant and working his way up to managing director—and getting to Greece a few more times for business, but not sightseeing.

Valenti describes his work with Southworth as planning very high-end events for the nation’s wealthy.

“One of the things I came up with there was the 10-10 rule,” he says. “Every event hit within 10 percent of the established budget, and within 10 minutes of our timeline.”

Then, “no doubt about it, two years ago the world changed,” and business dried up, Valenti says. “There was a lot of sluggishness in the economy, and our clients stopped entertaining.”

Valenti and Southworth parted ways in 2008—but within a week, Valenti says, he was getting calls from former clients requesting his services for weddings or birthday parties. “They still had occasions they wanted to celebrate, and I could help out,” he says. “That gave me the confi dence to realize I could do it on my own.”

In March 2009, Valenti founded All Things Party. Apart from his social clients, in the past year and a half, the company has worked on the after-party for Rush University’s

charitable fashion show, which drew 600 guests to the Palmer House Hilton’s Red Lacquer Room for an event with a “Feel the Pulse” theme. Throbbing LED lights underscored the intended vibe, tables got custom, fringed linens, and life-size cutouts of the event’s fashion-sketch logo fi lled the room. Valenti has also planned a retirement party for a television industry executive and the opening of the Hermès fl agship store in Chicago.

“What makes my business unique is the experience I have from the past,” he says. “I’ve dealt with a very discerning client base who knows what they want, and are used to the best. There’s no reason for an event to ever feel corporate or canned. Everything can be treated

like a private party, and I present ideas in that fashion.”

“Steve Valenti is not only professional, organized, and on the ball, he is one of the most creative people we have worked with,” say Colleen Mygatt and Elissa Kovas, chairs of a U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association event produced by Valenti, via email. Held at the Cycle and Saddle Club in October, the fund-raiser drew more than 300 guests and had a casual ski-lodge theme, a silent auction, and Olympic athletes in attendance. “We were totally blown away by his skills,” say Mygatt and Kovas. —Jenny Berg

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SOCIAL SKILLSSteven Valenti applies his experience producing high-end social functions to corporate events and fund-raisers.

Behind the Scenes at Restaurants Flight Chicago (fl ightdeckchicago.com) is a new service that takes groups on tours of local eateries. For $100 per person, the three-hour tours let as many as 20 guests into restaurants during off hours—usually between lunch and dinner. Participants get to meet the chefs, tour the kitchen, and sample dishes

with wine and beer pairings. A typical tour stops by three

eateries (in neighbor-

hoods such as West Town and Wicker Park) that offer different kinds of cuisine (making the tour similar to a wine fl ight, thus the name). Participating venues include Branch 27, Green Zebra, and the Bristol. —J.B.

Steven Valenti

TOU R

A NEW SPIN ON SANDWICHESLaunched in July, Gaztro-Wagon (773.942.6152, gastro-wagon.com) slings creative sandwiches on Indian naan bread—

the owners call them “Naan-wiches.” Options include the “Fidel Gaztro,” made with pork

shoulder, ham, and Manchego cheese. The truck can cater city events for as many as 300 guests, working curbside, dropping off snacks, or setting up shop at an on-site kitchen.

A minimum order of 75 sandwiches is required to take the truck off the streets, but there is no hourly charge. Sandwiches range from $7 to $12 apiece. —J.B.

CATERI NGThe Bristol in Wicker Park participates in Flight tours

Gaztro-Wagon’s Naan-wiches

Discover a world of possibilities for your next event. Indulge the imagination of your guests in the Museum of Science and Industry’s inspiring spaces and exhibits. Contact your personal event coordinator to bring the essence and style of your event to life. From fun to phenomenal, we plan events for every taste.

57th and Lake Shore Drive | (773) 753-2583 | Convenient Indoor Parking | msichicago.org/specialevents

WORLD-FAMOUS MUSEUM.WORLD-CLASS EVENTS.

how will we transform you?

INSIDE EDGE

Kendall College Debuts Riverwalk

Union Station’s Great Hall Cools Off

Dressing Up The Field Museum


Forecast

The AppLounge at the 2010 London Design Festival featured a curated selection of ebooks, MP3s, and online services. The sleek pop-up is a stylish example of how to showcase digital products.

1.

For the Hotel Plaza Athénée Paris’s (plaza-athenee-paris.com) new winter menu, head pastry chef Christophe Michalak created “Chestnut,” a rum baba with vanilla chantilly cream, spiky points of meringue, and chestnut Bavarian cream.

2. Ideal for events without bartenders, Vino Solo combines a 187-milliliter bottle of wine with a plastic drinking fl ute. It’s available through Philadelphia-based KDM Global Partners (215.509.7500, kdmglobalpartners.com). Custom labels can be made with a company’s logo.

6. Central Florida-based paper goods company Rifl e Paper Co. has a charming blog (rifl emade.squarespace.com) where owner Anna Bond shares her latest projects and design obsessions, from vintage book covers to retro interiors.

Whether in shades of tangerine, pumpkin, or—as Pantone calls it—“coral rose,” orange was one of the hottest color trends during the spring 2011 shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

4. Available November 16, the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Cookbook from Clarkson Potter commem-orates 10 years of the festival

with chef interviews, recipes, and other behind-the-scenes tidbits from director Lee Brian Schrager.

10.Three feeds worth following on Twitter:

The Design Observer Group (@designobserver) delivers newsy updates on worldwide “design, culture, change.”

For cultural, political, and just plain inspirational tweets, Yoko Ono (@yokoono) fi ts the bill.

Zappos C.E.O. Tony Hsieh (@zappos) mixes thoughts on marketing and business with daily (often funny) musings.

7. The long-gestating Broadway show Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (spidermanonbroadway.marvel.com), directed by Julie Taymor—known for her groundbreaking spectacles—with music by Bono and the Edge from U2, debuts November 14 at Foxwoods Theatre in New York.

8. 9.

On My Radar“The chic fashion line Leroy and Perry (leroyand perry.com) has delighted me in spades with its

inventive reuse of soda cans this fall. The fi ne sprays of sequins that give a little sparkle to a new line of shift dresses are, in fact, fashioned from recycled pop cans. Super cool, right?” David Stark, president and creative director, David Stark Design and Production, New York

11.

Ideas, products, and just plain cool stuff to have on your radar. By LISA CERICOLA

The Lacoste Show

3. Ideal for meetings and presentations, the Edifi er Soundbar USB ($49.99, available at store.apple.com in December) is a 10-inch speaker that con-nects to a laptop through a USB port and emits stereo-quality sound.

5. Running from November 17 to May 15, 2011, at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design (212.299.7777, mad

museum.org), the “Global Africa Project” is an ex-tensive exhibit of contemporary Af-rican art, design, and craft, as well as an exploration

of the socioeco-nomic impact of

art-making in local communities.

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Need a Hand?

Need a Chance?Check Out the BizBash Volunteer Board

at www.bizbash.com/volunteer


By JENNY BERG

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Meet Up, Then Tee Up Wood Dale’s TopGolf, which offers a live-ball driving range with computer-ized scoring, got a rooftop beer garden in August. Equipped with a fi re pit, a live performance area, and 26 hit-ting bays, the alfresco space can host events for 150. The venue’s lower levels house three areas that can host pri-vate events: Its executive suites hold 100, the Bayview Lounge has space for 80, and a meeting room with a 52-inch fl at-screen TV and Polycom conference equipment holds 14. (699 West Thorn-dale Ave., 630.595.4653)

Venues

A New Spot for Green Meetings The fi rst Chicago location of the JW Marriott hotel was slated to open in November. In a Daniel Burnham-designed bank building, which just got a $396 million renovation, the venue will offer 609 guest rooms, a 20,000-square-foot spa, a fi ne-dining restaurant, and a combined bar and lounge. Some 44,000 square feet of meeting space will include two ball-rooms and more than 30 breakout rooms; green meeting packages will be available. (151 West Addams St., 312.660.8200)

A Working-Lunch Destination Benny’s Chop House opened in River North in April. The restaurant dishes out U.S.D.A. prime steaks, oysters, pasta, and classic side dishes, such as creamed spinach and hand-cut fries. In the back, a private dining room equipped with Wi-Fi can seat 40 to 50, or hold 75 for recep-tions. Built into the wall, a fl at-screen TV hooks up to laptops and DVD players for presentations. The room also offers a rolling champagne cart for tableside drink service. (444 North Wabash Ave., 312.626.2444)

Kitchen Confi dential The Riverwalk at Kendall College opened at the hospitality school in September. The 1,890-square-foot raw space has Art Deco-style black-and-white fl oors and holds 100 inside. The venue offers views of the river and city skyline, though window coverings can block the sun to create meeting settings. An outdoor space can hold an additional 100. The college’s in-house event department currently handles its func-tions, letting students set up, work, and cook for events. (900 North Branch St., 312.752.2196)

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ENTERTAINING OPTIONS OR TO SCHEDULE

A TOUR OF RAVINIA’S INDOOR DINING SPACE, CONTACT GROUP SALES AT

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OFF-SEASON BOOKINGS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RAVINIA FESTIVAL DONORS. FOR INFORMA-TION ON SUPPORTING THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT FESTIVAL, PHONE 847-266-5033.

HOST YOUR PARTIES AND SPECIAL EVENTS AT RAVINIA ANY TIME OF THE YEAR.• CORPORATE MEETINGS • BAR MITZVAHS • WEDDINGS • ANNIVERSARIES • RECEPTIONSLIVE CONCERTS. DINING. BAR SERVICE. DECOR AND MORE. INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACES AVAILABLE.

SET THE STAGE FOR YOUR NEXT PARTY AT NORTH AMERICA’SOLDEST AND MOST PRESTIGIOUS OUTDOOR MUSIC FESTIVAL.

WWW.RAVINIA.ORG2010 CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA DONOR TICKETS ON SALE NOW. SUPPORT THEFESTIVAL FOR BEST SEATS TO RENEE FLEMING, PATTI LUPONE, JOSHUA BELL AND MORE.

27 bizbash.com january/february 2010

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EVENT REPORTS

Infl ation RateThe Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago celebrated its 50th anniversary with a bevy of balloons on September 11.

27


Triple PlayHBO staged three premieres for its new drama Boardwalk Empire: On the West

Coast, the gathering for 350 was designed as a national sales incentive for HBO’s internal digital network distribution team. The New York fete entertained an industry crowd of 1,000, while the Atlantic City affair was a consumer-targeted promotion for 500.

By ALESANDRA DUBIN & ANNA SEKULA

COAST TO COAST

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The Peterson Automotive Museum supplied vintage vehicles from the 1920’s.

Guests tried their luck at casino games for a buy-in of $500 in play money.

Caravents produced the September 16 soiree on the Santa Monica Pier, with carnival lights, supper club-style lounges, and gaming tables.

Carnival-style entertainers greeted guests at the entrance.

Signage evoked Prohibition-era posters.

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A large sign of the show’s name marked the entrance to the New York premiere party, which was produced by Invision Events at Rockefeller Center on September 15.

Atlantic City

New YorkAs a playful nod to Boardwalk Empire’s central character, Nucky Thompson, a cigarette girl handed out red carnation boutonnieres to arriving guests.

The 40-foot-long bar was resurfaced with vintage posters from 1920s Atlantic City.

To reference the seaside town, the buffet included lobster tail, steamed mussels, and king crab legs.

The 1,000-person bash was spread across Rink Bar, Sea Grill, and Rock Center Café.

The study at One Atlantic was turned into a gambling den with a live cigar roller.

HBO’s marketing team worked with Civic Entertainment Group and venue One Atlantic to produce the 500-person bash on September 16. Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks Orchestra performed for the crowd.

ON BIZBASH.COMMore photos and ideas from these events

Rock SolidLollapalooza returned with a bigger footprint, fancier snacks, and a diner for sneakers.

Mike Walker, operations manager at C3 Presents, slept in on August 7

until 4:25 a.m. The rest of the week, he was up by 4 a.m. and in Grant Park by 6 a.m. to take care of last-minute adjustments to the C3-produced Loll-apalooza, which took place August 6 through 8. “Anyone can put on an easy show,” Walker said. “Lollapalooza’s not easy.”

Though not exactly a cakewalk, the festival does have some structural elements that remain unchanged from year to year. The 2010 version, for example, stuck with previous iterations by having eight main stages, which saw performanc-es from headliners such as Lady Gaga, Green Day, Phoenix, and Soundgarden. But this year the event’s footprint expanded west of Columbus Drive, resulting in grounds that Walker said were about 25 percent larger than in 2009.

The new layout was intended to “improve the fl ow and make more room for patrons,” Walker said. “It’s better for everyone.” After a walkthrough during the Lady Gaga show, which drew close to 80,000 fans on Friday night, Walker noted that no particular area felt congested. Part of that, he said, was due to a new position for the V.I.P. cabanas, which corporations purchase to pro-vide air-conditioned—and bar-equipped—view-

ing space for clients. Perched atop a knoll in the park, the cabanas were moved farther back this year to provide more room for fans below.

