ESPN took its ESPY Awards to the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live on Wednesday night, with host Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame. The Capital One-hosted show saw the Miami Heat and LeBron James as its biggest winners. And the athlete star power didn't just appear on the Nokia stage, of course, but at venues around town, where pre- and after-parties plus suites and lounges added to the award show's glittering footprint in Los Angeles. Here's a look inside.
ESPN's big annual show took over the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, where multiple screens and illuminated panels created a vibrant and dynamic stage set that continually changed looks throughout the program.
For ESPN's official after-party for 3,000 at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live, 15/40 Productions ran with the design direction to reimagine a traditional ballroom into a strong, dynamic space fit for celebrating athletic A-listers. The resulting look included multilevel connecting decks, a rotating center bar and lounge, and lots of metal and steel structures punctuating the space.
The circular center drape was actually a 20-foot-tall chain curtain hung from a round center truss to highlight the rotating center bar and lounge, which was the focal point of the room. The same chain curtain appeared in 25-foot-tall sections in the corners of the room (pictured), projecting larger-than-llife images of iconic athletes in memorable moments with corresponding quotes from the past year.
The strong room design echoed in 15/40's stage design with 80 feet of scaffolding supporting another 30 feet of chain curtain and a 24-foot projection screen acting as a stage backdrop to the trilevel stage, highlighting performances by DJ Cool V, Biz Markie, and headliner Snoop Lion.
For the ESPN presents Body at the ESPYs event at Lure nightclub, Event Eleven worked with ESPN director of event marketing Timi Jordan to take over the entire 30,000-square-foot space, where a sea of glowing orbs hung overhead. Performer Santigold and DJ Ms. Nix provided the entertainment.
Old Spice sponsored a photo booth, and Hennessy handled all the bars along with a private interview lounge that Event Eleven transformed with custom shelving units, light boxes, and an interview backdrop for host Hope Solo. On the red carpet, presenting sponsor GMC blanketed the talent arrivals parking lot. Event Eleven transformed the lot that sits adjacent to the nightclub, carpeting more than 9,000 square feet of cement. Floor-to-ceiling custom projections from VSquared Labs shone against the 150-foot wall, and a GMC car build out sat just off the black carpet.
Four custom food shacks were meant to resemble the look of a lively street fair. On-theme foods were available at the street shack, veggie shack, sweet shack, and spicy shack from the Food Matters.
The ESPYs Escape athlete lounge and gifting suites took over the JW Marriott prior to the show, with production by Caravents. The lounge was open to athletes and celebrity guests and also included a gifting suite with sponsors like Beats by Dre and Xbox. A Hennessy happy hour out on the pool deck included specialty cocktails from the brand.
