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1. 5 New Toronto Venues for Holiday Parties

2. OCAD Gala Kicks Off Mystery Art Sale

3. Developer Hosts Green Cocktail Party, Mini Trade Show to Unveil Eco-Friendly Homes

4. New Moon Premiere Beckons 10,000 People and 2 Live Wolves

5. Masked Raconteurs Tell Tales at Moth Ball, and I Have a Blast

6. How Do You Make Staffers Feel Appreciated—at Little or No Cost?

7. 8 Handy Gifts for Meeting Attendees

8. MoMA Gets Suitably Whimsical and Macabre for Tim Burton Tribute

9. Art Basel Preview: New Convention Center Layout, Giant Beach Structure for Audi

10. Clinique and Teen Vogue Bring Young Women to Beauty Tour, Send Them Online

FROM NEW YORK

Sustainable Label Opens SoHo Pop-Up With Community Center Sensibility

Clinique and Teen Vogue Bring Young Women to Beauty Tour, Send Them Online

Masked Raconteurs Tell Tales at Moth Ball, and I Have a Blast

Gap, Banana Republic, American Eagle Open Stores With Musical Performances

MoMA Gets Suitably Whimsical and Macabre for Tim Burton Tribute

3 New Hotel Restaurants for Business Entertaining, Private Groups

Nintendo Launches New Mario Game With Look Back at Franchise History

Scripted Models Play Up Key Notes at Victoria's Secret Fragrance Preview

Ad Age Looks to Boost Conference Interaction With Beer Tasting, Lounge Seating

More Photos From Louis Vuitton's Garden-Style Launch: Life-Sized Trees, Mounds of Mums

FROM LOS ANGELES

American Music Awards Begin With Redesigned Arrivals, End With Downsized After-Party

Bouchon: Thomas Keller in Beverly Hills, With Indoor/Outdoor Dining, Private Room

Us Weekly Takes to Voyeur With Scantily Clad Models, Burlesque Feel

6 New Venues for Los Angeles Holiday Parties

New Moon Premiere Beckons 10,000 People and 2 Live Wolves

$4 Million MOCA Gala Breaks Fund-Raising Records

Chrysalis Benefit Cuts Ticket Prices in Half, Draws Same Crowd

MOCA Gala Spawning Arty Online Auction—Including Gehry's Hat for Gaga—Through November 30

Wende Museum Closes Wilshire for Cold War Anniversary Celebration

3 Ideas for Stylish, Eco-Friendly Events

News Archive for Warner Brothers

ASK BIZBASH 11.16.09 9:00 AM

How Do You Make Staffers Feel Appreciated—at Little or No Cost?

Leo Burnett's employee art gallery
Photo: Courtesy of Leo Burnett

In a year of cutbacks and salary freezes, perhaps now more than ever, hard-working employees need to feel valued, even in small ways. Jennifer Savica, TD Bank’s vice president of event management, rewards her staff with little perks throughout the year, like taking everyone out for ice cream in the summer, treating people to their favorite drinks at Starbucks on a cold day, and occasionally allowing casual Fridays. “I try to show appreciation for my team every day by creating a true democracy—asking their opinions, including them in many of the department decisions, and empowering them to do their job,” she says.

Boston Beer Company has a gift policy that prevents employees from keeping items valued over $10 given to them by clients and event sponsors. “If someone gets something over that amount, we raffle it off to the office as a thank you,” says Kristen Smith, the company’s travel and event planner. Past items have included tickets to charity events the company has sponsored, movie screenings, and Red Sox tickets. “It’s nice to raffle these things off and make them available to anyone—and at no cost to the company,” says Smith. MORE >>

Leo Burnett, Publix, TD Bank, Boston Beer Company, Warner Brothers

INFLUENCES 07.27.09 9:00 AM

Reality vs. TV: The Events of Gossip Girl

The runway for the Eleanor Waldorf fashion show
Photo: Warner Bros. Television Entertainment/Giovanni Rufino

For fans of Gossip Girl, what the show’s characters are wearing and where they’re going can be as important as whom they’re sleeping with or scheming against. That focus on the visual creates the challenge and the charm of the job for Loren Weeks, production designer for the CW’s ratings-challenged but much-obsessed-over chronicle of pretty private-school kids on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

