The Museum of Television & Radio, a great event venue itself, turned to the Waldorf=Astoria to host its 2001 gala dinner. More than 700 people were ushered past a video wall and into a glamorous setting packed with more than 50 paparazzi. Bulbs flashed for stars including James Woods, Joanne Woodward, Glenn Close and Blythe Danner, who came to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Hallmark Hall of Fame.
The Waldorf's grand ballroom looked spectacular, with colorful centerpieces by Salou Design Ltd. The florist also created 10-foot floral displays for the stage.
The social engineering also worked well: With a combination of celebrities, entertainment executives, new media entrepreneurs, historical television industry figures and the usual investment bankers, the schmooze factor topped the charts.
The museum also showed that it knows the art of special events. Led by special events director Amy Handler and president Robert Batscha, the event became something of a team-building exercise for its staff. Instead of hiring event workers to handle registration and other busywork--or sending its staff to an Outward Bound class--several museum employees took part in the production of the event, checking in guests and doing other legwork.
--David Adler
The Waldorf's grand ballroom looked spectacular, with colorful centerpieces by Salou Design Ltd. The florist also created 10-foot floral displays for the stage.
The social engineering also worked well: With a combination of celebrities, entertainment executives, new media entrepreneurs, historical television industry figures and the usual investment bankers, the schmooze factor topped the charts.
The museum also showed that it knows the art of special events. Led by special events director Amy Handler and president Robert Batscha, the event became something of a team-building exercise for its staff. Instead of hiring event workers to handle registration and other busywork--or sending its staff to an Outward Bound class--several museum employees took part in the production of the event, checking in guests and doing other legwork.
--David Adler
Museum of Television & Radio event planners Logan Pandolfi (left) and Wendi Barbee.
The stunning floral arrangements by Salou Design lit up the room with an array of pink, yellow, purple and white flowers.
Russ Patrick from the Hallmark Hall of Fame directed the celebrities to smile for the cameras.
Tom Rogers, the chairman and CEO of Primedia (owner of Special Events magazine), with his wife Sylvia at the Museum of Television & Radio's salute to the 50th anniversary of the Hallmark Hall of Fame.
