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FROM NEW YORK Early in his remarks at the Moth Ball, host Garrison Keillor told the guests that he had recently suffered a stroke. The room fell quiet. He went on to say that his was a mild stroke, “the best kind to have.” Then he admitted that telling New Yorkers about it had a surprise benefit. “In the world of New York City conversationalists, it’s like having a handicapped parking permit.” Rather than being interrupted within 10 seconds, as is our city’s norm, he said, leading with the stroke news gave him a “fighting chance” to last, say, “20 to 30 seconds.”
It was his way of congratulating the 12-year-old organization on its surprising success in the city that “doesn’t sleep and certainly doesn’t listen.” The Moth is a not-for-profit group that holds story “slams” for anyone with a story to tell, now also in three other cities (Los Angeles, Chicago, and Detroit). People line up around the corner, sometimes waiting for an hour to pay and listen to (mostly) amateur storytellers. Hundreds of people at dozens and dozens of events, each with a different one-word theme—who knew?
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The premiere for The Twilight Saga: New Moon in Westwood Photo: Line 8 Photography
FROM LOS ANGELES Westwood, being a college town, is accustomed to groups of young people roaming about—but Monday night was no ordinary night in the village. The young people were out, for sure, but many weren't yet old enough to drive, and they were pressed behind barricades on closed streets for the premiere of Summit Entertainment's new installment of the Twilight series, New Moon.
Summit's Eric Kops oversaw the hotly anticipated event, tapping ELS for big-time tasks like crowd control and security, and Chad Hudson Events for roles including theater management and R.S.V.P.s, plus production of the after-party at the Hammer Museum.
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Holiday parties are about to kick into full swing, and according to our latest poll, they shouldn't be too over the top. Half of the participants in last week's survey think that informal nights out at bars or restaurants feel appropriate this year. Only 13 percent of readers think that full, catered affairs are in order, but even fewer—8 percent—think festivities should be kept inside the office. Still, another 29 percent feel that parties should be judged on a case by case basis, by the performance of the company.
This week we'd like to see what kind of entertainment you've booked recently. What did you do the last time you needed cocktail party music? Let us know by partipating in the poll on the left column of the home page.
Leo Burnett's employee art gallery Photo: Courtesy of Leo Burnett
In a year of cutbacks and salary freezes, perhaps now more than ever, hard-working employees need to feel valued, even in small ways. Jennifer Savica, TD Bank’s vice president of event management, rewards her staff with little perks throughout the year, like taking everyone out for ice cream in the summer, treating people to their favorite drinks at Starbucks on a cold day, and occasionally allowing casual Fridays. “I try to show appreciation for my team every day by creating a true democracy—asking their opinions, including them in many of the department decisions, and empowering them to do their job,” she says.
Boston Beer Company has a gift policy that prevents employees from keeping items valued over $10 given to them by clients and event sponsors. “If someone gets something over that amount, we raffle it off to the office as a thank you,” says Kristen Smith, the company’s travel and event planner. Past items have included tickets to charity events the company has sponsored, movie screenings, and Red Sox tickets. “It’s nice to raffle these things off and make them available to anyone—and at no cost to the company,” says Smith.
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The 3,685-square-foot dining room Photo: Courtesy of the Park Plaza Hotel
The Boston Park Plaza Hotel in the Back Bay recently debuted Pairings, a new restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Todd English's Bonfire.
Turning old into new, designer Anja Kola recycled many elements from the 3,685-square-foot venue’s previous incarnation. The ivy-embellished overhead light fixtures are leftovers that have been painted off-white, while the expansive bar, stonework, vaulted ceilings, and open kitchen remain but are now paired with understated orange walls and beige upholstered chairs. Bay windows along the restaurant’s front wall have been extended all the way to the floor, allowing for more natural light and views of the adjacent Park Plaza, where seasonal patio seating is available for 24.
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An Egyptian coffin from "The Secrets of Tomb 10A" Photo: Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Here are three new and upcoming museum exhibits for groups seeking a culture fix, or planners looking for some visual inspiration.