It seems like every other episode has a reference to “the social event of the season,” so some of the show’s most lavish and labor-intensive sets are for events: school dances that likely don’t look anything like your prom or uptown benefits that could pass for the real thing. “They’re important to the show because we’re portraying a group of people who live in high society, in which there are lots of events,” Weeks says. These gatherings also spark pivotal scenes, when characters fight, kiss, or get caught doing one or the other. “Everyone needs a reason to get dressed up and come to one place,” says art director Malchus Janocko. MORE >>

The CW, Gossip Girl, Warner Brothers

NEWS 07.08.09 1:31 PM

In the News: Obama Joins N.A.A.C.P. for 100th Convention, Planner Commissions Plummet in 2009

N.A.A.C.P. Snags Obama for Convention Appearance: The N.A.A.C.P. will celebrate 100 years of conventions in New York next week when it returns to the New York Hilton July 11 for six days of conferences and meetings about race today. Now the country's oldest civil rights organization can add an impressive headliner to a roster of speakers that already includes Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, New York Governor David Paterson, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg: President Barack Obama will deliver the closing address to the convention on July 16. An estimated 8,000 are already expected to attend, but planners may anticipate a jump in attendance with this news. [LoHud.com]

Event Planners Take Cuts to Keep Business: Plenty of independent event planners rely on commissions from vendors—typically 10 percent of the suppliers' fees—for their own income. Unfortunately for them, what business they are getting is at negotiated rates to stay competitive in the economy. That means more work to get clients a reduced rate and a lower commission to show for it. Many planners are reporting more than a 40 percent drop in revenue so far this year. [NYT] MORE >>

Comic-Con International, Watchmen, Warner Brothers, Paramount, G.I. Joe, The Washington Post

NEWS 06.16.09 11:46 AM

Industry Leaders at BizBash L.A. Expo Stress Innovation and Negotiation

FROM LOS ANGELES The right response to these times is to adapt, innovate, and negotiate. That was the message communicated by many of the speakers at the BizBash Los Angeles Expo at the L.A. Mart on June 11—who overwhelmingly believed that getting smart and staying positive are the most productive reactions to economic challenges. “It's easy to be good in good times," said veteran publicist Howard Bragman of Fifteen Minutes, an inductee in BizBash's hall of fame.

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.” MORE >>

Warner Brothers, Mattel

FROM THE EDITORS 06.16.09 11:01 AM

The 2009 BizBash L.A. Event Style Award Winners

Ellen DeGeneres's 50th Birthday Party
Photo: Courtesy of Warner Brothers Special Events

FROM LOS ANGELES On Friday, we posted a list of winners of BizBash's 2009 Event Style Awards, which were announced on Thursday at a ceremony following our annual expo at the L.A. Mart. Here's more on the winning work.

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. MORE >>

Warner Brothers, Emirates Airlines, The Simpsons, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Stanford Cancer Center, Marriott International, Essilor, Autry Museum, Recording Academy, Grammys, Target, Converse, MTV Movie Awards, Chevy, Netflix, Film Independent, Spirit Awards, Event Style Awards

NEWS 04.23.09 1:06 PM

As Hollywood Slogs Through Recession, Studio Events Go On—Cautiously

A flaming car served as eye-popping decor at the premiere for Hancock last summer.
Photo: Line 8 Photography

FROM LOS ANGELES “Hollywood is recession proof.” That old, familiar sentiment dates back to the Great Depression, when the unemployment rate was greater than 25 percent, but the movie industry endured as people still seemed willing to spend what little they had on entertainment—also known as escapism. The popular theory is that the entertainment industry can survive any economic hiccup, including the current recession; so far this year, domestic box office numbers are up from 2008.

