In a moment that MTV Movie Awards executive producer and
reality-TV kingpin Mark Burnett could have appreciated for its unscripted shock
value, cameras at the June 3 show cut to close-ups of Paris Hilton’s dismayed reaction
following a joke at her expense by first-time host Sarah Silverman. While
this and other tabloid moments from the show’s first live broadcast may be
caught on one of the network’s many encore presentations, there were plenty of
pre- and post-show events at which the cameras weren’t rolling.
But we were there to take notes.
Both Silver Spoon Entertainment Marketing and Kari Feinstein PR hosted two-day gifting events at private Beverly Hills residences. Silver Spoon’s Melissa Lemer and Lorena Bendinskas went green for the Silver Spoon Buffet, focusing on environmentally friendly products (sponsors included eco-conscious Shaklee household products and Veev Spirits) and asking guests to donate $40 to the Environmental Media Association. Whole Foods provided guests such as Haylie Duff and Rachel Hunter with cloth shopping bags to stuff with swag.
Guests were also primped and pampered at Keri Feinstein’s
Style Lounge, where the spa menu included manicures, pedicures,
facials, and Thai massages. A Reebok lounge took over the estate’s library, stocking its shelves with shoe boxes, while other sponsors such as Whimsy
Press—who designed the invitations for the event—gave out cards and wrapping
paper from the property’s backyard.
After being prepped with swag and beauty treatments at the style suites, celebrities headed to Sunday’s show at the Gibson Amphitheater. For the seventh consecutive year, MTV senior vice president of production events Kathy Flynn turned to Jason Wanderer of Precision Event Group to create the show’s official after-party, as well as its backstage greenroom, which hosted 400 guests. Wanderer collaborated with the folks at Greco Decor to outfit the greenroom with references to sponsors Old Navy and Vitamin Water. Old Navy-logoed pillows and curtains decorated the space, and bar and waitstaff donned Old Navy clothes while serving Vitamin Water-mixed cocktails. The team also used Vitamin Water in varying colors to create custom waterfalls, which decorated the bars.
Wanderer, who had four weeks’ notice to plan the after-party, chose the nearby Universal Studios Hollywood theme park as the venue. Together with Ethos Design, Show Pro, and the Universal Studios’ event crew, Wanderer turned the event around in 17 hours. (A prom held at the venue the previous night limited the time the group had to set up the space.) The team produced five distinct environments, including a bar and lounge area in the park’s Parisian Square, and a Globe Theatre dance club where mentions of the night’s winners scrolled across an LED chandelier. A grand viewing area on T2 Street featured a 16-foot-tall screen, which replayed the show for those who missed the much-talked-about scandalous moments.