1. At the Museum of Fine Arts, "The Secrets of Tomb 10A" explores Egyptian concepts of the afterlife through artifacts and other findings from the largest burial assemblage from the Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 B.C.) ever discovered. The tomb was filled with the funerary equipment of a local governor and his wife, including meticulously painted coffins, a mummified head, and everyday items like walking sticks and food storage jars. The exhibit opened on October 18 and runs through May 16. Group rates are available for 10 or more people and after-hours private tours can be arranged by calling 617.369.3310.
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A table designed by Mario Pinto with Scott Heuvelhorst Interiors Photo: Barry Brecheisen for BizBash
FROM CHICAGO "This looks like a serial killer's home. There should be conspiracy theories written on the wall," said one guest at Thursday night's Cocktails by Design event, which served as a kickoff for a three-day Dining by Design benefit hosted by Design Industries Foundations Fighting AIDS. The event filled the eighth floor of the Merchandise Mart with 42 dining environments decorated by design-industry professionals ranging from painters to architects to fashion designer Maria Pinto. With so many creative professionals behind the tables, the environments ranged from a wooden box tacked with newspaper clippings and bathed in an eerie blue light—which inspired the serial-killer comment—to a cozy gazebo setting filled with fairy lights and plush Ralph Lauren pillows.
Though there were tables that defied categorization, some dining environments illustrated popular design trends; one theme was "dark and sexy atmospheres, which we're seeing everywhere this year," said Diffa's director of special events, Peggy Bellar. At an installation from Interior Investments by Gensler, black moving blankets hung behind a table surrounded with dark leather chairs; a chandelier made of painted black cardboard crowned the scene. Hermes glasses in deep purple hues spruced up place settings at a table that Herman Miller by Richard Bliss and Solomon Cordwell Bunez designed; and lacy black napkins dotted the table that Maria Pinto decorated with Scott A. Heuvelhorst Interiors. Artist Francine Turk's design also created a dark, moody ambience with black chalkboard walls, charcoal sketches of crows, and framed paintings of gold Gothic crosses.
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Staffers in London guard-inspired attire at the Ben Sherman store opening Photo: Patrick Piasecki for Bizbash
Ben Sherman joined the handful of British companies moving stores to this side of the pond by officially launching an outpost in Boston on Thursday night. Now open at 154 Newbury Street, the London-based brand’s new Back Bay store—its only boutique in Boston and the fifth in the U.S.—was filled with some 200 invited guests.
“We don't [want to] miss a detail,” said Dana Dynamite, vice president of entertainment marketing for Ben Sherman. “From the music, DJ, and ambiance, to the food, bold-name guests, and V.I.P.s, to me a great event would be a party that people will remember the next day." The party decor focused on all things British, with lots of flags scattered about the store.
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Designs from the ISES tabletop competition Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
FROM NEW YORK On Friday evening, eight designers participated in the metro New York chapter of the International Special Events Society's 2009 tabletop design competition, held at La.Venue as part of the three-day "Cook. Eat. Drink. Live." expo. Members of the events industry including internal planners and owners of design and planning firms (as well as this editor) gathered to judge the tables, which were created with rental items from Broadway Party Rentals.
Because the designers did not have to follow a theme, the looks ran the gamut from a sparkly winter-inspired setting by Marc Wilson Design to a table draped with woven palm fronds by Flora New York. Neuman's was awarded two round-trip airline tickets from Delta Airlines for the winning entry, a cornucopia-style design with a bounty of fresh produce, mossy accents, and an earthy color scheme. Blade Floral and Event Designs took home the second place award, and Floral Icon Events won third place. Here's a closer look at all of the participants.
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Invitations will always make the first impression of any event, and these days, our readers are choosing what impression to make on an individual basis. Nearly 50 percent of respondents in last week's poll said that the type of invite depends on the event. The other half of respondents were split almost equally between those in favor of anything fun and creative and the camp that thinks paperless is always the way to go. One thing planners aren't looking at these days are over-the-top invites. None of the respondents to last week's poll think extravagant invitations are appropriate right now.
This week we'd like to see what you think feels right for 2009 holiday parties. Let us know by checking out the current poll on the left column of the home page.
