Putting on a charity event is never easy. Putting on a first-time charity event is even tougher. With so many good causes worthy of contributions, so many black-tie events from which to choose, how do you get guests, performers and vendors to agree to support yours?
That was the challenge that Paul Nicholls, executive producer of the "A November Soiree" fund-raiser, faced—and met handily. Nicholls, a cancer survivor himself, produced the gala evening to benefit Columbia University Medical Center, with help from an beneficent group of vendors and performers.
Studio McKeon created a warm, autumnal theme in the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center. Terrastacio decorated the room with red tablecloths and floral arrangements with fiery orange, red and yellow colors. Groupings of big branches of oak leaves flanked both sides of the stage and the podium.
After a brief cocktail hour and silent auction, where the 500 guests nibbled on fruit and cheese, bid on sports memorabilia like a football autographed by former football great Deion Sanders and imbibed on Remy Martin-sponsored cocktails, the dinner and performances began. Crowded House Records and Joybar Music put together a full program of performances, with highlights being the Gipsy Kings (performing—minus a few members—as the Gipsy All Stars) and Cassandra Wilson.
Given the heavy performance schedule, The Catering Company's goal was to make sure the menu and service weren't disruptive to the entertainers, said Carolyn Buckley, the company’s visual designer. Buckley worked closely on the menu with the company's event planner, Gabrielle Finley. The result was a pre-plated tasting menu—beautifully presented on square, white plates—that included an avocado and hearts of palm salad, garlic and ginger marinated beef skewers, herb crusted chicken skewers, chargrilled salmon, wild rice with quinoa and dried cherries, and roasted seasonal vegetables.
—Erika Rasmusson Janes
