Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush hosted the program, which included cocktails and a silent auction followed by dinner and the entertainment. R&B artist Brian McKnight and up-and-comer Charice performed for the crowd, which included Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Ben Silverman, and Andy Garcia.

Free and open to the public, the pop-up Hello Kitty-related art exhibit and Sanrio retail shop, known as "Three Apples," runs from October 23 through November 15. Sanrio's team unpacked and installed the exhibit, and Japan L.A. shop owner Jamie Rivadeneira curated the Hello Kitty artwork, which is for sale. Royal/T supplied the catering and service staffing for a private, invitation-only grand opening party on October 22 to kick it all off.

The spectacle began with arrivals on the Nokia Plaza at L.A. Live. The atypical setup felt more like a stage than a standard arrivals line: Instead of the usual carpet, a red laquer dance floor lay underfoot, inset with video and lighting elements to evoke Jackson's iconic "Billie Jean" video. Dancers from the planned tour, known as the "Crystal Divas," performed an aerialist routine overhead in Swarovski crystal costumes and chandeliers. Glass cases displayed costumes from the intended tour, some unfinished. Video elements and LED screens surrounded the area, and a fan pit in the middle emanated energy. Craig Waldman of 15/40 described the scope of the arrivals scene as "like an awards show." About 200 photographers and 120 television crews lapped up the coverage.

This year, the program ballooned from a single day to two full days—to accommodate the increasing number of would-be attendees. (Each year, full-day passes to the conference sell out in record time. Tickets this year sold out in less than two hours, beating last year's record of three.) The first day's program, a Day of Transformation, served as somewhat more informal programming, with two 1,500-attendee sessions and six 400-person breakout sessions. "We were getting so much feedback from people who wanted to participate and have access," said executive producer Alexandra Gleysteen. "It's a way to get more hands-on information—how to get a new job, start a nonprofit—all in a spiritual context and a serene environment. It's on a different scale, more intimate, than the main program."

The new venue includes what it bills as the largest theater with stadium seating in the country. There are 3,795 seats in all, ranging from 100 to 290 per auditorium; each auditorium has high-back reclining seats, retractable cup holders, and high-end digital projection and sound systems. The complex also houses four auditoriums equipped with Real D-3D digital projection systems, making them ready to handle 3-D film releases.

The space's other events include a performance by the Darling Stilettos (with Matt Sorum of Guns N' Roses), and a masquerade ball with live performance by a '20-style big band and flapper dancers. Night Vision also has plans to take the Pandora concept to other major U.S. cities.

1. SBE's new nightclub, Mi-6, opened in September in the former Foxtail space. A significant departure from that venue's opulent Art Deco look, Mi-6 has a modern design with lighting along the walls in striped arrangements. The West Hollywood space has booth seating, dual dance floors, and a layout on three levels. The space has a total capacity of about 400, with V.I.P. areas, multiple full-service bars, and smoking patios. There is an AEW sound system and DJ booth with built-in Serato. LEDs light the dance floor. Speciality cocktails use high-end and organic ingredients. Valet parking is available.

1. If you're bringing in a chef for an on-site demo, Town & Country Event Rentals is offering a new cooking demonstration table that provides a view for guests to watch the action. The set consists of a 3- by 6-foot swiveling plexiglass mirror that can be adjusted to various heights and a brushed steel frame with interlocking casters. The 6-foot by 30-inch table affords a large work area, and a shelf below can be used for storage during the cooking process. The unit rents for $295.

2. James Beard-nominated author Robert Danhi leads groups on walking tours of Little Saigon. The chef takes guests through markets, with stops to sample treats at small shops, and to a tofu factory for samples. The tour concludes at a local restaurant where Danhi will demonstrate a recipe from his book Southeast Asian Flavors: Adventures in Cooking the Foods of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia & Singapore. At the end of the tour, participants receive one of the chef’s cookbooks. The ideal group size is fewer than 20 people to keep everyone together; larger groups can be accommodated in a modified format. Base price per person is $100 for the tour and includes a book, tastings, and a meal. Customized tours are possible.

1. Plush Puffs offer an updated take on basic marshmallows—a good match for coffee or hot chocolate during a break. The company offers six flavors of the snacks—vanilla bean, caramel swirl, chocolate chipetta, simply s’mores, luscious lemony meringue, and peppi-mint—and will deliver for events. Planners get wholesale prices on packaged products and bulk goods; packages sell for $43.13 per 12-bag case, or $22.00 for two-pound bulk bags. Plush Puffs ships around the U.S.

2. Xooro—which recently opened a second location on Melrose Avenue—makes Spanish fritters, not to be confused with ordinary churros. The treats are made using all-natural ingredients and healthy frying techniques (using rice bran oil), and can be filled with sweets like Nutella, chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, dulce de leche, and lemon crème. Toppings include coconut, walnuts, or sprinkles in dark or white chocolate. A gluten-free Xooro is also available. The sweets come in one size and range in price from $3.69 to $4.20. For orders over 1,000, there is a 20 percent discount.

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.

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.

The idea is known as "See a Film on Us," and as part of the plan, organizers reduced the number of feature films from about 100 to about 60, and short films by half to about 25; all seats are fully committed under the new plan, an attractive arrangement for sponsors.

The choice marks the first time the telecast has had a host since 1995. “Not only is this the biggest Hollywood celebration of the industry which includes both film and TV, but also an environment where I feel I can get free rein as a host. I have resisted many other offers like this, but there are just some things you don't turn down,” Gervais said in the announcement.

The participants wore a specially created T-shirt distributed free by event sponsor TapouT. (Fans can also purchase the shirt online with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the City of Hope.) Clear Channel Radio Los Angeles sponsored the event, which was hosted by its stations' on-air personalities.

Mechanic is the chairman and C.E.O. of Pandemonium Films and the former chairman and C.E.O. of Fox Filmed Entertainment. His producer credits include this year's Coraline. Shankman’s directorial credits include Hairspray and The Wedding Planner.

In an announcement, Sherak said that Shankman's experience in producing, directing, and especially choreography would prove assets to the production—suggesting dance could play a significant role in the program. He also said that Mechanic's experience as a producer, studio exec, and film historian would come into play.

Over the past 25 years, the event has been held at various locations in Los Angeles, including the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Beverly Hills Hotel, Hollywood Palladium, and the Santa Monica beach.

"We wanted to do something very special and different for the 25th anniversary by holding the only late-night awards show, where our audience can tune in live at 11 p.m. on the East Coast," said Film Independent executive director Dawn Hudson in the announcement. "Our new venue will still have the laid-back, no-holds-barred atmosphere that only the independent film community can create." Some are nevertheless already speculating the move could change the independent character of the event.