The bash opened with a celebrity fashion show that included styles from the Andy Hilfiger Andrew Charles Rock ’N’ Roll Collection, in addition to a presentation of the debut collection Authentic Icon, inspired by American Idol. Models included the likes of Shannon Elizabeth, Taylor Hicks, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner.

The evening also included a live auction called by Shaun Robinson and Jason Kennedy, during which bidders walked away with items like a fashion week package from the Mandarin Oriental in New York, and a five-night stay for a winner plus seven at the Vomo Private Island Resort in Fiji, a shopping spree with the Hilton sisters, and others.

Race to Erase MS once again hosted a variety of musical performances throughout the evening. Indie pop band Fitz and the Tantrums opened the show, followed by a set from American Idol winner David Cook. Vocal quartet the Tenors did a two-song set that included a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah," and last, Stevie Wonder sang a six-song set, including “Come Let Me Make Your Love Come Down,” “Higher Ground,” “Easy on Yourself,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” and “Superstition.”

In Race to Erase MS tradition, a rendition of “Lean On Me,” served as the finale of the evening, this year led by Wonder, who was joined by Davis, LaToya Jackson, Noelle Scaggs from Fitz and the Tantrums, Clay Walker, Cook, the Tenors, and an array of past Idol contestants.

On their way out, guests—including a big celebrity contingent like Khloe Kardashian-Odom and Lamar Odom, Jon Lovitz, and Jack Osbourne—scooped up the event's gift bag, with items like makeup from Laura Geller, certificates to the Bar Method of Los Angeles, nail polish from Essie, watches from Rumba Time, and gift certificates to Massage L.A.

EMD Serono, Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Associated Television International, and American Airlines sponsored the night.

Also among the evening's speakers was Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who lauded the Science Center and apologized for being underdressed, explaining he'd just come from a press conference in which he announced the killers of two students from the adjacent U.S.C. campus had been captured, a moment of applause and relief from the community in attendance.

Beverages came from Turkish Coffee World and Somerston Wine Company.

Following the ceremony, L.A.-based DJ and radio/TV host DJ Skee spun for the crowd and shared the stage with a surprise musical performer: Warren G.

Guests checked out the latest Swatch collections at the pop-up shop that will be open through the end of May, while scooping up passed hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

The look and feel of the event—and of the MannoMedia-produced pop-up shop over all—was meant to embrace what Swatch calls the pillars of its brand: art, sports, and fashion.

The new 85,000-square-foot center is intended to be a highly versatile space, with spacious seminar rooms and breakout rooms with interactive digital white boards, video-conferencing, and high-speed Wi-Fi. Catering options at the space, which includes a ballroom with a capacity of 1,000 seated for a meal, include fresh farm-to-table produce grown at the on-campus FairView Farms.

The new venue is situated in the 487-acre Fairplex Campus, where there are eight expo halls. Building 4 has 105,600 square feet of column-free space, including an elevated stage with dressing rooms, high ceilings, roll-up doors, and private office space. Buildings 5, 6, 7, and the exhibition hall contain 33,600 square feet of column-free space, with three loading doors, heated and air-conditioned ticket booths, two office/lounges, as well as handicapped-accessible and family-friendly restrooms. And building 9 has 45,300 square feet of column-free space with three loading doors, air conditioning, two office/lounges upstairs, handicapped-accessible restrooms, and a scullery with a three-compartment stainless pot sink and hand sink with quarry tile floor.

Overall, the campus offers amenities like the Finish Line Sports Grill and Avalon banquet facility, which accommodates 500 guests. There is parking for more than 30,000 cars. And the Sheraton Hotel has 11,000 square feet of meeting space in addition to the space at the conference center.

1. Treat a corporate group to an educational afternoon or evening with certified sommelier Jennifer Rheuban, who leads classes and tastings for groups of as many as 10 at any location. Classes from Jen-on-Wine include comparisons between New World and Old World wines, tips for decoding labels, and wine-shopping suggestions. Rheuban can tailor the presentation to the group's knowledge of wine. A class for eight to 10 participants is about $1,000, plus the cost of wine.

D's creators and executive producers are Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. Below are five questions for conference general manager Lia Kennett.

That sounds like a good problem to have.
It’s a problem based on our successes. We’re very happy to be grappling with things like that. The county is still growing by about 1.5 percent a year. We need to be mindful to accommodate that growth by giving people good experiences at the fair and keep them coming back. We're always focusing on growing at the same rate as the county.

The key to [our significant growth] is listening to the community and really meeting the needs of what their interests are. What do they want to see? When you’re really listening is when you start attracting the most people.

Bolthouse will also speak at the BizBash Expo June 11 at the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles. Information about the show is here.

Why did you decide to join forces with Vox Entertainment, SBE, and Wolfgang Puck?
Last year we started exploring possibilities to expand our event business and talked with Vox. They were always a nuts-and-bolts production house, and we were always on the entertainment side. We had a core warehouse of furniture, and they had [elements like] lights and barricades. Just looking at the economic climate, we decided it’s smart for us to pool our resources and create a joint venture to really strengthen our position in the marketplace. Our companies complemented each other.