New attractions included the Green Street Farmer’s Market, where Chicago eateries slung snacks made with local produce. Two so-called Chow Town areas, food courts on the park’s northern and southern sides, offered higher-end snacks than in previous years. With Graham Elliott Bowles as its culinary director—the fi rst in the festival’s history—Chow Town had everything from Sunda’s shrimp-tempura-and-cucumber sushi to strawberry-pie milkshakes from Hoosier Mama.

Sponsor activations included Adidas’s new “Mega Shoebox.” Built to look like a diner, the tem-porary room had sneakers housed on cake stands, staffers dressed like servers in a ’50s diner, and a photo booth. Sony and radio station Q101 were among the returning brands to sponsor on-site lounges. —Jenny Berg

LollapaloozaCatering Behind the Scenes Catering & Events, Designed Cuisine

Cleaning Services Clean Event

Construction Equipment Rentals Sunbelt Rentals

Decor, Event Management, Production, Video C3 Presents

Decor M&M The Special Events Company

Fencing National FenceFurniture Rentals, Linens, Rentals, Tenting Classic Party Rentals

Furniture Rentals C.O.R.T. Event Furnishings

Golf Carts RMI Golf CartsLighting Airstar Space Lighting, Christie Lites Inc.

Power AggrekoPR Fresh and Clean MediaPortable Restrooms, Sanitation Waste Management

Security Monterrey Security, NPB Companies Inc., S3: Safety Service Systems Inc.

Sound Clair Sound WorxStaging Stageco Staging Group

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As in the past, blown-up white letters above the entrance spelled out the festival’s name.

Performance schedules surrounded truss structures throughout the park.

At the Adidas Mega Shoebox, staffers dressed like waitresses from a ’50s diner.

Friday night’s headliner, Lady Gaga, performed on the Parkways Foundation Stage at the park’s southern end.

On festival grounds, classic Lollapalooza decor included shining stars.

Hope FloatsA nonprofi t celebrated its 50th anniversary with balloon center-pieces and polka-dot lights.

On September 11, the women’s board of the Rehabilitation Institute of

Chicago celebrated its 50th anniversary with a balloon-fi lled gala at the Chicago History Museum. Sophie Bross, Britt Taner, and Jennifer Tengelsen co-chaired the event, asking designer Bill Heffernan of Heffernan Morgan to give the fund-raiser the look

of an elegant birthday bash.Heffernan created two distinct

areas to house the cocktail recep-tion, dinner, and end-of-night dance party. Inside the museum, all-white lounge areas offered sofa seating and illuminated polka dots scat-tered across the ceiling. DJ Michael Smith spun lounge-y beats, and bunches of white balloons popped up throughout.

For dinner and the live auction, guests headed to a clear tent on the property’s back lawn. Done up in tones of green and purple, the tent’s decor centered on yet more balloons.

Fittingly, the three-course meal ended with a traditional birthday treat: Taste America prepared fl our-less chocolate cake. —Jenny Berg

The Women’s Board of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s Medicine BallCatering Off-Premise Events by Lettuce Entertain You, Taste America Catering

Decor Heffernan Morgan Inc.DJ Michael SmithInvitations Watel DesignLighting FrostLinens BBJ Linen, Cloth Connection

Printing Graphic Arts Studio Inc.

Rentals Hall’s RentalTenting Partytime Productions Inc.

Valet VIP ValetVenue Chicago History Museum

CHICAGO

Designer Bill Heffernan said he was going for a “chic, lounge-y look for cocktails and after-party dancing.”

Heffernan Morgan’s mirrored light boxes held arrangements of purple roses.PH

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WeekenderThrillist staged a branded hotel in Miami Beach with three days of parties.

Thrillist is no stranger to trip giveaways. In October the email newsletter staged

its Jet Mystery event, which fl ew 158 guests on JetBlue to a surprise location, Jamaica, for a three days of activities. In an effort to create a more grounded presence in one of its 16 markets, the New York-based company created the inaugural Hotel Thrillist in Miami Beach June 4 to 6.

“Thrillist recommends the best restaurants and nightclubs [in Miami], and our mission [with this initiative] was to showcase just that to a national audience,” said the company’s event manager, Ben Hindman. “We wanted people to be able to experience the brand as a local entity and not just an email.”

Thrillist ran national and local online sweepstakes for readers to win a hotel room at the Fontaineb-leau, which Thrillist rebranded with signage and designated activity areas, and access to its sponsored events. About 200 people from around the country, plus 100 locals and national media, attended.

The festivities began on Friday night with a welcome reception

and dinner party in a hotel ballroom—moved from the back lawn when torrential rains and fl ooding that afternoon forced the party inside—with the hotel’s restaurants Scarpetta, Hakkasan, Gotham Steak, and Solo providing food stations for dinner and dessert. Singer Angela Laino and band Suénalo performed during the cocktail re-ception and dinner, respectively.

Saturday’s planned activities kicked off early with morning yoga on the beach led by Equinox Fitness Club instructors and a light breakfast at poolside eatery La Cote. Presenting sponsors Bac-ardi and Corona supplied poolside liquid libations throughout the day.

Other afternoon activities included music-spinning lessons from Scratch DJ Academy, ca-

poeira lessons from Miami Capoeira Project, tours and animal encoun-ters at Jungle Island exotic zoo, and mini massages from Equinox. DJ Elle spun for the majority of the day, and R&B singer Kat Deluna gave a special 30-minute concert complete with dancers on the pool deck.

That night Thrillist transported everyone to the South of Fifth neighborhood for a dinner party at Red’s rooftop event space. DJ Señor Stereo from event company Over-throw, fi re dancers, and the Miami Heat dancers entertained through-out the night.

The company held a farewell breakfast at Gotham Steak on Sunday morning before attendees checked out. —D. Channing Muller PH

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Hotel ThrillistCatering, Rentals, Venue Fontainebleau Hotel

Catering, Venue Red, the Steakhouse

Catering Gotham Steak, Hakkasan, Scarpetta, Solo at the Fontainebleau

Costumes, DJ, Entertainment, Makeup, Staffi ng Overthrow

DJs DJ Elle, Scratch DJ Academy

Entertainment, Venue Jungle Island

Entertainment Miami Capoeira Project, Suénalo, The Gurkha Cigars

Sound Southern Audio Visual

Transportation Coastal Car Worldwide

Equinox Fitness Club conducted morning yoga sessions on the beach behind the hotel.

Hakkasan served steamed sea bass topped with soya bean at its food station on Friday night.

Red, the Steakhouse and Gotham Steak chefs participated in a barbecue competition on Saturday afternoon.

Guests who signed up for the Jungle Island tour Saturday morning had hands-on experiences with the zoo’s residents.

34 bizbash.com november/december 2010

Cloud NineGlowing Lucite and cellophane clouds decorated the Chicago Botanic Garden’s summer benefi t.

June was a rainstorm-heavy month, but planners weren’t particularly

concerned about the weather when it came to the Chicago Botanic Garden’s summer dance on June 25. The fund-raiser followed a formula that’s been in place since it began seven years ago: After alfresco cocktails on the esplanade, guests head-ed to a decked-out tent for dinner and dancing.

“The garden is stunning rain or shine,” co-chair Stephanie Harris said. “In case of rain, we would have used more of the beautiful indoor space that already exists at the Botanic Garden, in addition to the fantastic tent.” But ultimately, the only clouds on Friday were of the Heffernan Morgan-designed variety.

Bill Heffernan said his design scheme was in-tended to look “contemporary, fresh, and clean.” In the tent, clear Lucite chairs framed custom white lacquer tables, and illuminated centerpieces held color-blocked bunches of orchids. For the crown-ing touch, Heffernan used thousands of sheets

of cellophane and chromed lightbulbs to design 16 cloudlike chandeliers. As night fell, a pink lighting scheme gave the fl oating fi xtures a raspberry-hued glow.

Ultimately, “we wanted to keep the traditions that were set out in years past, but add a bit of a younger, modern edge to [the event],” said Harris, whose fellow co-chairs included her mother-in-law, Caryn Harris. The event drew 406 guests and raised nearly $425,000 for the garden’s conser-vation, education, and research programs. —Jenny Berg PH

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Chicago Botanic Garden’s Summer DanceCatering Calihan CateringEntertainment Gentlemen of Leisure Band

Decor, Design, Flowers Heffernan Morgan Inc.

Furniture Rentals Hall’s Rental

Lighting FrostLinens BBJ LinenTenting HDO TentingValet Sidney’s Valet Services Inc.

Venue Chicago Botanic Garden

CHICAGO

As night fell, Frost employed LED and automated lighting effects to animate the raspberry-colored cloud chandeliers.

Heffernan Morgan’s Bill Heffernan used thousands of sheets of cellophane and chromed lightbulbs to create 16 custom chandeliers.

Calihan Catering’s offerings included shrimp cocktail.

After cocktails, dinner and dancing took place in a clear tent from HDO.

Heffernan’s four-foot-long centerpieces incorporated glowing white Lucite cubes and color blocks of raspberry, gold, and purple orchids.

The clear tent housed 40 custom white lacquer dinner tables and clear Lucite chairs.

Tight SqueezeLoyola University pulled off its Founders’ Dinner without a loading dock.

On June 19, Loyola Chicago Univer-sity hosted its Founders’ Dinner

for 817 donors. The event followed the same format as its previous iteration, starting with cocktails in the library and culminating with dinner and entertainment in the decked-out gymnasium. But planners had a new challenge this year: The gym is undergoing construction, which led to limited access during the six-day build-out.

There was no working loading dock and several entrance points were closed off, so vendors could only access the building through one set of double doors. “As we were designing the space, we had to ensure that everything we took into consideration could fi t through those doors,” said the university’s director of special events, Richard Williams. “If it couldn’t fi t, it couldn’t be part of the design.” The solution, Williams

said, was simple—and malleable: “Lots of fabric.”

Williams said the look of this year’s event was “all fabric and lighting”—which, he added, was economical. “We used LED light-ing, which is much more afford-able than it used to be, to change the look throughout the night. We had fi ve different looks in all—all because of lighting.”

Though the event’s design was in place well in advance, one un-expected issue did pop up last minute. “I got an email from one of the vendors with the subject line: ‘Houston, we have a problem,’” said Williams. “None of us had thought of this, but the carpeting we wanted to use comes in 4- by 10-foot panels.” The carpeting could be rolled up into smaller strips, but the carts that rolled them into the gym would be wider than the double doors.

Ultimately, crew members removed a hinge from the top of the doors, which provided an extra three inches of space. The carts rolled in with half an inch of room on each side. —Jenny BergPH

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Loyola University Chicago’s Founders’ DinnerAudiovisual Production, Design, Lighting, Sound, Staging Centerstage Productions

Catering Blue PlateDecor, Design Event Creative

Entertainment The Chris Sarlas Orchestra

Flowers Flaire Design Studio, Ken Puttbach Designs

Furniture Rentals, Rentals Hall’s Rental

Linens BBJ LinenPhotography Steve Becker Photography

Printing Lowitz & SonsTenting Partytime Productions Inc.

Video John Hillman

CHICAGO

Fabric and lighting played heavily into the look of this year’s dinner.

Hors d’oeuvres from Blue Plate included blackened shrimp on crostini with prosciutto and mascarpone.

Flaire Design Studios provided fl owers, and Event Creative handled decor.

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Big ScoreThe Toronto International Film Festival opening gala paid tribute to a hockey musical.

In a nod to Score: A Hockey Musical—the opening night fi lm

at the 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival—organizers of the festival’s opening night gala on September 9 fi lled the Liberty Grand with concession stand fare (hot dogs and popcorn) and memorabilia ( jerseys, pennants, and hockey pucks) reminiscent of a small town hockey arena.

Barbara Hershenhorn of Party Barbara Co. planned and produced the event, which drew 3,000 guests, including Olivia Newton John and Nelly Furtado, both of whom star in the fi lm. Walter Gretzky, who has a cameo, also attended, posing for photographers on a bright orange carpet (the colour of the TIFF logo) outside the venue.

In an effort to replicate an arena, Hershenhorn worked with McWood Studios and National Sign & Design Group to turn the Artifacts Room into a pseudo ice rink. “The dance fl oor looked like a hockey rink with centre ice and the blue lines. And

we had dasher boards all around the rink with ad-vertising on them,” she said. The boards displayed sponsor names like Bell, RBC, Perrier-Jouët, Skyy Vodka, and Stella Artois.

DJ Jojo Flores spun tunes from an elevated DJ booth, draped in black and adorned with a 2004 Ontario Major Hockey League Division Champion-ship banner. Additional banners hung over a food station at the end of the room, where servers offered pizza and Caesar salad to guests, and hockey jerseys from the fi lm were suspended from the rafters.

