Harlequin Enterprises Limited celebrated its authors with dessert, cocktails, dancing, and photography at the Waldorf-Astoria Orlando on Friday night. The “Picture Perfect Party” was held in conjunction with the concurrent 30th annual Romance Writers of America conference at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort.
This is the 20th year the publisher has hosted a party for its writers. “A lot of our authors only see each other once a year at this conference,” said Harlequin senior public relations manager Michelle Renaud. “Everyone always has such a great time, so this year we went with the 'Picture Perfect' theme so people could capture those memories with friends and colleagues through photos.”
Attendees entered the party on a red carpet, where photographers snapped their photos and then projected them on two large screens in the ballroom. Flourish Productions also created a photo booth where groups could pose for pictures and get instant prints. Harlequin also provided more than 300 disposable cameras, including at two life-size picture frame stations.
Harlequin has about 1,200 writers worldwide, with most of them in the United States and Canada. About 450 of them traveled to Orlando for the conference and attended the Friday night party, up from the 350 guests that attended last year's party in Washington. Renaud attributed the higher turnout to the appeal of Orlando as the conference site.
Flourish used purple linens with silver accents throughout the room. The Waldorf-Astoria also created a special purple cocktail, dubbed the Harlequin Heartbreak.
After a short awards program to honor some of the company’s most prolific authors, the crowd took to the dance floor, where California DJ KC Campbell of Vox DJs provided music.