Wolfgang Puck is the best caterer in the country. This year, in the spring, we all thought how great it would be to have a partnership with them as well. We wanted to take all of our resources and give that value to our customers.

This year's race will be run on Memorial Day, May 25, rather than President's Day, February 16. What was behind the date change?
We came in with new ownership, and we’ve really looked at every single aspect of the marathon. We’ve changed the course from last year: We went back to the loop route that starts in downtown, which was last run in 2006. It’s a very fast route, very popular with runners.

Tell us about Fashion Week Los Angeles’s first season since the Smashbox partnership ended.
With the crash of the economy, it was a timely departure for IMG, producers of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios. Their departure, plus the economy, has created a season of uncertainty. As a result, we are seeing fewer of the more established brands showing on the runway. On the flip side, this leaves room for newcomers to grab some attention. We are seeing a rise in the number of new independent producers who wish to fill the void left by IMG. Usually it is individual designers producing shows in a variety of off-site venues. This year, we see producers determined to pioneer new venues and attract the designers to show with them.

Among them is Armani Exchange, which is hosting its third annual "Armani Exchange and T-Mobile Neon Carnival" late on Saturday night at a remote airport hangar not far from the festival grounds. The night will celebrate the launch of Armani Exchange's new Color Pop watch collection and T-Mobile's HTC One S device, and will include its signature carnival accoutrements, like a Ferris wheel, giant slide, bumper cars, snow cones, and cotton candy. Bolthouse produces, and Shadow and PMK-BNC handle PR for the event, one of the weekend's most coveted.

The roster of fashion brands that piggyback on the show seems to grow each year; look for a presence from the likes of H&M, Mulberry, and Madewell. Also coming back the first weekend of the festival is Lacoste. The brand's younger line, Lacoste Live, will host its pool party, presented by HTC, and bring back its signature green crocodile pool rafts. Food will come from L.A.'s Slice Truck and Don Chow Tacos trucks, and frozen treats will come from sponsors Fiji, which will provide snow cones, and Patrón, which will provide spiked Popsicles. At the party, produced by Made With Elastic, Look for activities like giant Twister, speedboat racing, and a phone-charging station, plus a pop-up shop offering discount shopping to benefit the Voice Project. And Guess will host its Guess? Hotel in La Quinta, with daytime parties during the first weekend.

Magazines are also a popular category as party hosts, with Details partnering with Hennessy V.S. to bring its "Details @ Midnight" franchise to Coachella. The latest installment will include a performance by Asher Roth. The event provides a platform for Hennessy to generate further awareness for the brand’s new communications campaign, “Wild Rabbit.” Another magazine on board will be Nylon, for which People's Revolution is working on a brunch and barbecue party with Hugo Boss at the "Hugo Boss Escape House" at a private home in La Quinta on Saturday. Performers will include Rye Rye, Sucré, the Misshapes, DJ Adam12, Mia Moretti and Caitlin Moe, DJ Oliver, and Mel Debarge. Filter magazine will celebrate 10 years in print—which conveniently coincides with the 10th anniversary of its Coachella kickoff events—with Thursday events before both weekends. For the first time, Planet Blue will also host a Coachella event, with Foam magazine and 90210 actress Gillian Zinser at the Alcazar Hotelin Palm Springs on the first weekend. Drinks will come from Pabst Blue Ribbon and Peligroso tequila, DJ Zinzi Edmunson will spin, and Snap Yourself will provide the photo booth.

Night Vision Entertainment, the Alliance, and Chevy Volt will present a lineup of two pool parties on Saturday and Sunday during the first weekend. The event, known as "The Mirage," will be centered around a massive 4,000-square-foot pool in Rancho Mirage. Belvedere will be back with its Belve Music Lounge on Friday and Saturday during the first weekend. The Ace Hotel will host its annual Desert Gold parties with diverse and global music, and Flaunt and KCRW will be among the brands present at a weekend-long party at the new Saguaro. At its restaurant, Tinto, Lexus will host a private dinner Friday night.

For vendors, working on the season's biggest events can mean calculated cost cutting in the interest of a variety of other benefits. The companies that work on the lavish affairs say they do take home a profit, but the array of other bonuses is what makes the projects worthwhile. Beyond revenue, vendors describe a faceted combination of motivations including marketing value, relationship building with clients and other vendors, name recognition, and—of course—the reflected glory of the Academy Awards themselves.

“There's definitely a difference in [the right] direction over the last several years in terms of the economy, [but] because we're so strictly audited internally, our budget doesn't change every year,” said Virginia Fout of V Productions, the producer of the event now in its 20th year. “Things are coming back and people are feeling more comfortable supporting [projects like these], and spending money. Perception was a big issue, and now [it’s OK to look rich again] with caution."