| EVENT REPORT 03.09.09 10:55 AM |
PRINT | SEND TO A FRIEND |
|
| C.S.I. Downtown Los Angeles |
| The California Science Center's Discovery Ball employed some tongue-in-cheek touches for its Las Vegas theme tied into the forensics exhibit at the museum. |
|
The California Science Center's Discovery Ball is always tied thematically to an exhibit at the museum. This year the museum's vice president of food and event services, Chris Sion, exploited the "C.S.I.: The Experience" exhibit to the max, with an all-out Las Vegas forensics theme, while paying attention to the most minute details—all on a significantly reduced budget.
"We crack ourselves up—I'm not kidding. Sometimes we just come up with things and do them for our own amusement," Sion said, referring to some subtle touches such as coupons for free shrimp cocktail handed out at the entrance—mimicking those guests receive upon check in at a casino hotel—even though all food and drink at the party was free to ticket holders. Another: the imitation Zyzzyx highway sign set up at the entrance to the parking lot, simulating the one drivers see en route from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Other subtle touches included a bellman with a luggage cart at the entry and invitations mocked up to look like crime scene investigation files, including tiny baggies filled with paillettes and feathers to introduce the fictitious case of a murdered showgirl that carried through the party on event night. Guests could visit stations to learn about forensics processes while trying to solve the mysterious demise of the girl, whose body they saw at the party's entrance. (Well, not really.) |
|
CONTINUED > |
|
|
PHOTO GALLERY |
 | The California Science Center's Discovery Ball featured a C.S.I. theme, and perpetrated a fictitious story of a murdered Las Vegas show girl.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography |
|
|
 | A card-shaped ice sculpture added some Vegas-y kitsch.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography |
|
|
 | A bank of slot machines afforded coin-free play time.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography |
|
|
 | Show girls drew attention to a big-ticket raffle prize: a 2010 Lexus.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography |
|
|
 | Feathers topped towering flower arrangements.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography |
|
|
 | White furniture popped in the lounge for the after-dinner portion.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography |
|
|
 | Dealers manned a craps table in the lounge.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography |
|
|
 | An antler chandelier hung over the dance floor in the lounge.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography |
|
|
 | White flowers topped tables in seating clusters in the lounge.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography |
|
|
|
|
"We sat with Chinese food, stuffing paillettes and feathers for three days," Sion said, naming one of the tasks she handled in house this year as part of an overall money-saving effort. The event drew about 750 guests, down from 810 last year. In order to inspire some extra fund-raising, ball organizers added a live auction, called by Fritz Coleman, and also raffled a 2010 Lexus IS 350C for tickets that cost $300 a pop. Sion and the team also cut out the gift bags this year.
"We made decisions about cost-saving strategies," she said. "The Vegas theme was born out of 'What can we do that's inexpensive this year?' For us it was a cheap and cheerful response to the economic climate. We wanted to be sensitive to the fact that people are giving money to the museum not for a big party, but for it really to come back to us. When we were thinking about how to make a forensics party fun, we thought about Vegas. It can be combination tongue in cheek and classy. It's been really fun to see the ball grow from something that's not so thematically strong to [this]. It's not just a theme; it's really a story we're trying to tell."
After dinner, guests were free to wander through the exhibit, catch a screening of Under the Sea 3D in the adjacent IMAX theater (scooping up plastic 3D glasses to go with their black-tie attire), or head to the lounge for casino games, dancing, and a peek at scantily clad dancers working stripper poles—another thing that Sion's team put in place to crack themselves up (along with the generally buoyant and good-natured crowd).
—Alesandra Dubin
RELATED TOPICS
Budgets, Lexus
MORE EVENT REPORT STORIES
Us Weekly Takes to Voyeur With Scantily Clad Models, Burlesque Feel
MoMA Gets Suitably Whimsical and Macabre for Tim Burton Tribute
New Moon Premiere Beckons 10,000 People and 2 Live Wolves
Chrysalis Benefit Cuts Ticket Prices in Half, Draws Same Crowd
Wende Museum Closes Wilshire for Cold War Anniversary Celebration
MORE STORIES ABOUT BUDGETS
Poll Results: 2010 Event Budgets Look Bigger
After Months of Price Slashing, How Will Vendors Negotiate Post-Recession Contracts?
As Hollywood Slogs Through Recession, Studio Events Go On—Cautiously
MORE STORIES ABOUT LEXUS
With Help From Lexus, Cedars-Sinai Gala Breaks Fund-Raising Record
The U.S. Open Is All About Getting Close to Tiger, and the Sponsors
| More Suppliers/Venues to Consider |
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|
Universal Studios Hollywood Theme Park and CityWalk Special Events
From catering to decor to flawless execution by a professional and experienced event management staff, Universal Studios Hollywood Theme Park and CityWalk Special Events is a one-stop shop for excellence in events. Only Universal Studios Hollywood brings true Hollywood style to events with several unique outdoor and indoor venues, including the 9,600-square-foot Globe Theatre event space. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
Russell Harris Event Group
With over 20 years' experience, Los Angeles-based Russell Harris Event Group has been responsible for a broad scope of corporate, sporting, and entertainment industry events. With guest lists ranging from 500 to 50,000 attendees, it has built a reputation of excellence by maintaining an organized yet entertaining environment while bringing personal style and integrity to each event. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
Events in Motion
With offices in Los Angeles and New York, Events in Motion is a full-service event planning and catering company offering the in-depth expertise needed to create the perfect event. It offers a wide range of services, from catering to cutting-edge design ideas. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
