YM might be a magazine in flux—editor in chief Christina Kelly quit recently, new editor Linda Fears took over, and a handful of staffers have gotten the ax—but one thing remains constant: the annual MTV issue.
To celebrate the issue—the magazine's fifth—YM events marketing director Jennifer Cohen worked with NYC Tone's Tony Richards to produce an appropriately music-filled fete. Los Angeles-based rockers Rooney and Michelle Branch performed full sets at Spirit in front of 1,000 people—a record crowd for the event.
For Richards, who has overseen production for all five of YM's MTV issue parties (first as director of event production for MTV), the challenge was making the aging event feel fresh. To do so, he concentrated on the music. "It was much more of a full show this year than it has been in years past," he said. "We tried to make it more about the show itself rather than just purely a cocktail party."
Another challenge was accommodating a bevy of underage attendees: Given the double-whammy of a teen magazine and celebrated MTV acts, there were plenty of pre-pubescent girls at Spirit. To make sure they weren't served alcohol, IDs were checked at the door, and underage guests got wristbands.
Music wasn't the only focus of the evening. Event sponsor Pantene set up a hairstyling station where guests could get curled and flat-ironed by Pantene stylists. And other sponsors offered promotional drinks: H&M's ice sculpture martini bar from Ice Art featured "Red Hot H&M-tinis" poured through ice chutes into glasses. On the upper level balcony, revelers who could push their way past Usher and his posse could try "K-Swiss White Noize" drinks, made of vodka, coffee liqueur and cream.
Spirit's catering included a seafood-heavy menu. Lobster wontons with soy sauce were served in huge, clamshell-shaped ceramic bowls; crab cakes with mango chutney, tuna tartare served in cucumber rounds, and veggie spring rolls with almond-chili dipping sauce were simply arranged on silver trays. Magnolia Flowers and Events' cute floral arrangements of pink, purple and green roses in rectangular glass vases filled with matching jelly beans lined the bars.
—Erika Rasmusson Janes
To celebrate the issue—the magazine's fifth—YM events marketing director Jennifer Cohen worked with NYC Tone's Tony Richards to produce an appropriately music-filled fete. Los Angeles-based rockers Rooney and Michelle Branch performed full sets at Spirit in front of 1,000 people—a record crowd for the event.
For Richards, who has overseen production for all five of YM's MTV issue parties (first as director of event production for MTV), the challenge was making the aging event feel fresh. To do so, he concentrated on the music. "It was much more of a full show this year than it has been in years past," he said. "We tried to make it more about the show itself rather than just purely a cocktail party."
Another challenge was accommodating a bevy of underage attendees: Given the double-whammy of a teen magazine and celebrated MTV acts, there were plenty of pre-pubescent girls at Spirit. To make sure they weren't served alcohol, IDs were checked at the door, and underage guests got wristbands.
Music wasn't the only focus of the evening. Event sponsor Pantene set up a hairstyling station where guests could get curled and flat-ironed by Pantene stylists. And other sponsors offered promotional drinks: H&M's ice sculpture martini bar from Ice Art featured "Red Hot H&M-tinis" poured through ice chutes into glasses. On the upper level balcony, revelers who could push their way past Usher and his posse could try "K-Swiss White Noize" drinks, made of vodka, coffee liqueur and cream.
Spirit's catering included a seafood-heavy menu. Lobster wontons with soy sauce were served in huge, clamshell-shaped ceramic bowls; crab cakes with mango chutney, tuna tartare served in cucumber rounds, and veggie spring rolls with almond-chili dipping sauce were simply arranged on silver trays. Magnolia Flowers and Events' cute floral arrangements of pink, purple and green roses in rectangular glass vases filled with matching jelly beans lined the bars.
—Erika Rasmusson Janes
Michelle Branch posed with young fans at YM's MTV issue party at Spirit.
Cute floral arrangements of pink, purple and green roses in rectangular glass vases filled with matching jelly beans lined the bars.
Event sponsor Pantene set up hairstyling stations where guests could get curled and flat-ironed by Pantene stylists.
Tall, YM-branded walls flanked both sides of the stage.
