All planners know the importance of looking ahead—the earlier the details fall into place, the less stress one has to deal with as the event nears.
A smattering of event venues have started holding receptions decorated for holiday parties to give planners an idea of what a holiday event would look like there and to have soirees booked far in advance. We know Christmas in July sounds crazy, but it really is a planner’s dream. With all the heat and sunshine, winter feels light-years away.
One such venue is River Roast in Chicago. The M+E team took a walkthrough (and ate delicious apps—thanks River Roast!) to get a feel of how planners could use the space during the colder months. It was 86 degrees and holidays were nowhere in our minds, but it was fun to see what the team there imagined a holiday event would look like.
Now is the perfect time to start planning such events. Venues might have more availability and taking walkthroughs will help immensely in designing any holiday events you might have in the pipeline. Talk to local venues and places you’re interested in to see if they would be able to show you what a Christmas or holiday party would look like.
Who can resist a cocktail with the name Return to Paradise? From costa Kitchen & Bar, the signature restaurant at Mar Monte Hotel in Santa Barbara, is a beverage we can’t wait to enjoy during a warm Southern California afternoon. Any time you’re in Santa Barbara is happy hour!
Ingredients
1.5oz SelvaRey White Rum
.5 ounce El Dorado 12-Year-Old Dark Rum
1 ounce pineapple juice
.5 ounce cinnamon syrup
.5oz lime juice
1 dash angostura bitters
Directions
Now, more than ever before, event design has a critical role to play in celebrating moments, creating connections, and even serving as an icebreaker.After so much time without face-to-face gatherings, we want décor to do more than dazzle; we want it to engage attendees, too.
Here’s advice from some top visionaries about how to pull that off.
Decorous Blooms
With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, most people are working from home. Many are social distancing or quarantining with their children, who have transitioned to online classes. Restaurants, bars, coffee shops, offices, stores and so much more have been temporarily shut down in many states, affecting daily life in the most unexpected of ways.