Emmy Event Design Preview: Governors Ball, ET, HBO, and More

With so many competing Emmy-related events on the night of the show—and so many celebrity guests attending them—event producers tend to go downright decadent when it comes to design. Here, a sneak peek at the looks behind some of Emmy night’s biggest events, plus the show's glittering greenroom:

Dwight Jackson, co-chair of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Governors Ball committee, found his design inspiration for this year’s diamond anniversary ball in Marilyn Monroe’s performance of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” in the classic film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Jackson turned to Sequoia Productions’ Cheryl Cecchetto to produce the event, which will feature diamond-shaped chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of the Los Angeles Convention Center’s West Hall, and Schiaparelli pink (the shade of Monroe’s dress in the musical number) tablecloths and roses on tabletops spread throughout the 147,500-square-foot space.

TV Guide’s sixth annual party will take over the Kress, where event designer and producer Tony Schubert will channel Japan in his creation of an outdoor Zen-like garden complete with koi ponds, bamboo walls, and oversized bonsai trees. Other Eastern-influenced decor elements include a red drawbridge guests will have to cross in order to enter the event, 20-foot-tall images of cherry blossom trees, and a centerpiece in a tented area made out of 1,000 origami cranes.

For HBO's party in the Fountain Plaza at the Pacific Design Center, Billy Butchkavitz will play on the themes of art and architecture. Inspired by the work of architect Oscar Niemeyer, Butchkavitz will use a color palette of topaz blue, tourmaline green, citrine yellow, and silver. Decor highlights will include a 27-foot-diameter silver chandelier in the dining pavilion, a gallery showcasing the works of South American artists, and a 37-foot-tall torch tower illuminating the evening sky.

Entertainment Tonight's party at Walt Disney Concert Hall, sponsored by People, will have an arty look, produced by Bounce's Carleen Cappelletti. Decor will have a modern Pop Art feel, with black and white couches and mirrored tables. A dessert lounge by Crumbs Bakeshop will have an "Andy Warholish" look, said Lisa Summers Haas, who as vice president of communications for Entertainment Tonight and The Insider oversees the event, adding that guests can expect to see lots of "oranges, drawings, something very funky."

Interior designer Mark Boone will create the look at the Architectural Digest greenroom backstage at the Emmys. In the 625-square-foot room, mercury-antiqued mirrors will line the walls, and sculptural reclaimed-walnut cocktail tables and rock-crystal sconces will evoke the look of raw diamonds. Platinum-toned sheepskin banquettes will provide seating, and custom hardwood flooring by Birger Juell Inc. will have a multi-layered diamond pattern. The room's undeniable centerpiece will be a one-of-a-kind, three-tiered chandelier by Hearts on Fire: Made with nearly 5,000 diamonds, it has a price tag of more than $10 million.