In the Governor’s Room, a massive banner reading, “Hockey is air, hockey is water, hockey

is life,” hung from the ceiling and Iceculture displayed a 16-foot ice sculpture shaped like a hockey rink and dubbed it the TIFF Shooter Bar. The sculpture, which served as a ta-ble, held 144 shot glasses fi lled with Skyy Vodka. Servers dressed in black and white costumes reminiscent of referee outfi ts fl anked either side of the table.

“We tried to scale it down as much as you’d scale it down in a small town hockey arena,” said Hershenhorn, who worked with the Liberty Group to design a menu appropriate for a hockey crowd. The selection included Philly cheese steak sandwiches, all-beef grilled Kosher hot dogs, a poutine station, pizza, and Caesar salad. Dessert in-cluded chocolate hockey pucks and funnel cakes. —Susan O’Neill

Toronto International Film Festival Opening Night PartyCatering Liberty Grand Catering

Dance Floor, Signage National Sign & Design Group Inc.

Design, Event Management, Production Party Barbara Co.

DJ Jojo FloresFurniture Rentals Furnishings by Corey

Ice Sculpture Iceculture Inc.Audiovisual Production, Lighting Event Services Group

Props McWood StudiosRentals Chair-man MillsSecurity Star SecurityStaffi ng, Venue Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex

TORONTO

Barbara Hershenhorn of Party Barbara Co. draped the Artifacts Room in all white and used white sofas from Furnishings by Corey to give the space an icy feel.

Inspired by the opening night fi lm, Score: A Hockey Musical, the festival’s kick off gala had a dance fl oor that resembled an ice rink.

Iceculture used 9,000 pounds of ice to produce a hockey rink ice table dubbed the TIFF Shooter Bar, where guests could sample shots of Skyy Vodka.

Canadian designer Breeyn McCarney used fl owers to create a dress inspired by festival sponsor Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Epoque bottle.

Servers offered glasses of Perrier-Jouët at a bar in the V.I.P. lounge.

The Liberty Group served a selection of concession stand fare like pizza and hot dogs as well as passed hors d’oeuvres like jalapeno cheese poppers and crispy calamari.

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Fashion ForwardMacy’s gave Glamorama a new name and bright, trippy look.

Macy’s annual fall fashion show and after-party took place on August 13,

starting at the Chicago Theatre and continuing on to the State Street fl agship store. Formerly known as Glamorama, “The event is now Macy’s Passport Presents Glamorama,” said Mike Gansmoe, the Minneapolis-based vice president of special productions for the Macy’s Parade and Entertain-ment Group. “We took two of our iconic fashion events—one of them being Glamorama, the other being Passport—and melded them into one over-the-top production.”

Macy’s Passport events have tra-ditionally taken place in Los Angeles and San Francisco, while Glamorama has been a signature production at the store’s Minneapolis and Chicago locations. To produce the hybrid event, “We combined the [Macy’s] creative teams from San Francisco and the Midwest, and took the best elements from both shows to create one uber-cool event,” Gansmoe said. He explained that Macy’s Passport

productions include dance sequences while the Glamorama events offer a headline performer.

At this year’s show, Macy Gray and Eric Hutchinson sang, and a high-energy dance number accompanied a presentation of the new Material Girl clothing line, an exclusive-to-Macy’s collection that Madonna designed with her daughter, Lourdes. Dancers also appeared in front of a screen that showcased video-game characters doing the same steps, and the number promoted Kinect system for Xbox 360, which hit stores in November.

While the Passport events have traditionally included runway fashion shows, Glamorama pre-sentations take place on a proscenium stage. “The proscenium setting allows us to change the scen-

ery in a split second,” Gansmoe said. “We can go to a blackout, and all of the sudden the lights come up and it’s a completely different look on the stage, which is part of the magic.”

The after-party, too, was “all about the magic,” said Frost de-signer Dennis Remer. “It was about creating overall environments that were magical and visually intrigu-ing for people. There was some-thing happening everywhere you looked.” Spread out over the store’s seventh fl oor, the party offered a variety of settings that took visual cues from everything from Avatar to The Wizard of Oz and the ocean fl oor; the archives area became what Remer described as a “trippy poppy den.” —Jenny Berg

Macy’s Passport Presents GlamoramaAudiovisual Production, Sound Plus One AV

Catering, Venue One Eleven Events/Macy’s Catering & Event Space

Decor Bungalow 6 Design, Moss Inc.

Design, Lighting, Staging, Video Frost

DJ DJ RexEntertainment Dennis Watkins

Flowers Bukiety Inc.Linens BBJ Linen—ChicagoModels Factor Women, Ford Models, L.A. Models

PR Liz Kores Public Relations, So Dressed Up

Printing, Signage Lake Media Services Inc.

Signage Graphix ShoppeVenue The Chicago Theatre

CHICAGO

The show’s backdrop was a 40-foot-wide by 50-foot-tall LED screen. “It was the largest LED wall we’ve ever done in the show,” said Macy’s Mike Gansmoe.

Headliner Macy Gray closed the show.

Frost designer Dennis Remer used illuminated pink fl owers to create what he called “a sort of trippy poppy den or a Jack and the Beanstalk experience.”

In the Narcissus room, the inspiration was “under the sea,” Remer said. “Jellyfi sh were hanging around, and there were projections of sublime aquatic videos.”

A so-called “candy garden” offered treats ranging from See’s chocolates to gumdrops to miniature cones stuffed with s’mores.

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Gin CostumeHendrick’s Gin staged croquet tournaments with a railroad-tycoon dress code and cucumber trophies.

According to Jun Hirst, senior brand manager for Hendrick’s Gin at

William Grant & Sons, Hendrick’s is “the most un-usual gin in the world.” Handmade in Scotland, infused with rose petals and cucumbers, and stored in a dark, stout apothecary bottle, the product fi rst became avail-able in the United States 10 years ago. “One of the most important reasons for Hendrick’s success is the fact that bartenders across the land embraced our most unusual gin from the start,” Hirst said.

To thank its cocktail-mixing clientele, the brand staged a multi-city bartenders’ croquet tourna-ment this summer and fall. The event, which landed at Chicago’s Soldier Field on July 16 and was scheduled to wrap up in Austin on November 8, intended to “bring to life the world of Hendrick’s Gin,” Hirst said.

Out-of-the-ordinary details started with the location and concept. “In the spirit of all things unusual,” Hirst said, “we felt that asking bartenders to put down their shakers and jig-gers, and taking them away from their normal habitat—the bar—to pick up a mallet for a spot of competitive croquet would be a marvelously different way to sip Hendrick’s Gin cocktails.”

On Soldier Field’s Stadium Green, guests sipped mixed drinks and fl owery gin punch from tea-cups and hollowed-out cucumbers. Around them, croquet competitors used branded mallets and vied for the Hendrick’s trophy, which was topped with a large cucumber.

Also rather uncommon was the dress code on the invitation, which urged guests to “don your best railroad tycoon, Upton-Sinclair in-spired, Baroque, Rococo, Victorian, or Edwardian garb.” Mixologists from venues such as Gilt Bar, Sable, and the Drawing Room came dressed in eclectic gear—everything from avia-tor caps to parasols—while event staffers wore top hats, coattails, and frilly bloomers. —Jenny Berg

Hendrick’s Gin Bartender Croquet TournamentCatering Prime Food Caterers

Collateral, Invitations, Signage Quaker City Mercantile

Decor, Event Management, Staffi ng Momentum Worldwide

Flowers Ronsley Special Events

Furniture Rentals, Linens, Tenting Classic Party Rentals

Gifts InnerworkingsPhotography GophoPR Maloney & FoxProps Zap PropsTransportation Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co.

Venue Soldier Field

CHICAGO

The Salty Dogs Jazz Band of Chicago entertained.

Because the gin is infused with cucumbers and rose petals, fl ower arrangements comprised bunches of red roses in tall vases fi lled with cucumber slices.


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Masterpiece TheaterAt the Lacma Pavilion debut, projections animated art under a dreamy dinner tent.

There’s a renewed sense of heft and vigor within Los Angeles’s

art community, with big hoopla surrounding the city’s institutions in recent years. Adding to that air of importance is the Los Angeles County Muse-um of Art’s new Lynda & Stewart Resnick Exhibi-tion Pavilion, made possible by funding from that philanthropic family. The new space, designed by architect Renzo Piano, opened with a masquerade gala on September 25 for 1,000 guests.

Lacma C.E.O. and Wallis Annenberg direc-tor Michael Govan, president Melody Kanschat, and vice president of development Terry Morello oversaw the event under the ever-watchful eye of Lynda Resnick herself.

Building the evening’s drama early, guests entered the gala upon a red carpet that snaked through Chris Burden’s “Urban Light” sculpture—the lamppost art installation off Wilshire Boule-vard—where a troupe of entertainers in Venetian costume danced to a live pianist. They moved next into the galleries, where the three inaugural exhibitions were open for view.

Next, guests moved into the tent, where they sat for dinner by Patina Catering at Lacma and entertainment by the Canadian Tenors. The evening’s grand fi nale performance came from Christina Aguilera, who belted hits “Beautiful” and “Fighter.”

But perhaps the biggest attraction under the tent were the seamless projections, which rotated throughout the evening. MegaVision Arts created the content for the projections on the walls and ceiling of the tent, and the look was based on the Resnicks’ request to have their guests feel as if they were standing on the veranda of a Venetian palazzo, and to bring the art collection to life. Looks included an animated fresco, a sunset scene with Venetian masks appearing on the walls, and a grand fi nale with projected fi reworks synchronized to music. The animated ceiling used 24 high-powered digital projectors blended together to create a seamless 130- by 130-foot overhead canvas. The same techniques painted full-motion moving scenery on the 130- by 35-foot fabric-covered tent walls.

Immediately following the gala’s close, glitter-cov-ered guests made their way back to the Resnick Pavil-ion for the Ultimat Vodka- and Moët & Chandon-sponsored “Avant-Garde After-Party,” where the Chapin Sisters per-formed. —Alesandra Dubin

Lacma’s Resnick Pavilion Opening GalaCatering Patina GroupCreative Direction, Design, Production J. Ben Bourgeois Productions

Flowers James RomoloFurniture Rentals Luxe Event Rentals & Decor

Greens, Hedging Jackson Shrub Supply Inc.

HVAC, Staging Special Event Contractors

Orchestra, Ancillary Entertainers Lynne Gordon Entertainment

Permits Jimmy’s Permit Services

PR PMK-BNCProjection, Content MegaVision Arts

Lighting, Projectionist, Projectors, Technical Direction Brite Ideas

Rentals, Tenting Classic Party Rentals

Draping, Scenic Rock Steady Productions

Security, Venue Los Angeles County Museum Of Art

Sound Westcoast Sound Inc.

Valet Athena Parking, Z Valet

LOS ANGELES

Guests entered the gala on a red carpet that snaked through the “Urban Light” sculpture by Chris Burden, where entertainers in Venetian costume danced to a live pianist.

Towering spheres of roses decorated dinner tables.

Art from the Resnicks’ collection came to life by way of projections under the dinner tent.

Christina Aguilera performed with an orchestra.

Chicago’s ultimate venue is getting even cooler! Come Spring 2011, the elegant, historic and

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Locally SourcedThe Green City Market fund-raiser expanded with more guests, chefs, and sponsors.

On July 15, approximately 2,000 guests—many armed with trays—

lined the fence outside Lincoln Park’s Green City Market for the Chef’s Barbecue, which raised $210,000 for the organization. “It was certainly intimidating when guests fi rst arrived at the event,” said the market’s executive director, Lyle Allen, who added that last year’s event drew clos-er to 1,800 guests. “But we got everyone in within 15 minutes, so we really have the procedures in place to accommodate such a large crowd.”

Along with a higher guest count, this year’s walk-around tasting had more restaurant partici-pants than last year. With stations from approxi-mately 90 local eateries and bars, Allen estimated that participation was up by 20 to 25 percent. “It speaks to the general movement that’s going on in Chicago,” he said. “People are becoming very interested in local food sources, and chefs are leading the way with that. There’s no other city in the country that has such a connection between chefs and farmers, and more and more [Chicago-based] chefs are developing partnerships with farmers.”

Such partnerships were evident in the evening’s menu, which offered foods that local chefs prepared with ingredients from the market. Snacks included watermelon-tomato kebabs with grilled pork belly from Boka Restaurant Group, Chilam Balam’s squash-blossom quesadillas with jack cheese and spicy Heirloom tomato salsa, and pig cheeks with grilled peaches and pickled pep-pers from Sugar Toad. (“I feel my pork-to-blood ratio rising,” one guest commented.)

In the cocktail tent, local mixologists also made use of market goods, whipping up drinks with ingredients that ranged from strawberry-rhubarb syrup to sage leaves and local honey.

