For the second year in a row, Jennifer Gibbs from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida turned to Harrison & Shriftman to create the vision for the foundation's annual fund-raiser held at the InterContinental Hotel Miami (which also co-hosts the anticipated event). "We wanted to recreate the traditional gala dinner into something special and to do so brought Triton Productions on board to help conceive the overall 'Winter Wonderland' theme and make it come to life," said Gigi Ganatra, the director of Harrison's Miami office. She and Lena Makurath, Harrison's production coordinator, along with Triton's owner Javier Velarde created a snowy environment full of over-the-top touches from beginning to end.Although held on an unusually windy night in a bayfront venue, the ball drew 800 guests. Two beauties from Parafernalia Productions' dressed in sparkling white costumes stood on platforms on either side of the entrance and greeted guests.
For the cocktail reception, guests ascended stairs lined with iridescent puffs of "snow" that glittered with blue string lighting hidden underneath. "Icicles" hung from the ceiling, adding to the effect. Held in the hotel's vast upstairs atrium, the reception featured the usual auction tables full of lavish goodies such as a $20,000 gift certificate from local couture designer Rene Ruiz. To enhance the open space, Velarde created several oversize mobiles made of blue crystal orbs that caught the light and made everything sparkle.
The food stations were equally eye-catching, starting with a more than 10-foot-long ice sculpture of a boat that housed a raw bar with jumbo shrimp, oysters on the half shell, and crab claws. The hotel's catering team also prepared tapas-style items for guests to nosh on. The best, however, was yet to come.
Ninine Linning, a.k.a. the Champagne Lady from Holland, signaled guests into the ballroom. Her talent? Hanging upside down from a specially-designed chandelier while pouring champagne into guests' glasses as they passed under her on the way to their tables. Wearing nothing more than a skimpy white two-piece costume, full red lips, and glittering body lotion, Linning poured the bubbly stuff as easily as anyone on firm ground would do. Although a tough act to follow, the pristine wonderland guests encountered inside stole the show.
"The challenge of this room is that it's so rectangular, and people seated in the corners can feel disconnected from the event," said Velarde. His solution was to set up four aerialists in the corners of the room. Dressed as sexy winter vixens, they dropped white rose petals as guests settled in, then went on to perform their tricks and engage everyone throughout the night. Twelve snow machines and 20 white trees (dried out specifically for this event) helped transform the room into a winter wonderland.
Velarde covered the walls from floor to ceiling in white chiffon, creating a blank canvas for him to work on. Southern Audio Visual (SAV) projected gobos of snowflakes and other patterns onto all the walls. SAV's 360-degree screen placed in the center of the room was used for additional gobos and to display presentations and auction items so everyone knew what was up for bid during the live auction, hosted by the acclaimed Red Baron. A green 2006 Lotus Elise from The Collection on display next to the stage was one of the items for bid.
Tables looked snowcapped with white spandex chair covers and silver satin napkins. Clear plates had silver beaded trim for a crisp and elegant touch. The simplicity of the china was in contrast to the centerpieces, which Velarde co-designed with Rick Andrews of Bayfront Floral Decorators, InterContinental's in-house floral designer. They varied from tall arrangements of hydrangeas, orchids, and tree branches to multiple vases filled with floating flowers and LED lights. Votive candles on all the tables provided a soft glow and, paired with amber lighting, added warmth to the room. If all the attention to detail wasn't enough, 34 tables reserved for V.I.P. guests had their own personal butler and champagne service.
Executive Chef Alexander Feher prepared a festive menu that included caviar on ice; black angus filet and seabass, morels, and madeira sauce with chateau potatoes and organic vegetables; and a flourless chocolate cake, ginger pear crepe, and mango crème brulée tart.
Pauly Shore hosted, Grammy winner Macy Gray performed, and local celebrity DJ Irie spun all kinds of beats. With the big names and even bigger setting, the ball ended up raising more than $675,000, which will grant the wishes of 135 Make-A-Wish beneficiaries.
—Vanessa Goyanes
Photos: Ian Ankele (ballroom, Champagne Lady); Red Eye Productions (Macy Gray)
Triton Productions created an icy winter wonderland for the 12th annual InterContinental Make-A-Wish Foundation Ball.
Bayfront Floral Decorators created a combination of tree branches with white hydrangeas and orchids for one of the centerpieces.
The other centerpieces were made using multiple vases with floating flowers, LED lighting, and shimmering jeweled rocks.
Amber lighting and snowflake gobos projected onto all the walls enhanced the pristine environment.
The staircase leading to the cocktail reception was lined with "snow" and "icicles" that glowed in blue.
Ninine Linning, the Champagne Lady from Holland, hung upside down and poured glasses of bubbly before guests entered the ballroom.
Macy Gray was the surprise performer at this year's ball.
Triton made mobiles with glass orbs that hung around the silent auction area, adding an elegant and unique design to the room.
The InterContinental's catering team carved an ice boat to house a succulent raw bar.
Tapas-style items were also served during the reception.
