| EVENT REPORT 05.14.09 8:00 AM |
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Stripped-Down Robin Hood Benefit Raises a Record $72 Million
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 | Robin Hood's bull's-eye-focused benefit
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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FROM NEW YORK
British philosopher Joseph Priestly once said, "The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate." In that spirit, the Robin Hood Foundation used its annual gala Tuesday night to debut its new ad campaign and convey its mission with clear and unembellished visuals—at least compared to years past. The blockbuster benefit, which has become known for its sizable guest list, bevy of big-name performers and donors, and multimillion-dollar fund-raising ability, returned to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center with more than 3,000 guests, host Jon Stewart, and musical entertainment from Aretha Franklin and the Black Eyed Peas.
"We wanted to make sure that nobody lost the message. To strip it down even more to our core values, so that nobody can walk out of here without a clear understanding of what we do," said Mark Bezos, the nonprofit's senior vice president for development and communications. Charged with that simple premise, Robin Hood's event team worked closely with David Stark Design & Production and Atomic Design to put images from the campaign front and center and accent them with bull's-eyes and arrows.
Jim Samalis, Robin Hood's managing director of events, and Amy Sinclair, manager of events, headed up the internal team for the first iteration of the gala in 10 years without the guidance of Laurie Fabiano, Robin Hood's former director of communications, marketing, and events, who left the organization at the end of last year.
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RELATED TOPICS
Robin Hood Foundation, Jon Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Black Eyed Peas |
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| EVENT INTELLIGENCE 06.12.08 12:31 PM |
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M.C.s Gone Wild: Keeping Talent From Going Off-Book and Out-of-Bounds
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 | Jon Stewart at a 2005 Magazine Publisers of America event
Photo: M. Szwajkos/ Getty Images |
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The great thing about napkins or centerpieces or tents is that they don’t talk back. They don’t have a bad day, forget their audience, or have a few too many cocktails before an event. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for people, and when a planner enlists someone as a host or M.C., a certain element of risk and unpredictability gets added to the mix. And a poor performance can upset guests, sponsors, journalists—and, of course, the process of producing the event itself.
For example: Rosie O’Donnell made some jaws drop at the New York Women in Communications’ Matrix Awards luncheon last year, dropping the F-bomb and unleashing a less-than-refined rant directed at Donald Trump. In 2005, Jon Stewart ruffled feathers while mediating a panel for the Magazine Publishers of America, during which he skewered—some thought inappropriately—the magazines of -panelists Dave Zinczenko (from Men’s Health) and Kate White (from Cosmopolitan). And tongues wagged after Stephen Colbert addressed the 2006 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner crowd, which included the commander in chief himself, with an irony-rich routine that many felt punched, rather than poked fun at, the president.
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M.C.s, New York Women in Communications, Matrix Awards, Magazine Publishers of America, White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, AOL, Men's Health, Cosmopolitan magazine, Jon Stewart, Rosie O'Donnell, Stephen Colbert |
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| NEWS 02.27.08 11:30 AM |
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Oscars a Ratings Bomb (Host Stewart Still Laughing)
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By now, the ratings have revealed that Sunday's Oscars telecast on ABC was the least watched in TV-ratings history. Chalk it up to fallout from the writers strike, or to the slate of pictures up for awards that were critically acclaimed but unpopular at the box office, says The Washington Post. But Jon Stewart, widely seen as a successful host working under a tough set of circumstances, managed to find humor in the event's ratings bomb on his Tuesday-night episode of The Daily Show, during which Stewart assented to a litany of jokes at the hands of Daily Show correspondent John Oliver regarding the Academy Awards' failure to garner viewers. (Oliver quipped that the ratings demonstrated that even Stewart's own mother hadn't watched.)
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RELATED TOPICS
Oscars, Award Season, Jon Stewart, ABC, The Daily Show |
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