Other changes included a V.I.P. area replete with Tablescapes lounge furniture, waiter service from Limelight Catering, and tasting stations from high-end establishments like Naha and the Four Seasons Hotel. “We really wanted to raise the V.I.P. component up a notch this year,” Allen said. “This is the fi rst year we saw really signifi -

cant sponsors sign on, so we wanted to create a very invit-ing experience for those guests.” Back-ers included Wirtz Beverage Illinois, the Chicago Park District, Organic Val-ley, Hinkley Springs, and Intelligentsia. —Jenny Berg

Green City Market’s Chef’s BBQCatering, Event Management, Production, Staffi ng Limelight

DJ, Sound Fig Media Inc.Furniture Rentals, Linens, Rentals Tablescapes Party Rentals

Invitations, Signage Dot Press

PR Grapevine Public Relations

CHICAGO

Chefs from Sixteen at the Trump Tower Chicago grilled giant loaves of bread for sandwiches.

NoMi chefs roasted TJ’s free-range poultry for beer can chicken.

Rick Bayless—the chef behind Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, and Xoco—served grilled pork belly tacos that incorporated ingredients from Midwestern farms.

Sixteen’s sandwiches were stuffed with barbecued short ribs, Asian slaw, and pickled beet puree.

MK served snow cones with market fruit syrups. Instead of a traditional table, the restaurant used an ice cream truck for its tasting station.

The event was held in Lincoln Park, the home of the Green City Market on summer Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Story TimeMass General’s Storybook Ball returned with an Aladdin theme.

The Park Plaza Castle went from raw space to magic-carpet ride on Octo-

ber 2, as Mass General Hospital for Children re-turned to the venue for its 11th annual Storybook Ball after a one-year hiatus. The event brought with it an over-the-top Aladdin theme.

More than 450 guests entered the castle to an Arabian bazaar—designed by Rafanelli Events creative director Billy Evers—where attention to detail was apparent, from the bold-colored linens

to servers wearing fezzes and carrying Middle Eastern-themed hors d’oeuvres from Max Ultimate Food.

“For a space like this, you have to go with scale for impact,” said Evers. “Little jewels on the table aren’t go-ing to have the same impact as huge, real palm trees on the edge of the dance fl oor. Rather than do fl orals every-where, we created effects with scale—like huge palm trees.” Evers and his team

also created the illusion of a dropped ceiling by draping hot pink and orange fabric panels about 30 feet from the actual ceiling. To further solidify the spice-market vibe, rows of globe lights and fi ve-foot iron lanterns fi lled with candles accented the ceiling.

The cocktail hour gave guests a chance to try specialty drinks with names like the Magic Lamp, Prince Ali, and Rosie Dream. Guests also got to play games sponsored by Sports Club/LA, Jonathan Adler, Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, among others, who also provided prizes. Following a three-course dinner by Max Ultimate Food, guests heard from a former MGH for Children patient about the treatment that saved her life. Next up was Boston funnyman Lenny Clarke, who donned a gold turban to play auctioneer. Guests then took to the dance fl oor for the remainder of the eve-ning. —Erin L. SouzaPH

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Mass General Hospital for Children’s Storybook BallAudiovisual Production AVFX Inc.

Catering Max Ultimate Food

Design, Production Rafanelli Events

DJ, Entertainment Klass Entertainment

Draping Rose DesignsEntertainment Creative Event Services

Flowers Winston FlowersLighting Port Lighting Sytems

Photobooth Michael Blanchard Photography

Rentals Be Our Guest Inc.Rentals, Security Peterson Party Center

Rentals Rentals UnlimitedSignage Seaport GraphicsStaging United Staging and Rigging

Venue The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers

BOSTON

Tabletops were covered with bold-colored linens and glasses, candlelit iron lanterns, and stacks of plates for shareable appetizers.

Dancers performed in Aladdin-inspired costumes.

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bizbash.com july/august 2010 45

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Subway SeriesThe sandwich company’s post-conference gala featured models, break dancers, and rollerskating butterfl ies.

“Eat Fresh” is Subway’s well-known tagline. So when the sandwich com-

pany hosted a gala on the last night of its annual convention in July, planners went for a “fresh buzz” vibe. Joel Whitten, the Connecticut-based meetings and event manager at Subway Fran-chise World Headquarters, tapped destination management company In the Loop-Chicago to produce the happening, which drew some 3,500 guests to the Skyline Ballroom at McCormick Place.

How does one bring a fresh, energizing atmosphere to a conven-tion center ballroom? In the Loop built three thematic pavilions—the Clubway, the Parkway, and Subway Stadium—to evoke, respectively, an energetic dance party, a whimsical park, and a sports stadium. Then,

producers called in the cheerleaders, break danc-ers, ballerinas, and—oh, yes—human pinwheels and butterfl ies on roller blades.

Throughout the evening, activities and enter-tainment took place in all three pavilions. In the Clubway, fake paparazzi snapped photos of guests and the ballerina and the break dancer went head-to-head in a staged dance-off.

Runway fashion shows, called “Project Subway,” showcased models in garb made out of the company’s packaging materials. An M.C. provided tongue-in-cheek commentary. “This next

creation,” he said, “uses all recycled material and is inspired by the foot-long chicken breast sandwich, on wheat, with extra Southwest sauce. Very spicy.”

In the Parkway, mimes, jug-glers, and a rollerskating butterfl y circulated while a cellist played classical music and three chalk artists drew colorful patterns on a fake sidewalk. Meanwhile, outside the Subway Stadium, cheerleaders chanted “Go subs, go.” Inside the sporty space, which was stocked with foosball tables and arcade games, acrobats and double-dutch jump ropers performed. —Jenny Berg

Subway’s “Celebrate Subway” ConventionAudiovisual Production, Lighting, Sound InVNT

Catering Chicago Restaurant Partners

Decor Ivan Carlson & Associates

DJ DJ Dave AlvarezEntertainment Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team, Collaboraction, Custom Comedy Capers, Right On Band

Event Management In the Loop-Chicago

Game Rentals Amusement Masters

Photography Kardas Photography

CHICAGO

At the center of the Parkway, a skirted platform held a gazebo area with hanging fl owers and candles, ivy, copper pots, and a fountain.

Eight models participated in the fashion show.

Ten-foot-tall glowing pillars surrounded the area known as the “Clubway.”

Right On Band performed ’70s hits in the Clubway.

Decor in the Clubway included yellow, green, and orange glow spheres atop fabric-skirted platforms. The color scheme nodded to the hues of the Subway logo.

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Patriot ActGlenn Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally drew more than 300,000 to theLincoln Memorial.

Glenn Beck may wear his politics on his sleeve during his

primetime talk show and his many other appear-ances, but on August 28 he put politics aside for his Restoring Honor rally at the Lincoln Memorial. Purportedly designed to honor our armed forces and celebrate American values, the event drew more than 300,000 people from across the coun-try. During its peak, the crowd stretched from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument, fi lling the area around the Refl ecting Pool as well as adjacent fi elds.

To help oversee and plan the rally, Beck and his team tapped CSI—Capitol Services’ senior op-erations manager Kelley Gillespie. A veteran plan-ner with several large-scale events on the Mall under her belt, the Restoring Honor rally marked the largest event she has produced. Gillespie and her team of 30 planners worked for near-ly a year to plan the four-hour rally, which required more than 40 pages of permits, a production crew of 150, a six-day setup, and the assistance of 11 police and government agencies.

With temp-eratures reaching into the 90s and a tense political atmosphere due to Beck’s and guest speaker Sarah Pa-lin’s political views, health and security were the biggest concerns for plan-ners. Although security concerns never became a factor and the speakers stayed true to their no-politics mandate, the nine medical stations saw plenty of action from heat-related issues. In an at-tempt to control any widespread heat issues, the producers handed out more than 75,000 bottles of water and set up nine cooling stations to keep the crowd cool and hydrated.

Another challenge was fi nding a way to keep the massive crowd organized. Working with the Na-tional Park Service and Park Police, organizers divided the area into eight safety zones. The space in between the zones allowed for lim-ited mobility and secured space for each of the nine LED walls provided by Video Walltronics. —T.J. WalterPH

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Restoring Honor RallyCatering Design Cuisine Caterers

Event Management CSI—Capitol Services Inc.

Production National Events L.L.C.

Rentals DC RentalTenting Capital Party Rentals

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The stage was set at the base of the Lincoln Memorial, which provided a picturesque background for the more than 300,000 attendees.

Glenn Beck offered the opening and closing remarks.

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2010 bizbash national venue guide 151

New York

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Although economic turbulence has tempered the intended fl urry of venue openings and renovations in New York this year, it didn’t bring the city to a halt. In fact, some of the bigger projects—two new baseball stadiums, the park on the High Line, and Lincoln Center’s massive overhaul—debuted in 2009, while chefs spawned more casual eateries to match the change in diner preferences. However, the biggest change will come in 2010, when the city’s only convention center unveils an expansion and renovates its existing space. By ANNA SEKULA

The High Life Straddling the High Line, André Balazs’s Standard New York drew attention before it was even complete. Designed by Polshek Partnership, this 337-room property offi cially opened in September. For events, there’s the High Line Room and Terrace on the third fl oor, which has views of the Hudson River and holds 250 for receptions. The hotel also offers the 285-seat Standard Grill with an adjacent garden room for events, as well as the 18th-fl oor bar dubbed Bon Bon. (848 Washington St., 212.645.4646, standardhotels.com)

ON BIZBASH.COM/NEWYORKThe latest venue news, reports from recent events, and a comprehensive directory of local suppliers and venues

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The event industry can be defi ned as much by the

fi nancial (a shaky economic recovery) as the frivolous

(fancy cocktails! food trucks!). Summarizing this year

means looking at how those different forces collid-

ed. In addition to identifying the biggest trends, we

also spoke to a couple of planners who persevered

in the face of a challenging year: They launched

new projects. They remade existing endeavors

to adapt to the current climate. And they put

on ambitious projects that proved the ongoing

power of events as marketing tools.

Target staged a fashion and light show on the facade of the Standard hotel in New York as part of its roster of dramatic event initiatives. More on the retailer’s strategy is on page 58.

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2010ON BIZBASH.COMMore photos and details from the events featured here, plus 10 local highlights from nine markets

52

House PartiesWhether to add a sense of comfort or exclusivity, private residences were a popular venue choice.

Toronto’s Best PR Boutique hosted a media preview event in a 4,500-square-foot suite inside a private home in August.

In August, Toronto’s Bridle Bash Foundation held its annual fund-raiser in the backyard of a residential home, drawing 1,500 guests.

In April, New Balance held a media launch for its toning sneaker line in a fi ve-story mansion in New York.

Private Residence, a new event space in Miami, is the former home of its owner, local entrepreneur Debbie Ohanian, and has been redesigned to accommodate private parties.

In March, World Festival—a fund-raiser benefi ting chef Art Smith’s Chicago-based Common Threads charity—offered tasting stations from 70 chefs, including Rick Bayless and television personality Nigella Lawson.

Following a Katy Perry concert, chef Mario Batali did a cooking demo in Times Square at the June launch of the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta.

FAVORITE TREND OF 2010: “The use of dining options other than a 72-inch round and banquet chairs. We’ve seen people use a captain’s table, create booth seating with sofas and ottomans, and opt for a square or trianglar table. Many are using club chairs for table ends and linenless options.” Lindsay Cosimi, account executive, Room Service Furniture & Rentals, Orlando

BEST OF 2010

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival had a long roster of chef appearances and demos this winter—including one by Michael Symon in one of KitchenAid’s two tents at the Grand Tasting Village.

THE STAR CHEF FACTOR As the ranks of food celebrities continued to grow, they headlined tasting events, crowded attendee lists on press releases, and gave their names to menus—whether or not they actually prepared any food.

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Lexus created a 9- by 9-foot video wall of iPads and iTouch screens to present interactive information about its new hybrid vehicle for its Dark Side of Green Tour, held across the U.S. this summer.

At AOL’s partner summit in New York in April, staffers used iPads to check in attendees.

In August, Lexus unveiled its new hybrid vehicle in Toronto with an event produced by AMCI and Attention Span. Custom iPad applications gave guests details about the car and let them map out a downtown route.

On Heineken’s nationwide Inspire Tour this summer, Relevent Group brought in computer stations, where brand ambassadors with iPads invited attendees to share what inspired them. The messages were then posted to screens.

Guerrilla Marketing

To tout the show Covert Affairs in July, USA Network dispatched 40 models masquerading as the show’s lead character, C.I.A. agent Annie Walker. The troop paraded past high-traffi c public areas to silently spread the message.

For the 2010 Upfronts in New York in May, NBC promoted its slogan “More Colorful” with a group of brightly hued cabs that drove around Midtown before stopping in front of the Hilton for the network’s presentation.

In January, consumer reporting agency TransUnion staged large-scale public yoga classes in New York and Chicago.

Cheddar cheese maker Tillamook converted a VW vehicle into the Tillamook Loaf Love bus, which handed out samples throughout the western United States this spring.

THE YEAR OF THE IPAD Apple’s latest gadget was put to good use at events.

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Venues Get Cooking New event spaces added kitchens to showcase food prep and facilitate group cooking activities.

Also in Chicago, kitchen-equipped Logan Square Kitchen opened in September 2009.

Chicago’s Room 1520 opened in May with two commercial-style kitchens, a fi eldstone fi replace, and a lounge with plush seating.

