| EVENT REPORT 02.23.09 11:23 AM |
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Elton John's Recession-Appropriate Gala Still Glitters—and Offers Guests a Chance to Hit Vanity Fair, Too
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 | Elton John's black-and-white Oscar party
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage |
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With Vanity Fair’s party canceled last year on account of the writers' strike, Elton John’s bash rose to the top of the Oscar-night clutter. But the reemergence of the magazine’s party this go-round did little to quash the glitter of last night's 17th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation benefit at the Pacific Design Center—and neither did the woeful economy, which necessitated careful budget review, but no cuts that looked jarring to guests.
John and husband David Furnish hosted the viewing dinner and party, and Chopard, Jo and Raffy Manoukian, and VH1 were the evening’s cosponsors. Foundation executive director Scott Campbell oversaw the event, tapping Virginia Fout again this year to produce it.
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RELATED TOPICS
Award Season, Oscars, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Raphael Saadiq, Chopard, VH1, Ciroc, Sterling Vineyards, Budgets, Vanity Fair |
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| EVENT REPORT 10.23.08 4:06 PM |
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Us Weekly Brings "Hollywood" Party—and Its Decor—From L.A. to New York
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FROM NEW YORK
Us Weekly’s annual Hot Hollywood party, like so many Los Angeles events, has always revolved around the red carpet and the trendiest venue. But for the party’s 2008 move to New York, the magazine took a decidedly different approach. Producers trucked in most decor from the West Coast to create a sponsor-infused lounge at Skylight on Tuesday night for the crowd of 850—which included the casts of Gossip Girl and High School Musical 3.
Making it their third Hot Hollywood partnership, the magazine—under direction of Wenner Media senior event marketing manager Keira Ford—tapped Cara Kleinhaut and her team at
Caravents to facilitate the party’s migration. “Going into a blank-slate venue,” said Kleinhaut, “we could really customize to the sponsors and their signature look and feel. Rather than deal with existing furnishings and just throwing pillows on them, we got to build it from the ground up. It's really satisfying."
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Us Weekly, Hot Hollywood, Saturn, Ciroc, Neutrogena, Hershey, BlackBerry |
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| EVENT REPORT 09.08.08 11:14 AM |
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VMA Hospitality Suites Pick Venues With L.A. Character
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Back in Los Angeles after a long absence to tour other cities, MTV's Video Music Awards rolled into town this past weekend with all of the related events in tow, including those ubiquitous swag and hospitality suites. And this time, the suites took over some distinctive L.A. properties that seemed to call attention to the particular character of this year's VMA host city.
Hype Marketing's House of Hype took over a massive home above Hollywood, a property so big and far from its neighbors that it dominates an entire hillside. The setup at the house featured a photo booth and T-shirt screenprinting by Hit & Run by day, with live performances by Young Jeezy and Robin Thicke into the wee hours throughout the weekend. Guests reached the property—which features a grotto pool, a sand volleyball court, and expansive downtown-to-ocean views—by way of shuttle from a parking garage on the Sunset Strip below. Video directors Chris Robinson, Jessy Terrero, and Anthony Mandler nominally cohosted the House of Hype programming in honor of their award nominations.
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RELATED TOPICS
MTV, MTV Video Music Awards, Gift Suites, Verizon Wireless, Samsung, Eboost, Red Bull, Ciroc, Apple Bottoms, Urban Decay |
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| GUEST QUESTIONS 08.05.08 2:43 PM |
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Sponsors and "Free Sh*t" Abound at Metromix.com's Lollapalooza Music Lounge
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 | Metromix.com's Music Lounge
Photo: Red Eye Productions |
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FROM CHICAGO
From August 1 through August 3, otherwise known as Lollapalooza weekend, Chicago's Hard Rock Hotel became "the Music Lounge Presented by Metromix.com," a crowd-and-heat respite for artists, media, industry folks, and V.I.P. ticket holders. Open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, the lounge was produced by BMF Media and located across the street from Grant Park.
Daytime activities, which took place on two levels, included everything from Guitar Hero to complimentary tattoos and gifting suites. At the temporary Eastsport Café, sponsored by the bag manufacturer, guests took advantage of free China Grill-catered lunches, Bustelo coffee drinks, and Ciroc-spiked cocktails with thematic names like the Diddy. Rock the Vote Nights, also presented by Metromix.com, overtook the Music Lounge from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. each evening, featuring performances from the likes of Samantha Ronson.
With the Ciroc cocktails flowing and the music pumping, guests seemed to be in high spirits; some even offered hugs in lieu of comments. Those who did speak up, however, had plenty to say about swag, sponsorship, and the lounge's "vibe."
"This whole experience makes me feel like a kid in a sweets shop. I'm just taking in everything with a little look here, a little taste there. My favorite part of the gifting suite? I'd say the bling [Skullcandy gave out necklaces with silver or gold skull-shaped charms.] That's what we all need: bling, bling, bling."
—Satin Singh, percussionist for Mark Ronson
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RELATED TOPICS
Bustelo, Ciroc, Eastsport, Metromix.com, Rock the Vote |
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