Wednesday, March 27, 2024
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Four Planners One Event

By Shelley Levitt

We gave four leading California event planners the identical mission: produce a late-winter party for HT High-Tech Corporation, a successful, innovative (and imaginary) startup. The purpose of the event: reward employees for putting in killer hours and tireless effort during the company’s launch year -neglected spouses and partners, along with key clients and supporters are invited. While this party was hypothetical, the creativity the event planners brought to their mission was real. The planners took four very different approaches, each of them extraordinary.

Taking It To The Skies
Air and Space Museum, San Diego

EVENT PLANNER: Yvonne Szikla, Events with a Purpose, San Diego

SUMMARY: The evening elaborates on the theme of the company’s meteoric success. Guests walk a black satin runway “carpet” into the museum. Once inside, guests discover the runway is actually the very long, cascading train of the gown worn by a bedecked aviator who stands under the wing of the Spirit of St. Louis aircraft.

During the first hour, guests enjoy the museum’s exhibits, try out flight simulators and experience a 4-D theater. When doors open to the Pavilion of Flight, guests are enveloped by a starry sky with vintage airplanes displayed overhead.

FOOD AND DRINK: SKYY vodka martinis, mini sliders, shrimp pops, stations of artisan cheeses and spinach empanadas are offered during cocktail hour.

For dinner: a buffet of salads, braised short ribs, lobster mac and cheese, herbed chicken and penne pasta. Dessert features a decadent array of small scale sweets, such as bourbon-spiked trifles served in mini martini glasses and a selection of out-of-this-world mini pastries.

ENTERTAINMENT: After dinner, the band plays high-energy cover hits. Strategically placed guests join in on the singing and lead attendees to the dance floor, flash-mob style. The other side of the room offers retro arcade games, including Pac-Man, air hockey and foosball.

DÉCOR: Mirroring the colors of the company logo, the décor is blue and silver. Luscious table settings with crushed iridescent blue linen, silver starburst chargers and silver-star paperweight party favors continue the under the stars theme.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN:
Venue rental and full bar: $11,000
Catering: $17,000
Rental: $4,400
Invitations, centerpieces, logo paperweights: $8,450
Photographer: $2,000
Entertainment/lighting: $22,000
TOTAL: $64,850

Winter Va Va Voom!
The Hollywood Athletic Club

EVENT PLANNER: Alan Dunn, Trés LA, Los Angeles

SUMMARY: Part Cirque du Soleil’s Iris, part Beacher’s Madhouse, the mood of this event will be set by the vaudeville-inspired performers who fill the ballroom. With its light-hearted debauchery, this is the perfect thank-you party for a young group of hardworking, progressive thinkers ready to enjoy the “play hard” half of their mantras.

FOOD AND DRINK: The ballroom has self serve baby bathtubs filled with old-fashioned bottled sodas, beer and wine coolers. An artisan-drink bar features libations made with fresh herbs, chili peppers, ginger and other out-of-the-ordinary ingredients. Food carts pepper the perimeter of the ballroom, offering snow cones (regular and vodka), churros, cotton candy, pretzels, hot dogs and popcorn.

Dinner in the reception area includes food stations with small-plate buffets and lounge seating. The menu features butter-poached bronzino, sliced strip loin, a medley of grilled vegetables, hearty greens, and a baby beet and burrata cheese salad. A dessert station offers macaroons in apothecary jars, campfire s’mores, mini cupcakes and chocolate-dipped peanut butter and jelly petits fours.

ENTERTAINMENT: Stilt walkers, trapeze artists, jugglers, street performers and burlesque dancers create an unforgettable sensory experience.

DÉCOR: With pop-up tents, carnival games, a bouncy house and festive food carts, there’s a true circus feel to the ballroom area. In contrast to all this sensory stimulation, the front dining area is relaxed and refined, with lounge-style seating, low tables, clean linens, soft lighting and orchids.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN:
Venue: $10,000
Catering and rentals: $20,000
Beverages: $10,000
Décor: $12,500
Invitations: $500
Food carts: $2,000
Entertainment: $7,000
Lighting: $2,000
Parking: $1,000
TOTAL: $65,000

Masquerade Winter Winderland
Rocky Oaks Estate, Malibu

EVENT PLANNER: Tamsin Lonsdale, Lonsdale Productions, Los Angeles

SUMMARY: “Divine Decadence … and Masks a Must,” the invitation reads. As guests pull up to the stately home, they are welcomed by ushers who offer them a mask if they arrive without one. They are then directed to the candlelit path into the garden, where trays of champagne in oversized flutes await them as they step into a white fantasyland.