In New York, the Andaz 5th Avenue offers a meeting and event space with an open, communal kitchen as the central gathering point.


Manhattan Cocktail Classic For the fi rst local festival exclusively dedicated to libations and the people who make them, Manhattan Cocktail Classic founder Lesley Townsend avoided juggling too much and limited her overhead by allowing the in-house market-ing and event departments of large spirits companies to take creative control of their setups at various events. Townsend took a crowdsourcing approach, which gave independent producers and companies the license to conceive events and pitch the ideas to brands. The Cocktail Classic saw more than 4,000 attendees at 70-plus events over a four-day run.

Amfar’s Inspiration Gala Series As a way to extend its footprint around the globe and boost its fund-raising efforts, the HIV and AIDS nonprofi t launched a new event series in 2010, a concept dubbed the Inspiration Gala that traveled to New York, Paris, and Los Angeles in its inaugural year. With men’s style as the inspirational focus, each city’s event was hosted

by Kylie Minogue, held at iconic locations, and tweaked to the local audience. New York’s 400-person gala at the New York Public Library on June 3 included a 52-model runway show and raised more than $400,000, while the more intimate 150-guest dinner at Maxim’s de Paris in Paris on June 25 involved a perfor-mance by famed chanteuse Arielle Dombasle and brought in $175,000.

Pepsi’s Idea Seminar Tour and Refresh Project Marketing Initiative In February, Pepsi un-expectedly opted to forgo a Super Bowl commercial, choosing to al-locate funds to the Refresh Project, a marketing platform to boost its commitment to sustainable growth. This experimental consumer pro-gram awards more than $20 million in grants to consumers with ideas about how to improve their com-munities and the world. To generate awareness of the online program, Pepsi hosted a six-city seminar tour for students between February and April. Pepsi succeeded in mobilizing thousands of customers through

social media and the offl ine gather-ings: As of September 1, 42 million votes had been cast online for more than 7,500 ideas, and the 256 ideas that received the grant are esti-mated to have infl uenced more than 200,000 people across the U.S.

Life Is Good Festival Boston-based apparel company Life Is Good joined forces with Superfl y Presents, the minds behind the Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, to introduce a new family-focused music festival in September. The two-day event brought 30,000 people—including

5,000 kids—to Canton’s Prowse Farm and raised $600,000 for the Life Is Good Kids Foundation. The roster of performers included kid-

centric artists such as Dan Zanes & Friends, as well as headliners Ben Harper, Guster, Corinne Bailey Ray, and Jason Mraz. “In the past we always tailored our [smaller] festi-

vals to be family-friendly, and this year was no different, but we also targeted young, single music fans,” said Bert Jacobs, Life Is Good’s chief executive optimist. “Many people in the music industry told us we wouldn’t be able to mix tattoos with toddlers. But we did just that, and there were no problems.”

Taste of Beverly Hills The date on September 2 of this year matched Beverly Hills’ famous ZIP code—as in 9-02-10—and this inaugural epicu-rean festival capitalized on the extra attention, as well as the long Labor Day weekend. The Taste of Beverly Hills offered samples from a broad array of the region’s top restaurants, cooking demonstrations from local and widely known chefs, wine tast-ings from more than 80 California vintners, and live music. The event took place on a three-plus-acre site with two 100- by 140-foot tasting pavilions. A 60- by 80-foot cooking demo tent had fully functional LG appliances. Best Events produced the programming, which drew an estimated 10,000 visitors, who scooped up an estimated 500,000 tastes. In a far-reaching marketing approach, organizers implemented a multimedia campaign that strategi-cally aligned traditional media with targeted online partners and social media outlets, and worked with participating restaurants to develop

FIRST TIME’S A CHARMLaunching new events in an uncertain economy can be risky. These gambles paid off.

BEST OF 2010

Bert Jacobs

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custom incentive programs each could use to promote the festival.

Hispanic Leadership Summit The Southern California-based Center for Hispanic Leadership hosted its inaugural summit in September in the Junior Achievement Finance Park Mike Curb Center for Free Enterprise. More than 200 corporate leaders and brands participated—beating organizers’ goal of 120. With big-name sponsors such as IBM, Xerox, Toyota, State Farm, and AOL on board, the summit doubled its spon-sorship goal. Attendees came from organizations like Pepsi, American Express, Coke, Aetna, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Ernest & Young, with more than 20 corporations each sending more than fi ve repre-sentatives from all over the country. A social media campaign was a driv-ing force behind the turnout.

NokiaTalk Taking note of re-search that says more than half of Facebook activity is conducted via mobile phones, Nokia hosted its fi rst social media conference May 24 to 26 in Miami’s design district. The company brought 100 bloggers, Web developers, and industry specialists from 12 countries in Latin America to the city for interactive speaker pan-els and collaborative sessions, which had attendees working together to create new industry standards and

documents such as “The 10 Rules of Social Media.” “We didn’t want it to just be one-way commu-nication, so we made it interac-tive by inviting a

lot of the bloggers to be speakers as well,” said Nokia social media com-munications manager Saulo Passos, who organized the event along with local event planning fi rm Siinc Agency. “It’s not just us telling them what to do; we are really engaging with them to tell us what to do.”

Bandwagon Roadshow After nearly 18 months of planning, this combined live music festival and car show debuted September 4 at Festival Field at the Orlando Citrus Bowl. Created by Jimi Beach, ex-ecutive producer at entertainment company Top Speed Adventures and a former producer on the Vans

Warped Tour, the event attracted an audience of 5,500 to its launch before being fi ne-tuned and starting an eight-city cross-country tour in April. “Some of the largest single-day events in the world are classic-car gatherings, but they don’t have much entertainment, so we decided to create a new touring property that brings out top headliners with top cars,” Beach said. Snoop Dogg headlined the kickoff.

Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo The Reed Exhibitions Pop Culture Group launched the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo in April. Held at McCormick Place, the three-day affair boasted 200 exhibitors, 175 panels and screen-ings, and appearances from industry heavyweights such as Neil Gaiman. Producer Lance Fensterman said that although Chicago has a strong community of comic-book enthu-siasts, it was challenging to build market awareness for the unprec-edented event. Reed’s strategy, he said, was to begin promotional efforts two years in advance in order to “motivate the hard-core fans to come interact with us,” by advertis-ing the event “through the channels where the fans live and breathe,” in-cluding blogs, podcasts, comic books, and movie theaters. The event ultimately drew 27,500 attendees, which Fensterman said was about

“5 percent short of a very aggressive goal. This is the second-best per-forming launch we’ve ever had.”

Patrón Tequila Epicurean Express After sending all of its executives to New Orleans to volunteer with the St. Bernard Project, a nonprofi t organization dedicated to rebuild-ing homes and providing mental health support for people affected by Hurricane Katrina and the recent oil spill, Patrón teamed up with the project for a fi ve-city, cocktail- and food-focused fund-raising tour. With Patrón’s 1927 antique railcar serving as the backdrop, each of the two-night stops was held on the tracks and featured New Orleans-based chefs serving hors d’oeuvres paired with Patrón cocktails. The tour at-tracted more than 700 people in Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, Los Angeles, and New Orleans, and raised $125,000 for the project.

Held in Chicago in May, the Butterfl y Ball had centerpieces of lilac trees and fl owers from local nurseries, which were replanted after the event.

Sneaky EcoGreen decor that doesn’t look like it was a rising trend.

Lexus’s booth at the New York International Auto Show in April was made of recycled and repurposed materials.

Saulo Passos

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NOT SO INDIE ANYMOREAs marketers look for new places to engage their target audiences, some events that started scruffy are incorporating slicker, business-minded elements.

At the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, grown-up brands such as American Express and Microsoft sponsored tents with air-conditioning, charging stations, and plenty of product placement.

Held in Los Angeles in March, the Independent Spirit Awards moved from an intimate beachside tent to a larger downtown venue with six sponsor tents, including an Elle magazine greenroom.

BEFORE THE EVENTTo promote a July catalog preview in New York, Ikea reached out to fans through Facebook, the Brooklyn store’s Twitter page, and IkeaFans.com, an independently run Web site with an audience of more than 150,000.

After deciding to relocate the Vans Warped Tour 10 days before the event, organizers used social media to spread the word to attendees, resulting in the same attendance as last year.

In July, Armani Exchange pro-moted its new fall line from a retro ice cream truck that made stops throughout Los Angeles. The store’s Twitter page alerted followers to the truck’s location and giveaways.

DURING THE EVENTThe 2010 Sundance Film Festival had

its own Tweethouse, which hosted panel discussions about social me-dia’s role in the fi lm industry during the day and parties in the evening, including a celebrity “tweet-up” to raise money for Haitian relief.

AFTER THE EVENTIn June, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté held a party in New York for its Belle d’Opium fragrance. The brand cre-ated a dedicated Web site to publicly document everything, from the on-site build-out to the Twitter posts from the night of the event.

Marc Ecko Cut & Sew’s fall/winter 2010 campaign featured multime-dia ads starring Lindsay Lohan that combined augmented reality and photography. At the August launch party in New York, attendees played with the technology on computers and then uploaded videos to social media sites.

BEST OF 2010

Social Lives Social media gave marketers new ways to woo attendees, get feedback, and extend the impact of events long after they ended.

Sundance’s Tweethouse

Marc Ecko’s campaign launch

The Vans Warped Tour

Armani Exchange’s truck

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WORST TREND OF 2010: “One ingredient too many—I’m getting sick of caterers feeling they need to show off and throwing every ingredient under the sun into each dish. Simpler fare done to perfection is the way to go.” Janet Abbazia, vice president of event marketing, Turner Broadcasting, New York

One of last year’s major new hotels in Washington, the W Washington D.C. has an 11th-fl oor rooftop bar overlooking the White House called the POV Roof Terrace.

Designer Michael McKinnon created a Gaga-inspired table, including napkins topped with sunglasses, for the New York Botanical Garden’s Orchid Dinner in February.

Going Gaga Lady Gaga delivered her always surprising performances at many events, while also serving as a muse for designers.

In February, Todd Event Design Creative Services gave Amfar’s New York gala a clean, modern look that matched Gaga’s all-white outfi t.

For the New York Dining by Design gala in March, Tug Studio’s “Call to Action” table recalled the singer’s “Telephone” music video.

Up on the RoofHotel rooftops—home to pools, bars, and city views—are popping up in cities beyond New York and Las Vegas.

The Thompson Toronto, which opened in June, has an infi nity pool on the 16th fl oor.

Boston’s Splash Ultra Lounge, which opened in late 2009, has a roof deck with private cabanas, a decorative fountain, a DJ area, and a full bar.

57

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Target’s Multifaceted Marketing Platforms Target is known for over-the-top spectacles, and 2010 saw the retailer pull off a massive publicity stunt in New York to showcase fall fashions: Dubbed the “Kaleidoscopic Fashion Spectacular,” the production used the entire southern facade of the Standard hotel as an illuminated billboard. Producer Mother New York placed 66 dancers, 156 LED lights, and a warehouse’s worth of fi ber-optic cable in the windows of 155 rooms to create patterns including a bull’s-eye and a 14-story dancing man. The brand also staged a block party in Harlem for the opening of its fi rst Manhattan store, created a 4,000-person volunteer drive-cum-party during the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, and hosted more than 2,000 guests at a welcome concert and reception to kick off the National Urban League’s conference in Washington.

Red Bull’s Sports Competitions This year Red Bull solidifi ed its place as the host and sponsor of extreme and unusual sports events by bringing a leg of its international fl ying competition to New York’s congested and politically sensitive air space. Staged over the Hudson between Manhattan, Jersey City, and Ellis Island, the Air Race World Championship took more than three years to organize and involved per-mission from 16 government agen-

cies. In 2010, the beverage brand also moved its Manny Mania AM series skateboarding contest from Miami to Orlando and returned its Flugtag air show to the U.S. after a one-year hiatus. Red Bull is also a big player in music, sponsoring bashes at fes-tivals like South by Southwest and hosting its own contests and tours, including a DJ competition and an MC battle.

Amway China Incentives A fi ve-gala series for Amway China span-ned the month of June, with a total budget of $80 million. The program-ming consisted of fi ve events for fi ve different waves of Chinese sales reps who visited Southern California as part of an incentive. Each group experienced the same program of activities and gala evening. Roughly 13,000 attendees participated, with 1,800 to 3,000 at each gala, all held at the Anaheim Convention Center and produced by EventWorks. The

programming included novelty acts like human fountains, walking buf-fets, and stiltwalkers, plus musicians, with 50 live performers in all.

Sprint’s Las Vegas Launches Sprint took to Las Vegas with splashy, tech-heavy events that drew crowds and buzz. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Sprint announced its exclusive deal with Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless at an event where attendees visited demo stations set up as individual vignettes—like a park with trees and concession stands and a dorm room with bunk beds and a cafeteria. And at the International C.T.I.A. Wireless show in March, the brand launched the fi rst 4G phone with a Kabuki drop curtain that disappeared to reveal the party space and a hologram of the new phone to 300 guests. Fresh Wata produced both events.

