Every year Ocean Drive magazine's anniversary party is the hottest ticket in town. Local celebs, models, fashionistas, and, of course, the media clamor to see how the risqué lifestyle publication will outdo last year's bash.In years past, guests were treated to body-painted models, dancers simulating orgies, and other over-the-top endeavors. This year was tame in comparison. Since the event did double duty—not only celebrating 13 years of Ocean Drive but also to introduce to the public the upcoming St. Regis Resort and Residences, Bal Harbour, which will be opening in 2009 (in the space currently occupied by the Sheraton Bal Harbour)—Lana Bernstein, Ocean Drive's head of public relations, hired Randi Freedman of Logistics Management Group to create a classy but cool affair. So cool that Ja Rule, Jon Bon Jovi, and Gloria and Emilio Estefan showed up, and this year's hostess, Paris Hilton, gave guests the opportunity to check out her new fragrance, Just Me.
In the hotel's ballroom, V.I.P. and public seating areas were kept simple—couches and tables covered with white fabric from Nuage Designs. Images of fashion shows and special Ocean Drive moments were continually projected onto screens lining the walls while the rest of the room was lit in purples and pinks by Illuminart. A DJ booth stood above the main stage, where Grammy Award winner Seal performed a four-song set. On either side of the room, platforms dressed in silver fabric and flanked by six-foot-tall silver candelabras served as additional stages for other performers.
Entertainment included tango dancing by New Century Dance Company, can-can dancers, showgirls, and performers wearing chandelier headresses that lit up as they danced from Hot Jam Entertainment, and from Parafernalia Productions, women dressed in feathered costumes swinging on heart-shaped, feather-coated trapezes and a group of five female performers dressed in tiny, two-piece gold costumes with lit candles blazing from their tops, who wove their way through the crowd on the dance floor and up onto a platform, where they swayed provocatively to the music.
Ice was an important element of decor. Present at almost every one of the multiple food and beverage stations around the room, sculptures doubled as receptacles for shrimp and branding pieces for Grey Goose (the evening's liquor sponsor). The most comprehensive display was created by the hotel's catering department—four carvings lined up next to one another that served as an impressive backdrop for oysters and other raw bar items. Dessert was also stunning—a tree made of sugar and chocolate enhanced a display of tiny cakes, pastries, and chocolate-dipped fruit.
—Shari Lynn Rothstein
Photos: Tom Grizzle for Ocean Drive magazine (Room Overview)
In the hotel's ballroom, V.I.P. and public seating areas were kept simple—couches and tables covered with white fabric from Nuage Designs. Images of fashion shows and special Ocean Drive moments were continually projected onto screens lining the walls while the rest of the room was lit in purples and pinks by Illuminart. A DJ booth stood above the main stage, where Grammy Award winner Seal performed a four-song set. On either side of the room, platforms dressed in silver fabric and flanked by six-foot-tall silver candelabras served as additional stages for other performers.
Entertainment included tango dancing by New Century Dance Company, can-can dancers, showgirls, and performers wearing chandelier headresses that lit up as they danced from Hot Jam Entertainment, and from Parafernalia Productions, women dressed in feathered costumes swinging on heart-shaped, feather-coated trapezes and a group of five female performers dressed in tiny, two-piece gold costumes with lit candles blazing from their tops, who wove their way through the crowd on the dance floor and up onto a platform, where they swayed provocatively to the music.
Ice was an important element of decor. Present at almost every one of the multiple food and beverage stations around the room, sculptures doubled as receptacles for shrimp and branding pieces for Grey Goose (the evening's liquor sponsor). The most comprehensive display was created by the hotel's catering department—four carvings lined up next to one another that served as an impressive backdrop for oysters and other raw bar items. Dessert was also stunning—a tree made of sugar and chocolate enhanced a display of tiny cakes, pastries, and chocolate-dipped fruit.
—Shari Lynn Rothstein
Photos: Tom Grizzle for Ocean Drive magazine (Room Overview)
Four ice sculptures in a row served as a backdrop to a raw bar display at Ocean Drive magazine's 13th anniversary party.
Parafernalia Productions sent performers parading through the audience en route to a raised platform where they danced for all to see.
A tree made of sugar and chocolate enhanced the display of cakes, pastries, and chocolate-dipped fruit.
The anniversary party offered simple elegance enhanced by brilliant color.
