EVENT REPORT 10.24.06 4:49 PM Corporate Reception is Both Cool and Hot
Approximately 450 guests escaped Chicago's chilly weather for a Tampa poolside reception that exploded with branding and entertainment.
Al Walker, owner of Chicago-based Coated Steel Corporation (CSC), wanted to host an event for some of the attendees in town for the Metalcon International Conference held at the Tampa Convention Center. He turned to Arona Martin, the event producer for Crobar in Chicago, which hosted last year's reception—the first time the company had done an event that was "out of the box" in the steel industry. "This year, we didn't want another nightclub venue, but instead took the nightclub scene outdoors and created an edgy poolside retreat at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa," Martin said.
With help from Tara Liaschenko of the Link Event Professionals, Martin used the weather and water as inspiration, transforming the hotel's pool area into a hot-and-cool space with intense lighting, sleek lounge furniture, and plenty of entertainment—all in shades of blue, purple, white, and silver. Guests traded their shoes for blue flip-flops at a shoe check-in station. A stack of towels, swimwear, terry robes, and other necessities (all branded with CSC) rested on every lawn chair, enticing guests to take a dip in the pool and take advantage of the tropical surroundings.
Grand Events of Florida set up two lounge areas with white seating and blue accent pillows and decor. Grand Events also built two white spandex frames that flanked the pool's waterfall, where Bay Stage Lighting projected gobos throughout the night. Near the waterfall, Ice Magic built an ice bar with an ice palm tree luge that two "ice queens" dressed in white fur bikinis and fur hats used to serve blue "Coated Steeltinis." Creative Show Services, a division of Audio Visual Innovations-Tampa brought in two snow machines to go with the cool-hued vibe. The company also provided a screen that ran a CSC video presentation along with clips of last year's event at Crobar. Guest had plenty to see, do, and eat. The Seminole Hard Rock's catering team started everyone off with passed hors d'oeuvres followed by buffet stations brimming with an array of dishes.
Guests were also overloaded with entertainment, thanks to Event Show Productions, who had performers everywhere, including sparkling blue mermaids lounging on turquoise floating rafts in the pool. "We wanted to turn guests into mermaids," Martin said. One of the thatched huts near the pool was converted into a makeup station where guests could get their faces
painted. Three strolling beauties glam-ified guests with glitter, rhinestones, faux tattoos, decals, and more—even the men embraced the opportunity. Six go-go dancers on strategically placed platforms wiggled and grooved to the beats while a bikini-clad woman hung out in a five-foot glittery martini glass. Throughout the night, eight performers dressed in skimpy, sparkling outfits with neon-lit wigs mingled with everyone. Event Show even had a performer stretch and pose inside a large seven-foot sphere that floated on the water. Even the waiters and bartenders wore branded tank tops, blue flip-flops, and blue wigs.
Those wanting a bite to eat to keep their energy up amidst the fast-paced scene welcomed the late-night ice cream cart maneuvered around by two girls in hot shorts, tanks, and those popular neon wigs. By evening's end, a pool area had been converted into a nightclub, mermaids mingled on land, and guests enjoyed a cool event in a hot location.
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