Luxury gift company Montblanc had a vision of white in mind for the awards dinner and ceremony it held for its 220 managers from around the world. Ingrid Roosen Trinks, the company's director of international public relations, asked Valerie Bihet of Valbihcom to make it happen. "I wanted to create a comfortable atmosphere where guests could enjoy great food and entertainment in a pleasant environment," Bihet said.
The first floor of the Moore Building was transformed into an elegant dining room with long rectangular tables from Atlas Party Rental Inc., who draped them with crisp white linens and provided cushions for the Chiavari chairs, as well as all the flatware, glassware, and all-white china. A row of small square vases stuffed with white roses from Bamboo Flowers lined the center of each table from end to end. White votive candles were interspersed between the vases, casting a warm glow throughout the room.
Thierry's Catering prepared a decadent menu, presented with attention to detail to match the luxurious surroundings. Guests began their culinary journey with a sampling of tuna tartare and red snapper carpaccio, followed by a Louisiana crab cake on mesclun greens with passion fruit vinaigrette and mango salsa remoulade. Next came a serving of filet mignon encrusted with fine herbs, topped with a red wine and mushroom reduction sauce, a baked gratin of potatoes, and fresh.phparagus spears tied with carrot ribbons and topped with hollandaise sauce. For dessert, guests were treated to a trio of Key lime meringue tart, a croustilliant du chocolat tower (topped with a white Montblanc star logo) and dulce de leche cheesecake garnished with a mango and star fruit salsa.
To change the feeling of the pristine white environment, Everlast Productions lit each floor with different colors that changed throughout the night. The event was progressive, starting on the second floor and working its way down. On the second floor, a cocktail reception was set up among a gallery of paintings, which served as another source of color. Montblanc brought the art from Germany, where local artists incorporated the company's star logo into their paintings. Michael Vasquez was the only artist from Miami who participated, and the company plans to add his piece to its collection back home.
A performance by English opera singer Katherine Jenkins provided the final touch to the elegant evening.
—Vanessa Goyanes