Audi’s Art of Progress Pavilion Though it took place in 2009, too late for last year’s wrap-up, it’s still impressive: Audi created a 45,000-square-foot temporary structure to celebrate its 100th an-

niversary and to launch its new-est A8 model during Art Basel Miami Beach, from December 3 to 6. On the beach just north

of the Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach, the Art of Progress pavilion took structure design company EventStar six weeks to erect and consisted of an arena where the car was displayed, an art exhibi-tion space, and an outdoor lounge that remained open to the public throughout the festival. “We looked at different buildings in Miami, but there were none that suited our needs,” said Anja Kaehny, manager of lifestyle communications and social responsibility for Audi. “So the idea of doing it near the Eden Roc was to create a temporary museum that would have a balcony opening onto the ocean.”

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Grand Opening After more than two years of construction, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter offi -cially opened on June 18 at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park. The park hosted an invite-only party on June 16 with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and several supporting cast members. The event spotlighted the park’s rep-licas of signature venues from the books and movies, like Ollivander’s Wand Shop and Zonko’s Joke Shop. Universal also employed entertain-ment elements from the stories, including the arrival of the Knight Bus and a performance by the Frog Choir in Hogsmeade Village. Late in the evening, Radcliffe led guests in saying “Lumos!” to illuminate the Hogwarts Castle replica, upon which Universal projected images from the movies as a fi reworks display took place overhead, choreographed to music from the fi lms.

Hermès New York and Chicago Store Openings For Hermès’s state-side events in 2010—which included the opening of a New York men’s store in February and a Chicago fl agship in June—no detail went overlooked. For the men’s store, the French fashion house transformed 20,000 square feet of raw space in the Park Avenue Armory into a leisure spot with four vignettes: a travel room, a library, a game room, and a jazz club. Around 25 percent of the event’s furnishings were custom made. Chicago’s store opening lured 700 guests and included stiltwalkers wearing horse heads and custom Hermès suits. A team of 14 assis-tants tied branded ribbons onto hay bales, which were imported from a local farm that morning.

AMBITIOUS UNDERTAKINGSGo big or go home? These brands staged large events as integral parts of their 2010 marketing plans.

Red Bull’s air race over the Hudson River


BEST OF 2010

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Lexus Live For the world debut of the new luxury hybrid vehicle, the Lexus CT 200h, Lexus Canada showcased two early prototypes of the car—and staged a concert series with performances by four Canadian acts—at a three-day event dubbed Lexus Live in Toronto’s Distillery District. Lexus called on Los Angeles-based fi rm AMCI to design and produce the event, which centered on the use of interactive iPad stations that enabled attend-ees to provide feedback. To attract the right audience, Attention Span planned a concert series throughout the weekend, drawing more than 7,000 people. Chad Yee, marketing manager for Lexus Canada, reported that 81 percent of attendees said the hybrid changed their perspective on the brand.

Washington National Opera Ball The Opera Ball is consistently ranked among the most high-profi le events on the Washington social calendar, and the 2010 iteration—which raised $1.5 million—is still being talked about. For the 650 invited guests, the evening began at one of 22 embas-sies for dinner. They spent the rest of the evening at the Embassy of the Russian Federation, experienc-ing fi ve themed rooms created by Sandi Hoffman Special Events that celebrated Russia’s rich history and bright future. An ice room held seven nine-foot ice sculptures that depict-ed great fi gures from Russian history, and a re-creation of St. Petersburg’s Winter Palace had a winter-themed courtyard, complete with falling snow and dancing ballerinas to celebrate the upcoming 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Institute of Contemporary Art Gala Boston’s ICA revamped its annual spring fund-raiser by adding an after-party—one of the hardest tickets to land this spring. The May evening kicked off with a cocktail party and dinner in the new One Marina Park building in Fan Pier, adjacent to the institute. Afterward, the 430 guests were guided by large arrows, made from white fl uorescent lights, across the boardwalk to the museum to join 300 additional attendees at the after-party. “It was a nice way to let people come and not invest in a ma-jor ticket price,” said Susie Allen, the museum’s director of special events. The evening raised $800,000 for the museum, up from just over $500,000 in 2009.

FAVORITE TREND OF 2010: “Advanced contemporary color combinations. As clients become savvy about color through advertising and merchandising, I fi nd them more willing to explore new combina-tions, like ochre and steel gray or nude and black.” Jeffrey Foster, director of sales, Event Creative, Chicago

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Child’s PlayLighthearted games and activities kept guests happy and entertained.

Guests blew bubbles, played hopscotch, doodled on chalkboards, and hung out on an indoor swing set at Chicago’s artEdge benefi t in May.

In February, Hermès celebrated its fi rst dedicated men’s store in New York with vintage pinball machines, billiards, and table tennis.

In April, Windfall Clothing Service’s annual Buy Design benefi t had a 1930s theme, with badminton and croquet, a bake sale, and a carnival-style balloon game that guests played for prizes.

On the New York stop of Heineken’s Inspire Tour this summer, partygoers played table tennis, among other games.

Circus, CircusMany producers looked to the big top for inspiration.

In April, Boston’s Room to Dream Foundation held its Carnival of Dreams, complete with jugglers on unicycles, games, three bars, and food from more than a dozen area chefs.

Popcorn company C. Cretors celebrated its 125th anniversary in Chicago in May with a gala that included jugglers.

The Recording Academy’s Grammy Awards after-party in L.A. was a dark, mysterious take on the circus.

For its annual Best of Washington party in July, Washingtonian magazine hosted a “gourmet circus” with tented food stations, games, and a sword swallower.

At the Ontario Science Centre’s Harry Potter-themed Innovator’s Ball in Toronto in May, ouija boards doubled as serving trays.

60

WORST TREND OF 2010: “Trying too hard to sell a ‘green’ event. I’ve seen so much effort—and emails and paperwork—spent to make an event ‘look green.’ Compare the imprint of those resources to the imprint of the original concept. Sometimes thinking effi ciently can make the planning more green than the event.” Richard Summers, creative director, the Launch Group, Orlando

In June, CTV’s party for the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto had colorful decorative tubes throughout the party space—even on catering trays.

COOL CATERING TRAYS

At the Institute of Contemporary Art’s May gala in Boston, servers passed hors d’oeuvres on trays with mini screens that displayed work from the museum’s teen programs.

BEST OF 2010

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To promote its new New York Web site, NBC Local Integrated Media recruited four big-name chefs—including Daniel Boulud—to serve free meals from food trucks in February.

At a June fund-raiser for Miami Gardens mayor and Congressional candidate Shirley Gibson, Feverish Ice Cream served Mexican chocolate-chip popsicles and mango paletas from the back of its truck.

TRUCKS, NO STOP Made popular in New York and Los Angeles, mobile restau-rants are serving casual and upscale cuisine at events.

FAVORITE TREND OF 2010: “Sustainable corporate gifts. Dual-purpose items with meaning: jump drives, recyclable event/grocery bags, eco-friendly personal items.” Lenny Talarico, director of events, MGM Resorts Events, Las Vegas


At Ecolab’s client appreciation party at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago this summer, the registration desk was made out of the company’s soap dispensers and glass racks from restaurant dishwashers.

During the Super Bowl, Bridgestone stacked its tires to create highboys at the ESPN the Magazine Next Big Weekend party.

At Maxim’s Super Bowl party in Miami in February, sponsor Samsung created a chandelier of fl at-screen TVs, all showing images of real chandeliers.

Products as Decor

Steal These Ideas


IDS 10 The Interior Design Show, presented by Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., returned to its original home at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre after several years at the Direct Energy Centre. “It allows us to be part of the city again,” said show creator Shauna Levy, who credits the move with attracting greater numbers (at-tendance increased from 45,000 to 48,000) and a more astute audi-ence. “We seemed to attract a more sophisticated, urban, design-savvy

visitor; media coverage was up; and our exhibitor re-sign rate was higher that it’s been for many years,” said Levy, who leveraged the show to launch the inaugural Toronto International Design Festival. Presented by Swiss watchmaker Rado and Audi, the citywide festival ran for four days, with 20 events taking place in venues like the Royal Ontario Museum and the Design Exchange.

The Clios After Richard Beckman’s

new company, E5 Media, took own-ership of the Clio Awards from the Nielsen Company, the former presi-dent of Condé Nast Media Group and executive producer of Fashion Rocks brought the advertising in-dustry event back to New York and revamped the 51-year-old ceremony and conference. Consolidated into a two-day convention with two 75-minute award presentations, the 2010 Clio Awards saw a 50 percent increase in attendance, attracted big-name speakers—including

Grammy-winning singer Pharrell Williams and Penny Baldwin, Yahoo’s senior vice president of integrated marketing and brand management—and built its profi le in the media.

Los Angeles Marathon After a move from its traditional timing in March to May in 2009, the mara-thon reversed course to March 21. A new route, dubbed “Stadium to Sea,” was intended to show off the best of the city’s features—to locals as well as participants from around the world—on a sightseeing tour from Dodger Stadium through down-town, Hollywood, West Hollywood, and Beverly Hills and on to the Veterans Administration grounds and the fi nish line in Santa Monica. The marathon drew a capacity crowd of 25,000 registrants—the fi rst time in the race’s 25-year his-tory that it sold out and a 45 percent increase over 2009.

Magic Twice a year, fashion industry players descend on Las Vegas for Advanstar’s Magic Marketplace fam-ily of shows. For the February 2010 run, the program launched dual campuses at the Las Vegas and the Mandalay Bay convention centers. Organizers billed it as the most signifi cant format change in the show’s 77-year history, meant to add 50 percent more space and a more effi cient organization for attend-ees and exhibitors. A new layout merchandised exhibitors into three distinct neighborhoods for easy

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SUCCESSFUL MAKEOVERS Tricky times call for rethinking existing formats. These reimagined events boosted results by trying new marketing plans, locations, and formulas.

During the Fox Upfront in New York in May, bartenders served the “So Magical,” a mixture of rum, lime juice, and muddled mint poured over sour-apple cotton candy.

During Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, Patrón Spirits Company set up a “muddle bar” at a GQ pool party, where bartenders taught guests how to make Patrón mojitos.

In August, Hendrick’s Gin sponsored a bartender croquet tournament at Chicago’s Soldier Field, where guests sipped cocktails and fl owery gin punch from teacups and hollowed-out cucumbers.

BEST OF 2010

In the SpiritWith serious bartenders focusing on mixology at cocktail bars across the country, classic cordials and signature drinks are as popular as ever.

63

At Target’s Liberty of London pop-up shop in New York in March, staffers handed out fl owers to shoppers waiting in line.

At a winter charity lunch in Miami benefi ting the Moyer Foundation and the Mario Batali Foundation, each guest’s place setting had a spatula with the Batali Foundation logo.

For the launch of its Very Sexy Now fragrance, Victoria’s Secret gave editors individual cakes by Sylvia Weinstock topped with an edible perfume bottle.

navigation. The Trend Concourse by Fashion Snoops debuted in the Central Hall, with high-fashion man-nequins, fl at-screens, and runway footage. Magic also launched a new footwear show, FN Platform, with more than 500 brands over 60,000 square feet. Feedback from attend-ees and exhibitors was positive, and nonstop shuttle service between venues allowed for a smooth fl ow.

Torchmark Corporation’s Combined Incentive and Award Trip This Fortune 500 company invited employees from four of its fi ve insurance companies for an incentive trip to the Fontainebleau from July 7 to 10. Unlike last year’s incentive cruise, on which each com-pany held separate award ceremo-nies, this time around Torchmark assistant vice president Donita Jacobs paired the companies into two groups to recognize the top pro-ducers and managers. “Torchmark is trying to bring all the companies under our umbrella together, so we thought having them exposed to one another would help in the pro-cess,” said Jacobs, who coordinated the four-day trip. Blooming Designs and Events designed the Rat Pack-themed events, which used the same ballroom decor for ceremonies on consecutive nights.

Orlando Shakespeare Theater Opening Gala Sometimes a simple twist can make a big difference. The Orlando Shakespeare Theater gained nearly 40 percent more

revenue—net-ting more than $110,000—from its 10th season opening gala on September 12 by selling more tickets and expanding its

auction. The theater company held its fund-raiser on a Sunday instead of Saturday, which helped boost at-tendance to 315 guests, 20 percent more than in 2009. “We took a gamble that Sunday would be bet-ter because it didn’t compete with other nonprofi t and sports events in Central Florida,” said Melissa Mason, the theater’s director of marketing. The day change also prompted orga-nizers to hold the event earlier; it ran from 5 to 8 p.m., instead of from 6 to 10 p.m., as in years past.

Black Creativity Gala In January, the Black Creativity gala at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry got a new format. Past iterations of the event, which honors African Americans’ scientifi c achievements, included a sit-down dinner and dancing. When it became clear that guests wanted more of the latter— “guests at this gala do not stay in their seats,” said museum manager of community affairs Octavia Hooks—planners replaced the sit-down meal with a strolling buffet and added a new lounge with a DJ and an additional dance fl oor. When guests arrived, chair Peggy A. Montes delivered welcome news:

“Tonight, you do not have to sit”—and the dance party lasted till the wee hours.