FOOD AND DRINK: The fare is decadent and abundant. The champagne reception features trays of caviar-topped smoked salmon blinis. At the bar, a master mixologist ladles out spiced frozen passion fruit margaritas from a smoking caldron. Made with a mesmerizing whisk of liquid nitrogen, these cocktails are icy and warm at the same time.

Dinner starts with passed hors d’oeuvres, followed by a gourmet buffet: a whole roasted pig, lobster, poached salmon and an indulgent cheese board. Dessert is tray-passed bite-sized treats-mini Pavlovas, strawberry tarts and chocolate fudge brownies. At the end of the night, each guest receives a take home gift bag with cookies and milk.

ENTERTAINMENT: As guests settle in, dancers dressed in white feathers shimmy their way to center stage. Next up are the Aqualillies, a synchronized swimming troupe that performs in the estate’s infinity pool. Later, as dinner comes to a close, renowned pianist Rosey Chan performs at a white grand piano. A DJ and dancing follow the performances.

DÉCOR: The venue is swathed in white. There’s a white padded bar and white sofas. The tented garden is sprayed with film-set white snow and decked with thousands of twinkling lights. Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits keep things cozy. Hundreds of candles provide soft lighting. Vodka ice sculptures and white- and milk-chocolate fountains add to the luxury.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN
Venue: $10,000
Catering: $10,000
Entertainment and lighting: $17,000
Pool heating: $250
Bar: $6,000
Invitations: $800
Photographer: $400
Masks: $1,000
Flowers: $2,000
Gift bags: $1,000
Rentals, staff, valet, uniforms and insurance: $16,550
TOTAL: $65,000

San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 
The Green Room at San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center

EVENT PLANNER: Constance Adamopoulos, Organized Chaos Events, San Francisco

SUMMARY: Guests arrive at the historic Civic Center in the heart of San Francisco. The majestic Symphony Hall and Opera House are illuminated in dark midnight and lavender. When guests reach the Green Room, flirty servers in sexy Edwardian costumes offer signature “earth-shattering” cocktails.

Interactive stations are set up on the balcony and throughout the Green Room, with its soaring ceilings and spectacular view of City Hall. Stations come and go during the course of the evening. There are caviar and vodka tastings, sushi and sake experiences, cigar-rolling lessons, cheese and Napa wine pairings. In one corner of the ballroom, a local corset store has set up shop.

FOOD AND DRINK: Small plates are offered at different stations. Everything is served in bite-sized portions for elegant stand-up dining. The menu includes carved beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes, handmade pastas and sushi rolls. Vegetarians can enjoy vegetarian sushi or salad wrapped in wonton skins and tied with a ribbon made of chives.

Dessert includes chocolate-covered ice cream bonbons on a stick and a make-your-own-truffles bar. Champagne flows freely. As they exit, guests are offered coffee and cooked-to-order omelets to go.

ENTERTAINMENT: A top DJ from London plays relaxing lounge music. Costumed characters interact with guests and a mime silently brushes off the guests and sweeps around their feet with a broom. Surprising and unpredictable goings-on such as these unfold throughout the evening.

DÉCOR: Colored lighting highlights details of the Beaux Arts architecture. 10- and 12-foot versions of San Francisco icons, like the Coit Tower, Transamerica Pyramid and the Golden Gate Bridge, stand throughout the venue. Rocked by the “earthquake,” they are all a bit askew with flame lighting at their base.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN
Venue rental: $3,500
Standing dinner reception and dessert buffet: $25,000
Bar: $5,000
Sushi/sake, vodka/caviar and cigar-rolling stations: $6,500
Rentals, invitations, décor and lighting: $10,110
Entertainment: $3,000
Omelets and coffee to go: $1,750
TOTAL: $54,860

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