BizBash | Events * Meetings * Marketing * Style * Strategy * Ideas

Vienna Swells During 2009 Life Ball: An estimated 40,000 people visited Vienna, Austria, over the weekend to take part in the 17th annual Life Ball, Europe's largest H.I.V./AIDS charity event. The night ended up something of a combination between a black-tie benefit and Mardi Gras, with Bill Clinton and Eva Longoria Parker speaking to the crowd about social responsibility and Pamela Anderson and Katy Perry dressed as sea creatures in an ocean-themed runway show. Held at Vienna's town hall, the event also included a pool filled with more than 600,000 gallons of water, filled with dancers dressed as sea monsters, jellyfish, and mermaids. [NYT]

Obama Administration Keeps Celebrities in Washington: Obama's presidency has brought a resurgence of celebrities to Washington—and not just for big events like the inauguration and the White House Correspondents' Dinner. From official White House events to local campaign stumping for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, celebrities including Will.i.am, James Earl Jones, and actor-turned-White House staffer Kal Penn have not been strangers to the town's social scene. Event planners in Washington should strongly consider beefing up their step-and-repeats. [Examiner] MORE >>

Life Ball, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Will.i.am, Louis Vuitton, Richard Prince, Bravo, Gossip Girl, History Channel

EVENT REPORT 02.13.09 9:00 AM

Guests Swipe Golden Apples at Real Housewives Premiere

The Real Housewives of New York City season premiere party

Bravo celebrated the season-two premiere of The Real Housewives of New York City at Gilt in the Palace Hotel Wednesday night, and the event's upscale (but scant) decor ultimately became impromptu swag for the 250 guests who attended. Los Angeles-based Precision Events Group's Jason Wanderer oversaw the evening's production, which consisted mainly of dozens of golden apples accenting the venue's tabletops, bars, and entryway. "When learning about the show and brand, [Bravo's director of digital marketing and events] Valerie Brown shared that the apple was an icon of the show," said Wanderer. "Based on the aesthetic of Gilt we decided to utilize them as key organic, yet subtle, branding elements."

Precision designed the apples in house, custom fabricating them from metal dipped in gold enamel. And they didn’t go unnoticed. Used as photo props throughout the night—gaggles of girls could be seen mimicking the Housewives pose, each with an apple in their palm—the golden centerpieces eventually became sought-after souvenirs. MORE >>

Bravo, Real Housewives of New York City

THE SCOUT 12.22.08 7:00 AM

How to Recreate a Reality Show for a Group

The Top Chef-inspired teambuilding event
Photo: Courtesy of Smartt Entertainment Inc.

Reality television hasn't fizzled out yet, and many competition-based shows have maintained—and expanded on—a dedicated following. San Diego-based Smartt Entertainment Inc. recently introduced two packages that draw from the success of these shows, and they're available worldwide.

The "Dancing Under the Stars" package can bring in judges, professional dancers, celebrities, and contestants from So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars to perform in a variety of styles, from waltz to hip hop. Smartt Entertainment can customize the program's length and choose the performers to fit big and small budgets. They'll also bring in world-champion dancers to complement TV contestants. Rates vary and generally start around $10,000. Programs could be presented purely as entertainment or become a bit more interactive by involving key executives in the dances, for example. MORE >>

So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With the Stars, Bravo, Top Chef

BEST OF 2008 11.24.08 8:00 AM

Scripting Reality

Valerie Brown
Photo: Brad DeCecco for BizBash

In television, like fashion, you’re either in or you’re out, and staying relevant in the still-evolving medium is not as easy as it once was. Internal marketers need to approach their existing and potential audiences from every direction, and for Bravo director of digital marketing and events Valerie Brown, that task hinges on creating signature moments to herald the premieres of new and existing series.

First in a Series: Brown joined the network in 2004, on the eve of an extensive rebranding initiative. That effort included the launch of Project Runway, the ﬁrst series she worked on closely, collaborating with producers Magical Elves and IMG Fashion to run the front of the house for the contestants’ Bryant Park fashion shows. In the four years since, Bravo has grown each year, posting record ratings in 2007 and then again in the second quarter of 2008.

