On a cold November night, Great Escapes was an apt theme for the annual Starlight Starbright Gala, hosted by the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation. Guests entered the lobby of the Liberty Grand to find it transformed by An Affair to Remember into the departure lounge of a busy international airport. From there, the evening was all about the possibility of fleeing the coming winter to sunnier, more welcoming climates.
To create the illusion of an airport lounge, An Affair to Remember installed props such as departure information boards and check-in counters. Sid Calzavara of System 4 Productions snapped photos of arriving guests as they posed in front of a sandy beach backdrop. Afterward, mock airport security mischievously scanned them with handheld metal detectors before granting entry to the silent auction in the Artifacts room.
There, guests discovered more than 300 auction lots, ranging from bottles of fine wine and all-inclusive luxury vacations to mountain bikes and teddy bears. Decor included large earth globes and welcome signs in several languages.
Caiterwaiters dressed in Hawaiian shirts passed cross-cultural hors d’oeuvres such as spicy chicken stuffed lychee on cucumber and soy reduction. Meanwhile, at a food station in the centre of the room, Liberty Grand chefs prepared delicious vegetarian spring rolls on edamame and mango sauté served in tiny bamboo steamers. Later the Liberty Grand kitchen dished up a Caribbean-inspired dinner.Decor elements that contributed to the vacation getaway theme included a grass hut awning and tall potted ferns sheltering the dining room entrance, orchids in tall blue vase centrepieces on the dining room tables, and arrangements of heliconias, gingers, and anthuriums placed throughout.
During the early part of the evening, Brandy Leary of Anandam Performance Group executed graceful yoga asanas atop a pedestal to the admiration of onlookers. Celebrity host Michael Landsberg provided entertainment during the dinner. Later, Outside the Box dancers performed as mingling guests sipped after-dinner cocktails.
To create the illusion of an airport lounge, An Affair to Remember installed props such as departure information boards and check-in counters. Sid Calzavara of System 4 Productions snapped photos of arriving guests as they posed in front of a sandy beach backdrop. Afterward, mock airport security mischievously scanned them with handheld metal detectors before granting entry to the silent auction in the Artifacts room.
There, guests discovered more than 300 auction lots, ranging from bottles of fine wine and all-inclusive luxury vacations to mountain bikes and teddy bears. Decor included large earth globes and welcome signs in several languages.
Caiterwaiters dressed in Hawaiian shirts passed cross-cultural hors d’oeuvres such as spicy chicken stuffed lychee on cucumber and soy reduction. Meanwhile, at a food station in the centre of the room, Liberty Grand chefs prepared delicious vegetarian spring rolls on edamame and mango sauté served in tiny bamboo steamers. Later the Liberty Grand kitchen dished up a Caribbean-inspired dinner.Decor elements that contributed to the vacation getaway theme included a grass hut awning and tall potted ferns sheltering the dining room entrance, orchids in tall blue vase centrepieces on the dining room tables, and arrangements of heliconias, gingers, and anthuriums placed throughout.
During the early part of the evening, Brandy Leary of Anandam Performance Group executed graceful yoga asanas atop a pedestal to the admiration of onlookers. Celebrity host Michael Landsberg provided entertainment during the dinner. Later, Outside the Box dancers performed as mingling guests sipped after-dinner cocktails.
An Affair to Remember turned the lobby of the Liberty Grand into a bustling airport departure lounge for the annual Starlight Starbright Gala, hosted by the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation.
Photos by: System 4 Productions
An Affair to Remember turned the lobby of the Liberty Grand into a bustling airport departure lounge for the annual Starlight Starbright Gala, hosted by the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation.
Photos by: System 4 Productions
Globes and welcome signs in several languages hung from the ceiling in the silent auction room.
Photos by: System 4 Productions
A grass hut awning and potted ferns created a shelter for the dining room entrance.
Photos by: System 4 Productions
Orchids in tall blue vase centrepieces adorned the dining room tables.
Photos by: System 4 Productions
