Planners for the M.P.I. Southeastern Education Conference’s dinner on Friday night split the meal into two events, serving 400 guests salad and an entree at the conference’s host hotel, the Eden Roc, and dessert at the So Cool eVenue.
For the first half of the evening, Lauren Halpern of Lauren L. Halpern & Associates decorated the hotel’s Pompeii and Promenade ballrooms in a colorful Art Deco style. J Entertainment and Productions created building-shaped cutouts reminiscent of South Beach's Art Deco district that hung on 60-foot-long truss systems on the space’s two longest walls. Panache: A Classic Party Rental Company provided the yellow, pink, and green candy-colored table linens.
Throughout the dinner service, entertainer Marvelless Mark showcased his rock 'n' roll approach to motivational speaking. The presentation included comparisons of profitable companies to successful rock bands, quotes from Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and other musicians about teamwork and their personal mottoes for success, and various rock music interludes. At one point in the presentation, volunteers passed out drum sticks for guests to beat on the tables at Mark’s request.
Following dinner, eight buses from PRA Destination Management Southeast Florida made multiple trips to shuttle nearly 300 attendees to the So Cool eVenue for dessert and a late-night dance party. Cream of the Crop Events and Logistics LLC converted the warehouse-style venue, home to South Florida’s only solid ice lounge, into a nightclub with black draping, white illuminated bars and tables from So Cool Events, chandeliers, a colorfully lit dance floor, and a full stage where Private Stock Band performed throughout the night.
Silver Lining In Flight Catering, Imaginations Event Group, and Café Ala Carte provided various mini desserts and coffee drinks at food stations around the main room. A tent outside the back door housed a mini-casino with craps and blackjack tables along with additional dessert selections from Donut Divas and Fun Foods.
The event wrapped up around 1 a.m. when the final shuttle departed the eVenue to take guests back to the Eden Roc.
![Silver Lining In Flight Catering's dessert bar](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2009/08/e16340standalone2.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Brightly colored lighting, decor, and linens adorned the ballroom at the Eden Roc for the Art Deco-themed dinner.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2011/11/e16340image1a.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Marvelless Mark got guests out of their seats and energetically banging drum sticks as part of his presentation during dinner.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2011/11/e16340image2a.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Sleek white furniture, silver disco balls, and black accents decorated the So Cool eVenue for the after-party.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2011/11/e16340image3a.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Cream of the Crop Events positioned illuminated bars in each corner of the eVenue.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2011/11/e16340image4a.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![So Cool Events created an ice and moving-water bar for one corner of the after-party.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2011/11/e16340image5a.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Silver Lining In Flight Catering provided an extensive dessert bar at the after-party.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2011/11/e16340standalone1b.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Silver Lining's dessert station offered parfaits, mini tiramisus, cakes, and other bite-sized confections.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2011/11/e16340image7a.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![The eVenue's signature ice lounge served shots in ice glasses for those brave enough to venture inside the 17.6-degree ice room.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2011/11/e16340image8a.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Dancers from Fire by the Palm performed on the eVenue's main stage with long light sticks as guests arrived.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2011/11/e16340image9a.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
![Private Stock Band had the crowd dancing until nearly 1 a.m.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2011/11/e16340image10a.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)