| EVENT REPORT 09.25.08 3:27 PM |
PRINT | SEND TO A FRIEND |
|
| Autumn in New York |
| For the company's annual education awards at the New York Public Library, McGraw-Hill ditched last year's ethereal theme in favor of rustic colors and plenty of fall foliage. |
|
McGraw-Hill’s annual Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education gala is no stranger to the New York Public Library’s Bartos Forum. It has taken over the space for one night in September each of the past seven years—including the 21st outing on Tuesday night. The familiar venue has helped the event develop an identity, but it’s also forced McGraw-Hill vice president of corporate affairs Eileen Gabriele, producer Laura Breitenbach of LMB Communications & Events, and returning designer Carolyn Bakula to be especially creative in how they create the atmosphere.
Bakula's goal this year, as in years past, was to develop something that represented a complete contrast from the previous gala. The platinum anniversary of the awards in 2007 saw the room appropriately decked out in silvers, polished metals, and lavender lighting, so the approach for 2008 began with the selection of a warmer, organic color palette. "It started with the colors, but I'd been looking for a reason to use trees, so I thought of an autumnal forest," said Bakula.
And that forest solved one of her annual dilemmas: how to separate the areas for the cocktail hour and dinner, which sit under the same rotunda. "By using trees, I could build a wall up to 12 feet high and create a different environment within the small woods," Bakula said. "They work well as a divider because guests can see right through them, but at the same time, they can't cut through. It creates a different space without making either [area] claustrophobic." |
|
CONTINUED > |
|
|
PHOTO GALLERY |
 | The trees provided a natural curtain to separate the cocktail area from the center of the forum, where the dinner and awards took place later in the evening.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio |
|
|
 | Groupings of birdcage lanterns woven from buri—a product of fibrous palm trees—had bird silhouettes stenciled on their illuminated centers.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio |
|
|
 | Fragments of amber and gold lighting bounced off the ceiling and columns to enhance the color of the trees and flowers.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio |
|
|
 | Seasonal hors d'oeuvres included duck prosciutto with a passion fruit and apple puree.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio |
|
|
 | Tables set the stage for Sonnier & Castle's dinner menu that culminated in a main course of roasted Chatham Monkfish.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio |
|
|
|
|
|
Created by American Foliage & Design Group to Bakula’s specifications, the trees comprised laurel branches and deep yellow, orange, burgundy, and brown silk leaves. The full-size foliage resembled maple, birch, ginkgo, and oak—all species known for colorful transformations this time of year.
Bakula worked closely with the library’s new in-house lighting vendor, JKLD, to place amber and gold spotlights and project leafy gobos on the ceiling to complement the autumnal decor and create an aesthetic transition from the cocktail hour to the dinner. (Lighting is always the cue for guests at the gala to take their seats.)
A good 11 months out from the next gala, Bakula isn’t sure how she’ll once again switch gears with the decor, but she has noticed a trend. “If we look at the history of it,” she said, “it tends to flip between cool and contemporary to warm and traditional. I’ll probably head back in a modern direction next year.”
—Michael O'Connell
RELATED TOPICS
McGraw Hill
MORE EVENT REPORT STORIES
Sustainable Label Opens SoHo Pop-Up With Community Center Sensibility
Gap, Banana Republic, American Eagle Open Stores With Musical Performances
Chicago Chefs Prepare Apple-Cider Bubbles, Whipped Salt Cod for Food & Wine Entertaining Showcase
MoMA Gets Suitably Whimsical and Macabre for Tim Burton Tribute
Nintendo Launches New Mario Game With Look Back at Franchise History
MORE STORIES ABOUT MCGRAW HILL
McGraw Hill Divides Bartos Forum for Education Prize
| More Suppliers/Venues to Consider |
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|
Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood is located in the heart of Times Square and offers a 35,000-square-foot multi-level facility with six private dining areas/options and two bars. The restaurant also houses a private screening room with velvet-cushioned seating. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
Barkley Kalpak Associates Inc.
Barkley Kalpak Associates (BKA), an award-winning event design and production company, provides a full suite of services for business meetings, trade shows, product launches, media events, teambuilding exercises, employee recognition, awards shows, and entertainment.
From creative inception and development to dramatically different multimedia events, BKA offers production and technical design, graphic and video production, audiovisual services, and speaker support for companies throughout the world. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
World Wide Events Ltd.
World Wide Events is defined by haute cuisine and the philosophy that the client is always first. With an impressive client list, they cater to the most demanding of New York. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
