Moët & Chandon was the exclusive champagne of the 81st Academy Awards, and to celebrate that relationship, the French label hosted Oscar viewing parties in key markets throughout the country. Chicago's incarnation—a by-invite affair that drew some 150 tastemakers, business leaders, and media players—took place at Gallery 1028 last night. Kimberly Burt, a Chicago-based rep for the champagne, oversaw planning efforts for the swank affair. “It was a great opportunity to showcase Moët and to celebrate ... the year in filmmaking," she said.
To bring her award-night vision to life, Burt knew she needed a venue which would offer plenty of creative leeway. “I wanted a space I could transform,” she said. “With all of the audiovisual and technical considerations I knew I would have, a blank canvas is exactly what I needed.”
Apart from its rawness, the loft-style Gallery 1028 fulfilled Burt's needs by providing separate areas for guests to check their coats, make a red-carpet entrance, and watch the award ceremony. “I wanted to be sure that everywhere guests turned, they were experiencing the excitement of the Oscars,” she said.
Since it was too cold to keep partygoers lingering outside the event space, a bank of floodlights, a camera crew, and a red carpet complete with velvet ropes and a step-and-repeat re-created the red-carpet experience indoors. Servers bearing trays of mini Moët bottles greeted guests as they stepped onto the carpet, and CS magazine style editor Graham Kostic conducted interviews to gauge Oscar predictions among the crowd.
Nearly nude models in gold body paint greeted guests in the main room, where pasta and panini stations kept appetites at bay. Six plasma screens throughout the room offered a live broadcast of the awards, and though some guests ignored the simulcast in favor of conversation and networking, most were transfixed while the major winners were being announced.
While celebrities and acceptance speeches were the main attraction of the night, the Moët & Chandon logo was never out of sight: Signage on the TV screens, the champagne bars, and bejeweled bottles gracing every cocktail table ensured that the champagne was never far from any guest’s mind.