New York Fashion Week After 17 years at Bryant Park, IMG Fashion took a risky step—relocating the twice-yearly Fashion Week to the less-central campus at Lincoln Center. But the move enabled producers to revise the look, layout, and technology used for designer shows and set a new standard for the trade’s most important event. In doing so, IMG attracted 87 shows and presentations to its new site, up from the 63 during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week’s fi nal season at the park. Additionally, a partnership with electronic invitation and check-in program FashionGPS signifi cantly reduced costs for designers and made getting into the tents more effi cient for attendees.

Canada Blooms The country’s larg-est fl ower and garden festival relo-cated to the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place after 13 years at the

Metro Toronto Convention Centre. “Sometimes you need to refocus,” said Canada Blooms general man-ager Gerry Ginsberg. The move en-abled landscapers and providers—who invest almost $10 million in the show—to be more creative with their displays, thanks to easier load-in. Organizers also revamped the opening gala, dropping ticket prices from $200 to $75, which contributed to a nearly 200-person spike in at-tendance over 2009. Instead of open bars and entertainment, the party directed more attention to the hor-ticulture industry, with 20 garden-ing personalities opening the show, which saw a 16 percent increase in overall attendance.

Ball on the Mall As one of the few groups allowed to host an evening gala on the National Mall, the Trust for the National Mall’s L’Enfant

Society already has an exclusive sales pitch, along with plenty of guests willing to spend several hundred dollars to party in the shadow of the Washington Monument. Looking to capitalize even further on the second annual event, the society’s planning committee added a two-hour, V.I.P. seated dinner for 350 people prior to the evening reception. It drew a new range of sponsors, helping double the evening’s take from $150,000 in 2009 to $350,000 in 2010.

Gifts, Not BagsFifty-pound goodie bags aren’t as common as they used to be, but small tokens still helped end events on a high note.

WORST TREND OF 2010: “Cupcakes. Unless it is a children’s event, they’ve worn out their welcome. There are so many other creative dessert options.” Jason Wanderer, owner, Precision Event Group, Los Angeles

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Fashion GPS at New York Fashion Week

Melissa Mason

Gerry Ginsberg

64

Feminine Wiles From conferences to benefi ts to public happenings, these events appealed to women with a mix of empowerment and escapism—plus plenty of freebies.

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Real Simple magazine held public demos in Chicago’s Union Station in April, where experts offered tips on topics such as hairstyling and table setting.

In February, Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet held a girly ladies lunch with pampering stations, pink champagne, and long-stemmed roses handed out by male staffers.

BEST OF 2010

WORST TREND OF 2010: “White Plexiglass bars! Every event starts to look the same, and there are ways to custom-design these bars to create a much more interesting effect. Create a wallpaper effect out of decals, insert a natural wood element, or mirror the front side to add more interest.” Beth Appleton, director, communications and experimental marketing, Telus, Toronto

In August, Lara Shriftman, partner at public relations and event agency Harrison & Shriftman, held her annual Girl’s Party in Miami, offering guests a day of beauty, shopping, dining, and gifting.

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AUCTIONS GO HIGH-TECHWireless bidding devices replaced paddles at charity auctions and, in many cases, brought in more money.

At the Jacob’s Cure Gala in New York in May, attendees used Bid Pal handhelds during a silent auction and live bidding to win prizes like a walk-on role in an episode of Entourage.

New York’s Robin Hood Foundation used IML audience-response devices to set a new fund-raising record of $87.8 million at its May benefi t. And at the American Cancer Society’s Discovery Ball in Chicago, the devices helped raise more than $2 million.

FAVORITE TREND OF 2010: “Using an iPad to replace all the paper for event managers and producers, including while checking in guests. No more bulky binders!” Quenten Schumacher, senior meeting planner, Sg2 Health Care Intelligence, Chicago

The Watermill Center’s summer benefi t in the Hamptons had its own signature fragrance inspired by the event and its location. WM Paradiso 2010 was sprayed during the party, and 100 bottles were included in the night’s auction.

At the L.A. premiere of Valentine’s Day in February, organizers created cabanas within the tented party for the movie’s giant cast.

For the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Samsung created a pavilion that had a 3-D theater, with several large screens constantly broadcasting images uploaded by guests.

At Friends of the High Line’s summer benefi t in New York, Bronson van Wyck used a 600-foot-long strip of hanging foliage to connect several dining rooms and dress up a white space.

In July, Smirnoff threw a comic-book-themed event in Toronto, complete with red carpet illustrations depicting people arriving at a party.

Disney Interactive’s 15,000-square-foot exhibit at this summer’s E3 expo in Los Angeles used askew panels to create a dramatic look.

Guests helped themselves to water-cooler cocktails at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s artEdge benefi t in Chicago this May.


Held in New York this summer, Target’s Party for Good had 4,000 National Conference on Volunteering and Service attendees pack 170,000 meals for charity.

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More Ideas to Steal

Chicago Planners Celebrate the ‘Art of the Event’ at the 2010 BizBash Chicago Expo & Awards

INSIDE EDGE

Steve Beck of Beck & Associates shared tips on how to motivate colleagues and event partners in the morning general session, while Casey Cooper of Botanicals and Erin McDonald of Heffernan Morgan joined BizBash editor in chief Chad Kaydo for a discussion of the latest design trends during the afternoon general session.

Catering pros revealed the latest food and beverage trends in “Catering Trends: A Comprehensive View of Current Trends in the Industry.” (Pictured: Jenny Berg, bureau chief of Bizbash Chicago; Linda Kingsley, director of sales, corporate and private events for Museum of Science and Industry; Rita Gutenkanst, principal, Limelight – Food Illuminated; Elana Vasquez, executive chef and owner, Boutique Bites; and Robert Neubert, CMP, director of catering sales for Hilton Chicago.

Inducted into BizBash’s Hall of Fame were Rebecca Hunter, executive producer and Vanessa Stalling, associate artistic director of Redmoon Theater, accepting on behalf of Redmoon; Susan Katz, director of corporate events and travel for True Value Company; and Lee Kite, director of distinguished events for American Cancer Society, Illinois Division, Inc.

Sushi Samba offered an array of tempting tastes at their exhibit for planners to enjoy and consider for their own events.

CORT Event Furnishings created a stylish rear lounge against a dramatic fabric design by Pink Powered by Moss, giving attendees an opportunity to see and feel the latest rental trends for themselves.

The Green Meeting Industry Council, as part of their initiative for green meetings and events, showcased a booth made entirely of sustainable materials that could be packed up neatly into a compact tote.

Sold-out education sessions proved popular, as attendees filled the rooms for sessions such as “Getting Ahead in Business: Straight Talk from Top Female Executives.”

Quick Change astonished the audience with their split-second costume transformations at the start of the Event Style Awards presentation.

Nancy DeBiasi, director of meeting planning and special events for the Chicago Merchandise Mart, congratulated Frost lighting for their win in the Best Lighting Design category during the Event Style Awards presentation.

ADVERTISEMENT

afternoon, while the anticipation grew for the 2010 Event Style Awards on the main stage at 5 p.m., which opened with entertainment from Quick Change, provided by Productions USA. Quick Change’s performance—involving multiple costume transformations in split seconds—entertained the audience. This year’s award winners were then announced. Attendees applauded as the winners received stunning crystal “B” awards created by Society Awards.

Winners were congratulated at the cocktail reception that followed the presentation, sponsored by Absolut Vodka and Bull & Bear. Attendees enjoyed delicious drinks, including as a luscious blueberry vodka lemonade cocktail. Servers from Hospitality One passed delicious hors d’oeuvres from Jewell Events Catering, while guests were also able to stop at food stations offering fare like delicious suckling duck and other mini dishes, as they enjoyed music and

entertainment by C-4 Entertainment. BizBash extends a very special thanks

to the Merchandise Mart staff, CCTB, offi cial event photographer Brightroom, and all of our exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees—all of whom made BizBash’s Chicago Expo & Awards an event to remember. Be sure to visit www.bizbash.com/ourevents for announcements and updates about the 2011 BizBash Chicago Expo, back at the Mart on Thursday, August 18, 2011!

A range of BBJ Linen’s luxurious fabrics and textures were on display for attendees to consider as they walked the busy show fl oor.

Heffernan Morgan’s interpretation of the expo theme resulted in their design of the front lounge that was a work of art in itself.

SAVE THE DATE:

BizBash Chicago Expo & Awards Is Back at the Merchandise Mart on August 18, 2011!

Thanks to our sponsors


ACTIVITY VENUESGALLOPING GHOST ARCADEStocked with old-school games such as Donkey Kong, Galloping Ghost Arcade came to Brookfi eld in August. Two private gaming rooms house 42-inch LCD TVs and Xbox, PS3, and Wii systems. Each room can hold about 25; the rooms can also combine to host functions for 50. (9415 Ogden Ave., Brookfi eld, 708.485.4700) TOPGOLFWood Dale’s TopGolf, which offers a live-ball driving range, got a rooftop beer garden in August. Equipped with a fi re pit, a live performance area, and 26 hitting bays, the alfresco space can host events for 150. The venue’s lower levels house three areas that can host private events: Its executive suites hold 100, the Bayview Lounge has space for 80, and a meeting room with a 52-inch fl at-screen TV and Polycom conference equipment holds 14. (699 West Thorndale Ave., 630.595.4653)

ART GALLERYOPENING SOON BRIDGEPORT ARTS GALLERYSlated to open in April 2011, this 18,000-square-foot space will host seated dinners for more than 800. Amenities will include a parking lot, a new kitchen, and elevators with built-in bars. Taste America will be the exclu-sive beverage provider, and can arrange for catering from Lettuce Entertain You restaurants such as Tru and Ben Pao. Hosts are also welcome to bring in vendors of their choosing. (1200 West 35th St., 312.644.0606)

BARS & LOUNGES ATRIUM WINE BARIn October, Atrium Wine Bar opened in River East gourmet grocery store Fox & Obel. Overlooking Ogden Slip, the space can host seated dinners for 50 or recep-tions for 70. The wine bar has its own dinner menu with seasonal entrées. (401 East Illinois St., 312.401.7301)BENCHMARKSports bar Benchmark opened in Old Town in August, offering two levels and 8,000 square feet of space. Available for buyout, it can host receptions for 400.The upstairs space has a retractable roof and can hold 175, with 46 fl at-screen TVs and a six-panel video wall. Scattered semiprivate areas can host receptions or dinners for 20 to 100. (1510 North Wells St., 312.649.9640)PHOENIX LOUNGE AT THE WIT HOTELIn June, the Phoenix Lounge at the Wit Hotel opened on the downtown prop-erty’s mezzanine. Available for buyout, the semiprivate space seats 45 amid black velvet lounge chairs, leather sofas, and blue resin tables. Live entertain-ment can be arranged on the “perch,” a landing on the glass staircase that joins the lobby to the Phoenix Lounge. (201 North State St., 312.230.9523)

CONVENTION CENTERIN THE WORKS TINLEY PARK CONVENTION CENTERIn 2009, the Tinley Park Convention Center broke ground on a $19 million renovation that will double its current size by May 2011. The overhaul will add 24,000 square feet of clear-span exhibit space and 9,000 square feet of meeting space. New amenities will include a built-in concession stand, Wi-Fi, additional loading docks, a busi-ness center, and an additional 450 parking spots. (18500 South Harlem Ave., Tinley Park, Ill., 708.444.1100)

ENTERTAINMENT VENUESMAYNE STAGEAdjacent to Act One Café and available for buyout, Mayne Stage opened in June. With a 299-seat auditorium, the space has broadcasting and cinema capabilities. Available equipment ranges from recorders to microphones, ampli-fi ers, and a concert grand piano. Outside the main theater, a two-level bar area can host private events for 30. (328 West Morse Ave., 773.381.4554)RED BAR COMEDY CLUBRed Bar Comedy Club opened in River North in May. On Fridays and Saturdays, public shows can accommodate groups of 60. On any other night, the space can host private comedy shows for 50 or more. (157 West Ontario St., 773.387.8412)

HOTELSHILTON ROSEMONT CHICAGO O’HAREAfter a $15 million renovation, the hotel boasts a refi n-

ished conference center, grand ball-room, and renovated meeting rooms and guest rooms. Connected to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, it houses 26 meeting rooms and approximately 22,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. At 6,900 square feet, the grand ballroom can host banquets for 500 or theater-style events for 800. (5550 North River Road, Rosemont, 847.678.4488)JW MARRIOTTThe fi rst Chicago location of the JW Marriott hotel was slated to open late this fall. In a Daniel Burnham-designed bank building, which just got a $396 million renovation, the venue will offer 609 guest rooms, a 20,000-square-foot spa, a fi ne-dining restau-rant, and a combined bar and lounge. Some 44,000 square feet of meeting space will include two ballrooms and more than 30 breakout rooms; green meeting packages will be available. (151 West Addams St., 312.660.8200)

