To give dinner guests time to mingle and check out the cars on display, Arden Hess, events and special projects director for the East Side House Settlement, preset dessert at the nonprofit’s benefit preview of the New York International Auto Show. Bill Tansey’s red floral centerpieces had two tiers of Lucite for Abigail Kirsch to offer an array of sweets including berry shortcake trifles, dulce de leche cheesecake squares, chocolate-covered strawberries, and carrot cake.
“Time was an issue for us with the cocktail party going on at the same time as the dinner. We wanted our guests to be able to mingle in the cocktail area and see the cars and AntiGravity perform,” said Hess, who planned the event with Jeffrey Ehoodin, public relations manager at Ferrari Maserati North America (Grupo Ferrari Maserati sponsored the event). The 600 guests at the sit-down dinner, which took place beneath a tent from the Main Event, were encouraged to dine and then check out the Ferraris and acrobatic performances with another 1,000 cocktail-party-only guests in the reception space in the north concourse. A few times throughout the night, representatives of the car company started the cars for a few moments of loud engine revving. The event raised approximately $1 million for the nonprofit.
—Suzanne Ito
Photos: Patrick McMullan (cocktail space, dining room), Jeff Thomas/Image Capture (centerpiece, car)
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“Time was an issue for us with the cocktail party going on at the same time as the dinner. We wanted our guests to be able to mingle in the cocktail area and see the cars and AntiGravity perform,” said Hess, who planned the event with Jeffrey Ehoodin, public relations manager at Ferrari Maserati North America (Grupo Ferrari Maserati sponsored the event). The 600 guests at the sit-down dinner, which took place beneath a tent from the Main Event, were encouraged to dine and then check out the Ferraris and acrobatic performances with another 1,000 cocktail-party-only guests in the reception space in the north concourse. A few times throughout the night, representatives of the car company started the cars for a few moments of loud engine revving. The event raised approximately $1 million for the nonprofit.
—Suzanne Ito
Photos: Patrick McMullan (cocktail space, dining room), Jeff Thomas/Image Capture (centerpiece, car)
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At the East Side House Settlement’s benefit preview of the New York International Auto Show at the Javits Center, Bill Tansey’s striking red floral centerpieces featured two-tiered Lucite platforms for Abigail Kirsch’s sweets, including berry shortcake trifles, dulce de leche cheesecake squares, chocolate-covered strawberries, and carrot cake.
A tent from the Main Event stood at the north end of the Javits Center. Event sponsor Gruppo Ferrari Maserati displayed cars in the cocktail hour space.
A live auction of a Maserati Gran Sport was held at the event. The winning bid was $130,000.
Abigail Kirsch served dinner beneath a tent from the Main Event.
