Warner Bros. Studios has been honored to be the venue of choice for the Environmental Media Association (EMA) and its annual awards for the last six years. Last October, for its 25th anniversary, the mission was to switch gears from raising awareness of environmental problems to focusing on the solutions. At the forefront of this initiative was EMA's founder and president, Debbie Levin.


Working with event designer Hillary Harris, the special event team at Warner Bros. began to put all the elements in motion. The award show was held in the Steven J. Ross Theater, which enabled EMA to take full advantage of the industry-leading facility and production crews. The earthy color palette of coral, chocolate, slate blue, and gold found in the theater carried through to the 750-person after-party, which wound through the New York Street backlot.


To coordinate the event, which featured 15 local restaurants and eight gifting sponsors, including longtime event sponsors Toyota and Lexus, Warner Bros. began with a color-coded CAD blueprint to clearly map out placement and logistical needs for power, rentals, tables, product, and staffing.


The inspiration of Harris' overall design began with using lantern tents from Town & Country Event Rentals as artistic structural anchors for the V.I.P. reception and gala. Nestled beneath were 360-degree bars with eight-foot-tall trees and tribal cloth linens, which completed the design theme loosely based on the phrase, "It takes a village."


Using wireless LED lights, the Warner Bros. lighting team programmed each tent to change colors with eight dynamic looks and different patterns throughout the night, corresponding to the complementary colors projected on to the streets, commercial buildings, and storefronts.


There is nothing more celebratory than "festival" or "market" lights. Twelve hundred feet of strands, strewn in a zigzag formation down New York Street, created a ceiling of light for this very special village. It was a village populated with celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, and Kristin Davis, all of who were awarded for their contributions to the environment. But the real star was EMA, which turned 25 with no sign of slowing down.
To learn more about the event, please go to wbspecialevents.com/2015/11/12/ema-2/ and click here for more information.