But how about the events that support and promote Hollywood’s movies and shows? They’re plodding along in the current economy, too—but more thoughtfully and less flamboyantly—according to their organizers and producers. “We are busy, but like with everybody else, it's really about corporate responsibility,” said Warner Brothers Studios special events director Hillary Harris, indicating that putting forth a targeted message and being mindful of perception are the keys these days. “What it boils down to is putting your money where the focus of your project is. The message is the most important thing. If you do that, you'll not only be successful, but you'll be politically correct.” MORE >>

Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, Budgets, Fox Searchlight, Warner Brothers, Juno, Slumdog Millionaire, HBO, Grey Gardens

NEWS 03.26.09 10:30 AM

Mindful of the Recession, Planners Open Doors to New Vendors

Elton John's Oscar party organizers considered bids from multiple vendors.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

FROM LOS ANGELES Once upon a time—say, roughly prior to the autumn of 2008, when the economy took its dramatic turn—many planners enjoyed a committed relationship with vendors. For annual events, tried-and-true vendors got the job year after year based on demonstrated performance and an understanding of the specific challenges of those projects. But now, in tough financial times, many planners are being forced to look outside the bonds of existing vendor relationships, instead sending out multiple requests for proposals—or at least keeping an open mind to pitches from new vendors—in the hopes of sealing a better deal.

“I am often accused of being overly loyal to my vendors, [but] I have sincerely come to enjoy the peace of mind that [they] give me when I ask them to assist us with a large event. They know what I like, have proven themselves, and instill confidence that all will go smoothly,” said California Science Center vice president of food and event services Chris Sion. “That being said, this is the perfect time for the savvy vendor to offer goods or services at a discounted introductory price."

For this year’s Discovery Ball at the museum, Sion had a reduced budget, and was consequently more open to cost-saving ideas. "I listened to sales pitches more carefully when [vendors] dropped a too-good-to-be-true price," Sion said. "It’s a win-win situation because if all works out well, I wouldn’t hesitate to include them on my vendor list for future events, and I did not have to risk as much to try them out in a year when every dollar counts. A good deal was definitely a driving factor in vendor selection more than usual during this economy.” Paying special attention to deals when they were offered up led Sion to include six new vendors at this year’s ball. MORE >>

Budgets, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Discovery Ball, U.C.L.A., Warner Brothers, Chivas Regal

EVENT REPORT 03.04.09 12:00 PM

Watchmen Premiere Party Employs Movie Props, '80s Theme

Warner Brothers' Watchmen premiere party
Photo: Silvia Mautner

FROM LOS ANGELES If you can remember 1985, you probably can’t remember it in the way it’s portrayed in Warner Brothers’ new superhero picture Watchmen. But it was that era that inspired the movie’s premiere party Monday night at the Avalon Hollywood, helmed by the studio’s Courtney Saylor, Amanda Lamb, Bonnie Horton, and Troy Williams, along with Wendy Creed.

At the venue, popular in the ‘80s when it was named the Palace, a DJ played tunes from that decade. A candy bar—a Creed event staple—offered self-serve candies from that period. MORE >>

Warner Brothers, Watchmen

EVENT REPORT 02.10.09 1:45 PM

Fourth Annual New York Comic Con Lets East Coasters Embrace Their Inner Nerd

New York Comic Con 2009
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash

FROM NEW YORK Fanboys and fangirls flocked to the Jacob Javits Center last weekend to catch glimpses of upcoming films, buy new and rare merchandise, and mingle with their brethren at New York's four-year-old incarnation of Comic Con.

Quickly becoming a venerable rival to it's larger, more established San Diego predecessor, New York Comic Con has grown from 33,000 attendees in 2006 to an estimated 77,000 over it's three day run this month—a 15 percent increase from last year’s attendance. That dramatic growth has been buoyed by more involvement from television and film studios, which debut content and offer exclusive panels. MORE >>

New York Comic Con, Warner Brothers, Pixar, Ugly Dolls, Fear Away, Comedy Central

EVENT REPORT 02.03.09 3:56 PM

He's Just Not That Into You Premiere Party Plays Up Relationship Issues

The party at Social Hollywood
Photo: Line 8 Photography

FROM LOS ANGELES With Valentine's Day on the horizon, relationship issues are weighing heavily on a lot of minds. And if the topic didn't already loom large, then it certainly did for about 1,200 guests after they sat through a screening of Warner Brothers' New Line release He's Just Not That Into You at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, a picture whose plot lines are all wrapped up in questions of love and romance.

So, after the screening, about 700 of the guests got back in their cars for the short drive to Social Hollywood, where the premiere party's theme—appropriately—was relationship issues. A photo booth invited couples and friends to snap their mugs, and tarot card readers and palm readers spoke to guests about their mates' intentions. MORE >>

New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers, He's Just Not That Into You, Crest

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