Brüno's star, Sacha Baron Cohen, who plays a flamboyant gay Austrian fashion reporter, arrived at the premiere by way of a tricked-out tank—which was hidden in a tent on Hollywood Boulevard until the big reveal moments before the screening began at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. A throng of assembled fans whipped out camera phones to capture the spectacle. ELS handled street closures and permitting, logo signage and carpeting in an interlocking B pattern, stanchions and ropes, staging and bleachers for fans, crowd control, and media arrivals lighting.

"We wanted to capture what [director] Michael Bay captures in his films: visually appealing, stunty, and impressive," said director of special events Elizabeth Tramontozzi, who worked with manager Amy Baker, coordinator Samantha Kolker, and assistant Jacob Marez. "We wanted to take those elements and have them be what the premiere felt like."

For simultaneous screenings at Mann's Village and Bruin theaters in Westwood, the arrivals took over Broxton Avenue with a spectacle that drew fans, U.C.L.A. students, and passersby to crowd all surrounding sidewalks. Tramontozzi tapped 15/40 Productions to design a 200-foot-long machinery-inspired arrivals area in a double-sided horseshoe design to accommodate a throng of press. A pair of the robot-vehicles from the movie flanked a double-sided 125-foot-long metal step-and-repeat wall. Fans were penned on both sides of the carpet, and occupied bleachers at the top.

The afternoon for children who suffer from the disease and their families included activities, games, a beauty shop, and a sports bar, as well as musical entertainment by Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. Sharon Stone and Hayden Panettiere were guest speakers. The hospital's associate director for special events and support group relations Laura Fuhrman oversaw the program, which was a debut of a new format. The previous incarnation, known as Pamper Me Pink, was geared toward women and drew fewer than 300 guests. This year's event drew more than 400, and Fuhrman estimated it came close to its fund-raising goal of about $400,000, although final numbers had not been tallied. The event honored producer Alexandra Milchan-Lambert and Relativity Media's Scott Lambert.

"The Dolce Group has always been about reinvention, and Moore and Malin look forward to continuing to expand their restaurant and nightlife empire with such concepts as Rare 120° in Vegas and Les Deux in Hollywood," Knies Lanier said. 

Dolce is offering customers food discounts through the weekend, and it will have a closing party next week.

1. Downtown’s Millennium Biltmore Hotel added a new restaurant in late May: La Bistecca, an Italian steak house in the hotel’s lobby, Rendezvous Court. Artist Anthony Heinsbergen designed the space, which has soaring ceilings in a Spanish-Baroque setting with Italian travertine stone walls, a three-story Moorish plaster ceiling decorated with hand-painted and carved wood beams, 24-karat gold accents, Italian bronze and crystal chandeliers, and a Tennessee rose marble fountain.

The menu at La Bistecca features six cuts of beef with a variety of accompaniments inspired by the cuisine of southern Italy and Sicily, as well as traditional sauces. The restaurant is available for full and partial buyouts, and has a capacity of 50.

The main dining room holds 170 guests for a seated event or 240 for a reception; the Outrigger Room holds 60 guests seated or 75 for a reception; and the bar holds 70 seated or 150 for a reception. The patio seats 35 or holds 50 for a reception, and is the only area not equipped with audiovisual capabilities. Event menus can be customized for plated meals, buffets, or platters.

A glass-enclosed oven sits in a room centered in the back of the restaurant, so guests can watch the the preparation of their meals.

The Lab also has a private dining room wired for full audiovisual capabilities. It holds 18 guests for a seated event or 30 for a reception.

“I’ve always been interested in creating a unique sound experience,” Smith says. “So you’re selling a car. What’s your objective for the event? Not just ‘Hey, here’s a cool DJ who can rock a party.’ It’s ‘What is your event about?’ It’s about working with a brand’s sonic identity. Everywhere that [a company uses] music, I believe it should be consistent with the brand.”

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.

How have you grown the event since last year?
The single biggest thing we’ve done this year is we added a world-class speaker series. Arianna Huffington is our keynote speaker; we have 20 people over three days that are coming to speak about everything you can imagine, including environmental sustainability, changing the world and being fearless doing it, alternative medicine, energy and transportation, biofuels, health, and wellness.

How do you keep show production green?
We’ve hired a company called Green Lotus Events, and we have a waste-management program. At last year’s event, we were 93 percent successful at diverting waste from landfill—what that means is 93 pounds out of every 100 that were considered garbage we diverted away from a landfill in favor of recycling, reuse, and composting programs. We have zero-waste stations, and there’s an educator at each. We require vendors to serve in something that’s biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable. Any material we have in the building has to be reusable in some way. We also work closely with the city of Santa Monica to compost and recycle our waste. In addition, we are very mindful of carbon footprints. We are encouraging carpooling and public transportation wherever possible. Everything that’s available at our show is organic. We only use F.S.C. [Forest Stewardship Council]-certified paper products in everything that we do—basically we have to pay more.

Production: “Genevieve Productions president Jen Green is one of the most sought-after fashion show producers in Los Angeles. She has been Gen Art’s right-hand runway counterpart for five years running on Fresh Faces in Fashion and the New Garde, producing each show with ease and confidence.”

“Peak 5, run by Tim Hurley, is the peak of production. I have worked with Peak on several events—from a car launch, 'Capture the Night' sponsored by Acura, to 'Fashionably Natural,' Gen Art’s foray into eco-fashion presented by Soyjoy. Hurley’s team is professional, dependable, and hard-working."

The live broadcast, hosted by Jamie Foxx, drew 10.65 million viewers. About 10 percent of televisions that were on during the broadcast period were tuned to the awards program, uncommonly high for a cable network, according to Nielsen Media Research findings cited in The Los Angeles Times.

The reasons for the uncertain fate of 20th Century Props are economic. "It's half recession, because of the business environment, but the other half is the pseudo-non-strike from SAG," said Schwartz, referring to the threat of a Screen Actors Guide strike that loomed for nearly a year until members finally approved a contract on June 9. He said his business also took a hit from the writers' strike last year, but he was able to recoup those losses. The New York Times has more on the closing (including a slide show of props) here.

To be good in bad times, planners are developing their negotiating skills and casting wide nets. To keep costs manageable, Warner Brothers special events director Hillary Harris now gets three outside bids, as well as a bid from the studio’s appropriate internal department. “That keeps everybody honest,” said Harris, who responded quickly to the downturn by restructuring her team and encouraging the group to innovate and learn new skills. She has begun training her team in AutoCAD drafting and design software to provide a higher level of service for events on the lot. “If you can’t significantly change your budget, what’s the added value you can bring? What separates you from your peers is being ahead of the game. [My group meets every day so] there’s feedback and it keeps my team enthused. It’s really paid off well.”

Best Corporate Event Concept (Over $50,000)
Ellen DeGeneres's 50th Birthday Party
Submitted by Warner Brothers Special Events
To celebrate the TV host’s birthday and her move from NBC to Warner Brothers Studios, Telepictures Productions hosted a celebration that doubled as a segment for the comedian’s show. Organizers designed a vintage carnival and incorporated her favorite things, including dancing and games, as well as some celebrity guests.