Devra Glauberman and Katie Smith founded MarieMerin Productions in August, offering full-service event production, with a strong interest in charity events. Smith gained experience in events and promotions at Alloy Media & Marketing, and Glauberman, who worked in the creative department at Michael Kors, handles the creative side. “Trends in fashion often inspire our designs. I like to incorporate the colors from the runways into the fabrics and flowers we use,” Glauberman says. Recent events include designer Peter Soronen’s first sample sale, a fund-raiser for Ghana on Tap in November, and GetFit, a public event to promote fitness held at the Adidas flagship store in April.
Ali Kat Productions is an event management and marketing firm owned by Alison Katz Danes, the former director of corporate events for NBC Universal, where she orchestrated client programs during the Torino and Beijing Olympics and the NBC, Telemundo, and USA upfront presentations. Whether planning a meeting or product launch, Katz Danes emphasizes sustainability. “I provide solutions to conserve energy, reduce material use, reuse and recycle materials, and work with local businesses to help lower their carbon footprint and stimulate and sustain the local economy,” she says. Since launching in January 2009, Katz Danes has produced the opening of retailer Green Depot’s flagship store and a networking event and luncheon for the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability organization.
Juliet Totten and Sierra Yaun provide floral and event design for social and corporate clients through Poppies and Posies. Before launching their company, Totten worked in the product design department at Martha Stewart and Yaun planned events for the Learning Annex and the Conference Bureau. With their floral arrangements and event designs, the duo often aim for a vintage-inspired aesthetic with lots of handmade details. “We are not afraid to use color, and we like to use unexpected decorative elements such as moss, fruits, and found objects,” says Yaun. “We recently completed a design that incorporated mushrooms and vintage apothecary jars.”
Joshua Cicerone and Jared Siegel offer event production and creative services through Good Sense & Company, which they launched in January 2009. Cicerone brings experience from seven years at Dalzell Productions, where he was vice president and creative director. Siegel served as production director for several Tribeca Film Festival events and produced concerts for artists including Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z. The partners handle everything from creative direction and production design to script writing and talent handling. “People always come up to us on site, with a million things going on, and say, ‘You look so calm! How is that possible?’ We live and breathe this stuff. When you know what you’re doing, there’s no reason to panic,” says Cicerone. Clients include Mercedes-Benz, Vogue, and Google.