Expanding Lineup: Brown became team director in 2006, working with Bravo senior vice president of marketing Ellen Stone. She recently produced a competition to ﬁnd a new cast member for gym reality show Work Out, a dating advice seminar with the star of The Millionaire Matchmaker, and dance classes at Crunch gyms nationwide to promote Step It Up and Dance. “As you grow, budgets become more accessible, but at the same time, you have to maintain proﬁtability,” says Brown. “We pick anchor events to invest in and to put on a large platform. When you have the breadth of programming we have, you have to make strategic decisions.” MORE >>

Bravo, Project Runway, Work Out, Millionaire Matchmaker, Step It Up and Dance, Shear Genius, Top Chef

EVENT REPORT 10.29.08 10:00 AM

Top Chef Embraces New York With Borough-Themed Lunch at Grand Central

Fans lining up for "Taste of the Five Boroughs"
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash

Local fans of Bravo's culinary competition Top Chef seem eager for the show to finally land in New York next month, so on Monday afternoon Bravo and NYC & Company kicked off the season a few weeks early. Paying tribute to the city with a modestly priced edible tour through a miniaturized New York in Grand Central Station's Vanderbilt Hall, “Taste of the Five Boroughs” let foodies spend their lunch hour meeting the show’s cast and sampling meals from local eateries like Craft, Buddakan, and Perilla.

Even in these tight-pocketed times, New York’s most expensive cuisine is never entirely out of reach. Each $30 ticket bought mini-meals from the 20 participating restaurants, and all proceeds went to New York’s City Harvest. The event, under the direction of Bravo director of digital marketing and events Valerie Brown and NYC & Company, capitalized on the critical mass of buzz the new season has in New York. MORE >>

Top Chef, Bravo

ASK BIZBASH 09.08.08 9:00 AM

Who Can Produce a Cool Tribute Video?

Stills from a variety of tribute videos.
Photo: Courtesy of Lifefilm (top), Courtesy of Madprops (middle), Courtesy of Raw Films (bottom)

Honoring a retiring exec or an award winner with a video about their life’s work is a great idea, but only if the piece doesn’t move guests to check their BlackBerries or sneak off to the restroom. Here are three companies that specialize in these types of films and, if asked, will travel to make it happen.

With more than 20 years of combined film and television industry experience, Lifefilm Productions co-founders Peilin Chou and John Brancaccio use the same production professionals they worked with at companies such as Walt Disney Studios, MTV Networks, ESPN, and Bravo to craft their celebratory docs. The firm prides itself on delivering broadcast-quality, story-driven films that are truly entertaining. Past clients include C-level execs from Hasbro and real estate developer S.R. Weiner. Rates start at $5,000, with longer and more intensive projects ranging from $10,000 to $20,000. MORE >>

Walt Disney Company, MTV, ESPN, Bravo, Academy Awards, Saturday Night Live, VH1, A&E, E! Entertainment, NBC, Clinton Global Initiative, Miramax, Hasbro

EVENT REPORT 06.25.08 11:49 AM

Bravo Show Gives Blow-Outs in Times Square in Artsy Salon Chairs

Shear Genius stylists at work
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash

To promote the second season of its hairstyling competition show Shear Genius, Bravo put on a publicity stunt that could easily serve as the premise for a new program. The cable network enlisted students at New York’s School of Visual Arts to design extravagant chairs for a pop-up salon in Times Square’s Military Island designed by their mentor, SVA chair Kevin O’Callahan. Contestants from the series used the salon to give free blow-outs to fans and passersby for two hours on Tuesday afternoon.

“We used the ad campaign as our inspiration for the event,” said Bravo's director of marketing and events, Valerie Brown, of the image that features a pair of scissors stabbed into the back of a salon chair. “I thought of the cow parade and all the different sculptures spread across the city, but if we wanted to do a salon, we’d obviously need all of the chairs in one place. Times Square seemed like the perfect high-traffic spot.” MORE >>

Bravo, Shear Genius, S.V.A., Pop-Ups

NEWS 04.23.08 3:24 PM

Tumi Showcases Glowing Luggage at Photo Exhibition

Tumi's luggage platform
Photo: BizBash

Tumi got arty yesterday evening by hosting a cocktail party for some 250 guests to celebrate the luggage company’s newfound partnership with long-time-no-see actor Matthew Modine’s Bicycle for a Day initiative. The event promoted BFAD’s green goals of alternative transportation and environmental preservation through a series of photographs by Modine.

So as not to pass up a branding opportunity, Tumi also used the event as a means to tout its new Alpha Collection line of bags, placing them on a circular, 12-foot-wide rotating platform in the center of the party venue, Glasshouses at the Chelsea Arts Tower. MORE >>

Tumi, Real Housewives of New York City, Bravo

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