Earlier this month, a series of headline-grabbing events took place. But they didn't draw attention because of their star-studded guest lists—instead, it was for having no guest list at all.
These so-called "empty events" are the brainchild of the Live Events Coalition, a volunteer-run nonprofit organization created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The staged, attendee-less activations—which initially took place in Washington D.C., Dallas, and New York, followed by Los Angeles, San Diego, and Denver last week—shine a spotlight on the industry and its calls for federal aid, expansions to the Paycheck Protection Program, and more. (The L.A. and San Diego events were partnerships with the California Events Coalition, while Denver's event partnered with the Colorado Event Alliance.)
Related: Why Were There a Bunch of Empty Tables on the National Mall?
But why empty events? The goal is “to showcase and remind people that [an event] doesn't magically appear. That there are these extremely talented and highly skilled and trained professionals that build this," Nancy Shaffer, founder and CEO of BRAVO! Events and the president of the coalition’s board, told BizBash earlier this month.
The more recent gatherings took the same premise and added some local flair. The Los Angeles event, which took place Aug. 12 in Xbox Plaza at L.A. Live, featured an eye-catching art installation utilizing mixed media and florals to spell the words "12 Million Strong"—a.k.a., the number of Americans who make up the event industry. The formation of empty tables spelled out "One Voice" from above, and in an appropriately L.A. twist, an empty red carpet set included a lighting installation with 48 fixtures, each representing 250,000 industry professionals. The event also included a car parade, where unemployed Southern California event professionals decorated their cars and caravanned in solidarity.
"It was important to me to not just design an empty event per say, but really make an activation that shined hope," explained Alexandra Rembac, principal and creative director of Sterling Engagements, who designed and produced the event. "I wanted to build something that represented not only Los Angeles but stood for who we were as an industry. The Live Events Coalition is uniting our industry and I personally, and professionally for that matter, felt compelled to not only highlight that, but celebrate it."
Meanwhile, the San Diego gathering took over San Diego Waterfront Park on Aug. 13, and included both live and virtual speeches plus a caravan of empty event company trucks. And in Denver, the Colorado Event Alliance set up empty tables and bar scenes at the Sculpture Park event lawn of the Denver Performing Arts Complex on Aug. 14.
Check out the list of vendors who volunteered their time and services to all three events, and keep scrolling for a look at the activations.
LOS ANGELES VENDORS: 24/7 Event Services (parking and security) | Amber Event Production (audio) | Bright Event Rentals (rentals) | City Palate Catering (vendor meals) | Cocktail Concierge (vendor meals) | Contemporary Catering (vendor meals) | Creative Graphic Services (printing and signage) | Event Carpet Pros (carpet) | Haute Chefs LA (vendor meals) | Kinetic Lighting (lighting and installation) | L.A. Live (venue) | Luxe Linen (linens) | Maya Myers Photography (photography) | Messex Industries (floor decals) | Prim & Prixie (graphic design and invites) | Second Song (DJ) | Shawna Yamamoto Event Design (floral and artistic installation) | Step and Repeat LA (step and repeat) | Sterling Engagements (design and production) | The Lighter Side (lighting) | Town & Country Event Rentals (rentals) | Villa Visuals (cinematography) | Wova Events (lighting)
SAN DIEGO VENDORS: A7D Creative Group | Acme Safety & Supply Co. | Advance Reprographics | Amy Millard Creative Studio | Bright Event Rentals | Clint Bell Productions | Custom Printing | Hands On Labor | MyPrinter.com | Pro Systems AV | Raphael's Party Rentals | Rolling Shutter Imagery | Siegan Digital
DENVER VENDORS: Catering by Design | Event Rents | From the Hip Photo | Imprint Events Group | Peak Beverage