INDEPENDENT EVENT SPACESRIVERWALK AT KENDALL COLLEGEThe Riverwalk at Kendall College opened at the hospitality school in September. The 1,890-square-foot raw space has Art Deco-style black-and-white fl oors and can hold 100 inside. Weather permitting, an outdoor space can hold an additional 100. The college’s in-house events department currently handles functions held within the space, letting students set up, work, and cook for events. In the future, the owners plan to work with a small list of preferred vendors. (900 North Branch St., 312.752.2196)ROOM 1520Owned by a culinary photographer, Room 1520 is a historic loft building in the West Loop with two raw event spaces. Upstairs, the 5,300-square-foot Sky Loft opened in March. The space

has two commercial-style kitchens, a fi eldstone fi replace, a lounge with plush seating, and two conference rooms. The loft can be divided into two spaces—one 3,500 square feet, the other 1,500—or the whole space can be rented to host sit-down dinners for 150 or receptions for 300. (1520 West Fulton St., 312.733.4583)VENUE ONEThe West Loop’s Venue One hosted its fi rst function in May. The venue can be bought out to host receptions for 1,000 or rented by fl oor—each is 12,000 square feet. The

fi rst fl oor can seat 400 guests and the second fl oor can seat 500, both with a dance fl oor and stage. (1044 West Randolph St., 312.327.0111)

RESTAURANTSACCANTOA fi ne-dining restaurant, Logan Square’s Accanto opened in April. Depending on how it’s confi gured, the main dining room can seat 28 to 40 guests, or can host cocktail receptions for 50. A fl at-screen TV, which normally shows clips from old Italian fi lms, can hook up to laptops or DVD players to broadcast logos or presentations. Formerly of New York’s Le Cirque, Milanese chef Domenico Acampora can work with hosts to prepare customized tasting menus. (2171 North Milwaukee Ave., 773.227.2727)ACT ONE CAFEAct One Cafe opened in Rogers Park in June. Housed in a 1912 building that formerly served as a Vaudeville theater, the eatery is available for full buyout and can seat 80 or hold 100 for receptions. Executive Chef Jimmy Madla can cook for as many as 80 guests but encourages hosts to bring in outside caterers for larger parties. (1330 West Morse Ave., 773.381.4550)BENNY’S CHOP HOUSEBenny’s Chop House opened in River North in April. The restaurant dishes out U.S.D.A. prime steaks, oysters, pasta, and classic side dishes, such as creamed spinach and hand-cut fries. In the back, a private dining room equipped with Wi-Fi can seat 40 to 50, or hold 75 for receptions. Built into the wall, a fl at-screen TV hooks up to laptops and DVD players for presentations. (444 North Wabash Ave., 312.626.2444)EPIC SKYPerched on the rooftop of River North’s Epic restaurant, Epic Sky opened in May. Outfi tted with cabanas, a 28-foot bar, and lounge seating, the space seats 93 and can be rented for private events. A specialty cocktail list includes the White Rabbit, made with orange vodka and carrot juice, and a special menu of lounge snacks is in the works. In the meantime, hosts can order passed hors d’oeuvres or plated meals off the restaurant’s standard menus. (112 West Hubbard St., 312.222.4940)GIBSON’S BAR & STEAKHOUSEGibson’s Bar & Steakhouse opened an Oakbrook loca-tion in June. The restaurant, which serves steaks, daily seafood specials, and oversize martinis, has a patio that seats 180. Decked with fi re pits and waterfalls, the space can be booked for private functions. Inside, a large private dining room seats 100 and can host receptions for 175. The room has four 50-inch fl at-screen TVs. (2150 Spring Road, Oakbrook, 630.954.0000)HAVANAHavana popped up in River North in September. Available for full buyout, the Cuban restaurant can seat 120 amid shell-covered lanterns, black leather banquettes, and slowly whirring ceiling fans; a private dining room on the lower level provides seating for 40. (412 North Clark St., 312.644.1900)IL POGGIOLORestaurateur Jerry Kleiner opened Il Poggiolo in down-town Hinsdale in August. A 10-minute drive from the corporate headquarters of companies such as McDonald’s and Ace Hardware, the Italian restaurant offers a balcony that can host events for 40. (8 East 1st St., Hinsdale, 630.734.9400)MAD MARK’S MYSTIC PIZZAMad Mark’s Mystic Pizza opened in Schaumburg in June. The venue has a bar-equipped patio that seats 350 and can host private events. An outdoor entertainment complex offers courts for sand volleyball and basketball. Inside, three dining rooms can host semiprivate events for groups of 70 to 150. For private parties, The Skybox, a glassed-in room, can hold 250. (71 East Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, 847.397.3100)SAWTOOTH RESTAURANT AND LOUNGEVietnamese eatery Sawtooth debuted in the West Loop in August. Available for buyout, the upscale restaurant holds as many as 300. A garden patio seats an additional 34. The second-fl oor semiprivate dining room holds 12, and the fi rst fl oor seats 82. Up to 70 can dine in the third- fl oor private dining room, where hosts can make use of an in-house projection screen. (1350 West Randolph St., 312.526.3320)

New Venues

The DirectoryA selection of resources from our comprehensive online directory of event and meeting suppliers and venues

Where to...Host a Fashion-Focused EventAtelier opened in River North’s gallery district in June. From the owners of neighboring Italian restaurant Prosecco, the shop stocks high-end clothing for men and women and an art collection that includes photographs, oil paintings, and tribal artifacts. Dotted with chandeliers, the gallery-like space can host receptions for 100. Hosts can design their own events, or choose to have the shop curator lead guests through a discussion of the in-house art collection. Other activities include a seminar in pairing vintage and modern clothing, or guests can get measured for custom creations. Prosecco handles catering and can provide hors d’oeuvres, champagne, cocktails, and single-malt scotches. (714 North Wells St., 312.751.9300)

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To share your success via the BashFlash program, contact your BizBash sales representative or Robert Fitzgerald at 646.839.6840.

Where Event Professionals Announce the Who, What, Where, and Wow of the Events Industry

Hall’s Rental is pleased to announce that the company has provided the Rentals for

Art Institute of Chicago’s Opening Gala of the New Weston Wing and Japanese Art Galleries

in Chicago September 25, 2010 www.hallsrental.com, 847.929.2222

Partytime Productions Inc.is pleased to announce that the company has provided the provided the Tenting for

Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Ball in Chicago October 2, 2010 www.partytimeproductions.com, 630.261.1900

BBJ Linen—Chicagois pleased to announce that the company has provided the provided the Tenting for

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Opening Night Gala Performance and Opera BallChicago October 1, 2010 www.bbjlinen.com, 847.329.8400

Jewell Events Cateringis pleased to announce that the company has provided the Catering for

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Opening Night Gala Performance and Opera Ballin Chicago October 1, 2010 www.georgejewell.com, 312.829.3633

Blue Plate Catering is pleased to announce that the company has provided the Catering for

Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Ballin Chicago October 2, 2010 www.blueplatechicago.com, 312.421.6666

RedMink Productionsis pleased to announce that the company has handled the Rentals for

Joffrey Ballet’s Couture and Cocktailsin Chicago September 24, 2010 www.redmink.com, 773.685.1818

Jam Entertainment and Creative Services, LLCis pleased to announce that the company has provided the Event Management and Production Services for

Levi’s and Urban Outfitters’ Secret Generation Series Concert

in Chicago September 25, 2010 www.jamevents.com, 312.440.9191

Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Company is pleased to announce that the company has provided the Transportation for

Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony BallChicago October 2, 2010 www.chicagotrolley.com, 773.648.5000

72 bizbash.com january/february 2010

Ted Kruckel

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Super Saturday in the Hamptons has grown tremendously, and this year featured tents with unique shade cutouts. But has the whole thing gotten just a bit too super?

Two revelers at Fashion’s Night Out got their newly “styled” game on for a digital camera at Diane von Furstenberg’s store. Was it Coco Chanel who recommended looking in the mirror and taking one thing off?

This teeming crowd shot from Fashion’s Night Out shows how successful Vogue’s promotion has become—and why I won’t risk attending again.

Where Ted’s Been

Yes, I have a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Both were started in a moment of panic—thinking I was about to be left behind on the barren island of mainstream (or lamestream, as per Sarah Palin) me-dia, watching while the nimble and able sailed off on the cruise ship of the future, Technologica.

But every time I log on, I’m overwhelmed by the unwanted obligation of it all. Friends who want responses, new followers for whom I have nothing to tweet. The most guilt-laden of these spots is Linked-In—people who want recommen-dations, referrals, or career advice, none of whom I respond to. Will they lose a job because I’m too lazy? Who knows. By the time I’ve read the new messages, I’ve lost interest in the whole thing.

While ashamed of my Ludditism, I always took solace in sensing that I wasn’t missing much. There’s Demi Moore, again, posting pictures of herself in bed with Ashton (as if that would throw us off the scent). Or Palin making her political prognos-tications. (She’s one of the few who has no problem getting the bulk of her wisdom across in the allotted 140 characters.) And all those bullies, posting hate speech on each other’s walls. It just seems to me that social media is one whole world of self-promoting jackasses.

And now I’m hearing about tweeting at events. Nick Cannon of-fered to send three sponsor tweets at one of his two 30th birthday par-ties for the princely sum of $25,000. Yikes. Then somebody sent me the deck for Robert Verdi’s Twitter par-ties, which are imaginatively called “Tweet This!” Now, I know and like Robert; he’s been interviewed here before, he has clever entertaining ideas, and, despite his own some-what exaggerated appearance, good taste.

But after spending an entire afternoon researching his new busi-ness model, I have to admit I’m just completely confused. But here’s what I fi gured out.

Robert owns this loft in New York, which he calls Luxe Labora-tory. He rents it out for events, and throws parties promoting his own brands. Approximately once a month he does a themed Twitter gathering. In September there’s Fashion Week (duh!), and holiday gift giving in December (double duh!).

Not all the months are as “luxe” as others. In one video, Robert holds up a soiled glass bowl while talking about toilet cleaning. It’s a “Spring Clean-ing” party sponsored by Scrubbing Bubbles. I was also a little surprised to see a Panasonic electric vibrating chair touted as one of the Fashion Week must-haves. My grandfather

had a magic fi ngers chair. He died 15 years ago.

The events are attended by 30 to 40 “key online editors and infl uencers.” Sponsors’ products are shown on a plasma screen, aired on UChatLive, and simultweeted at robertverditweetthis.blogspot.com.

The idea is that while he demon-strates the products, his infl uencers are tweeting to their followers, and they tweet to friends, and they tweet to friends, and so on and so on just like that shampoo commercial. The incentive for retweeting is a gift bag of all the products featured. To be a sponsor, companies pay between $2,500 and $10,000 for two or three tweets and one TwitPic. Some spon-sorships are given away for free. But the sponsors don’t know who pays what, if anything, according to Ash-ley Mallinson, who runs the program with Robert. There’s all sorts of other bells and whistles you can add on, like a branded Twitter competition and brand-specifi c tracking and met-rics. And the promotional material variously boasts a million followers per event and a cumulative program reach of fi ve million. It’s all very am-bitious and ambiguous.

Ashley explains that they ar-rived at their audience claims using a program called Spredfast. Robert himself has more than 16,000 fol-lowers, and if you add up the total number of followers of every Web site and every tweeter, I suppose it’s possible to get a fi gure in the millions. But how many of these are really being read?

When you go to his actual Twit-ter page, it’s clear that the event attendees are tweeting away like fi ends to get their free goodies.

But as a friend whom I asked to help me evaluate this program wrote me: “Who the hell are these people retweeting ‘Once you try Smartwater you’ll agree it’s the “smartest” choice in bottled water’? Actually, seriously—who the hell are these people?”

Maybe I’m missing something, but despite my respect for Mr. Verdi, to me this all seems to add up to an elaborately staged hill of beans. Just in time, The New Yorker arrived with a Malcolm Gladwell piece, “Small Change: Why the revolution will not be tweeted.” Gladwell debunks the myth that Twitter helped drive the Iran election revolts (all the tweeters that got media coverage were in English, while in Iran most people speak Farsi), and explains that while social media is able to reach large audiences very quickly, those audiences’ level of involvement is extremely low. (“The Facebook page of the Save Darfur Coalition has 1,282,339 members, who have donat-ed an average of nine cents apiece,” he points out.)

In the movie The Social Network, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s character repeatedly asserts that once the site starts accepting adver-tising, it will no longer be cool. I think the idea of paid tweeting for toilet bowl cleaners proves his point.

Which brings me to my point, rather abruptly. Yo! Event people! Take heart. The real social network is still you guys, putting people together in person. Where interest-ing locales, meaningful content, and thought-provoking design can still do magic. And where tweets can only follow.

Twitter OffI’m not buying the magic of social media.


chicago winter 2010

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